Glen Tate: 299 Days: The Community

NorthCom was trying to keep control of the military units in the U.S. Most were just scrambling with the relief efforts. They didn’t have time to think about politics right then.

Oath Keepers kicked into action. Its thousands of members refused to comply with unconstitutional orders. Some of those orders were the order to arrest “terrorists,” including U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, who had been designated as terrorists by the President (but in reality were just names on a list compiled by military and law enforcement and civilian politicians). They were to be held indefinitely and without trial. Without trial. In military custody; not the civilian court system. That had been authorized by the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act.

Major Bill Ownes, a military lawyer in the Texas Guard, was one of the thousands of Oath Keepers. There was a meeting of San Antonio-area Texas Guard senior officers, which included Bill. NorthCom briefed them on what was happening and what was about to happen. The NorthCom colonel said that they had activated their plan for combating “civil unrest,” which included seizing civilian weapons, setting up checkpoints, and searches without warrants. The colonel asked if there were any questions. Bill felt a strange calmness and raised his hand.

“I’m JAG,” Bill said, referring to the acronym of a military lawyer, “and have to ask how this is possibly legal, sir.” The colonel seemed annoyed. Who was this major to be questioning him like that?

“The President signed an Executive Order under his war powers,” the colonel responded. “Surely,” the colonel strained to see Bill’s rank insignia, “Major, you understand the President’s broad war powers.”

“Yes, sir,” Bill said. “But he is still subject to the Constitution, which includes the Second and Fourth Amendments. The Treason clause requires a civilian trial for making war on the United States, so the NDAA power for the President to detain ‘terrorists’ in military custody is unconstitutional, sir.”

Silence.

Bill continued, “These measures you at NorthCom describe, sir, would be unlawful orders and none of us need to follow them. In fact, it would actually be illegal to follow them.”

The colonel knew this was coming. They had been dealing with these Oath Keepers assholes in every unit. This major was about to lose his commission.

“You’re done talking, Major,” the colonel barked. “You’re wrong. Our legal staff at the Pentagon has researched this. It’s entirely legal. The NDAA and Insurrection Act allows this. And you will obey a direct order, Major.”

More silence.

Bill stood up. He could not believe how calm he was.

“No, sir,” Bill said. “I will not obey an illegal order.” Bill stood at attention. He now realized the meaning of the phrase “stand up for your rights.” He was literally doing it.

More silence. The colonel was trying to stare him down.

The Texas Guard commander, a brigadier general, spoke up.

“Major Owens is one of my best legal advisors, and I think he’s right,” the Texas Guard general said. “My men will not follow these orders. They are illegal. Is there anything else NorthCom wishes to tell us, Colonel?”

The general had already spoken extensively with the Texas Governor, who was the Guard’s general commander. The general had told the Governor that none of the guard units would follow this federal nonsense. The Texas Governor had watched the Feds botch the Mexican refugee fiasco and he wasn’t about to let them screw up more.

“You may leave, Colonel,” the Texas Guard general said.

Everyone in the room realized that, at that moment, they were witnessing the beginning of the Second Texas Republic.

It was getting dark and Grant was wide awake. He’d slept most of the day, and was elated by the arrival of his family and the Team. There was no way he could sleep now. Besides, he had guard duty.

Chip came up to him with a cup of coffee. Grant reached for it, assuming it was for him. Chip shook his head. “Not for you. For me.” That seemed strange.

“OK, but how can you sleep when you’re drinking coffee at night?” Grant asked.

“I’m not going to sleep,” Chip said. “I’m going to pull guard duty. You need to settle your family in.” Chip smiled. He knew that Grant’s real family had arrived. Chip would be part of this family, too; just an extended member of it.

Grant started to tear up. Why? It was nice and everything for Chip to take his guard shift, but why tear up? Everything was just so emotional at that moment. Grant collected his composure and said, “Thanks, man. I mean, really, thanks.”

Chip just smiled wider and nodded. He grabbed his AR and did a press check of his 1911. “Gotta go.” He walked a few steps and then turned to Grant, “I’m proud of you, man. You left your family when you had to. You weren’t some pussy just crying in the corner of your suburban home when the shit hit the fan. You were a man. And it’s working out well for you.” Chip turned and kept walking to the guard shack.

Grant got choked up. He had to admit it: he was proud of the stand he’d taken. but his mind shifted to thinking of all they had to do out there to make sure they made it.

Where to start? Grant thought. He needed to get people settled in. He started, of course, with his own family. He found Lisa and said, “I’m thinking that you and I get the downstairs bedroom that has a door.” It had a comfy queen size bed. Grant had got it at a garage sale for $100 and it was like new. He remembered when he got it thinking that he might need to sleep on this for several years out there so he better get a good one.

Grant continued, “The kids can share a bed in the loft.” Lisa nodded. “Then I’m thinking your parents could share the other bed in the loft. It will be comforting to the kids to have grandma and grandpa around.”

Lisa thought about how weird it was to have kids sleeping together and the grandparents also sleeping in the same room. She started to say something, but realized that this one cabin was all they had. There was no big house with separate bedrooms and no second house where the grandparents lived. This was how people slept in the past. It would have to do. It might actually be a good thing to have everyone under one roof. Family was a good thing, especially in a crisis.

“I guess so,” Lisa said. “I mean it’s just for a few days until this thing blows over.”

Grant nodded. A few days? He was playing along, knowing this could go on forever. “Yeah, just a few days,” he said, a little ashamed of himself for misleading her, although she had to be eased gently into the new reality, as did the kids and grandparents. Grant remembered that he’d spent the last few years mentally preparing for a Collapse. It was fair for it to take a while for everyone else to catch up with him.

“We have a full bathroom, a shower and everything, so that’s taken care of,” Grant said. “The only thing we don’t have out here is a washer and dryer, but I talked to the Morrells yesterday and they said we can use theirs.” Lisa smiled. Grant had thought of everything. She had to admit it.

Grant motioned for her to follow him upstairs to the loft. He pointed to the big dresser. “This will hold a lot of people’s clothes. Besides, they only brought enough for a week or two so there’s not much to put away.” Grant purchased the dresser when he got the bed at the garage sale. They matched. Only $50. Kind of a 70’s look to them, but they were solid, like furniture used to be built when things were still built in America. Way back then.

He opened a drawer and there were some of Manda’s clothes in there. “I had her bring some of her old stuff out a few months ago. We brought out some of Cole’s clothes, too. I saw this …” he stopped. He was about to say he saw this coming, but he was determined not to gloat, so he pretended to switch topics. “I saw this dresser at a garage sale when I got the bed. Just $50.”