A Muslim thinks we need to get rid of the right to keep and bear arms in order to fight the war on terror.
This same Muslim, who decries stereotyping his co-religionists, has no problem libeling those of us who rightfully embrace the original intent of the Founders:
“Today," he states authoritatively, "only a handful of citizens outside of neo-nazi and white supremacist groups view gun ownership as a means of keeping the government in check.”
In other words, he demands tolerance for people who agree with him, and armed suppression of those who don't. And just to ensure his point is made, he demonizes us and emphasizes what he says is our minority status. What a unique and new philosophy! I'm sure no one's ever tried that before.
“Junaid M. Afeef," his tag line states, "is a Research Associate at the Institute for Social Policy & Understanding.”
Great way to promote “understanding,” Mr. Afeef. Do you understand “Molon Labe”?
You can help promote Mr. Afeef's understanding of American social policy by contacting him at junaid.afeef@gmail.com. Just be careful--he seems like the type to start something and then report you if he gets the response he deserves.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Saturday, March 05, 2005
"Steady Aim, Steel Will"
Congratulations to Liberty Belle, victims' rights advocate, and genuinely nice person Deborah Courtney for making the front page of the Orange County Register.
(If you want to bypass the OCR site’s registration, try BugMeNot.)
(If you want to bypass the OCR site’s registration, try BugMeNot.)
The Blogger Rebellion
The two graphics posted below have quickly emerged as standards to rally under against the government's latest threat to free speech.
There's also a sound file I highly recommend that provides a succinct motto for the cause, courtesy of Mr. Garrison.
Courtesy Feces Flinging Monkey.
Courtesy GeekWithA.45.
There's also a sound file I highly recommend that provides a succinct motto for the cause, courtesy of Mr. Garrison.
Courtesy Feces Flinging Monkey.
Courtesy GeekWithA.45.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Judge Creates Special Class of Journalist--Just Because He Says So
"A California judge said in a preliminary ruling that bloggers should not have the same protection afforded to journalists under US law."
First we have the federal judicial opinion that bloggers should be subject to McCain-Feingold restrictions on political speech.
Now we have another black-robed traitor applying the pincers from a different angle at the state level.
Not only do these treasonous bastards trash the First Amendment, they're now set to create a special class of super-privileged citizens in violation of equal protection guarantees and the Constitution they swore a sacred oath to uphold.
For the record: If I give a guarantee of confidentiality, I will honor it. I will go to jail before I betray a trust, providing I survive the encounter. But I won't go quietly.
The neo-ayatollahs in charge can go apply their Iranian strong-arm terror tactics on someone who isn't fed up.
If someone wants to start a blogger pledge to this effect, I'll sign it.
First we have the federal judicial opinion that bloggers should be subject to McCain-Feingold restrictions on political speech.
Now we have another black-robed traitor applying the pincers from a different angle at the state level.
Not only do these treasonous bastards trash the First Amendment, they're now set to create a special class of super-privileged citizens in violation of equal protection guarantees and the Constitution they swore a sacred oath to uphold.
For the record: If I give a guarantee of confidentiality, I will honor it. I will go to jail before I betray a trust, providing I survive the encounter. But I won't go quietly.
The neo-ayatollahs in charge can go apply their Iranian strong-arm terror tactics on someone who isn't fed up.
If someone wants to start a blogger pledge to this effect, I'll sign it.
FishOrMan Update
"The Spokane case is done. The plea deal was agreed to, (although the prosecutor in Ellensburg tried to get the prosecutor in Spokane to take the plea off the table!). The Ellensburg case of course is of main concern now, Trial set April 8th.
"If you didn't know the Spokane case was two criminal charges, (reckless driving and loaded gun in a car without permit). With the plea they were both dropped and a plea agreement was enter for two driving infractions, (neg. driving 2nd degree and failure to use turn signal). Finally, the gun was forfeited as part of the plea, (and my guess is the county is broke because they didn't reduce the fine with the forfeiture of a rather expensive Colt 1991A1). Total fine is $953, payable at $25 a month.
