Just when I was beginning to get sick of the way the not so disinterested media were exploiting the tragedy, some leaders of the much maligned militia made a television appearance that left an indelible impression on me. When I switched on my television set on June 15, I was taken aback by the sight of some camouflage fatigue-clad leaders of America’s self-styled militia testifying before a Congressional committee. This came as a surprise to me since it was common knowledge that the militia hated the Government of the United States with a passion.

As was to be expected, the hearing turned out to be a war of words, a heated exchange in which verbal missiles flew thick and fast. Commander Norman Olson of the Michigan Militia did not beat around the bush. He fired the first salvo as it were, at point blank range. He said something to the effect that the Government had become a wayward child who needed a good, old-fashioned spanking. Senator Arlen Specter, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Government Information, returned with a blistering barrage. He accused the militia of promoting lawlessness in the name of patriotism. Senator Dianne Feinstein followed up with a volley at the militia movement, accusing it of promoting hatred and violence under the guise of freedom of speech. All that can be said of the hearing is that both sides stuck to their guns to the bitter end. When the dust had settled after the verbal skirmishes, there was a clear winner. Score one for Democracy.

This heated exchange of words rather than gun fire is one of those healthy activities that are unique to the United States. Events throughout the world have shown that militia have been the bane of the twentieth century. In fact in much of the world, the word militia is synonymous with terror, civil wars, murder and mayhem. In the last several years, the world watched while militia and other rag-tag private armies brought Lebanon to its knees, paralyzed Britain with fear, dismembered Yugoslavia, and decimated Somalia, Liberia and Afghanistan… The list goes on.

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In all these cases, governments took the proverbial mad dog approach to the militia problem. They either tried to exterminate the militia or totally ignored them. The result was bloodshed upon bloodshed. The lesson of the visit of the militia to Washington is that human beings can solve their problems with one of their most potent weaponstheir tongues. Thanks to the ubiquitous media, the world watched the war of words between the Congressional and militia leaders with a mixture of fascination and surprise. Though one has the impression that the hearing sometimes degenerated into a dialog of the deaf, the exercise was a lesson in freedom of speech and expression. The Oklahoma City bomb attack did have a positive outcome after all.