I got a call from a guy in the Seattle area last night asking about Boomershoot.
KING5 Evening Magazine ran their Boomershoot 2005 video again. They put a new introduction on it and called it Blowing off steam at Boomershoot this time.
The guy that called signed up a few minutes later and will be attending on Sunday.
Update: I got another call from the Seattle area from someone else seriously considering attending.
Conservatives admire radicals who were right. Liberals admire radicals who have been proven wrong, but remain convinced that the theory is sound if only the right people were in charge….
James
April 19, 2010
In a comment to Quote of the day–Leo C. Rosten.
[Of course this disregards the redefinition of “liberal” that has occurred over the last 150 years.
Reading between the lines of this you can see why it is so important to “liberals” to engage in voter fraud and engage in political violence. They want a powerful (and frequently totalitarian) government and they know it is critical “the right people” control such a powerful government.–Joe]
Rivrdog has finalized the rules for the Boomershoot Mini-Match on Friday and Saturday.
He has changed the originally proposed rules such that I won’t be able to game it as I had contemplated.
Barron just put up his Boomershoot 2009 video.
I would attempt to make some snarky comment about procrastination but daughter Xenia is the Queen of Procrastination and she probably inherited that trait from me.
Conservative: One who admires radicals centuries after they’re dead.
Leo C. Rosten
[There is more than a little truth in this.–Joe]
You are in Boomershoot mode. I can sense the energy.
Barbara Scott
April 18, 2010
[Yeah. Boomershoot has been consuming nearly all my cycles and actually Barb is being a more than a little bit generous in saying she can “sense the energy”. I tend to get grumpy with her.–Joe]
Democracy is the road to socialism.
Karl Marx
[See also Socialism and Democracy.
Although Marx had not yet been born the Founding Father’s knew better than to give us a Democracy and created a Republic with enumerated powers instead. This has gradually been corrupted into an unlimited power monstrosity through appeals to Democracy. Remember this whenever someone espouses the virtues of Democracy. We don’t want a Democracy.
This quote was inspired by certain recent political events. I find it very telling that when asked where in the Constitution the Federal government is given the power to force people to buy health insurance the leaders of this monster say (via Bill Whittle), “Are you serious?” I think the appropriate answer to Ms. Pelosi’s response would have been to lower your voice by about an octave and slowly and clearly say, “As. Serious. As. A. Heart. Attack.“–Joe]
I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.
George S. Patton, Jr.
Exhortation to troops, North Africa
[Even if we if only speak figuratively about fighting a culture “war” with the enemies of freedom the same sort of exhortation applies. “Dying” may be an economic “death” of their organizations from lack of donations. Or it may be that we starve them of media coverage because we outnumber them 10 (or 100) to 1 at rallies. But still we win the war by “killing off” their “troops” (supporters).
Think in terms of your activism doing the most damage possible to your opponents rather than sacrifice of yourself.
Also of possible interest is people attending Boomershoot this year will be within a mile or so of one of Patton’s Jeep drivers who served in Europe during WW II. He has a farm nearby and lives just over the hill a little way from the Boomershoot site.–Joe]
If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
Abraham Lincoln
From Lincoln’s Yarns and Stores by Alexander McClure, page 81.
[Brady Campaign, Violence Policy Center; this is for you.–Joe]
There have been some more last minute cancelations and we now have six seven open shooting positions for Boomershoot 2010.
There are lots of positions available for both the Friday and Saturday evening High Intensity events.
Sign up here: http://entry.boomershoot.org/
Update: Position 33 just opened up as well.
Without free speech no search for truth is possible … no discovery of truth is useful … Better a thousandfold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech. The abuse of dies in a day, but the denial slays the life of the people, and entombs the hope of the race.
Charles Bradlaugh
1890
[And what ultimately protects free speech from infringement? Our contracts with our governments, our constitutions. And how do we enforce our contracts? With the soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, and when all else fails, the cartridge box. Hence, a similar claim could be made of the importance of the “cartridge box” as Bradlaugh did for free speech. There will be abuse with such freedom exists. But the abuse will be minor compared to the catastrophe that awaits the society that embraces the denial of the specific, enumerated right to keep and bear arms.–Joe]
When it comes to realism about elections, democrats (the Evil Party) generally do better than republicans (the Stupid Party). Democrats really want to win. They’re motivated by a belief that America is a sexist, racist, homophobic, unfair, unequal country. At the same time, they believe that society can be fundamentally changed by the political process. Therefore, getting and keeping political power means everything, and justifies any and all subterfuges. In addition, many democrats know that if they don’t win, they don’t eat. Many leftwing activists live on government paychecks, or government grants to organizations that, like ACORN, meet their budgets with taxpayer money.