"I cannot say I am 'happy' with deal. Although,reading the 4 page letter I received from my lawyer on the possiblities at trial, (and $5000 cost for trial), it was the only 'smart' option." --FishOrMan
"If you didn't know the Spokane case was two criminal charges, (reckless driving and loaded gun in a car without permit). With the plea they were both dropped and a plea agreement was enter for two driving infractions, (neg. driving 2nd degree and failure to use turn signal). Finally, the gun was forfeited as part of the plea, (and my guess is the county is broke because they didn't reduce the fine with the forfeiture of a rather expensive Colt 1991A1). Total fine is $953, payable at $25 a month.
"I cannot say I am 'happy' with deal. Although,reading the 4 page letter I received from my lawyer on the possiblities at trial, (and $5000 cost for trial), it was the only 'smart' option." --FishOrMan
A Line in the Sand
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly opines "the exclusion of Internet communications from the coordinated communications regulation severely undermines" McCain-Feingold. Now the FEC is talking about bringing the hammer down on bloggers who link to political campaign websites.
The links to Ron Paul and Tom McClintock stay in the column on the left. If and when an enforcement effort begins, more links will go up.
"This is an incredible thicket," says Bradley Smith, an FEC Commissioner. "If someone else doesn't take action, for instance in Congress, we're running a real possibility of serious Internet regulation. It's going to be bizarre."
Bradley, are you a Commissioner first and an American second? "An incredible thicket"??? Jesus, man, it's an act of war.
And we should all remember to thank George W. Bush for refusing to honor his oath and veto legislation he knew was unconstitutional.
The hell with these tyrants. Like they can arrest every one of us who defy this act of treachery and despotism. What an opportunity to demonstrate how impotent they are when met with mass resistance.
We need some kind of symbol we can post on our blogs, websites and emails that defines us as resistors to this tyranny.
The links to Ron Paul and Tom McClintock stay in the column on the left. If and when an enforcement effort begins, more links will go up.
"This is an incredible thicket," says Bradley Smith, an FEC Commissioner. "If someone else doesn't take action, for instance in Congress, we're running a real possibility of serious Internet regulation. It's going to be bizarre."
Bradley, are you a Commissioner first and an American second? "An incredible thicket"??? Jesus, man, it's an act of war.
And we should all remember to thank George W. Bush for refusing to honor his oath and veto legislation he knew was unconstitutional.
The hell with these tyrants. Like they can arrest every one of us who defy this act of treachery and despotism. What an opportunity to demonstrate how impotent they are when met with mass resistance.
We need some kind of symbol we can post on our blogs, websites and emails that defines us as resistors to this tyranny.
Hole Blown in Howard Fischer's Credibility
"Hole blown in concealed weapon law
"By HOWARD FISCHER
"Capitol Media Services
"PHOENIX -- The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to let people carry weapons -- including guns, grenades, rockets, mines and sawed-off shotguns -- into schools, polling places and nuclear plants if they claim they're only trying to protect themselves."
Howard--were you born stupid, or is this something you've worked at?
"By HOWARD FISCHER
"Capitol Media Services
"PHOENIX -- The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to let people carry weapons -- including guns, grenades, rockets, mines and sawed-off shotguns -- into schools, polling places and nuclear plants if they claim they're only trying to protect themselves."
Howard--were you born stupid, or is this something you've worked at?
NRA Response to Gun Control Lobby`s Irresponsible Statement
"It is pathetic to see the gun control lobby make hysterical statements to resurrect their failed political agenda. According to the BATFE, this armor-piercing ammunition is only available to the military and police. The Brady Campaign continues to deceive the American people in their effort to ban firearm ownership by all law-abiding Americans."
It's also pathetic that the nation's largest gun group isn't challenging unconstitutional edicts that deny to the militia the same ammunition the state provides to its enforcers.
It's also pathetic that the nation's largest gun group isn't challenging unconstitutional edicts that deny to the militia the same ammunition the state provides to its enforcers.
Victor /Victoria
"As the gaggle of gun enthusiasts with their assorted handguns sitting openly on their hips dined on hamburgers and chicken tenders at the Fuddruckers restaurant in Annandale, Victor Castellon's eyes grew wide with concern.
"'I've got to be careful with these guys because they've got guns,' he said..."
Victor, Victor, Victor.
Not used to seeing free men?
Are the only men you wish to see armed wearing badges?
Yeah, you've got to be careful. That's the point. Did you never read Heinlein?
"'I've got to be careful with these guys because they've got guns,' he said..."
Victor, Victor, Victor.
Not used to seeing free men?
