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To: diotima
We can never have enough people working to protect our Second Amendment Rights.

Great point, now to get everyone on the same page and coordinate our efforts!

53 posted on 02/07/2002 7:09:09 AM PST by HangFire
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To: HangFire
"Great point, now to get everyone on the same page and coordinate our efforts!

HF, I couldn't agree more!
Now more than ever we must heed the words of Col. Jeff Cooper USMC Ret. written about 10 years ago in his book "To Ride, Shoot Sraight, and Speak the Truth":

As our civilization urbanizes, and as more and more of our young people never set foot off pavement, much less clean a fish, we can no longer take for granted that our youth naturally and automatically understands the traditions which gave us this country, and which must be maintained if we wish to keep it. Those traditions must be passed on to the young, and they may not be divided up into so many compartments that we can no longer tell our friends from our foes.

Consider the upland bird shooter, with his tweeds, his cherished double shotgun, and his retriever. Consider the high-power target shot, with his complex rifle, his special made ammunition, and his padded jacket. Consider the sheep hunter, with his precision rifle, his climbing boots and his binoculars. Consider the silhouette man, intent upon his "twenty straight." Consider the householder who has just bought a "Saturday Night Special" because he has reason to believe that his home is no longer much of a castle. These may all be different breeds, but they are united by a common interest, and only by understanding that they are of one brotherhood will it be possible for us to survive in a world in which the image of the shooter is becoming suspect.

All of us feel deeply that shooting is an essential part of the American tradition. We must not fall into the error of saying "But only my type if shooting, not his." We dare not throw even one passenger out of the sleigh for the wolves. The wolves have never been satisfied with one passenger, nor will they be now. If we are to say that automatic weapons are unnecessary and throw them to the wolves, it will only be a short time before we find that semi-automatic weapons are going to be banned and then repeating weapons, and then short weapons and then all weapons. The People who are against us do not want us to own weapons of any kind. It is difficult to form a composite picture of the hoplophobe, but in general he hates weapons because they represent the capacity of one man to be stronger than another by commanding skills and disciplines which he, the hoplophobe, does not wish to acquire. The man who hates weapons does not wish to acquire shooting skills because it is hard, and to him, uninteresting: and it makes him terribly uneasy to feel that there are other people who do have such skills, and that they, therefore, possess an inusurpable advantage if matters should ever come to blows.

Skill-at-Arms is everybody's business. It is the proper concern of all free men. It cannot be left to the public sector. It must be encouraged in all areas, and at all levels. We do not have the luxury of saying "My type of shooting is more respectable than his." If we take that view, our adversaries will pick us off one discipline at a time.

So let us never say that "black" guns are somewhat suspect, or that only double shotguns are sporting, or that rifles are acceptable, but pistols are not. As long as the shooter is respectable, his firearm is respectable. When he is not, neither is his weapon. Let us keep our focus where it belongs: on the perpetrator rather than upon his instrument. Let us firmly reject the concept that sport is legitimate, but that fighting is not. Fighting in a just cause is all that keeps man free, and it is not the sole perogative of the state. If it were, free states would never have arrived, nor could they survive.

If we live in an age of imagery, let is concentrate upon the correct and positive image of the shooter: an image of responsibility, decency, courage, competence, and good citizenship.

With apologies to Col. Cooper for spelling and punctuation. Bold emphasis is mine. For imformation and discussion only, not for commercial use. This was written about 10 years ago by Jeff Cooper (The Father of Modern Shooting). It holds truer today then ever before as we California Patriots get ready for the fight of our lives!

NRA, GOA, JPFO, SAF, RKBA, et al listen to this wise man and unite NOW!!!!!!!

signed
gc4frsatf

140 posted on 02/07/2002 3:43:21 PM PST by gc4nra
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