February 03, 2016 06:44 AM UTC

GOP Senate candidate fears U.S. government could quickly turn on citizens

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• by: Jason Salzman

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Charles Ehler, who’s one of the dozen or so Republicans vying for the chance to run against Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, shared this image on his Facebook page, with no explanation:

I called Ehler,  who is an Air Force Veteran, to find out how close he thinks our government is to rounding us up in boxcars–or if this was a joke. I mean, banning assault rifles leads to this?

Ehler: “It’s funny, and it’s not funny,” he told me, “because we could appear to be a beneveolent society, and as soon as the guns are gone, overnight, we could have a society like that. The force of government can turn on citizens almost at the blink of an eye. It’s called human nature. I have the force and you don’t.

Are we there? I don’t know that we’re there, but boy it could turn quickly. I really don’t think Americans need to find that out. We don’t need to create the conditions for it.”

“I’m collecting a pay check, and the person ordered me to shoot,” he said, pointing to government massacres at Wounded Knee, Ludlow, and Sand Creek.

“I’m also concerned about people getting trigger happy with the guns,” said Ehler, who’s retired from General Dynamics and has run motorcycle-restoration and bicycle-repair businesses. “And we see that happening with the police.”

“We saw it with the fellow killed in Oregon the other day. They never saw a gun, but they shot him anyway. The excuse was, he was reaching for a gun.”

Ehler’s comments are in line with his website, which states, “A man with a gun needs little help from government to secure his freedom.”