Are the only men you wish to see armed wearing badges?
Yeah, you've got to be careful. That's the point. Did you never read Heinlein?
Another Brady, Bill
"State Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, announced formation of an exploratory committee Tuesday to run for governor, saying “Illinois must do better” than having the state run by Democrat Rod Blagojevich...He said the state could abandon issuance of firearm owners’ identification cards by denoting on a driver’s license whether the driver can legally own a gun."
Why would you want someone you don't trust with a gun driving a car? Shouldn't such people be in custodial care?
Why would you want someone you don't trust with a gun driving a car? Shouldn't such people be in custodial care?
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Another 48 Hours
Our good friends over at the Maryland General Assembly are enacting "The Police Officers Protection Bill," which will require gun owners to report stolen weapons within 48 hours of discovering the theft. If you don't, say, if you report it in 49 hours, they could technically add to your woes by fining you up to $5,000 AND imprisoning you for up to 3 years.
Among the bill's sponsors--a stooge named "Moe" (Why, you, I oughtta...) and someone named "Bobo," who I can only assume is actually not a sign-talking chimp. (Press the green button, Bobo!)
But remember--this is to guarantee police officer safety. Just to prove it, and to gin up flock sympathy, Annapolis' The Capital presents us with one-sided testimony from two officers horribly wounded in the line of duty by criminals with stolen firearms. The reporterette doesn't think to question exactly how this bill would have prevented these crimes, nor the extreme unlikelihood that filing a report would result in a stolen weapon being recovered. And forget asking the basic question: whose property is it, anyway?
There's one other factor that seems to have been overlooked in their zeal to exploit pity into a stronger police state: What if a defiant Patriot has retained possession of a weapon that Moe and Bobo have ruled verboten? Wouldn't being forced to report it stolen also force him to surrender his right against self-incrimination?
Oh well, there's no longer any Second Amendment in Maryland. What makes us think there should be a Fifth?
And there's yet another interesting dilemma this creates: What if the thugs stealing your firearms work for the government?
Among the bill's sponsors--a stooge named "Moe" (Why, you, I oughtta...) and someone named "Bobo," who I can only assume is actually not a sign-talking chimp. (Press the green button, Bobo!)
But remember--this is to guarantee police officer safety. Just to prove it, and to gin up flock sympathy, Annapolis' The Capital presents us with one-sided testimony from two officers horribly wounded in the line of duty by criminals with stolen firearms. The reporterette doesn't think to question exactly how this bill would have prevented these crimes, nor the extreme unlikelihood that filing a report would result in a stolen weapon being recovered. And forget asking the basic question: whose property is it, anyway?
There's one other factor that seems to have been overlooked in their zeal to exploit pity into a stronger police state: What if a defiant Patriot has retained possession of a weapon that Moe and Bobo have ruled verboten? Wouldn't being forced to report it stolen also force him to surrender his right against self-incrimination?
Oh well, there's no longer any Second Amendment in Maryland. What makes us think there should be a Fifth?
And there's yet another interesting dilemma this creates: What if the thugs stealing your firearms work for the government?
Bug Me Not
This is a cool tool to get you through web pages requiring registration. It's a real time-saver for doing research.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
A Little Bit of “Sunshine”
By now you’ve no doubt heard about the “Million Mom” who was arrested for having an “illegal” gun.
She says it was her son’s, and she just wrapped it up and left it in a drawer because she didn’t know what to do with it.
Claire Wolfe quotes Rich Lucibella: “If she doesn't know what to do with a gun in her own home, HOW ON EARTH can she purport to know what I should do with mine?”
It’s true. The gun grabbers have always made me recall that powerful and defiant promise from folk singer Jonathan Edwards’ 1972 hit “Sunshine”:
He can't even run his own life
I'll be damned if he'll run mine...
I’ll be damned if any of them will.
She says it was her son’s, and she just wrapped it up and left it in a drawer because she didn’t know what to do with it.
Claire Wolfe quotes Rich Lucibella: “If she doesn't know what to do with a gun in her own home, HOW ON EARTH can she purport to know what I should do with mine?”
It’s true. The gun grabbers have always made me recall that powerful and defiant promise from folk singer Jonathan Edwards’ 1972 hit “Sunshine”:
He can't even run his own life
I'll be damned if he'll run mine...