Bill Summer
Via Alan Korwin
[This matches my impression but Summers expresses it more eloquently than I could.–Joe]
I shot in a USPSA pistol match yesterday. I knew I did quit well in two of the stages (I thought I probably had won both but I only won one of them). But I figured I messed up some of the other stages bad enough to drop me down to fourth or fifth place overall.
It turns out I came in second overall–a close second to Master class shooter Adam who was having a really bad day:
Place Name USPSA Class Division PF Lady Mil Law For Age Points Stg %
1 ADAM A42720 M Limited Major N N N N 269.0633 100.00%
2 JOE TY29386 B Limited Major N N N N 255.2261 94.86%
3 KW L2847 C Limited 10 Major N N N N Senior 254.4007 94.55%
4 KEVIN L2544 C Open Major N N N N 250.8631 93.24%
5 MIKE A39993 A Limited 10 Major N N N N 245.9446 91.41%
6 DON TY25213 A Limited Major N N N N Senior 217.3348 80.77%
7 Roger U Revolver Major N N N N 207.5478 77.14%
8 Robert A67563 U Limited 10 Major N N N N 185.8986 69.09%
9 John A65903 D Limited Minor N N N N 174.7153 64.93%
10 Roger U Limited 10 Major N N N N Senior 165.1802 61.39%
11 Richard U Limited 10 Major N N N N 154.8904 57.57%
12 ADAM REENTRY A Revolver Major N N N N 142.7239 53.04%
13 DON REENTRY U Production Minor N N N N Senior 132.5499 49.26%
14 Bill A67422 U Limited Minor N N N N 118.3946 44.00%
15 Trent U Limited Minor N N N N 110.4684 41.06%
Individual stage results were:
Stage: 1 3-V
Place Name Class Division Pts Pen Time Hit Fact Stg Pts Stg %
1 ADAM M Limited 64 0 8.72 7.3394 70.0000 100.00%
2 JOE B Limited 60 0 9.61 6.2435 59.5478 85.07%
3 MIKE A Limited 10 67 20 9.94 4.7284 45.0974 64.42%
4 Robert U Limited 10 66 0 14.26 4.6283 44.1427 63.06%
5 KW C Limited 10 62 20 9.94 4.2254 40.3000 57.57%
R6 DON U Production 66 0 16.46 4.0097 38.2428 54.63%
7 John D Limited 68 0 17.26 3.9397 37.5751 53.68%
8 Roger U Revolver 66 0 18.09 3.6484 34.7968 49.71%
9 KEVIN C Open 64 20 12.34 3.5656 34.0071 48.58%
10 Roger U Limited 10 64 0 18.18 3.5204 33.5760 47.97%
11 DON A Limited 60 10 14.53 3.4412 32.8207 46.89%
12 Bill U Limited 54 0 17.33 3.1160 29.7191 42.46%
R13 ADAM A Revolver 61 10 17.00 3.0000 28.6127 40.88%
14 Richard U Limited 10 70 0 24.37 2.8724 27.3957 39.14%
15 Trent U Limited 31 30 15.31 0.0653 0.6228 0.89%
Stage: 2 Paper Poppers
Place Name Class Division Pts Pen Time Hit Fact Stg Pts Stg %
1 JOE B Limited 47 0 6.90 6.8116 50.0000 100.00%
2 MIKE A Limited 10 49 0 7.31 6.7031 49.2036 98.41%
3 KEVIN C Open 50 0 7.51 6.6578 48.8710 97.74%
4 DON A Limited 49 0 8.44 5.8057 42.6163 85.23%
5 Roger U Limited 10 49 0 9.21 5.3203 39.0532 78.11%
6 KW C Limited 10 44 0 9.71 4.5314 33.2624 66.52%
7 ADAM M Limited 39 10 6.52 4.4479 32.6495 65.30%
8 Trent U Limited 44 0 10.44 4.2146 30.9369 61.87%
9 Roger U Revolver 46 0 11.06 4.1591 30.5295 61.06%
10 Bill U Limited 44 0 11.71 3.7575 27.5816 55.16%
