Minuteman Monthly Issue 23 June 2002 Welcome to the 23rd engaging issue of the Minuteman Monthly. The Minuteman Monthly is the monthly newsletter published by http://www.SaveTheGuns.com/ ================================= Quotes Of The Month "It was the only view around until the early 1900s, and only fell out of favor in the 1930s." UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh speaking of the individual rights view of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. "The right of a citizen to keep and bear arms has justly been considered the palladium of the liberties of the republic, since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers, and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them." Joseph Story, United States Supreme Court Justice, 1833 "The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion." Edmund Burke, Speech at country meeting of Buckinghamshire, 1784 "This action is proof positive that the worst fears about Attorney General Ashcroft have come true: His extreme ideology on guns has now become government policy." Michael Barnes, president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ***I guess that Michael Barnes also believes that the Founding Fathers of the United States also had an "...extreme ideology..."*** If Mr. Barnes has a distaste for personal liberty and individual rights, I hope he exercises his right to move to another area of the world. Just my humble opinion... ================================= ================================= Gun Safety Tip Of The Month Know how to use the gun safely. If you don't know what you are doing while out shooting with friends and family, don't pretend to know what you are doing. It is always OK to ask questions. Don't be afraid about looking less than macho. This is very important. Many firearms of the same type work a little differently from its cousin. The location of the magazine release, safety mechanisms, decocker levers and sight adjustments are just a few of the items that can easily be confused and might work differently. Please never feel embarrassed or fear looking less than macho about asking questions concerning the operation of firearms, when out with friends or family. The only stupid question about firearm operation is the one left in your head... ================================= ================================= Have You Visited CheaperThanDirt.com yet? This Web site is really worth a visit. They have military clothing, holsters, factory ammunition and inexpensive reloads and much more. Please visit now, browse their great products and then finish the newsletter!!! http://www.qksrv.net/click-1101834-1161489 ================================= ================================= The Month's Issue This subject of this month's Minuteman Monthly is going to be a quick visit of the subject of women and guns. As you might know, there is no reliable statistic available that shows how many or what percentage of women own and use firearms. But I can tell you one thing about it. That is that there are more women gun owners in the United States right now than ever before in U.S. history. I have seen it estimated that nationwide about 11% of all women at least occasionally carry concealed firearms for protection. And I really cannot blame them. Women are targeted more often as victims of random violent crime than men are. Women are taking their own safety a lot more seriously now than in past years. There are many organizations that are focused on women's self-defense issues and gun ownership and use. Instead of spending all day addressing women's firearm and self-defense issues, I will list these organizations and Web sites. I sincerely apologize if this list is incomplete, which I am certain it is, but these links will keep you busy for days. The organizations listed below will delve into this subject much more deeply than I have time or space for here in the Minuteman Monthly. ========================================== ========================================== American Women's Self-Defense Association http://www.awsda.org/ Armed Females of America http://www.armedfemalesofamerica.com/ Second Amendment Sisters http://www.2asisters.org/ NRA Women On Target http://www.nrahq.org/women/ Women's self-Defense and Empowerment Training http://www.emory.edu/WOMENS_CENTER/ESCAPE.html Refuse To Be A Victim NRA Program http://www.nrahq.org/rtbav/ Patriotettes Program http://www.patrickhenrycenter.org/programs.html Paxton Quigley Armed and Female http://www.paxtonquigley.com/ Arming Women Against Rape and Endangerment http://www.aware.org/ Mother's Arms http://www.mothersarms.org/ Women and Guns http://www.womenshooters.com/ Women Against Gun Control http://www.wagc.com/ Women Firearms and Self-Defense http://www.clipper.net/~nancyw/firearms/women.html ========================================= ========================================= My Thoughts Our nation's elitist academic institutions, "politically correct" women's advocacy groups and our lawmakers should take note of the current attitudes of today's armed females. They will not be badgered into surrendering their right to self-defense because of trumped up statistics and fear. They will not be intimidated any longer by the preposterous notion that firearms and self-defense are male-only issues. As I have stated many times before and will continue to state, most people who are generally against private firearm ownership, really don't know anything about guns and how they work. As more and more women become completely informed and empowered on this issue, the better it will be for women everywhere. There is no power in remaining ignorant and uninformed. I am humbled and feel very proud of the countless women in the past few years that have had the courage to break through social barriers and take guns, self-defense and Second Amendment advocacy very seriously. My hat is off to today's armed females. However, there is still much work to be done in this area. Please do what you can to spread the word and help out the above hyperlinked organizations!! ========================================= ========================================= It has been estimated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation that more than four million women participate in target shooting events each year. ========================================= ========================================= Nearly 75% of all American women will fall victim to violent crime at some point in their lives. Because of this alarming statistic, women really do need to take their awareness and self-defense issues much more seriously than in the past. Women need to develop and implement an overall strategy to ensure their safety. This overall strategy should consist of many individual elements. Carefully plan outings so you are not totally alone and bring along a friend or family member. Random violence against women almost always occurs when women are alone and mostly unaware of their surroundings. For more information on the Refuse To Be A Victim Program administered by the NRA, call 1-800-861-1166 or e-mail at refuse@nrahq.org To receive your 42 Strategies for Personal Safety brochure and information about courses in your area call 1-800-861-1166. ========================================= ========================================= In closing, I want to say that guns and self-defense issues are not just for men anymore. Tens of thousands of women are picking up the reins and deciding for themselves to take their own defense and the defense of the Second Amendment more seriously than they have in the past. The false notion that guns are just for men and that women cannot properly handle or address self-defense issues are gone forever. There are many resources and much information available for the women who have decided to take their own defense seriously. In this month's issue of the Minuteman Monthly I have attempted to mention some of these resources, but it would honestly take month's and month's of work to adequately address this issue. Again, let me restate that the above hyperlinked women's self-defense organizations and women's gun rights organizations will delve much deeper into these issues than I have time or space for here in the Minuteman Monthly. Many of you who are new subscribers to the Minuteman Monthly may not have visited my Web page about self-defense. There I list much of my feelings and list some tips concerning this most basic of Human Rights. http://www.savetheguns.com/self_defense.htm ========================================= ========================================= Quote From the Patriotettes The Patriotettes declares: "In response to the endless parade of the raped, the mugged, the stabbed and the murdered...the Patriotettes refuses to allow women to be an easy target by empowering them to fight back and defend themselves with a firearm!" Patriotettes Program http://www.patrickhenrycenter.org/programs.html ========================================= ========================================= Suggested Reading Armed and Female by Paxton Quigley (very good book, I have a copy myself) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312951507/savethegunsco-20 ========================================= ========================================= Please feel free to copy, forward, print or otherwise distribute this Minuteman Monthly Newsletter, which is the monthly periodical for http://www.SaveTheGuns.com Especially send this newsletter to your female friends. Even a woman with an anti-gun philosophy can benefit tremendously from this newsletter. I know my members and subscribers are forwarding the Minuteman Monthly out to their anti-gun friends, because I receive many "unsubscribe" requests from people who are not even subscribed in the first place. Good job, keep up the good work. ######################################### ######################################### Thank you for registering as a Minuteman Monthly Newsletter Recipient. ________________________ If you don't want this newsletter anymore, just send me an E-mail with "Unsubscribe MMM" in the subject line to: info@savetheguns.com Thanks, Marc Owner/Founder www.savetheguns.com