Outdoor Odyssey - Politics

The Second Amendment

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 08:05:00 -0700

The Second Amendment of our Constitution guarantees us a fundamental right to bear arms. It reads, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”. It can’t be any more plain than this!

Monday a week ago, June 28, 2010, our Supreme Court, in a close 5-4 vote, ruled that this right cannot be violated by state and local governments. It was a great victory for gun owners and gun rights advocates. But stop and look at this vote, four judges on our Court voted against this case along with the 2008 Heller v. District of Columbia case. In the Heller case, the Court first recognized an individual gun right under the Second Amendment. This decision blocked a very restrictive federal ban on handguns in the District of Columbia.

Back to the Judges, are these four judges are voting against our Bill of Rights and our Constitution? Obviously these four Judges are anti-gun. How about the current nominee to the Court Elena Kagan? She’s anti-gun too, replacing “anti-gunner”, Justice John Paul Stevens, but, luckily, this nomination will not upset the fragile pro-gun balance.

Call, or e-mail, your Senators and tell them not to vote to confirm this woman. This is our last chance to stop her. Just think, if these nomination hearings were to be held in January, 2011 there is no way she would be confirmed.

Oath Keepers

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Wed, 05 May 2010 08:05:00 -0700

On this past Monday I joined Oath Keepers, an organization of men and women who have taken the oath to support and defend our constitution. The group is made up of present and former military, police and fireman. I took the oath in March 1959 when I was sworn in as an Army officer and it is a lifetime oath.

From their website, “Oath Keepers is a non-partisan association of currently serving military, reserves, National Guard, veterans, Peace Officers, and Fire Fighters who will fulfill the Oath we swore, with the support of like minded citizens who take an Oath to stand with us, to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so help us God. Our Oath is to the Constitution”

Our motto is, NOT ON OUR WATCH!

Orders we will not obey are:

1. Orders to disarm the American people.
2. Orders to conduct warrantless searches of the American people.
3. Orders to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or subject them to military tribunal.
4. Orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state.
5. Orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty.
6. Orders to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.
7. Orders to force any American citizen into detention camps under any pretext.
8. Orders to assist or support any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or “to maintain control”.
9. Orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies.
10. Orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

Pretty simple, isn’t it.

Right Wing Radicals

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:05:00 -0700

One of my right wing radical friends sent me this picture of the anti-government protesters in one of our unnamed cities. I agree with this fellow whose sign reads, “Spread My Work Ethic, Not My Wealth”. Our Country would be well served to do this very thing!

Over one million, dangerous right wing radicals, turned out in force for the many Tea Parties across our country. The liberal media portrayed them as anti-American and one CNN reporter said the protesters were anti-CNN. Once CNN becomes “fair and balanced”, I’m sure us radicals will support them too.

I Am A Right Wing Extremist Threat

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:05:00 -0700

Our rulers Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a Threat Assessment regarding the potential threats posed by right wing extremists, read “conservatives”. Being one of those potentials, I take exception to the entire nine pages of liberal trash!

Early this morning, Fox News interviewed Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the DHS. Fox’s Steve Doocie really pressed her about the latest Threat Assessment from DHS. She was quick to say that this was just an assessment of potential threats, then for the next five minutes she hemmed, hawed, erd, you knowed, well uhd and so on. This woman was governor of Arizona? What a joke and embarrassment this woman was and is. How in the world could she be placed in charge of our homeland security?

One part of the assessment highlighted that our veterans returning from combat may become far right wing extremists. This, like the entire report, was not based on any known fact, only some left wing whacko’s thoughts or wishes. On Wednesday she apologized to our returning veterans saying, "If there's one part of this report that I would rewrite ... it would be that.”

This morning, Steve also took her to task about the reports stating the potential dangers abortionists face from those that don’t agree with their line of work. She fell for his trap! He told her that he was Catholic and that his Church was adamantly opposed to abortion. Was she lumping his Church into the potential “threat” list? She replied, "If there's one part of this report that I would rewrite ... it would be that.” The woman repeats herself.

In my humble opinion, she should rewrite or dump the entire Threat Assessment!

