Sometimes it's difficult to tell if the world took a hard left turn when I wasn't looking or I'm just getting old and crotchety. Whichever, there have been some major changes, and they are not for the better.

When I got out of the Army, I was appalled at what I saw. It wasn't just the long-haired, acid-dropping, anti-establishment hippies, either. I could swat them away like flies. No, it was the news. The mass media.

Before I left, there were some standards on the evening news. Certain things were just not shown at dinnertime. News at 11 p.m. could go a little further, but the early evening newscasts were rather careful with their visual effects.

Then came Vietnam. Suddenly, it was like a contest between networks as to who could show the most blood and guts -- American blood and guts -- every evening. All standards were trashed. It seemed that anything was suddenly acceptable. Night after night, millions of television viewers -- kids and adults alike -- received a steady diet of blood in living color.

And the anti-establishment burnt out acid-heads were growing up and becoming school teachers.

The change in movies was just as dramatic. We went from a bloody slasher-scene in the thriller "Psycho" to gratuitous carnage in kill-films like "Friday the Thirteenth," "The Basketball Diaries," "Natural Born Killers," and "The Matrix" in just a few years. But, unlike Psycho, the latter kill-films are targeted at America's teenagers.

Our children's teachers now say that to define right from wrong is "judgmental." Self esteem is now said to be more important than academic performance. Do what thou will, as long as it is politically correct, seems to be today's working maxim. "The normal, whole child must not be upset with faulty, restrictive guidelines that inhibit the student's natural mental capacity to respond to his or her creative thoughts," liberal education institutions teach.

"If it bleeds, it leads" is the media's working rule. No matter that most TV viewers do not know that camera angles can lie just as much as Bill Clinton. The major media has desensitized Americans to carnage. We now expect to see blood and guts, and nasal shots of women crying, with our evening dinner.

And, just as much as we accept the fact that government school teachers are attempting to get children to snitch on parents, we agreeably hand over the bucks for our children to see the latest bloody shoot 'em up film. Hell, we even buy them cable TV so they can go off and watch that stuff nearly full time if they wish. That way, parents do not have to bother with the kids. Then, we wonder why some kids actually imitate what they see.

The "Thou Shalt Nots" are out. "Be yourself" is in. Children do not understand that. Kids have not changed. They still need supervision, direction and strong rules. Liberalism does not provide that.

Thousands of high school kids go crazy and kill themselves and others with an automobile every year. Yet, we still allow teens to drive. But, when just a couple kids kill with a gun, liberals want to restrict guns for everyone. That's both stupid and a violation of our rule of law, as controlled by the Constitution.

Like an automobile, a gun is no more than a tool, a piece of metal. Actually, a car is more dangerous than a gun. We can start a car and let it go off on its own until it crashes. That's impossible with a gun. Unattended, guns do nothing.

Now comes one source of the problem, Time Warner's chairman Gerald Levin telling the Hollywood Radio and Television Society that he believes the criticism for the April 20 tragedy at Columbine High School can be directed at a gun-mad culture and overly critical politicians. You see, some in Washington, such as Reps. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Senators. John McCain (R-Ariz) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) have stated that some of the blame lies with the media.

"I find in this season of political opportunism, a form of moral arrogance with respect to the media," Levin said. "We hear it already in relation to the horrors in Littleton, Colorado. I can't help but think that television is an easy scapegoat. … Where is the cry to stop the proliferation of guns?"

Incidentally, the Time Warner conglomerate includes CNN, Turner Network Television, Turner Classic Movies, Time Warner Cable, the WB television network and the movie studios Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema. And one of the films most mentioned lately is Time Warner's 1995 high school murder film "The Basketball Diaries."

In other words, it's OK for Time Warner to plant the seed and show kids how to do the deed. They just do not want any of the responsibility if some of the kids they target the films to actually follow the script.

Levin said he found fault with the old criticism first voiced by former FCC head Newton Minow that TV is a "vast wasteland."

"The reason for this explosion of choices has little to do with federal intervention or regulation and everything to do with human creativity and innovation," Levin said in justification of some of the trash they put out.

Then Levin got even better: He told the group that it was time to "get rid of the entire antiquated regulatory system." When reporters questioned him afterward, Levin said he would like to eliminate "the FCC, Congress, everything." Of course, Levin then made himself unavailable for further comment.

Understandably, Levin's remarks were greeted with enthusiasm by an audience filled with entertainment industry honchos.

