FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Another county is now trying to take the next steps in the battle against gun control by taking matters into its own hands.
It was a familiar sight at the Franklin County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, as people in the crowd wore bright orange stickers saying, “Guns save lives.”
Dozens attended this time instead of the hundreds who have shown up to support the Second Amendment in the past, but the passion remained the same.
“The tyrannical assault on our constitution, state and federal and we hope to stop that,” said Aaron Hodges, who started a militia muster call for Franklin County.
They’re defending the Second Amendment with a different strategy this time.
"We hope to get a militia formed for Franklin County," said William Dyer, executive member of the Virginia Citizens Defense League.
A militia muster call is a move we’ve seen in other counties, like Floyd County, back in January. More than 100 people there used the militia muster call as a way to educate the community.
As for the man who started the movement in Franklin County, it's an opportunity to bring together like-minded people and get ready to oppose whatever gun control measures might be coming down the road.
"There's nothing really to carry out yet but we are, we do want to assemble and we do want to train for it and with the help of hopefully the sheriff's office, we will be prepared," Hodges said.
Second Amendment supporters in Franklin County are not just looking for support from neighbors, but the Board of Supervisors and beyond.
"We are asking for the support of our sheriff not only for him to support but to join and to lead and to see us as another tool to help protect and serve the community," said Jim Hampton, who lives in Franklin County.
"This is not just sending a message, this is in preparation for, God forbid, anything bad that would... Tyranny," Dyer said.
The militia muster call is happening on March 7 at noon at the Franklin County Recreation Department.