Minuteman Monthly Issue 9 (April 2001) Welcome to the April 2001 issue of the Minuteman Monthly. This is the ninth enlightening issue of the newsletter for www.savetheguns.com/. **************************************** Buy One, Get One Free April 2001 is a BOGO Month for pin-on buttons from Savetheguns.com. This month only, Minuteman Monthly Subscribers only can purchase a single pin-on button and get a second one free!! If you use PayPal for your purchase, simply purchase a single button with your PayPal account and send me an e-mail about which button you want for free!! Here is the buttons and shirts page: www.savetheguns.com/buttons_and_shirts.htm **************************************** This Month's Safety Tip This month's gun safety tip is to ALWAYS make sure that you know where the bullet is going to stop, after you fire it. Thousands of accidents or near accidents have occurred because the shooter does not take this rule seriously. If you fire at a target and miss that target, where is the bullet going to end up??? The prudent and safe shooter can always answer this question without hesitation. Even if you hit your target, is the bullet going to continue traveling? And where will it end up? I know it's hard to resist shooting at that abandoned junk car, but what about ricochets? Ricocheted bullets are the culprit for many unintentional accidents every year. Engine blocks, cement blocks, empty propane tanks and shooting into water, all present possible ricochet hazards. Hunting presents its own set of dangers. While tracking a bird, just taking flight, is that barrel sweeping one of your hunting buddies? As you bring a hunting firearm to bear on your target, please make sure you ALWAYS consider what is behind and beyond that animal and always identify the sex of the animal BEFORE pulling through on the trigger. Shooting at movement or sound is the major cause for accidents in the field. Before you pull that trigger, know for sure where the bullet will come to a stop. Some .30 caliber centerfire rifles can fire a bullet up to five (5) miles when fired at the right angle or at a higher elevation. Never shoot a rifle into the air, not knowing where it will land. ***************************************** This Month's Quotation This is a brand new feature of the Minuteman Monthly newsletter. Every month, I will try to come up with a meaningful quotation concerning firearm ownership, that came from the pens of our forefathers. "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 1788 **************************************** Workplace and School Violence The centerpiece for this month's issue is the tragically recurring incidence of workplace violence and school shootings. The crux of this month's newsletter discusses problems and possible solutions to these types of tragedies that are getting so much attention in the press lately. These incidents are enflaming the passions of the People, for more gun control efforts. I am beginning to think more and more, that while promoting gun safety, education and the original intention of the Second Amendment, I must also have an eye towards offering solutions to America's ills that do not involve the eradication of our liberties that are recognized under the United States Constitution. **************************************** Workplace Violence Most workplace violence does not occur as a result of a single deranged and mentally disturbed individual, shooting co-workers out of a deluded rage, although it seems that the media really jumps on these types of stories and attempts to portray them as an epidemic. Most workplace violence comes from young people 16 to 25, who commit robberies. I am not a criminologist, but my feeling is that this type of criminal does not fear being punished by prison time. They know full well, that their chance of being caught, properly processed, properly tried in court and spending a long time in prison robbed of their freedom and liberty is not very great and that they weigh this possibility against the potential gain of a criminal act and choose to commit the crime for financial gain. The average career criminal just barely makes enough money to survive. In fact, the average career criminal's yearly income is well below the poverty level. Why does the habitual criminal choose this type of life? It all starts when the career criminal is a small child and has no strong, honest, moral and upstanding father at home that makes sure they know the difference between right and wrong and morality and immorality. ************************************** A Cause Let me let you in on some alarming statistics about "Dadless" or fatherless homes. 63% of youth suicides happen in fatherless homes. 70% of youths in State operated institutions come from fatherless homes. 71% of High School dropouts come from fatherless homes. 75% of teenagers in drug rehab centers come from fatherless homes. 80% percent of convicted rapists were raised in a fatherless home. 85% of all youths currently sitting in prison cells right now came from a home with no father to help put them on the right path of life. 85% of all children under age 18 who exhibit behavioral disorders live in fatherless homes. 90% of all runaway and homeless children, once lived in a fatherless home. Please absorb these statistics. I am not putting condemnation totally and completely on non-existent Dads, but these statistics cannot be ignored anymore. Of course, the armed criminal himself must bear full responsibility for their actions. In 1961, the average American teenager could reasonably expect to be raised with a Dad and Mom at home to guide him or her through the issues of morality, integrity, righteousness and life's decisions. 