The Unity Party (Shameless Plug)


My first attempt at a political thriller. I started writing this in 2002, but got my first writers block. By the time I wanted to start writing again, I was afraid that it was coming too close to the truth and people would think I was using current events. I really made it up, honest. The Unity Party  is now available as an E-Book on Amazon.com.

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There is a new kind of government taking over and everyone comes together. But togetherness is not always good. Spies, and conspiracy for a larger world order is happening. Can a small group protect and save the entire country?

Why so many are flocking to obtain concealed carry permits: Members of a Tennessee class explain


By Jeff Nichols, as published in Western Shooting Journal May 2013 issue.

WITH THE RECENT TRAGEDIES IN NEWTOWN AND AURORA, and the political fight for the Second Amendment waging in Washington, DC, millions of Americans are heading out to get their concealed weapons permit (CWP). According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, in Tennessee (the Volunteer State) as of March 2013, there were a total of 398,194 valid Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit Holders. This is an icrease of 13.6 percent since March 2012, when there were 350,327.

In Tipton County, Tenn. the sheriff’s department provides classes on the last Saturday of the month. When asked why the sheriff conducts this course, Deputy Sheriff Bob Beanblossom, the Rangemaster, responded, “The Sheriff thinks this is a good public service. We can provide a public service to the people, first to help them learn a little more about guns and the laws that affect them when they are a handgun permit carrier, and it also helps us to give them a little shooting time on our range, and get a better opinion of us.”

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CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT Deputy Sheriff Bob Beanblossom, Rangemaster, gives instruction during the shooting portion of the Tipton County Handgun Permit class on March 30, 2013. (JEFF NICHOLS)

Why do residents of Tennessee want obtain their CWP? I recently attended the CWP class at the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office to talk to applicants as well as to take the class myself. For me, getting my CWP was for several reasons. One reason was to protect myself and those around me. It is not because anyone wants to be a hero, or wants anything to happen. The fact is, having a weapon in case you need it is similar to having a fire extinguisher in case of a fire. It may never happen, but if it does, you will be prepared and may be able to stop another tragedy from occurring.

“I think it is due to the political climate, and people are afraid that they will have their rights taken away from them. One, they are getting their handgun for personal protection,” Beanblossom said. “But it also will let the lawmakers know that there are a lot of people out there who care about exercising their Second Amendment rights.”

No one ever wants to be in a place where a criminal or a person who is mentally ill decides to kill or maim other people, but the odds of a person being able to commit mass murder when there are honest armed citizens around drops tremendously.

Kriston Arnold, a Tipton County resident who shot a handgun for the first time a week prior to the training, said that her husband convinced her to get her carry permit for her own safety. She brought a 9mm for the class, “I tried several different calibers and felt most comfortable with this one,” she said. “I might do a little more target shooting because I now realize that I enjoy it and have a little fun doing it now that I am not scared to do it.”

MOST POLITICIANS AND CELEBRITIES WOULD LIKE YOU TO BELIEVE that only bad things will happen if citizens are allowed to own guns, while reporting only the stories that represent a person intent on killing as many people as they can. Those same politicians and celebrities would like people to believe that if you restrict or take away certain guns (or all guns), that the criminals will magically begin to follow the law.

Tracy Green, a United States Marine Corps veteran who did three tours to Iraq, also took the class. “I came to get my carry permit today because of personal protection and also economic situations today, people would rather steal what you have, instead of going out and working for their own stuff,” he told me. “It was very informative, and helps you know gun safety and the laws about gun safety; how to protect yourself and when to protect yourself.”

Beanblossom said, “This is the first class we had a pre-registration. We had been increasing in size from three attending, to five, to 15. Now, last month (Feb.) we had 39.” He continued, “We try to give a complete class that encompasses just the law, or just the parts of a gun. We try to incorporate the laws in such a way that people understand them in practical terms. And then we try to bring the shooting down to not just a skill, but an activity that has consequences.”

