III% Antigovernment Blog Shuts Down After Death of Its Founder
An extremist, pro-gun, antigovernment blog that has been a nerve center and sounding post for the III Percent movement is closing down, its administrator publicly announced today.
The closure of the Sipsey Street Irregulars blog comes just 42 days after the death of its founder, Michael B. Vanderboegh, who started it in 2009, and became the springboard for the III Percent movement. Three Percenters claim that only three percent (a number ) of the original American colonists fought against the British during the Revolutionary War, and therefore were the "true patriots." The Sipsey Street blog鈥檚 founder and followers generally rallied around antigovernment and anti-gun control issues, claiming unrestricted gun ownership was the key to saving the Republic.
Vanderboegh is famously remembered for saying in 2013, 鈥淚f you try to take our firearms we will kill you鈥� after a gun safety advocate suggested that only police and military personnel should have firearms.
But his son, who took over operation of the blog in April, apparently is walking from that brand of public boldness.
鈥淚鈥檓 spiking the guns here on Sipsey Street Irregulars,鈥� Matthew Vanderboegh posted on the blog today, metaphorically announcing its closure.
The sudden-shuttering of the III Percent blog is a bit of mystery, precipitating considerable speculation and some harsh criticism among its followers.
鈥淎 couple of days ago, I received some news that ended up shaking me to my very core,鈥� Matthew Vanderboegh wrote. 鈥淎fter a great deal of consideration, I have decided to close the doors of the Sipsey Street Irregulars."
He didn鈥檛 elaborate further, but in a Facebook posting said:聽 鈥淚 am afraid my reasons are deeper than a simple comment. Call it family related. I'll see you out there when it counts.鈥�
鈥淚'm done. The why of it is not important,鈥� Matthew Vanderboegh continued. 鈥淲hat is important is that you continue fighting for your God given rights. Good bye, and good luck."
His departure from the III Percent stage comes just days after another high-profile leader, Kit Perez, of Washington State, announced her departure after 12 years of activism in the movement.
鈥淭his 3% thing will result in deaths if it follows itself to conclusion,鈥� Perez posted on the Patrick Henry Society blog, quoting another blog post written by another movement follower who calls himself "sparks31."
鈥淏y adopting that particular term (III Percent), you are implying that you will fight a standing, legally-elected government should it (continue to) engage in certain actions you find objectionable,鈥� the posting said.
The posting Perez referred to said III Percenters could find themselves involved in 鈥渋nsurrection鈥� and ultimately face militia forces if executive orders were signed. 鈥淯nless the social and political course of this country alters its course drastically in the future, that鈥檚 going to be a hell of a check you鈥檙e going to have to cash,鈥� Perez said on her blog, quoting "sparks 31."
Matthew Vanderboegh 聽took over the Sipsey Street blog on April 14 after it was publicly disclosed his father, who lived in Alabama, was terminally ill with cancer. Introducing himself on the blog, Matthew Vanderboegh said he had served in the U.S. Army for 14 years and did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.聽He pledged to follow his father鈥檚 footsteps in the III Percent movement.
鈥淎s many have observed, it would be a tragedy to simply let聽this blog go聽to archive,鈥� Matthew Vanderboegh said in his first post, noting that the blog 鈥渨as the first of its kind dedicated to the principles of the Three Percent.鈥�
He said his father鈥檚 purpose in starting the blog was 鈥渢o give himself a platform to educate and proselytize聽a very simple and profound message that no one聽should to bend a knee鈥� to those who want to disarm American citizens.
David Codrea, another pro-gun blogger and Vanderboegh associate, also wrote about the closure of the Sipsey Street on his blog, 鈥淭he War on Guns.鈥�
鈥淚t's sad new, but not unexpected, and unavoidable, really,鈥� Codrea wrote today. 鈥淲ithout going into details I am not at liberty to share, I support Matthew in his decision to pull the plug,鈥� Codrea said.
鈥淚 was not only there for the birth of the blog, I'm the one who badgered Mike into starting it,鈥� Codrea wrote. 鈥淲e collaborated closely throughout on stories and developments that only time will tell how much of a difference was made. My opinion is he [Mike Vanderboegh] did great work there that deserves a place in the national memory as long as the nation exists to remember.鈥�
The blog鈥檚 closure brought various reactions on social media.
鈥淎fter seeing all the comments criticizing Matt and cursing him and calling him a p----, I'm not surprised he would walk away. Why put up with that shit?鈥� blog follower Mark D. Matthews posted on Facebook.
Elliott James Rose posted that the blog鈥檚 closure isn鈥檛 鈥渨hat your father would have wanted but I guess in the end it is your decision, sure didn't take long. Maybe one day [you will] ...聽 share with all of us [why] you're doing this. Just don't let the feds get to you that's all I've got to say."
Blog follower Jay Heathman posted that neither of the Vanderboeghs owed anything to 鈥渦ngrateful bastards鈥� who read the blog without cost. 鈥淢ike was my dear friend for many years, and his family continues to be, so anyone who wants to whine, bitch and moan, do us all a favor, put on your tactical camo and go to your Safe Space and cry into your camo hankie. Matt needs our support, not your self-indulgent 鈥榳aaah waaah,鈥欌�� Heathman wrote.
Michael Ford added that the Sipsey blog wasn鈥檛 about the Vanderboeghs, but 鈥渁 meeting place and a 鈥榯ree of liberty.鈥� It'll be missed, but there are other trees in a rapidly growing forest.鈥�
