Category Archives: Guns

It is “WE THE PEOPLE” Stupid! Pay Attention GOP!

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I have been holding off on writing a new political piece until the field was down to a manageable number and started to shape into what the end result might be. Well, we are still four months from the conventions and I can’t hold back any longer.

At the beginning of March I did my part for the primaries and voted for who I thought would do the best job for the Republican field and since then, my choice has dropped out. This leaves Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich. I don’t have a problem with who we have running, and I like each for what they have to bring to the table.

There is a problem I have right now with the Republican establishment! I don’t like the establishment telling me who I should vote for! Yes I know this happens every election, the media, the friends of each candidate, my friends and every other armchair politician think they know what is best. Nothing wrong with that. But what I do have a problem with is when they start talking about delegates and super-delegates overriding the will of the people for who they want in office!

Donald Trump, for all the bluster and bullying, has actually done a great job campaigning, and he has said what millions want to hear. Ted Cruz is sticking right in there and staying with the constitution (which I like very much) and John Kasich who is a good man, but is only being a stick in the mud right now because he is part of the establishment who doesn’t like Trump or Cruz and is hoping for a brokered convention.

We as Republicans (actually Conservatives) have withstood the past seven years of disaster because we didn’t get the numbers in the past two elections, whether by a mistake by our candidates or many other reasons. Now we have fellow Republicans who are willing to throw away their votes because they don’t like the candidate that the people want because he may make the establishment toe the line! What we should really be doing is, letting our fellow patriots vote for whoever they feel is best and when the final tally is counted, make that person our candidate. We don’t need to act like the democrats and plan a coronation before the votes are in, nor should we whine about who wins once it is over. We should stand behind our Republican candidate at all cost. We need to win over what would, in all honesty, be the worst outcome that could ever be and that is a Clinton or Sanders presidency.

You see one candidate that wants socialism and one candidate that only wants power (and to be the first woman president). Those are very scary scenarios and we can’t afford to let either of those happen. Clinton wants to control guns and shut down all coal operations, while Sanders wants to over-tax everyone and magically make school, healthcare and anything else he can think of free. That in itself is scary on both accounts!

I am not happy with everything Mr. Trump has said, be he has made some sense. The same goes for Sen. Cruz. But there is a way to make this work to our advantage and as I had written before (Time to Wake up GOP) we need to use everyone’s talents. Put them in positions that will make the right decisions and not damage the party. I am very proud to be a Republican, but I am ashamed of the establishment that want to allow the democrats to win because you won’t back who “WE THE PEOPLE” vote for. I know at this moment, I am only speaking for myself, but I have heard others express the same disappointment. If you refuse to follow the People’s vote, then you will surely destroy the Republican party and for that, there is no excuse! We have too much to lose by playing by the democrat’s rules, we need to stick together or lose it all!

A few things we lose by not sticking together:

  1. The Second Amendment
  2. More money
  3. Jobs
  4. National security

Are you really willing to throw it all away and let a pathological liar or a unicorn riding socialist destroy our country? We have seen in the past seven years how bad it can get when we don’t stick together and do the right thing. It is time to regroup and take them head on and fix our broken country! In my opinion we actually have two choices, Donald Trump or Ted Cruz and I believe either would be 1000 percent better than what we have as president now or anything the democrats try to push!

It is time to get our heads out of the sand and get to work, our country’s survival depends on what you do from now until November!

God Bless America!

Jeff Nichols

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The Gun Debate: Dumb and Dumber and Dumber Show Their Ignorance!

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So a new year begins and it is politics as usual against guns. The biggest problem with the gun debate is, the democrats almost always come to the table unarmed (pun intended).

California Representative Adam Schiff along with a partner in dumbness has decided to try to pass a bill that will make gun manufacturers liable for how people decide to use their guns. Here is a tweet that states his intentions:

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Now, the problem is, “That’s not how it works, that’s not how any of this works,” to quote the esurance lady.

