Thursday, December 29, 2005

Gun Safety Rules Blitz 2006

Minuteman Monthly Newsletter
Issue 54
January 2006

Let's make history this year!!! Let's make 2006 the lowest recorded year in U.S. history for accidental deaths involving firearms. I want to launch an effort for 2006 to keep accidental firearm related deaths down to only two (2) per week. I know that with the information in this issue of the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter and your promotional efforts, it can be done!!!!

In the last few years, 3.5 to 4 children ages 5 to 19, die each week due to the mishandling of a loaded firearm. In 2001, which is the last year for which I have complete statistics, 182 children ages 0 to 19, had to buried by their parents because of an accident with a gun.

If enough families get this newsletter this coming year, I think we can bring that total down to two children a week. Together, let's cut this accidental death rate among children in half in 2006!!

In addition to 182 deaths, there were hundreds more tragic injuries that we can help avoid as well. With your promotional efforts and full participation, we can make 2006 the safest year in history in regards to firearms.

Let's start right now. Right here at the beginning of a brand new year. Let's set a limit of 104 children dying because of the mishandling of loaded gun. There's no reason it can't be done, if you'll agree to help me out by forwarding this newsletter on to others. That's all I'm asking you to do!!!

You can help me by writing about this gun safety effort in your local newspaper, e-mailing national news programs, posting information about this effort in your favorite blogs and posting this newsletter at your gun club among many other things you can do. Most importantly though, talk to your own family and friends first.

<<>> This entire issue of the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter is posted on my blog at: http://savetheguns.blogspot.com


LET'S SET A NEW RECORD FOR GUN SAFETY IN 2006. A PARENT SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BURY THEIR CHILD BECAUSE OF SUCH A PREVENTABLE TRAGEDY.

WE ALWAYS FIND TIME TO FORWARD OFF COLOR JOKES, CHAIN LETTERS AND VIRUS ALERTS. WHY NOT MAKE THIS YEAR MEAN SOMETHING BY SAVING THE LIVES OF
CHILDREN AND ADULTS WHO MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF ALL THE RULES OF FIREARM SAFETY.

A HUNTER SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO APPROACH HIS HUNTING BUDDY'S WIFE AFTER HE KILLS HIM TO EXPLAIN THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS A GAME ANIMAL.

TOGETHER, WE CAN LESSEN THE CHANCES OF THESE THINGS HAPPENING IN 2006.

JOIN ME AND WE CAN SAVE LIVES TOGETHER. I WROTE THIS NEWSLETTER AND THE FIFTY PLUS GUN SAFETY RULES IT CONTAINS. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FORWARD IT TO OTHERS AND HELP ME PROMOTE THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.

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SAVETHEGUNS.COM QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Freedom is the most contagious virus known to man."
-- Hubert H. Humphrey
(1911-1978) US Vice-President, US Senator (D-MN)
Source: Speech, New York City, 29 October 1964

"War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
-- John Stuart Mill
(1806-1873) English philosopher and economist


"In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him for then it costs nothing to be a patriot."
-- Mark Twain
[Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835-1910)


"Quemadmoeum gladis nemeinum occidit, occidentis telum _est" ("A sword is never a killer, it's a tool in the killer's hands")
Lucius Annaeus Seneca "the younger" ca. (4 BC - 65 AD)

NOTE: Wouldn't you think that after 1941 years, everyone would realize that a weapon doesn't kill anyone? Of course the blame always rests on the perpetrator. However, with many brands of gun control measures and gun control activists, you'd think that the firearm itself is to blame for a criminal act.


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NRA MEMBERSHIP

In 2005, I recruited twenty six (26) NRA Members through my "NRA Membership" page and my special NRA Recruiter link. In 2006, I want to double that total to fifty two (52). We can accomplish this goal together. I'll need your help to gain one new NRA Member each week in 2006.

http://www.savetheguns.com/nra_membership.htm

http://membership.nrahq.org/default.asp?campaignid=XR017807

http://www.savetheguns.com/National%20Rifle%20Association%20Application.doc

Please consider printing this National Rifle Association Membership Application and keep a stack of them at your favorite local sporting goods retailer. Make sure you ask permission first.

Most gun owners don't join the NRA because they have never been asked to. Well consider yourself asked!!!


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CONTRIBUTIONS

Can you start me off right this year with a contribution? To contribute to my efforts with a credit card, please go to my Amazon.com secure Pay-Page at: http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3GXU3PIEM5ST1


Or, you can simply make a personal check payable to Marc Richardson.

mail your check to:

Marc Richardson
P.O. Box 424
Shapleigh, ME 04076-0424

My goal for contributions for 2006 is $6,000.

http://www.savetheguns.com/contributions.htm


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SAVETHEGUNS.COM GUN SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH

The most common way of a child getting killed in a firearm related accident is by pulling on the barrel, while another child has his finger on the trigger.

You MUST help me to get this message out if we're going to save eighty (80) to one hundred (100) kids this coming year in 2006.

If a child finds a gun in an unsupervised situation, they should stop, leave the area and tell a responsible adult what they found. A child should NEVER touch an unsupervised firearm. Furthermore, if a child picks up an unattended firearm, any other child in the area should leave the area and tell a responsible adult what was found.

A CHILD SHOULD NEVER TRY TO DISARM ANOTHER CHILD THAT HAS PICKED UP AN
UNSUPERVISED FIREARM.

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MINUTEMAN MONTHY AIMING POINT FOR JANUARY 2006

Below is the most comprehensive and complete list of gun safety rules that I know of. I've looked around a lot at gun safety information on the Internet and I truly believe that nothing beats this list.

Together, we can save at least one hundred (100) lives this coming year in 2006. JOIN THIS EFFORT BY SIMPLY READING AND FORWARDING THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER. IT'S ALL UP TO YOU.

Bill Gates won't send you a check. Nothing cool will pop up on your screen either. But you might save the life of someone you know.

I've categorized these fifty gun safety rules to make it easier to read and comprehend. There are seven (7) categories of Gun Safety in this issue of the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter:

**Three Basic Handling Rules
**For Kids
**At All Times
**At Home
**While Hunting
**At The Shooting Range
**While Reloading Ammunition

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THREE BASIC HANDLING RULES

There are only two causes of the accidental discharge of a firearm. A lack of knowledge and carelessness are the only two causes of an accidental firearm discharge. Now that you are on the most comprehensive and all encompassing gun safety page currently found anywhere in the world, a lack of knowledge is not an excuse.

There are three rules of safe gun handling. Learn them right here. Repeat them as many times as you wish, I'll sit here and wait for you.... :-)

1.) **ALWAYS point the barrel of the gun in a safe direction. A safe direction is defined as a direction where if the gun discharged, nobody would get hurt. The best direction to point a gun is generally at the ground and to the side.

This is known as the Golden Rule Of Gun Safety.

If everyone followed this one rule, it would bring an end to accidental firearm related deaths.

Be aware that the "safe direction" may change as you change your location.



2.) **ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire. There is a natural tendency to place the index finger inside the trigger guard. This MUST be avoided. Condition yourself to place your shooting hand index finger along the side of the frame.

There is no reason whatsoever that your finger should be on the trigger unless you have safely and appropriately acquired your target and your sight picture and are ready for the trigger squeeze.



3.) **ALWAYS Keep the action open and the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it. The action is the moving parts of the gun that allow loading, unloading, firing and extraction of the empty case or shell. If you are not ready to use it, keep the action open and unloaded.

With an open and unloaded action, the only injury that might occur, is if you drop the firearm on your foot.


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GUN SAFETY FOR KIDS

Gun safety for children is the top priority on my agenda. Most of the gun safety Web sites online that purport to help protect children from firearm accidents are openly anti-gun Web sites. I have not seen an anti-gun Web site, meant to protect children from accidental death with firearm, that knows what they're talking about.

Let's face the hard cold fact here ladies and gentlemen. When it comes to gun safety and proper firearm education, anti-gun leaning organizations and Web sites don't have a clue what they're talking about.

Until I got black-listed by Google, my "For Kids Only" page was the top destination on the planet for children to learn how to be safe around firearms at all times. Gun safety for kids, while at home, at the shooting range and while unsupervised, are essential things for your children to grasp.

In 2001, 182 children ages 0 to 19, died because a loaded firearm was unintentionally mishandled. Kids have to know what to do if they come upon a firearm in an unsupervised situation.

