Minuteman Monthly Newsletter Issue 61 August 2006 Have you ever had an argument with someone concerning the Second Amendment? Most of us in the pro-gun community have. Does your opponent believe that the Second Amendment refers to the National Guard and nothing more? Do you get angry and frustrated in response? How do you respond? Read on in this August Issue of the Minuteman Monthly for my opinion. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SAVETHEGUNS.COM QUOTES OF THE MONTH "The sovereignty fetish is still so strong in the public mind, that there would appear to be little chance of winning popular assent to American membership in anything approaching a super-state organization. Much will depend on the kind of approach which is used in further popular education." Council on Foreign Relations Source: "American Public Opinion and Postwar Security Commitments", 1944 "We believe that no armed group outside of the State should be allowed to bear weapons. We also believe that regulating civilian possession of Small Arms/Light Weapons will enhance our efforts to prevent its misuse. In our view, the issue of ammunition should also be addressed in the context of the Program of Action because in the absence of ammunition, small arms and light weapons pose no danger." Indonesia U.N. Representative U.N. Small Arms Conference July 2006 "On every question of construction (of the Constitution) let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invent against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed." Thomas Jefferson letter to William Johnson, June 12, 1823 "I hope, therefore, a bill of rights will be formed to guard the people against the Federal government as they are already guarded against their State governments, in most instances." Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1788. ME 7:98 "Let us contemplate our forefathers and posterity and resolve to maintain the rights bequeathed to us from the former, for the sake of the latter. The necessity of the times, more than ever, calls for our utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude, and perseverance. Let us remember that 'if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty, we encourage it, and involve others in our doom.' It is a very serious consideration that millions yet unborn may be the miserable sharers of the event." Samuel Adams speech, 1771 (I am honored to be a descendent of Samuel Adams and his cousin President John Adams.) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SAVETHEGUNS.COM GUN SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH In the year 2001, there were fifteen (15) accidental deaths with a firearm involving children ages 0 to 4. That's right!! You heard me correctly. Fifteen times in the year 2001, a child under the age of five was killed while mishandling a loaded firearm. I simply cannot imagine the horror of having a two, three or four year old child getting a hold of a loaded firearm in the home, firing it and getting killed. Chances are of course that parents or grandparents were present, in the home. Perhaps they were in another room at the time, while their child or grandchild was investigating side table draws, end tables or perhaps a bedroom bureau or were hiding under a bed in the master bedroom etc. I cannot imagine the hideous horror of having a child this young dying in your arms as you hopelessly watch. For a defensive firearm to be useful in the home, it has to be accessed pretty quickly. You should practice obtaining a defensive firearm and work on increasing your speed and efficiency in doing so. But at the same time, you should not have it so accessible that an inquisitive three year old child can get a hold of it and handle it without supervision. My gun safety tip of the month is to not simply hide a loaded firearm where a child as young as two, three or four can get a hold of it and fire it without supervision. Any steps you can take to prevent this appalling and dreadful tragedy will be well worth your efforts. If it's just a key-locked draw in a side table or a biometric wall safe that reliably reads your fingerprints to open quickly, you must make an effort to stop this potentially life altering tragedy. I have become an affiliate of Wall-Vault. I believe in this product. You can access a defensive handgun incredibly quickly, but it's also safe from unauthorized access. This easy-to-install wall safe can be quickly opened with a simple four digit keypad or even by biometrically reading your fingerprints. Go here for more information on the different models and prices available. http://www.wall-vault.com/?aff=marcr +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NRA MEMBERSHIPS In February of 2005, I became a membership recruiter for the National Rifle Association of America. Now at about four million plus (4,000,000+) members, it's the most powerful pro-gun and pro-gun safety organization on Earth. They've been defending your rights to own and use the firearm of your choice since 1871. The benefits of membership keep getting better and better. I've recruited forty new NRA Members this year!! Help me double that to eighty by the end of the year! Pass this newsletter on to others! Isn't it about time that you defended the NRA? Join or renew today through this link. http://membership.nrahq.org/default.asp?campaignid=XR017807 What is the expiration date on your NRA Membership Card? Could you afford to re-join today? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SAVETHEGUNS.COM! You've visited me at www.SaveTheGuns.com. Some of my pages get visited more than 18,000 times a year!! You've enjoyed the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter and my occasional alerts. You support my efforts to reach out and teach gun safety to more than 70,000 children and 450,000 adults from all over the world!! But you've never given me a voluntary contribution to support me in this effort. Isn't it about time you got your credit card out of your wallet and sent me ten or twenty bucks? If everyone reading this message sent me just one dollar ($1.00), I wouldn't have to ask for another contribution for a year or more!! Sending me a small contribution using your credit card is easy. Use my Amazon Honor System page at Amazon.com by going here with a credit card ready: http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3GXU3PIEM5ST1 I sincerely appreciate your efforts if you've sent me cash before. If you've sent me a contribution in the past, you need not do so today. I'm asking the three hundred plus people who get this newsletter who I've never heard from!! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MINUTEMAN MONTHLY AIMING POINT FOR AUGUST 2006 You're at work and during break-time, a fellow employee challenges your interpretation of the Second Amendment's protection of the right to keep and bear arms. Their opinion is that it only protects the rights of states to maintain militia forces and that it's outdated and does not apply to today's America. How do you respond? What facts does your argument have? Do you just get flustered, or do you have a cogent and accurate reply? Here are some talking points that I'll touch upon. The issue of the Second Amendment and our natural right to keep and bear arms is way too large and complex for a brief discussion in a monthly newsletter. But I'll try to give you some ammunition to fire back with that you might not have thought of before. POINTS OF DISCUSSION ***The Bill of Rights was introduced into the United States House of Representatives by James Madison on June 8, 1789. ***The Bill of Rights was adopted on December 15, 1791. ***The term "A well regulated militia..." did not mean regulation by legislation. It meant that the militia should work efficiently, they should be effective, competent and skillful. Just as the pendulum of a clock is called a regulator, that part of the Second Amendment meant that the militia should be consistent, punctual and systematic. It meant that the militia should be in proper working order. ***The Second Amendment itself is actually two separate, but related statements. It says "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." Many of the Founding Fathers were afraid of a powerful central government controlling a large military force and imposing themselves upon the individual states. They wanted to make certain that the states would be able to have their own armed militias in order to keep the general peace. Secondly, the Founding Fathers wanted to make certain that those who were not active in an organized state militia, also retained the right to own and carry their firearms without infringement from their own government. That is why the term "...the people..." is used in the second clause. It's really not that difficult to understand why they wrote it the way they did. Additionally, never forget the fact that the term "The People" was mentioned many times in the founding documents, in their personal writings, speeches and newspaper articles. In no place in history did the term "The People" mean anything other than the general population of the United States. ***The Second Amendment came about as a compromise between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists wanted a powerful central government and the Anti-Federalists were afraid that a powerful central government would, in time, subvert the rights of the people. A good explanation of these concepts regarding the Second Amendment can be found at Wiki-Pedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution This compromise is the reason for the wording used in the Second Amendment. ***The term "militia" means something different to us today than it did to the Founding Fathers in 1789. Our modern meaning of the word militia does not change the original meaning and intent of the word when it was passed in 1791. In the years prior to any of the founding documents of the United States, the militia generally referred to the body of men from the population who were between the ages of 16 and 60 years of age. ***If the Founding Fathers thought and believed that only an active force of militia had the right to bear arms for the defense of the country and that the general population did not have this right to arms, the Founding Fathers kept that a complete secret. Nowhere in any of the founding documents, speeches, letters to one another or the Federalist Papers was this concept ever mentioned. If you want to get some real quotes from the Founding Fathers on the subject, be sure to pay a visit to my "Quotes" page at: http://www.savetheguns.com/quotes.htm HERE ARE A FEW QUOTES THAT I'LL MENTION: ***"The right of the people to keep and bear arms has been recognized by the General Government; but the best security of that right after all is, the military spirit, that taste for martial exercises, which has always distinguished the free citizens of these States....Such men form the best barrier to the liberties of America" Gazette of the United States October 14, 1789 "The militia, who are in fact the effective part of the people at large, will render many troops quite unnecessary. They will form a powerful check upon the regular troops, and will generally be sufficient to over-awe them" Tench Coxe, An American Citizen IV, October 21, 1787 "I ask sir, what is the militia? It is the whole body of the people except for a few public officials. