May 10, 2009 – On June 28, 1958, I entered this world naked, crying, and with one black eye. It seems I had to be grabbed by a pair of forceps so I could leave the womb in the proper position. The physician got hold of me by my head and blackened my eye. Seems like from the get go I was going to try and do things my way.

Things were different back in 1958, life was much simpler. For one thing, the cost of living was far less than what it is today. The average family income in 1958 was $4,650. A house could be purchased for $30,000, a car for $3,900. A gallon of gas was $.24, a postage stamp $.04. In 1958 Visa and American Express introduced the first credit cards for consumers. The very first Pizza Hut opened in Kansas City, the very first Toyota’s and Datsun’s were imported into the United States, Elvis Presley was inducted into the Army, Dwight Eisenhower was President, and the very first trans-Atlantic flight from New York to London. My father was from, what kids today now call, the old school. I was raised to respect authority, or pay the price by a good belt whipping. I did my homework when I was told, I did chores around the house, and, since there was only one small black and white television in the house, I watched whatever shows my parents deemed appropriate.

I also grew up around guns. My father had, what could only be described as, a small arsenal. They were kept in his bedroom, fully loaded, and often in plain sight. At night, he would bring a pistol out and set it on the table next to his beer in case someone unexpected knocked on our door after the sun had gone down.

Guns were a big part of my life. I played with those spring loaded dart guns as a child. Cap guns were also big for when we would play ‘cops and robbers’. When I was 5 I got my first weapon, a Daisy Model 572, which was a replica of the .22 caliber Remington Fieldmaster.

I would buy those plastic bags filled with little inch high army men and set them up all over the back yard. Then I would sharpen my aim as I did battle against an overwhelming force of army men with my trusty bb rifle.

All the while my father taught me the basics of firearms safety; 1) always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, 2) always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, 3) always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use, (apparently my dad thought guns were always ready to use) 4) know your target and what is beyond it and 5) know the characteristics of your weapon, be sure it is safe to use.

Guns were everywhere when I was growing up. All the kids in the neighborhood had bb guns of their own. The movies were filled with cowboys fighting against Indians, cops against robbers. It was commonly accepted that if someone broke into a home, that they would be shot by the homeowner.

When I was around 7 my father took me out to shoot my first firearm, a .22 caliber pistol. We went out and shot a couple hundred rounds, all the while he watched me to make sure I was acting in a safe manner. We shot the hell out of old tin cans, afterwards cleaning up our rounds, and, what remained of the tin cans.

By the time I was in high school I had shot almost every gun that my father owned and I had become very accurate with open sites. As I progressed through high school, and kids got their first drivers license, it was nothing to see pickups parked in the school parking lot with shotguns and hunting rifles in the racks, clearly visible in the rear window with the doors unlocked.

After graduation things changed. I had to focus my attention on my life, choosing between going to college or getting a job. Eventually I joined the Air Force, serving my country for just over 13 years, before rejoining the civilian world.

During my time in the military I had an annual requirement to qualify on the M-16. I would look forward to that time when I got to go out and fire a weapon. It brought back many memories from days gone by.

During my time in the service something happened to this country. I can’t tell you what cause it, but I can say that guns had suddenly become bad. In the movies they were portrayed differently. Instead of being a tool used by people to do good, they were the weapons used by gangs, and criminals to inflict death and destruction upon the innocent population.

Even the movie Dirty Harry, with Clint Eastwood as the renegade cop going after the psycho killer, portrayed a rifle as a weapon used to inflict terror upon the people of San Francisco, showed that guns could be used for evil.

It was then that I began to notice that there were more and more rampage style shootings going on. Each time there was a cry for more gun control. These rampage shootings began to be done by kids, who for some reason were disgruntled and wanted revenge. Again, the cry would go out for more gun control.

Let me explain something. Guns are kind of like cars. A gun is a tool that takes a process by way if igniting black powder, a projectile is discharged out of the barrel. Just as a car uses gasoline to create an explosion in a cylinder to produce power to move a car.