I cannot imagine the horror, of having this occur to a son or daughter. The pain and anguish of having to lay a son or daughter to rest in a graveyard, must be unbearable. It can be prevented. Together, we can save one hundred lives or more in 2006.

I'm going to save space here, by just asking you to send the following Web page to anyone with a young child. I doesn't matter if they're anti-gun, pro-gun or don't care about the subject at all.

http://www.savetheguns.com/for_kids_only.htm

Help me save some kids in 2006.

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GUN SAFETY AT ALL TIMES


Before I get into the gun safety rules to obey at all times, let me say something on the subject of discovering a discarded firearm outside a home.

Even though violent crime has been declining for years, rates of violent crime among our youth has been escalating. Increasingly, it is America's young people who are responsible for a lion's share of violent crime.

Because of that very fact, it is getting more likely that a discarded firearm could be found in an area frequented by young people like a park, playground or other recreational area.

If an unattended firearm is discovered, it is very likely that the last person to handle that firearm was a criminal and it could still be loaded.

Do not pick up the discarded firearm and bring it to the police station. Rather, contact police and have them come and take possession of the gun.

Yes, I know that many of you are retired military personnel and police officers, gun club range safety officers and firearm instructors. If you're not new to firearm safety, you know how to handle an unfamiliar firearm safely. However, the discarded firearm was probably recently used to commit a crime.

It might have fingerprints, palm prints, human tissue, blood, dna or other evidence on the firearm itself. The area around where the firearm was discovered might have clothing threads, footprints, tire tracks or other evidence that might be essential in solving a violent crime.

That's why I have always advised to carefully back out of the area disturbing a little as possible, post a trusted sentry near the firearm and contact police and tell them that you've found a discarded firearm that could have been used to commit a crime. It's the right thing to do.

Now for the fifty plus (50+) gun safety rules, which is the centerpiece of our cooperative effort to prevent over a hundred accidental firearm related deaths in 2006!!!



ALWAYS treat every gun as if it is loaded and ready to fire. An excuse often heard following an accidental death is that "...I thought it was unloaded." ALWAYS handle the gun as if it is loaded, even if you know it is empty.


Never target shoot or hunt with a firearm, when you are too tired or fatigued to continue to pay attention and operate a firearm safely. After getting a brand new gun or your first firearm, you may have a tendency to stay out too long. Call it a day before you get too tired to pay attention.


NEVER point a gun at something or someone that you don't intend to shoot at. As Jeff Cooper would say "Don't point a gun at anything you are not prepared to destroy."


Check the action of the firearm every time you pick it up. Condition yourself to do this. Check that action again, even if you just checked it.


Wear eye and ear protection as appropriate. Inviting a hot piece of metal or powder in your eye is not a very good idea, in fact it hurts like hell. ALWAYS wear those silly looking glasses or you may be sorry. If you want to be able to hear your grandchildren, you should have ear plugs or ear protection muffs and use them according to the instructions.



NEVER TAKE A GUN AWAY FROM SOMEONE BY PULLING ON THE BARREL. If they have their finger on the trigger, pulling on the barrel could discharge the gun and injure you. This is the most common type of accident among young people.



NEVER use drugs or alcohol before or during shooting. Alcohol or drugs can impair judgment. Mistakes are more likely to happen under the influence of alcohol. Be vigilant about safety, don't drink alcohol or use some prescription drugs while handling a gun. Alcohol use before or during the handling and/or firing of a gun, can drastically increase the incidence of a scientific phenomenon known as the Stupidity Factor. Ok, I made up the "Stupidity Factor", but my point remains. This rule applies especially when reloading ammunition.


NEVER shoot into water and avoid ricochets. Bullets can skip off the surface of water and then change direction too!!!! Don't shoot into the water. Don't shoot at heavy metal objects such as junked cars, old propane tanks and abandoned refrigerators. Ricochets have been deadly in this type of situation.


NEVER rely solely on the safety device on the gun. Mechanical safeties have been known to fail. If you know Murphy's Law, then you would know that if a safety lever or button is going to fail, it will fail at the worst possible moment. Mechanical safeties can wear out or malfunction over time.


NEVER allow horseplay with a firearm even if you are certain it is unloaded. Horseplay with an unloaded gun is never a good idea. It can condition a child to respect a firearm less, and regard gun safety as less important. NO HORSEPLAY. NEVER.


ALWAYS AVOID THE NATURAL TENDENCY TO PLACE A FINGER INSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD WHEN HANDLING A GUN. I know I already said this one, but it is worth repeating. Most accidental discharges occur because of a misplaced finger on the trigger.


Carry guns in cases whenever practical. In some States, this is the law. Get to know your State firearm laws. Ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse before a judge. It is the gun owner's responsibility to be familiar with their own state's gun laws.


Do not allow a holster, sling or clothing that might interfere with the safe operation of the gun. Choose firearm accessories carefully. Use only the slings, holsters, mounts or aiming devices made specifically for your gun.


Never lean a rifle or shotgun against a wall or vehicle. They can easily slip off the surface and hit the floor or ground. It is very unlikely that it will discharge, however, a ding or scratch in the firearm will not make you a very happy camper. It could permanently damage a scope too.


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GUN SAFETY AT HOME

A gun safe or quality security cabinet is a great idea for the home. If it's bolted to both the wall studs and the floor, a home burglar will not be able to get at your firearms as long as the safe or security cabinet is of decent quality. I have some safes and cabinets linked near the bottom of my "Safety Rules" page:
http://www.savetheguns.com/safety_rules.htm

A decent security cabinet can prevent little curious hands from handling a firearm unsupervised. They don't have to cost as much as your car either, see the link.


Store guns and ammunition so it is not accessible to unauthorized people. NEVER be satisfied with just hiding a loaded gun. If you are simply hiding a loaded gun in your home, KNOCK IT OFF. You are sending out an invitation to tragedy if you simply hide a loaded gun in your home. There are easily affordable devices available so you don't need to simply hide a gun. Quick access however, should be practiced and practiced often. You don't want to be fumbling around for a defensive firearm while you're being attacked. Firearm accessibility and home firearm safety is a relationship that we've been struggling with since the 1300s. Each gun owner must come to their own compromise and be able to live with it.


Never hide a firearm under a pillow or mattress. This is not a very smart thing to do. Someday it WILL BE FOUND by someone. It can get damp or musty under there too! Whoever finds it, may not be someone you want handling an unsupervised firearm. Not to mention that if you are attacked while still in bed, you can't get under the mattress anyway. Your weight and the weight of a spouse and/or intruder will prevent access to the gun anyway.


Store firearms and ammunition separately. Store ammunition so it does not get too moist or in an area that gets excessively hot, like an attic, cellar or closet. Ammunition primers can corrode and become unreliable if they are stored in a damp area.


Read and fully understand the manual that came with the gun. The gun manufacturers are concerned about gun safety. Don't take the gun apart too far!!! Learn all there is to know about your firearm. Know it inside and out. Taking the gun apart too far is how gunsmiths make a lot of their money. Not that I'm against gunsmiths making money, but I would rather spend my money on something other than having a professional reassemble a gun that I took apart too far.


When attaching trigger locking devices, make certain that they are done properly. If you have your firearms under lock and key, be sure to keep the key on YOUR key chain and keep it with you. It does no good to lock up your guns and leave the key out for anyone to find. Make certain that trigger blocking devices are inserted behind the trigger, but still within the trigger guard if possible.


Always thoroughly check to make sure a firearm is unloaded before cleaning or disassembly. Also you should strictly follow the user's manual when disassembling the firearm. Remove all live ammunition from the area where you'll be cleaning the gun. There's no reason you should have live ammo around when cleaning a firearm. Cleaning solvent and gun oil can damage
ammunition as well.


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GUN SAFETY WHILE HUNTING


Never shoot at movement when hunting. If you miss your intended target, where is the bullet going???? Positively identify the sex of the animal before firing. This will guarantee that you will not kill some lady who is hanging out her laundry while wearing a brown and white fur coat (true story). If you don't know what the male and female species of your quarry looks like, you should not be hunting in the first place.



ALWAYS carry the gun safely and watch that muzzle!! The muzzle is another name for the front end of the barrel.


While hunting, you should be completely aware of where your buddies are and carry your firearm accordingly. When walking together, make certain that the muzzles are looking in a safe direction.


