This is an OPSEC violation I know but it's something I feel compelled to write. You may agree or you may think I've gone over the edge. Either way, after this I think I'll be limiting my political posts. Courage is one thing, advertising is something else.
I'll start by reminding or informing any reader that I am a Patriot of the first stripe. A veteran and a retired police officer, I have devoted more than 33 years of my life to this country. I love America and I want nothing more than to see her continue to be the light of freedom for the world.
I sat down and watched a special on the Lincoln assassination the other day. It was a movie made from the Bill O'Reilly book, Killing Lincoln. It gave me pause.
There's been a lot of Abe Lincoln out there the last couple of years, even a vampire killing Lincoln movie. Books, TV and film. Lincoln has been everywhere. Now I'm not one to buy into conspiracy theories. Most of them are complete BS. But there is a difference between a conspiracy and a plan. I think the left has a plan and the pessimist (or perhaps realist) in me sees the end point of that plan as a new civil war. I think they not only want one but are actively working for one.
The left has it's Lincoln in the White House in Obama. They have their emancipation movement in Gun Control. They have their spark in Sandy Hook. That's why we see so much Lincoln out there right now. That's why the media won't let Sandy Hook rest. It's why Obama has a complete pass to do anything he wants. It's why gun owners are evil, and not just of a different opinion.
I was struck by a passage in a book I read a long time ago, Red Storm Rising. In that book the Soviets created a crisis by killing...children. It's an excuse to start a war with the West and gain control over oil reserves. Really, it's about war for control period. The Reds used the killing of children, an act they committed themselves, as a maskirovka or military deception to cover their broader and more sinister aims. One of the main characters, LCDR Toland, a Soviet analyst, remarks that he's never seen the Russian population whipped into such a state of anger before and realizes in that moment that war is inevitable. The West sees what's coming and prepares. They negotiate, gather intelligence and gather their forces. Yet War comes all the same.
Now I'm not saying Sandy Hook was a deliberate deception perpetrated on purpose to mask political maneuvering but it was and is being used as an excuse to push us into a corner from which there can be only one response. The difference between the two concepts is meaningless. The end result is exactly the same. A deliberate bomb in the Kremlin or a random shooter at an elementary school. Either can be used to whip up popular sentiment into a murderous fury. I believe that is what has been done and indeed is being done even now. We're being set up. Put into an impossible situation where we end up having only one response.
The media and White House are pushing and pushing. Where just a few short months ago we all thought gun control dead and buried we now see federal initiatives and state laws limiting or outright prohibiting the exercise of the Second Amendment. The rhetoric and name calling is reaching levels none of us has ever seen before or even imagined possible in a free Republic. Banning and even confiscation is being openly discussed. The demonizing of gun owners is outstripping that of Rape and crimes against children. Plans and subterfuges. It's insane. Yet it's happening right now.
On our side we're seeing preparations. Guns and ammunition are being purchased in numbers beyond anything imaginable. Intel is being gathered and lines in the sand drawn. Politicians have been warned and warned again. Food is being stocked. Lives simplified. Nothing less than preparations for war whatever the individual motivations.
The left has it's Lincoln, it's propaganda ministry and it's Army. They have a placated and dumbed down populace, addicted to bread and circuses. The federal leviathan has grown and grown and is even now stockpiling arms and ammunition for it's enforcement arm. They have purged the military of those commanders suspected of being unreliable. They have shooters they are confident of and in their minds nothing now stands in the way of their ultimate victory except the lives of those now viewed through the same lens as slave owners a century and a half ago. They have their righteous cause and their enemy is clearly defined. Us.
And the pushing goes on and on. I'm now in the position of finding myself in agreement with those paranoid and fringe elements who have been warning about the coming war for years now. I am convinced. It's coming and I can't see a way to avoid it short of surrender by the Big Red Machine currently in charge of the country and it's mainstream media outlets. Or ours. Any bets on the likelihood of either happening?
Lincoln is the key to the Left's current thoughts and plans. They love him and the fundamental transformation he wrought on the Union. If he is their model, and everything I'm seeing right now convinces me he is, then war is absolutely inevitable. The left wants to kill us. Not defeat or cow or intimidate but kill. Their own words betray them and give us all the evidence we need.
I hope I'm wrong. I pray I'm wrong. I want to be wrong. But I fear I am not. I see the dust on the horizon and hear the distant drums sounding the march. I see the hate being cast against me and hear the roar of the masses calling for my blood. I see the in gathering of the forces of chaos and tyranny and I hear their calls for death and enslavement. And I understand. It's crazy.
I am a free man. I will remain a free man until the day I die. I will not submit nor will I surrender my liberties in the face of violence. I have spoken out. I have made my intentions clear. That is all I can do. I just want to be left alone. I hope the left understands that what they are doing is nothing less than declaring war on half of the country. They are fanning the cold war into a conflagration that, if not stopped right now, may well consume us all.
The spirit of Patrick Henry is still alive and well in America and I thank God that it is so. Give me liberty or give me death. It really has come to that.
Six
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label America. Show all posts
21 February 2013
04 January 2013
Hello To My Czech and Slovac Readers
Thanks for stopping by and reading my scribblings. I think it's cool that you found the site and thought enough to not only read but link to one of my posts. Shooters the world over have the same DNA I think and we welcome you here. I invite you to leave us a comment or two on how things are done in your neck of the woods. Your views and opinions will always be welcome here. A Gunnie is a Gunnie no matter what language we use. Speaking of which, I really wish I could read yours, your site looks like it's a pretty good one.
