USMEA Official Statement on the Richmond Action

Issued by the Office of the Civil-Military Administrator Colonel Walter E. Dorsey

November 7, 2000

The United States Military Emergency Administration recognizes that the events in Richmond have caused alarm, anger, and grief among those who still believe in law, order, and the future of this nation. The destruction and loss of life are regrettable, but let us be clear: Richmond had ceased to be a city governed by its people. It had become a battleground, occupied and brutalized by an extremist faction that sought to impose its rule through fear and force.

New America is not a legitimate government, nor does it represent the will of Richmond’s citizens. It is a radical offshoot of the Free State movement that had seized control of the city by force, purging those who opposed its rule and silencing any dissent through summary executions. The people of Richmond are not its followers; they were its prisoners.

Every opportunity was given for New America’s leadership to surrender peacefully. Instead, they dug in, using the city’s population as human shields and converting civilian infrastructure into military assets. Their actions left us with no choice but to intervene decisively.

Moreover, intelligence reports indicated that New America had acquired or was seeking access to chemical weapons, including VX nerve gas. We could not allow that risk to remain unchecked. A faction that had already demonstrated its willingness to use terror and mass execution as tools of governance could not be trusted with weapons of mass destruction. Had we hesitated, the consequences could have been far worse, not only for Richmond but for any community that stood in New America’s way.

We acknowledge the heavy toll this action took on the city and its people. To those who lost loved ones in the crossfire, we offer our deepest regret. But there must be no misunderstanding: Richmond was not liberated from its own people. It was freed from an occupying force that seeks to remake this country in its own twisted image.

The United States Military Emergency Administration remains committed to the survival of this nation. We will not cede its future to radicals, separatists, or opportunists. We will act where others hesitate. We will hold the line where others falter. Richmond was not the first test of our resolve, nor will it be the last.

This nation will endure. And we will see to it.