Wednesday, September 21, 2016
I'm spiking the guns here on Sipsey Street Irregulars

A couple of days ago, I received some news that ended up shaking me to my very core. After a great deal of consideration, I have decided to close the doors of the Sipsey Street Irregulars. Effective immediately, this blog will not be updated or monitored. I know this quite sudden, but I know you guys will keep on going just fine without it.

Freedom is not like a game of cards where you can pick up and walk away when you are done playing. But as it stands now, I do not know if I have any future high profile plans within the liberty movement. Time will tell. There is great potential here. Everyone sees it, which is why it attracts so many people. When you remove failure as an option, your way becomes much clearer. The movement simply cannot afford to fail. Doing so will put this country in a darkness that may take generations to come out from. You can kill the man, but you cannot kill the idea. The idea of the 3% of determined and armed men and women was universal because the idea of "liberty for all" is universal. Mike reminded everyone that a gun in your hand is a preferable option to a life on your knees. Take that lesson, and the many others on this blog and use them.

Goody bye and the best luck to you. Keep it legal. Keep it local. Support small patriot/veteran run businesses when you can. Try to have fun once in a while. And if the government is going to make of you a criminal, be the best one you can be.

Why I’m Leaving the Three Percent

by Kit Perez | Sep 17, 2016

This is a very difficult post to write. I’ve started it and deleted it several times now; I’ve even considered not writing it at all. But for some time now, I’ve been a very vocal member of the III%. I believe the principles, I agree with the purpose, and I was proud to be a part of it. Over the last few months, however, I’ve come to a decision. I can no longer be part of the Three Percent. Because I was so public with my support, I feel honor-bound to be just as public with my choice to no longer affiliate with it, and to explain the thought process leading to my decision.

One of the things I believe in very strongly is that we must be able to collect facts, analyze those facts, and make a decision based on that analysis regardless of whether the facts coincide with what we already [want to] believe. Over the last 12 years or so, I’ve been involved with rallies both at the state and national level; I’ve written thousands of articles for a number of blogs, and I’ve worked with patriotic organizations both large and small. Over that time, I’ve learned facts or been presented with evidence that forced me to take a long, hard look at what I believed. In some cases my beliefs had to change because the facts did not support my opinions. I think many of us who think of ourselves as ‘pro-liberty’ have experienced that—at least if we have integrity, we do. There was a time when I was what many would call a statist; I even supported the Patriot Act when it first came out. I reasoned that if you had nothing to hide, then you shouldn’t have a problem with the government knowing what you do. Over time, I was confronted with evidence that my position on a lot of things was dead wrong—and I had to decide what to do with that information. That process of collecting, analyzing, and deciding continued over the next decade, and now I am faced with yet another decision that must be made with facts, not emotion.

I see the Three Percent ideals as intensely personal things; things to live by and continually aspire to. As I studied the history, I was forced to change more and more of my opinions to be in line with the facts I saw, and the validity of those ideals. One of the most important parts of the ‘culture,’ so to speak, was that of decentralized leadership. I understood the value in the concept, and understood why Mike Vanderboegh was so adamant about there never being a ‘leader’ in the III% movement. Unfortunately, I also saw that there were many who wanted nothing more than to ‘follow’ someone, to have a ‘commander’ that would tell them what to do and when to do it. They wanted a king, in some ways, and it went against everything I had learned the Three Percent was meant to be. It frustrated me to no end to see people claiming to be part of the Three Percent while engaging in actions that blatantly violated the principles—or even openly calling for violence against elected officials. It frustrated me to see that while the masses claimed to want liberty, in reality they are perfectly willing to be ruled—as long as their leader claims to want liberty too.

Several people have told me that “We just need a leader to tell us when it’s time to shoot.” One named their personal choice for leader and said that “When he says it’s time to go, I’ll go.” This troubled me; not only was it completely antithetical to what Mike had taught for years, but it spoke to a much larger problem in the movement: Too many people in the movement do not want to think for themselves. It became obvious that what the Three Percent was meant to be, and what it is, are two different things. It is not owned by anyone and has no leader, yet the visible ‘members’ clamor for a king. The standards are there, ever so clear in their simplicity, and yet the visible ‘members’ think they need to ‘all be on the same page,’ and need some kind of organized effort, some ‘moral compass.’ Few who call themselves Three Percent seem to grasp that the individual, the small local group is the key, that the ‘moral compass’ was already penned. They refuse to understand the idea of local, autonomous groups; in many cases, even the local groups look to boost their numbers, oblivious to the dangers of such. They want standardization, ranks, and status. In fact, it could be argued that the large majority of the actual Three Percent, the ones who are following the catechism and the principles, are silent and invisible. Sparks31 wrote of this very thing today:

If you are trying to organize something on a macro level that was created under the concept of remaining unorganized, and admit such, then you are up to something hinky and I’m going to tell people to stay the hell away from you.