That goes for all the rest of you from outside the U.S. I Know Garry from New Zealand visits us from time and leaves us his thoughts but I'd love to hear from all of you. You can't let the Kiwi's have all the fun!
It's a very small world these days indeed.
Six
That goes for all the rest of you from outside the U.S. I Know Garry from New Zealand visits us from time and leaves us his thoughts but I'd love to hear from all of you. You can't let the Kiwi's have all the fun!
It's a very small world these days indeed.
Six
12 December 2012
McCarthy and Truth
Are we the sum of our experiences? Or are we rather the result of our genetics? A case can be made for either argument. Perhaps it's a little of both. A predisposition toward certain behavioral characteristics inherent in our DNA coupled with the school of life and the choices we make. That supposes that we can actively learn from our mistakes and apply the lessons we're given. Sadly, human nature argues that the bulk of us cannot learn from our past and we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
I'm not a historian nor did I stay in a Holiday Express last night. I'm also not the brightest light in the Christmas Tree display. This is a general overview of a complex man and movement from an amateur historian with opinions formed of my own experiences an genetic predispositions.
I've been studying history lately. Particularly the post WWII and Cold War period. I'm a Boomer and the Cold War was my war. I served from 1977 to 1985. One of the fascinating periods of that era was that of Joseph McCarthy and the House UnAmerican Activities Commission (HUAC).
Now contrary to what many think they know, McCarthy did not start nor was he ever a part of HUAC. HUAC actually grew out of a House investigating Committee, chaired by Congressman Martin Dies in May of 1938. It was co-chaired by Samuel Dickstein who was later accused of being a Soviet sleeper agent in the Verona Project. HUAC became a permanent committee in 1946 as relations with the Soviet Union collapsed post war and the Iron Curtain was born. The whole purpose of the HUAC and the various committees and investigations it gave birth to was to bring to light the Communist infiltration of the US government by agents or Communist loyalists.
Joseph McCarthy was a US Senator from Wisconsin between 1947 and 1957. He gave rise to the term "McCarthyism" which is now used to accuse someone who is deemed to himself accuse others with little or no proof beyond speculation, suspicion and paranoia. By 1950 McCarthy was making his name by investigating possible and real ties between famous persons and the Communists in the USSR. Including many in the ranks of government and the military. And Hollywood, let's not forget the infamous Black Listing of notable entertainment industry insiders.
If you go to the link above and take a look at the Verona and Lee Lists you'll see quite a number of people who were suspected of espionage in government jobs, especially the State Department. Some were undoubtedly erroneous accusations but by no means most. He is often derided for failing to name names publicly but my reading tends to convince me he was actually quite aware of the damage inclusion on one of his lists potentially was and protected names until he was either forced to or was satisfied of their guilt. There were an awful lot of 5th Amendment invocations by witnesses during his hearings.
Reading up on McCarthy and HUAC, I come away understanding a little better how we got to where we are now. The simple fact is that, for the most part, McCarthy was right. There was a massive undertaking by the Communist USSR and it's loyalists and sympathizers to infiltrate and subvert the Democratic process in this country and push us toward the Soviet model.
Of course it was a different time and this was a different country. Even the Democrats feared McCarthy and his "I have in my hand" lists. We were still wedded to the idea of individualism and liberty and understood the danger that Communism and Socialism represented to those ideals.
In the end the media killed McCarthy's career. Edward R. Murrow is given a lot of credit for his hit piece on his See It Now show but the fact is that the media attacked McCarthy for years and the drumbeat of negative coverage coupled with some hearings that showed McCarthy may have been casting his net awfully wide eventually turned public opinion against him. In 1954 the Senate turned on McCarthy, ultimately accusing him of 46 counts of alleged misconduct. The Watkins hearings cleared him of all but two counts, that he failed to cooperate in 1952 with the Senate Subcommitee on Privileges and Elections and that he had intemperately abused Army general Ralph Zwicker who claimed that he would protect any other general who promotes Communist's within the military. The Zwicker charge was also later dropped and another charge substituted; That McCarthy had acted contrary to senatorial ethics and tended to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute. A vote was taken and McCarthy was Condemned by a vote of 67-22 with all the Democrats voting in favor and the Republicans evenly split. His career as a power in government was basically over at that point.
As we can clearly see now, in the end McCarthy failed. He did not because he overreached or was an evil person trying to gain power through false accusations and witch hunts. He failed because of Republicans who were more concerned with their image that the protection of our form of government, the power of the media, even then controlled by those with socialist leanings and the ignorance of far too many Americans who may have been soul sick of War but who still should have known better. But he wasn't wrong. He was able to end the careers and limit the potential damage of hundreds of actual Communist agents, supporters and agitators. The results may have been temporary but his victories weren't Pyrrhic. He exposed the template being used by the forces of anti-Americanism to overcome the protections guaranteed to the American Citizen in the Constitution. A plan of attack we can see very clearly in effect today. Knowledge is power.
Do we learn or are we predisposed to making the same mistakes over and over again? If recent history is a true indicator it's most assuredly the latter. I take a contrary view. All things end and the current socialist trend is no different. Politics are cyclical, as certain as the tides and just as changing. What comes in sooner or later will also ebb. Fortunately the framework for resistance and ultimate victory are still there, as strong and puissant as ever. The uncertainty, the unmeasurable constant, is our will. Which way will we go? Down the path of least resistance and Transnational Progressivism or toward the light of Liberty?
