Have you opened this to read it?  Or did you just share it based on the title and go “here’s another uncompassionate gun lover”.  If you’re still here…. good.  Listen up. We’re about to talk about some serious shit and the call to action is high.

As I type my first ever blog entry for “Clearing the Chamber” I’m both excited and anxious.  All to often I say what’s on my mind in the interest of transparency… I’m an open book…. but it usually comes off as aggressive, often creating confusion.  That is never my intention, but honestly, weak people annoy me and yet, I’m willing to defend them often to my own detriment.  To compound the confusion that is my first impression, I rarely give consideration to someone’s thin skin when I state my opinion on something. To me it’s not offensive or meant to be.  I’m just passionate.

And I’m VERY passionate about my liberties.  One particular liberty I hold dear to my heart is the right to protect myself and the people I love.  If you’re not tracking with me, that’s called the 2nd Amendment… and right now, the 2nd Amendment is under fire.

Anytime I think of this supreme liberty, I’m often reminded of the Battle of the Alamo.  Man, what unwavering patriots those men were!  Up against a cruel leader (Santa Anna for those of you who need to read a book) and largely outnumbered 1,800 to 260, William B. Travis stood firm in the face of imminent death, penning the famous line when he called for reinforcements – “LIBERTY OR DEATH”.  Time and time again throughout history you can read (if you dare) about groups of people and entire countries being liberated from tyrannical leaders just like Santa Anna.  Make no mistake, this man was about power.  He was a cunning opportunist who first opposed Mexican independence from Spain and then fought FOR it, only to then hold Texas hostage exactly the way Mexico had previously been held.  You see this cycle in history often; tyrannical government or control hungry dictators being overthrown the desire of a free people.  Those who not pay attention to this are doomed to repeat it.  Another great example is the Battle of Thermopylae (though guns did not exist during that time).  What helped them be victorious during seemingly terrible odds?  Determination and weapons.  Namely guns. We could also go into the American Revolution which provided us the Bill of Rights containing the 2nd Amendment post Articles of Confederation, but I digress with the history lesson.  If you’re still not tracking, for the love of God read a book.  This is important.

Here we are now, from 1836 to 2018… less than 200 years after these men liberated Texas WITH THEIR BLOOD ready to just hand over our right to bear arms… and in the name of what?  Weakness & complacency, that’s what.  Here’s what I’ll admit:  often when we are so staunchly defending the 2nd Amendment, it’s in the midst of someone else’s pain.  Big pain.  The death kind of pain.  And when the person that died is a child, it’s even worse.  How do you sit down and convince someone that what they did with that gun was a choice?  And that banning guns will do nothing to help the choices that people make?  How do you show someone statistics of how many people a year actually thwart crime with a firearm?  How do you exhibit that the experiment of gun control is alive and well in cities like New York & Chicago and it’s going terribly?

Because people in pain don’t care about facts.  They care about their pain and their loss. And I get it.

But if you’re reading this right now and you’ve lost a loved one to evil with a gun, I want you to hear me.  NO ONE who is for gun rights is happy about your loss.  As a matter of fact we are angry and hurt for you.  We feel pain for you.  We want to defend you.  We want to stand with you if you’d let us.

But what we can’t do is hand over a right that will take our very freedom.  Much like Santa Anna, there are clever and power hungry politicians who appeal to you to back the repealing of your FREEDOM under the guise that they are protecting your children.

They aren’t.

They can’t.

It takes a village, not a government to protect your children.

What we are facing here is a societal epidemic of mental illness and accountability loss.  What is happening is the mental health consequence of promoting weakness in our society.

According to the CDC Death & Mortality Rates, these are the top 10 things people died from in 2016/17

1. Heart Disease

2. Cancer

3. Unintentional injuries

4. Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases

5. Stroke

6. Alzheimer’s Disease

7. Diabetes

8. Flu/Pneumonia

9. Kidney Disease

10. Suicide

So, firearms aren’t even in the top 10 things you can die from in a given year.  Furthermore, how many of the above things are CHOICES?  The point here is that you’re going to die of something.  Someday.  No matter what.  I’ll say it again, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE.  It’s inevitable and the thing no one wants to talk about.  We live in the false reality of sunshine and unicorn piss actually believing that more laws will eliminate death.  It’s time to come back to earth.

According to the above list, you don’t really get too many choices on how you die.  So why on EARTH would you take a liberty so valiantly defended by the deaths of historic heroes and just give it away when it gives you the ability to choose how you LIVE?  Use this sovereignty to defend these kids that are needlessly dying at the hand of mental illness and evil.  Help us promote good and correct firearm education that will reduce accidents and increase accountability.  The only way to fight fear is education.  One of the arguments we produce for gun rights is if cars are involved in accidents, who is at fault?  The person, right?  The driver.  Yet we are not afraid to get back into a car and drive.  Why?  Because we know how.  We LEARNED how.  And sometimes accidents happen.  But we don’t let that stand in the way of us getting from Point A to Point B?  Because it’s necessary for our lives.  So is the 2nd Amendment.  We can’t let the choices of evil men keep us from our own self defense.  Because it’s necessary for our lives.  

“A free people ought not only be armed and DISCIPLINED, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” – George Washington

This quote falls on deaf ears, because we’ve become complacent to the fact that most of us have never had to sacrifice out bodies and lives for freedom.

I’ll say it again… you’re going to die of something.  And I’d die to protect this freedom.

When did we stop being patriots and start being traitors to own liberty?  I swear to GOD Travis, Crockett, Houston and Bowie are sitting around table right now in Heaven wondering exactly what the hell is going on down here.

Gun owners and gun rights advocates do not promote gun violence.  We promote liberty, self defense, accountability and discipline…  which everyone deserves and needs.  We are not your enemy.  We are your compatriot.

THE CALL TO ACTION:  Anti-Gunners, stop looking at us as your adversary.  The 2nd amendment protects, it doesn’t kill. People choose to kill.  Let’s come together and instead of promoting the ban of the very thing that keeps us free, let’s call for good firearms education for all!  It doesn’t mean you have to choose to own a gun, but knowledge kills fear.  Let’s annihilate the media and the government that wish to scare us with their false reporting and alarming terms.  Instead of trusting what they say, let’s go and see.  Why don’t we teach people the truth about guns and let them decide for themselves.  I told you the call to action would be high.  Are you brave enough to learn?

In conclusion:  I’m a woman. I’m a patriot.  The 2nd Amendment is not up for debate or revision.  It stands firm.

During the American Revolution, only 3% of 2.5 million colonist fought for American freedom.  They knew they were going to die of something and it might as well be independence.  Without that, you’re nothing but a slave.

And so, with my very first blog post, I lay in wait for the haters.  And believe me, they will come.

 

Chamber cleared.

 

Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm

Where you can go for good gun education:  www.defenderoutdoors.com

Battle of the Alamo Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Alamo

American Revolution Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution

Battle of Thermopylae Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae

2nd Amendment Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution