History Lesson

                The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America was written to protect American citizens from tyranny.  The Framers of our Constitution understood the importance of citizens having the right to keep and bear arms.  During the Revolutionary War American rebels had similar fire power to that used by the British soldiers.  It only makes sense for modern citizens to have the same firing power that the government might use against them. 

The American Revolution would not have taken place if guns were controlled.  Britain’s soldiers confiscated all firearms possible in order to control the American rebels.  The Battles of Lexington and Concord took place because the Americans were unwilling to let the British soldiers take their stores of gun powder, etc.  Americans won those battles because they used guerilla tactics:  they made quick strikes and then faded into the trees only to come out again in another place to do more damage.

Some people consider it silly for American gun owners to think they can wage war against the most powerful nation on earth today.  I suppose it would be silly if they planned to meet on a battlefield, but I do not suppose that any modern revolutionary would consider doing that!

The United States – and France before them – lost a war in Vietnam because the Viet Cong used guerilla tactics.  Russia lost the war in Afghanistan against villagers who were defending their homes.  Last year Libya was taken over by revolutionaries, and today the Syrian government is having a difficult time putting down revolutionaries in their country.  

All these revolutionaries were/are fighting against stronger firepower, but none were fighting on a battlefield.  They used and still use guerilla tactics – a quick strike here and a quick strike there.  They attack when and where they choose and then evade; they force the stronger side to defend everything.  Unless today’s stronger force is willing to bomb entire towns – think of the urban warfare in Iraq – the aircraft and tanks are useless.  If “the people” support the revolutionaries, it is almost impossible to discern the “guilty” from the “innocent.”  The revolutionaries might not win, but they could force a dictator to bring the international community over to their side and against the dictator.  This kind of warfare has been proven successful time and again.

There is another part of gun history that should be included here.  Gun control is not about guns; it is about governments trying to control citizens. Only a government that is afraid of its own citizens tries to control them; some examples of how governments “controlled” their citizens are as follow.  The dates and the numbers may be wrong, but the general idea is correct.  I know because much of this tyranny occurred in my lifetime, and I have heard the news reports on bodies being found.

Turkey established gun control in 1911.  Between 1915 and 1917, the government exterminated 1.5 million unarmed Armenians who were unable to defend themselves.

 The Soviet Union established gun control in 1929.  Between 1929 and 1953, the government exterminated 20 million unarmed dissidents who were unable to defend themselves.

China established gun control in 1935.  Between 1948 and 1952, the government exterminated 20 million political dissidents who were unarmed and unable to defend themselves.

Germany established gun control in 1938.  Between 1939 and 1945, the government exterminated 13 million unarmed Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves.

Cambodia established gun control in 1956.  Between 1975 and 1977, the government exterminated 1,000,000 educated people who were unarmed and unable to defend themselves.

Guatemala established gun control in 1964.  Between 1964 and 1981, the government exterminated 100,000 Mayan Indians who were unarmed and unable to defend themselves.

Uganda established gun control in 1970.  Between 1971 and 1979, the government exterminated 300,000 Christians who were unarmed and unable to defend themselves.

This makes a grand total of 56 million people who were rounded up and exterminated in the 20^th Century – people who were unarmed and unable to defend themselves. 

The Second Amendment states that the Right to Keep and Bear Arms shall NOT be infringed, and the Supreme Court has ruled that Americans have the right to keep and bear arms.  I believe that this means we can keep any gun that we can carry. 

The Second Amendment to the Constitution is in place just in case politicians ignore our other rights.  Only people who are free have the right to keep and bear arms; they do not ask permission to bear arms.  This makes them citizens; when this right is taken away, the citizen becomes a subject or a slave.  Wise and prudent citizens understand that the day may come when they have to fight to protect their rights.  They know that honest, law-abiding citizens do not shoot to kill but to stay alive.  They understand that citizens who know guns also know peace and safety, but citizens with no guns also have no peace or safety.  They understand that there are millions of firearm owners who never kill anyone but provide peace and security for everyone.

Two quotes attributed to two famous Founders should be remembered by all Americans.  “Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.”  (Thomas Jefferson)  “Those who trade liberty for security have neither.”  (John Adams)

Americans should be applauding and thanking gun owners instead of trying to disarm them.  It is the honest, law-abiding gun owners who are protecting the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy.  Remember that the Constitution of the United States of America was copyrighted in 1791 and all Rights are preserved by it.  