So how does it work you ask? First, the manufacturer builds a firearm, they then ship to their distributor who then ships it to a dealer. The dealer then sells to a person, who at the time of purchase does go through a background check. Once it leaves the manufacturers warehouse, the only liability on the manufacturer is on craftsmanship and reliability (whether it works right or not for those who are a little slow). So, the only liability on the manufacturer would be if the firearm did not work correctly, or caused injury because of defective parts. The manufacturer is not liable in any way for what an individual does with a legally purchased firearm.

Still having problems understanding, let’s use cars as an example.

Example one: Chevy builds a car then sends it to the dealer. A car buyer comes in, shows license and insurance and pays the money and drives off the lot. The brakes fail and the car careens into a building full of people, who is liable? If you said the manufacturer, give yourself a pat on the back.

Example two:  Chevy builds a car then sends it to the dealer. A car buyer comes in, shows license and insurance and pays the money and drives off the lot. The owner of the car decides to load up cans of gas in the trunk, and runs his car into a building, causing an explosion killing and injuring many. Who is liable now? If you said the manufacturer, please hit your head against the wall. That is the person’s fault.

Same thing goes with guns. If you can’t understand that, then you have an agenda that is not healthy, you are lying to yourself and anyone you try to convince that you are correct. That is what you have in these anti-gun crazies that have no clue what they are talking about.

I will leave you with the ultimate in stupidity from the anti-gunners:

First is a YouTube video from Colorado Representative Diana DeGette

My favorite ad by the Bloomberg fanatics:

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Comment below if you can see the problem with this ad.

Now that you are ARMED with facts, use them for good and stop the ignorance from the left.

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The Circle V Ranch and Old West Town

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cowboy

Me circa 1968.

Back in 2004, I came up with an idea, and at first, it was just kind of fun, and sort of just a dream. The dream was something I had since I was just a little guy, one of being a cowboy, riding the range and working cattle, horses and chasing the bad guys. It wasn’t until this past year, after turning over 50, that I thought to myself “What the heck, I am not getting any younger and what if I can do this?”

So, I decided to make more precise plans, write out exactly what I wanted to do, draw some concepts and maybe, just maybe some willing investor would like to join me in this venture.

The idea (which is listed below) is to be able to move back to West Virginia, to the county I grew up in, and if able to acquire the money and the land, that it just may help out the local economy and do something that hasn’t been done.

To start off, the namesake to my idea, is Velvet. She was a quarter horse that was two years older than me, and I spent my whole childhood with her, feeding her, watering her, riding. She lived a very good life, and passed away in 1991 at the age of 29, while I was overseas during Desert Storm.

Velvet

Now the whole idea is listed below, and for anyone who would like a certified copy of the concept, I can provide that.

 

 

  • The Circle V Ranch and Velvet City is a one of a kind ranch, old western town and community farm where visitors can relive the way it was in the old West. At the ranch, you can rent a horse for a trail ride, or go on a guided trail ride; hitch up a buggy and take a leisurely ride down the road or across the countryside; head into town for some authentic western shopping and eat at one of the fine restaurants serving straight from the “farm to the plate.”

 

  • Watch as bank robbers take off and get deputized to chase them down and take them back to jail.

 

  • Kids can enjoy learning about the western lifestyle, riding horses, working with livestock, working the farm and even attend one of three summer camps during the summer.

 

  • Visitors can go out to the community farm and get fresh produce, place an order for beef, and be assured that everything they purchase is GMO free, which means it is all natural.

 

  • Every weekend, visitors can enjoy a concert by local country music and bluegrass bands or go to one of the various entertainment venues, such as the dance hall, saloon, or pool hall.

 

  • If you are looking to rough it, ride out with the chuck wagon and sleep under the stars with the cowboys watching over the herd. You might even get a singing cowboy out by the fire.

 

  • If you like shooting sports and want to try your luck to see how good your draw and aim are, you can head on over to the range and try out our cowboy challenge. There you can rent a six-shooter, shotgun and rifle and see how good you really are. Archery will also be available as well.

 

  • Want to take a ride on the stage coach, well it comes by several times a day for rides.

 

  • There will be a blacksmith and farrier on site in case you throw a shoe.