There is another issue as well, and in another post today, Sparks31 explains it very succintly:

This 3% thing will result in deaths if it follows itself to conclusion. By adopting that particular term, you are implying that you will fight a standing, legally-elected government should it (continue to) engage in certain actions you find objectionable. The term used is insurrection. Look it up. Unless the social and political course of this country alters its course drastically in the future, that’s going to be a hell of a check you’re going to have to cash.

Think about that.

Then read the words of the man who created it.

http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-brief-three-percent-catechism.html

If you decide to go that route, now think about the advisability of tossing that term out in public to describe yourself. Or joining up with someone who does.

It doesn’t matter if you’re just a group of harmless preppers who happened to take on the name because it sounded cool and buzzwordy. It’s not the latest buzzword for you to toss out. It’s more like a buzzsaw that will decapitate you if you’re not careful with it.

And you know who could be doing the enforcement for the powers that be?

The militia.

Sparks has quite a list of federal law backing his premise, so before you decide to rage comment, go read his post. While I know many who read this will proclaim loudly that they are happy to die for the cause of liberty, I would remind you of the following:

The pinnacle of achievement is not talk, and it is not death. It is a life lived. It is a day to day existence that seeks the furtherance of liberty in all things, not just the big actions that have national attention. In fact, I daresay it’s not about attention at all. It’s about being willing to set yourself apart for the purpose of service and sacrifice in your everyday life. Not so you can go to every Big Patriot Action, and not so you can deride everyone who “calls themselves a patriot until it’s time to do patriot sh*t.” It’s so that you can contribute—steadily, purposefully, and maybe even silently—to the cause of liberty.

JC Dodge weighed in as well.

Other than the rights that you have as an individual to protect yourself, you are not authorized to run operations, assume any rank (unless you are given a commission by the Governor), or speak for the rest of us. If you want to train as a Neighborhood Protection Team, or Survivalist group, go for it. Both of those acts fall under personal and community defense and are God given rights. If you are putting yourself in the position of combatants that are trying to form a national organization, especially on social media, you are putting you and yours at risk and for what? To look cool and “badass” at an “FTX”? Think about it people, organize locally, keep it local and keep off of social media.

I don’t know about you; I cannot speak for you. But this is what I know:

I do not need or want a king—“liberty minded” or otherwise, and I will not be part of a group of people that wants one.
I do not need a leader to tell me how to live according to principles and self-discipline.
I will not be party to violations of those principles, whether on a macro or micro basis; I will not affiliate with those who violate them.
I will make a difference in my own neighborhood, my own community. I do not need a label or group affiliation to do so.
I will continue to think for myself, to collect facts and make decisions based on those facts instead of my emotions.

I will continue to teach what I can, and learn what I don’t know. I will continue to live according to the Three Percent principles, because they are morally sound and I agree with them. That won’t change. I simply refuse to accept a label that has become associated with things that the Three Percent was not intended to be. The principles and structure are clear, and I choose to follow them, even though I reject the label or the insistence by many that a national organization is needed.

Some will claim that I’m turning my back on Mike’s work or the cause itself; that I must not respect him as much as I claim. In reality, I am doing this because I respected Mike so much. I know what he envisioned for the Three Percent to be—not because I have some insider knowledge, but because he put it out there for the world to see. We all know what is expected of us, and I do not believe he would fault me for this decision. I know I’ll get hate mail for this; it won’t be the first or last time. When you think about it, those who choose to send hate mail or slander me on social media are only proving my point.

Originally posted by Huskerpatriot:
Flags are going off for me on this. I'm wondering if Matts being active in the army had anything to do with this... I'm curious if he was forced to "spike the guns"... (Great phrase there)

October 4, 2016

I’m done

“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.”
-Thomas Jefferson

I’m done with the III Percent Movement. I came to that decision over a month ago and on the 26th of August I sent out an email to JC Dodge, George Patton and other select individuals informing them of my decision and why. Today I’m going to explain it to you.

I’m done because it’s not what it once was nor is it now as it was intended.

One of my biggest complaints is the leadership – the very fact that it even has a leadership goes against the movement’s very ideals and intentions. Notice I said movement and not organization. It was never intended to be an organization and especially a money-making venture.Greed and self-importance got in the way.

Oh, but it has leaders. For every group out there, there’s a leader. Some of the groups are very basic, but they still have somebody that makes decisions. Then there’s the ones that try to have some organization with leaders that give themselves rank and (ohmigod) call signs and even salaries.

Unfortunately, with the internet anybody can become a leader without any kind of vetting because there’s always going to be somebody out there that agrees with him no matter how far off center the thinking is.

Every one of those leaders has a different idea of what Rightful Liberty is and in most cases it has gotten horribly twisted.

My father had a saying about Rightful Liberty that if I’ve heard once I’ve heard a thousand times – pretty much every time I said I had a right to do something. He’d put his hand up about 6 inches from my face and tell me “Your Rights end right here, boy.”

I finally got it a few years ago. Yeah, I may have had a Right to do something but if it was exercised without caution or consideration (key words there) it may be infringing on your personal Rights. We can’t be having that now, can we?

