John Avlon : It 's telling and sad that IRS workers were on alert for ` ` patriot '' groups . ` ` Patriot '' is a term whose meaning has been lost by extremists , he says . Avlon : The early growth of self-styled paramilitary groups began in the early 1960s during the presidency of John F. Kennedy -- a committed Cold Warrior , but not incidentally a Catholic and a Democrat . Past year has seen exploding number of ` ` ' '' paramilitary groups .
John Avlon : It 's telling and sad that IRS workers were on alert for ` ` patriot '' groups . ` ` Patriot '' is a term whose meaning has been lost by extremists , he says . Avlon : Past year has seen exploding number of ` ` ' '' paramilitary groups .