 

  • Stay overnight in the local hotel, enjoy the authentic western atmosphere.

 

  • Cabins will be scattered out back of the town for those who would like to stay a couple days or a few days.

 

  • If you come out for a summer camp, or you are staff cowboys, there will be bunkhouses to stay in.

 

  • Do you like the rodeo? Once a month our cowboys and local cowboys will compete for points to be awarded the top cowboy at the end of the season.

 

  • During the winter months, you can enjoy good food, poker, pool and entertainment in town. You can also take a sleigh ride when the snow is right.

 

  • Every week, pick up the local newspaper that will have stories and photographs of all that went out for that week with photos of visitors interacting with the town and ranch. A photographer will be on hand to photograph you as well.

 

  • There will be a doctor ( or EMT) on hand to patch up any scrapes and nicks you might get while visiting our town.

 

  • On Sundays, come out and enjoy sermons and fellowship at our cowboy church. Horse, buggies and lunch for those who attend church is free.

 

  • The town, ranch and farm will be made available for movie sets and the concerts will all be taped and be made available for use by bands who participate for free in lieu for performances. Bands can also ask for donations for the show.

That is a lot of information I know, but I always think in the way that, what if someone likes the idea? What if someone would love to be a part of something that will not only help out the local economy, but also give folks who want to relive the old days and learn how they lived back then? I think it is worth giving it a shot. six_gun
Right now we are looking for investors who will be full partners to purchase land, livestock, equipment and building supplies.

Town_Drawing Ranch_Drawing community_Farm2 copy

Click on each photo to see the full size (not scale).

This is a great start up opportunity for those who love the Old West.

For more information or you would like to invest please fill out the Contact Form.

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Time to wake up GOP!

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Dear GOP:          flag5 (2)

I am writing in hopes that I can pass along some concerns that are troubling to me as an American first and a Republican second.

I have been a registered Republican since two days after my 18th birthday in 1982 and been living as a Republican my whole life. My main concern is how we are Republicans are being viewed in America. For some reason, we are considered the bad party because we want to rein in our government. We want a balanced budget, we want to protect our borders and we want every American to enjoy their rights unmolested! But somewhere along the line, democrats (liberals to be exact) have been able to present us as racist, backward, war-mongers who do not care. Now I for one, do not believe for a second that anyone I know, anyone I endorse is anything but a genuine honest American that wants everyone to live the American Dream. But I am getting tired of having to hold back because of fear of the political correct police that attack our every word!

Now I am not one to be easily offended, nor am I one to back down from a challenge, but there is a problem in our country, in the Republican Party when we allow the democrats to be offended at everything we hold dear. Our morals, our religion, our Constitutional Rights. We have to sit back and take the abuse that the way of life our country has enjoyed for the past 236 years is being attacked by the democrats, but heaven forbid we don’t agree with the democrats or something they do offends us. Oh No! Can’t have that!

A democratic senate sits on budgets and bills, while being threatened by a president causing a federal shutdown and we allow them to blame us for the shutdown and I can’t for the life of me understand why. Yes, it is a fact that they have the majority of the press, the unethical press, but we have the truth on our side. We have the facts of everything they do to divide the country, yet we don’t present it in a way that those Americans who need to hear it the most can understand it.

We get beat over the head with attacks that call us bigots because we believe a person’s religious rights are more important than a liberal’s right to make businesses into scapegoats because those business owners will not go against their religious beliefs.

We get beat over the head because we believe that there are too many welfare frauds that make a living off of hard working American’s tax dollars. We don’t believe people are entitled unless they put into the system themselves.

The democrats can say and do as they please, but if someone speaks against them we are labeled bigots, homophobes, racist and more. Yet we sit and take it.

We believe that every American should be able to work and take home as much money as they can without the IRS taking more and more to pay for those who think they are entitled. Now I am not heartless, and neither are any of our Republican friends, but the illusion that the democrats have cast in front of us reflects that. This is not only wrong, but unjust and can’t be allowed.