A Disaster Waiting To Happen

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:05:00 -0700

This past Tuesday I sent the following e-mail to my two Senators, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn and to my Representative, Mike Conaway asking them not to vote for Obama’s staggering budget proposal. This budget, if passed in its entirety, would cripple and bankrupt our Country.

“Please vote against Obama’s soaring trillion dollar debt, his $2 trillion in new taxes to help fund his global warming (cap and trade) schemes and his national healthcare plans.

Not only will these schemes triple our national debt over the next ten years, they will also destroy our Country as we know it!”

Please contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them not to support this ruinous budget! If you don’t have their phone or e-mail go to www.congress.org for the information. Also, they can be reached through the Congressional switchboard at 1-866-349-9281.

If regular folks like us get involved, we can make a difference!

Am I Scared, Or Do I Just Have A Good Memory

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:05:00 -0700

While waiting for Brad to see his doctor, I was reading through the Feb/March, 2009, issue of “Military History” and came across a Letter To The Editor from Mr. Gerhardt B. Thamm, and two lines of his letter came blaring out at me, “…he (Hitler) converted, via a self created national emergency, his reign into a totalitarian dictatorship.” The hair on the back of my neck stood up as these lines triggered a recent memory of someone quoting White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, saying “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste!”

Maybe I’m scared? Maybe I’m cautious? The reason I’m having these concerns is because of what’s happening in my country and the plans and actions of our rulers! Listing out these plans and actions those hairs stood up again!

1. The creation of a Civilian Security Force manned and funded equal to the U.S. military – sounds just like Hitler’s Brown Shirts!

2. Controlling/managing private business – sounds just like the Fascists!

3. Violation of our Second Amendment rights with gun control through quasi-regulation using the Blair Holt Firearm Licensing & Record of Sale Act of 2009 that is quietly worming its way through Congress – sounds just like the Fascists!

4. Expansion of government into our lives and our homes. Obama said that government will watch over your children from the day they are born - sounds just like Hitler Youth and the Fascists to me!

5. Silencing of dissent and violation of our right to Free Speech through informal implementation of The Fairness Doctrine. Obama’s nominee for FCC Chairman, Julius Genachowski, believes that radio and TV station ownership should be more diverse and government should control that ownership! Sounds like Hugo Chavez nominated this guy!

Does history really repeat itself?

If regular folks like us get involved, we can make a difference!

Another Trip To Cabela’s

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:05:00 -0700

This past Monday Brad and I had gone to meet with one of his Doctors at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio and finishing early, stopped and met Randy at Rogelio’s Mexican Restaurant for another fine lunch, Driving back home, Brad said, “Dad, why don’t we stop at Cabela’s.” Enough said, even though we had stopped there 2 weeks ago!

Driving in, the parking lot was almost half full and this at 1:30 PM on a work day. Once inside we headed for the gun department and most of the crowd, truly a testament to diversity, was there. Signs were up to the effect that they couldn’t keep adequate supplies of reloading supplies. I wonder why? We even had to take a number.

We bought some .22 bullets and Brad stepped up and bought a single action, .22/.22 mag. pistol. Since Brad has a “carry permit” this transaction went quickly. When you buy a gun there, you check out at a register in the gun department and, for the appearance of safety, the salesman walks you out of the store. As we were walking out, our salesman leaned over to me and said, “We’ve been Obamanized for over a month.” I smiled and walked on to Brad’s truck.

It looks like the folks in central Texas are stocking up for the long haul!

Get Active, Our Second Amendment Is At Stake

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:05:00 -0700

Yesterday, our “rulers” in Washington rammed the pork laden, stimulus package down our throats, even though polls showed that almost 70 percent of the American people were opposed to it. These same “rulers” want our guns!

As shooters, hunters and gun owners, we are already being targeted by this new administration with subtle threats that all point toward the taking away or seriously limiting our access to our guns and even our ammunition! Some of our adversaries are all to familiar; Eric Holder, Attorney General, Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff and Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State.

These politicians, our “rulers” and their anti gun cronies, are all to eager to force us into gun registration, gun licensing, ammunition bans and the imposition of huge Federal taxes on our guns and ammo. All of this with the intent to neuter our Second Amendment!

