Below, from our friend Steven Fair, is a patriot’s passionate response to Thursday’s featured essay here on “gun nuts.” A wildlife sculptor who exhibits and sells his impressive work in Oregon and at festivals across the U.S., Steven is well qualified to address the topic, having worked in law enforcement and having been certified as a Distinguished Expert by the NRA. He notes, among other things, that a requirement to be trained in the use of firearms, and to participate in an unorganized militia, is an obligation of U.S. citizenship. Here are some excerpts from his letter to me:
“I grew up with a 30-06 and a 12-gauge shotgun in an unlocked closet by the back door. The shells were on a shelf next to the guns so that said guns were not worthless pieces of metal stacked in a locked closet. I was taken out at a very young age and shown how a rifle would blow a water-filled jug to pieces. I was taught that a gun is used to kill, and there is no bluff about it. If I point a gun at a Thing, it is to kill it; make no mistake about my training as a small child. I also shot competitively from the time I was 12 in a controlled environment at a gun club, and I qualified for a Military Garand - Match Grade from the federal government when I was a teen.
A Tyrannical Government?
“I never mishandled a firearm, and I never touched a firearm without the permission of my father. So my friend, what is different today? Could it be that a tyrannical government and people desire to be able to enforce their will upon the People with no fear of being held accountable ?
“I believe that if one claims to be an America Citizen, one owes a [statutory debt] to the unorganized militia. Don't have a military arm? Remember, the only case on Article of Amendment II stated, "A sawed-off shotgun is not a current military arm, and therefore is not protected under the second article of amendment to the federal constitution." Understand that it is only military arms that are protected under the constitution.
Armed Citizens
He continues:
“I believe it was Madison who said in the Federalist Papers, Why would anyone fear a strong Federal Government - for at any given moment the People can muster 500,000 armed Citizens to put down tyranny.
“As far as the NRA goes, I carry a Distinguished Expert rating, I was a certified junior instructor, and I was 'ranked' in indoor gallery shooting. I started as a member in 1962. Fifteen years ago I dished the organization because the NRA attorneys would not tell the truth about gun ownership and Article of Amendment II.
“I was told, -- so you know the truth about firearms and ownership. The masses don't understand the reality of Constitutional Rights, and civil privileges granted under the 14th Amendment. They are too dumb to understand what needs to be done. We, the NRA, will do what we can to slow down the infringement.
“Sorry, the slightest infringement is infringement at the Greatest Level of governmental tyranny by despots who seek an unarmed People who may be enfranchised involuntarily.
“The truth is what one finds, not necessarily what one wants to know.”
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A Free Report
Another friend of ours, Garrett Jones, is out with an interesting technical report that makes clear why, even though just about everything is wrong with the economy, the stock market is not necessarily an attractive short. If you would like to receive a free copy of his “Special Alert,” you can request it by
“Mr. Bernanke is making a vast amount of dollars available to stave off a problem in the housing industry and the economy. He is having to engage in that magic balancing act of keeping the stock market and economy going while attempting to keep the dollar from collapsing and causing an international currency crisis and potential derivatives crisis. Meanwhile, we are seeing the mudslinging begin on the political front while just experiencing the largest massacre in US history -- on a college campus, no less. This is all occurring while we are waging exceedingly costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- with a heavy toll in dollar costs and US lives. To make matters worse, we don't seem to be accomplishing anything in either area and any fair observer would have to say we are losing the wars.
U.S. Nosedive
“A more subtle cost is the nosedive we have experienced in our popularity world-wide. This is happening while illegal aliens are proving daily that we have no defense or protection on our borders whatsoever. Meanwhile, we learn that India and China have more honor students than we have students. We are also finding that the term "student" in the US frequently doesn't mean what it used to mean. Watching Jay Leno interview college students confirms the dismal fact that our educational system is setting new lows on a world-wide basis with consistency as these 'students' seem to believe, for example, that Chicago is a state -- if you watch the program, you will find that is a far more cerebral answer than many of the others. Mercedes Benz has shown that it doesn't want Chrysler while the occasional horror story on GM emerges from time to time. GM, however, seems to be doing significantly better than Ford. Our oil production topped out in 1970.
“I find it very interesting that the above paragraph can be written in all honesty while the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit an all time closing high today. Do any of you still remember the old days when new highs in the stock market averages were accompanied by good news? Let us not forget that the stock market is the single best predictor of the economy ever devised. That would imply that some darn good news must be just around the corner. As a patriot and an optimist, I certainly hope that is the case. History is certainly optimistic -- we either have good things happening OR we get to learn from our mistakes. Keep a good thought!”