Minuteman Monthly Newsletter Issue 65 December 2006 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Welcome new Minuteman Monthly Newsletter Subscribers! Now more than three hundred (300+) of you get this newsletter sent to your in-box every month! Won't you forward this newsletter on to a friend? <> I will soon be dedicating more of my free time to other pursuits. I will no longer be tracking state and federal legislation. I will only send the most important and absolutely essential of legislative alerts. Curbing the time that I spend on www.SaveTheGuns.com has been a very hard decision. I've had this Web site online since January 2000. It's become a labor of love for me over the years. Teaching gun safety and firearm education to more than 65,000 children and hundreds of thousands of adults in the last seven years has made a big difference. But it has not made any money for me or my family. I have lost money in five (5) of the last seven (7) years. { Note: teaching gun safety to kids, while spending my own money is not a "loss".} The decision to curb my involvement in www.SaveTheGuns.com is purely a financial one. My regular 40 hour a week job simply is not meeting my family's bills any longer. I must establish another revenue stream for my family. This decision has mainly arisen because I've had nearly exactly half a million (500,000) visitors and only twenty nine (29) have ever sent in a voluntary contribution. This is not a plea for contributions. This is merely an explanation why I have decided to reduce the amount of time I spend on this effort of mine. So, in conclusion, here are a few of the changes and adjustments ahead: **The Minuteman Monthly Newsletter will be shorter and with less in-depth treatment on any particular subject. **The Minuteman Monthly Newsletter will have a few more advertisements in each issue that I hope you'll utilize. **The Minuteman Monthly Newsletter will have less of a focus upon responding to anti-gun legislation and more of a focus upon education. I think gun control can be defeated through education, rather than focusing upon a response to legislation. My hope is that you'll stay on top of firearm related state and federal legislation on your own. I encourage you to do so. If our legislators never hear from us, they'll assume that we like what they're doing and most often, that's not the case at all. From now on, please get your own alerts on pro-gun and anti-gun legislation from the following: www.nraila.org www.gunowners.org www.ccrkba.org www.keepandbeararms.com www.saf.org Also, visit your own NRA State Affiliates here: www.savetheguns.com/state_nra_groups.htm ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SAVETHEGUNS.COM QUOTES OF THE MONTH "The contest, for ages, has been to rescue Liberty from the grasp of executive power." Daniel Webster (1782-1852), US Senator Source: Speech, 27 May 1834 "To maintain the ascendancy of the Constitution over the lawmaking majority is the great and essential point on which the success of the [American] system must depend; unless that ascendancy can be preserved, the necessary consequence must be that the laws will supersede the Constitution; and, finally, the will of the Executive, by influence of its patronage, will supersede the laws ..." -- John C. Calhoun (1782-1850) American statesman "Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding." Justice Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) US Supreme Court Justice 1928 Source: Justice Louis D. Brandeis, dissenting, Olmstead v. United States, 277 US 479 (1928) "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." Aesop (c. 550 B.C.) legendary Greek fabulist "In the end more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free." Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) Source: Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1909 “Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” James Madison (1751-1836) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SAVETHEGUNS.COM GUN SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH I've had sixty four (64) gun safety tips of the month so far. Which one is the most important? I think the single most important gun safety tip is to always demonstrate a proper attitude toward firearm safety around your children and grandchildren. If they see you mishandling an empty gun and not having a good gun safety attitude at all times, they're more likely to have an accident when you're not around to stop them. What will your children and grandchildren take away from going out shooting with you? If they see you leaving a firearm loaded and with a closed action at the firing line when you walk downrange to change the targets, what will they take away from that? If they see you pointing the barrel of an empty gun in a dangerous direction, what kind of gun safety attitude will they leave with? The single most important gun safety tip I can possibly come up with is to successfully convey a good gun safety attitude toward your children and your grandchildren. If your kids, nephews, nieces and grandchildren consistently observe you treating gun safety as if it's very important, they will likely do the same. If they observe you leaving guns pointing in every which direction, leaving them loaded and unattended on the range, "showing off" with reckless gun play, they have a much higher chance of ending up getting hurt, killed or being responsible for injuring a friend. NO GUN SAFETY TIP IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT!!! I WAS CONTACTED BY A MAN WHOSE ELEVEN YEAR OLD BOY DIED IN A FIREARM ACCIDENT AT A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. JUST ASK HIM IF HE'D RATHER HAVE HIS SON BACK... WILL YOU PASS ON THIS NEWSLETTER TO SOMEONE ELSE? WILL YOU JUST DELETE THESE MESSAGES OR WILL YOU HELP PREVENT ANOTHER MAN FROM HAVING TO BURY HIS SON? YOUR CHOICE... http://www.savetheguns.com/safety_rules.htm http://www.savetheguns.com/for_kids_only.htm You will not get a check from Bill Gates if you forward these pages. You will not get a gift certificate for a free meal at a restaurant either. But you may help prevent a very preventable tragedy. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GIVE AN NRA MEMBERSHIP AS A HOLIDAY GIFT Please continue to visit my "NRA Membership" page to renew your NRA Memberships. http://www.savetheguns.com/nra_membership.htm Please use this page to link directly to the NRA Membership Renewal page at the National Rifle Association's Web site. http://membership.nrahq.org/default.asp?campaignid=XR017807 I have recruited eighty three (83) NRA Members through this link. Please continue to use this direct link to the NRA Membership page to renew your NRA Memberships. Why go to the NRA and have to search for the right page, when the link is right here? Makes sense right? There's twenty five days left until Christmas. Have you given an NRA Junior Membership to a child under 18 this year as a gift? INVOLVE THE KIDS TODAY OR KISS YOUR BILL OF RIGHTS GOODBYE TOMORROW. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ AMAZON.COM, TARGET, WAL-MART AND MUCH MORE http://www.savetheguns.com/affiliate_links.htm http://www.savetheguns.com/online_store.htm On the above two pages, I have convenient links to dozens and dozens of retailers online. If you shop at any of these retailers, can you please, please use these links to get to your favorite retailers. I make a small commission whenever you do. Thanks!! Every little effort will help. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MINUTEMAN MONTHLY AIMING POINT FOR DECEMBER 2006 Okay, this has been a long Minuteman Monthly Newsletter issue already, telling you how I'm going to make it shorter... ha, ha ha! :-) Do you know what day it will be in just over two weeks on December 15th? Well, let me tell you then, if you don't know. December 15th each and every year should be a day celebrated by true patriots. If you consider yourself to be an active patriot, you probably already know what I'm talking about. It's Bill of Rights Day of course! The Bill of Rights was passed on December 15, 1791. How will you celebrate? Oh yeah, don't hold your breath waiting for the mainstream news media to mention when it's Bill of Rights Day. You'd suffocate first. Let me list the Bill of Rights here for you and then give you some links to check out. The Bill of Rights Est. December 15, 1791 The Preamble to the Bill of Rights Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine. THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution. RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz. ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution." Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Amendment II 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. Amendment III No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. Amendment IV The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Amendment V No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. Amendment VI In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense. Amendment VII In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. Amendment VIII Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. Amendment IX The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. Amendment X The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. Well, you know as well as I do that we can have a very extended debate on how badly the Bill of Rights has been infringed upon in these last 215 years. But I simply don't have the time for a lengthy discussion. Just simply looking at the gun control laws in the United States, McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law, the Kelo V. New London U.S. Supreme Court decision. The banning of nativity scenes and the Ten Commandments in public places, covers only a fraction of the recent violations of the Bill of Rights. Please feel free to visit the following Bill of Rights related Web sites: http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/ http://www.jpfo.org/jpfobor.htm http://www.jpfo.org/bord.htm http://www.your10rights.com/bordoped.html http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/bill_of_rights.html http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/usconstitution/US_Constitution_and_Bill_of_Rights.htm http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/billofrights.html How will you celebrate Bill of Rights Day on December 15th? Will it just be another Friday? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I hereby dedicate this issue of the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter to my ancestor Amos Richardson (May 8, 1742 - April 6, 1822). He was alive and an active participant during the turbulent times of the American Revolutionary War, The Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights itself. You won't read about him in the history books. You won't celebrate his birthday as a holiday each year. But he was my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather and yes, he was in the Massachusetts State Militia and was a Minuteman and a patriot. In that spirit, it's my turn to defend freedom and liberty, are you with me? What have you done lately to defend freedom? Let me know and maybe I'll mention it in an upcoming issue of the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As usual, you're free to forward, post, blog, print, distribute or otherwise use this newsletter as you wish. Just please include www.SaveTheGuns.com somewhere in your literature. Thanks, Marc Richardson Owner/Founder www.SaveTheGuns.com "We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government. Far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." James Madison (1751-1836) Fourth President of the United States. To opt-out of further e-mails from www.SaveTheGuns.com simply reply with "Unsubscribe MMM" in the subject line.