By Billy “Kneecap” Braddock

Camp Boggy Creek is one of my favorite charities. The past four years has seen the deaths of three of its founders. On September 26, 2008 Paul Newman died. I had the pleasure of an encounter with him at Watkins Glen Racetrack many years ago. On July 30, 2009 we lost Bruce Rossmeyer. I knew and liked him and had the privilege of riding with him yearly on the Ride for Children. On December 27, 2012, we lost General H. Norman Schwarzkopf (Stormin’ Norman). This was one Great American. Without these three we would not have Camp Boggy Creek and many sick children would not have the privilege of going to camp like normal kids.

These three men symbolize what Americans are all about. They will be deeply missed. Here we go again. It’s time to trash the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I’ve read so much about gun control this past month, I think I am going cross-eyed.

The benefits of gun ownership are never explored by the anti-gun media. Guns are used about 2.5 million times a year to stop crimes and usually are never fired. Studies have revealed that for every life lost to a gun, 65 lives are saved. John Lott’s studies have shown that when concealed carry laws are passed, violent crime rates drop significantly.

In Great Britain hand guns are outlawed. Violent crime has increased to the point where British Bobbies are now carrying firearms for the first time in history. The politicians tell you they do not want to outlaw guns, but the federal government wants to be notified of all gun sales even between private individuals. I tend to be a student of history and I’ve seen that gun registration is followed by confiscation. Remember, Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot. Actually, it has already occurred in this country. New York City registered handguns, followed by confiscation a few years later. California, where the so-called “assault weapons” (a pencil can be an assault weapon) were first registered, and then confiscated.

The Second Amendment was written to give the right of the people the ability to defend themselves against tyrannical government. If you think that our government could never become this controlling think about the mandates imposed by OSHA, Medicare, Medicaid and EPA. My first Social Security card said “not to be used for identification”. The law says you are not obliged to use your SSN for anything but the Social Security program and taxes. Try not using it and see what happens.

The politicians like to change words in order to make bad things not sound as bad. Examples are investing/ instead of government spending, undocumented workers/ instead of illegal aliens, and overseas contingency operation/ instead of global war on terror. Now, instead of gun control they’re saying/ gun violence prevention. It’s been said that a ban on guns is sort of a war against women/guns are a great equalizer. I personally think you should carry a weapon for the same reason you put your seatbelt on, you never know when you’ll need it.

I just got through reading 13 rules of Gun Fighting. It made a lot of sense, especially the one that said guns have two enemies: Rust and politicians/ the average response time of a 9/11 call is 23 minutes, the response time of a .357 is 1400 ft. per second/ and cops carry guns to protect themselves. Liberals like to tell you that it’s the police department’s job to protect you. However, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the police have no duty to protect (Castle Rock v. Gonzales, No. 04-278). Therefore, the Supreme Court has told us the primary responsibility for your own safety and protection of your life and the lives of your family-IS YOURS.

“Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading”-Thomas Jefferson.

Now, the politicians are going to pass more gun laws. We already have 20,000 gun laws in this country. Will 100,000 laws that only law-abiding citizens will heed make a difference? The government has no proposal to get guns out of the hands of criminals/just out of the hands of law-abiding citizens. Remember the fork didn’t eat the cake. I can think of a lot of things we don’t need but are not illegal. I’d start with liberal Senators and Congressmen. Congress couldn’t organize a one car funeral. I read the letters D.C. in Washington, D.C. stands for Doesn’t Cooperate.

Quote of the month “alcohol is not the answer but it does make you forget the question”.

I’ve realized that at my age I need glasses. Beer glasses, wine glasses, and whiskey glasses. I don’t drink out of the bottle anymore.

See you on the shiny side of tomorrow…