11 Robert U Limited 10 47 0 12.65 3.7154 27.2726 54.55%
12 John D Limited 46 0 12.66 3.6335 26.6714 53.34%
R13 ADAM A Revolver 50 0 14.69 3.4037 24.9846 49.97%
14 Richard U Limited 10 50 0 16.77 2.9815 21.8855 43.77%
Stage: 3 Madness
Place Name Class Division Pts Pen Time Hit Fact Stg Pts Stg %
1 KEVIN C Open 69 0 11.96 5.7692 70.0000 100.00%
2 JOE B Limited 66 10 9.98 5.6112 68.0829 97.26%
3 DON A Limited 65 0 12.45 5.2209 63.3473 90.50%
4 Bill U Limited 64 0 14.10 4.5390 55.0735 78.68%
5 Robert U Limited 10 67 0 16.43 4.0779 49.4788 70.68%
R6 DON U Production 62 10 13.66 3.8067 46.1882 65.98%
R7 ADAM A Revolver 64 0 17.03 3.7581 45.5985 65.14%
8 ADAM M Limited 62 20 11.27 3.7267 45.2175 64.60%
9 MIKE A Limited 10 59 20 11.66 3.3448 40.5838 57.98%
10 John D Limited 56 10 13.87 3.3165 40.2404 57.49%
11 Roger U Revolver 68 0 22.68 2.9982 36.3784 51.97%
12 KW C Limited 10 58 20 13.49 2.8169 34.1786 48.83%
13 Trent U Limited 59 20 14.44 2.7008 32.7699 46.81%
14 Richard U Limited 10 68 0 25.98 2.6174 31.7580 45.37%
15 Roger U Limited 10 62 30 18.76 1.7058 20.6972 29.57%
Stage: 4 Fluffy’s Revenge 1
Place Name Class Division Pts Pen Time Hit Fact Stg Pts Stg %
1 ADAM M Limited 38 0 3.26 11.6564 40.0000 100.00%
2 KEVIN C Open 40 0 4.73 8.4567 29.0199 72.55%
3 KW C Limited 10 39 0 5.02 7.7689 26.6597 66.65%
4 Roger U Limited 10 38 0 5.21 7.2937 25.0290 62.57%
5 MIKE A Limited 10 37 0 5.18 7.1429 24.5115 61.28%
6 John D Limited 34 0 6.38 5.3292 18.2876 45.72%
R7 DON U Production 36 0 7.38 4.8780 16.7393 41.85%
8 Roger U Revolver 40 0 8.80 4.5455 15.5983 39.00%
9 Trent U Limited 38 10 6.74 4.1543 14.2559 35.64%
10 DON A Limited 34 20 4.96 2.8226 9.6860 24.22%
11 JOE B Limited 32 20 4.27 2.8103 9.6438 24.11%
12 Richard U Limited 10 34 20 6.87 2.0378 6.9929 17.48%
13 Bill U Limited 31 20 6.27 1.7544 6.0204 15.05%
14 Robert U Limited 10 39 10 18.84 1.5393 5.2822 13.21%
R15 ADAM A Revolver 33 20 9.97 1.3039 4.4745 11.19%
Stage: 5 4 Bill Drill
Place Name Class Division Pts Pen Time Hit Fact Stg Pts Stg %
1 KW C Limited 10 105 0 30.37 3.4574 120.0000 100.00%
2 Roger U Revolver 100 0 38.46 2.6001 90.2447 75.20%
3 MIKE A Limited 10 88 20 27.27 2.4936 86.5483 72.12%
4 ADAM M Limited 81 30 21.80 2.3394 81.1963 67.66%
5 KEVIN C Open 112 60 26.17 1.9870 68.9651 57.47%
6 DON A Limited 80 30 25.20 1.9841 68.8645 57.39%
7 JOE B Limited 82 30 26.56 1.9578 67.9516 56.63%
8 Richard U Limited 10 100 20 41.53 1.9263 66.8583 55.72%
9 Robert U Limited 10 60 0 34.87 1.7207 59.7223 49.77%
10 John D Limited 82 20 41.43 1.4965 51.9408 43.28%
11 Roger U Limited 10 71 30 30.39 1.3491 46.8248 39.02%
R12 ADAM A Revolver 72 40 28.44 1.1252 39.0536 32.54%
13 Trent U Limited 59 30 31.57 0.9186 31.8829 26.57%
R14 DON U Production 76 40 39.82 0.9041 31.3796 26.15%
15 Bill U Limited 33 90 31.01 0.0000 0.0000 0.00%
Update: I just realized that if you remove Kevin, who was shooting an Open Division gun, I did win two stages.