You ask, “But what can I do.” You’d be surprised at what one person can do. Make a lot of noise! Join the National rifle Association who speaks loudly for our gun rights! Upgrade your NRA, membership to a Life or Endowment member. Call and fax both your State and Federal Congressman, and Senators and don’t forget your Governor. Let them all know that you oppose any efforts to weaken or dilute our Second Amendment.

If we sit on our thumbs, we’ll lose this right that so many Patriots have fought and died for. Everyone must get involved and get active!

The Stimulus Package

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:05:00 -0700

Being a Christian, a hunter and a fisherman is my choice of ‘things’ I prefer, not politics. But at times like this, especially this ridiculous Stimulus Package, our great silent majority needs to stand up and be heard. Saturday I sent the following e-mail to one of my Texas Senators, John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Finance Committee. I also sent a very similar one to our other Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

"Subject: The Stimulus Package

I know that I don’t have to tell you that the bill passed by the Democrats in the House this past week provides very little stimulus to our economy! However, it does stimulate the various special interests groups that were crucial to the Democrat Party’s win this past November. The Wall Street Journal calls it the list of forty years of pent up Democrat demand!

Senator Cornyn, in your position on the Senate finance Committee, I certainly hope you can ‘drum’ it in the rest of the committee members heads, that we don’t need a stimulus package like this one, we need meaningful tax cuts. Tax cuts like the elimination of the capital gains tax, the reduction or elimination the business tax, the making permanent of the Bush tax cuts, all coupled with an elimination of wasteful spending (that last item is kind of an oxymoron).

Thank you for being a conservative voice for our Senate and thank you for all you have done for the State of Texas!

Jon Bryan
121 County Rd. 406
Goldthwaite, Texas 76844"

Everyone should ‘burn up the internet’ with e-mails or faxes to their Senators about this farce of a Stimulus Package and we, perhaps, can bring some sanity to this ‘astute’ group. Maybe that’s an oxymoron too!

A Trip To Cabela’s

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:05:00 -0700

Our new President said that he wouldn’t come after our guns. He never said anything about using taxes to inhibit ammunition sales. I wonder why ‘the media’ never probed for this? I did find out what Texans are doing about it!

Living in a small town, like Goldthwaite, far away from the traffic and congestion of a big city, has many benefits, but there are some things missing – some things like Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops and Gander Mountain. Keeping a running list of items needed from Cabela’s, I got to stop by there this past Monday and was I surprised.

Brad and I had traveled down to San Antonio to meet with his doctors and after lunch with my youngest son, Randy, in San Marcos, we stopped by Cabela’s, in Buda, to pick up .22, .22 Mag and .17 HMR ammo and stock up on reloading supplies. Buda, for the uninformed, is 16 miles south of Austin on I-35.

It was mid Monday afternoon, but where everyone should have been out working, they were in the gun/ammo department. It looked like a Saturday! We found and picked out the items we needed, loaded them into our shopping cart and then went over to the gun cases to get some small pistol primers and Unique gun powder.

The salesman did a perfunctory look under the counter, but we could see that the powder stocks were woefully low and that they were out of Unique. He added that there were shotgun primers, but no small pistol ones and that their stocks had been pummeled since Christmas.

Looks like everyone is trying to beat the big tax increase on ammo and reloading supplies! For sure, it’s coming and we won’t have anything to say about it, so stock up all the ‘stuff’ now and let’s hope we can roll it back in 2 years!

It Still Rings True

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:05:00 -0700

This past Monday, Brad and I visited his doctors in San Antonio and finishing up before noon called Randy, my youngest son, to meet us for lunch in San Marcos at Rogellio’s, a great Mexican restaurant. Brad and I were also going to stop at Cabela’s in Buda and stock up on ammo and reloading supplies. Soon, I’ll post a story about that stop too.

We were loading up on hot sauce and chips, waiting for our lunch and Randy mentioned, “Dad, you should post the Texas Declaration Of Independence on your blog and write a story about it. It rings very true today.” We kicked the idea around and it rang true to me!

As a fifth generation Texan, I love this State and its history. But history has a way of repeating itself and the problems faced by the early Texican colonists are eerily similar to what we face today. Our second Amendment is endangered, government intervention has diluted our educational system and our religious freedoms are threatened! How was this handled in 1836 Tejas?