Seek Truth

                A friend named Keith spoke in a recent sacrament meeting and made some interesting points that I have been pondering for a few days.  Here are some of his thoughts:  Knowledge is a combination of things we are taught and what we observe, but knowledge is not always truth.  [Did you get that?  We gain knowledge by observing and being taught, but the knowledge we gain may not be the truth!]  The media controls much of the knowledge we get, and they do it to gain money, power, and prestige.  Truthful knowledge is very lucid and hard to find.  Truth can be found in the scriptures and in the teachings of Prophets and Apostles.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourages us to seek truth, and God desires us to seek knowledge of Him and His mysteries.

An example of knowledge without truth could be found in the State of the Union address delivered by Barack Obama last week.  He taught us many things, but we have no idea how much of it is truth.  There are numerous evaluations of the President’s speech, including the official Republican response by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and the official Tea Party response by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY).  A good side by side comparison of the three speeches can be found here.  

Jim Rogers, noted investor, free market advocate and author, shared some of his thoughts during an interview with Glen Beck the following day.  Rogers said that Tuesday’s State of the Union address makes you wonder whether President Barack Obama is “delusional” or just a good liar.  

Beck asked Rogers whether or not our nation has reached the point of no return, and Rogers answered that our “debt is physically impossible to pay off.  We are the largest debtor nation in the history of the world.”   Rogers said, “If everybody paid 100 percent of their earnings as taxes, we still couldn’t pay it off.”  He then turned his attention to the President’s statement in his speech about our economy getting stronger, “Mr. Obama said last night that everything is great.”  He then added: “He said that everything is great and that the middle class is on the way back and everything is fine now…. I mean, the man is delusional.  I was really afraid when I saw that…. It’s delusional.  It was frightening. I don’t know if he believed it or if he was just lying.”

After listening to Rogers, Beck said, “I don’t really care at this point.  He’s either the best liar or he is completely delusional.  I don’t know which it is, but it doesn’t matter.”

Beck conducted “a blistering fact check” of Obama’s speech.  “He went almost point-by-point and rebutted many of the proposals and statements put forth by the commander in chief.  Beck was shocked to hear Obama say his administration had `cleared away the rubble of crisis’ and the `state of our union is stronger.’  Beck remarked, “Stronger than what, Venezuela?  We are not stronger.  We are not strong.  We have had four straight annual deficits of over $1 trillion, a ballooning national debt that’s over now 200 percent of our annual output.” 

Beck’s fact check is interesting, but it is not the only one.  The Associated Press (AP)  wrote that the “President Barack Obama did some cherry-picking Tuesday night in defense of his record on jobs and laid out a conditional path to citizenship for illegal immigrants that may be less onerous than he made it sound.”  The article then looked at some of the President’s claims in his State of the Union speech and the counterargument of the Republicans to see how they “fit with the facts.”

The experts at Heritage Foundation, a conservative but non-partisan think tank, analyzed the claims, plans and promises that Obama laid out in his ambitious agenda during his State of the Union address. They shared thoughts on how our nation should respond to the Newtown massacre, the “voting experience” in America, “comprehensive” immigration reform, the renewed threat of terrorism, national education standards, Afghanistan, foreign policy, infrastructure “investments,” climate, finding balance in “Obamaspeak,” Obama’s tendency to blame Republicans for everything that is wrong about our nation, and the way America is hurting our workers.  This article is well worth the time to read.  

Rush Limbaugh made an interesting statement that is worth considering.  He explained that he had recently come to the realization of why Obama is constantly campaigning rather than governing.  Rush said that he is only realizing most of the tyrants and dictators – such as Hitler and Stalin – were never blamed by the common people for the messes they made in their countries.  The people believed that their leaders were “revolutionaries” who were trying to make things better for the people and that other “evil people – like the Republicans - were causing the problems.  Obama “campaigns” non-stop against the “evils” that are trying to destroy the people and nation, always making it appear that he is not part of the machine that is doing the actual destruction.  He cannot “govern” because he would then be part of the machine.  [An obvious example of this is during the terrorist attack in Benghazi when Obama went AWOL and told others “to do what you need to do.”]