See also the official results on the USPSA website.
The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.
Edmund Burke
[I’m not quite sure what to make of this quote. It’s sort of like one of those drawings that depending on which way you look it could be an old hag or a beautiful young woman.
Burke engaged in a spirited debate with Thomas Paine over what Paine called “natural rights”. Burke argued the Monarch had a divine right to rule. Paine argued there were certain inalienable, natural, rights.
Hence when I read the above quote by Burke I first thought of a gun rights activist pointing out the imagined security proposed by some gun ban supporter. Then, as if looked at the words through the other eye or something, I heard them in my minds ear being said by the likes of Josh Sugarmann.
It turns out that even in his own time people weren’t quite sure what to think of him at times.–Joe]
You won’t learn about this in public schools. If you haven’t been in business before (or if you are new at it) I feel compelled to educate you a little on the facts of life.
It’s quite common that a small dealer will call us for the first time, and want to order one or two items at a dealer discount. When we inform them that there is a minimum buy-in for dealer pricing, sometimes they’re just fine with it, but other people act all disappointed.
I have to wonder why they think it is that we offer discounts to dealers in the first place. Maybe they just don’t think about it. This is not the manufacturers being nice, or considering dealers to be part of some good-ol’-boys club or something. We offer discounts because it benefits us to have our product stocked and promoted at the local level. We could sell direct only, taking the same money we offer as the dealer discount, and put it all into advertizing, but we feel it is a better value to have certain dealers invested in the product and thus promoting it for their own benefit. When done right, it’s a symbiotic relationship.
If all you want is one or two units, you’re not a dealer, by definition. You’re just some guy who wants a discount.
Our buy-in is pretty easy, even for the smallest mom & pop store. One of the branches of Yamaha that I’ve dealt with for decades has an annual purchase requirement (or did) of $100K to consider you a dealer. Part of the language in their dealer agreement (which must be signed and witnessed) states that the dealer must “promote the product in such a manner as to elevate its perceived value”. Yes; that’s what they’re paying you for, in the form of a dealer discount. You’re expected not only to stock a “representative selection of the product line” but to maintain it, keep it looking nice, display it in an attractive setting, know the product and be able to demonstrate it, and you’re expected to advertize. Some manufacturers want to see your advertizing budget and see your ads. Our current, one-time, minimum buy-in requirement is around 500 or 600 dollars (five hundred or six hundred dollars– not thousands) more or less, depending on the model mix (it’s a unit count minimum). You want to tell me you’re a dealer, but you can’t produce a few hundred bucks for something you say your customers want? Seriously.
Last night while out shopping for the last of the Boomershoot supplies I got a call saying Laurel wasn’t a fictious person and that if I wanted to show up at VJ’s BBQ in the next hour I could actually meet her rather than her sister as I did the last time I was in town. I called Barb and she was available so I picked her up and we went to dinner at VJ’s. In addition to Laurel and her daughter Abigal, blogger Barron and his wife Janelle were there. Barron and Janelle are part of the Boomershoot crew who have the ATF paperwork to make and handle explosives.
It was nice to finally meet Laurel. Abigal wasn’t very talkative but everyone else was and we had nice time.
The thing that most pleased me about the impromptu meet was that Laurel told us VJ’s has a 10% discount for people open carrying!
Take that Brady Campaign people! The Brady’s are trying to get private businesses to ban people with guns and some businesses are responding by giving gun owner discounts! I took off my outer shirt and open carried to get our 10% discount (and left a 25+% tip).
Laurel and Abigal
Barb, Janelle, Laurel, Abigal, Barron.
Barron’s self-defense tools.
