So Goes The Constitution, So Goes Our Country

So Goes The Constitution, So Goes Our Country 03/30/2014   This country was founded on the idea that all men are created equal, and certain god given rights were endowed, to each of them, among them, the right to life liberty, and pursuit of happiness. To that end , the founders created the Bill of Rights setting out the boundaries  for our government for generations to come. For over 200 years it has worked pretty good, with a few minor exception and changes.      However, over the last 50 years or so there has been a slow but subtle movement to weaken our second  amendment, the rights to keep and bear arms. Over the last couple of years the forces that would see law abiding citizens become essentially victims of every criminal looking for a quick easy score, have become more vocal, and active, and brazon. Michael Bloomberg's "Mayors Against Illegal Guns  is a front for his effort to disarm America.  The number of mayors who have left the group after finding out what's its really about is getting higher regularly. Also there have been a number of elections in which the candidate who didn't support  MAIG group won by a landslide, that goes for sheriffs too.      Recently there has been charges brought against a California senator, LeLand Yee; for gun  running, selling guns to terrorists among other  various charges which should land him in jail for a good long time.   The fact that any senator, congressman, or other civil servant is charged those crimes is appalling. Add to that one that has been spouting anti gun rhetoric for a number of years, and doing everything in his power to disarm lawfull American citizens. He should be charged with treason and treated accordingly. as with any other senators and congressman who propose , and support bills that weaken our constitution. If they started treating theses types of thing like they should, we'd be busy electing new senators all the time,as old crooked one and treasons ones were ousted.  What is needed is a new attorney general with pro constitution agenda, and willingness to stand , up to the incumbents and bring up charges no one wants to hear, treason, Every elected official swear to protect and defend the constitution of the us from all enemies both foreign and domestic.some of what they've done is way beyond a lie to make their constituent happy, They are outright committing crimes, In many cases up to and including treason when they propose bill that will weaken our constitution, many folks don't see the bigger picture .      Efforts to limit Any of our basic rights is the precursor to much worse things yet to come. When a senator declares on national television, that he thinks that ANY Amdentant, should be scraped, be it the second or third,  forth, tenth, twelfth, or eighteenth, its setting a very bad president and, opening the floodgates of others to make similar statements, Granted the first amendment gives us the right to free speech, which give me the right to express my opinions here.  However, in my  mind expressing ideas such the senator did on nation tv, is a open invitation for some very dire consequences, possibly for him, and definitely  for his cronies. who feel the same way. The article is here;  http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/articles/2014/3/for-gun-controllers-honesty-is-not-the-best-policy.a LeLand Yee story; http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorymcneal/2014/03/27/california-democrat-and-gun-control-advocate-charged-with-arms-trafficking/      This should be a call to action to all American who believe in the Constitution, that is is our ultimate rule of law, or the country. All other laws and rules passed by the government and states should support it, and do NOTHING to undermine it.Any official from mayor or senator, or representative or governor, or president who works to undermine the Constitution, and Bill of Rights is committing treason. When they took the oath of office, the promised to protect the country from ALL enemies both  foreign  and domestic. By proposing bills and supporting bills that limit and tend to make it harder for law abiding Americans to exercise their god given rights, they are committing treason, and as such should be tread as traitors.  Call your senators and house of representative and let them know you demand investigation and prosecution  of  oficials who are trying to  dismantle the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

I'm Not Gun Crazy, I'm Constitution Crazy

    I'm Not Gun Crazy,  I'm  Constitution  Crazy

My wife says I’m  gun crazy. But I’m not, I’m Constitution Crazy.  

While I’ve had a lifelong interest and fascination and respect for firearms, their many uses as a tool, mostly for good and sometimes for evil.  The history of this country is inextricably  linked to firearms, and their uses for both defense of of the country and for sporting, and hunting. In many respects we  would not be the country we are today without the firearms.  The defense  of the free world rested on the millions of brave soldiers from all over the world who took up guns and defended the rights of all free nations to exist in World War II. The vast majority of the guns used in that great defense were made here. Some of the most iconic firearms in the world were developed here. Many of the basic designs by John Browning are still in use today, many have been tweaked but still remain basically unchanged in form and function since  John Browning, and his contemporaries designed them over a century ago.

Fast forward, to today, Today there is an assault on the basic rights of every American in the country. What Hitler and his contemporaries couldn’t do from the outside,in the 1940’s and was never quite accomplished in the 1950’s with Joseph McCartney  and his witch hunt in the 1950’s if finally starting to be done today.

There has been a push to limit  the rights and ability of the public to exercise one of their basic constitutional rights , the right to keep and bear arms.