I’ll be damned if any of them will.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Cops Find All Objects in the Physical World Alarming
“The soft-air gun that was fired on a Thunder Bay school bus Wednesday is considered a firearm, Thunder Bay Police said…
“‘I think it’s fair to call it a firearm,’ police spokesman Chris Adams said Friday.
”It could be considered a weapon if it was used in a threatening or criminal manner, he added.”
Me, I find ignorance on the part of “authoritah” alarming. And dangerous to the lives, liberty and property of free people.
Yo, Chris--no, it is certainly not fair:
"Main Entry: fire•arm
"Pronunciation: 'fIr-"ärm
"Function: noun
": a weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder -- usually used of small arms"
And for the record, anything “could be considered a weapon if it was used in a threatening or criminal manner.”
Not to alarm you and the rest of Thunder Bay’s finest...
“‘I think it’s fair to call it a firearm,’ police spokesman Chris Adams said Friday.
”It could be considered a weapon if it was used in a threatening or criminal manner, he added.”
Me, I find ignorance on the part of “authoritah” alarming. And dangerous to the lives, liberty and property of free people.
Yo, Chris--no, it is certainly not fair:
"Main Entry: fire•arm
"Pronunciation: 'fIr-"ärm
"Function: noun
": a weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder -- usually used of small arms"
And for the record, anything “could be considered a weapon if it was used in a threatening or criminal manner.”
Not to alarm you and the rest of Thunder Bay’s finest...
Shameless Plug: "Thinking of England"
"Can we sneer at the prosecution of Tony Martin and forget about Hale DeMar, the Wilmette, IL, homeowner who shot a burglar and was then charged by officials for violating the village’s handgun ban?"
"Thinking of England" is my Rights Watch commentary for the April issue of GUNS Magazine, on sale starting today at discriminating newsstands across the kingdom...uh...Republic.
"Thinking of England" is my Rights Watch commentary for the April issue of GUNS Magazine, on sale starting today at discriminating newsstands across the kingdom...uh...Republic.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Addendum to "BATFE Fails the Constitution"...
Out of deference to Aaron Zelman and JPFO, some of my commentary was toned down a tad so they can use it to promote their new video.
Here's something that didn't make it into my review:
I have taken to referring to the gungrabbing federal goons as "BATFU." I'd like to see this usage spread--if for no other reason than to promulgate disrespect for these wretched thugs. (If anyone claims prior usage of this term, let me know-- I thunk it up all by my own self, and couldn't find any prior references on Google.)
Because of their sheer incompetence, I was also gonna say something about "jackboobs," but thought better of it...
Here's something that didn't make it into my review:
I have taken to referring to the gungrabbing federal goons as "BATFU." I'd like to see this usage spread--if for no other reason than to promulgate disrespect for these wretched thugs. (If anyone claims prior usage of this term, let me know-- I thunk it up all by my own self, and couldn't find any prior references on Google.)
Because of their sheer incompetence, I was also gonna say something about "jackboobs," but thought better of it...
BATFE Fails the Constitution
“JPFO'S NEW DVD, ‘BATFE FAILS THE TEST’ has apparently got the gun goons shaking in their boots. Unable to counter the blatant evidence that their ‘experts’ are unscientific bumblers who don't even understand firearms, ATF agents are now spreading the rumor that the footage is fake.
“HA! When you see it you know that the only thing "fake" about it is the BATFE's ‘expertise.’ I'm in awe of Len Savage (the real firearms expert you'll see in the film) having the guts to take these goons on.”—Claire Wolfe
Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership has once again proven it deserves the reputation for producing the most innovative educational materials for educating Americans about our right to keep and bear arms. They have followed up the gut-wrenching historical documentary "Innocents Betrayed" with another outstanding and infuriating video, "BATFE Fails the Test."
Competition shooter John Glover is an ordinary American who is fascinated by firearms--to the point where he learned gunsmithing and began assembling and selling guns from kits.
Enter the federal gun grabbers. Seven of his rifles are seized and Glover is charged with manufacturing and selling a machine gun. In other words, the federal government has decided Mr. Glover is a criminal, and it sets out to steal his property and destroy his life.
"BATFE Fails the Test" is raw video footage of BATFE Agent Michael Cooney, the supposed expert who wrote the report declaring one of the weapons a machinegun, saying that it fired “automatically more than one shot without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger.” We see Agent Cooney at a police firing range in North Carolina, demonstrating the weapon's operation. There's just one problem--he can't get it to fire full auto.