When I was a Cold Warrior I was stationed for a while at Ft Ord, California. During my initial time there we were a weigh station between CONUS and Germany. Those coming in were destined for other bases, either overseas or elsewhere in the US. No one went there just to be there. Ft Ord and the 7th Division were an afterthought in a planners computer model in the Pentagon. We had no mission and no pride. Then things changed and we got a new role. The Light Infantry model became ascendant and we were given a mission and a second chance. Gone was the holding Division and marking time until we all got to a real unit. In was the 7th Infantry Division Light. We became Lightfighters and we were proud. We rucked and ran and sweated and shot and trained. The Manchu Mile. The monthly 7th Division 7 mile run. Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett. Ranger School and Jump School and Air Assault School. For a solid year I spent 2 weeks in the field followed by two weeks in garrison to clean, maintain and get ready to go back out. We got in new cadre and new troops and were no longer a side note. We were now at the very tip of the spear and we loved it! Esprit De Corps is to the physical as 10 is to 1. All we needed to go from being rag bags to Soldiers was a mission worthy of our sacrifice and the confidence that we were being forged into a weapon to defeat the enemies of America. Pride comes from within but it needs a seed to grow.
A couple of months ago I went to visit Car Guy and Bike Nurse. While there we went for a bike ride on Ft Ord. It's now closed. It's ranges and barracks turned over to the local governments or dedicated as BLM land. But the bones are still there to see if you know where to look.
If you turn that picture sideways you can read the caption at the top. It says;
"Pre-Ranger. 7th Infantry Division Light. Out of these archways will walk the finest Lightfighters."
Not Might. Not We Hope. Not We'll Try. Will. I am proud to have been associated with that idea and those men.
She may be gone but she's not forgotten. The very hills yet echo with the sounds of Soldiers training and preparing to defend our nation. Her bones are still those of a warrior and no amount of cosmetic change can alter that fact.
America is like Ft Ord now. Changed. Different. But she lives on. Her pride may be hidden but it's still there. In the blood and sweat of the millions who worked so hard to ensure our victory every foe and obstacle. All she needs is the willing sacrifice of Patriots and Warriors. The pain and sweat and hard work necessary to build military units into weapons of war and countries into bastions of freedom. We have a mission but do we have the Pride, the Will? Is our Esprit De Corps gone, churned into the dust of history? I say NO, a thousand times NO. We are currently rediscovering who we are and what we can do. What liberty looks like and how quickly it can be taken away. Who the enemy are and what their tactics and plans are. We have forgotten so much and discarded the rest. But we are Americans and no task is beyond us. We are governed by our consent and the current politicians exist in office only through our sufferance. It's time we withdrew that consent. No retreat, no surrender and no accommodation. Remember McCarthy and the truth he publicized. It's not McCarthyism any more. It's recognizing reality.
Remember the proud 7th. There is no try. There is only Will.
I am a proud Lightfighter and I have only begun to fight.
Six
I'm not a historian nor did I stay in a Holiday Express last night. I'm also not the brightest light in the Christmas Tree display. This is a general overview of a complex man and movement from an amateur historian with opinions formed of my own experiences an genetic predispositions.
I've been studying history lately. Particularly the post WWII and Cold War period. I'm a Boomer and the Cold War was my war. I served from 1977 to 1985. One of the fascinating periods of that era was that of Joseph McCarthy and the House UnAmerican Activities Commission (HUAC).
Now contrary to what many think they know, McCarthy did not start nor was he ever a part of HUAC. HUAC actually grew out of a House investigating Committee, chaired by Congressman Martin Dies in May of 1938. It was co-chaired by Samuel Dickstein who was later accused of being a Soviet sleeper agent in the Verona Project. HUAC became a permanent committee in 1946 as relations with the Soviet Union collapsed post war and the Iron Curtain was born. The whole purpose of the HUAC and the various committees and investigations it gave birth to was to bring to light the Communist infiltration of the US government by agents or Communist loyalists.
Joseph McCarthy was a US Senator from Wisconsin between 1947 and 1957. He gave rise to the term "McCarthyism" which is now used to accuse someone who is deemed to himself accuse others with little or no proof beyond speculation, suspicion and paranoia. By 1950 McCarthy was making his name by investigating possible and real ties between famous persons and the Communists in the USSR. Including many in the ranks of government and the military. And Hollywood, let's not forget the infamous Black Listing of notable entertainment industry insiders.
If you go to the link above and take a look at the Verona and Lee Lists you'll see quite a number of people who were suspected of espionage in government jobs, especially the State Department. Some were undoubtedly erroneous accusations but by no means most. He is often derided for failing to name names publicly but my reading tends to convince me he was actually quite aware of the damage inclusion on one of his lists potentially was and protected names until he was either forced to or was satisfied of their guilt. There were an awful lot of 5th Amendment invocations by witnesses during his hearings.
Reading up on McCarthy and HUAC, I come away understanding a little better how we got to where we are now. The simple fact is that, for the most part, McCarthy was right. There was a massive undertaking by the Communist USSR and it's loyalists and sympathizers to infiltrate and subvert the Democratic process in this country and push us toward the Soviet model.