    

    There are 27 amendments to the constitution.   Here is a summary of  the first 10 of them;  The  first 10 are called the Bill Of Rights.  Here is the page where I got them; Bill of Rights

Amendment 1

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment 2

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment 3

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment 4

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment 5

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment 6

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment 7

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment 8

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment 9

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment 10

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

There are several items worth noting in the above, One being that the first  amendment says what Congress  cannot do.    

 The Constitution is the ultimate  “Law of the Land”  That is to say, whatever other laws congress and the states may pass, they subject in the end to passing the test of the Constitution,; does it follow into the letter of the law, or in the very least spirit of the Constitution,  If a law does not fall in line with the above, then its illegal and should be thrown out.  However, being that many of the amendments are very broadly written, there is much room for personal interpretation by both officials, and supreme courts. Whenever an elected official takes office, among other things they swear to “Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States” To my mind that means not introducing laws or ordinances which limit the citizens rights to enjoy their Constitutional rights. To my mind to bring such laws up for vote and worst yet, passing them is essentially treason to the country and should be treated as such.

    Of course the main theme of this article, is “Gun Control”  but the bigger picture is that by limiting the public's right to exercise their rights as given to them by the Constitution  they open the door to  abusing more and more of everyone's rights.

Limiting the public's right to exercise one amendment is opening the door to limiting other right in the long run.  There are already cases where, both state and federal governments have used questionable methods  to get information and   limit the public's rights. If possible to do an end-run around the law, to accomplish their  goals of tightening up  regulations to get or own a firearm, or especially concealed carry.

 A number of questions have occurred to me lately;  One of the main ones is How does a rich mayor of a city become as influential and powerful as Michael Bloomberg , of New York City? While I lived on the other end of the state for many years, there were many issues in our poor rural agriculture  county, Gun Rights, was not one of them. Everyone had a gun, If not specifically for self-defense, but as a pest control and hunting weapon.

While on the surface of it, no one want dangerous people to get guns, be the career criminal, or  mentally ill.  There solution to theses issues, it called enforcing the laws we have in place, and the health system taking responsibility for the patients they have in their charge and doing what is needed for both the patients and publics safety.

The Constitution is the basis of all  of the laws on which we govern ourselves. Any person or agency that through  action, or inaction causes the undermining of the constitution and it provisions is guilty of treason. By bringing up laws that restrict the public's rights to exercise their rights, either through out  denial, or making it so arduous and expensive or otherwise impossible for them to reasonably exercise their rights is guilty of the above mentioned treason.

There are seven main battleground states for the fight to keep and bear arms;

New York, New Jersey, Massessatues Colorado, Illinois  Connecticut, and California.

Theses are the main states which have been trying to enact laws which limit the legal law abiding citizens rights to buy guns, and the places and methods to transporting them, and , in California's case even going to the extent of trying ban lead ammunition , thus effectively banning hunting in the state. Chicago, which has one of the highest crime rates in the country , also has the tightest restriction on getting and gun, and a carry permit in the country. It seems to me, the lesson here, is the tighter the laws, the worst the crime rate is.  In states where its earlier to own a gun, and get a permit, the crime rate is considerably lower; doses that tell you something?

To sum it up, its not just about the guns themselves, while their important, the bigger issue is the attack on the Constitution, and the bill of Rights, once one is weaken, if not toppled, it won’t take much for the rest to fall.

Something to think about.

Kenneth Lawson

“God made man, But Samuel Colt made them equal" 

 

This a quote probably from Colt manufacturing  In a world where the bad guys are generally well armed, or at least in a state where reasoning with them isn't going to happen, something else's needs to brought to the table; ie; personal self defense.

Personal Self Defense begins with being aware of your surrounding, and potential and possible dangers, and scenario, that could end very badly for you. If at all possible avoiding them is always the best option, however, sometimes there is no other option but to go into a situation that is less than safe in some way. With that in mind, always be looking and thinking ahead. I’m not a personal defense expert, however, I have been watching and listening to a number of self defense shows and taken many of the lessons to heart.

In a perfect world, the only things that ever got shot were targets, and animals for hunting for food. However, this is  a far less than perfect world. Sometimes, two legged animals need to be dealt with. Also in a perfect world, police would be close at hand to bail you out, the second you called 911.  We all know the police are spread far too thin and understaffed and overburdened to do what they would like to, even in metropolitan areas. Much less in rural areas,where they many times only have 3 cars to cover a whole county. Response time can run from as little as 15-20 minutes, to well over half an hour, in some cases a hour, thats with them risking their lives to get there in the dark on a windy country roads. That 15-20 minutes can seem like an eternity, and a lot can happen in that time, Probably a lot has already happened, none of it good.

