So Then, Logically...

In This Morning's E-Mail

A:          Guns have only two enemies: rust and politicians.

B:          Its always better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

C:          Cops carry guns to protect themselves, not you.

D:          Never let someone or something that threatens you get inside arms length.

E:          Never say "I have got a gun."  If you need to use deadly force, the first sound they hear should be the safety clicking off.

F:          The average response time of a 911 call is 23 minutes, the response time of a .357 is 1400 feet per second.

G:         The most important rule in a gunfight is: Always win - cheat if necessary.

H:          Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets . . . You may get killed with your own gun, but he'll have to beat you to death with it, cause it'll be empty.

I:           If you're in a gun fight:
                        1) If you're not shooting, you should be loading.
                        2) If you're not loading, you should be moving,
                        3)  If you're not movin', you're dead.

 J:          In a life and death situation, do something . . . It may be wrong, but do something!

K:          If you carry a gun, people call you paranoid. Nonsense! If you have a gun, what do you  have to be paranoid about?

L:          You can say 'stop' or 'alto' or any other  word, but a large bore muzzle pointed at  someone's head is pretty much a universal language.

M:          You cannot save the planet, but you may be able to save yourself and your family.

Why?

I'm in a "why?" mood today:

Why do I have to balance my personal budget but the entity that has fiducial responsibility for a goodly chunk of my money doesn't?

Why did it take longer for police than for the press to get to Utoeya Island ?

Why is it always my side that has to compromise?

Why do they keep neglecting to mention the Islamic connections of attackers but label a flaming nut case a conservative Christian right-winger?  Aren't labels supposed to be a a no-no?

Why is what I say divisive but what the politically correct say just an opinion?

Why are guns dangerous but not being able to protect oneself not?

Why do people keep invoking the Crusades as an example of aggressive Christianity when it was in reality an attempt to block the spread of a branch of Islam that was bent on conquering Europe -  and nearly did.

Why are women supposed to support other women but the instant a strong woman like Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachman stick their heads up it's open season on them?

Why is the national media not required to actually do any research? (see Murphy's Law post concerning Contessa Brewer, who is a perfect example)

Why guns?

Well, why not?  I really don’t understand why there even has to be a discussion.  We are surrounded by things that can be construed as dangerous, including the car in the garage and the propane tank next to the grill.  If it isn’t anybodies business how many chef’s knives I have in the house, then it isn’t anybodies business how many guns I have in the house, or what kind.  Just sayin’.

But, seriously, why have I decided to learn to shoot at this time? Several reasons.  First, it’s something I believe that you need to do right if you are going to do it, and when I had a 4 hour a day commute for work I just didn’t have the time I felt was necessary to practice and learn.  Second, I live in an area where police response time can be in the 15 to 20 minute range.  I seriously doubt the bad guys are going to want to sit and have a cuppa and conversation while waiting on the local deputy.  So home defense is on me.  And really, why shouldn’t it be?   To me it’s part of the pro-life ethic.  Life is a gift, including mine, and I have a right and a responsibility to protect it.  Third, I’m watching a situation develop in this country that I think can go south very fast once certain things come together:  a weak dollar driving fuel costs up, and that in turn driving all other costs up.  An entitlement mentality and a lack of fear of God.  Heat.  End result, civil unrest.  That’s the polite way of putting it.  Baltimore, D.C., Detroit, and God only knows how many other cities could see an explosion of rioting and destruction, see their centers burn to the ground, and I live close enough to major cities to be concerned about roving gangs out to do whatever mischief they can do.  You can say that we have the National Guard for such things, but my personal protection and the protection of my community is up to me and to others willing to pick up a gun and make it clear that we aren’t having any of it.  The National Guard will have its hands full in the cities.

And, yes, it’s fun.  Fun to find out that I’ve still got some eye-hand coordination.  Fun to handle well made guns.  Relaxing to sit and clean them afterward.  And I could so easily end up collecting – I love wood and steel that have been well handled and have become smooth with use and care.

I hope I never have to pull a trigger anywhere outside of a range.  But situations often move very fast – too fast for thought or discussion.  So if it ever happens, I don’t want to be fumbling around trying to remember step 1 step 2 step 3… It needs to just happen and happen right.  Discussion will have to wait until later.

The U.N. doesn't like our guns

Saw this from Forbes this morning.  Bad enough there are people in the U.S. trying to butt in where it ain't their business, but the U.N. has to be fended off, too:

U.N. Agreement Should Have All Gun Owners Up In Arms