NEVER climb a tree or fence or jump a ditch with a loaded gun. You will have very little control over your firearm during a fall. Unload that firearm before you descend or ascend steep slopes. During an uncontrolled tumble or while sliding down a steep slope, your control of the firearm will be compromised. Unload it first. I would rather see you lose a chance shot at a game animal, than take a load of buckshot under your chin during a fall. In 2005, a hunter accidentally killed his own son after an uncontrolled slide down a steep slope while hunting. Before you do anything physically challenging, unload the firearm first. Please hear me on this.


I know I shouldn't have to say this one, but I will anyway. Wear blaze orange clothing so other hunters that have not read these rules know that you're not a deer.


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SAVETHEGUNS.COM ONLINE STORE

Please make time this week to visit my online store and make a purchase. I've created a page of affiliates with convenient links to their Web sites.

http://www.SaveTheGuns.com/affiliate_links.htm


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GUN SAFETY AT THE SHOOTING RANGE


Never accept a loaded gun from anyone, unless you are a Range Officer or Certified Firearm Instructor or really know what you are doing. When you receive a firearm from someone, it should be unloaded and the action should be open. Keeping the action open when passing a firearm from one person to another is very important. It clearly demonstrates that you are conscientious and that you know what you are doing. It is impossible to have an accidental discharge with the action open.


Be sure the gun is safe to operate. A gun that has been neglected or one that is very old, may not be safe to use. Some guns manufactured in the early 1900's should not use modern ammunition.


Never look down the barrel of a potentially loaded gun. Leave that to an episode of the Three Stooges. There is no way to tell if a gun is loaded by looking down the barrel anyhow. Don't do it, it's not that funny. Checking the barrel for powder, lead and copper deposits while cleaning the gun is ok, as long as the action is open and you're completely certain it is unloaded during the cleaning process.


Be certain that when you are leaving the range or another shooting area, that the firearms you are packing away are completely unloaded, including magazines. I have been shooting for more than thirty years and I mistakenly left a handgun loaded after packing up at the range only once. As a responsible and alert gun owner, you should always know if one of your guns are loaded or not. That is why I have clearly advocated so many redundant safety checks. Please hear me.


If you don't know anything about the gun, seek a knowledgeable person. If you are in a position to use a gun at a range or while recreationally shooting outdoors, and you are not familiar with the gun, then ask the owner. Almost every model of gun, operates a little differently from its
cousin.


Know how to use the gun safely. If you don't know what you are doing while out shooting with friends and family, don't pretend to know what you are doing. It is always OK to ask questions. Don't be afraid about looking less than macho. If you make a grievous mistake while handling the gun, then how would you look?


Use ONLY the correct ammunition for the gun. On a rare occasion, a 20 gauge shell has slipped into the barrel of a 12 gauge shotgun. The next shot could destroy the gun and injure you. I know of someone that tried to shoot a .38 special from a 1911 .45 ACP. (A hospital run came soon after.)


Carry only one caliber cartridge or shell at a time. This will reduce the possibility of using the wrong ammunition in your firearm.


Know your target and what is behind and beyond it. Be certain of where your bullet will end up. With some higher powered rifle cartridges, bullets can travel up to five (5) miles under the right conditions. Most rifle bullets will travel between a mile and a half (7,920 feet) and three and half miles (18,480 feet).


Be aware that certain firearms and activities have additional rules and precautions. When attending competitions or other organized activities, make certain that there are no other rules that you might be unaware of.


ALWAYS obey range rules and a Range Safety Officer. A Range Safety Officer has everyone's best interest in mind. Don't feel angry if a Range Safety Officer corrects something you are doing wrong. There are quite a few gun safety rules and they all must be obeyed at the same time. A gun club may have rules posted that you're not aware of. Please treat the Range Safety Officer with respect.


Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions. An obstruction inside the barrel, such as a patch, bullet or bullet jacket can destroy the usefulness of the gun and could cause severe injury OR DEATH.



If the discharge of the cartridge seemed a bit different in sound or recoil, the gun should be pointed in a safe direction for at least thirty (30) seconds to two (2) minutes, in case of a hangfire. Then the barrel should be checked for obstruction. A hangfire occurs when the gun does not immediately discharge, but discharges a few moments later. This is usually due to a defective primer.



In some cases, a cartridge may have a primer, but no powder. Upon discharge, the primer would push the bullet into the barrel, where it would get stuck. This is called a "Squib Load". If only the primer fires on a cartridge, point the gun in a safe direction for up to two (2) minutes, possibly more, then check the barrel for any obstruction. If a bullet is stuck in the barrel, don't shoot another bullet at it to get it out. This will more than likely destroy your gun and could injure you and bystanders near you. If you can't get it out, see a gunsmith or other knowledgeable person. Many times, you'll be able to get it out yourself. I advise to pour some type of penetrating oil into the barrel and tap it out with a solid aluminum or brass rod after letting it soak overnight. A wooden dowel will probably splinter and mushroom, but a good hardwood dowel might work, if you oil the barrel. Try to insert the rod or dowel from the breech end if possible to avoid damage to the muzzle.


If you do a bunch of your shooting at indoor pistol ranges, you should make sure that the range is fully ventilated and the fans are properly working. There can be a relatively high concentration of lead and harmful compounds in the air if proper ventilation is not observed. In addition to this, make certain that you wash your hands very well after shooting and cleaning your guns. There are many harmful compounds found in gunpowder and ammunition priming compounds. Some of them are listed here:

diazodinitrophenol
potassium nitrate
nitrocellulose
boron metal
nitroglycerin
tetrazene
lead
nickel
copper
zinc
lead styphnate
barium nitrate



While at the outdoor shooting range, keep your muzzle down!!! Don't allow your barrel to point above the dirt berms that are designed to protect the surrounding community from a wayward bullet.


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GUN SAFETY WHILE RELOADING AMMUNITION


Never keep black powder or smokeless gun powder in unmarked containers. Always use the original containers. Don't mix powders unless you know what you're doing and you're specifically attempting a known duplex load.



Store reloading components in a cool and dry area. Primers, black powder and smokeless powder should always be stored in a cool and dry area. This is more to protect the integrity of the reloading components than anything else. Of course you'll want to store them away from any heat source like a furnace, woodstove or water heater.



Always check metallic cases and shotgun hulls for defects before reloading them. Check cases and hulls for splits or cracks.




Use the utmost in caution when reloading centerfire ammunition. Don't allow yourself to become distracted. Concentrate completely on the task at hand, and most importantly, stay organized and label everything. Follow the ammunition tables exactly, do not experiment unless you are a very experienced or expert reloader. Don't reload ammuntion after you've had a couple of beers either. Remember the "Stupidity Factor" I spoke of earlier?


A cartridge which has: the wrong powder, no powder charge, or too large a powder charge; an inverted primer, mis-seated primer, the wrong type of primer or an inert primer; a mis-seated, inverted, or mis-sized bullet; a collapsed, weakened, improperly sized or mis-crimped case; incorrect overall length or any of a host of other defects may seriously jeopardize your safety, the safety of those around you, and/or the reliability of your firearm in a defensive situation.


Many shooters prepare and safely use reloaded ammunition each day, and it can be an economical way to stretch your ammunition budget, but the safety of that reloaded ammunition directly depends on the care, components, equipment, and practices used in preparing it.


Always use a proper measure when loading Pyrodex or black powder into a muzzle loading firearm. Never simply guess.


Never use modern smokeless gun powder in a muzzle loader and never mix smokeless powder and black powder. There is such a thing as a "duplex" load which uses two different powders, but they should only be used under the most controlled circumstances and according to known recipes.


Never smoke cigars, pipes or cigarettes when using a muzzle loader or when reloading centerfire ammunition. You may lose part of your beard, mustache, eyebrows and eyelashes, which is very unattractive. :-)


Never put a match to a pile of accidentally spilled black powder. You might end up having to completely shave off all your facial hair until it grows back evenly, right John?


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A SERIOUS EFFORT HAS BEEN LAUNCHED TODAY!!!

Now that you've read the January 2006 issue of the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter, what are you going to do next? Are you going to close and delete this newsletter? Or are you going to forward it on to another family, so we can save perhaps one hundred children and adults this year.

Not many of us can say that we saved the life of another human being. What a great feeling it is. I saved a life myself in 2005 and it feels pretty neat to have done so.

I wrote and sent this month's newsletter myself, all you have to do is forward it, print it, post it, leave it in your breakroom at work, put in on your refrigerator, write an editorial about this effort in your newspaper and more.

Think hard at what you can do to promote this gun safety issue of the Minuteman Monthly. Whether or not we're able to save up to one hundred (100) people this year from accidental death with a firearm, depends entirely on the next few seconds in your life. Are you going to send this on to someone else, or are you going to delete it. That's the question that only you can answer.