Twelve attempts produce just two incidents of string fire, which Glover's defense team firearms expert, Len Savage, declares a "malfunction." Cooney doesn't want to hear it, and becomes increasingly irritated and defensive as Savage challenges his "expertise." Savage then analyzes the disassembled weapon parts on camera, and sure enough, just as he predicted on the range, firing pin components are worn, causing the occasional string fire malfunction.
The thing could have blown up in the "competent" government "expert's" face, but he was too oblivious to realize it.
The upside for Mr. Glover is all charges against him were dismissed. The downside, in addition to having his life turned inside out and having the fear of government put into him, is that he is left in debt from fighting a legal battle that should never have taken place--plus, the BATFE has refused to return his rightful property.
Gun owners need to see this to believe it, so that we understand this could happen to any of us--own a semiauto rifle that needs some gunsmith work and we could be declared felons and pursued with vengeance. And if we're not fortunate enough to be able to afford mounting a competent defense against the unlimited resources of the federal government, our lives will be destroyed.
You owe it to yourself to get this outrageous and infuriating video, and to understand what power the Michael Cooneys of the world have assumed over us.
Read the Shotgun News article: VITAL WARNING TO ALL OWNERS OF SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARMS
Order your own copy of "BATFE Fails the Test" on VHS or DVD:
http://jpfo.org/batfevideo.htm
“HA! When you see it you know that the only thing "fake" about it is the BATFE's ‘expertise.’ I'm in awe of Len Savage (the real firearms expert you'll see in the film) having the guts to take these goons on.”—Claire Wolfe
Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership has once again proven it deserves the reputation for producing the most innovative educational materials for educating Americans about our right to keep and bear arms. They have followed up the gut-wrenching historical documentary "Innocents Betrayed" with another outstanding and infuriating video, "BATFE Fails the Test."
Competition shooter John Glover is an ordinary American who is fascinated by firearms--to the point where he learned gunsmithing and began assembling and selling guns from kits.
Enter the federal gun grabbers. Seven of his rifles are seized and Glover is charged with manufacturing and selling a machine gun. In other words, the federal government has decided Mr. Glover is a criminal, and it sets out to steal his property and destroy his life.
"BATFE Fails the Test" is raw video footage of BATFE Agent Michael Cooney, the supposed expert who wrote the report declaring one of the weapons a machinegun, saying that it fired “automatically more than one shot without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger.” We see Agent Cooney at a police firing range in North Carolina, demonstrating the weapon's operation. There's just one problem--he can't get it to fire full auto.
Twelve attempts produce just two incidents of string fire, which Glover's defense team firearms expert, Len Savage, declares a "malfunction." Cooney doesn't want to hear it, and becomes increasingly irritated and defensive as Savage challenges his "expertise." Savage then analyzes the disassembled weapon parts on camera, and sure enough, just as he predicted on the range, firing pin components are worn, causing the occasional string fire malfunction.
The thing could have blown up in the "competent" government "expert's" face, but he was too oblivious to realize it.
The upside for Mr. Glover is all charges against him were dismissed. The downside, in addition to having his life turned inside out and having the fear of government put into him, is that he is left in debt from fighting a legal battle that should never have taken place--plus, the BATFE has refused to return his rightful property.
Gun owners need to see this to believe it, so that we understand this could happen to any of us--own a semiauto rifle that needs some gunsmith work and we could be declared felons and pursued with vengeance. And if we're not fortunate enough to be able to afford mounting a competent defense against the unlimited resources of the federal government, our lives will be destroyed.
You owe it to yourself to get this outrageous and infuriating video, and to understand what power the Michael Cooneys of the world have assumed over us.
Read the Shotgun News article: VITAL WARNING TO ALL OWNERS OF SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARMS
Order your own copy of "BATFE Fails the Test" on VHS or DVD:
http://jpfo.org/batfevideo.htm
Sunday, February 27, 2005
REMINDER: Carner on "Standing Up for America" Tonight
Charles Robert Carner will be the featured guest on 'Standing Up For America' with Rick Stanley, tonight at 7:00 PM MST, to discuss his remake of the cult classic 'Vanishing Point'.
