King George County Constitutional Militia
King George, Virginia

Militia Muster Call - 17 October 2020

Speech from the Commanding Officer

Good Morning!  I am the Commanding Officer for the King George County Constitutional Militia.

All of us are willing to answer your questions about the King George County Constitutional Militia. Please find one of us afterwards if you still have questions.

I would like to see what counties are represented here. Everyone- please raise up one arm.  Everyone from King George, please drop your arm. Everyone else leave yours up until we call your county. 

Thank you. One of our goals with this militia is to help other counties set up their own. For anyone outside of King George, please see one of the Command Staff afterwards to start working towards your county having its own militia.

Please welcome the Chaplain for an invocation.

<invocation>

Thank you, Chaplain. Will you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

<pledge>

I want to make some remarks about why we formed the King George County Constitutional Militia. I hope these remarks explain the intent, answer many of your questions, and probably calm some fears. 

We are all here for various reasons. Some of us are concerned about protecting our rights, especially the Second Amendment, but also the other rights we have, including freedom to assemble and religion. Many of us are concerned about the violence and rioting in cities, including Fredericksburg just down the road. The unease we feel is stronger when government officials don’t enforce the law, and actively encourage the violence. The political and physical intimidation by progressives and socialists is more raw and revolutionary than legitimate. We read the news about the latest violence, and then wonder if our children will be injured or able to prosper. We feel we need to do something, anything, to protect ourselves and the ones we love. What we are doing today is the defense against the threats to the peace we have enjoyed. You are stepping up, taking responsibility, and taking an active part in protecting the County.

The militia historically fills the gap for good governance, sharing the responsibility with civil government and judicial roles. It provides the active protection that neither of those can bring. Since before the founding of this country, militias were a natural method to fight off gangs, hostile forces, and provided necessary manpower to fight wars on short notice. The militia served in the Colonies in all of these roles. By the time of the Revolution, most militias were manned by citizens that were not former regular soldiers, but militias coalesced around ideals and manned by ordinary men. If that is all that bound and led those men, they often folded against the disciplined British Army. The militias that were disciplined and contained veterans of the regular British Army had much better success. This includes the Culpepper Militia, which was George Washington’s favorite militia because of their abilities on the field. Historically, this tells us the militia has to be structured and disciplined in order to be effective against threats to their homes. 

After the Revolution, militias were still in place for about a hundred more years. Their effectiveness and importance waned as the frontiers shrunk. Federalization of state militias as the National Guard at the start of the 20th century led to the loss of the historical duty of citizenship. The need still remains, and places where the political and judicial systems have collapsed have seen a resurgence of militias, legally or not, in order to protect the lives and homes of those who live there. The criminality in Mexico has seen this type of response, with varying levels of success in line with history. 

The role of the militia has gotten more complicated in the United States, both due to popular unfamiliarity with what is a legitimate militia and what sells movies and newspapers. The Press and Hollywood have both maligned the concept of a militia, presenting them as ineffective men’s clubs at the best. At the worst, they claim racism and anti-government motives, even without evidence. There is a strong sense that a militia is a dangerous thing, and not as safe as the police or military. This is a tough place to stand, knowing that the cards are stacked against us protecting our families and county. This bias will rapidly fade when people see how we operate. We must refuse to let others define us and who we are.

Remember the historical lessons – the militia that is disciplined and based on the legal duty of the citizen have the most success. We will be known by our reputation, which we must protect. It doesn’t take long for the stigma the media pushes to shatter in light of the experiences people have with us. We will not reach the level of regular US Army or National Guard. However, we will reach a level of professionalism to give us the confidence we need to succeed. We will use that professionalism to present ourselves well in training and missions, and be the example of citizens doing what is needed for others.