Thanks,
Marc Richardson
Owner/Founder
www.SaveTheGuns.com

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that
the whole body of the people always
possess arms, and be taught alike,
especially when young, how to use
them..."
Richard Henry Lee,
Additional Letters From The
Federal Farmer, 1788

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Protection of Firearm Manufacturers Against Frivolous Lawsuits

On Thursday October 20, 2005 (my 41st birthday), the United States House of Representatives passed legislation that would protect firearm manufacturers against being sued for the illegal, uncivil and criminal misuse of their lawfully manufactured products.

The United States Senate passed a very similar measure in July of this year.

I heartily applaud this common sense action taken by Congress and about to be signed into law by President George W. Bush.

This law does not give complete immunity to gun makers, as it shouldn't. Gun makers can still be sued for making defective firearms. Gun dealers can still be prosecuted for selling firearms to anybody who has failed a criminal background check or who is a known felon.

The important part of this new law voids and prohibits governments and individuals from holding gun manufacturers responsible when their lawfully produced products get used during the commission of a crime.

This is simply common sense.

Ford, GM, Chevrolet and Toyota cannot be held liable when a drunk driver is involved in an accident. Likewise, Louisville Slugger cannot be held liable for a beating with a baseball bat. And a kitchen cutlery manufacturer cannot be held responsible for the criminal misuse of their merchandise and the stabbing of a violent crime victim.

To say that firearm manufacturers should be responsible for the criminal misuse of their merchandise is simply illogical and absurd. If not completely inane, the notion of holding a manufacturer accountable for the actions of a violent criminal, is pretty darn stupid if you ask me.

The firearm manufacturing industry is one of the most highly regulated in the world. To assert that there's not enough laws, ordinances, statutes and regulations for gun makers to follow, shows a complete lack of knowledge on the issue.

The truth of the matter is that a gun, all by itself, is completely inert and neutral. Without a person handling the firearm, it does nothing at all.

Anyone who fears a firearm all by itself, or one who thinks guns commit crimes is basically an intellectual ignoramus.

This law is strictly common-sense legislation. It protects gun makers from frankly idiotic lawsuits claiming that they're responsible for acts of violent crime. Yet, gun makers can still be sued or prosecuted for criminal negligence or for making defective products.

Anyone who disagrees with this common-sense legislation is either an idiot, or is trying to circumvent the United States Constitution by bankrupting the firearm industry, thereby getting around the right to keep and bear arms found in the Bill of Rights.

That's where I stand and I welcome your comments.

Don't forget to shop for Christmas on my "Online Store"

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Gun Rights Supported and Violent Crime Down Again

http://membership.nrahq.org/default.asp?campaignid=XR017807


The title tells it all ladies and gentlemen. It's exactly what I and every other activist for the Second Amendment have been saying for decades.

Those who are willing and inclined to commit a rape, robbery or murder with a firearm, do not and never have obeyed laws that regulate firearm sales, possession or transportation.

It seems so obvious, that it's actually painful for me to keep repeating it. The only people who obey laws that control guns are people who obey the law in the first place.

The once championed federal Clinton-Reno Semi-Automatic Firearms Ban that sunset last September is a perfect example of what I'm speaking of. There were thousands of anti-gun activists who lamented about "blood running in the streets" if the sunset on the Semi-auto ban remained.

Whenever they could find a microphone and a camera they wailed and whined about semi-automatic rifle fire echoing in every street and in every alley in the nation if the ban on semi-auto firearms was allowed to pass into the annals of terrible legislation.

Sarah Brady of Handgun Control Incorporated fame and now The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said of the sunsetting semi-auto ban "Our streets are going to be filled with AK-47s and Uzis."

They all grieved and carried on about how many young men would be lost in America's streets. However, the only loss that occurred was in the credibility of gun control activists.

Every single time that a state passed concealed handgun carry legislation, the gun control miscreants and the gun ban iconoclasts, reached for every camera and microphone they could get their filthy hands on and made dire predictions of car accidents escalating into gunfire. They forecast that simple disputes would swell into high murder rates all over the state because people were going to be allowed the freedom to carry a concealed firearm.

Now, thirty eight states and I think soon to be thirty nine, have enacted legislation that allows concealed carry of a handgun. What has happened with the massive increase in concealed carry states and the sunset of the asinine Clinton-Reno semi-automatic ban from 1994?

According to the F.B. I., crime, especially the violent crimes of rape, robbery and murder are down and down big-time. Even more so in the highly populated inner cities. Crime is dropping precipitously.

Cities with more than a million (1,000,000) citizens saw the largest decrease in rates of violent crime of 5.4%. Cities with under ten thousand (10,000) citizens saw the largest decrease in actual rates of murder of 12.2%.

Nationwide, murders fell by 3.6%. All four of the nation’s regions showed decreases in violent crime, with the Northeast dropping the most, 2.6 percent, followed by the West (2 percent), Midwest (1.5 percent) and South (1.2 percent).

So, you might ask....

How come the media isn't loudly trumpeting the fact that rates of violent crime are down, while the Second Amendment has gained much more support in both Congress and the state legislatures? The semi-auto ban is gone, many new states are allowing lawful citizens to carry concealed firearms and murder rates are down 3.6% overall and 12.2% in smaller cities.

Why is everybody silent on this issue except for those who support The Right to Keep and Bear Arms. It seems that the only place you'll hear of this great news is on pro-gun blogs and pro-gun Web sites like www.SaveTheGuns.com and the NRA, GOA and others.

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Wednesday, May 04, 2005

When Considering Legislation...

This is a very important blog that I think every local politcian, state legislator and U.S. Congressman should read, consider and obey.

It is my belief, in conjunction with the belief of the Founding Fathers that any piece of proposed legislation has a certain hierarchy or order in which the bill must be considered.

When considering any legislation, whether it be from a town selectman's proposal, a state legislator's bill, a House Resolution offered in the United States House of Representatives or a bill offered in a United States Senate Committee, it must be evaluted in a certain order.

First, the proposed bill must be held up to the blinding white light that radiates from the Bill of Rights.

"I hope, therefore, a bill of rights will be formed to guard the people against the Federal government as they are already guarded against their State governments, in most instances."
Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1788.


If the proposed legislation passes this test and completely complies with the Bill of Rights, then the offered legislation should be held up to and closely compared with the rest of the United States Constitution.

"We may be tossed upon an ocean where we can see no land nor, perhaps, the sun and stars. But there is a chart and a compass for us to study, to consult, and to obey. The chart is the Constitution."
Daniel Webster


"An act against the Constitution is void. An act against natural equity is void."
James Otis (1725-1783)


"On every question of construction (of the Constitution) let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invent against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
Thomas Jefferson June 12, 1823


If the offered legislation complies with the United States Constitution, then it must be compared with the individual state constitutions and it must then be determined if it complies with the articles found there.

Kentucky: The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned. (1792)

Vermont: [T]he people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State and as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power. (1777)

Pennsylvania: That the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the state; and as standing armies in the time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; And that the military should be kept under strict subordination, to, and governed by, the civil power. (1776)

Maine: Article 1 Section 16. To keep and bear arms. Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned.

If any proposed local, state or federal law, stands up to the Bill of Rights, the remaining seventeen amendments of the Constitution and the indivdual state constitutions for state and local bills, then and ONLY then, may it be considered further.

Next, the bills may be considered according to what grave and serious problem they help to solve. Legislation should never be considered simply in order for the Congress or the legislatures of the fifty states to keep busy and have something to do. Regulation and restriction of the people's freedom, liberty and independence should ALWAYS be very carefully weighed against any benefit derived from proposed legislation.

Then the representatives of the people have the duty to carefully weigh and deliberate upon the desires and opinions of their constituents. They can then request any available data to help them arrive at an equitable and fair decision upon whether or not to co-sponsor and/or support the bill at hand.

I have spoken with many legislators who consider offered legislation without first holding it up to the Bill of Rights and the remaining hierarchy I have described above. If we don't hold our representatives in government responsible for observing the Bill of Rights and the federal and state constitutions first, we're not doing our duty as Americans.

The average world democracy lasts about two hundred years.

"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."
John Adams (1735-1826) Second President of the United States.

I don't own a fully automatic machine gun. I don't own a paramilitary semi-automatic rifle with a bayonet either. Neither do I own a .50 caliber rifle.