Knowledge is power if it is also the truth.  Our lame stream media supports Obama’s lies rather than calling him out on them, and the “low information voters” of our nation believe the lies.  Then these same “low information voters” elect and re-elect people like Obama who continue to lie to all of us.  I have reached the point that I do not believe anything that Obama and other politicians say.  I have come to the conclusion that if their lips are moving, they are lying!  I did not watch or listen to the President’s speech for this very reason.  I will rely on the one Source where I know I will hear the truth.  That Source is our loving Heavenly Father who watches over us and who is the only One in control of what is happening.  I know that the knowledge I gain from God is the truth and that only the truth will set us free.

President George Washington

                It is that time of year once again when we remember the birthday of the first President of the United States.  George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, into a wealthy planter family in Westmoreland, Virginia.  His family owned tobacco plantations and slaves.  After the early deaths of his father and older brother, he inherited Mount Vernon.

George Washington became a great man and one of our Founding Fathers.  He was commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.   He presided over the Constitutional Convention and was a participant in drafting the Constitution of the United States of America. 

Under the new Constitution, George Washington was the unanimous choice to serve as the first President of the brand new country.  He served two terms as President and was instrumented in creating a strong, well-financed national government.  Under his leadership, the fledgling country “maintained neutrality in the wars raging in Europe, suppressed rebellion, and won acceptance among Americans of all types.”

                President Washington was well aware that he was setting precedents that would be followed by successive administrations, and he desired to set good precedents.  He used his leadership to establish “many forms and rituals of government” still in use today, such as the cabinet system and an inaugural address.  He also established the tradition of peaceful transitions from one administration to another.  He truly is the “father” of our country.

                George Washington married Martha Dandridge Custis.  George and Martha did not have children together, but he became a father to her two children.  He died on December 14, 1799, at Mount Vernon, Virginia, at age 67.  His body was laid to rest in the Washington family tomb at Mount Vernon.  He freed all his slaves in his final will.

                President Washington was hailed at the time of his death as “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”  He is consistently named as one of the top three Presidents of our nation.  He was a great man and deserves to be honored as our first President.  Please join me in celebrating the birthday of President George Washington – 281 years after his birth.

President Washington was not only great, but he was also wise as shown by the following quotes.    

                “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”

                “Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the people’s liberty’s teeth.”

                “Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.”

                “If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

                “Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force.  Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”

Causes for Impeachment

                The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday comes from Article II, Section 4:  “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”  It is this provision in the Constitution that gives the U.S. House of Representatives the power and authority to bring impeachment charges against the occupants of the stated offices and gives the U.S. Senate the right to convict and remove them from office for any of the stated offenses.  Please note that “impeachment” takes place in the House and “conviction” and removal from office takes place in the Senate.

                “Note that the offenses for which officials of the government can be impeached are deliberately left very broad.  Treason and bribery were two of the most reprehensible offenses at the time of the Convention and both had played their part in creating serious military difficulties during the Revolutionary War. These two offenses were therefore specifically mentioned, but the use of the words `high crimes and misdemeanors’ remained sufficiently broad to embrace practically any serious behavior while in office.

                “A member of Congress is not a civil officer within the meaning of this section.  However, either House may conduct an investigation and remove any member who is guilty of offensive conduct.

                “If an officer resigns from office he is still subject to impeachment for acts committed while in office if the members of the House of Representatives elect to do so.  Furthermore, if a person is impeached and subsequently found guilty before the Senate, he not only suffers loss of his particular office but he may subsequently be prosecuted for any crimes he may have committed in connection with the charges brought up during the impeachment proceedings.”  (See W. Cleon Skousen in The Making of America – The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution, p. 563.)

                “Impeachment is the constitutionally specified means by which an official of the executive or judicial branch may be removed from office for misconduct.  There has been considerable controversy about what constitutes an impeachable offense.  At the Constitutional Convention, the delegates early on voted for `mal-practice and neglect of duty’ as grounds for impeachment, but the Committee of Detail narrowed the basis to treason, bribery, and corruption, then deleting the last point.  George Mason, who wanted the grounds much broader and similar to the earlier formulation, suggested `maladministration,’ but James Madison pointed out that this would destroy the President’s independence and make him dependent on the Senate.  Mason then suggested `high Crimes and Misdemeanors,’ which the Convention accepted.

                “Because `high Crimes and Misdemeanors’ was a term of art used in English impeachments, a plausible reading supported by many scholars is that the grounds for impeachment can be not only the defined crimes of treason and bribery, but also other criminal or even noncriminal behavior amounting to a serious dereliction of duty.  That interpretation is disputed, but it is agreed by virtually all that the impeachment remedy was to be used in only the most extreme situations, a position confirmed by the relatively few instances in which Congress has used the device.”  (See Stephen B. Presser in The Heritage Guide to the Constitution, pp. 225-226.)      

