The radical right movement seems to be growing. Environmentalism is also a target, in part thanks to talk radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Chuck Harder, who decry 'pagan nature worshipers.' Hateful rhetoric is not directed only at the federal government and minorities. History has demonstrated that individuals who subscribe to this ideology are capable of acting in a violent manner.' 'These groups urge people to take immediate action and arm themselves. 'The philosophy espoused by many of these groups is one which tells people that society is out to get them that the system has been taken over and that there is no way people can get justice through the processes currently in place,' said the report's authors. 'There is a very real danger of violent confrontation with law enforcement,' the network said in a special report, A Season of Discontent: Militias, Constitutionalists, and The Far Right. Last month, the Montana Human Rights Network, a private, non-profit organization formed to counter the radical right, issued a warning.

The proliferation of fringe groups worries many residents of Big Sky country. While the rest of the country may view the state as a playground for tourists and reclusive Hollywood celebrities, Montana's rural topography and individualistic tradition have made it a magnet for the Ku Klux Klan, the Aryan Nation, the American Nazi Party, the Christian Identity movement, and an array of tax protesters such as the Freemen, Constitutional Militia, and Posse Comitatus. Trochman and his followers are one reason why Montana has become a nexus for Western factions of the radical right. In other words, if you want peace, prepare for war.' 'You never have trouble if you are prepared for it.

'Make preparation in advance,' he preached to 100 people gathered at the Bozeman Public Library in May. To others, he is a fanatic, preparing fellow zealots for a bloody confrontation with law enforcement officials. To some, the 50-year-old resident of Noxon, Mont., population 270, is a hero. The number one threat to freedom, Trochman says, is the recently passed Brady Bill, which bans the sale of semi-automatic assault rifles. Lee beard is also a field general in the 'Militia Of Montana,' a paramilitary survivalist organization formed to fight what it perceives as oppression by the federal government. John Trochman calls himself a 'Christian Patriot' and defender of the American Constitution.

Radio Nowhere by Lee Beard