And the anti-establishment left? Littleton Colorado, and hence Columbine High School, is one of the leading Outcome Based Education school districts in America. Perhaps the shooting was just one "Outcome" of the permissiveness taught in the "situation ethics" class.

The far left may have situation ethics, but they have very poor standards and little resembling morals.

"What prudent merchant will hazard his fortunes in any new branch of commerce when he knows not that his plans may be rendered unlawful before they can be executed?" asked James Madison in 1787. His words ring very true again today.

Later, in The Federalist #44 he wrote:

The sober people of America are weary of the fluctuating policy which has directed the public councils. They have seen with regret and indignation that sudden changes and legislative interferences, in cases affecting personal rights, become jobs in the hands of enterprising and influential speculators, and snares to the more industrious and less informed part of the community. They have seen, too, that one legislative interference is but the first link of a long chain of repetitions, every subsequent interference being naturally produced by the effects of the preceding.

 

Madison was writing about the capricious legislative actions of Great Britain. But, if we rewrote that in modern English, most Americans would identify it as describing today's federal government.

A few years ago, Business Week reported that there are more than 100,000 new laws, rules and regulations enacted in the United States each year. Between 1976 and 1986, state legislatures alone made up 248,000 new laws. And, on average, each of these laws spurred at least ten new regulations.

And that's only the state governments, folks. The federal government is even worse. There are over 11,585 pages of IRS regulations, 11,270 pages of regulations for Agriculture, 11,808 pages for the EPA, and 5,368 for Labor, to name just a few affecting our personal activities. A quick look in a public library showed 211 fat books containing 122,027 pages of Federal regulations directly affecting American citizens.

That's 122,027 pages of regulations alone, folks, not laws passed by Congress. And, we're responsible for knowing and obeying every one of them. When you also factor in federal laws, this gets way, way out of hand.

The most important function of government is the protection of the people -- to protect the free exercise of our rights and liberties. Instead, legislators and regulatory agencies seem to be trying to classify every known human activity as either prohibited or mandatory.

Worse yet, any of these rules and regulations can be arbitrarily enforced on an unsuspecting citizen at any time. And, although they might be officially labeled rules and regulations by legislators, to the citizen they have the full force of law. After all, what happens if you break one of these little bureaucratic jewels? Agents with guns come after you and courts fine you and/or put you in prison, that's what.

Madison was right. An over regulated society is not conducive to business -- and hence, to building wealth within that society. Therefore, these excessive laws rules and regulations stymie the ability of American citizens to engage in the commerce necessary to adequately provide for a home and family -- the backbone of our society. These actions by the federal government are, in effect, detrimental to the welfare of the country.

Is it any wonder, then, that so many American business, and American jobs, are moving to less regulated countries?

"This year will go down in history," the President said. "For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future."

Sounds like President Bill Clinton, doesn't it. However, that was Adolf Hitler in 1935.

Last week, they started on the contrived danger of citizen-owned guns again. These mush-mouthed, hand-ringing buttinsky liberals keep telling America that guns are bad. Guns are making our country a very dangerous land, they say. Guns kill people, they repeat. It's like the frontier days out there all over again, one babble-breath talking-head said.

Listening to these fugitives from fact, one would think that the nefarious pistol in the drawer next to me is actually lying in wait for me to open the drawer so it can jump out and shoot me.

But it wasn't always this way. There was a time when the American people had freedom. Back then, the government acted properly and did not fear an armed citizenry. "Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance," President George Washington instructed. "They are the people's liberty's teeth." Later, in a January 7, 1790 speech, President Washington again said, "A free people ought … to be armed." President Thomas Jefferson agreed, simply saying: "No Free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."

A few of their friends -- forever honored as Founding Fathers, one and all -- felt exactly the same. George Mason said that "To disarm the people [is] the best and most effectual way to enslave them." Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Papers that, "The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." Patrick Henry wrote that "The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able might have a gun." And President John Adams said, "Arms in the hands of citizens [may] be used at individual discretion … in private self-defense."

And let's not forget Representative James Madison's proposal for a Constitutional Amendment to the House: "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed and well-regulated militia being the best security to a free country …" Rep. Elbridge Gerry agreed with Madison: "What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty."

During the Constitutional debates, George Mason pretty well summed up the belief of most of the founding Fathers when he queried: "I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials."

Did George Mason imply that all citizens should be personally armed, but not public officials? It seems that way. And, he was not the only Founder to say that.