To listen, go to http://www.stanley2002.org and click on the link at the top of the main page for the Radio Network.
To listen, go to http://www.stanley2002.org and click on the link at the top of the main page for the Radio Network.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Why I Love Guns
By Charles Robert Carner
Guns. I love guns. Guns in the hands of private citizens are the best means for defense of home and family against criminals, and for restraining the tyrannical tendencies of government.
Guns save lives. All across the United States, from cities to suburbs to towns and rural hamlets, guns are used every day to prevent crime, protect property and deter predators. Guns allow women to walk alone without fear of assault. Guns protect policemen, and help them protect the citizens they watch over. Guns protect political leaders, prominent businessmen, celebrities, cabbies, bank guards and jewelry merchants. Every day, all day and all night, guns make it possible for people to perform risky but necessary work, and to remain alive and safe while so doing.
Guns ensure freedom. From Bunker Hill to the Battle of the Bulge, men with guns have fought oppression and liberated nations. Guns made the extraordinary philosophical vision of America’s founders possible in the real world. Without guns, Thomas Paine’s stirring call to action in Common Sense would have remained mere rhetoric – or led to futile rebellion. Guns freed the slaves in America’s Civil War. Guns stopped Hitler’s mad dream of world conquest, and Tojo’s planned Pacific empire. Guns liberated Africa from colonial chains; Africans served their masters at war – then applied the weapons and tactics they learned in distant battles to win their freedom at home. Conversely, when citizens are denied the right to own guns, oppression often follows. In the 20th century – the bloodiest in human history – genocide from Armenia to Cambodia was in each case preceded by stripping the citizens of their arms.
Guns are beautiful. From pinfire pistols to Kentucky rifles, from Samuel Colt’s "equalizer" to the H&K battle rifle, guns are gorgeous physical objects, pleasing to the mind and the senses. To hold a 1911 model .45 in one’s hand is to experience ergonomic delight; to field-strip an FN-FAL is to thrill at the elegance of its engineering and the profound simplicity of its design. From the venerable Browning Hi-Power to the cutting-edge titanium revolvers of this new millennium, from the storied Lee-Enfield to the sexy new Steyr Scout, guns give eloquent testimony to the genius of man.
Guns are fun. From plinking with a Ruger Mark II to thundering away with a .44 Magnum, from cocking the lever on a Winchester 94 to feeding the belt into a 1919 Browning, recreational shooting is one of the most enjoyable sports ever devised. It is also one of the only sports in which age and athleticism hardly matter at all. A petite grandmother can shoot just as well as a massive linebacker; all it takes is a little practice.
Guns are teaching tools. Learning to shoot means learning discipline, respect and the right way to do things. Learning to handle guns means learning to master fear, and builds confidence. You don’t just shoot the gun. Afterwards, there is the joy of field-stripping, cleaning and maintaining your firearm. It’s easy to do (unlike, for example, performing maintenance on your car after taking it for a drive), and you learn how the weapon operates. Guns teach us about history. Do the serial number and cartouche on that old M-1 Garand mean it was used to liberate Europe from the Nazis? It may very well indeed. Was that nicked-up German Mauser refitted to .308 by the Israelis to help establish the Jewish homeland? What a satisfying irony! Go to a gun show, and seek out the display of Revolutionary War-era rifles. Each whorl in the stock, each unique, handcrafted metal band and stud, reminds us of the courageous individual Americans who took up arms, shed blood and gave blood to hand down the legacy of freedom we now take for granted.
Guns provide peace of mind. From the rancher protecting his stock from wolves, to the night clerk protecting his shop from hoodlums, from the homeowner protecting his lifelong investment from thieves, to the soccer mom protecting her child from molesters, guns provide security during waking hours, and a sound sleep at night.
Times change, fashions shift, political theories come and go. Crime rises, crime falls. Felons serve hard time, or plea-bargain their way to continued mischief. What never changes is human nature. There will always be those who devote their energies to taking what isn’t rightfully theirs, whether it be property or human life. There will always be despots who seek to rule by force rather than consent. As long as people have guns, they will have the ability to control their own destiny, rather than have it dictated to them.
That is what America is all about. And that is why I love guns.
_________________________________________________________
This essay originally appeared on GunTruths.com.
