He made his berries into jam. If I remember correctly, he got 15 half-pint jars and 4 pints!
I'm going to make mine into jam today. It looks like I'll have enough to get 10 half-pint jars...
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Putting My Foot Down - I've just written my first Letter To The Editor in my own name. It was in response to this letter ("Don’t cultivate images of violence").
These two local church leaders were complaining about how the local Tea Party had a speaker that was complaining about (another) upcoming California law that would outlaw Open Carry.
My response -
Editor:
This is in response to Reverend Alexis Easton's and Reverend Will McGarvey's letter regarding "Tea Party Open Carry" -
The Reverends ask:
"What does open carry communicate? That the world is an unsafe place; that we are in imminent danger anywhere and anytime and that it is appropriate to be ready with an armed response. Open carry feeds fear, not trust or confidence."
What good are "trust and confidence" when you have a gun to your head or a knife to your throat?
I wonder if the Reverends feel fear when they see a police officer with a loaded, openly-carried gun. If not, why not? Are they suggesting that only the police are able to receive handgun training and render aid to others? What if the police aren't there when someone you love is being attacked?
If they do feel uneasy seeing a policeman with a handgun, are they suggesting that the police be disarmed because the sight of their guns gives them images of, "anger and anxiety" as they mentioned in their letter?
What the Reverends ignore is that all of these gun laws and "feel good" restrictions only apply to law-abiding citizens. The criminals - being criminals - disregard them. Where does that leave the law-abiding citizen?
Defenseless.
If I were to enter a coffee shop or any other business that allowed handguns to be worn on their premises, I would feel an INCREASE in my sense of safety. A criminal will see that there may be resistance to their criminal behavior. They'll look for an easier, less risky business to rob.
But this issue is bigger than Open Carry. The Reverends seem to have been swept up by the National Media portrayal of Tea Party members and others who believe in personal freedom and responsibility, as outside the norms of society. Their words insinuate that we must fully entrust our personal safety to the government.
I reject that idea. I will not delegate my personal safety to anyone else. I am responsible for myself.
Another question for the Reverends: How would they suggest a smallish, 5 foot, 100 pound woman react when attacked by a 6 foot 3 inch, 250 pound male assailant? The likelihood of her successfully fighting the larger, stronger man are slim.
Should the woman just "give in?" What if she's out with her kids? Should she not be able to defend herself and her children? What kind of fear is she feeling when she realizes she has no way to defend herself?We'll see if it gets published.
In our society, there are three types of people: Wolves, Sheep and Sheep Dogs. The wolves prey on the sheep. The Sheep Dogs - regular Good Samaritan citizens and sworn police officers alike - won't stand idly by while crimes are being committed.
In America, you can ascribe to any belief system to which you feel comfortable. You may feel uncomfortable owning, handling or carrying a handgun. That is your right. Our Constitution does not require you to defend yourself, it simply guarantees your God-given right to do so.
But, you don't have the right to impose your beliefs on others. When you support laws of your liking that restrict the Constitutional rights of others, the proverbial "slippery slope" comes into play. Some day, a right you cherish may be eliminated, and you will have no one to blame but yourself.
If you don't exercise your rights, they will be taken away.
I will not stand by and watch this gun-grabbing propaganda to unchallenged. If they don't acknowledge that it will be published, I'll post it in the comments section of the original article, and pass it along to the local Tea Party organizer so she can spread the word.
Enough is enough.
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Is Big Media Finally Seeing The Light? - Great article in the Wall Street Journal ("Is a Crash Coming? Ten Reasons to Be Cautious").
Take a look. It's a quick read.
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4 comments:
"That the world is an unsafe place; that we are in imminent danger anywhere and anytime and that it is appropriate to be ready with an armed response."
I think it was brought home to me just how lucky we have been in living where and when we have when the photos from Iraq started coming in. One side of my house has about 50 ft of glass window/wall, 8 ft high. All those Iraq photos were of houses with walls 10 ft high all around, often with chunks of glass set into the top. Think about the implications of that for a minute. Those walls weren't erected at the last moment to protect them from the US soldiers...
I may end up being sorry for my windows if things change drastically, that's a sad fact. We have been so incredibly fortunate.
Great response!
20, or even 10 years ago it might matter more, but you've just self published.
Last week I applied for a concealed carry permit in Virginia, going to exercise my right a bit more.
Good letter C.I.
They're right though, we shouldn't cultivate images of violence. And if enough people open or concealed carry, those images would decrease dramatically!
Sue, yeah, so many people have no concept of what it may be like if the government has to cut back on services. Try calling 9-1-1 then.
Suburban, with our new precious metals gig, I'm looking into being able to get a CCW. It's so difficult here in CA, but we're trying to call in some favors.
Groundhog, what these folks do is they equate guns with fear. The Brady Bunch has done a very good job of instilling fear into America. It is the fear of the unknown.
They have no concept of what self-defense or self-reliance are all about.
Your point is a great one: The more people seen with guns in public, the more easily accepted it becomes. It's going to be a steep learning curve, though.
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