Cars and guns have evolved over time, becoming more efficient, and often more user friendly. But their purpose has always been the same. So what has changed?

Society has changed, that’s what. Our morals are different. We have less regards for life, and less willingness to accept responsibility for our own safety and security.

Now instead of choosing to be prepared to defend your self, and your home from criminals, we are told to call 911 and await the police instead of being prepared to defend yourself.

Did you know the average response time to a 911 call is four minutes. It takes an intruder less than a minute to come into a home, shoot every occupant and be gone before the police arrive.

Yet we are now being brainwashed into believing that guns are evil, that only criminals have them. The second amendment is something relegated to history books, its meaning no longer relevant. Therefore the right for each American to own weapons for his/her defense is something that is under constant attack.

With the current War on Terror, our right to own guns is under even more attack. The new category of homegrown terrorist has allowed our government to compile lists of people they consider as being a threat to our nations security. We may be restricted from flying because our stance on certain issues has put us on a no-fly list.

Rahm Emmanuel, Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff, has said, “If you are known as maybe a possible terrorist, you cannot buy a handgun in America.. if you’re on that no fly list, your access to the right to bear arms is CANCELLED, you’re not part of the American Family – you don’t deserve that right.”

Now, Rep Peter King, a Republican from New York, has introduced H.R. 2159, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009.

With our government now classifying almost anyone who has a view opposing theirs a possible extremist, this is very dangerous legislation indeed. It would effectively restrict anyone who has voiced opposition to abortion, illegal immigration, the income tax, and a host of other subjects from owning a firearm.

However, it is not only the threat of terrorism that is giving our government ammunition to restrict our right to own firearms. This drug war in Mexico, in which it is claimed the Mexican drug cartels are getting their weapons from America, is giving our government reason to restrict our rights.

Our government is now entering treaties to control the flow of guns into Mexico. According to the INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION AGAINST THE ILLICIT MANUFACTURING OF AND TRAFFICKING IN FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, EXPLOSIVES, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIALS, our government is placing more limitations upon private citizens.

All these laws on gun control do is punish the law abiding people in this country. By nature, a criminal has no intention of obeying the law. So if it suddenly became illegal for people to own a gun, do you think the crooks would just hand theirs over to the polices? No, we would become sitting ducks for criminals, without the ability to defend ourselves.

So, where is our due process? What has become of the Second Amendment? Do the rights of ordinary citizens, who have never broken a law, mean nothing anymore?

Well, at least not all government officials have their heads up their ass, following along with the common consensus that guns are evil. The Governor of Montana has signed a law defying all federal firearms laws.

Asserting the Tenth Amendment, Montana has declared that the federal government has no right, and authority to impose their will regarding gun control, within the borders of Montana.

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out. Will the federal government back down, which could give other states the courage to adapt similar laws? Or will they take on Montana, leading to a showdown that would make Waco seem insignificant?

Nevertheless, there is still a large number of people in this country who think that guns are evil and that no one should own them. I am testimony as to the complete falsehood of that belief. I grew up around guns and I have never shot one in anger, or used one in the commission of a crime.

I currently own guns, how many is none of your damn business, and I have never fired them in anger or used them to engage in criminal, or terrorist activities. Yet my government, aided by a bunch of politically correct citizens, feel that I am a danger to society, and to my countries security?

All I ask is to be left the hell alone. If you don’t break into my home, I won’t shoot you. If you don’t try to take my guns away, I won’t shoot you. Sounds pretty simple to me, but then things aren’t so simple any more. I guess things just aren’t like they were back in 1958.

Give me my guns, and my liberty…
You can keep the “CHANGE”

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?“

~ The Author ~
Neal Ross can be reached for comments at bonsai@syix.com. Visit Neal’s Blog at http://www.zombie-slayer.com/neal

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