A sore spot with me

[solo1]

I've belonged to a shooting club for over 60 years. I've also, from time to time, have written letters to the editor regarding our right to own firearms. In our club, as far as I can tell, NOT ONE member has done the same. A greater percentage of them own the AR-15 platform and compete ,a great way to get the most out of shooting.  I've talked to a number of them and none will write a letter because they 'don't want to let people know that they own guns"  I can sorta see that but..............

Here is a post that I did on Facebook about gun ownership. With apologies to Willow but it has nothing to do with riding or taking away from this VRCC forum.

I'm not looking for 'attaboys' but by gosh, I'm going to speak up.  Here it is. Like it or not!



You know I just can't leave this topic alone. The topic" The Second Amendment.

Again, we have lost our young to a mad man with a gun in a 'gun free' zone. The cry, of course, is banish guns. Many, many people have been brainwashed by politicians and a totally dishonest media to do a 'rush to justice" Meanwhile, our society has changed. Some have said "God, why weren't you there for us in schools?" The simple answer is that God has been banished from public schools. What has not been banished is the violence in TV and movies that glorify killing, What also is not banished are youths playing games that also stress violence as a rewarding thing. No wonder, as a young man recently said "I want to set a new record of school killing" Luckily, he was turned in by his grandmother or so the story goes in the press.

I'm almost 90 and I remember going back many years. I was given a .22 rifle at 10 years old. I spent many of my younger years hunting, riding my bike through Ft. Wayne with a rifle slung over my shoulder on the way to hunt. I never was stopped because, back then, our moral code was different, and the cops trusted me. Back then, we even had shooting ranges in the public schools. Back then ,when I graduated from Central High school in Ft. Wayne in 1946, we had our service in a Lutheran church across the street. Religion and its Christian values was considered valuable.

Not any more. All of this is gone in a rush to come up with a new moral code, one that doesn't have these pesky hindrances that our God has put on us,. Things have changed.

What hasn't changed is what our founders installed in our Bill of Rights, among others, ..........The Second Amendment, the RIght to Bear Arms for the individual. This Right has lost much interpretation in big cities since many there believe that the gub'mint will take care of them.

Not for me who served my country, not for me and others who own firearms responsibly. Not for us who still have a moral code taught to us by the greatest teacher in the World. Not for us who believe that our founders were right when they birthed our country.

I have watched while many of our elected ones have tried to remove our rights, especially now, because of their loss of moral fiber, To them from one who served his country, to them from one who says "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ" , to them from a responsible gun owner, I say take a lesson from the Gadsden flag . "Don't Tread on Me"  After all, we are your employer.

[old2soon]

Wayne as you are aware the "media" whom B T W I no longer have trust in go with the same old knee jerk reaction formulae to get THEIR agenda across. Having spent some time with cartridge firing weapons I personally have NEVER observed one go off by itself. It has been my experience that the weapons in question need to be operated. And we also are aware the "free press"-media-is no longer free. Most if not all "media outlets" seem these days to be directed. BUT then again I could possibly be mistaken!  I grieve for the families touched by this latest senseless shooting. The lowlife turd in question was Operating the weapon he choose. His weapon of choice could have just as easily been a high powered hand cannon with a large capacity magazine. I M H O when folks go off like that something in their moral compass got FUBAR. Thanks for some level headed thought there Wayne. RIDE SAFE.

[JimC]

I've belonged to a shooting club for over 60 years. I've also, from time to time, have written letters to the editor regarding our right to own firearms. In our club, as far as I can tell, NOT ONE member has done the same. A greater percentage of them own the AR-15 platform and compete ,a great way to get the most out of shooting.  I've talked to a number of them and none will write a letter because they 'don't want to let people know that they own guns"  I can sorta see that but..............

Here is a post that I did on Facebook about gun ownership. With apologies to Willow but it has nothing to do with riding or taking away from this VRCC forum.

I'm not looking for 'attaboys' but by gosh, I'm going to speak up.  Here it is. Like it or not!



You know I just can't leave this topic alone. The topic" The Second Amendment.

Again, we have lost our young to a mad man with a gun in a 'gun free' zone. The cry, of course, is banish guns. Many, many people have been brainwashed by politicians and a totally dishonest media to do a 'rush to justice" Meanwhile, our society has changed. Some have said "God, why weren't you there for us in schools?" The simple answer is that God has been banished from public schools. What has not been banished is the violence in TV and movies that glorify killing, What also is not banished are youths playing games that also stress violence as a rewarding thing. No wonder, as a young man recently said "I want to set a new record of school killing" Luckily, he was turned in by his grandmother or so the story goes in the press.

I'm almost 90 and I remember going back many years. I was given a .22 rifle at 10 years old. I spent many of my younger years hunting, riding my bike through Ft. Wayne with a rifle slung over my shoulder on the way to hunt. I never was stopped because, back then, our moral code was different, and the cops trusted me. Back then, we even had shooting ranges in the public schools. Back then ,when I graduated from Central High school in Ft. Wayne in 1946, we had our service in a Lutheran church across the street. Religion and its Christian values was considered valuable.