We believe that unborn babies have the right to life and that without protection, 57 million babies were aborted since 1973, but we are told it is none of our business. We need to show the world the truth, as brutal, ugly and sickening it is, everyone needs to see it. Even though the left does all they can to keep those images from being shown for fear more people will learn the truth and stand up to them.

We now have the majority in the Senate and the House and we should be taking the lead, whether it be better public relations, better speakers and for sure, better plans and bring America back to the greatness we once had before those who have been in charge has damaged us so badly.

At this time, we should be showing the country how to lead, how to make a difference and how to not back down from the unscrupulous democrats. I see how bad they are every day when I discuss issues and see how uninformed they are. We need to stand up and stop this global warming scam that will bilk trillions from us, when they have not had one prediction come true since they began trying to scare us in the 1970s. No, I am not saying we should not keep the world clean, but this scam is killing our jobs, and our bank accounts.

We are continually fighting to keep our 2nd Amendment Rights from being infringed. While I don’t think in our lifetime that we will ever lose that right, but everyday democrats are conspiring to infringe upon them. We need to be the strongest we can be to protect the rights that our military has fought more than 236 years for. Instead of placing blame on the person, they blame guns and it is time for us to stand up and set the record straight and show them the common sense proof!

It is time for us to take a unified stand against illegal aliens. Make the democrats understand that we are not against legal immigration, but we must protect our border. The president and his democrats look at them as votes and it goes against everything our country stands for and it is not fair to those who want to come here legally.

When it comes to education, we are letting the democrats and the president decide that everyone needs to be great, everyone needs to be a scientists or an engineer. Why am I concerned about this? Because not everyone needs to be great, not everyone wants to be great. No one should be pushed into going to college if they don’t want to. No one should be pushed into a career they don’t want. What we do need, is to bring back more trade schools. More people who learn to build roads, build houses, wire houses and fix the things needs to be repaired! While college is great for those who want to go, too many are being pushed into going and dropping out with a huge debt, or finishing with an even bigger debt and no job to use what they have been taught. There is much we can do to help those people. But making them bankrupt is not one of them!

We need to quit worrying what the world thinks of us. We have spent practically our entire existence helping any country that needed help with either our military, our people, our money and most of the time all three. What do we get in return, we get a loud mouth from the UK who gets a visa, works in the U.S.A. badmouthing our laws and constitution, loses his job and moves back the UK to badmouth us at a distance. Takes real guts to do that. The bottom line is, he is nobody, never was and never will be and we need to quit worrying about what people like that, think of us. We did win Independence from them as I remember!

What I do see that is good, is that we have candidates that are willing to take on the IRS and taxes, if in fact they do what they promise. Work together to come up with a plan and just do it!

Right now our field of Republicans running for president is huge. We have young, old and we have diversity. We should be looking great and in my eyes we do. However, it seems like we are in quicksand. While it is ok to have different points of view on some things, when it comes to the 2nd Amendment, immigration, religious liberty, fiscal restraints, education, jobs and our defense we need to be of one voice. I don’t care if someone is a Libertarian, Tea Party, Conservative or RINO, we need to have one voice on these issues or we lose!

One thing that I strongly suggest, is that when we finally have a Republican candidate, no matter who it is, that they take on some of the ideas that those who ran against them were strong in. Such as the flat tax, or an immigration plan. It doesn’t make anyone any less strong by taking ideas that others have had and use them. Out of 14 candidates (just guessing) only one will be the Republican candidate and one person will be the Vice-Presidential candidate. The remaining 13 should form a think tank to help the candidate through the presidential election and beyond. We need a little bit of each of them in our candidate, one person in particular is very good with money and business, and would make a great Secretary of the Treasury or advisor. A few candidates would make great advisors on defense, a couple on immigration and so on. What I am saying is, our candidate should be a man or woman who is all the candidates wrapped into one. Yes he should have his own ideas, but smart enough to ask for advice from the whole field and beyond.

I have been thinking about this for a very long time, and I am the kind of man, the kind of American that doesn’t like to see those who represent him to just give in. This is what we have been doing. Even though we have won a few battles against the president and the democrats, the challenge is to break through their charade they have us cloaked in and prove to the people, all the people, all of America that we are right and we can get our country not only back on track, but leading the world again.