Testimony

                My friend Janet gave a wonderful lesson about testimonies to the Relief Society sisters in my ward last Sunday.  She asked a question that I pondered often during her lesson:  what is a testimony?  The question has many answers, but to me, a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ is everything.  It is the difference between night and day; it is the difference between bitter and sweet.  It is the difference between simply believing and knowing.  It is receiving revelation from God.

                I come from a long line of people who belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  All eight of my great-grandparents were among the earliest members of the Church and crossed the plains to Utah, the last line arriving on the railroad.  I grew up as a member of the Church and always believed what I was taught.  I was a good member of the Church and lived the religion, but I was not a solid convert.

                The time came when I was in my thirties when I desired to know for myself; I wanted to receive the confirmation of the Holy Ghost; I wanted to know that know.  I realized that the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ held the key for getting that confirmation, and I embarked on a prayerful and sincere study of that book.  The confirmation did not come quickly or easily.  After I paid the price in desire, personal study, and sincere prayer, the confirmation came and changed my life forever.  The Holy Ghost filled my entire body with light, an experience that galvanized my soul and filled me with pure joy.

                Lorenzo Snow had a similar experience when he was baptized and confirmed in June 1836.  He later explained that he “believed they [the Latter-day Saints] had the true religion, and I joined the Church.  So far my conversion was merely a matter of reason…. I was perfectly satisfied that I had done what was wisdom for me to do under the circumstances.”

                President Snow was content with this understanding for a time, but he later “yearned for a special manifestation of the Holy Ghost.”  Even though he had not received a manifestation, he expected to receive one.  I recognize his situation as being very similar to my own.  I had no doubts about what I had been taught but simply longed for a confirmation from God.

                “This manifestation did not immediately follow my baptism, as I expected,” President Snow recalled.  “But, although the time was deferred, when I did receive it, its realization was more perfect, tangible and miraculous than even my strongest hopes had led me to anticipate.  One day while engaged in my studies, some two or three weeks after I was baptized, I began to reflect upon the fact that I had not obtained a knowledge of the truth of the work – that I had not realized the fulfillment of the promise:  `He that doeth my will shall know of the doctrine;’ [see John 7:17] and I began to feel very uneasy.

                “I laid aside my books, left the house and wandered around through the fields under the oppressive influence of a gloomy, disconsolate spirit, while an indescribable cloud of darkness seemed to envelop me.  I had been accustomed, at the close of the day, to retire for secret prayer to a grove, a short distance from my lodgings, but at this time I felt no inclination to do so.

                “The spirit of prayer had departed, and the heavens seemed like brass over my head.  At length, realizing that the usual time had come for secret prayer, I concluded I would not forego my evening service, and, as a matter of formality, knelt as I was in the habit of doing, and in my accustomed retired place, but not feeling as I was wont to feel.

                “I had no sooner opened my lips in an effort to pray, than I heard a sound, just above my head, like the rustling of silken robes, and immediately the Spirit of God descended upon me, completely enveloping my whole person, filling me from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, and O, the joy and happiness I felt!  No language can describe the instantaneous transition from a dense cloud of mental and spiritual darkness into a refulgence of light and knowledge, as it was at that time imparted to my understanding.  I then received a perfect knowledge that God lives, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and of the restoration of the Holy Priesthood, and the fullness of the gospel.”  (See Teachings of Presidents of the Church – Lorenzo Snow, pp. 60-61.)

                Like President Snow, I realized that there is a huge difference between simply believing the gospel and having its truthfulness confirmed by God.  It is the difference between night and day in my spiritual life. 

                President Gordon B. Hinckley eloquently explained:  "Each time we encourage a man to read the Book of Mormon we do him a favor.  If he reads it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, he will know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the book is true.  And from that knowledge there will flow a conviction of the truth of many other things.

                "For if the Book of Mormon is true, then God lives.  Testimony upon testimony runs through its pages of the solemn fact that our Father is real, that he is personal, that he loves his children and seeks their happiness.  If the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh…. If the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is verily our Redeemer; the Savior of the world. If the Book of Mormon is true, then this land is choice above all other lands; but if it is to remain such, the inhabitants of the land must worship the God of the land, the Lord Jesus Christ…. If the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, for he was the instrument in the hands of God in bringing to light this testimony of the divinity of our Lord….