40 years later in 2001, the average American child can reasonably expect to not have their Dad at home to give them the early guidance so essential to a living a godly and virtuous life. There are numerous Biblical passages that clearly state that it is the father's responsibility to train their children in the way they should go about their lives. ************************************ Mass Shootings In The Workplace Workplace Homicides (Rates are per 100,000 employees) Taxi-cabs 41.4 Detective and Protective Industries 7.0 Liquor Stores 4.8 Jewelry Stores 4.7 Grocery Stores 3.8 Justice and Public Order Industries 2.2 Eating and Drinking Establishments 1.5 Hotels and Motels 0.8 There has been a perceived increase in the number of shootings that have occurred in the workplace in the last ten years. In most instances, the shooters showed a host of warning signs that there was approaching danger. Although hindsight is always 20/20, these seemingly clear warning signs are largely ignored or unreported by management and co-workers alike. Many co-workers completely dismissed these killers as weird or eccentric and their threats to commit violent acts were not taken seriously. Workplace violence corporate policy almost always includes regulations about not carrying firearms while at work. Many of these corporations include being fired as the consequence of carrying firearms at work. Corporate lawyers and policy decision makers completely understand the liability issues involved. If a co-worker shoots another co-worker while on the job, the corporation has nearly no liability, but if an employee is allowed a firearm while on the job and someone gets injured during the commission of a crime, the corporation has some degree of liability. Corporate workplace violence policy against firearms leans much more heavily on eliminating liability rather than protection of employees. Workplace violence policy that forbids firearms makes it much safer for the company, but leaves its employees vulnerable. In every instance of mass shootings at the workplace, the shooter's last concern is about violating company policy. The shooter's main concern is about whether or not he will kill himself when he is finished. In short, workplace violence corporate policy MUST FOCUS more upon early detection of disturbed individuals. Employees with obvious mental illness should be dealt with in an appropriate manner and not simply dismissed as being eccentric. Any threats of mass murder in the workplace MUST be taken with the utmost in seriousness. If an employee is lawfully entitled to carry a concealed firearm in public, and knows full well, the responsibilities involved and the potential risks, I see no reason why the armed law-abiding employee would not be welcome in the workplace. The only reason the law-abiding gun owner is not welcome in the workplace, is the liability issue and corporate greed. After a mass murder in the workplace has occurred, only the lucky survivors and the dead, observed corporate workplace violence policy which all too often shows its inadequacy. My feeling is that the shooter has pretty much conceded the fact that he is about to be fired for his actions... ****************************************** <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Sponsoring the Minuteman Monthly Do you have a business that might benefit from a monthly advertisement in the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter? How about a banner ad? Both banner ads and Minuteman Monthly ads are just $10.00 per month. If you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring this newsletter with an ad, just e-mail me at Minuteman_Monthly@savetheguns.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ****************************************** Savetheguns BookShop As of this writing, the Savetheguns BookShop has received 8470 page views since January 9th. If you have not yet been to the BookShop, please take the time to pay a visit. Here you can find hundreds of firearm and hunting related books that the major mall bookstores don't carry anymore because it's "Politically Correct" not to... There are also hundreds of thousands of books from hundreds of topics. The last one I bought was "Anchor Man" by Steve Farrar. www.vstore.com/vstorereading/savetheguns ****************************************** School Violence First of all, let me unequivocally and clearly state that nearly everything an unsupervised juvenile does with a firearm is ALREADY ILLEGAL and further gun control laws are simply aimed at diminishing freedom and liberty. Furthermore, firearms are already forbidden on school property. Most of the school shooters break more than twenty laws before they are done. Our nations schools still remain among the safest places in the nation, as they should be. The mass media seems to be promoting the idea that schools are a seedbed of violence involving firearms, when less than 1% of violence committed with firearms occurs at school. But there have been more than a dozen school shootings since 1994. 