The second amendment of the U. S. Constitution reads: “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.” The Puritans fled persecution in Great Britain by coming to America. Once here they set in place laws requiring every family to own a gun, to carry it in public places, and to train their children in how to use their firearms. The colony of Virginia in 1619, had statutes requiring everyone to bear arms. And, Connecticut law in 1650 required every man above the age of 16 to possess, “a good musket or other gun, fit for service.” The laws of early America are very clear about the responsibility of citizens keeping and bearing arms. It was the people who were responsible for their own defense and freedoms and they needed to be prepared to fight for them. Thomas Jefferson said, “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” At that time, there was no concept of a professional army, created and paid to defend the colonies. George Mason, known as the father of the Bill of Rights, said, “What is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.” In the mid seventeen hundreds with the approach of the American Revolution, the natural rights philosophers had established the foundations for self-defense. Every man’s life, they said, belongs to God, and to allow ones life to be taken because one failed to defend it was wrong. This was known as the natural law to the right of self-defense and was also applied to the duty to protect one’s family, community and national liberties. For the colonists, at the heart of their religion was liberty, a sacred gift from God. For the most part, the colonial churches, particularly New England’s Congregational congregations, believed that to revolt against tyrants, such as King George, was to obey God. This belief may have had its roots in the Old Testament accounts of Israel’s wars for freedom, but it became a powerful fire that impassioned the citizenry. At one point King George, fearful the colonies were gaining too much of an appetite for independence tried to persuade the colonists to compromise and get back in line with an empty promise of peace. He was almost successful until in January of 1776, Thomas Paine published his Pamphlet on Common Sense in which he not only called for but rationalized the need for liberty from the oppression of Great Britain, reigniting the zeal for revolution and independence. Over 500,000 copies were printed and released in the first year of printing. The premise that security from the tyranny of government was a religious belief as it was a God given right brought huge numbers of citizens together with a common goal. That same belief has continued to influence Americans’ views about the right to keep and bear arms even to today. Incumbent upon each of us is the responsibility, to know factually, where our rights begin and end and to be able to stand against governmental tyranny when those rights are infringed upon. For me, it is without question, that the second amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America assures me the right to keep and bear arms freely as a God given right to maintain life, liberty, and security against anyone, especially the tyranny of our own government. That said, it should be further noted that individual colonies (states) are granted the right to establish laws and statutes to govern their own populations. These laws and statutes cannot however negate the U.S. Constitution. When raising my daughters I always told them that the time to decide on a principle is not in the heat of battle. The non-negotiables of their life should be established before pressure comes to bear, and be based on solid, arguable positions. That doesn’t mean there won’t be opposition or difference of opinion. It does mean we must be able to back our position with facts. To this end, I’m attaching a copy of the Firearms Laws for NYS so you can educate yourself and develop your own position concerning – Your Right to Keep and Bear Arms. I’ve also included a section for NYC Firearms Laws as well as they differ from the state laws. Obviously, this is not my usual type of monthly web sight entry, but based on current events, I believe we are at a point where a stand will be forced on us and I for one would prefer to have the chance to stand first on words and at the ballot box. Success there will insure not having to stand in the heat of a real battle. “We the people”… means this is a basic God given right of all citizens. Therefore as you decide on your position, consider that you are doing so for the corporate good of our citizenry. This means that even if you wish not to own or carry a gun yourself, the rights of your family and friends, neighbors and fellow countrymen still remain valid and require you to help them uphold that liberty, just as they are required to help you uphold yours. “One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All!” May God Bless you, and May God continue to Bless America. (www.nraila.org) NYS Gun Laws
Category: Member stories
Member jokes and stories
Opening Day – D. Erhard
I sat in my dining room with an old friend a few autumns ago and we hashed over memories of all the old fishing adventures we shared together. All too few included full creels and monster catches but somehow ribbing each other about our failures seemed to tie our friendship knot that much tighter. Eventually he spoke of his illness, financial burdens, and family problems and how life just wasn’t all he had hoped it would be. I spoke of some of my own troubles and frustrations and also questioned my future and whether the tread mill would ever slow down. After a few minutes of silence he looked up and softly said, “That’s why we go fishin’ my friend.” He was right of course. Throughout the entire previous fishing season one problem or obligation after another kept us from opening day trout than opening day pike than opening day bass. Somehow my priorities didn’t include taking time to go fishin’ with an old and good friend because I’d forgotten what fishin’ was really all about. I decided then and there to reassess my priorities and make it up to him next season. So, early in the morning of, Opening Day,” 2007, I regretfully had to visit my friend at his grave, apologizing for being too late. Leaving the cemetery on my way to work I could still hear him saying, “That’s why we go fishin’ my friend.” Priorities. We all have them. Do yours include an opening day here or there? To your wife, maybe opening day is your anniversary. Maybe your daughter’s opening day is her dance recital. Maybe you’re lucky enough to have a son looking for an opening day of fishin’ with you, just building memories. Or, like me, maybe a dear old friend could have lived his last fishin’ adventure and you would have gotten those good memories forever.