Every one of the Republican candidates, every member of the Republican congress needs to work hand in hand to achieve a victory and take back our country. I am truly scared to death of how our country will end up if Hillary Clinton, any democrat, socialist or progressive wins in 2016. I didn’t serve my country for 19 years and continue to work for our country for another 10 years to see it fall into the hands of those who would rather bow down to the world while our country crumbles away.

I would love for this to be read to all in the GOP. With that being said, I am not sure if this will be read, or even if it will make it to someone who gives a damn, I can only hope that it does and some take it to heart. I am only one voice, one vote, but I do know there are many that feel the same as I do. Stand up, Be Strong and Take Back our Country!

The Second Amendment and Common Sense: Please Use Both

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The Second Amendment has been around a long time, it was put into the Constitution to allow all Americans the right to keep and bear arms so that if the U.S. government became tyrannical, that the people could rise up against the government and take the country back. Many arguments are made that the Second Amendment was designed for weapons of that time and does not grow with technology. That argument just does not hold water. Our Constitution is a document that is like no other, it grants us the rights to live free and stay free despite what some who do not agree nor follow it to the letter believes. You have people from other countries telling us how we should interpret our own constitution and how we should ban, what they consider, “assault” weapons. These same people have no clue what an “assault” weapon is, as a matter of fact, they have no clue the difference in the terminology they use, nor how firearms actually work!

Any weapon can be called an “assault” weapon if used in an assault, however, the proper use of “assault” weapon is being misused when the anti-gun groups refer to AR-15s as “assault” weapons. The AR-15 is nothing more than a dressed up semi-automatic rifle. It can only shoot one time per trigger pull. But because it “LOOKS” like a military style rifle, they consider it an “assault” weapon! The AR-15 shoots no different than the common deer rifle, you can use the same sights to aim with, you can put different grips on it, and use many different magazine sizes. But it still only shoots one time per trigger pull. A true “assault” rifle would be considered a fully automatic weapon, or a weapon with a select fire (can select between semi-auto, three round burst or fully automatic). Now that you know the difference, we can move on.

everytown-for-gun-safety-blooperFirst, here is a info-graphic from Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun group who do not know the difference between a rifle shell and a bullet when it is fired.

They thought (and I use the term “thought” loosely) that the entire shell is propelled out of the rifle barrel. This kind of ignorance is dangerous, and completely inexcusable for a group who says they know what they are talking about!

Of course, it only gets worse when you have a United States Congresswoman who was a sponsor of a bill to ban high capacity magazines. She states that if you ban the magazines from being produced, that once all of the magazines in existence are emptied, that they will not be able to use them again. What is truly amazing is that the ignorance of this woman stating this was elected! Here the actual clip of her making the argument in all her glory!

Now that we have the common sense of the anti-gun folks out there, lets move on to our own common sense!

Common Sense use of the Second Amendment:

We as patriots, defenders of our Constitution, we have to bring our level of common sense above all others. We have to be able to make our argument, stick to it and not resort to the tactics of those who oppose us. So far, 99.9% of us are doing a great job at that. We can sit down and discuss the issue and make our case in a rational manner all the while watching the anti-gun crowd throw out misinformation, downright lies and of course as their last line of defense start cursing and calling us names.

There are a few who think it is ok to grab their AR-15s and try to make our standing on the issue a spectacle! One thing that we as defenders of the Second Amendment should do, is respect those who we are trying to convince that we are right. I am not talking about the respecting the anti-gun groups because they have their minds made up and they will not change their minds until they are in a situation where they are alone, attacked and have no way to defend themselves. Unfortunately, at that time, it may be too late for them!

Every time I go to town, when I am not working, I am carrying my handgun. During the times when the weather is cooler, it is much easier to conceal my weapon (yes, I have a conceal carry permit), but during the hot summer days it is harder to conceal because of the heat. I will either open carry or wear a light jacket. One time I was shopping in Wal-Mart and had a jacket on a person noticed I was carrying when I reached up to get something, my jacket lifted enough to see my handgun and they commented to the person who was with them, “Look at that, I hate that they can do that in public.”  They didn’t realize I heard them and I kept shopping like nothing happened.

But to walk around with a rifle strap across your back is a bit different, although legal, it sends the wrong message. It is not like having a rifle in a rack in your truck. a scabbard on your horse or even a six-shooter strap to your leg.  Carrying the rifle in shopping is a misunderstanding by others waiting to happen and the only reason you would do that in the first place is to draw attention to yourself and ask to be confronted. Are you within your rights? Yes! Is it smart to do that? No! What it actually does is make people feel more uneasy and does not change the minds of those sitting on the fence on the subject.

So lets say that people get used to seeing you carry your AR-15 into a store, you do it three or four times a week, even have your buddy come in with you carrying as well. The store knows you, trusts you, and in turn anyone who comes in with you. But one day someone comes in that is not there to be friendly and people ignore it, thinking that it is someone just like you and people die. Whose fault is that? Of course it is not your fault, it is the individual who pulled the trigger, but in some ways, you made it normal to see someone carrying a rifle in the open and therefore made the store complacent!

Now a handgun is different, for legal conceal carry individual, the handgun is smaller than a rifle and less intrusive, which means you will not draw as much attention to you as the full size rifle does. Handgun conceal carry or open carry law abiding citizens will carry so that if the need arises, they are ready to take action knowing that bad things can happen very quickly and they might be the only person there to save lives until the police arrive.  Criminals, on the other hand, will almost always conceal it until they begin using it. They won’t wear it in on a holster, more like they will have it in their belt, or in their hoody pocket to pull it out when they think that the place (or person) they are about to assault is at it’s most vulnerable moment.

So, what I am asking, what I am saying is, do NOT make it any harder to protect our Second Amendment Rights by making a spectacle out of yourselves. Use common sense when you are carrying. Be respectful where you are. Don’t be an “in your face” activist, that is not what we are about!  It is one thing to go down to an organized protest, where the point is to show you are able to carry rifles, but to walk into a place, such as the largest airport in the country and try to make your case is just stupid!

I follow the law, the constitution, believe in the Second Amendment and love my guns! I believe every law abiding citizen has the right to keep and bear arms without question. How we use that right, and how we conduct ourselves either strengthens our cause and rights, or in the case of the show-boaters gives ammo to the anti-gun crowd (pun intended)!

What Shall We See at the Movies Tonight? How Safe is That Theater?

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It’s Saturday night, and you want to take your wife, girlfriend, family or friends to the movies and you begin to look through the newspapers (or online) for listings in your area. You find a movie that is interesting and that you want to see and the information tells you the time, the location and how much it costs. But you have one other thing that you would like to know that you won’t find in any of the theater listings and that is if it is a “Gun Free Zone” or not and in the wake of the Colorado theater shooting this is something that you feel you should know.

This is where a new smart phone application called the “Gun Free Zone App” comes in handy. You can download the App from ITunes and when you go to a local business you can look to see if it is listed as a place that allows you to carry your weapon with you, or a place that does not.

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That is not the only reason John Peden, founder of the GunFreeZone App, decided to develop this application.

“I came up with the app in response to a newspaper in New York posting a map with the home addresses and names of all the registered firearm owners in 2 counties on their website,” he said. “I didn’t like that they were targeting people so I figured that economic warfare is the way to stop gun control. The easiest way to bring economic warfare into play was to let people know where the gun free zones are so they can avoid them and the app was born.”

Since early July the App has more than 36,000 user plateau with over 350,000 locations marked thus far.

“When you open our app, the GPS chip on your smartphone finds where you are, locates itself on a map, and also find the 20 nearest public locations like stores, theaters, parks, and so on. Those are then displayed both on the map as different colored dots and in a list below the map.”

You can input information into the App as a customer or as the owner of a business.

“The user can then select a store from the map which brings up that store’s voting page which asks the user, “Is _______________ a gun free zone?” The user then selects whether the store is a gun free zone or firearm friendly and the mark is immediately shared with everyone else who uses the app. The vote itself is very easy to understand – a gun with a red circle through it means it’s a gun free zone. A gun with a green circle around it means that firearms are allowed.”

