INDEPENDENCE DAY
We are soon to celebrate our day of Independence. You know, the celebration because our citizens were armed!
Jeff Cooper said: “As we prepare to honor our nation’s independence, and the birth of freedom which it brought to the world, let us bear firmly in mind, now and forever, that “The Statute of Liberty” is the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
We had a significant victory with the US Supreme Court as to our gun rights. Gunsite family, friend and correspondent Jim Shepherd commented:
“At the risk of alienating the six or seven friends remaining from 30+ years in the “mainstream” – you’re wrong- again- when it comes to the law versus the court of public opinion. The job of all courts isn’t to make law. It is to correctly apply the law as written.”
While we have won/earned a significant victory in the US Supreme Court as to our unalienable gun rights, now is not the time to rest on our laurels. The Congress is passing legislation that removes rights from the honest person, delays due process as to the proposed “Red Flag laws.” My experience as a 35-year LEO and Sheriff, I have witnessed many domestic situations where a party made claims as to mental capacity, child abuse, sexual abuse against the partner, only to be proved unfounded months and many legal dollars later. Here, there is an immediate loss of a Right with due process to follow weeks later. There needs to be greater guidelines in place as we know there will be on-going abuse of this.
Let us just say this about the tragedy and response to the school shooting in Texas:
“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents.
What a tragedy when that moment finds them unprepared/unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”
Churchill
Thanks to the Bor-Tac Unit that stepped up.
Now let us get on to some Gunsite news.
It appears that we have finally received all the appropriate permits to being construction of the new Instructor Bunkhouse. We are excited to begin this project. Some of the favorite evenings of my life have been spent on the porch of the Instructor Quarters, sharing charred red meat, an adult beverage, a fine cigar and the company of fellow instructors. Next up will be the new Gunsite Office and Gunsite Pro Shop. Hold on to your wallets as the new Pro Shop will be about twice the size of the current shop . . .
We continue our partnership with the US Marine Corps with our train-the-trainer courses for the Gunners. Col. Blish and Gunnery Sgt. Curry are a good pair to work with this group. We also have the “Active Shooter,” “Seasoned Citizen Close Quarters Pistol” with Steve Tarani and Aimee Grant, “Edged Weapons” with Steve Tarani, “Pistol Range Day” July 9, “250 Pistol,” “350 Pistol, ”Colorado 123 Carbine,” and more.
If you are not aware, Gunsite is the only venue that Colt offers their 1911 and AR-15 Armorer courses outside of law enforcement and military. There are still a few seats left in late July.
We also continue our classes in Colorado with Rangemaster Walt Wilkinson heading up the 123 Carbine in a beautiful venue. Indiana Pistol/Carbine is offered the first time at the Lebanon IN Police Range July 8-10.
We are blessed in that our courses continue to fill for the year. I can’t stress enough that if you have a class in mind, please don’t wait to enroll. It may fill and we may not be able to double the course.
We hope to have the 2023 schedule out in early July so you can plan your 2023 training regime.
Please take the time to remember why we celebrate on July 4 in honor of our Independence and beginning of the greatest Republic on earth. So many of the founding fathers made tremendous personal and financial sacrifices in the fight to sever from Great Britain. So many offered the ultimate sacrifice so we can continue to live as we do.
Let me close with some words from Ronald Reagan in July 1981 as he recovered from his attempted assassins’ bullets:
“Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people. We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should.”
God Bless the Republic,
Ken