Because I don't own any of these types of firearms, I'm often asked by people what I'm afraid of. I respond that I'm not afraid of anything that walks the face of the Earth. Neither am I afraid of death itself.

What I fear is that my descendents in future generations of America may have to live under the heavy chains of tyranny, dictatorship and despotism, simply because I stood idly by while I allowed the Bill of Rights to be dismantled by my own government.

Whether people find it distasteful or not, it doesn't matter. The Second Amendment was specifically designed to protect the people from their own government and to keep the door to tyranny forever locked. I will staunchly oppose any attempt whatsoever that may unlock that door. It has nothing to do with hunting.

"Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us."
Thomas Jefferson


"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."
Samuel Adams, speech at the Philadelphia State House, August 1, 1776.

Thank you for listening to me today and reading my latest blog.

Have you looked into the great benefits of becoming an NRA Member?

http://www.savetheguns.com/nra_membership.htm

JOIN THE NRA RIGHT NOW.

Thanks again,
Marc Richardson
www.SaveTheGuns.com

P.S. Is it a surprise that I'm actually related to Samuel Adams, John Adams and John Quncy Adams? :-)

Monday, April 25, 2005

Firearm Owner's Responsibilities

Your decision to lawfully own a firearm is protected from government encroachment by the Second Amendment found in the Bill of Rights. Very few who know what they're talking about would disagree with that statement.

Once you've decided to buy a gun, there are quite a few responsibilities that go along with that decision. The decision should be carefully weighed and thoughtfully considered. Please do not approach the decision to own a firearm lightly.

Have you considered all the responsibilities that go along with the choice to purchase your first gun?

I have been a Certified Firearm Instructor, NRA Recruiter and I am the Owner and Founder of a Web site called www.SaveTheGuns.com. I have been shooting guns since I was a child. I have taught gun safety and firearm education since I was a mere 22 years old or so.

The responsibilities that go with a first gun purchase are many. A few of them, you might not have even considered before you opened the box that contained your first gun. Let me take you on a brief tour on what I believe are the gun owner's many responsibilities.

I will attempt to address these items in the order of their importance. It is up to the reader to hold yourself accountable. In owning a firearm, you're not only answerable to yourself and your family, but I believe you're also answerable to your community and your nation.

Here is my list of gun owner responsibilities:
  • Safety and Storage
  • Awareness of State and Federal Laws
  • Defend and Support the Second Amendment
  • Proficiency and Practice
  • Involve your Children

I will attempt to address each one and expand upon them.

Safety and Storage:

I believe the primary responsibility of a gun owner is to make absolutely certain that nobody is permanently maimed or killed because of a lack of knowledge or carelessness when it comes to gun safety rules, proper gun handling or storage of your firearm.

There are three basic rules of gun handling. I will not address them here in this blog. They are listed on my "Safety Rules" page. http://www.savetheguns.com/safety_rules.htm.

If you own a gun, but cannot correctly recite the three basic rules of gun handling in their order of importance, you have not met your primary responsibility and you have some reading to do.

If you think there are only about ten gun safety rules, again, you have some reading and learning to do. I have an addtional forty seven (47) gun safety rules and tips on my "Safety Rules" page linked above.

As far as gun storage goes, you have a responsibility to keep your firearm away from unsupervised hands (especially little ones). I believe you also have a responsibility to prevent your guns from being stolen in a home burglary.

If your guns are in a glass case in your livingroom or den or there sitting in your bedroom bureau draw or closet readily discoverable by a home burglar, your responsibility in proper storage is not being met.

Firearms stolen from homes are one of the few major sources of guns used during the commission of a violent crime. You have a responsibility to reduce the possibility that your new revolver will not be used to kill the elderly couple down the street.

Safe storage of a gun and the quick accessibility of that gun in an emergency should be very carefully weighed and considered. Obviously if your gun is locked in a safe at all times, it will probably not be of much use in an emergency. However, a loaded gun set aside for emergencies with small curious hands in the close proximity is no good either. Please take the time to weigh these decisions very carefully.

There are many devices available on the market which can bar access to small curious hands, while keeping the gun pretty quickly accessible. Single pistol boxes, with quick combinations or fingerprint readers are just one solution. There are many others. Weigh them all carefully.

Awareness of State and Federal Laws

Are you familiar with all the laws of your home state and have a knowledge of the federal legislation that affects gun owners? My bet is that almost no gun owner in the country has a complete knowledge of the gun laws that they are supposed to obey.

There are more than 20,000 federal, state and local laws and ordinances concerning the ownership, purchase transportation and carry of firearms. One cannot possibly be aware of them all.

You should, however be aware of the basics. How far away from a home, business or street do you have to be to fire a gun? What is the proper process of selling a firearm in your home state? Are there any type of mandatory storage laws that you are forced to obey? You get the idea.

The Chief of Police's Guide to Gun Control Laws in the state of Massachusetts is more than just a few inches thick. Just to read the guide, would take you longer than reading the Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarrilion all back to back and Tolkien's works are a lot more interesting than Massachusetts legislators.

Anyway, the best place to go for a basic knowledge of gun laws in your home state is either your state's NRA Affiliate or your local police department.

http://www.savetheguns.com/state_nra_groups.htm

Defend and Support the Second Amendment

The very first thing that comes to your mind is probably the National Rifle Association, otherwise referred to as the NRA.

Yes, you should indeed consider joining the NRA. That's not just because I'm an NRA Recruiter either. The NRA offers many benefits. A good number of current NRA Members are probably not even aware of them all.

http://www.savetheguns.com/nra_membership.htm

Go here, to my "NRA Membership" page to learn more about it.

Or go here, to join the NRA right now.

There are many other groups you can join and help fight for the Second Amendment and many of them are listed on my "Links" page.

http://www.savetheguns.com/links.htm

Proficiency and Practice

Have ever considered carrying a concealed firearm in a public place? Now 38 states in the United States offer some degree of concealed carry.

Would you want someone defending themselves from a violent attack in a public place in your families' vicinity if they weren't completely proficient with their firearm? Of course not.

You have a responsibility to practice with and be efficient with a firearm. This is especially true if you are licensed to have your gun on your person in a public place.

Practice with your guns as often as time permits. Make time to do it. Join your local gun club. Make a gun range on your property as long as it's lawful to do so.

If you have a gun in your home, do you practice with it at least a couple times a year? Do you involve your children.

Involve Your Children

Please make time to involve your children. Telling them that your firearms are "off limits" is not a good idea. If you do so, they'll satisfy their curiosity when they're unsupervised. You know that as well as I do.

Also, you know as well as I do that you could spend more time with your kids anyway. Take them shooting. Have them learn the basics. Teach them about real American history and the Second Amendment and what it really means.

They see guns being misused nearly every day on television. The messages they're likely to get from school about guns I'm certain won't be very helpful.

If we don't involve today's children in our firearm hobby, we can kiss the right to keep and bear arms goodbye in the next generation. Teach them properly about guns, gun safety and our rights under the United States Constitution.

Get them a Junior NRA Membership today as a gift. You will not be disappointed in this decision.

http://membership.nrahq.org/default.asp?campaignid=XR017807

Thank you for reading my latest blog. I'm open to your comments and suggestions at any time. webmaster@savetheguns.com

Please consider a contribution today:

http://www.savetheguns.com/contributions.htm

Marc Richardson
www.SaveTheGuns.com

Saturday, March 12, 2005

The Biggest Threat To America

What is the biggest threat to the United States of America?

Is it terrorism?
Is it Socialism?
Is it nuclear war?
Is it dirty bombs?
Is it judicial obstructionism in the U.S. Senate?
Is it natural disasters?
Is it AIDS?
Is it human diseases or some yet undiscovered virus?
Is it Hillary Clinton?

Let me first quote Abraham Lincoln, before I go any further.

"At what point should we expect the approach of danger? By what means are we to fortify against it? Shall we expect some trans-Atlantic military power to step across the ocean and crush us? Never. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it cannot and it will not come from abroad. If danger ever reach us, it must spring up from amongst us. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we will live through all time or die by suicide."Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) From an 1838 speech when he was just 29 years old.

It is my belief that this approach of danger that must spring up from within America to destroy us, is our own unwillingness to conduct our lives within a moral and virtuous framework.
The Founding Fathers knew quite well that national morality, individual virtue and a national focus on religion, are essential ingredients in a free constitutional republic.

"The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code ... laws essential to the existence of men in society."John Quincy Adams

WHAT ABOUT THE EFFORTS TO REMOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?