Defending your life, and the lives of your family and loved one can come down to the choices you make now. The right to defend yourself and family has never been question, at least not in principle. However, what is quickly being questioned is what weapons you can use to do that defending.

In the light of the recent mass shooting over this last year, there has been a outcry, to do something ,anything.  What this has become is a knee-jerk reaction to a very real problem.  Make new laws,,, most of them dumb, and don’t solve the problem.  The problem in a nutshell, is health system, particularly the mental health side, The NRA has been trying for over 20 years to get a mental health database tied to gun buying background check, to make it harder for people with mental issues to get guns. The other side of the coin is, the mental health system,itself, which passes the patients off among itself, and no one takes responsibility for seeing to it the patient get what it needs, either treatment, or locked up for both their and the publics safety. No one is willing to make those hard choices, and stand behind them.

The other legs to this is enforcement.  That is enforcement of the laws on the books. And communication between the prosecutor, and the DA and other parties involved, be it the defense, and parole department, to make sure everyone knows if the subject has a record, and what kind of record it is.

The problems occur when one leg breaks down; in the case of the recent mass shootings, its usually  the mental health system which didn’t deal with theses individuals  in a way that was appropriate for them,  either serious treatment, and monitoring, or in extreme cases locked up for their own good. and ours.

I can understand the cry to do something, however, before we pass more bills that eliminate my right to use the gun I feel I need to protect myself and family, go back and look at the guns in question themselves, and look at the way they actually work, all semi-automatic gun work the same, you have magazine which hold your rounds, you pull the trigger once, one round goes out the barrel.

The includes everything from my little Ruger 10/22, to a AR-15 and a semi-auto pistol. regardless of the platform, the principle is the same. The only difference is the “scary level of a  AR-15, is considerably more than that of a traditional gun like a Ruger 10/22, or other semi auto rifle.  If a Ruger 10/22 had been used in these types of shooting, it would be the “Scary Gun”

My advice is got get the people who have used these guns,in real life self defense situation, be it in the army, or ar a peace officer to testify as to why they came home that night, most would probably say that AR-15 and the high capacity magazine saved their lives and that of their fellow officers or soldiers.
When is facing a unknown number of assailants and the first 2-3 shots didn't discourage them,  a federally mandated ban on large capacity magazines is not going to help you when they come breaking in and all you have is 7 rounds maximum .
Many times the presence of the gun pointed at the attacker  is enough to make them think twice about what they want to do. Of course in some cases shots need to be fired, however, as long as there is clear evidence that the shooter was justified in using deadly force, there's usually not a problem.

  As for concealed carry, the, more the better. If There's a very good chance that a bad guy going to run into a gun on the other side of the door, or inside a bank or store, or wherever, he was thinking of doing something bad, then maybe he’ll think twice. Here in Virginia we have open carry law, which allows one to openly carry a handgun on their person, without a permit. In the 3 years I’ve been here, I’ve seen 2 people carrying open. No problems. If its obvious that there are weapons around, the criminals will not be in a hurry to start something.
A gun free zone is stupid, I can definitely see where limiting or regulating the people who can carry a gun in a zone is needed, however, a completely “Gun Free Zone” is essentially a killing field waiting to happen. If it is necessary to make it  a” Gun Free Zone”, then other steps need to be taken to provide for security in that area.
In a interview I saw recently , Ted Nugent said “ an armed society is a polite society “
Meaning if criminals know the  chances of winding up on the wrong end of a gun a very good if you start something, then Maybe they won’t.
Us  armed  law-abiding citizens  have nothing to fear from other armed law abiding citizens.

Kenneth Lawson

Personal Defense; Its Your Right and Responsibly

     Introduction

Those of you who have followed my blog over the last few years and know me personally, know I rarely take a stand on political issues one way or another. 
 However, the subjects of the article that follows, is something that a vast majority of Americans have in theirs lives in one form or another, guns. 
     Where I grew up in Western New York, It was not unusual for a farmer to have a old .22 and a couple of old shotguns sitting in the closest as  many of my family did, But, the time I came around, they were never used. I sure in their day they saw plenty of use. 
When I lived in Texas, the gun culture was far more prevalent.  
Many of the  pick-up trucks one would see would gun racks mounted to the insides of the back windows, and at least a shotgun, or a rifle of some kind would live there. And no one paid any attention. 
I have had a .22 rifle most of my adult life and started with BB guns and the like as teenagers.  


     I don't claim to be a expert or marksman of any kind, However,  I do enjoy shooting and seeing and handling fine guns. A  fine gun is in many respects a work of art, and a display of craftsmanship, which  alone can be appreciated .
I said all of this as a introduction to the real article I am publishing today. I wanted people to understand where I come from, and , possibly go back and rethink  the roles guns have played in their lives. But Now On to the article.