Of course it was a different time and this was a different country. Even the Democrats feared McCarthy and his "I have in my hand" lists. We were still wedded to the idea of individualism and liberty and understood the danger that Communism and Socialism represented to those ideals.
In the end the media killed McCarthy's career. Edward R. Murrow is given a lot of credit for his hit piece on his See It Now show but the fact is that the media attacked McCarthy for years and the drumbeat of negative coverage coupled with some hearings that showed McCarthy may have been casting his net awfully wide eventually turned public opinion against him. In 1954 the Senate turned on McCarthy, ultimately accusing him of 46 counts of alleged misconduct. The Watkins hearings cleared him of all but two counts, that he failed to cooperate in 1952 with the Senate Subcommitee on Privileges and Elections and that he had intemperately abused Army general Ralph Zwicker who claimed that he would protect any other general who promotes Communist's within the military. The Zwicker charge was also later dropped and another charge substituted; That McCarthy had acted contrary to senatorial ethics and tended to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute. A vote was taken and McCarthy was Condemned by a vote of 67-22 with all the Democrats voting in favor and the Republicans evenly split. His career as a power in government was basically over at that point.
As we can clearly see now, in the end McCarthy failed. He did not because he overreached or was an evil person trying to gain power through false accusations and witch hunts. He failed because of Republicans who were more concerned with their image that the protection of our form of government, the power of the media, even then controlled by those with socialist leanings and the ignorance of far too many Americans who may have been soul sick of War but who still should have known better. But he wasn't wrong. He was able to end the careers and limit the potential damage of hundreds of actual Communist agents, supporters and agitators. The results may have been temporary but his victories weren't Pyrrhic. He exposed the template being used by the forces of anti-Americanism to overcome the protections guaranteed to the American Citizen in the Constitution. A plan of attack we can see very clearly in effect today. Knowledge is power.
Do we learn or are we predisposed to making the same mistakes over and over again? If recent history is a true indicator it's most assuredly the latter. I take a contrary view. All things end and the current socialist trend is no different. Politics are cyclical, as certain as the tides and just as changing. What comes in sooner or later will also ebb. Fortunately the framework for resistance and ultimate victory are still there, as strong and puissant as ever. The uncertainty, the unmeasurable constant, is our will. Which way will we go? Down the path of least resistance and Transnational Progressivism or toward the light of Liberty?
When I was a Cold Warrior I was stationed for a while at Ft Ord, California. During my initial time there we were a weigh station between CONUS and Germany. Those coming in were destined for other bases, either overseas or elsewhere in the US. No one went there just to be there. Ft Ord and the 7th Division were an afterthought in a planners computer model in the Pentagon. We had no mission and no pride. Then things changed and we got a new role. The Light Infantry model became ascendant and we were given a mission and a second chance. Gone was the holding Division and marking time until we all got to a real unit. In was the 7th Infantry Division Light. We became Lightfighters and we were proud. We rucked and ran and sweated and shot and trained. The Manchu Mile. The monthly 7th Division 7 mile run. Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett. Ranger School and Jump School and Air Assault School. For a solid year I spent 2 weeks in the field followed by two weeks in garrison to clean, maintain and get ready to go back out. We got in new cadre and new troops and were no longer a side note. We were now at the very tip of the spear and we loved it! Esprit De Corps is to the physical as 10 is to 1. All we needed to go from being rag bags to Soldiers was a mission worthy of our sacrifice and the confidence that we were being forged into a weapon to defeat the enemies of America. Pride comes from within but it needs a seed to grow.
A couple of months ago I went to visit Car Guy and Bike Nurse. While there we went for a bike ride on Ft Ord. It's now closed. It's ranges and barracks turned over to the local governments or dedicated as BLM land. But the bones are still there to see if you know where to look.
If you turn that picture sideways you can read the caption at the top. It says;
"Pre-Ranger. 7th Infantry Division Light. Out of these archways will walk the finest Lightfighters."
Not Might. Not We Hope. Not We'll Try. Will. I am proud to have been associated with that idea and those men.
She may be gone but she's not forgotten. The very hills yet echo with the sounds of Soldiers training and preparing to defend our nation. Her bones are still those of a warrior and no amount of cosmetic change can alter that fact.
America is like Ft Ord now. Changed. Different. But she lives on. Her pride may be hidden but it's still there. In the blood and sweat of the millions who worked so hard to ensure our victory every foe and obstacle. All she needs is the willing sacrifice of Patriots and Warriors. The pain and sweat and hard work necessary to build military units into weapons of war and countries into bastions of freedom. We have a mission but do we have the Pride, the Will? Is our Esprit De Corps gone, churned into the dust of history? I say NO, a thousand times NO. We are currently rediscovering who we are and what we can do. What liberty looks like and how quickly it can be taken away. Who the enemy are and what their tactics and plans are. We have forgotten so much and discarded the rest. But we are Americans and no task is beyond us. We are governed by our consent and the current politicians exist in office only through our sufferance. It's time we withdrew that consent. No retreat, no surrender and no accommodation. Remember McCarthy and the truth he publicized. It's not McCarthyism any more. It's recognizing reality.
Remember the proud 7th. There is no try. There is only Will.
I am a proud Lightfighter and I have only begun to fight.
Six
07 December 2012
Reloading, It's Not Just For Making Ammunition
There are a lot of tributes to the men and women who died on this day 71 years ago. I chose a different way to honor them and their sacrifice on the altar of freedom. Today I exercised that liberty they bought with such dear coin.