Janelle’s tool.
Abigal and Dan.
Gadsden Flag and the Declaration of Independence on the wall at VJ’s.
Sisters Laurel and Corina.
Joe, Barron, Janelle, Laurel, Abigal, Dan, Corina.
Photo by Barb.
I believe, if guns were only used for target shooting or for events like Boomershoot, guns would be as controversial as bowling balls.
…
It looks like a fairly rural county. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t be armed? To me, this is exactly the kind of county where everyone should have guns. It just makes sense. If the cops are more than a couple of minutes away, you probably would be wise to have a gun.
ubu52
April 11, 2010
Comments here and here.
[The significance of this relatively mundane comments can only be realized if you take into account that she has also said such things as:
[To be fair, I have pulled the above quotes out of context from 83 comments she has left on my blog in the last year. It does represent a biased sample.]
And of note is that numerous gun bloggers have banned her from commenting on their blogs. I think it is safe to say that ubu52 falls on the anti-gun side of the fence. Yet, she admits (as she has in the past) that guns are useful tools and may in fact agree a gun is the self-defense tool of choice in some circumstances. I was surprised to read the comments she left today. Yes, there were some qualification that she made which I didn’t include in my QOTD. But it seems to me that she is breaking into somewhat new ground and may have made a small step closer to coming around to our side of the fence. I welcome that.
Some of the other commenter’s reminded me of a Libertarian essay or pamphlet I read 10 or 15 years ago. The author pointed out that hard-core Libertarians sometimes have the nasty habit of pushing until they find a point they on which they disagree with someone they are proselyting to. For example, they might find someone agrees that the war on some drugs cannot be won and is more harmful to society than the drugs themselves would be if legalized and taxed like other recreational drugs such as cigarettes and alcohol. The hard-core Libertarian would not try and “cement” that agreement but would go on to some other issue such as elimination of government schools or something. And then “hammer” on the potential new recruit if they disagreed.
This is not the way you recruit people to your cause. When someone sees a glimmer of the light you have been trying to demonstrate you should encourage them. You don’t tell them they are a blind idiot because they can’t see the entire spectrum of ultra-violet, infra-red, and X-ray, beauty to find in so many ways that you know and love. If you are right your viewpoint will grow better through careful nurturing than through pushing more and more new material down their throat until they start gagging.
I think the proper response in this case is to ask her where and how the dividing line between rural and metropolitan areas should be drawn. If guns are acceptable and appropriate in a “rural area” but not in “metropolitan areas” then legal definitions will have to be created. What might those definitions be? How will someone traveling from one area to another (perhaps several times in one day or hour) be able to change their status from gun possessor to gun free and vice versa?
When they get stumped or realize their belief system has an internal conflict let it drop rather than push on or gloat. Let them think on it and realize they have an irreconcilable problem on their own.
Welcome new people to your community even if you don’t really trust them to watch your back. You have considerable power to determine the nature of the future relationship of them with you and other people like you. Someone who is not really your friend is much better than someone who thinks you are jerk and maybe a little bit rabid.–Joe]
Via email from Chet (this blog post).
Ashtabula County: Judge tells residents to “Arm themselves”:
In the ongoing financial crisis in Ashtabula County, the Sheriff’s Department has been cut from 112 to 49 deputies. With deputies assigned to transport prisoners, serve warrants and other duties, only one patrol car is assigned to patrol the entire county of 720 square miles.
…
Ashtabula County Common Pleas Judge Alfred Mackey was asked what residents should do to protect themselves and their families with the severe cutback in law enforcement.
“Arm themselves,” the judge said. “Be very careful, be vigilant, get in touch with your neighbors, because we’re going to have to look after each other.”
Ashtabula County gun dealers and firearms instructors tell WKYC their business has really picked up since the Sheriff’s Department cutbacks began some months ago.
Do the math. 49 deputies divided by 4 (3 shifts plus vacation, sick leave, weekends, etc.) and you have about 12 deputies for 720 square miles or about 1 deputy for every 60 square miles. Pull out duties like transportation of prisoners and court duty and you are probably talking nearly 100 square miles for each deputy on duty.
Interesting times ahead as the financial crisis worsens.
I’ve also known people who became pretty good shooters because they were motivated by fear. But, love always exceeds fear like light exceeds darkness.
