Tea parties are popping up all over the country, protesting the Obama budget and non-conservative administration. Rallying conservatives all over the country are concerned and distressed over the situation in Washington and with good reason. I read the forums and blog like many of you on various websites and I hear the word "Revolution" mentioned frequently. I am a member of the GOA, VHA, SASS, and USCCA all to try and support the battle to save the rights in this country particularly the second amendment. I listen as various shooting disciplines ignore the concerns of others and turn their heads with the thought they will not come after my double barrel (Clays sports) just your silly Glock (IDPA, IPSC, etc.) or assault rifle (Three Gun, High Power). Or "My hunting rifle is all I need, I don't care about the rest of that stuff." Wait until that hunting rifle is branded a "Sniper rifle" and it is illegal. I am reminded of the various indian tribes in this country not too many years ago who warred against one another and when the white man came across the sea they did not stand together as one force to drive him back into the ocean. Some agreed with the whites and made alliances, others fought and died to preserve their way of life, but in all cases they lost. When was the last time you saw an American Indian living as his forefathers had and proudly prospering on the land? They all lost the battle. The Apache who helped the military find and capture Geronimo were stripped of their status and sent to the reservations with the last of the Apache as veritable prisoners. So how shall we come out? Will one shooting organization give a little to "compromise" for a something is better than nothing approach? All the while selling the rest of us out? Sounds a bit like Washington. Give a little, get to keep a little But is that right? Does The Constitution stand as is or is it a negotiable document? And why in this country do they want to control the people? Anti-gun legislation has nothing to do with safety for people, that is simply how they sell the idea to soccer moms who don't know enough about firearms to spell the word but they vote! Anti-gun legislation has but one purpose, control over the people, but why? Socialism will kill the economy, and the prosperity will cease and soon no one will have anything, and the people will have to depend on the government, crime will skyrocket, the sick will not get the care they need but the govt. will have control. To what end? I write this after months of painful, watching of all of these things going on in the country just as many of you have and I am sad, deeply sad. What is to become of our beloved country, our America? The land of the free and the home of the brave? Years ago friends of mine and I would ask what would we do if "they" came for our guns? Cold dead fingers? Who will look after our children? Will it come to that? The answers varied from anger and defiance to well pretty much anger and defiance. We are Americans! We are the definition of freedom, what is happening? Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death!" As me and my pals asked that question, hypothetically of one another we never really believed we would have to answer it. It was a proclamation of our freedom as Americans and happiness at owning and being able to freely shoot our firearms for sport and recreation. But now I think we may have to answer that question one day for real. Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying something about taking your rifle into the woods and walking with it as exercise and feeling free and independent. I do not remember the quote exactly but it is true. There is something about that feeling, many of you know what I am talking about, there is a great sense of manhood, freedom and independence in walking through the woods carrying a rifle or a sidearm, or both! If we lose the ability to do so how will we be able to teach our children this very thing? Ah... children, I am perplexed by this one. Do you fight to give them freedom in the future or submit to give them a father for now and hope it gets better, hope you can turn the tide with peaceful negotiations? And why do we have to answer that question?This is America! Many fathers, brothers, uncles, mothers, aunts, sisters, friends, cousins, and so on have gone ahead to fight for the freedom of this nation and died so what of their sacrifice? We must honor that, and not let them fight communism in one decade only to succumb to it ourselves in another. What is left to say? I am sorry for this depressing and lengthy diatribe of my thought on this less than ideal situation and I close with this: Let us return to God, to The Constitution and to personal responsibility without big govt. intervention. May God bless this country and us all.
Wheelgun