A simple example: I am perfectly within my Rights to shoot on my property on Sunday morning, but let’s say there’s a church a couple hundred yards away. Can I start my rapid fire drill as soon as the singing stops and the preaching begins? By our Founding Father’s literal word, sure I can. But by their intent? No. Even the Methodists have the Right to peace and quiet during their time of worship. There are folks that will argue that the part about ‘prohibiting the free exercise thereof’ only applies to government interference but that’s where consideration and courtesy comes into play.

I’ll go ya one better about that shooting on Sunday deal though – I don’t shoot at all on Sunday. Around here Sunday is the Sabbath – not only a day of worship but also a day of rest. Families gather for dinner here – I’m not going to ruin that for them with gunfire.

“Your Rights end right here, boy.”

Our Founding Fathers were prominent men in their communities which means that above everything else they were Gentlemen, if not by breeding then by education. Rough and crude men did not gain the respect and prominence and respect that our Founding Fathers had to have in order to succeed back then. If you don’t believe me, read Washington’s ‘Rules of Civility’ sometime. It’s an easy read, mostly short blurbs about manners. Here’s a sample:

In the presence of others sing not to yourself with a humming noise, nor drum with your fingers or your feet.

They were Gentlemen. They believed in courtesy and respect and Chivalry. These great Men would be appalled at the way their ideals and thoughts have been perverted. When you have self-styled ‘leaders’ who advocate Jeffersonian principles yet publicly take out their frustrations on the wives of men with whom they have issues or advocate the wholesale slaughter of people because of their religion or even their affiliation within the American political system, that is a perversion of our Founding Father’s intentions if not their very words and writings.
I cannot condone such thoughts, ideals or actions. By belonging to a movement that shares a name with those that espouse those principles I am lending my name to it and as such, my endorsement.

Take my name off that list.

Am I giving up the III Percent Movement? Am I abandoning the community?

Yes. No.

I am a Patriot. I believe in God, Family, Country. I believe in Liberty for all. I believe in You and for your Right to exist in whatever manner you choose as long as it does not interfere with my life. That is Jefferson’s definition of Rightful Liberty in a nutshell.
I don’t have to belong to a movement or especially a dues-paying organization to be a Patriot or a III Percenter in my heart and neither do you.

It’s been mentioned that I am an influence and even a voice in the III community. I never set out to become that and if it is the case, I hereby resign. I will also state here and now that I seriously question anybody’s sanity that takes me as an authority on anything.

If you want to learn about Liberty, read our Founding Father’s words – not just the documents themselves but their writings explaining their reasoning. Seriously.

I’m not abandoning the Movement in spirit or principle – I can’t, those are principles that my father instilled in me since childhood. I cannot and will not betray his spirit and to do one would be to do the other.

I’m going local, something that has been preached since the very beginning of the III Percent Movement began. Local local local. Sound familiar? It should, it’s been preached enough – so much so that the words have lost their meaning to a lot of us.

It was a foreign concept to me in California where there was almost nobody that held my political views and societal values. Here? It’s commonplace. I’ve never felt so connected to Rightful Liberty and Jeffersonian principles in my life.

I won’t abandon my beliefs or resolutions but I won’t be a part of a national movement that either can’t remember or refuses to acknowledge it’s own origins and principles.

I’m Done.

(BTW, nothing will change here at this site. I’m turning my back on the III as an organization, nothing else.)

_____________

I think just about everyone with the ability to think for themselves has reached similar conclusions.
None of us need to belong to any group/org. outside of our own communities to believe in and practice Jefferson’s rightful liberty.

None of us need permission or approval from any national group/org to train and organize locally. Nor do we need to belong to any national group/org. We especially do not need to pay “dues” to any such group/org. to be a part of Mike V’s III%.

We need to do just like ______ is doing and focus our energy and efforts locally-which is what most of the people I know have been doing all along anyhow.

Something that bothers me about the whole liberty/prepper/patriot “community” is the focus on cool guy high speed door kicker tacticool stuff-and the huge lack of focus on important stuff like comms,medical,and food.

Having a couple cheap Chinese handheld radios still in the box ain’t gonna help people when they need radios because the intardnet is down,the power is out and they have no clue what’s going on around them.

Having a couple big Rubbermaid bins of medical supplies won’t do you any good if you don’t have the training to use them correctly.

Having several bins of rice,beans and pastas also won’t do you any good if you don’t have seasonings and meats and veggies to go with the beans and rice and sauces or the stuff to make sauces for the pastas.

Among the prepper community, there are far too many people who have tricked out A-R’s, “sniper rifles”,1911’s,Glocks, thousands of rounds of ammo-and no clue how to correctly and safely use any of them.

All those expensive weapons and no training-that’s another huge problem.

Then there’s the cluless on the ‘net all their personal info-and that of their group is easily available for anyone to see.

Then there’s those seeking to exploit people new to the community-and/or anyone else they can seperate from their $$.

All the above is why I haven’t been writing much of my own on my blogs for months-just generally disgusted with things.