Daniel Junas

About the author: Daniel Junas is a Seattle-based political researcher and the author of The Religious Right in Washington State.

The militia movement is gaining support from a growing number of Americans who are frustrated by the federal government, which they perceive as hostile to their interests. This movement—predominantly white, male, and middle or working class—has spread from white supremacist circles to the Christian right. In the western United States, the militia movement's influence has prompted many private landowners and counties to challenge the federal government's environmental regulations and control of public lands. This has led to threats and acts of harassment and violence against federal officials and environmentalists. The eroding of the democratic process caused by the militia movement in these rural areas could easily spread elsewhere.

Winter is harsh in western Montana...