To say the least, Tejas in 1836 was a mess. Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas, was fresh out of prison in Mexico for the ‘crime’ of delivering a proposed constitution for the Mexican State of Tejas. Tejas was part of the Mexican State of Coahuila, Coahuila y Tejas, and its capital was Saltillo, a very long way off from the Texican colonies.

The Mexican Constitution of 1824, had been abrogated by Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (Santa Anna) and replaced by a military dictatorship. The Mexican government had invited settlers to the wild, Tejas frontier and promised them a republican government and constitutional liberties. Certain political rights such as trial by jury and the right to keep and bear arms were denied by the Mexican authorities. No system of public education was established and freedom of religion was denied. One point here, the original settlers did agree to become Catholics, but as more folks streamed into Tejas, this became impossible to manage or enforce.

This all came to a head in late 1835 and early 1836. Texicans had invaded and captured San Antonio and fortified the Alamo. A strong Texican force had seized the Mission at Goliad and Sam Houston had been named commander of the army. An armed uprising was well under way!

In early 1836, Santa Anna and his army had crossed the Rio Grande into Tejas to put an end to this ‘rebellion’. As he was besieging the Alamo, representatives from the various Texican groups met at Washington-on-the-Brazos to decide the issue and draft a declaration of independence.

Five men, including George Childress, who probably brought a draft declaration with him to the convention, were chosen to author this important document. In record time it was completed and somewhat parallels that of the United States. The Texican document has statements on the function and responsibility of a government, a list of Texican grievances and finally declares Texas a free, independent republic.

It was accepted by the convention and on March 2, 1836, 59 Texicans signed it, ended the meeting and headed home. These men risked everything, their life, their family’s and their property, because Santa Anna was ‘no quarter’ personified. However, when he was captured after the Battle of San Jacinto, he did beg Gen. Houston for his life!

The Texas Declaration Of Independence follows:

“When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression.

When the Federal Republican Constitution of their country, which they have sworn to support, no longer has a substantial existence, and the whole nature of their government has been forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism, in which every interest is disregarded but that of the army and the priesthood, both the eternal enemies of civil liberty, the everready minions of power, and the usual instruments of tyrants.

When, long after the spirit of the constitution has departed, moderation is at length so far lost by those in power, that even the semblance of freedom is removed, and the forms themselves of the constitution discontinued, and so far from their petitions and remonstrances being regarded, the agents who bear them are thrown into dungeons, and mercenary armies sent forth to force a new government upon them at the point of the bayonet.

When, in consequence of such acts of malfeasance and abdication on the part of the government, anarchy prevails, and civil society is dissolved into its original elements. In such a crisis, the first law of nature, the right of self-preservation, the inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands in extreme cases, enjoins it as a right towards themselves, and a sacred obligation to their posterity, to abolish such government, and create another in its stead, calculated to rescue them from impending dangers, and to secure their future welfare and happiness.

Nations, as well as individuals, are amenable for their acts to the public opinion of mankind. A statement of a part of our grievances is therefore submitted to an impartial world, in justification of the hazardous but unavoidable step now taken, of severing our political connection with the Mexican people, and assuming an independent attitude among the nations of the earth.

The Mexican government, by its colonization laws, invited and induced the Anglo-American population of Texas to colonize its wilderness under the pledged faith of a written constitution, that they should continue to enjoy that constitutional liberty and republican government to which they had been habituated in the land of their birth, the United States of America.

In this expectation they have been cruelly disappointed, inasmuch as the Mexican nation has acquiesced in the late changes made in the government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who having overturned the constitution of his country, now offers us the cruel alternative, either to abandon our homes, acquired by so many privations, or submit to the most intolerable of all tyranny, the combined despotism of the sword and the priesthood.

It has sacrificed our welfare to the state of Coahuila, by which our interests have been continually depressed through a jealous and partial course of legislation, carried on at a far distant seat of government, by a hostile majority, in an unknown tongue, and this too, notwithstanding we have petitioned in the humblest terms for the establishment of a separate state government, and have, in accordance with the provisions of the national constitution, presented to the general Congress a republican constitution, which was, without just cause, contemptuously rejected.

