Friday Thoughts: On Firearms

I carry concealed anytime I step out my door. Those who would rather that people leave those "nasty guns" elsewhere are, IMHO, living in denial. With Pacific Islanders shooting each other; Mexican drug cartels using Anchorage (among other cities) as a distribution point; with bears, moose, and wolves, it's just prudence on my part. My safety, and that of my family, are my primary motivations for carrying a firearm.

There is no on-site security for the property I manage, and I assume responsibility for that, as well. I fervently pray that I never have to draw my weapon for any reason other than target practice ... but I will not assume that it won't happen. Sors ventus qui es paratus.

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On the topic of firearms...

A lady I work with has known me for several years now, and we have a great relationship. A couple of weeks ago, she saw my holster sticking out from under the tail of my jacket, when I was retrieving papers from the floor.

She got a little pale, and said, "I hope you don't have a gun in that thing." Guns make her nervous, she explained.

I tried to keep a straight face while answering that it wouldn't make much sense to wear an empty holster.

I asked her if I make her nervous, and she said no.  As gently as I could, I pointed out that the firearm is an inanimate tool, and that it obeys my commands. While she thought that over, I said, "If I'm trustworthy, then you needn't fear any tool I might use. A hammer, a screwdriver, a cordless drill ... all could be dangerous, in the wrong hands."

She allowed as how that's true, and then said, "And you were in the military, so I guess it's okay."

Baby steps ... sigh ...

But at least those steps are in the right direction: I'll take that conversation as one minor victory.

Weekend Quotes

"Arms in the hands of citizens may be used at individual discretion . . . in private self-defense. " 

~ John Adams

"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms. "

~ Samuel Adams

" . . arms discourage and keep invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. ... Horrid mischief would ensue were [the law-abiding] deprived of the use of them. " 

~ Thomas Paine

"[The Constitution preserves] the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation...[where] the government s are afraid to trust the people with arms." 

~ James Madison

"Should Christians Give Up Their Guns?"

From Pastor Chuck Baldwin, via JPFO:

Not since 1775 has a central government in America attempted to disarm its citizens in the way that President Barack Obama and Senator Dianne Feinstein did recently. King George III attempted to disarm the colonists on April 19, 1775, and that attempt ignited America's War for Independence. Leading the charge to resist the banning and confiscation of their firearms were colonial pastors such as Jonas Clark.

Back then, America's pastors had a thorough comprehension of the Biblical principles of liberty, including the right to keep and bear arms. They taught their congregations these sacred principles with such zeal and persuasion that the attempt by those British troops to march on Lexington and Concord and seize the colonists' guns was met with the now famous "shot heard 'round the world." Ever since that historic event, the people's right to bear arms has been held sacred by the vast majority of Americans--Christian or otherwise. The right to bear arms was understood to be, not just a right, but a God-ordained duty, a long time before it was ever enshrined in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution.

Go read, as they say, the whole thing.

Mid-week Rumination

In the course of discussions about the Founders' era, which Jenny and I have arbitrarily defined as 1755 - 1826 - I've been asked by a couple of others about the apparent conflict between the obvious references to God/Providence/Creator/Nature's God and the so-called separation of church and state.

Let's start with the painfully obvious. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

It's a prohibition against the Federal .gov establishing a State-sponsored church. It's freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

Then I was asked, aren't all the references to God in the Declaration and the Constitution in conflict with that statement?

Of course not (and I realize that, in many cases, I'm preaching to the choir). The Founders made it very clear that they recognized the hand* of God in the course of establishing the new Republic.

But but but ... what about John Adams' statement:

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

That's even easier. Moral people, it says; not "Christians". Please notice that the Constitution forces no religion on any person. There is no clause that says "Believe as I do (or as the .gov does) or we'll kill or punish you."

A gentleman who probably heard about this from the cradle on up, said the following -

The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.

From the day of the Declaration ... they (the American people) were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of The Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledge as the rules of their conduct.

~ John Quincy Adams

Principles and natural laws. A code of conduct. Not some particular religious belief.

They believed that if one conducted his/her affairs in accord with the code of Biblical behavior, that one would have no problem supporting the laws of the United States or its Constitution. (Of course, they also believed that the new federal government would make primarily just and moral laws, but that's another story.)

Not a theocracy, ladies and gentlemen, but a Constitutional Republic with citizens who conduct themselves civilly by means of moral precepts described in the Bible.

It's so simple, only a theologian** could screw it up.


*Or finger, as G. Washington put it. Take your pick.
**Or a historian. Just sayin'.

Friday Morning Report & Firearm Fears

Good morning. I have the radio on, as I type this, and it occurs to me that there are probably not many other cities where the morning traffic reports include moose warnings.

Well, it's officially the first day of spring, and we have 11 degrees this morning. Regarding the equinox, the time between sunrise & sunset here has been greater than 12 hours since Monday. I guess the equinox applies to folks a little farther south (i.e., Vancouver, Seattle, etc).