Yet, today, it's the federal government that is armed against the American people. A GAO report two years ago revealed that over 60,000 federal employees in 45 different agencies now carry weapons as a routine part of their job -- which amounts to the standing army the Founding Fathers feared. The feds want total dominance over the American people, but to get that they must first disarm us.

For as Noah Webster warned: "Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any bands of regular troop." (From: An Examination into the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, 1787)

"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed -- unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms," wrote James Madison in The Federalist Papers # 46.

President Thomas Jefferson wrote that every man should have the means and ability to defend himself and his family.

A strong body makes the mind strong. [But] As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks.

 

Samuel Adams agreed. "The Constitution shall never be construed … to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."

So did Thomas Paine.

The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside. … Horrid mischief would ensue were one half the world deprived of the use of them.

We are free [relatively] simply because we are a well armed citizenry. Any legislation, rule or regulation usurping that important right should immediately be attacked as un-American by all of us.

They will come to make a statement, and that they most certainly will do. Loud and clear. And at three- quarters of a million strong, they shall be heard. Believe me, I attended once. They will be heard!

Each Memorial Day weekend, for the past eleven years, nearly three quarters of a million people invaded the District of Columbia. There were so many people there last year that they disrupted traffic for three days. There were so many people there that their parade took about four hours to pass.

The national media, however, did not bother to cover it. These were true American Patriots. But, unfortunately, as far as the liberal national media is concerned, patriotism is no longer politically correct in these United Sates.

The media people heard it, though. Everyone in the city heard it. That was ROLLING THUNDER -- the "Ride for Freedom."

The name "Rolling Thunder" arose, as we ground- pounders know, from B52 bombers carpet-bombing vast stretches of jungle during the Vietnam war. Awesome, that. Frightening, too. Today, the term pertains to motorcycles -- as in big Harley Davidsons. And in this case, many thousands of big Harley Davidsons, along with a few other brands.

Yes, National Chairman Artie "The Dictator" Muller is doing it again. This may possibly be the biggest and best Rolling Thunder yet.

The organizers say: "Rolling Thunder is about Pride -- the pride we have as Americans. The pride we have in the men and women of the Armed Services that provide the blanket of freedom and security we so often take for granted.

"Rolling Thunder is about bikers taking a message to Washington, DC. They ride to honor the fallen, to thank those that returned and to demand an accounting for those still missing."

"This gathering of real Americans is designed to send a message to Washington that those that were willing to die for their country will never be forgotten or forsaken," Artie Muller explained last year. "We are only getting stronger!"

These are American Patriots of the highest order, one and all, we add.

And I also add: Rolling Thunder is a message about liberty and freedom, from those who fought for it once and will do so again if it becomes necessary. The pride and determination of these veterans and their friends never ceases to bring tears to the eyes and a sinking feeling in the heart of those of us not fortunate enough to attend.

In fact, it's time I force these old bones to make that pilgrimage one more time. It's been a few years. Perhaps this year we should all attend. Perhaps we can show Artie that there still are a few million patriotic American citizens out here who really do care. Maybe we could show ourselves too, and that belligerent leviathan we call government.

It's next Memorial Day. At the Pentagon's parking lot. Come early. Bring good earplugs. And trust me folks, you will never -- EVER -- forget Rolling Thunder! Such a demonstration can only happen in the United States.

Dozens of contact people and links from many states are posted on their web page, so check it out. Then, see if you can find the pictures from last year. They're there somewhere. http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/5975/rt11.htm

Let's go guys. Ride for Freedom. Washington, D.C., Memorial Day Weekend. You will not regret it.

I wrote you some time back after reading your "Boxing Liberty" article. We had an open house and family picnic Saturday April 24th at our rifle club and tried to pattern it after what you suggested. [Heads Up March 7, 1999, Issue #125 and private correspondence -- ed.]

It worked out well and a good measure of its success belongs to you for your recommendations and inspiration. Thank you!

We kept it as a non-political, patriotic, family shooting, non-hunting oriented event. We dedicated a newly rebuilt rifle range to Gunnery Sgt. (Ret.) Carlos N. Hathcock, II USMC (with Mrs. Hathcock's blessing), and USMC Lt. Col. Lourie Salley, III (involved with Freemen) spoke for us.

After Colonel Salley spoke, there was silence. We then played the Marine Corps Hymn. Three rifle shooters, out of sight on an adjoining range, fired 7 volleys. At the conclusion of the hymn, there was one final shot and 93 white balloons with white feathers attached were released. We all watched in awe as they slowly rose and, as if guided by some big hand, disappeared from sight straight down range.