    Today, I find my myself writing about a subject that is near and dear to my heart.
In a Word Gun Control. The news s been almost  nothing but the tragedy at the Batman screening  last week . The repercussions will be felt  far and wide both for the good and bad.
As near as I can tell The gunman had all off the-shelf gear that anyone who passed a basic background check can get.  I don’t begrudge any person the right to purchase whatever firepower that they feel the need to defend their life and loved one. including him.

As much as a tragedy this is, This is a isolated incident and should be treated as such. The fact that they have him alive will in the long run help answers a lot of question.

The Second Amendment in the Constitution give all free able bodied citizens  the right to bear arms.    I just went over the requirements for getting a concealed carry permit here in Virginia
.http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Firearms_ResidentConcealed.shtm
The point is its very easy only cost about 50.00, with the background check, and only takes  about 45 day. and the permit is good for 5 years. So as long as you keep your nose clean, and send in the renewal papers every 5 years your good.
    This bring us to a bigger question . Different states have much tighter processes for getting a ccp, an tighter rules about where you can actually carry it when you finally get it. That not even counting  the fact the many states will not honor a ccp from another state while the reverse state will honor it.

Here is a list of all of the states and a simplified  of each state's rules about ccp rules;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_(by_state)

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   There have been  several instances of people getting it into their head that doing some kind of mass killing spree will make them famous in the last several years.  While I understand the initial impact is horrific and terrifying to those involved.
My, feeling that keeping it in the news and giving out every little detail only feeds their need to be famous. If they are captured alive in particular,  their names and personal details should be buried, as much for the public's sake, who knows all of this has happened, but does not need to be constantly reminded of it every time they turn on a tv. But it also takes the glamour out of committing the crime and having their names in the public face. The factual detail details are all a matter of record to a very large extent. But there's no reason to  open it any more then needed.

    On to possible outcomes had there been armed  citizens in the theater :
Its entirely possible if he knew there was the possibility that he might be met with armed resistance he would have thought twice about it, but I doubt it from the reports put out so far.
So he goes in with a AR-15 semi auto rifle and starts shooting at whoever presents themselves.What if,  Suddenly he is is being fired back at from the audience, whom he is trying to kill. Now, at that time no one knows he’s wearing all the body armor, But  getting hit multiple times with a large caliber round is going to hurt and possibly give some else a chance to help subdue and minimize the damage and thus change the outcome of the whole situation.

I’m not in way suggesting that we go back to the days of the wild west as portrayed on tv on the 1950’s westerns, where everyone wore a gun on the hip for all to see. Sociality wouldn’t tolerate it. However, making it easy for law abiding citizens and responsible people who are trained in how to handle their gun, and the repercussions would go a long way to helping to shop violent crimes in general. Its my contention that if one knows there at least a 50/50 chance he’s going to ment with a gun on the other side of the door he‘s thinking of breaking into, maybe he’ll think twice, is it worth it.

    The flip side of all of this is the anti-gun camp. They believe that guns are evil and should be banished from everyone but a very select few.  Their argument is very simple; Guns Kill, So get rid of the guns.  A knife can kill, a piece of rope can kill, hell, even a laptop bashed over someone’s head can conceivably kill. Do We ban all of the above mentioned, just because they have been, or can possibly  be used to kill. NO A gun is a tool., Just like a knife, piece of rope, and a laptop. Its all in how their used.
What is needed is education starting from a young age, in boy scouts,, which I know have shooting programs, and fathers and grandfathers educating the young people in their lives about the responsibilities of having guns around both in safety aspects, no one wants someone  shot accidentally because they didn't know what they’re doing, but in  how to handle the firearm, how it works loading  running the action, shooting it and being comfortable enough that should the unthinkable happen and they need to defend their lives or their family's life they know how to use the gun.Alway be aware that this is a perishable skill.  Meaning, that if one does not practice on a regular basis one will lose what proficiently they ever had, instead of building new skills.

    I could go on, However, I think that I have stated my case that I am very much pro gun, and pro concealed carry policies that could help changed the ending of incidents like the Batman shooting. and Maintain the  freedom of all Americans to own and use whatever firearm they deem necessary for their situation. Its in the Constitution, and It should not be watered down by states passing arcane laws that restrict the carrying of the gun, or the purchase  the gun they need for their particular situation.
It seems that as the years have gone by, places that were once considered safe and family friendly are becoming more and targets of people like the batman shooter, so carrying a gun where one might not of thought to suddenly becomes a good idea.


Kenneth Lawson