This is my reloading/gunsmithing bench. It's not nearly as nice as some but has the advantage of being cheap. Lu and I picked it up out of the scrap left over when the 7th ID moved out of Ft Ord. It's big, heavy and sturdy. I like it and it tickles me to have a piece of my old division with me. That's my RCBS single stage over there on the right. A progressive press is on my Badly Want list. Someday. It's not tidy but it is cozy and inviting. A good place to while away a few hours in quiet work and peaceful contemplation.
One of my pet loads for my Redhawk. It's stout but not too much so as I'm shooting hard lead bullets and lead deposits in the barrel are no fun to clean out. If you look closely you can see a recipe for 225 grain JHP at the bottom of the load info. I used both today.
I loaded one hundred fifty 240 grain lead SWC and one hundred 225 grain JHP. Practice and Make My Day. Ammunition by Six.
I love creating my own ammunition. I can tailor it for anything I want it to do. It's inexpensive, once the capitol outlay is paid for, and makes me feel connected to my spiritual ancestors. It's a Zen hobby. One that requires both careful attention to detail and an ability to do repetitious work over and over again. There's a mental aspect as well. Figuring out loads and combinations. Adjusting dies so they're operating exactly as you need them. Powders, primers, cases, bullets. Cleaning and lubing and inspecting.
It's also a truly American pastime. A statement of Liberty and a renunciation of the culture of dependence. It's kicking sand in the face of the bully and telling him to take his best shot. Here resides a free man. As long as my supplies hold out I can never be starved of the fuel of Liberty.
Then there's the moment you touch off the first round from a new batch. Will it even fire? How will it perform? Listening and feeling for the miniscule Pop of the hated squib or the mammoth BOOM of the dreaded double powder load. And the smile and thrill when it goes as planned and the new rounds both fire as expected and perform as hoped. Yeah, reloading is awesome and exciting.
What's next on the list for the Six bench? Maybe some 44-40 for Lu's beloved Vaquero. Some 45 LC for my Blackhawk? I'm running a little light on both 300 Win Mag and 30-30. Hmmm.
Ah, I know.
Perfect.
You all have a great weekend. I'll be in the man cave making a new batch of Freedom.
Six
This is my reloading/gunsmithing bench. It's not nearly as nice as some but has the advantage of being cheap. Lu and I picked it up out of the scrap left over when the 7th ID moved out of Ft Ord. It's big, heavy and sturdy. I like it and it tickles me to have a piece of my old division with me. That's my RCBS single stage over there on the right. A progressive press is on my Badly Want list. Someday. It's not tidy but it is cozy and inviting. A good place to while away a few hours in quiet work and peaceful contemplation.
One of my pet loads for my Redhawk. It's stout but not too much so as I'm shooting hard lead bullets and lead deposits in the barrel are no fun to clean out. If you look closely you can see a recipe for 225 grain JHP at the bottom of the load info. I used both today.
I loaded one hundred fifty 240 grain lead SWC and one hundred 225 grain JHP. Practice and Make My Day. Ammunition by Six.
I love creating my own ammunition. I can tailor it for anything I want it to do. It's inexpensive, once the capitol outlay is paid for, and makes me feel connected to my spiritual ancestors. It's a Zen hobby. One that requires both careful attention to detail and an ability to do repetitious work over and over again. There's a mental aspect as well. Figuring out loads and combinations. Adjusting dies so they're operating exactly as you need them. Powders, primers, cases, bullets. Cleaning and lubing and inspecting.
It's also a truly American pastime. A statement of Liberty and a renunciation of the culture of dependence. It's kicking sand in the face of the bully and telling him to take his best shot. Here resides a free man. As long as my supplies hold out I can never be starved of the fuel of Liberty.
Then there's the moment you touch off the first round from a new batch. Will it even fire? How will it perform? Listening and feeling for the miniscule Pop of the hated squib or the mammoth BOOM of the dreaded double powder load. And the smile and thrill when it goes as planned and the new rounds both fire as expected and perform as hoped. Yeah, reloading is awesome and exciting.
What's next on the list for the Six bench? Maybe some 44-40 for Lu's beloved Vaquero. Some 45 LC for my Blackhawk? I'm running a little light on both 300 Win Mag and 30-30. Hmmm.
Ah, I know.
Perfect.
You all have a great weekend. I'll be in the man cave making a new batch of Freedom.
Six
07 November 2012
You Can't Have It
Well, that was short. Ok, my pity party is officially over. I beg forgiveness for my temporary bout of angst and depression. I promise it will never happen again. I am embarrassed that I was so weak. I was suddenly reminded of my oath today and it gave me heart (plus AGirl helped me remember who I am). Especially this part;
I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.
I took that oath three times and as far as I'm concerned it still holds, at least this much of it. I left part of it out. I'll get to that in a minute.
I am Warrior Class Six, the self appointed commander of my little slice of the Web. Part of my job is to provide both morale and leadership. Which includes a plan on what happens after a battle is lost. Or at least what I will do. Kind of a lead by example thing.
So. The enemy has been met on the field and the battle well and truly lost. Where do we go from here? First is to recognize that the Culture War is no longer a Cold War. It's full blown combat with all that entails. Our enemies have declared unconditional war and we either accept and fight or fold our tents and slink home, our tails tucked firmly between our legs and our arms slung muzzle down. So be it. I, for one, accept. No quarter will be asked nor granted.
It's no longer about Democrat or Republican (though we may well be working through the rotting carcass of the now dead Republican party). It's about Statists against Constitutionalists. Those who love freedom versus those who would gladly accept the chains and shackles of tyranny both for themselves and everyone else. It's left and right. Them or us. All or nothing.
I don't have a lot of specifics at the moment on just what exactly I will do but I have some ideas and some simple steps I have taken. As time goes by I will write a lot more about this.
The first and most important is assuming the proper mindset. Make no mistake about it, the left in this country wants to dominate and destroy anyone who doesn't agree with them exactly and enthusiastically. There will be no room for dissent or differing opinions. Accept that they see us as the enemy and act accordingly. They are wrong and we are right. Never forget that.
Remember the stakes. Those of us of a certain age are not fighting this for ourselves solely. Lu and I can surely get by no matter how bad things get. We're in this for our children and grandchildren to the nth generation and may they righteously curse us if we fail to even take the field. We can no longer be indifferent, we must take the fight to those who would chain them to the yoke.
We're prepared with the essentials and are stockpiling more even as I write this. Food, weapons, ammo, medical supplies and fuel. Find a good prepper site and study. Worst case scenarios happen every day. Best to be ready for anything, including the financial collapse that is surely in the offing.
Mind, spirit and body are the Warrior Trinity. Keep yours sharp and when needed they will carry you through. Exercise, study and for those so inclined pray. My faith sustains me when all else is gone.
I'm dropping any connections to leftist companies and organizations, starting with AOL. We've kept them mostly because it was simplest. No longer. We must eschew the safe and easy road when faced with clear choices between right and wrong. Cable is going as well as spending on movies made by the Hollywood stars who hate us so much. Starve the beast. Nothing is too small.
If you live in a Blue state and can manage it get out. I am so grateful at this time that Lu and I got out of California. As soon as we can we'll sell the house out there and finally cut those ties permanently. I'll only return to see Car Guy when I can and urge him to leave. Utah may not be perfect but it's reliably Red, has a huge population of Mormons (Who make excellent neighbors and partners in these trying times. Just ask the communists) and has a built in Gun/Prepper culture extant.
Find a way to support those who are fighting the war on a national scale. I'm sending money to Glenn Beck and subscribing to his television and programming site, The Blaze TV. Whatever your opinion of Beck is I'm of the opinion that he's a good bet to take the fight to the enemy on the big stage in a way I don't believe anyone else can. Beck has plans to expand and whatever his real or perceived faults he's a Constitutionalist to the core. We need his voice.You may disagree but choose a platform and get involved.
We're simplifying where and as we can. Some projects I'll put off and the rest I'll do myself. We won't be taking on any new debt and will keep our earnings at a level where our tax burden will be as minimized to extent possible. Every dollar we can find will be going to savings and as the financial cliff nears into cash. We're investing in steel, lead and tools. We're also acquiring new skills or polishing those we already possess. Carpentry/woodworking, welding, plumbing, electrical, canning. All self sufficient skills worth having and salable in a depression economy.
Sad as it may sound, I have ended my relationships with those on the left I imagined as my friends. Friends do not vote for dependency and servitude for my grandchildren. Lines in the sand have been drawn and not by us. We're just finally recognizing they have been there for decades. I am no longer amused by lies, intolerance, hatred and the shredding of our Constitution. I despise the lot of them and I will no longer be associated with such. No more arguments. No more differences of opinion. Damn sure no more compromise. We're being compromised to death and I'm done listening to any of them.
No more RINOs. Do I need to repeat that? No more. Period. We must accept that we will take election losses in the short term for posting true big C Conservatives because we're in a long war. Eventually we will wear them down just by being right so often and we'll start winning again. These things are cyclic but the cycle is short only when we stay determined.
There's more, so much more. But this is just a beginning. My declaration of war if you will. Or at least my acceptance and understanding (finally) that War has long been been declared by the left.
Which brings me back to that oath. The part I left out that talks about obeying the orders of the President and the officers appointed over me. I no longer have an obligation to be faithful to that portion of the oath. I have been betrayed by this President as I deem him to be actively attempting to destroy the very document he himself is sworn to protect. The document I ultimately pledged my honor to protect and defend. Not a man. Not a party. Not a people. Not even a country. The Constitution of the United Sates of America. My oath holds and I will hold true faith and allegiance to the same. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
This country has experienced and survived worse than what we now face. Much worse. You historians out there hardly need me to tell you that but stop for a moment and reflect on that fact. We have fought for our lives and liberty against the English, Spanish, Germans, Germans again, Japanese, Soviets and each other. Throw in fights like Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and some place called The Alamo and we've been shooting at and been shot at by a large percentage of the world. We've left the graves of our patriots in the four corners of the Earth. This is no different. We can win. We will win. Failure cannot be tolerated.
So I have a final message to Obama, Reid, Matthews and all the rest of the out there who seek our ultimate destruction, loss of freedoms and the total domination of my beloved country. Who seek to own America lock, stock and people.
You Can't Have It.
For each other. For our children. For America.
The war drums are beating. It's time to mount up and sound Boots and saddles. A terrible fight is coming. One we must win.
Six
I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.
I took that oath three times and as far as I'm concerned it still holds, at least this much of it. I left part of it out. I'll get to that in a minute.
I am Warrior Class Six, the self appointed commander of my little slice of the Web. Part of my job is to provide both morale and leadership. Which includes a plan on what happens after a battle is lost. Or at least what I will do. Kind of a lead by example thing.