"We have staked the whole future of American civilization not upon the power of government. Far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."James Madison (1751-1836) Fourth President of the United States.

"The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible."Noah Webster 1758-1843

HEY, YOU MIGHT SAY, WE ELECT OUR OWN PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND IF THEY WANT TO TEAR DOWN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, ISN'T THAT WHAT WE GAVE THEM POWER TO DO?

"When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, "just men who will rule in the fear of God." The preservation of [our] government depends on the faithful discharge of this Duty; if the citizens neglect their Duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the Laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizen will be violated or disregarded. If [our] government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine Commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the Laws."Noah Webster 1758-1843

With the level of freedom, liberty and independence guaranteed to us by the U.S. Constitution, with special emphasis on the Bill of Rights, personal responsibility and individual virtue are inseparable.

"[Religion] is more needed in democratic republics than in any others. How is it possible that society should escape destruction if the moral tie be not strengthened in proportion as the political tie is relaxed? And what can be done with a people which is its own master, if it be not submission to the Divinity?"Alexis de Tocqueville Democracy in America (1835)

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."John Adams (1735-1826) Second President of the United States.

"Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in the exclusion of religious principle…"George Washington (1732-1799)

How can we honestly expect to hold onto our current level of freedom, or even gain back some of the freedom and liberty we have lost in the past century, if we cannot control ourselves. We must have self-discipline and a focus upon morality and religion that we once had if America is to survive another 230 years.

"[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. Religion and virtue are the only foundations...of republicanism and of all free governments."John Adams (1735-1826) Second President of the United States.

"The belief in a God all Powerful, wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources."James Madison (1751-1836) Fourth President of the United States.

It has been said that some of the Founding Fathers were not Christians. I have heard many uninformed people say that we can find our own level of morality and define for ourselves what is right, true and just. Of course, that's a bunch of Sophist hogwash. There are moral absolutes and we have lost sight of them.

Have you ever been walking in the woods, following a clearly marked and well trodden path, only to find that after walking for a while, the path is gone? The path has vanished. What do you do? Really, what do you do? Of course, you know exactly what to do. You retrace your steps until you find the path again. NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS BLOG IS ALL ABOUT.

Even as I write this message, there are national efforts to remove the Ten Commandments of God from all public buildings and displays.

Well, for those who think the "separation of Church and State" is part of our history and can easily be found in the founding documents of the United States, I say that you should be a little more informed of real United States history and not the historical revisionist crap that our children are being taught in public school.

The "Separation of Church and State" cannot be found in the founding documents of America because the Founding Fathers knew that national morality, virtue and religion are completely inseparable in a free country.

"[O]nly a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American printer, author, philosopher, diplomat and scientist.

"The great pillars of all government and of social life …[are] virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone, that renders us invincible."Patrick Henry (1736-1799) American Orator and Statesman

Some completely uninformed people actually have the belief that the Founding Fathers were not Christians. Well, bear with me a bit as I list some quotes disproving that.

"You do well to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention."George Washington from his speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs on May 12, 1779.

"The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man will endeavor so to live as becomes a Christian soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country."George Washington July 9, 1776

"The practice of morality being necessary for the well being of society, He [God] has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral precepts of Jesus and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in his discourses."Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

"The precepts of philosophy laid hold to actions only, but Jesus pushed His scrutinies into the heart of man, erected the tribunal in the region of his thoughts and purified the waters at the fountainhead."Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

"The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were…the general principles of Christianity…I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God; and that those principles of liberty are as unalterable as human nature."John Adams (1735-1826) Second President of the United States.

"Why is it next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day, the Fourth Of July? It is because the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission on earth and laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity."John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) From a speech on July 4th 1837.

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."Patrick Henry (1736-1799) American Orator and Statesman

"Providence has given to us the choice of our rulers, and it is the duty as well as the interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."John Jay (1745-1829) First Supreme Court Chief Justice

"The Americans, combine the notions of Christianity and of liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other."Alexis de Tocqueville Democracy in America (1835)

"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: That it connected in one dissoluble bond the principles of Christianity with the principles of civil government."John Adams (1735-1826) Second President of the United States.

"He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of Christianity, will change the face of the world."Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

"Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."George Washington (1732-1799) First President of the United States.

"O most Glorious God, in Jesus Christ my merciful and loving Father, I acknowledge and confess my guilt, in the weak and imperfect performance of the duties of this day. I have called on Thee for pardon and forgiveness of sins... Let me live according to those holy rules which Thou hast this day prescribed in Thy holy word; make me to know what is acceptable in Thy sight."President George Washington (From a booklet of prayers he wrote.)

"My custom is, to read four or five chapters [of the Bible] every morning immediately after rising from my bed. It employs about an hour of my time. It is essential, my son, in order that you may go through life with comfort to yourself, and usefulness to your fellow-creatures, that you should form and adopt certain rules or principles, for the government of your own conduct and temper."President John Adams in a letter to his son John Quincy Adams

"The Bible is the book upon which this Republic rests."Andrew Jackson, Seventh President of the United States

"Doctor, I wish you to observe how real and beneficial the religion of Christ is to a man about to die. This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which can make them rich indeed."Patrick Henry (1799, on his death bed)

"In circumstances dark as these, it becomes us as men and Christians to reflect…All confidence must be withheld from the means we use and respond only on that God who rules in the armies of Heaven and without whose blessing the best of human councils are but foolishness and all created power vanity…and that America may soon behold a gracious interposition of Heaven."John Hancock, April 15, 1775, just four days before the "shot heard round the world".

OK, OK, YOU SAY, YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT CLEAR, THE FOUNDING FATHERS WERE INDEED CHRISTIANS.

Our system of government depends almost entirely upon the American people being virtuous and righteous. If we continue on the path of moral relativism, we're doomed. If we continue to keep God and Jesus Christ out of our public lives we're doomed to failure.

If we continue to buy the lie that God should not have a place in our public schools, we're denying the truth of our historical record. In fact, right now, let me post in the 2nd and 3rd Articles of the Massachusetts Constitution as follows:

Article II. It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society,publicly, and at stated seasons to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession or sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship.

Article III. As the happiness of a people, and the good order and preservation of civil government, essentially depend upon piety, religion and morality; and as these cannot be generally diffused through a community, but by the institution of the public worship of God, and of public instructions in piety, religion and morality: Therefore, to promote their happiness and to secure the good order and preservation of their government, the people of this commonwealth have a right to invest their legislature with power to authorize and require, and the legislature shall, from time to time, authorize and require, the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of God, and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality, in all cases where such provision shall not be made voluntarily.
And the people of this commonwealth have also a right to, and do, invest their legislature with authority to enjoin upon all the subjects an attendance upon the instructions of the public teachers aforesaid, at stated times and seasons, if there be any on whose instructions they can conscientiously and conveniently attend.
Provided, notwithstanding, that the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, shall, at all times, have the exclusive right of electing their public teachers, and of contracting with them for their support and maintenance.
And all moneys paid by the subject to the support of public worship, and of the public teachers aforesaid, shall, if he require it, be uniformly applied to the support of the public teacher or teachers of his own religious sect or denomination, provided there be any on whose instructions he attends;otherwise it may be paid towards the support of the teacher or teachers of the parish or precinct in which the said moneys are raised.
Any every denomination of Christians, demeaning themselves peaceably, and as good subjects of the commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the law: and no subordination of any one sect or denomination to another shall ever be established by law.


WOW HUH?

So much for separation of Church and State huh? This might lead you to ask, what about the First Amendment that says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion? Here's my take on that portion of the First Amendment.

The Founding Fathers were very aware of how England did things. They wanted to be completely separate from England. That is what the Declaration of Independence and the ensuing Revolutionary War was about, remember?

England had a national church. It was called the Church of England. If you were not a member of the Church of England, but gathered privately for religious services, you were known as "Separatists". As Separatists, you were persecuted, oppressed and maltreated by the English government.

This drove a group of these Separatists to Holland, who then decided to make a new life for themselves in America. They made the perilous journey in 1620. We know them as the Pilgrims.

The Founding Fathers wanted nothing to do with an official national church that would control and oppress other Christian denominations. That is what that portion of the First Amendment is all about. Like it or not, believe it or not, it doesn't matter to me. The fact remains that the Founders of the United States of America wanted God, morality, religion and government to work together for the common good, remember the first Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay?