                "I repeat, if the Book of Mormon is true, the Church is true, for the same authority under which this sacred record came to light is present and manifest among us today.  It is a restoration of the Church set up by the Savior in Palestine.  It is a restoration of the Church set up by the Savior when he visited this continent as set forth in this sacred record" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 39).

                Elder Douglas L. Callister also spoke about the importance of knowing the truth for ourselves:  "The testimony of others may initiate and nourish the desire for faith and testimony, but eventually every individual must find out for himself.  None can permanently endure on borrowed light.

                "… It is necessary, however, that each find out for himself and carry that burning testimony into the next life….

                "It is a grand thing to know - and to know that you know and that the light has not been borrowed from another."

                Elder McCallister told the story of a young acquaintance who had not yet paid the price to know.  He said, "I told my friend that as long as he casually read and prayed, he never would find out, worlds without end.  But when he set aside a period for fasting and pleading, the truth would be burned into his heart, and he would know that he knew….

                "If you want to know that you know, a price must be paid.  And you alone must pay that price….

"… As a fire will not burn, except the flame be revealed, a testimony cannot abide except it be expressed" (Ensign, Nov. 2007, 100-101). 

                I know for myself that the Book of Mormon is the true word of God.  This testimony changed me from an active, believing member of the Church to a strong, capable, converted member who could finally say "I know."  Receiving this confirmation did not change my activities because I was already doing the right things.  It did, however, help me to keep my priorities straight while giving me power to perform my duties better. What is a testimony?  Everything that is needed

Focus on Marriage

                Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when marriage receives the proper priority and focus.  When proper emphasis is put on marriage, everything else works better.

On September 23, 1995, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made a Proclamation to the World about marriage and families.  They proclaimed, “… marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”

Heavenly Father sent us to earth for us to gain knowledge and experience.  He planned our life on earth to include tests and trials in order for us to grow and develop.  Marriage is only one area where we are tested, but it is a very essential area.  Marriage is not easy, but it was never intended to be easy.  Two individuals with many similarities and many differences come together in a relationship where they must become as one person.  This achievement happens only if both partners are working towards that goal and over much time. 

A friend shared some counsel from her mission president that I consider excellent to pass along.  “Marriage is like two rocks being put in a rock polisher and constantly banging up against each other, painfully smoothing both surfaces and turning them into beautiful polished stones.”

Tyler Ward at Relevant Magazine wrote an interesting article entitled “3 Things I Wish I Knew Before We Got Married.”  He wrote about how his decision “to officially invite someone who wasn’t me to be in my personal space for the rest of my life” introduced him to his “most significant experiences and most challenging experiences.”  He said that he would not trade any of them “for the world” but wished he “had a bit more insight on the front end of our marriage to help me navigate it all.”

Ward shared the three insights that he wishes he had at the beginning of his marriage, insights that would have helped smooth out some of the bumps.  His first insight is:  “Marriage is not about living happily ever after….  I once read a book that alluded to the idea that marriage is the fire of life – that somehow it’s designed to refine all our dysfunction and spur us into progressive wholeness.  In this light, contrary to popular opinion, the goal of marriage is not happiness.  And although happiness is often a very real byproduct of a healthy relationship, marriage has a far more significant purpose in sight.  It is designed to pull dysfunction to the surface of our lives, set it on fire and help us grow.

“When we’re willing to see it this way, then the points of friction in our marriages quickly become gifts that consistently invite us into a more whole and fulfilling experience of life.”

The second insight Ward and his friends simply “happened upon”:  “The more you give to marriage, the more it gives back.”  Put in other words, “If one makes their husband or wife priority number one, all other areas of life benefit.”  Ward decided to test this philosophy:  “For 31 days, I intentionally put my wife first over everything else, and then I tracked how it worked.  I created a metric for these purposes, to mark our relationship as priority, and then my effectiveness in all other areas of my life on the same scale, including career productivity and general quality of life.

“To my surprise, a month later, I had a chart of data and a handful of ironic experiences to prove that the more you give to marriage, the more it gives back.”

“Marriage can change the world” is Ward’s third insight.  He explained that John Medina, author and biologist, is often asked, “What’s the most important thing I can do as a father?”  Medina always answers, “Go home and love your wife.”