Sam
July 31, 2009
A comment on the forum topic of Defining “Natural Athlete” vs. “Technical Athlete”
[This explains why we win in terms of membership in organizations like the NRA, SAF, CCRBA, JPFO, USPSA, IPDA, etc. (many millions) versus Brady Campaign, Violence Policy Center, etc. (a few hundred thousand if you squint at the numbers just right). And of course the same applies in the intellectual debate. We who have some love for the study of the topics know our stuff so much better than those who try to debate the issue end up making fools of themselves.–Joe]
I’ve read Half-Truth Henigan’s most recent post several times now and I still don’t really get what his point is. I think he is trying to claim the NRA is saying if gun owners don’t get their way they will start shooting politicians. But the data he presents doesn’t read that way to me. And Half-Truth doesn’t come right out and say that either. He just alludes to it.
Even the guy he quotes says things that I find completely appropriate and would feel comfortable defending in a debate against anyone:
We’re screaming! We’re protesting! We’re faxing! We’re phoning and marching and yelling….
But still…they ignore us.
I hear the clank of metal on metal in the distance, but not so distant today as it was yesterday or the day before, or the day before, or the day before.
I have a feeling, just a feeling, that I’m not alone. There are a lot of people out there like me who will no longer tolerate the arrogance of politicians who ignore us. I’ve been told that there’s only one thing worse than being abused, and that’s being ignored. If you kick me, at least I know I exist. But if you ignore me, then I’m not even worth the trouble.
My question to everyone reading this article is this: “For you, as an individual, when do you draw your saber? When do you say “Yes, I am willing to rise up and overthrow an oppressive, totalitarian government?”
Is it when the government takes away your private business?
Is it when the government rigs elections?
Is it when the government imposes martial law?
Is it when the government takes away your firearms?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating the immediate use of force against the government. It isn’t time, and hopefully that time will never come. But one thing is certain: “Now is the time to rattle your sabers.” If not now, then when?
When the government ignores the First Amendment, it is time to rattle the Second Amendment sabers. It’s all about accountability. So long as our elected officials believe we will rise up and overthrow them under certain conditions, then they will not allow those conditions to occur. Their jobs and their very lives depend on it.
Even after Half-Truth Henigan removes half of what was actually said there isn’t anything I really have a problem with:
We the people have been exercising our First Amendment right to the hilt. We’re screaming! We’re protesting! We’re faxing! We’re phoning and marching and yelling….But still…they ignore us….There are a lot of people out there like me who will no longer tolerate the arrogance of politicians who ignore us….And here’s the million-dollar question: What happens if the First Amendment fails?…When the government ignores the First Amendment, it is time to rattle the Second Amendment sabers…As long as our elected officials believe we will rise up and overthrow them under certain conditions, then they will not allow those conditions to occur. Their jobs and their very lives depend on it.
I guess it is just a different mindset. I have to conclude that Half-Truth Henigan is of the mind that no matter what the government decides that is what you have to live (or die) with. I guess in his world view those 60 million (give or a take few 10’s of millions) innocent people murdered by their own government in the last century deserved what they got.
I am not of that mindset. I learned the hard way that even if you have a contract with someone or an organization it is meaningless unless you have a means of enforcing that contract. And you have to be willing to use that enforcement means in order for the other party to adhere to the contract.
The Second Amendment is the people’s means to enforce the contracts known as our State and Federal constitutions. Those constitutions are the granting of certain powers to the government. When discussing (First Amendment) and pleading (the courts) about contract violation fails and the violations are too egregious to ignore the means to break the contract must reside with the people who granted the government those powers to begin with. Or has Henigan conveniently forgotten these words?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,[71] that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
The Second Amendment protects the ability of people, like me, to have a reasonable chance of saying, “Please don’t do that” in the right tone of voice and being heard in such a way that the politician and their hired thugs who have overstepped the authority given to him or her by the Constitution gets a chill down their back and then scans the area every time they step outside. The enforcement of all contracts ultimate boils down to someone with a gun and a willingness to pull the trigger if necessary. Half-Truth Henigan and all politicians should know that and I don’t have a problem with them being given a gentle reminder every once in a while.
Update: Sebastian posts what I wish I had written on this topic. The sarcasm is strong.