"Providence has given to us the choice of our rulers, and it is the duty as well as the interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."John Jay (1745-1829) First Supreme Court Chief Justice

I wonder to myself sometimes what Chief Justice John Jay would have said to Michael Newdow who is single-handedly trying to erase God from everyday life in America? I say, we all stand on our own two feet and tell Michael Newdow to sit down and shut up and keep your God-hating opinions to yourself.

I will now finish this hopefully enlightening communication with the rest of the Founding Fathers words on the importance of morality, religion and virtue in America and its role in government and our lives as individual and free Americans.

Please feel free to pass it on. Incidentally, all these quotes can easily be found on my Web site. http://www.savetheguns.com/. If you want to see what the Founding Fathers had to say concerning private firearm ownership, go to my "Quotes" page. www.SaveTheGuns.com/quotes.htm

Now for the remaining quotes I have on religion, morality and virtue and their importance in America:

"Has it [government] any solid foundation? Any chief cornerstone...? I think it is an everlasting foundation in the unchangeable will of God, the author of Nature whose laws never vary...Government...is by no means an arbitrary thing depending merely on compact or human will for its existence... The power of God Almighty is the only power that can properly and strictly be called supreme and absolute. In the order of nature immediately under him comes the power of a simple democracy, or the power of the whole over the world...[God is] the only Monarch in the universe who has a clear and undisputable right to absolute power because He is the only one who is omniscient as well as omnipotent... The sum of my argument is of God, that the administrators of it were originally the whole people."Samuel Adams (1722-1803) The Father of the American Revolution

"I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the states over which you preside, in His holy protection…that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, without an humble imitation of whose example, we can never hope to be a happy nation."George Washington in his last official address to Congress

"I conjure you, by all that is dear, by all that is honorable, by all that is sacred, not only that ye pray but that ye act."John Hancock (1737-1793) First signer of the Declaration of Independence.

"[T]he law…dictated by God himself is, of course, superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at all times. No human laws are of any validity if contrary to this."Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804)

"Three points of doctrine, the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of a God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it is possible for a man to disbelieve either of these articles of faith and that man will have no conscience, he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark; the laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy."John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)

"And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance?...[W]ithout His concurring aid...we ourselves shall become a reproach and a byword down to future ages."Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American printer, author, philosopher, diplomat and scientist.

"No people ought to feel greater obligations to celebrate the goodness of the Great Disposer of events and the Destiny of Nations than the people of the United States…And to the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land."James Madison (1751-1836) Fourth President of the United States.

"[W]e ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious [favorable] smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained."George Washington (1732-1799)

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness."George Washington (1732-1799)

"[T]rue religion affords to government its surest support."George Washington (1732-1799)

"It would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect...No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States."George Washington (1732-1799)

"It is the duty of all nations as well as of men to own their dependence on the overruling power of God and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose god is the Lord."Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and in prosperity. We have grown in numbers and wealth and in power as no other nation ever has, but we have forgotten God. We have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, and too proud to pray."Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

"Your love of liberty -- your respect for the laws -- your habits of industry -- and your practice of the moral and religious obligations, are the strongest claims to national and individual happiness."George Washington

"Providence punishes national sins with national calamities."George Mason (1725-1792) The Father of the Bill of Rights

"God, who gave us life, gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we remove from them a conviction these liberties are a gift of God? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and His justice cannot sleep forever."Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

"Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature."Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

"In these my confidence will under every difficulty be best placed, next to that which we have all been encouraged to feel in the guardianship and guidance of that Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations, whose blessings have been so conspicuously dispensed to this rising Republic, and to whom we are bound to address our devout gratitude for the past, as well as our fervent supplications and best hopes for the future."James Madison (1751-1836) Fourth President of the United States.

“And may that Being who is supreme over all, the Patron of Order, the Fountain of Justice, and the Protector in all ages of the world of virtuous liberty, continue His blessing upon this nation and its Government and give it all possible success and duration consistent with the ends of His providence.”John Adams (1735-1826) Second President of the United States.

"Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society."Benjamin Franklin

"There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us."Patrick Henry in a 1787 speech

"We need God to be our friend and our ally. We need to keep God's concurring aid. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable an empire can rise without His aid? We've been assured in the sacred writings that 'except the Lord keep the city, they labor in vain that build it.'"Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American printer, author, philosopher, diplomat and scientist. This quote was said on the floor of the Constitutional Convention June 28, 1787

"It's the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for his benefits and to humbly implore his protection and his favor."George Washington (1732-1799) First President of the United States.

"Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in us. Our defense is in the spirit which prized liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands everywhere. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism at your own doors. Familiarize yourselves with the chains of bondage and you prepare your own limbs to wear them. Accustomed to trample on the rights of others, you have lost the genius of your own independence and become the fit subjects of the first cunning tyrant who rises among you."Abraham Lincoln 1858

"And now, Almighty Father, if it is Thy holy will that we shall obtain a place and name among the nations of the earth, grant that we may be enabled to show our gratitude for Thy goodness by our endeavors to fear and obey Thee. Bless us with Thy wisdom in our counsels, success in battle, and let all our victories be tempered with humanity. Endow, also, our enemies with enlightened minds, that they become sensible of their injustice, and willing to restore our liberty and peace. Grant the petition of Thy servant, for the sake of Him whom Thou hast called Thy beloved Son; nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done."General George Washington 1779

"Say nothing of my religion. It is known to God and myself alone. Its evidence before the world is to be sought in my life: if it has been honest and dutiful to society the religion which has regulated it cannot be a bad one."Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

"The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible."Noah Webster 1758-1843

"If we will not be governed by God, we must be governed by tyrants."William Penn

"Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the greatness and the genius of America . . . America is good. And if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."Alexis de Tocqueville

"What is liberty without...virtue? It is...madness, without restraint."Edmund Burke

"Our unalterable resolution would be to be free. They have attempted to subdue us by force, but God be praised!, in vain. Their arts may be more dangerous than their arms. Let us then ... under God trust our cause to our swords."Samuel Adams "The Father of the American Revolution"

"If Virtue & Knowledge are diffused among the People, they will never be enslav'd. This will be their great Security."Samuel Adams "The Father of the American Revolution"

"We have therefore to resolve to conquer or die: Our won Country's Honor, all call upon us for vigorous and manly exertion, and if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole world. Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the cause, and the aid of the Supreme Being, in whose hands victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions."George Washington

"The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If 'Thou shalt not covet' and 'Thou shalt not steal' were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free."John Adams

"When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, "just men who will rule in the fear of God." The preservation of [our] government depends on the faithful discharge of this Duty; if the citizens neglect their Duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the Laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizen will be violated or disregarded. If [our] government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine Commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the Laws."Noah Webster 1758-1843

"My God, how little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of and which no other people on earth have ever enjoyed."Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Third President of the United States. Author of the Declaration of Independence.

"Our task and our duty must be to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God, for we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill and the eyes of all are upon us."John Winthrop (1588-1649) Puritan and Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1630 to 1649

AND NOW, LET ME END THIS COMMUNICATION TO YOU WITH MY FAVORITE SHORTEST QUOTE OF ALL TIME:

"I am nothing. Truth is everything."Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Sixteenth President of the United States.

WE HAVE LOST SIGHT OF THE PATH FOR AMERICA THAT WAS SET FORTH FOR US BY THE FOUNDING FATHERS. JUST AS IF WE GOT LOST IN THE WOODS, WE MUST RETRACE OUR STEPS AND FIND THAT PATH AGAIN IF WE ARE TO EVER PRESERVE THE FUTURE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

THANKS FOR LISTENING TO ME TODAY.

MARC RICHARDSON
INFO@SAVETHEGUNS.COM

Thursday, March 03, 2005

Protection of Firearm Manufacturers

Dear Reader,

Thank you for visiting my www.SaveTheGuns.com Blog. Please feel free to print, post, forward, e-mail or otherwise use any information on this blog, as long as you leave it unedited and don't claim the work I did for yourself. Please include a link to www.SaveTheGuns.com somewhere in your work.

Now, onto protecting gun makers...

Again, in the latest session of Congress, there is proposed legislation in both the United States House of Representatives as well as the United States Senate to protect firearm manufacturers from being sued out of existence for the illegal, uncivil and immoral acts of violent criminals.

In the United States Senate, the Bill Number is S. 397 and in the United States House of Representatives, the house resolution number is H.R. 800 both entitled The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Go read the bills here http://thomas.loc.gov/.

The half-witted and muddle-headed trend of holding firearm manufacturers responsible for criminal acts committed with their lawfully produced and non-defective products is very disturbing on so many fronts.

