Minuteman Monthly Newsletter Issue 34 May 2003 Good News!!! www.SaveTheGuns.com has received its ONE MILLIONTH HIT IN APRIL. Thank you so very much for sticking with me throughout. Many of you have been subscribers to the Minuteman Monthly since I began the newsletter in the Summer of 2000, August to be exact. Celebrate with a free bumper sticker: http://www.savetheguns.com/free_bumper_sticker.htm There are enough subscribers to this newsletter now that if each of you sent me one dollar ($1.00), I could stay online for another full year. There has been a production problem with the SaveTheGuns.com embroidered caps. I really hope they will be in before the month of May gets too old. SaveTheGuns.com Members will be getting one for free, and for everyone else, they will be $12.99 when they arrive at my front door. The latest and most distressing news is that the Bush Administration seems to support the continuation of the semi-auto ban that sunsets in September of 2004. I assure you that I will be doing my best not to let this happen. However, without you guys, I am nearly powerless, so please stay alert and open my alerts when they come. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SaveTheGuns.com Quotes of the Month "Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." -- Mahatma Gandhi "Certainly one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. ... The right of citizens to bear arms is just one guarantee against arbitrary government, one more safeguard against the tyranny which now appears remote in America but which historically has proven to be possible." - Senator Hubert H. Humphrey (1960) Benjamin Franklin, before the Constitutional Convention, (June 2, 1787): "... as all history informs us, there has been in every State & Kingdom a constant kind of warfare between the governing & governed: the one striving to obtain more for its support, and the other to pay less. And this has alone occasioned great convulsions, actual civil wars, ending either in dethroning of the Princes, or enslaving of the people. Generally indeed the ruling power carries its point, the revenues of princes constantly increasing, and we see that they are never satisfied, but always in want of more. The more the people are discontented with the oppression of taxes; the greater need the prince has of money to distribute among his partisans and pay the troops that are to suppress all resistance, and enable him to plunder at pleasure. There is scarce a king in a hundred who would not, if he could, follow the example of Pharaoh, get first all the peoples money, then all their lands, and then make them and their children servants for ever ..." Marc's Message: {This truth is exactly why we have a Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and a Constitution. It is also the reason why I have created www.SaveTheGuns.com. Government entities have always strived to gain more power and authority for itself. Don't get me wrong, I am not really an anti-government extremist, I just want to make sure that our own government pays closer attention to the original intentions of these documents.} +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SaveTheGuns.com Gun Safety Tip of the Month NEVER use some prescription drugs or alcohol before or during shooting. Alcohol or drugs can impair judgment. Mistakes are more likely to happen under the influence of alcohol. Be vigilant about safety, don't drink alcohol or use some prescription drugs while handling a gun. Alcohol use before or during the handling and/or firing of a gun, can drastically increase the incidence of a scientific phenomenon known as the Stupidity Factor. Ok, I made up the "Stupidity Factor", but my point remains. Vigilance in gun safety is second only to knowing the rules themselves. The fact is that drinking beer, liquor or taking some prescription drugs can impair this vigilance and good judgment. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ May 2003 Minuteman Monthly Issue 34 Main Focus Concealed Carry The issue of concealed carry of firearms in a public place is a very deep and quite involved subject. I will only have the time and space here to briefly touch upon the subject and try to spark more interest in it. At the end of the article, I will provide many links to Web pages that will go far more deeply into the subject than I will here. The concealed carry of firearms in a public place is an issue that can be and indeed should be, a very personal decision. Concealed carry is not for everyone. Even if you do live in one of the now 35 states in the United States that allow it, it still may or may not be for you. In my opinion, if you frequently visit bars and exhibit poor judgment, argumentative behavior or lose your temper often, then concealed carry of a handgun in a public setting may not be for you. If however, you demonstrate a deep sense of public safety and you are very concerned with the security of those around you at all times, concealed carry might be an option that you would like to consider. Many studies on the subject have universally concluded that lifting restrictions on lawful concealed carry of firearms in a public place, does not lead to more gunfights in the street, but actually drops crime levels. Prior to October 1997, most states either prohibited concealed carry in public, or restricted it under a licensing system that gave the government broad powers over the decision to grant the permit or to deny it. In October 1997, the state of Florida adopted a "shall issue" concealed carry law. "Shall Issue" means that the government must grant the permit as long as the citizen checks out okay at the local level. The permit-holding Floridian is the cream of the crop of law-abiding citizens. They are about 840 times less likely to commit a violent firearm crime than a randomly selected Floridian without a permit. After this law went into affect, Florida saw a drastic drop in crime rates, especially for person on person crimes such as rape. Since this successful law went into affect, 34 other states have done the same thing and "shall issue" concealed carry laws have become highly popular with state legislators. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Visit These Web Sites To Help SaveTheGuns.com (Don't forget to buy something!!!) http://www.qksrv.net/click-1101834-19357 (NBAF Magazine Subscriptions) http://www.qksrv.net/click-1101834-1161489 (CheaperThanDirt.com) http://www.vstore.com/vstorereading/savetheguns (VStore Address) https://secure.paypal.com/refer/pal=markel@tmlp.com (PayPal Sign Up Bonus Link) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/savethegunsco-20 (Amazon.com Associates) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Once you have made the very personal decision to carry a handgun in public, there are a few things that must be considered. Here are some of the things I think need to be in the front of your mind when making this decision. After this list, I will give you some Web sites to visit to learn more and then we can part ways until next month... 1.) Your Will... No, I am not talking about your last will and testament, I am talking about your will to take the life of another human being to save that of your own or a member of your family. Killing another human being to save yourself may not be as clear an issue as you might think at first glance. Each person must answer this question first. Can I kill someone in order to save my own life, if the situation ever arises? A very personal decision indeed. This is a decision that you should not wait to make until you are looking at an assailant over the barrel of your new handgun. 2.) Revolver or Semi-auto? This again is a very personal decision. In 90% to 93% of self-defense with a firearm, the assailant will leave the area, when confronted with an armed and determined victim. The average actual shootout, lasts a total of about three bullets or less. That includes both assailant and defender fire. In my opinion, if you cannot solve the self-defense situation you have been presented with inside of six (6) bullets, you probably shouldn't have been firing in the first place. An extremely insignificant number of self-defense shootings require any degree of reloading. The key to this question is comfort. Are you comfortable enough with the operation of a semi-automatic handgun to risk its use to save your life. I am quite comfortable with either one, having been shooting guns since I was quite young, but I carry a revolver. You also should make certain that the firearm you choose is powerful enough. If I am ever forced to shoot someone to stop their attack, I want that cartridge to work and work well. 3.) Proper Concealment Holster and Clothing? A proper holster is also a much overlooked aspect of this issue. If you cannot draw the gun and get it on target very quickly, you are wasting your time. Can you imagine the horror of being in a hot situation where a self-defense firearm is needed in a hurry and you can't get the dang thing out, or it gets hung up, snagged or dropped? Investigate and research good information on holster choice closely before deciding what is best for you. 4.) Self Defense Law Once you have decided that carrying a concealed firearm in public is for you and you have considered the three listed items above, it is absolutely essential that you fully understand the self-defense laws in your own home state. Self-defense law can even vary from town to town in some cases. In my own home state of Massachusetts, self-defense law is separated into two segments. Inside the home and outside the home, self-defense law is treated very differently. So in short, it is fundamental, that you completely understand self-defense law. My opinion has always been that it is a better thing to be tried in court by twelve people, than to be carried to a hearse by six, but observing self-defense law in your home state is a very important consideration that cannot be ignored or assumed. 5.) Practice The last thing I want to touch upon in this month's newsletter is practice. Practice with your concealed carry firearm is an essential. Practice getting the firearm on target quickly and practice getting your shots on target effectively. Your regular practice will help you tremendously if you ever really do happen to be in a situation where you are justified to use it to defend your life. Regular practice can help you overcome some of the things that will happen to your body during a mortal combat situation, such as the adrenaline and Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) dump, which will do all kinds of things to your body. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ There is a Amazon.com search box under the navigation bar on every page. Plug in Massad Ayoob or concealed carry and many books will pop up for your info and enjoyment. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NOW FOR THE LINKS>>> Seven (7) Great Links Concerning Concealed Carry These are great resources. Everything about concealed carry including shooting school links, self-defense law and clothing. Check them all out and save them for future reference. http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-284.html http://www.packing.org/ http://www.concealcarry.org/ http://www.concealedcarry.com/home.php http://www.civic.bev.net/shawnee/ccw.htm http://www.concealedcarrymethods.com/main/index.html http://www.martialartsresource.com/firearms.htm Thank you for registering as a Minuteman Monthly Newsletter Recipient. If you don't want this newsletter or the legislative alerts anymore, just send me an e-mail with "Unsubscribe MMM" in the subject line to: info@savetheguns.com