No, we certainly do not make it happen, but we most decidedly do
allow it to happen. It has
been reported that there are approximately 60,000,000 citizens in this country that own at
least one firearm. That figure had to be arrived at mathematically, of course, but nonetheless
there is obviously a huge segment of the population that has a firearm of one type or
another tucked away in either a dresser drawer or closet.
Even given a figure of say, one-half, or 30,000,000 gun owners, the question that begs to be
answered is, "How can any gun control legislation be passed if we have such large numbers
of gun owners?" The answer to this question sadly is that there may indeed be 30,000,000
owners of firearms, but only a handful actually have the courage to
stand up to the anti-gun culture.
The rest are lazy and fearful. The vast majority of the gun owners in America cannot, or
probably more accurately, will not by choice, see that a serious suspension of their rights is
taking place . It is far more convenient to ignore the pleas of a victim, in this case the
Second Amendment, than it is to get personally involved and face possible embarrassment.
No, in the face of confrontation, there are those who would prefer to be cut down as they
cower rather than put up even a token resistance. It is altogether too easy to let some
faceless activist sacrifice position and property while they sit safe
and cozy drinking a cold
root beer, watching the nightly news while snuggled into the folds of the
old recliner. Bill Clinton and Sam Donaldson have convinced them that
verything is just fine.
In the privacy of their homes, while crouched over the keyboard of a home
computer or at a local gun shop with friends, these "Paper Patriots" bark like mad dogs in a
pen. They have all of the solutions and berate the actions of other pro-gun activists who are
considerably more earnest in their determination to fight for the RKBA.
They also find a false sense of courage behind the anonymity that a
computer gives. The motivation for
the local self-appointed expert is a need to be recognized as
an authority by his or her
(normally his) peers. Unfortunately, none of the useless drivel spit out by any of our
allegedly pro-gun friends and neighbors who hope that we believe they
support the RKBA
, are as valuable as a single truly selfless and pro-gun action.
Ask the "Paper Patriot" to put the money where the mouth is however, and the true person
is revealed. The flurry of excuses or reasons why they can't "get
involved" come so fast as to
be indistinguishable from one another and while some of the excuses are
clever, none
are acceptable. All of the reasons for not supporting the NRA, all of the reasons for not
wanting to be on some "list", fictitious or real, all of the
reasons such as "They can't find me if they
don't know where I am..." and all of its variants, are bullshit. They may have convinced
themselves that these reasons are valid, but those of us who have been at the vanguard of
this fight know better. We know that what they are really feeling is fear. How do we know?
Well, most of us whose names are at the top of those infamous "lists" have been where they
are now. Most of us were "Paper Patriots" at one time.
The difference is that those of us who have been interviewed by CNN or do interviews with
newspapers such as the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press and USA Today (and I
have...) have found courage. How? It has been said that "...without fear, there can be no
courage..." No more accurate words were ever spoken. The fear of being on a list or the
fear of speaking publicly never goes away. Rather, the fear learns to live with your personal
conviction that gun control is wrong, that gun control is bad for this country and that gun
control is bad for the future of our children. At that point, when you are so fed up and
furious with the unending crap that threatens the RKBA that you would step into the fires
of Hell itself to stop it, is when you find courage. "Doing that which frightens you the
most..." That is what will win the day for those of us who own
firearms.
As I perform the tasks that need to be done in the defense of the Second Amendment, I do
it knowing full well what the costs could be to myself and my family. I have already given
up one promising career with a Fortune 500 company to fight this fight. I have spent
countless hours and many dollars that could have taken us on very nice vacations or allowed
us to buy that new dishwasher and furniture we need so badly. However, to give up at this
point would be worse. It would be worse because I would be letting my country down. I
would be letting down all of those who are interred under small white crosses at Arlington
or in any of the American military cemeteries around the globe. I would be letting down my
father, now suffering from congenital heart failure, who kept B-24 heavy bombers flying
over Europe in 1944. I would be letting down every man or woman who fought for civil
rights during the 1960's. I would be letting down myself, my wife and my three kids. Worst
of all, I would be a traitor to my belief in God and His teachings. I cannot, I will not, stop
until the RKBA is secure for all generations.
If you own a gun, you should be prepared to do no less. Look back a couple of hundred
years. There was a time not so long ago that other "Paper Patriots" found the courage to
defend what was right and just by sacrificing their positions and property. Is there
something that makes this fight for the very life of The Constitution of The United States
different than the fight for freedom two centuries ago? I say no.
Who is responsible for the current state of gun control in America? You are. I am. We have
thus far done a deplorable job of protecting our rights. The anti-gun culture is fully aware
of our self-absorption and they are quick to capitalize on our passivity. They are even
quicker to recognize our in-fighting and exploit it to their own full benefit. We have to
cease thinking that when we win but one legislative battle, that we have somehow won the
war. We must be united and on the offensive constantly.
We can take the fight to the anti-gun culture and beat them at their own game. Rest assured
it can indeed be done, but it will take 30,000,000 American gun owners who have found
courage to do so successfully. Start by joining the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners
of America, The Second Amendment Foundation or any one of a half dozen other pro-gun
organizations. But, don’t join for the hat or the magazine subscription or the insurance. Join
because you want to want to be a part of a fraternity that will kick the anti-gun cultures’
ass!
The next time you meet someone somewhere who is ranting about what is wrong with the
NRA or what should be done to beat the anti-gunners, ask them this simple question. Look
at them and say, “Are you a member of (insert favorite pro-gun here)?” Given that there are
allegedly 60,000,000 gunowners and fewer than 4,000,000 have the guts to stand up and be
counted on any level, the chances of a “No” answer are pretty good. Tell them...well, you
tell them what you want. For me, I usually tell them to take their bullshit excuses and piss
off.
Copyright, 1997, The Conservative Diner