 Minuteman Monthly Newsletter Issue 70 May 2007 |
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Welcome to this issue of the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter. This is the monthly communication from my Web site at www.SaveTheGuns.com. Thank you for reading this month's issue and for passing it on to a friend. Yes Johnny, some monsters are real. But they don't always look like monsters... Read on... SaveTheGuns.com Quotes of the Month "And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms; or to raise standing armies, unless necessary for the defense of the United States, or of some one or more of them; or to prevent the people from petitioning, in a peaceable and orderly manner, the federal legislature, for a redress of grievances; or to subject the people to unreasonable searches and seizures of their persons, papers or possessions." SaveTheGuns.com Gun Safety Tip of the Month When handing a child a firearm to shoot, watch for what I call a "teachable moment". When handing the child the unloaded firearm, carefully watch the child's trigger finger. Almost invariably, the child will instinctively slip the index finger of the shooting hand inside the trigger guard. The gun should be immediately removed from the child's hands. The child, will look for an explanation on why the gun was removed from his/her possession so immediately. At that time, carefully instruct the child that the trigger is used to fire the gun only. No finger is to be near the trigger at any other time. Explain that the trigger finger should be placed outside the trigger guard at all times except when actually preparing to fire a shot. Once that "teachable moment" sinks in, then hand the child back the unloaded firearm and watch that finger once again. Reinforce the positive change made by the child at that time. A lifetime of safe shooting may hang in the balance at this "teachable moment".
NRA Membership Recruiter Corner http://membership.nrahq.org/default.asp?campaignid=XR017807 As you may already know, SaveTheGuns.com is one of thousands of NRA Membership Recruiters across America. As an NRA Recruiter, I'm officially a subcontractor for the National Rifle Association of America and not an employee. I make a small commission whenever you join, renew or give an NRA Membership as a gift. Please use the link above for all your NRA Membership needs. I have written a Web page with more information on membership in the National Rifle Association. It has a list of benefits as well as membership options and prices. For your convenience the above NRA Membership link is there as well. http://www.savetheguns.com/nra_membership.htm P.S. Remember, my link goes directly to the NRA Membership check out page. Using my special link is a lot more convenient than trying to find the page yourself. As of this issue of the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter, I've recruited 107 NRA Members through this link. I want to be the number one NRA Recruiter in my home State of Maine for 2007. Please use my links for all your NRA membership needs. Contributions to SaveTheGuns.com Please use the following convenient link to securely use a credit card online to give SaveTheGuns.com a voluntary contribution: http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3GXU3PIEM5ST1 To write me a personal check, it's almost as easy! Write out a personal check made payable to Marc H. Richardson. Sign it and put it into a stamped envelope addressed to: Marc H. Richardson My contributors have kept this informative Web site going for seven years. Become a contributor today... please? P.S. I got one (1) $10.00 contribution this month! Thanks to a visitor! Item of the Month The item of the month is going to be a new feature in the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter. I hope you find it useful. Visit Nitro-pak today! You know that you're the kind of guy or gal who is always prepared right? Well, pay a visit to the preparedness specialists.
