United Liberty

I spent my Easter at a shooting range about an hour west of my home. My wife had to work and I did not have plans to see family, so had some extra time to occupy myself with. I decided to put that extra time to use breaking a shotgun I purchased about a month for home defense. While my shoulder handled the 2 1/2 inch target shells pretty well, the 3 inch magnum 00 buckshot I shot pretty much made it raw.

While on my way to and from the range is a drive down a Mississippi country highway that takes me through mostly timberland and cattle country. While on that drive I got to thinking why I love guns so much. Was it because I liked the sensation and the sounds and smells of an explosion? If it was, I can get that thrill by using fireworks and I don’t buy fireworks. While I do enjoy shooting, the enjoyment alone obviously can’t be the reason why. I’m also not a hunter, so obviously that’s not why I own guns. The reason why I own firearms is simply because I can.

All throughout history, what has distinguished a free man from a slave or even a subject is the ability to possess and own weapons, or as the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution puts it, “to keep and bear arms”. You’re probably asking yourself, “how is this relevant in an age of tanks, drones, jet fighters, and other high-tech weapons?” Well, all those fancy weapons are controlled by people and all people die just the same once you strip away all the fancy technology. There are numerous examples of that in the 20th and already in the 21st century from France to Afghanistan. Subduing a free people, especially a well-armed people, is still very difficult.

Now the three types of guns you should own are; a .22 Long Rifle caliber weapon for simple and cheap marksmanship practice, a home and/or self defense weapon(s), and a militia duty weapon (aka a homeland security rifle).