Legacy: Money, property or something of value bequeathed in a will.
Legacy: Money, property or something of value bequeathed in a will.
At my age, a man begins to wonder just what kind of a legacy he can leave behind after he dies. I guess if I were to have a big bank account or some lofty ideals worthy of recognition, there might be some options. But realistically; what’s a guy like me got a chance of leaving behind that could fall in a plus column? I’m for certain sure that the number of folks saddened by my passing will be few and far outweighed by those saying, “I thought he died a long time ago.”
Now, I’m not really all fired interested in being remembered, I just hope not to be an embarrassment to the family I leave behind. So, with that in mind, I began a one man brainstorming session to figure out how to exit this old world with a bit of dignity. After a lot of thought and some real soul searching, I faced the fact that dignity was a goal probably far too high, and figured I’d have to settle somewhere farther down the totem pole of respectability. Than one night I received word that an old fishing buddy we dubbed, “Bass Bug Billy I,” had died after a long illness, leaving a widow and, “Bass Bug Billy II,” (a bit of a surprise late in life!) behind with a stack of bills and an empty bank account. With uncommon clarity the fisherman’s part of my brain kicked in and a plan was hatched. By the very next morning a flyer was distributed to every local fisherman, sporting goods store and bait shop in the area. It read;
NOTICE
As most of you are aware, our good friend and fishing buddy, poor old “Bass Bug Billy I” has passed on to the big Bass pond in the sky. Unfortunately, due to his long illness, his family spent all they had
to make Billy’s final days as comfortable as possible. Those that knew him best
knew his dear wife was as committed to her church’s food pantry as Billy was
to Bass fishing. We’ve decided to make this years opening day of Bass a tribute to,
“Bass Bug Billy I”. Tickets will be available at $50.00 each with all proceeds going to help
offset some of Billy’s outstanding medical expenses. Additionally, a 50/50 drawing
will be held with the proceeds going to replenish the church food pantry,
where Billy’s widow works diligently to feed the less fortunate.
Each 50/50 ticket will cost $5.00 and two canned foods of your choosing.
Later that evening I went to the family calendar to enter the event only to see the day was previously marked off by my wife for a wedding that I had forgotten all about. I had already been told in no uncertain terms that my attendance at the wedding was mandatory and non-negotiable. I now had to pull up the devious part of my brain (unfortunately not too hard a task), to figure a way out of this one.
I immediately put a copy of the flyer in an envelope, typed my name and address on it and had it ready for the post office the next morning. A few days later as I sat down to dinner with my bride, I sorted through the mail and came across the envelope. I opened it up as if I’d never seen it and as I read it I blinked back a tear. I cleared my throat, set my fork down and excused myself from the table quietly. My wife picked up the letter and read it, then came into the living room and asked me if I was OK. I mumbled something about what a great guy he was, so giving and fun loving and all that and she said, “well, are you going to go?” I thought, OK I’ve got her nibbling so I said, “no honey, don’t you remember, that’s the day of the wedding. I’ll just buy a ticket and send a friend.” She said, “Are you sure?” and I responded, “oh yes, I’d rather be with you Sweet Pea!” That must have come across as being a bit disingenuous because I felt her hesitate and drop the bait. I quickly jiggled it by saying, “I might take the money I was saving for the new trolling motor and throw it in the kitty also.” She picked the bait back up and the old bobber was showing signs of new life. Quiet filled the room for several minutes as hope and despair waged an invisible war overhead. She was the first to crack and say, “Well, it’s not like he planned it this way. Maybe you should consider going and I’ll see if my sister can go to the wedding with me.” BAM – the bobber was all the way under and WAMMO I set the hook. “Ah dear, how is it that you always think of others and put their needs ahead of yourself? I sure don’t deserve the likes of you.”
Now she knows she’s on the hook and starts to fight it some. “Well,” she said, “if my sister goes, maybe we can stay an extra day and do some shopping. Only trouble is I don’t have that kind of money this month.” I loosen the drag a little and give her some slack hoping the line doesn’t break. I got the rod tip way up in the air as I gently pump her closer to the net. I say, “You know sweetie, we can’t do it all, so how about instead of me giving my trolling motor money to the church, you take it for your shopping trip instead.” She slid right into the net and into the safety of the live well without even realizing it.
Later that night I got thinking that come June, about 50 to 100 fishermen will show up with money in their hands and their wife’s blessing to go fishing for the day. Talk about a legacy! Now why couldn’t I have thought of that for my legacy!?