Los Angeles News Blog

82-page report about the JBS and its assertions, based primarily upon first-time-released FBI files and documents here:
http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/jbs-1

b: I am not "attacking" the organization. I am sharing data from FBI files which most people know nothing about concerning FBI evaluations about the JBS and the assertions the JBS disseminated.

Your description of the JBS (i.e. "helping others understand the Constitution") is an absurdity. The JBS has spent 50 years injecting its malicious poison into our public policy debates---which is why numerous major figures in the conservative and anti-communist movements in our country denounced the JBS.

Furthermore, you conveniently overlook the number of times in which the JBS or its surrogates were sued for libel and lost -- including the most famous instance which resulted in an historic precedent-setting change to American libel law.

After 14 years of litigation including 2 jury trials, several appeals, and review by the U.S. Supreme Court -- the JBS paid $100,000 in compensatory damages and $300,000 in punitive damages to Elmer Gertz.

As you may know, punitive damages are not permitted unless malice can be shown -- i.e. a "reckless disregard of truth" -- and, in fact, the Birch Society's own lawyer admitted during questioning before the U.S. Supreme Court that "falsehoods" were contained in the article published in the JBS magazine about Chicago lawyer Elmer Gertz.

So, PRETEND, if you want, that the JBS is "helping others understand the Constitution" -- but a more accurate description would be that the JBS has attacked and defamed every major political figure in U.S. history during the past 80 years.

AND, as FBI files/documents pertaining to the JBS and its assertions reveal --- the JBS routinely circulated FALSEHOODS about numerous people, organizations, and issues. See my JBS report for specific factual details.

I was a Bircher in 1964 and 1965. I did not resign because of reasons you give. Robert Welch (founder of Welch's Grape Juice) predicted that communism would crumble and fall if the U.S. quit supporting it financially. That proved to be true...after I resigned.
The reason I resigned was because Welch also said that IF we could not get the U.S. out of the U.N., it would become the ruling world power. When I saw in the Bible that the U.N. WILL become the world power, I knew we would never get the U.S. out. Bible prophecies always come true. The information about the U.N. is in chapter 17 of Revelation. in verse 11, it speaks of a beast (all world governments name themselves after wild, predatory beasts) that descends into the abyss...League of Nations...and then comes out...United Nations. In verse 11. it says this same beast will will become the eighth king then will go off into destruction. But, before it does, the U.N. will destroy false religion around the globe. Couldn't happen here? Treaty law supercedes constitutional law. President has power of veto but his veto will not stand unless every nation involved in the original 1945 treaty agrees.
I did resent Welch's bigotry, believing we are all the same, no matter what color in the eyes of God. That is what the Bible says and it makes sense.
I always search for the deep truths in everything, knowing no man-made organization can be completely true but Welch was right about some things...ie..."Less Government, more individual responsibility and a better world.

Robert: There are so many errors in your messages that you obviously are not a credible source of factual information. My comments appear underneath yours -- mine are asterisked ***

Ernie is so full of crud it is not funny. The JBS has been investigated by the California Senate and given a clean bill of health.

***The California Senate Fact-finding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities produced 2 reports on the JBS. Neither one "cleared" the JBS. In fact, the Chairman of the Subcommittee (State Senator Hugh Burns) specifically identified the Birch Society as "an extremist" organization. The second report in 1965 was VERY critical of the falsehoods which the Birch Society disseminated as well as its defamation of prominent Americans.

In addition, Dan Smoot was a member as well as a formed FBI agent and good friend of Hoover.

*** A TOTAL LIE BY YOU ON BOTH COUNTS: Smoot was never "a member" of the JBS. Nor was he "a friend of J. Edgar Hoover". I am the only person who requested and received Smoot's FBI personnel file as well as the FBI file on his newsletter. You may read the ACTUAL FACTS about Smoot (as distinguished from your hallucinations) here: http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/smoot.

Just prior to his resignation, Smoot was the subject of disciplinary action by the FBI. He was censured and placed on probation and notified of his transfer to a small field office.

Ernie is a confusion agent and nothing more.

***Instead of ad hominem attacks, why don't you explain what SPECIFICALLY is factually inaccurate in my reports on the JBS and Dan Smoot??? Which FBI documents did I misquote? or misrepresent? BE SPECIFIC -- or APOLOGIZE!

Just to correct a few errors. Robert Welch was never associated with Welch Juice Co. He was an owner of Welch Bros. Candy Manfg. Welch invented items like the "Sugar Daddy."

***WRONG AGAIN ROBERT. The owner of the candy company was Robert's brother James Welch and it was the "James O. Welch Company" -- not "Welch Bros. Candy Manfg". This is common knowledge and could not possibly be an honest error on your part. You obviously have no FACTUAL knowledge which is why you prefer ad hominem attacks.

Welch was never a racist. In fact he spend hundreds of thousands of his money on scholarship for Black citizens and pointed out that it is the communists that foment race issues as strategy to destroy our society and move to communism. That is exactly what the Civil Right Act in the 60's was all about - putting power into the Federal government.

*** ASK ANY sample of African-Americans if THEY believe your characterization of either the Civil Rights Act or our civil rights movement. Welch was not explicitly racist but the JBS welcomed segregationists and racists into its ranks. In fact, many officials of the White Citizens Councils were prominent JBS members -- including Medford Evans. Furthermore, even Rev. Delmar Dennis (a Bircher who was an informant for the FBI inside the White Knights of the KKK of Mississippi) acknowledged that that many local JBS members resigned from the JBS in protest when they discovered that Rev. Dennis was an FBI informant. His church (also segregationist) asked him to leave.

More details from: ernie1241@aol.com

The correct link to my Smoot report is as follows:

http://ernie1241.googlepages.com/smoot

Apparently, the period after "smoot" in my original message made the link inoperative

If I understand Benning's comments correctly, he is saying that it makes utterly no difference to him if an organization disseminates falsehoods or if it maliciously defames Americans -- and if you oppose falsehoods or defamation -- then leave America! That is how Benning defines "patriotism".

Wow Ernie,did I say that...don't think so... I think you need to reread what I stated. Stick with the Constitution and you will be ok, but with your unrealistic interpretation of what I stated, I don't think that is possible.

After reading this article and some of the comments, I'm appalled at the misinformation being spread on here about the JBS. I'm not an official member of the JBS but I did spend 2 weeks at a Robert Welch summer camp as a teenager in the late 90's and I got a glimpse inside their world. They're organization is comprised of conservative, freedom loving people who try their best at promoting the true role of government.