** Update: At this time the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office is not conducting handgun permit classes. You can go to http://www.concealedcarryservices.org/tennessee/index.php for information on obtaining your first permit or renewing an existing permit.

Visit http://westernshootingjournal.com/ to subscribe.

*Update: After 109 days, I finally received my CWP.

Guns: Politics and Common Sense


Things are heating up throughout the United States when it comes to guns, gun control and the second amendment. You have celebrities saying that we need stricter gun control, but yet they make a living making movies that has more death than a major war. They say, well, if we limit the amount of bullets in a magazine, that will make it harder for someone to be able to fire a large amount of bullets, and when they take a second to change magazines it would give people a chance to either stop the shooter or people to escape. In theory that sounds really great, but in reality, it doesn’t quite work that way. The bottom line is, if magazine limits are imposed on law-abiding citizens you are only limiting them from protecting themselves. I read a really good analogy that really struck home.

A woman is home alone with her two children and three armed intruders break into her home in the middle of the night. With no lights on, she grabs her 9mm and shoots a couple warning shots and to no avail they keep coming. She then shoots at the intruders, hitting one of them before her seven rounds are spent. She fumbles around to retrieve another magazine, but drops it in the dark and she is over-taken by the intruders.

This is an nightmare that could come true. Can you imagine what that would be like? Could you be calm enough to be able to handle this situation? I hope that no one reading this will ever have to find out, but wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to fumble around to try and save your families lives?

The one thing that really bothers me, is that in addition to that law, the government is trying to ban what they call “Assault Weapons.” Lets think about what they call an assault weapon and what an assault weapon is.

They would like you to believe that an AR15, which can come in 22, 223 or other similar calibers that are common in many weapons that are legal. This scary weapon is a “Semi-Automatic,” which means on bullet is fired every time the trigger is pulled. It is considered an assault weapon only because it looks like the same weapons that the military uses. The difference is, is that the military model has a select fire mechanism that allows you to use semi-auto, three round burst or fully automatic fire. Of course they both have those scary large capacity magazines which according to a representative from Colorado says if you shoot all the bullets out of a magazine, you can’t use it again. They say if it has a folding stock, or a pistol grip then the civilian model is classified as an assault weapon.

But wait a minute, lets look at some FBI Crime Statistics (which are compiled here Ban These) :

  • From 2007 until 2011 homicide deaths by rifle was on a steady decline 453, 380, 351, 367 and 323 respectfully.
  • In the same time period, homicide deaths by personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc…) were 869, 875, 817, 769 and 728.

Under the logic of those who are wanting to ban assault rifles, they should also ban parts of your body, right? Assault feet? Anything that someone uses to um… assault someone else is an assault weapon (this is where the common sense comes in).

In the same compilation you will find that there are many other things that kill more people than guns, which by the way, never have I seen a gun kill someone.

Try using this information on those in the media, Piers Morgan or some other celebrity who’s heart I am sure cries for anyone who is injured or killed by violence and they will side-step your information every time and blame the NRA, Conservatives or us unruly country people who cling to our guns, bible and the constitution. They want to make a name for themselves as the one, or the group that disarmed America, only to make it a more dangerous place for honest, law-abiding Americans to live. They say that the NRA is only in the fight because they make money off of scaring us, but let me tell you, being an NRA member makes me 1. proud and 2. glad that I have someone on my side to protect my rights! I guess what I am really saying is “I am the NRA!”

Maybe, just maybe if these people who want to ban certain guns would open their minds more instead of their mouths and realize what the problem really is here, then maybe they can make a difference. Not one gun ever shot a person on it’s own. Limiting what an honest American can have only allows criminals to win. I read an article once that the author interviewed a career criminal who went up and down the east coast. He was asked if there was any place he would not invade a home, and his answer was, West Virginia. When asked why, he stated that he would not even attempt it there because everyone had a gun in West Virginia and they were not afraid to use them.

I think that is enough said.

http://www.slideshare.net/JeffNicholsWV/ban-these