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them..." George Mason 1725-1792 "The Father of the Bill of Rights" ***In May of 1792, five months after the ratification of the Bill of Rights, the Militia Act of 1792 was passed. This act made a distinction between the organized militia who were uniformed and met often to drill and train together and the enrolled militia, that consisted of all able-bodied males between the ages of 17 and 44. Before the Militia Act of 1792, the militia referred to in the Second Amendment simply consisted of all able bodied males between the ages of 16 and 60. ***The Second Amendment did not refer only to the organized and uniformed militia that actively trained and mustered. This is crystal clear because there was no legal or defined separation between the active militia and all able-bodied males in 1789 when it was introduced to Congress or in 1791 when it was ratified. The Militia Act of 1792 was the very first federal act that distinguished between an organized and active militia and the rest of the American citizens who were of militia age. It's essential to note that the Second Amendment was ratified before this act!! The Militia Act of 1792 was passed by Congress five months after the ratification of the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights. ***There have been quite a few acts passed by Congress that have addressed the role and official definition of the militia. However, it's important that you understand that none of these acts have the power to alter the original intention of the Founding Fathers when they ratified the Constitution in 1791. One of these acts was the Militia Act of 1903, which created the National Guard. In your arguments supporting the Second Amendment, make certain that you mention that the National Guard was created one hundred fourteen (114) years after the introduction of the Second Amendment to Congress and one hundred twelve (112) years since its ratification. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GREAT GIFT IDEAS YOU'LL LOVE!!! Gun Related Shirts, Mugs, Bumper Stickers and more.... http://www.cafepress.com/buy/guns?pid=5951342 Libertarian? http://www.cafepress.com/buy/libertarian?pid=5951342 Republican? http://www.cafepress.com/buy/republican?pid=5951342 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Minuteman Monthly Aiming Point continued... ***The National Guard did not exist until another act was passed by Congress that again redefined the militia in 1903. This act simply went a long way toward recognizing that individual state militias weren't completely necessary anymore. In fact, by the late 1800s, most organized state militias weren't meeting, drilling and training together as they once had. As I just mentioned above, this act wad called the Militia Act of 1903. In passing this act, Congress was merely addressing the evolution of the role of the militia in the United States. ***However, again, it's essential that the reader completely grasp the concept that these acts that redefined the role and terms under which the militia operated, did not alter the meaning or intention of the Second Amendment as it was ratified in 1791 prior to any of these acts. Furthermore, none of these acts allowed the federal or state governments to impose restrictions upon law abiding gun owners. None of these acts ever introduced the notion that the general population of the United States did not have the right to individually bear arms themselves. ***Now let's briefly discuss the concept of what the Founding Fathers referred to as "natural rights". The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness written about in the Declaration of Independence are just a few of the natural rights of all human beings. Sometimes the Founders referred to natural rights as "unalienable rights". These rights were considered to be inherent in all human beings and were not contingent upon the acts or beliefs of others or of any government body. ***Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are just three of the natural rights of human beings that the Founding Fathers recognized, supported and wrote about. The right to life is an obvious nod to the natural and G-d-given rights of self defense. The right to keep and bear arms and the natural rights of human self defense are inseparable. You cannot separate the right to keep and bear arms with the basic human right of self defense. ***Nearly every single list of what we would call natural rights or universal human rights, include life and liberty. To protect both life and liberty from hoodlums or our own government, firearm ownership and carry must play a role. The protection and defense of life and liberty is impotent without firearm possession. Human beings, by nature seek out the natural rights of life, liberty and happiness and frankly, all three of those rights can include gun possession free from infringement by our own government or certainly by any international governing body like the United Nations. ***After the atrocities against human beings by Nazi Germany and others during World War II became apparent, the United Nations passed a resolution called The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (also UDHR). It is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/217, December 10, 1948 at Palais de Chaillot, Paris. Among the rights of human beings declared by the United Nations in 1948 were these: The right to life, liberty and security of person. The right to an education. The right to employment, paid holidays, protection against unemployment and social security. The right to participate fully in cultural life. Freedom from torture or cruel, inhumane treatment or punishment. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Freedom of expression and opinion Of course, many of these rights listed in the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, can ONLY be properly defended under certain circumstances with private ownership of firearms. It's essential to note that all genocides in world history were preceded by firearm confiscations. ***Furthermore, it is absolutely essential that we all fully recognize that we do not get our rights from our government. Our rights protected by the Bill of Rights, do not come from the Bill of Rights. Our rights do not flow from any government body at all. Our natural rights, which include the right to life itself, existed since the beginning of time. They do not originate from our government because it's not theirs to dole out. Our rights flow from both Heaven and nature and do not come from government. It's actually government's role to protect these rights from infringement. Although most world governments are denying many of these rights to their people, rather than protecting and defending these basic rights of human beings. ***Wherever natural rights have been denied, Nazi Germany 1933-1945 (20,946,000 dead), U.S.S.R. 1917-1987 (61,911,000 dead), People's Republic of China 1949-1987 (35,236,000 dead), the natural rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness still existed. In these countries and dozens more who have committed atrocities against mankind, the natural rights of human beings still existed, they were simply being denied these rights by their own governments. ***Even today, many governments are denying the natural rights of human beings to their citizens. The Founding Fathers believed that without our Bill of Rights, eventually even the government of the United States and our own individual states governments would begin to deny these rights to its own citizens. "I hope, therefore, a bill of rights will be formed to guard the people against the Federal government as they are already guarded against their State governments, in most instances." Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1788. ME 7:98 ***Women have the natural human right not to be executed for having any part of their skin exposed to the sun. In Taliban ruled Afghanistan under their Sharia Law, women were being denied nearly every right afforded to most human beings. Of course the natural rights of human beings were being denied to these women by their own government, even so, these rights still existed. That is one of the facts that played a role in our replacement of the Taliban as a ruling entity in Afghanistan. (don't e-mail me with views on Middle East politics, I don't have the free time to discuss it.) :-) ***Even in the United States of today, in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois, the natural human right of self defense (right to life) in a public place is being denied to their citizens. The people of Wisconsin and Illinois are being denied their right to protect their own lives in public with a firearm. That is why allowing concealed carry in a public place is so very important. The right of concealed carry of a firearm is inseparable from the right to life and liberty itself. Any legislator in either of these states who are against these laws are likewise denying these natural human rights to their citizens, even though these rights still exist by nature. To the residents of Wisconsin and Illinois, I say this; your own states are denying you your basic human right of self defense in a public place. Call them, write them, fax them and meet with them. Do not stand for it one more minute!!! So in conclusion, I have tried to list some talking points for you. The next time you hear someone arguing against our right to keep and bear arms, try to bring up these points I've listed for you. The concept of natural human rights and the fact that our rights are not given to us by our government are essential for everyone to grasp. The Bill of Rights is not a list of the rights that are benevolently handed to us by our government as citizens. Rather they are a list of the natural rights of free human beings as citizens of the United States. The Bill of Rights is a list of limitations upon government interference in our natural rights as a free people. The Bill of Rights was meant to protect the people from their own government. It is NOT a list of rights graciously given to us by benevolent masters. So the next time a friend, co-worker or family member challenges you on your beliefs concerning the right to keep and bear arms, I urge you to memorize these talking points and carry them around as ammunition in your head to go to battle with. I love doing this type of work! I just wish I could make a living at it!! Thanks, Marc Richardson Owner/Founder www.SaveTheGuns.com "Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American..." Tench Coxe To opt-out of further e-mails from www.SaveTheGuns.com simply reply with "Unsubscribe MMM" in the subject line. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ You may copy, print, post, quote, blog or otherwise use the content of this newsletter for whatever purpose you see fit. I only request that somewhere you mention that you got it from www.SaveTheGuns.com!