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I read Brigid's post this morning, and as usual, it made me think about the times in which we live. Like her, I carry concealed anytime I step out my door. Those who would rather that people leave those "nasty guns" elsewhere are, IMHO, living in denial. With Mexican drug cartels using Anchorage (among other cities) as a distribution point; with bears, moose, and wolves in town, it's just prudence on my part. My safety, and that of my family, are my primary motivation for carrying a firearm.

There is no on-site security for the property I manage, and I assume responsibility for that, as well. I fervently pray that I never have to draw my weapon for any reason other than target practice ... but I will not assume that it won't happen. Sors ventus qui es paratus.

* * * * * * *

On the topic of firearms...

A lady I work with has known me for several months now, and we have a great relationship. A couple of weeks ago, she saw my holster sticking out from under the tail of my jacket, when I was retrieving papers from the floor.

She got a little pale, and said, "I hope you don't have a gun in that thing." She went on to say that guns make her nervous.

I tried to keep a straight face while answering that it wouldn't make much sense to wear an empty holster.

I asked her if I make her nervous, and she said no. I gently pointed out that the firearm is an inanimate tool, and that it obeys my commands. While she thought that over, I said, "If I'm trustworthy, then you needn't fear any tool I might use. A hammer or screwdriver, a cordless drill - all could be dangerous, in the wrong hands."

She allowed as how that's true, and then said, "And you were in the military, so I guess it's okay."

Baby steps {sigh}. But at least those steps are in the right direction: I'll take that conversation as one minor victory.

Thursday Thoughts / Odds & Ends

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms … disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants, they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.”
~~ Thomas Jefferson

“Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the Democrats believe every day is April 15.”
~~ President Ronald Reagan

"It is sobering to reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for independence."
~~ Charles A. Beard

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This is no longer a "news flash", but Bristol Palin & her fiance' Levi Johnston have split. No significant details are available, but you can read about it, if you haven't already. It's a shame, but it's also a fact that young people sometimes make bad choices. That's why you know who they are, after all.

House vote stalls Alaska refuge road plan
Legislation that would set aside more than 2 million acres as protected wilderness and allow a road through Alaska's Izembek National Wildlife Refuge stumbled in the U.S. House today but is expected to get another vote soon. (copyright Anchorage Daily News)

As promised, the new Interior secretary will be holding a meeting in Anchorage to talk about his plans for offshore drilling. (Daily News) We'll see if the new administration will keep their promise on this deal. Any bets?

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The weather this week is teasing us with a hint of spring; it has warmed into the mid-30s in the afternoons, and the snow is getting slushy. It also makes the roads a mess, but it's nice to have sunlight that's strong enough to feel.

We still have quite a bit of snow on the ground, and could still snow quite a bit more before this season draws to a close. A late-April blizzard isn't out of the question. In 2004, we had snow on the ground until mid-May. You never know!

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And finally, there's this:

HUSBAND TAKES MESSAGE FOR WIFE

NEWS FLASH - Gun Violence

Dateline Anchorage - 100 million law-abiding American gun owners failed to shoot anyone today. Liberals disappointed.

More details to follow, if any become available.

Thursday Thoughts, Video, and Random Stuff

Thought of the Day: "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms, disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homocides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
~ from Thomas Jefferson's "Commonplace Book", quoting from "On Crimes and Punishment" by Cesare Beccaria, 1764

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Random Stuff:
AccuHunch Weather is living up down to its reputation for guesswork. Yesterday they told us we might get two inches of snow. Last night, they guessed we'd receive one to five inches overnight. This morning? No snow, although they allow as how we might get some flurries before lunch.

Folks here are still grumbling about Gov. Jindal's diss regarding volcano monitoring. Apparently, he didn't realize that volcanoes threaten any populated areas in the U.S.

As far as I know, Alaska is still part of the U.S. ... at least, for now. And volcanoes have dumped ash at least twice on Anchorage in the last 20 years. Mt. Spurr, which last erupted in '92, is visible from Anchorage and only 75 miles due west of here. I appreciate the Governor's attempt at clever compare-and-contrast by saying we don't need to monitor volcanoes; we need to monitor the eruption of spending. However, his speechwriting staff should have checked a little more closely.

Speaking of Mt. Redoubt, the latest volcano to threaten this part of the state, it still hasn't erupted. Here's the latest update:

2009-02-26 06:03:35
Redoubt Volcano has not erupted. Volcanic tremor and occasional discrete earthquakes are continuing this evening. There was a brief period of elevated tremor yesterday between 3:45 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. Since that time tremor has been at lower amplitude. The rate of occurrence of weak earthquakes increased yesterday evening above the morning's level, but has been dropping for the past few hours.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ... one of the big oil producers is doing some grumbling of his own, telling Congress that the process of getting permits for drilling in Alaska is "clumsy." He's saying that there are too many agencies involved in the fight for progress; apparently this is news to lawmakers.

Video:
So the week is winding down, and folks are looking forward to tomorrow's kick-off of the annual Rondy, and the first of the World Championship Sled Dog races. It's fun, folks! Here's a short video of the first Iditarod racer leaving the starting line in 2006.