Saturday, April 20, 2013

"My name is Mike Vanderboegh and I'm a smuggler." Transcript of my speech at the Hartford firearm rights rally today.

My name is Mike Vanderboegh and I'm a smuggler. I am from the great free state of Alabama and I am a Three Percenter.
If you need to pigeonhole my politics I consider myself a Christian libertarian. I believe in free men, free markets, the rule of law under the Founder's Republic and that the Constitution extends to everyone regardless of race, creed, color or religion.
I most especially believe in the right of the people to keep and bear arms as the ultimate guarantor of liberty.
I have also been called a "seditionist" by members of the current regime. If faithfully fulfilling my oath to the Founders' Republic and unrelenting hostility to those who would undermine and overthrow it makes me a "seditionist" then I cheerfully plead guilty.
The Three Percent movement I founded has been denounced by that paragon of moral virtue Bill Clinton and I am a perennial "honorable mention" on the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of dangerous folks. I have even been the subject of an eighteen and a half minute rant by Rachel Madcow on MSNBC and the current Attorney General of the United States knows -- and despises -- me by name because of the Fast and Furious scandal that, with my friend David Codrea, I broke the news of on the Internet. Eric Holder would not be surprised to know that the feeling is mutual.
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence calls me an "insurrectionist" because I don't believe, as they do, in a government monopoly of violence, but rather in a literal interpretation of the 2nd Amendment as a bulwark against tyranny. Well, as my friend Kurt Hofmann says, "It is better to be despised by the despicable than admired by the admirable" and I suppose my remarks here today will only reinforce my enemies' opinions of me. I think I can bear the burden.
Yesterday was the anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, but also of the liquidation of the Warsaw ghetto in 1943 and that of the Branch Davidians at Waco fifty years later to the day -- two examples of what happens when governments exercise a monopoly of violence.
It is proper, then, to contemplate the lessons of the date in history -- April 19th -- then, now and in the near future. What I say now I say with reluctance, sadness and not a little bit of dread, but say it I must.
FOR SILENCE IN THE FACE OF TYRANNY IMPLIES CONSENT -- AND I DO NOT CONSENT!
Neither do I believe that you consent, for you would not be here today if you did. But what I say is not easy to say nor easy to hear and many of you will not like it.
"An unconstitutional law is void." So says the standard legal text American Jurisprudence. That is certainly true. The tricky part is how we are to make that point when the local, state and federal executive and legislative branches as well as the courts are in the hands of the domestic enemies of the Constitution. Every one who is currently trying to take away your right to arms starts out by saying "I support the 2nd Amendment." Let me tell you a home truth from Alabama -- Barack Obama supports the 2nd Amendment about as much as Adolf Hitler appreciated Jewish culture, or Joe Stalin believed in individual liberty. Believe what politicians do, not what they say.
So what shall we do about this current spate of tyranny breaking out all over?
The facsimile of a semi-automatic pistol that some of you hold in your hands was smuggled into your state from the South. Manufactured in Georgia, trans-shipped to Alabama, it came across your state line in the trunk of a car. The fact that the authorities of your state have not yet banned "sponge guns" is immaterial. It could as easily been a whole trunk full of real pistols. Indeed, before this year no one thought that other firearms and related items would ever be banned -- but they have been. No one thought that the authorities of your state would pass laws making criminals out of the previously law-abiding -- but they did. If they catch you violating their unconstitutional laws, they will -- when they please -- send armed men to work their will upon you. And people -- innocent of any crime save the one these tyrants created -- will die resisting them.
Yet despite the cost, these unconstitutional laws MUST be resisted. For if not now, when? And if not us, who? This is no longer a "slippery slope" leading to firearm registration and eventual confiscation -- it is a precipice that some states have already plunged over and that the federal government threatens to follow. Arrests are happening NOW. When, if not now, shall we resist? Will we allow ourselves to be shoved back once again, from the free exercise of our God-given, natural and inalienable rights to liberty? -- Shoved back once more, muttering but compliant?
THAT IS HOW WE GOT TO THIS PLACE --- WE NEVER SHOVED BACK WHEN WE COULD DO SO WITHOUT VIOLENCE. Where does it stop? When we are all disarmed slaves?
The Founders knew how to answer such tyranny. When Captain John Parker -- one of the three percent of American colonists who actively took the field against the King during the Revolution -- mustered his Minutemen on Lexington Green, it was in a demonstration of ARMED civil disobedience. He might have retreated at the British approach, but he didn't. He might have ordered his men to lay down their arms, but he didn't. His defiance was silent but plainly stated. A veteran of the French and Indian War, he did not want a war. He knew intimately the horrors of war. BUT HE ALSO KNEW THAT SOME THINGS ARE WORSE THAN WAR. The British could not tolerate his silent defiance -- and someone fired a shot.
But even before the shot heard 'round the world, the colonists understood their weaknesses and their military needs and did something about it. They smuggled. They smuggled Dutch gunpowder and French flints. They smuggled tents and uniform cloth and artillery and ammunition. Boston was the high headquarters of anti-British smuggling and John Hancock was its prime minister. Connecticut was a small empire built on patriotic smuggling. The colonists knew what to do and they did it, regardless of the risk -- regardless of all the King's ministers and the King's soldiery.
They defied the King. They resisted his edicts. They evaded his laws and they smuggled. Lord above, did they smuggle.
Now we find ourselves in a similar situation. The new King Barack and his minions have determined to disarm us. We must determine to resist them.
No one wants a new civil war (except, apparently, the anti-constitional tyrants who passed these laws and the media toadies who cheer them on) but one is staring us in the face. Yes, a civil war is staring us in the face. To think otherwise is to whistle past the graveyard of our own history. We must, if we wish to avoid armed conflict, get this message across to the collectivists who have declared their appetites for our liberty, our property and our lives --
WHEN DEMOCRACY TURNS TO TYRANNY, THE ARMED CITIZEN STILL GETS TO VOTE.
Just like King George, such people will not care, nor modify their behavior, by what you say, no matter how loudly or in what numbers you say it. They will only pay attention to what you DO.
So defy them. Resist their laws. Evade them. Smuggle in what they command you not to have. Only by our ACTS will they be impressed. Then, if they mean to have a civil war, they will at least have been informed of the unintended consequences of their tyrannical actions. Again I say --
Defy. Resist. Evade. Smuggle. If you wish to stay free and to pass down that freedom to your children's children you can do no less than to become the lawbreakers that they have unconstitutionally made of you. Accept that fact. Embrace it. And resolve to be the very best, most successful lawbreakers you can be.
One last thing before I go. On Thursday I smuggled a half-dozen 30 round AR-15 standard capacity magazines into Connecticut in deliberate disobedience of the new state diktat.
So to Martin Looney, Mike Williams, Larry Cafarro and John McKinney I'd like to say this:
I JUST COMMITTED A "D" CLASS FELONY, YOU TYRANNICAL MORONS -- PROVE IT -- WHICH YOU CAN'T -- AND CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.
And I'll tell you something else. When the new ammo restrictions go into effect the first week of July, I'll be back -- with two full crates of 7.62x39 ball ammunition and I will transfer said ammunition into the hands of a Connecticut citizen without the state's permission or paperwork.
And after I break their unconstitutional laws again, I'll be sitting in Frank Pepe's Pizza down in New Haven waiting for Looney and Company to come arrest me --
ANY TIME THEY THINK THEY CAN MAKE IT STICK AND FEEL FROGGY ENOUGH TO TRY.
Thank you.