80% of these shooters were previously bullied in school and fought back with firearms. Just about everyone was bullied in school. This seems to be a massive and growing problem. It is my opinion that there is more bullying going on in school now than in any previous generation and there has to be something comprehensive and lasting done about it. Let's face the problem head on for a moment. The bully typically will tyrannize a child who is younger, smaller, more vulnerable or someone who displays low self-esteem. The bully feels a need to do this, because the bully feels inadequate himself, and uses this abuse to make himself feel better. We MUST have a comprehensive policy in schools around the country to curtail these episodes of physical, emotional and psychological damage to our young people. My Proposal We should have a policy where school children are encouraged to report the incidence of bullying. Last year, my child reported a bullying incident to his grade school principal. He was promptly told by the head of the school, to not be a tattletale and get back to class. This principal was exacerbating the problem by ignoring a bullying incident that he did not want to deal with. This is precisely the problem that needs to be avoided. Every single day, teachers and school administrators witness these events of kids being bullied and do nothing specific or tangible to stop it in the future. I have relatives that were teachers and got out of the profession because they were injured through breaking up school violence. Don't get me wrong here, teachers are not responsible for school violence. It is not their job to break up fights. It is not their job to control students that have no self-control. However, since many students simply refuse to behave in school, there must be some comprehensive way to deal with bullying. I propose that once a bullying event occurs, that the principal is mandated to set up a meeting between the bully and his parents, the bullied child and his parents, one teacher and one appointed student representative. The principal should begin the meeting by introducing himself, the teacher, the student representative, the bullied child's parents, the bullies' parents, the bullied child and finally the accused bully, in that order. The principal should stress the fact that school policy no longer tolerates any bullying incident whatsoever. Furthermore, it should be stressed that bullying inflicts social, psychological, emotional and physical harm. Regular and systematic bullying can affect self-esteem and social behavior well into adulthood and it will not be tolerated under any circumstances. School is a place where a kid's future place in society will be determined and cultivated and there is no room for bullies. After the incident is fully explained, witnesses are brought in before the group for clarification and everyone has their chance to speak, the meeting should end with handshakes from all participants involved. A second bullying event will result in a ten (10) day suspension and an entry into the bully's permanent record which may be accessible to future colleges or employers, along with another meeting just like the one described above. A third bullying event will result in a school expulsion for the rest of the school year. The bully's parents, then must pursue other means to make sure their child gets a proper education. Period. It is far past time that we as parents and school administrators take bullying incidents seriously. Events of bullying outside of school most likely can result in criminal charges of assault of battery and criminal threatening at the very least. It is time that school systems around the country take incidence of bullying just as seriously. If we don't do something very soon, and very concrete about bullying, we legitimize the next school shooting. By doing nothing to stop the growing epidemic of bullying incidents developing into shootings, we all lose. Feel free to copy and send this proposal to your family, friends, co-workers and school administrators. ***************************************** More Than Bullying Obviously bullying is not the only cause of school shootings. It comes from a combination of broken families, deviant social environment, no biblically based teaching of moral absolutes in the family, a sense of hopelessness, and a host of other social maladies. The answers to stopping school shooting are as complex as the causes. However, I think a common thread that runs through these solutions is bringing back religion, morality and biblical teaching. In case you have not seen my "Share The Solution" page, here is the address: www.savetheguns.com/share_the_solution.htm This page has many quotations about religion and morality from the Founding Fathers and other great people from America's past. Let's look to the founders of this great country for answers. Why not take a look? ***************************************** No Solution Gun control proposals in response in school shootings is an old, ineffective and totally useless idea. Firearms have been an integral part of human society since the late 1320's. Now after 680 years, some people see firearms as a cause of violence. This is of course quite ludicrous. Blaming firearms for violent acts is using the same logic as condemning pens and pencils for misspelled words, or blaming forks and spoons for obesity, or blaming a book of matches for a case of arson. Gun control legislation in response to school shootings is like giving someone an aspirin as they jump out a plane without a parachute. It is ineffective, futile and impotent. In fact, the majority of school shootings occur in States with more than average gun control laws. Students who use firearms to hurt fellow students at school break an average of 15 laws, before they even get there. The two student terrorists at Columbine High School, broke a grand total of 34 laws. *************************************** Doctors For Gun Control Today, there seems to be quite a bit of this "doctors against guns" stuff going around. Some doctors are just safety conscious and don't want to further erode the Second Amendment, while other doctors groups openly promote such rubbish as "one gun a month" and other ridiculous restrictions. I could go on and on and on about doctors and the medical associations getting involved in gun control, but I will make this one very quick. There are approximately 180,000 deaths each year due to medical mistakes, malpractice and negligence. This is about ten times (10 X) the amount of deaths caused by the criminal misuse of firearms. Doctors, heal thyself!!! ***************************************