It incarcerated in a dungeon, for a long time, one of our citizens, for no other cause but a zealous endeavor to procure the acceptance of our constitution, and the establishment of a state government.

It has failed and refused to secure, on a firm basis, the right of trial by jury, that palladium of civil liberty, and only safe guarantee for the life, liberty, and property of the citizen.

It has failed to establish any public system of education, although possessed of almost boundless resources, (the public domain,) and although it is an axiom in political science, that unless a people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty, or the capacity for self government.

It has suffered the military commandants, stationed among us, to exercise arbitrary acts of oppression and tyrrany, thus trampling upon the most sacred rights of the citizens, and rendering the military superior to the civil power.

It has dissolved, by force of arms, the state Congress of Coahuila and Texas, and obliged our representatives to fly for their lives from the seat of government, thus depriving us of the fundamental political right of representation.

It has demanded the surrender of a number of our citizens, and ordered military detachments to seize and carry them into the Interior for trial, in contempt of the civil authorities, and in defiance of the laws and the constitution.

It has made piratical attacks upon our commerce, by commissioning foreign desperadoes, and authorizing them to seize our vessels, and convey the property of our citizens to far distant ports for confiscation.

It denies us the right of worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience, by the support of a national religion, calculated to promote the temporal interest of its human functionaries, rather than the glory of the true and living God.

It has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defence, the rightful property of freemen, and formidable only to tyrannical governments.

It has invaded our country both by sea and by land, with intent to lay waste our territory, and drive us from our homes; and has now a large mercenary army advancing, to carry on against us a war of extermination.

It has, through its emissaries, incited the merciless savage, with the tomahawk and scalping knife, to massacre the inhabitants of our defenseless frontiers.

It hath been, during the whole time of our connection with it, the contemptible sport and victim of successive military revolutions, and hath continually exhibited every characteristic of a weak, corrupt, and tyrranical government.

These, and other grievances, were patiently borne by the people of Texas, untill they reached that point at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. We then took up arms in defence of the national constitution. We appealed to our Mexican brethren for assistance. Our appeal has been made in vain. Though months have elapsed, no sympathetic response has yet been heard from the Interior. We are, therefore, forced to the melancholy conclusion, that the Mexican people have acquiesced in the destruction of their liberty, and the substitution therfor of a military government; that they are unfit to be free, and incapable of self government.

The necessity of self-preservation, therefore, now decrees our eternal political separation.

We, therefore, the delegates with plenary powers of the people of Texas, in solemn convention assembled, appealing to a candid world for the necessities of our condition, do hereby resolve and declare, that our political connection with the Mexican nation has forever ended, and that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations; and, conscious of the rectitude of our intentions, we fearlessly and confidently commit the issue to the decision of the Supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations.”

Richard Ellis, President
of the Convention and Delegate
from Red River.

Signed by 58 other Texicans!

Lee Wallace's Thoughts

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 08:05:00 -0700

Rereading my Great Uncle, Lee Wallace’s book, “Waif Of The Times”, I came across some of his ‘thoughts’ about income taxes and wealth redistribution. Lee’s writings spanned a time period of 1900 to 1930 and definitely covered 1913, the year the 16th amendment to our Constitution was passed, eventually giving us the IRS.

Lee was a staunch Democrat and elected official – County Attorney, District Judge and received an appointment by Pres. Roosevelt to become a Federal Judge, but turned it down because of his health. It turns out he had successful surgery and lived 22 more years. He should have taken up FDR on his offer!

After the Civil War ended, and for the next 100 years, Texas and the entire South was almost 100% Democrat. As the liberals and elitists encroached on our society and government, the South and Texas became more conservative and Republican. Lee’s thoughts, written almost 100 years ago, echo true to this day…

“If you take away from me the things I have earned without my consent you are a robber. If you give it or part to another, you make a robber out of him.”

“I hate you for taking my earnings without my consent; I hate the one you give it to for accepting it, and you both hate me for hating you because you know that I know you robbed me.”

“A thief always hates a sheriff, not that the sheriff has done the thief any wrong but because the sheriff is in the business of competing with the thief.”