Charles Robert Carner wrote and directed "Vanishing Point," which is being released to DVD on March 8. If you think this is the kind of worldview that we need in Hollywood, I encourage you to read my review and see this film.--David Codrea
Guns. I love guns. Guns in the hands of private citizens are the best means for defense of home and family against criminals, and for restraining the tyrannical tendencies of government.
Guns save lives. All across the United States, from cities to suburbs to towns and rural hamlets, guns are used every day to prevent crime, protect property and deter predators. Guns allow women to walk alone without fear of assault. Guns protect policemen, and help them protect the citizens they watch over. Guns protect political leaders, prominent businessmen, celebrities, cabbies, bank guards and jewelry merchants. Every day, all day and all night, guns make it possible for people to perform risky but necessary work, and to remain alive and safe while so doing.
Guns ensure freedom. From Bunker Hill to the Battle of the Bulge, men with guns have fought oppression and liberated nations. Guns made the extraordinary philosophical vision of America’s founders possible in the real world. Without guns, Thomas Paine’s stirring call to action in Common Sense would have remained mere rhetoric – or led to futile rebellion. Guns freed the slaves in America’s Civil War. Guns stopped Hitler’s mad dream of world conquest, and Tojo’s planned Pacific empire. Guns liberated Africa from colonial chains; Africans served their masters at war – then applied the weapons and tactics they learned in distant battles to win their freedom at home. Conversely, when citizens are denied the right to own guns, oppression often follows. In the 20th century – the bloodiest in human history – genocide from Armenia to Cambodia was in each case preceded by stripping the citizens of their arms.
Guns are beautiful. From pinfire pistols to Kentucky rifles, from Samuel Colt’s "equalizer" to the H&K battle rifle, guns are gorgeous physical objects, pleasing to the mind and the senses. To hold a 1911 model .45 in one’s hand is to experience ergonomic delight; to field-strip an FN-FAL is to thrill at the elegance of its engineering and the profound simplicity of its design. From the venerable Browning Hi-Power to the cutting-edge titanium revolvers of this new millennium, from the storied Lee-Enfield to the sexy new Steyr Scout, guns give eloquent testimony to the genius of man.
Guns are fun. From plinking with a Ruger Mark II to thundering away with a .44 Magnum, from cocking the lever on a Winchester 94 to feeding the belt into a 1919 Browning, recreational shooting is one of the most enjoyable sports ever devised. It is also one of the only sports in which age and athleticism hardly matter at all. A petite grandmother can shoot just as well as a massive linebacker; all it takes is a little practice.
Guns are teaching tools. Learning to shoot means learning discipline, respect and the right way to do things. Learning to handle guns means learning to master fear, and builds confidence. You don’t just shoot the gun. Afterwards, there is the joy of field-stripping, cleaning and maintaining your firearm. It’s easy to do (unlike, for example, performing maintenance on your car after taking it for a drive), and you learn how the weapon operates. Guns teach us about history. Do the serial number and cartouche on that old M-1 Garand mean it was used to liberate Europe from the Nazis? It may very well indeed. Was that nicked-up German Mauser refitted to .308 by the Israelis to help establish the Jewish homeland? What a satisfying irony! Go to a gun show, and seek out the display of Revolutionary War-era rifles. Each whorl in the stock, each unique, handcrafted metal band and stud, reminds us of the courageous individual Americans who took up arms, shed blood and gave blood to hand down the legacy of freedom we now take for granted.
Guns provide peace of mind. From the rancher protecting his stock from wolves, to the night clerk protecting his shop from hoodlums, from the homeowner protecting his lifelong investment from thieves, to the soccer mom protecting her child from molesters, guns provide security during waking hours, and a sound sleep at night.
Times change, fashions shift, political theories come and go. Crime rises, crime falls. Felons serve hard time, or plea-bargain their way to continued mischief. What never changes is human nature. There will always be those who devote their energies to taking what isn’t rightfully theirs, whether it be property or human life. There will always be despots who seek to rule by force rather than consent. As long as people have guns, they will have the ability to control their own destiny, rather than have it dictated to them.
That is what America is all about. And that is why I love guns.
_________________________________________________________
This essay originally appeared on GunTruths.com.
Charles Robert Carner wrote and directed "Vanishing Point," which is being released to DVD on March 8. If you think this is the kind of worldview that we need in Hollywood, I encourage you to read my review and see this film.--David Codrea
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)