Gun crowd vows to defy background check law, hears calls for confrontation

"Mike Vanderboegh speaks as opponents of a Washington State law requiring mandatory background checks on all guns sales gather on the grounds of the State Capitol in Olympia. The law, known as Initiative 594, was passed by voters in November. (Joshua Trujillo, seattlepi.com)"

The most fiery speaker was longtime, Alabama-based “patriot” movement leader Mike Vanderboegh. Vanderboegh unloaded on a variety of targets, including the National Rifle Association, the premier group in the gun lobby. He decried the NRA for not putting its resources into the campaign against I-594.

“The NRA did the minimum they could do to convince their members they were doing something,” Vanderboegh stated.

The NRA has begun a backstage campaign to undermine and weaken I-594 when the Legislature convenes in January.

But Vanderboegh argued that more is needed, decrying the background-check initiative as “a violation of natural law and natural rights derived from God.” He drew a big cheer with the line: “Welcome to resistance behind enemy lines.”

“You are the army of the American republic mobilizing against a tyranny our founders told us about,” Vanderboegh cried. A few moments later, he added: “I swear by the great God Jehovah that we will win this fight or die trying.”

. . . Up at the speakers’ stand, Vanderboegh called for non-violence and working through legislative means, but hinted at one recourse still available.

“If they fail, there are always Second Amendment remedies,” he said, adding a moment later, “We will not fire the first shot but if need be we will fire the last.”