The world's gun makers are concerned about gun safety. If you have purchased a firearm lately, you would find that there are many references to gun safety information and pertinent warnings included with a new firearm.

The vast majority of firearm manufacturing firms are small family-owned companies of usually less than 350 employees. Allowing individuals, cities and even state's to sue those small family owned companies will end the lawful production of firearms outright, or it will make it so expensive to buy a firearm that you'll need a six figure income to legally obtain one.

These inane and ill-conceived lawsuits are more about ending the firearm manufacturing business and less about the misguided effort to fight acts of violent crime. These lawsuits must come to an end. Not only because they're wrong-headed and downright stupid, but they're making the next gun I want to purchase so very expensive. :-)

The firearm manufacturing industry is already the most highly regulated industry in the world, short of those who produce nuclear energy. They only sell their legally manufactured and constitutionally protected products to federally licensed and highly regulated wholesalers, who then sell to highly regulated Federal Firearm License (FFL) holders. Gun makers do not sell their products to criminals.

If you want to find out where criminals are obtaining the firearms they use to commit crime with, then please see my blog titled "Felon-Focused" gun control. In short, criminals do not lawfully purchase firearms at retail outlets. Felons have been outlawed from owning guns since the Gun Control Act of 1968.

The radical experiment of the Founding Fathers of self-government and complete human freedom was a resounding success. With the amount of freedom that the founding documents guarantee us, we must have an equal amount of personal responsibility and moral and religious restraint that goes along with it.

Efforts such as holding gun makers accountable for the uncivil and immoral use of their products completely throws out the notion of personal responsibility, that is so central and essential to a free people.

The very concept of holding a manufacturer responsible for the illegal use of their products is witless, inane and senseless. Using the same misguided logic, we would be able to sue a drug maker for an overdose, a baseball bat maker for a beating or a cutlery manufacturer for a stabbing. The logic simply escapes me... Aren't our elected officials supposed to have some semblance of intelligence and common sense?

In the last legislative session of Congress, with the support of ousted Democrat leader Tom Daschle, anti-Second Amendment Democrats attached so many anti-gun amendments to this common sense legislation that even the staunchest Second Amendment supporter wouldn't vote for it. This time, we're watching the Democrats very closely.

Please contact your U.S. Senators and your U.S. House Representative and ask them to co-sponsor or at least support S. 397 and H.R. 800. Our nation's gun makers deserve the common sense protection against frivolous lawsuits contained in this bill.

Now that you've read my blog on this issue, go tell your two United States Senators and your United States House Representative how you feel about these inane and outright dangerous lawsuits. From the Senate and House homepages, you can easily contact those who represent you in our legislative branch of government. Remember that we are their employers and we tell them what to do in our stead. Although I know a couple of Senators from Massachusetts and New York who might disagree with that statement.

Remember to be polite, but firm and use the Bill Numbers and Title in the text above.

United States Senate
United States House of Representatives

Marc Richardson
Owner and Founder
www.SaveTheGuns.com

Contribute securely to my efforts, with a credit card.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

"Felon-focused" gun control

This blog is concerning a new approach to reduce crime, that I would like to call "Felon focused" gun control. I would like to see a fresh focus on legislation that will affect both the criminal mind and the main sources of firearms actually used during the commission of a crime.

Gun control legislation doesn't have to be a dirty word in the pro-gun community. All we really have to do is take the focus off the firearm and put it on affecting the criminal mind and also concentrate on diminishing the sources of actual crime guns.

I think that if gun control legislation was specifically designed to affect crime and not just guns in general and honest gun owners, it would garner widespread support in both the pro-gun and law enforcement communities.

First, let's address the criminal mind and how we can change the criminal's decision to choose a gun to commit a crime with.

We must add penalties to a violent criminal act if a firearm was possessed, brandished, fired or used to injure. I believe that if we had mandatory sentencing guidelines in place nationwide, that specifically punish criminals for choosing a firearm, it would greatly affect the violent criminal's decision making process.

I believe that if a gun was possessed, brandished, fired or used to injure, the criminal should receive an additional five, ten, fifteen and twenty year penalites attached to a violent criminal act. I.E. if a convenience store is robbed at knife point, and there is a conviction, the perpetrator should receive X number of years for the crime. However, if the same criminal during the same robbery, brandished a firearm to commit the crime, he should receive X+10 years or X+15 years if the gun was fired.

Studies have shown that 85% of all violent criminal acts such as robbery, rape and murder are routinely committed by only 7% of the criminal population. In other words, 93% of the people with criminal records are not habitually committing violent criminal acts. We must focus legislative efforts on this most violent 7% of the criminal population.

We must have laws in place that will actually make an impact upon the criminal's decision to commit a violent crime. Simply making laws that have to be obeyed by lawful, honest and upright gun owners and merely have to do with firearms will not affect rates of violent crime and never have.

The crimes that I'm referring to, that need this type of sentencing are the traditionally recognized set of violent crimes, such as rape, robbery and murder.

Contact your state and federal legislators today and ask them to begin to develop and implement "felon-focused" legislation and stay away from useless and unconstitutional laws that control the lawful ownership and carry of firearms.

Now, let me switch gears for a moment and ask the reader how he/she thinks criminals are actually gaining possession of guns that they use in criminal acts.

Where are felons actually getting guns? Let me first tell you where they're not getting them. They're not getting them from lawful, honest and upright gun owners peddling their cherished gun collections on street corners. But most gun control laws seem to assume such a ridiculous scenario.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) did a comprehensive study of more than 18,000 state and federal inmates and attempted to ascertain where they got the guns they used to commit their crimes.

Here is what they found:



  • 39.6% of the guns used to commit a crime with came from friends and family members of the felon.

  • 39.2% of the guns used to commit a crime with came from illegal sources, such as on the street, through the narcotics trade and through burglaries and robberies.

  • 8.3% were purchased fraudulently through properly licensed retail outlets. These purchases were made by misrepresenting themselves, lying on forms and providing false identification.

  • 3.8% of them were obtained through a pawn shop. Again, bought by falsifying documents and identification.

  • 1.0% of the guns used during the commission of a crime came from yard sales and flea markets.

  • 0.7% came from gun shows.

With this very powerful and enlightening information, we can begin the see where gun control legislation should be properly aimed.

Let's look at the biggest source. Friends and family members of the felon. Now, with this information, we could develop legislation that would specifically punish people for knowingly providing a firearm to a known felon. How about a mandatory sentence of five years, living in the general population of a state prison for providing a firearm to a known felon.

How about the second highest source? An almost equivalent 39.2% of guns used in crime came from "on the street" purchases, through the narcotics trade and through robberies and burglaries of homes.

There is plenty of opportunity to enact meaningful laws to curtail these transactions. Illegal gun running is not currently punished harshly enough in either state or federal law in my opinion. If someone is convicted of trafficking in illegal firearms, they should not be able to plea-bargain a lighter sentence under any circumstances whatsoever. We must shut down this primary source of guns used in crime.

Now what about home burglaries? Yes, here is another primary source that we should focus on. Burglaries of homes and robberies of sporting goods stores are some of the biggest sources of guns used in crime. Let's implement penalties of five additional years of prison time for each and every firearm stolen during a burglary or robbery. I don't know about the reader, but if I knew there was a probability of an additional five years of real prison time added to a burglary, I would leave that gun right there and just take the television, stereo and silverware.

Let's move onto the other lesser sources of crime guns. 12.1% of guns used in criminal acts were purchased at lawfully licensed retailers and pawn shops. The vast majority of which I can safely assume were bought through fraudulent identification and by falsifying documents. I don't think it's too much to ask a retail firearm purchaser for at least two forms of positive identification. Another way to diminish these types of illegal firearm acquisition is to follow through on penalties for attempted unlawful purchase of firearms at retail.

The remaining 1.7% were obtained through yard sales, flea markets and gun shows. There was been a lot of noise lately about gun shows being virtual bazaars for violent criminals, but at 0.7%, the truth has been told. But even here, we can ask for more positive identification and increase penalities for fraudulent purchases.

There you go reader!!! I advocate for what I'm calling "Felon-focused" gun control. I think you'll easily find that most lawful and honest gun owners won't mind coming up with an extra method of positive identification. That is the only burden that my suggestions place on the good guys.

I've done my job. Now it's time for you to do yours. Contact your elected officials, e-mail them this article. Tell them to pass more "Felon-focused" laws and no more laws that regulate and burden the lawful and honest gun owner.