37 comments:

Ashrak said...

The last S in "DRESS" is SHOOT!

Charles N. Steele said...

Thank you -- for the great ideas and great work.

Charles N. Steele said...

If permitted, I'd like to re-post your speech on my blog.

brass bryan said...

bravo mike - nuff said.

Anonymous said...

HEAR, HEAR!!!!

Mt Top Patriot said...

Go Mike, You tell em!

Bravo!
Bravo!
Bravo!

Anonymous said...

Lead by example huh Mike?

Well I say God bless you for it!

If it comes to it, I'll try to help with your bail.

I wish I could help with your security issues but maybe some of the local talent will see to that. We will be watching and listening. Believe that.

skybill said...

Hi Mike,
Right On!!!!!! Be careful out there and,"Cover your '6'!!!!"

BSBD,
III%,
skybill-out

Unknown said...

I was at this rally today and your speech led me to find you here. I went with a group of two others and you were our favorite speaker of the day.
Thank you for taking the time to speak to all of us! Inspiring! :D

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure why you keep saying a "civil war" is coming when what you are describing is a plain ole' "rebellion" similar to Shay's or maybe more accurately the Whiskey Rebellion.

When (not if) they come for the guns, there is no group that is trying to ascend to fill the federal power. There is just a bunch of folks who (allegedly) will defend with force against the wicked men.

But once the smoke clears, and the bodies are removed from the gutters, the defenders have not assumed power in the govt, nor is there any plan to do so.

