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 There are actually two topics for my
editorial this issue: one is freedom and the other is about
supporting our shooting clubs, organizations, and all gun
manufacturers.
Freedom. What does it
mean? The importance of freedom is certainly more evident in
our lives since 9/11/01. Freedom was the basis for our country
at its birth. It has also been the basis of our continuing
struggle through the Western movement, slavery, the Civil War, the
Indian wars, women's suffrage, and the civil rights movement.
We are free due to the lives that have been sacrificed to protect
us. We are free because of all those willing to go the extra
mile, to tough it out, and to put their lives on hold while helping
others, whether overseas, in New York, or in your own hometown.
Freedom is a word that can stir the soul and the imagination.
It is also a word that would mean nothing without the right to
protect our country, our property, our families, and ourselves.
Mr. Heston has said that the Second Amendment should have been the
first amendment written in the Bill of Rights, as without it, none
of the others can be ensured. I agree. We all need to
continue to support all shooting organizations and especially the
NRA. Whether you agree 100% with everything they do or not,
they are the voice that's heard. They are the organization
to which each and every one of us MUST belong if we are to keep that
freedom.
How many of you have read
the Bill of Rights? Have you read it recently? I just
read it again, and I am again reminded of what a profound document
it is and how fortunate we all are that the founders of our nation
had the foresight to create it. Please, take a few minutes and
read all ten amendments again.
I have four sisters of whom
I am very proud. All of them have spent time, in some cases
many years, helping refugees and the victims from such places as
Cambodia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Rwanda. They are intimately
involved on a very, very personal level in understanding the meaning
of freedom, especially the meaning of freedom of speech and
religion. They are also intimately familiar with the terror of
oppression, prejudice, and genocide. The freedom that we have
in the United States is so much more than in other parts of the
world and we must protect it. It is one of the most precious
gifts our forefathers have given us.
I just recently finished
reading a book written by Kirby Jonas, who is an excellent Western
writer, even on a par with Louie L'amour, as he makes you believe
that you are in the mountains, rivers, and valleys that he
describes. You can see the animals and feel the enmity of
those that want to curtail one's freedom. In one section of
this book, one of the main characters says, "At least we still got
the eagle. An' the wild spirit is still in ‘em. As
long as there is an eagle anywhere, the wild spirit lives. And
when the last one is shot down, that spirit will go with ‘em.
Mark my words, boy. He's the symbol of freedom."
Editorial
Continued
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