Ward also quoted authors Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam who put it this way:  “A healthy marriage creates an infused stability within the family and a haven of security for a child in their development process…. In the end, great marriages produce great parents.”

The conclusion reached by Ward is:  “The point is that marriage has a higher goal than to make two people happy or even whole.  Yes, the investment we make into our marriage pays dividends for us.  But, concluded by Medina and his colleagues, the same investment also has significant implications for our family, our community and eventually our culture.”

I found Ward’s three insights to be fascinating, but I would add one other insight.”  I believe that the most happy and successful marriages have a spiritual dimension to them because they include God as a third partner in their partnership. The Proclamation to the World on marriage and family seems to come to the same conclusion.

“All human beings – male and female – are created in the image of God.  Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.

“In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress towards perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life.  The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.  Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally….

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children….  Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.  Husbands and wives – mothers and fathers – will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

“The family is ordained of God.  Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.  Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.  Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.  By divine design, fathers are to preside [lead] over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.  Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”

“Marriage:  If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently.  You SHIELD it and PROTECT it.  You never abuse it.  You don’t expose it to the elements.  You don’t make it common or ordinary.  If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new.  It becomes SPECIAL because you have made it so, AND IT GROWS more beautiful and precious.”  (Author Unknown)

When we understand that marriage is not simply to make us happy but has other important purposes, we will place proper focus on our marriages.  By doing so, we can gain great happiness as well as strengthen our families, communities and nation.

Reasons to Carry a Gun

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that there are good reasons for people to carry guns.  There are many people who do not understand why Americans want to carry guns, including those who are frightened by “scary” guns and those who believe that gun control will actually decrease crime.  There are also people who think that everyone should have a gun and know how to use it properly.

I am a strong believer in the Second Amendment.  I believe that everyone has the right to own a gun and to use it in self-defense.  I do not personally carry a gun, but I know how to use one properly.  I am also a fairly good shot with a rifle, having killed two buffalo and a moose with one shot each.  I do not enjoy shooting guns, but I am willing to do so when needed.

I appreciated a recent e-mail with the following reasons why one person carries a gun.  The information was written in reply to the question “Why carry a gun?”

“My old grandpa said to me, `Son, there comes a time in every man’s life when he stops bustin’ knuckles and starts bustin’ caps and usually it’s when he becomes too old to take a whoopin’.

“I don’t carry a gun to kill people.  I carry a gun to keep from being killed.  I don’t carry a gun to scare people.  I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.  I don’t carry a gun because I’m paranoid.  I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.  I don’t carry a gun because I’m evil.  I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.  I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government.  I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.  I don’t carry a gun because I’m angry.  I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.  I don’t carry gun because I want to shoot someone.  I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.  I don’t carry a gun to make me feel like a man.  I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.  I don’t carry a gun because I just `feel’ inadequate.  I carry a gun because I am inadequate unarmed and facing three armed thugs.  I don’t carry a gun because I love it.  I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.”  (Author unknown)

Still another reason to carry a gun is because police cannot protect us from all evil.  The old saying, when seconds count the police are minutes away, is very true.  “Police protection is an oxymoron.  Police do not protect us from crime; they usually arrive in time to investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.  Free citizens must protect themselves.”  (Author unknown)

The fact is, guns in the hands of honest, law abiding citizens save lives and property on a regular basis.  I think of the young widow in Oklahoma who defended herself and her child a year or so ago.  Her husband had recently died of cancer, and some druggies thought there might be some pain killers in her home.  She called 9-1-1, and the police came about 30 minutes later.  When crazed robbers came through the door, she fired; she killed one and wounded the other – but saved her life and the life of her baby.  A recent robbery in New York City was prevented when a resident pulled out his AR-15 and frightened a would-be robber away.  The gun owner did not even need to fire his gun, which was actually unloaded.

Gun owners and users provide protection for their nation as well as their homes.  Hitler and the Nazis decided against invading Switzerland during World War II because they knew the Swiss citizens were heavily armed and capable of defending themselves.  The Swiss government issues firearms to every household and trains every adult that receives one.  Switzerland has the lowest gun-related crime rate of any civilized nation in the world.

Always remember that we are citizens when we have guns but subjects when we are unarmed.  If the Progressives in charge of our nation are actually able to ram through a gun control law, our government will waste millions of our tax dollars trying to control the guns.  When and where guns are controlled, it is only the law-abiding citizens who are unarmed and defenseless.