A USMC Color Guard presented the colors, we sang the Star Spangled Banner and an AFJROTC member led us all in the Pledge of Allegiance. We then played Dixie.

The local high school fancy drill team (FYI, they all happened to be Black) also put on a good show. I presented marksmanship awards to high school AFJROTC members who use our range for training. We fired a ceremonial cannon and had the guys who founded the range 25 years ago cut the ceremonial ribbon.

There was a mini gun show and 18 display tables, which included GOA, NRA, EddyEagle, vendors, VVA, local Korean War Memorial, etc.

Admission, parking, food, and eye/ear protection were free to all. People were welcome to attend armed (as long as they keep 'em holstered) and they did. We had a great turnout for a first, hopefully annual, event -- about 600 people.

The event was covered by the local NBC TV affiliate, and we gave the reporter the grand tour. He was a Black reporter, a non-shooter, who came into it thinking guns and families couldn't possibly be a good thing. Well, I am happy to report that two hours later he thought differently.

Everywhere he looked he saw family, after family smiling and having a good time together. The reporter interviewed fathers with sons and mothers with daughters who were shooting .22's. He interviewed a Black family (husband, wife, 2 sons) who were shooting Glock handguns (courtesy of Glock, Inc.) at our steel plate machine.

He watched a cowboy and cowgirl take care of a bunch of outlaws. He saw IPSC shooters knocking over steel plates and mountain men letting people take pictures of their children shooting flintlocks. He saw the Columbia Police Department (SC's capitol city) put on a demonstration of their officer training program.

He also saw people shooting fully automatic AK47's, M16's, M1919's, etc. and suppressed rifles, and just having a great time. He even got to touch off a burst on a minigun that was mounted on a 1876 Gatling gun mount.

I introduced the reporter to Andrew Pavelyev, one of our members. Andrew came from Russia 7 years ago and is now a U.S. citizen. He told the reporter how, in Russia, it was incredibly difficult to even get a hunting knife -- tougher even than it is for us to get a machine gun. Forget guns in Russia, Andrew said, only the bad guys had them.

As the reporter and I were standing in our .22 area, next to where the machine guns were going off, a great cloud of gunsmoke came wafting by. I laughed and reminded him of the caveat we had put on the invitation: "If you find the sound of gunfire or smell of gunsmoke disturbing, this may not be the event for you". He laughed, and said he had remembered reading that with a little trepidation but was used to it now.

Surprisingly, he said he had been instructed NOT to ask about Colorado unless we brought it up first. I did, and explained how we had been asked about canceling our open house because of Colorado and why we never considered doing so for a moment.

Over 100,000 rounds went downrange that day and not even one Band Aid was needed. There were no pinched fingers, eye problems or skinned knees. Just people having fun and making freedom's sound ring.

Afterwards, he said he had a tough job. To report the truth, that is --- that families and guns can mix well and positively.

We got 2 minutes on the evening news. We were the 2nd feature at 11PM, right after the Colorado thing. But he did a good job and showed families having good, safe fun. He aired my words about gun people being a close knit family and my invitation to anyone who wanted a good, safe, convenient place to shoot to come join us.

He also showed a full auto AK47 and minigun (demonstrating their appropriateness for civilian ownership, in my opinion), followed by shots of our cowboy people and a lady being coached on how to correctly shoot a Glock.

Doug, thanks again. You helped quite a bit in making this a good thing for us down here. Just thought you'd like to know.

BTW, can I subscribe to your weekly newsletter?

Thanks.

Ed Kelleher (ejkelleher@aol.com)

President, Mid Carolina Rifle Club

1730 Augusta Road, West Columbia, SC 29169.

http://www.scfirearms.org

The Club can be reached at 803-796-8858, or faxed at 803-791-7349

Come on journalists, here's your chance for some "balance" to all those gun grabbing stories you have been running lately. It's time something was said about those many millions of American families who consistently use their firearms correctly.

  ** uhuh **

The President said he is reducing taxes.

uhuh.

Congress says they are balancing the budget.

uhuh. Sez who?

Web Home Page: www.uhuh.com

---

This web page can NOT be altered or sold, but may be copied intact for reasonable distribution in keeping with the philosophy of uhuh and GR Force, who can assume no liabilities. Please make you own decisions.

The term U-Mail, uhuh and this web page are Copyright 1996 by Forest Glen Durland.

hu133.htm. Revised 3-10-01. uhuh and GR Force are non-profit.