Probably all of us are here because we sense there is a political and cultural storm coming. Articles talking about a coming civil war or conflict if one or the other Presidential candidate gets elected add to the sense. Many people are waiting to find out what to do when it happens. The problem is that when the storm hits, it’s the worst time to start preparing. You have decided to take a stand, in the words of our militia motto “prepare to defend.” Preparation before the storm is critical to success and protecting those we love and our fellow citizens.

A Constitutional militia has a primary mission- legally defending the United States and Virginia Constitutions and the rights of their citizens. Militia stand to help the County, whether protecting from violence or aiding the County through emergency support. A Constitutional Militia is NOT for overthrowing the government or oppressing anyone. Groups that do those things are criminal enterprises and deserve the legal sentences they receive. We will set the example of what a proper militia is- disciplined, legal, respectable, and diligent in our mission.

Militia discipline is a difficult task, but it enables the core capability of a fighting force. This is what a militia is – an organization that has a purpose of providing military style force to protect. This is organized defense, which is stronger than the capability that one or two people can achieve. Think of the rioting in Richmond, or in Portland, or in Minneapolis. Large groups of people throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. Many of the rioters are armed with bats, knives, and guns. You cannot stand by yourself against that number of people, even if you are very experienced. The discipline of one or two citizens is overwhelmed by numbers. We need to have the ability to work together, to blunt the violence through our own numbers in an organized fashion. Discipline is a force multiplier, allowing a smaller group to prevail against a larger group and to respond effectively. Our militia organization must be able to respond quickly to threats or emergencies, sometimes in concert with the county. Our delays in a response might be measured in lives and lost property.

I am going to shift a little and talk about those riots and those within them for a moment. The first rule of any military unit is to understand the enemy. Those at the protests turned riots fall within two main groups. The first are people legitimately trying to protest what they believe is wrong. The second group are opportunistic socialists and progressives taking advantage of the situation. If you watch the videos closely, there are elements moving in a disciplined, military matter. They are causing havoc to force their views. These are not just inexperienced kids but people looking to change the government fundamentally. They know their legal limits and will taunt counter protestors and bystanders to draw a reaction to justify their violence. They want us to act out, so they can put us in jail or in the morgue. The media will try to justify the bad image of militia using these same people. 

This is the enemy we are watching to determine what we need to do. We counter the narrative by being law abiding, effective during missions, and models of citizens. Your personal reputation and the reputation of the militia will blunt and destroy the criticisms thrown our way. This negates the media propaganda, a side mission to our primary ones. 

As the Commanding Officer, the responsibility for all of you starts and ends with me. I know our capability to counter the threats to our Republic and Commonwealth requires an investment. We have to invest in the time, personal equipment, and training to ensure we are effective. It isn’t the easiest or most fun. What we gain is the confidence that our County is protected. The Command Staff has spent the last several months modernizing the base militia organization for the 21st century, with the aim of creating something that outlasts the current crises. We have taken the steps to discuss the militia with the Sheriff and County Administrator to ensure we stay within the law and so they understand who we are. The Staff has also considered how to help counties next to ours to form up their own militias. 

The Executive Officer is going to talk about the trainings we are planning to get all of us to the level we need to be. This training is designed to address working together in a disciplined way, preparing in case the threat of a storm is realized. We will work with the county in supporting emergency preparedness and search and rescue functions, providing the help to the county that is sorely needed. We will help you learn new skills like HAM radio operation and effective movement. As other militias form, we will work to train with them as well. 

I know that I covered a lot. This is the start of the work we need, to provide the certainty that our rights and the Constitutions will remain unmolested here in the County. It sends a message of resistance to the forces that would destroy our peace and lives. If the opponents to the Constitutions bring a fight, we will be ready for them, standing side by side with each other and our neighbors. This is the same determination and organization that fought and won against the strongest army in the world almost 250 years ago. We will hold the same line, for those who follow us. 

Thank you for your attention. The Executive Officer will now briefly cover the organization, training, and related information. 

King George County

Constitutional Militia

​King George, Virginia

Sic Semper Tyrannis

--

Thus Always to Tyrants

.