Minuteman Monthly Newsletter Aiming Point Unless you're living under a rock, you'd know that on April 16th we saw the worst mass murder in U.S. history. A clearly mentally deranged person was allowed to legally purchase firearms and ammunition because he was ordered to be treated for his mental illness on an outpatient basis and was never actually deemed as committed to a mental health facility. Taken to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation in December 2005 by Virginia Tech Campus Police, a Montgomery County district court ruled Cho "a danger to himself or others." However, even if Seung-Hui Cho was disallowed from purchasing firearms and ammunition, he still could have obtained them illegally as does any armed felon in the United States. According to reports, he had created a "hit-list" of students that he fantasized about killing en masse, back as early as eighth grade at about thirteen years old. Teachers, fellow students, friends and family all pushed him and his mental disorder aside and did nearly nothing to help him with his problems. Teachers came out after the fact and described the writings of a very troubled mind. The shooter stood before a judge who refused to commit him, even though the evidence seemed to have been overwhelming that it was necessary and warranted. He was never charged with a serious crime, even though it has come out that he was threatening and stalking women and clearly should have been charged with something. Let's be clear about one thing right away. Gun control laws were in place. Any further gun control laws would not have changed the outcome. Mass murderers who intend upon not coming out alive do not concern themselves with breaking any laws whatsoever. As Larry Pratt of the GOA said, "The words of Virginia Tech spokesman, Larry Hincker, should be haunting him in the wake of the massacre at his school. Last year, a bill was killed in the Virginia legislature to enable those with concealed weapons permits to carry their guns at schools. Hincker said that "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus." The truth of the matter is that a student or faculty member with a concealed firearm and appropriate training could have brought an early or at least an earlier end to this tragic fiasco. I've heard many pro-gunners and liberty-minded people blame the students themselves for not rushing at Cho and taking him down. I'm not one of those who place the blame upon the dead. The sole responsibility was with Seung-Hui Cho, the shooter. Sure, if the rooms at Norris Hall were full of Marines, the outcome would probably have been very different. But those who assert that an untrained teenage female should have braved a hail of lead from two (2) firearms, really need to think about what they're saying. Nobody knows how they would react to suddenly and abruptly being subjected to an assault like that which happened on April 16th. Being unarmed and virtually defenseless, even the most highly trained military man might elect to E&E (evade and escape) instead of attack a shooter with two firearms who is possibly blocking the only available exit and has a full field of fire. The shooter had every advantage. He had a full field of fire, no possibility of return fire and the element of surprise. All things considered, the tragic outcome was not hard to imagine, especially considering that this was planned well in advance and the shooter even thought ahead enough to chain exit doors.
Once again, the gun-free zones law passed by Congress in both 1990 and 1995 only worked to provide a self defense free zone. Any shooter bent upon mass murder and suicide has violating gun-free zone laws as about the last thing on his mind. Gun-free zones creates victims and does nothing to stop shooters. As VA Tech spokesman Hincker said above "...this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus." Feeling safe and being safe are two entirely different things now aren't they... NRA Statement The following is an NRA Statement concerning the upcoming National Instant Check System (NICS) improvement bill as well as a few words about the Virginia Tech massacre. Recent reports in the Washington Post, Newsweek and other media outlets are fanning Internet rumors regarding the NRA's position concerning legislation currently being discussed in Congress in the aftermath of the horrific crimes that occurred at Virginia Tech. The NRA has a long history of supporting measures to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals and those who have been adjudicated by a court as mentally incompetent, and we will continue to do so. We will also continue our efforts to make sure that the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) is accurate, fair, and instant by seeking changes to permanently ensure that no fee is associated with the check, that system outages are minimized, and that our men and women in uniform who have served our country honorably are not unjustly denied their constitutional rights. As always, the NRA is committed to ensuring that any proposal does not infringe upon the rights of law-abiding gun owners. It is impossible to predict right now what any final bill will look like; therefore, we will withhold judgment until we see a final product. However, the NRA will continue to work with Members of Congress throughout the process to ensure that any changes to the NICS benefit lawful gun purchasers while ensuring that those adjudicated by the courts as mentally incompetent are included in the system. Including necessary records on prohibited persons into the NICS is a position we have long supported. However, history has shown that no law will stop a madman intent on doing evil. The NRA believes that our schools are not adequately protected. Therefore, we believe a national conversation on school security is necessary, and we look forward to those discussions and finding meaningful solutions to keep America's children safe. http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?id=217&issue=018 Closing Comments Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter. I encourage you to pass it on. You may use this newsletter as you see fit. You may post it, blog it, print it, forward it and publish it. The only thing I ask is that somewhere in your material, make sure the URL www.SaveTheGuns.com appears prominently. Thanks, |