So. The enemy has been met on the field and the battle well and truly lost. Where do we go from here? First is to recognize that the Culture War is no longer a Cold War. It's full blown combat with all that entails. Our enemies have declared unconditional war and we either accept and fight or fold our tents and slink home, our tails tucked firmly between our legs and our arms slung muzzle down. So be it. I, for one, accept. No quarter will be asked nor granted.
It's no longer about Democrat or Republican (though we may well be working through the rotting carcass of the now dead Republican party). It's about Statists against Constitutionalists. Those who love freedom versus those who would gladly accept the chains and shackles of tyranny both for themselves and everyone else. It's left and right. Them or us. All or nothing.
I don't have a lot of specifics at the moment on just what exactly I will do but I have some ideas and some simple steps I have taken. As time goes by I will write a lot more about this.
The first and most important is assuming the proper mindset. Make no mistake about it, the left in this country wants to dominate and destroy anyone who doesn't agree with them exactly and enthusiastically. There will be no room for dissent or differing opinions. Accept that they see us as the enemy and act accordingly. They are wrong and we are right. Never forget that.
Remember the stakes. Those of us of a certain age are not fighting this for ourselves solely. Lu and I can surely get by no matter how bad things get. We're in this for our children and grandchildren to the nth generation and may they righteously curse us if we fail to even take the field. We can no longer be indifferent, we must take the fight to those who would chain them to the yoke.
We're prepared with the essentials and are stockpiling more even as I write this. Food, weapons, ammo, medical supplies and fuel. Find a good prepper site and study. Worst case scenarios happen every day. Best to be ready for anything, including the financial collapse that is surely in the offing.
Mind, spirit and body are the Warrior Trinity. Keep yours sharp and when needed they will carry you through. Exercise, study and for those so inclined pray. My faith sustains me when all else is gone.
I'm dropping any connections to leftist companies and organizations, starting with AOL. We've kept them mostly because it was simplest. No longer. We must eschew the safe and easy road when faced with clear choices between right and wrong. Cable is going as well as spending on movies made by the Hollywood stars who hate us so much. Starve the beast. Nothing is too small.
If you live in a Blue state and can manage it get out. I am so grateful at this time that Lu and I got out of California. As soon as we can we'll sell the house out there and finally cut those ties permanently. I'll only return to see Car Guy when I can and urge him to leave. Utah may not be perfect but it's reliably Red, has a huge population of Mormons (Who make excellent neighbors and partners in these trying times. Just ask the communists) and has a built in Gun/Prepper culture extant.
Find a way to support those who are fighting the war on a national scale. I'm sending money to Glenn Beck and subscribing to his television and programming site, The Blaze TV. Whatever your opinion of Beck is I'm of the opinion that he's a good bet to take the fight to the enemy on the big stage in a way I don't believe anyone else can. Beck has plans to expand and whatever his real or perceived faults he's a Constitutionalist to the core. We need his voice.You may disagree but choose a platform and get involved.
We're simplifying where and as we can. Some projects I'll put off and the rest I'll do myself. We won't be taking on any new debt and will keep our earnings at a level where our tax burden will be as minimized to extent possible. Every dollar we can find will be going to savings and as the financial cliff nears into cash. We're investing in steel, lead and tools. We're also acquiring new skills or polishing those we already possess. Carpentry/woodworking, welding, plumbing, electrical, canning. All self sufficient skills worth having and salable in a depression economy.
Sad as it may sound, I have ended my relationships with those on the left I imagined as my friends. Friends do not vote for dependency and servitude for my grandchildren. Lines in the sand have been drawn and not by us. We're just finally recognizing they have been there for decades. I am no longer amused by lies, intolerance, hatred and the shredding of our Constitution. I despise the lot of them and I will no longer be associated with such. No more arguments. No more differences of opinion. Damn sure no more compromise. We're being compromised to death and I'm done listening to any of them.
No more RINOs. Do I need to repeat that? No more. Period. We must accept that we will take election losses in the short term for posting true big C Conservatives because we're in a long war. Eventually we will wear them down just by being right so often and we'll start winning again. These things are cyclic but the cycle is short only when we stay determined.
There's more, so much more. But this is just a beginning. My declaration of war if you will. Or at least my acceptance and understanding (finally) that War has long been been declared by the left.
Which brings me back to that oath. The part I left out that talks about obeying the orders of the President and the officers appointed over me. I no longer have an obligation to be faithful to that portion of the oath. I have been betrayed by this President as I deem him to be actively attempting to destroy the very document he himself is sworn to protect. The document I ultimately pledged my honor to protect and defend. Not a man. Not a party. Not a people. Not even a country. The Constitution of the United Sates of America. My oath holds and I will hold true faith and allegiance to the same. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
This country has experienced and survived worse than what we now face. Much worse. You historians out there hardly need me to tell you that but stop for a moment and reflect on that fact. We have fought for our lives and liberty against the English, Spanish, Germans, Germans again, Japanese, Soviets and each other. Throw in fights like Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and some place called The Alamo and we've been shooting at and been shot at by a large percentage of the world. We've left the graves of our patriots in the four corners of the Earth. This is no different. We can win. We will win. Failure cannot be tolerated.
So I have a final message to Obama, Reid, Matthews and all the rest of the out there who seek our ultimate destruction, loss of freedoms and the total domination of my beloved country. Who seek to own America lock, stock and people.