Not any more. All of this is gone in a rush to come up with a new moral code, one that doesn't have these pesky hindrances that our God has put on us,. Things have changed.

What hasn't changed is what our founders installed in our Bill of Rights, among others, ..........The Second Amendment, the RIght to Bear Arms for the individual. This Right has lost much interpretation in big cities since many there believe that the gub'mint will take care of them.

Not for me who served my country, not for me and others who own firearms responsibly. Not for us who still have a moral code taught to us by the greatest teacher in the World. Not for us who believe that our founders were right when they birthed our country.

I have watched while many of our elected ones have tried to remove our rights, especially now, because of their loss of moral fiber, To them from one who served his country, to them from one who says "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ" , to them from a responsible gun owner, I say take a lesson from the Gadsden flag . "Don't Tread on Me"  After all, we are your employer.

Very good Wayne, well said, and you are correct, we need to be more vocal about our rights.
Jim

[KUGO]

As a "young'un" of but 67 years, I just wanted you to know, Mr. Solo1 (I'm to understand that to be translated to "Wayne"), that you didn't waste your time or ours, nor misuse one word or thought of your opening thread. There are so many of us yet in this country who feel as you do, and I thought you deserved the recognition of appreciation for sharing your thoughts.

[Bighead]

Need more like you Wayne but unfortunately that mold has been broken.

[Serk]

I honestly don't know how you do it. I've run out of patience with those who would deprive us of our most basic human rights and sell us into slavery or worse.

I'm pretty much to the point of just responding to anti-freedom folks with "MOLON LABE" at this point and leaving it at that.

[Willow]

I am strongly pro second amendment.

That said, the second amendment has nothing to do with shooting sports and very little to do with hunting or protecting one's home from villains.  The reason the amendment was added to the Constitution was on the concept that an armed populace could hold accountable a tyrannical government.  The practice that gun ownership or carry is limited to those who are licensed by the government violates that concept.  That certain weaponry available to government units is limited or restricted from the public is contrary to the purpose of the amendment.  I do realize that today is different from the world of the eighteenth century.  It's a bit scary to think of private groups having access to bombs and howitzers.

I'm not certain I know the correct solution.  I do understand that our second amendment rights have been eroded to unrecognizable long, long ago.

I'm with a certain very famous individual who says, "The second amendment is my license to carry."  Anything contrary is a violation of the Constitution.   

[solo1]

Carl is absolutely right.  Madison in the 46th Federalist paper gave an example. He was having a difficult time selling our form of government to the states.  The founders knew that power corrupts absolutely and they wanted a check on Federal power. Madison talked about that if the federal government would extend its power 'beyond its due limits",  a standing army, the militia, the citizens, (not the National Guard) would check a tyrannical government.

Some would say that the Constitution is a 'living' document, one that can be changed to suit the times. (modern day semiauto guns vs flintlock  muskets and rifles).  but they tend to forget that the sharpened turkey quill was used back then to communicate on parchment the written word, for instance the 1st Amendment.   Today..................

Many years ago, an outspoken gun editor, Elmer Keith(father of the .44 magnum) said "Anyone who wants to take our guns is a communists, a misguided do gooder, or a politician who's afraid that he might get his just desserts"  

Elmer didn't mince words. I'm quoting his words.

[0leman]

I am a strong support of Second Amendment.  I could/may own guns, that may or may not be locked in a gun cabinet or maybe close at hand.

That said, I understand that there are hundreds of  thousand of AR-15 or similar rifles in the USA today.   The media is talking about a handful of folks using them to commit murder.  Seems like it isn't a gun control problem but a mental problem.   It always has been a mental problem.  I read yesterday an article that Japan doesn't allow individual gun ownership and has less than 10 deaths related to firearms, but has a large number a knife deaths.  If one really wants to kill, there is always a way.   Explosives, knifes, clubs all kill.

[MarkT]

Effective a couple years ago, in Kansas you HAVE 2A carry.  I wish we had it here.  I still have to get gov't permission and I hate that I'm on their list.  Which is due now for my fourth 5-year CCW permit.

BTW Denver (liberal mayor of course) passed an ordinance against bump stocks.  They were saying on the news yesterday, you can turn them in with no penalty.  HOW NICE of them. 

[old2soon]

While I CHOOSE not to do so open carry is Legal here in Missouri. I have my CCW permit for a REASON. Whether in my cage or on my Phatt Ghurl I Still CHOOSE to NOT travel through St. Louis. BUT as we are aware of there ARE factions present here in America that continue to attempt to turn Our Constitution against us. Or change to suite their needs and ideals. RIDE SAFE.

[solo1]

Recently it was inferred on Facebook that I was from a 'hayseed' state, Indiana. The one who made that remark was a relative from New Joisy.  Suits me. Indiana has resident LIFETIME permits to carry and I have one.  Contrast that with New Jersey where three people were thrown in jail because they didn't know New Jersey's antigun laws. Garden State my butt.

Your results may vary.