Point and click.

Took a friend of mine to the gun range. He had not fired a gun since he was 19. I always enjoy teaching people to shoot, as it is not hard to do. As they go from being off target to getting rounds where they want it, a certain joy and accomplishment comes that for most other things does not come easy. They get in touch with something the see all the time in movies, news, and in pictures, but to actually hold and use them, gives a certain appreciation and glimpse to another world.

I am by no means an expert or even a marksman. I teach them the basics of fire arm safety, how to properly line up a target. Something that a hundred years ago in this part of Texas would have been second nature to a young boy, is lost to many in the current generation. Instead, media, politicians, and special interest groups use ignorance to cause fear and convince people that guns are evil and do nothing but kill innocent people. Innocent do die, but that is because evil people do evil things, and always will, no matter the tool.

Our forefathers knew that evil people will do evil things, and set up the second amendment to guarantee that good people can protect themselves. They also set up what I personally believe is a more powerful defense, one that can make the most powerful firearm seem like a pop gun. That defense is the freedom of speech. The freedom to call something out for what it is, to say what is right and wrong of anybody without fear of death and imprisonment is a powerful right that is always in danger. In my opinion, second amendment is second only to the first in every way. Sadly I see the freedom of speech and worship get taken away bit by bit.

Some how, seems the problems of yesterday seem so much like today's. Makes one wonder what would Jefferson, Payne, and Franklin would have done with social networking, blogs, and machine guns. Makes me wonder what today's people would do with quill pens, printing presses and muskets...

- Madhat