You Can't Have It.
For each other. For our children. For America.
The war drums are beating. It's time to mount up and sound Boots and saddles. A terrible fight is coming. One we must win.
Six
04 May 2012
America Is Not Dead
120 kindergartners. 120 five and six year olds on stage. The event is their end of the school year program. The setting is a high school stage with a screen hung behind with seating for the kids. The stage is hung with bunting consisting of American flags hand drawn by the kids who are dressed in hand made red, white and blue t-shirts.
The program consisted of songs extolling the virtues of America, freedom, patriotism and the sacrifices of the men and women who wear the uniform of our beloved nation. This one especially. (I apologize for the poor quality. I took this with Lu's mini still camera that has a small video function)
On the screen behind the children is displayed pictures of those who have and continue to serve. Sung in darkness to keep the spotlight off of themselves and on those they are honoring. My beloved grandson was among them. The words:
When I lay my head down every night.
And go to sleep in peace.
I can stay there knowing all is well.
While you're standing on your feet.
Keeping watch, protecting shore to shore.
In the Air and Ocean too.
Defending freedom at all cost.
For the Red, White and the Blue.
Thank you! Oh thank you!
Men and women brave and strong.
To those who serve so gallantly.
We sing this grateful song.
To the soldiers who have traveled on.
To countries far and near.
In peace and war you paid the price.
For the cause you hold to dear.
That we may wake each morning bright.
And know that freedom rings.
Because of your great sacrifice.
Your country joins to sing.
Thank you! Oh thank you!
Men and women brave and strong.
To those who serve so gallantly.
We sing this grateful song.
Thank you! Oh thank you!
Men and women brave and strong.
To those who serve so gallantly.
We sing this grateful song.
There were many such songs and offerings but I chose this one because it meant so much to me. Music for the soul. I cried. Openly and unashamedly. Sarge and Lu both got teary eyed as well. Who could stay dry eyed? Those may be the sweetest words I've ever heard and uttered by such innocent voiced American children. I'm tearing up even as I write these words. Yes, I am a patriot.
The program was written, directed and produced by 4 kindergarten teachers. Approved by the principal and school district. In the America of today.
120 kindergarten kids. Five and six year olds. Take heart America for a country that still produces such as these children and the adults who are charged with their education and upbringing is a country full of hope and courage and pride. So many are predicting dire days ahead. Instead I will remember this program and the kids who sang so proudly. I will remember the pride and joy in my heart as I heard their song of gratitude and tribute.I will remember my grandson, wearing his red, white and blue shirt and singing his heart out. I love him. Indeed, I love them all.
And to the enemies of my country foreign and domestic I have this message. I will defend the lives and freedom of each and every one of those children, indeed every child in America, to my dying breath. I will never abandon them and the promise of freedom, their freedom, to the depredations of the cruel and the power mad. If you think I can't or won't just try me and remember that a man who is moved by the songs of children is a man who will gladly lay down his life to make sure they can keep on singing and "go to sleep in peace".
Keep the faith my friends.
Six
The program consisted of songs extolling the virtues of America, freedom, patriotism and the sacrifices of the men and women who wear the uniform of our beloved nation. This one especially. (I apologize for the poor quality. I took this with Lu's mini still camera that has a small video function)
When I lay my head down every night.
And go to sleep in peace.
I can stay there knowing all is well.
While you're standing on your feet.
Keeping watch, protecting shore to shore.
In the Air and Ocean too.
Defending freedom at all cost.
For the Red, White and the Blue.
Thank you! Oh thank you!
Men and women brave and strong.
To those who serve so gallantly.
We sing this grateful song.
To the soldiers who have traveled on.
To countries far and near.
In peace and war you paid the price.
For the cause you hold to dear.
That we may wake each morning bright.
And know that freedom rings.
Because of your great sacrifice.
Your country joins to sing.
Thank you! Oh thank you!
Men and women brave and strong.
To those who serve so gallantly.
We sing this grateful song.
Thank you! Oh thank you!
Men and women brave and strong.
To those who serve so gallantly.
We sing this grateful song.
There were many such songs and offerings but I chose this one because it meant so much to me. Music for the soul. I cried. Openly and unashamedly. Sarge and Lu both got teary eyed as well. Who could stay dry eyed? Those may be the sweetest words I've ever heard and uttered by such innocent voiced American children. I'm tearing up even as I write these words. Yes, I am a patriot.
The program was written, directed and produced by 4 kindergarten teachers. Approved by the principal and school district. In the America of today.
120 kindergarten kids. Five and six year olds. Take heart America for a country that still produces such as these children and the adults who are charged with their education and upbringing is a country full of hope and courage and pride. So many are predicting dire days ahead. Instead I will remember this program and the kids who sang so proudly. I will remember the pride and joy in my heart as I heard their song of gratitude and tribute.I will remember my grandson, wearing his red, white and blue shirt and singing his heart out. I love him. Indeed, I love them all.
And to the enemies of my country foreign and domestic I have this message. I will defend the lives and freedom of each and every one of those children, indeed every child in America, to my dying breath. I will never abandon them and the promise of freedom, their freedom, to the depredations of the cruel and the power mad. If you think I can't or won't just try me and remember that a man who is moved by the songs of children is a man who will gladly lay down his life to make sure they can keep on singing and "go to sleep in peace".
Keep the faith my friends.
Six
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)