Apparently, the only plan is to expend ammunition on the second and third and so on waves of storm troopers until the feds run out of volunteers or the defenders run out of ammunition.

As a civil war requires at least 2 factions to be fighting to take the same govt over and as that is not the situation at present, I suggest you use a different term.

Finally, that was a most excellent speech and I hope to see it reposted throughout patriotdom.

ThePortofino7 said...

Hear, Hear! The Constitution is what makes a U.S. Citizen an American. I AM AN AMERICAN.

Anonymous said...


Well done, sir! An example that should be followed by others - many others.

I have to point out - ammo is like rubies or emeralds now. I might not expect others to give away ammo, or even sell it (at a non-scalping price) if they're blessed enough to have some. But 30-round AR mags can be found for <$15 if you look hard enough. And mags are a gift that keeps on giving!

Anonymous said...

228581Hear, Hear ! Mike....
A stiring rendition of our sentiments! A little muted perhaps,
but they probably couldn't handle
the full force of our opinions.
thanks again, and give me a shout,
and I'll pay for the first case of
7.62x39

blll

Anonymous said...

Hear ..Here ! , the numerals on my Nyberg flag have got a much brighter glow . Well said . Monday when the bobbleheads of the " perception management " propaganda machine convene " there will be wailing and knashing of teeth " .

Dutchman6 said...

Charles, of course you can repost. Send this and the yooutube link as far and wide as you can.

Jeff said...

Fantastic Mike!! Thank you!!

Anonymous said...

Wow; outstanding.
Great job Mike.
It's very hard to travel and do what you did so well when your health is not the best.

Arkindole

Anonymous said...

God bless MV. You are a fine gentleman.

Anonymous said...

Mike,

Good, no great work! Another good idea is jury nullification. If the people are educated, it is never the duty of the jury to prosecute unconstitutional laws. No matter what the judge orders, a jury member, just one is all out takes, can vote his conscience, and not uphold that unconstitutional law. In this way, we can throw out all these treasonous laws that are getting crammed down our throats.

Paul III

Dr.D said...

You never fail to inspire...

Dr.D III%

Anonymous said...

Outstanding!!

God Bless!

-Bobcat

Anonymous said...

WHEN the time comes that the goonies come for you, I won't be able to help with bail-money.

But we will be there to take it back to them.

TOSIAR

Charles N. Steele said...

Re-posted here.

Anonymous said...

30-rd mags will start being smuggled into Colorado, starting July 1. I gahr-un-damn-tee it.

Anonymous said...

The events of the past week have amply demonstrated to our would be oppressors in the government that their desire to put their boots on our necks won't go well. Two guys shut down a huge area. Obamas' need for a domestic army appears to plainly illustrate where he intends to go. Hitlers' SS is a direct parallel to what Obama proposes. Going to be more than two going to the big party. Great speech MV.

Anonymous said...

This was a great speech/blog post. Thank you for an interesting read and for your passion for America.

You might be interested in Drone Wars: The Beginning, a new work of patriot fiction, for a take at how the near future may play out. www.docspress.com

I, like most of us, I suspect, hope for a peaceful return to the real America. The harder the liberal push, the less likely though.

Anonymous said...

Reposting video and text to my facebook page.
Thanks, Mike. You ARE an inspiration.

B Woodman
III-per

Ray13Thomas said...

Great speach Mike. I wish I could have been there to chear you in person.
Ray T.

Anonymous said...

Great speech. By sticking your neck out and taking action, hopefully the people of CT will have an example to follow and won't feel fear now that someone else has already done it.

Anonymous said...

Great Job Mike! Planning our routes! ;-)

Taz, FL

Hefferman said...

Mike do you need a different car, and a driver for your next trip up North?
My F-250 can carry a lot of ammo.

1911A1 said...

You made TTAG! Kudos, Mike. You deserve it.

Anonymous said...

as usual, well done Mike

Anonymous said...

I salute you. That speech took more than normal courage.

Echo Six Lima said...

Oh Hell Yes.
Great speech Mike as always.

Once Always
111

Anonymous said...

Mr. Vanderboegh, you are an inspiration! Hope to meet you someday.

I would posit, though, that civil disobedience needs jury nullification, without which leads to time served. One needs a jury of peers to acquit!

::G

Anonymous said...

Has anyone realized that with the language used to grant gay marriage that Scotus also unknowingly nullified all gun laws in America?Due process with the language that was used that nobody can be denied their rights.Thanks a million thanks .