Feelings were obviously high against the recently passed income tax. I believe we, that pay the taxes, still feel that way in 2008!

Vote

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:05:00 -0700

Since 2006 when the Democrats took control of the House and Senate, our Country has spiraled down a dangerous path; amnesty and immigration, high fuel prices, rising unemployment, bank failures, the completely manufactured ‘housing’ crisis, Government bail outs, and now, the election has become all about The Economy.

Today, the future of our nation as we know it hangs in the balance, and today, we vote and there are so many more crucial items that we should consider before casting our ballot. All of the following are extremely important to me and should be to everyone:

Second Amendment Rights and Gun Control
Halting Illegal Immigration
Reducing Our Reliance On Foreign Energy Sources
The Rights of The Unborn and Partial Birth Abortion
Judicial Appointments Including Supreme Court and Federal Judges
Free Speech and The Reimposing Of The ‘Fairness Doctrine’

Isn’t it strange that these topics were glossed over during the debates? I wonder why. We all know why, that it was because of Obama’s extremely liberal/socialistic/Marxist views of them!

I have already chosen to cling to my gun and my religion and have cast my vote, straight Republican, for McCain/Palin.

Today, please do the same.

Our Second Amendment

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:05:00 -0700

Generally, this is not a political blog, but sometimes a person has ‘to take the bit in their teeth’ and speak out for what they believe in and I really believe the following.

Being a Life Member of the National Rifle Association, I recently received their September, 2008, issue of ‘The American Rifleman’ and perused with interest their story on pages 40 and 41, “Barack Obama’s Ten Point Plan to ‘Change’ The Second Amendment”. Having scanned in his Ten Point Plan, I want share it with everyone:

When it comes to politics, I am definitely not a ‘one issue’ person; and I believe in low taxes, the use of all of our own natural resources, smaller government –local, state and federal, the rights of the unborn, strict judicial interpretation of our Constitution and my individual right to keep and bear arms. Most important, I believe in God and love Jesus!

I also love and respect our Constitution and have sworn to uphold it! It is a wonderful, insightful document, written by far sighted, intelligent men. It doesn’t ‘live’, but it does clearly state our rights as citizens and, to me, near the top, is our right to keep and bear arms! The Second Amendment reads:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

As our Presidential election nears, I believe that hunters, shooters, gun owners and their supporters must band together and prevent Barack Obama and the rest of the liberal democrats from gaining control of our government!

What are some of the things that we can do to push our agenda to the front? Here is my 10 Point Plan To Save Our Gun Rights:

1. If not a member already, join the National Rifle Association.

2. Encourage friends and supporters of the shooting sports to do likewise.

3. Contact your local, state and federal representatives to support firearms,

ammunition and right-to-carry laws.

4. Vote only for representatives that share and support your views on this subject.

5. Vote for McCain.

6. Don’t hesitate to speak out!

7. Get involved in shooting sports.

8. Get your family involved in the shooting sports.

9. Get involved in local, state and national politics.

10. Keep the pressure on our elected officials to preserve the Second amendment!

All of these things have to start at the grass roots level! Get involved and, as we say in Texas, “Git’ ‘er done!”

Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

jbryan@centex.net (Jon Bryan) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 08:05:00 -0700

The following is an excerpt from an announcement on the NRAILA website and, folks, we, the gun owners, hunters and shooters of this country, won one!

“The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will significantly revise a recent proposal for new “explosives safety” regulations that caused serious concern among gun owners. OSHA had originally set out to update workplace safety regulations, but the proposed rules included restrictions that very few gun shops, sporting goods stores, shippers, or ammunition dealers could comply with.”

OSHA was “flooded” with negative comments from gun owners and shooting groups and claims their aim was never to inhibit gun ownership or use, but to make the workplace safer. I personally think that is BS! They were trying to “sneak one” past us.

Think about it. A big regulation change, a short time to offer comments and, what do you know, OSHA has severely limited the public’s ability to “Keep and Bear Arms”!

We stopped them this time, but all of us, as shooters, hunters and gun owners, have to be on our toes and make sure our government doesn’t “sneak one” past us again!