When you vote on a store, it’s corresponding dot on the map changes color accordingly. Any dot that is blue means there has not been anyone who has voted on that store yet.

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With every kind of technology out there, there is room for some errors or inaccurate information John explains. “Because this is a crowd sourced database, there will always be the opportunity for mischief which we can control a few ways. First, the owner of a store can verify who they are to us directly and then lock the vote on their store as either gun free, firearm friendly, or no vote allowed.”

Response has been pretty positive, with the exception of those who want gun control and those who think that the App will be used by criminals to target gun free zones. One group in the past month in direct response to the GunFreeZone built an app of their own so that people could pin point households who own guns.

“They are terrified of the effectiveness we have in organizing the pro-Second Amendment crowd in supporting pro-Second Amendment stores,” he said. “They know that if we tell 80 million gun owners which stores don’t want them as customers, a lot of gun free stores will go out of business.”

The next question is what if criminals use this App to target businesses that do not allow firearms. “My response is to always ask them if they think we’re sharing some big secret. The criminals already know where the gun free zones are, don’t they?” John continues “It’s posted right on the front door of the mall so all we’re doing is letting the good guys know as much as the bad guys already know. Knowledge is power it has been said. Our goal is to keep you and your family safe – “Don’t go into this theater because you’re at a higher risk of being involved in a mass shooting.”

John states the 4 goals he strives for with this app:

1. Stop shopping in stores that support gun control and get more money spent in firearm friendly stores. Vote with your wallet and remind people that if you don’t want my gun, you don’t get my money.

2. Keep people safe and out of high-crime areas by warning them that criminals may have marked the store they’re in for mass murder.

3. Stop unintentional firearm crime. In some states, a gun free zone sign has the effect of law. If people carry concealed past that sign, it’s usually a felony. Also, if someone has a 20 round magazine in their car in Pennsylvania and crosses the border into New York, that’s a felony. We want to warn them when they’re about to do things like that. Another scenario would be concealed carry permit reciprocity – the phone can know where you are and what states honor your CCW and warn you or help plan your trip so you can stay legal.

4. Stop gun control permanently. This is a future feature but we will be able to layer other data on top of the gun free zone map and educate people on the real life impact of gun control. How does a gun free zone (and gun control by proxy) impact things like crime, graffiti, store closings, rental occupancy rates, property values, divorce rates, inflation, SAT scores, and I have no idea what else. We can put any data we want on our map and find correlations. Then, we can teach people in a personalized way what happens when they see strict gun laws. No bias, no hidden agenda – just what these laws mean for you personally. It’s a very, very effective way to teach people about the law of unintended consequences.

The app is free and can be downloaded at iTunes, the Google Play store, or at our website directly at http://www.GunFreeZoneApp.com.

For more information or if you have questions about the app contact John Peden through email at john@GunFreeZoneApp.com or Twitter handle @PedenJohn. The company website is http://www.GunFreeZoneApp.com, Twitter handle is @GunFreeZoneApp and Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/GunFreeZoneApp

The Armed Citizen Project; Helping People Help Themselves

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By Jeff Nichols

Kyle Coplen, Executive Director, Armed Citizen Project (ACP), is the quintessential Eagle Scout, is the kind of man that saw a problem and figured out a way to overcome the problem and help others protect themselves, their families and property.

“I visited the home of a WWII vet whose home was vandalized.  The hero, who earned two purple hearts in WWII, was at a doctor appointment, and his home was broken into and severely vandalized,” he said. “Seeing the damage made me start to think of things that society could do to deter these kinds of crimes.  That night, I came up with the idea to train and arm mid-high crime neighborhoods, and to measure the deterrent effects of increased firearm ownership.”

The ACP was created because of the idea that if more people are properly armed and trained, it would be a deterrent to criminals who are likely to target vulnerable people who have no way of protecting themselves. “We are committed to doing two things; arming entire neighborhoods, and arming single women/mothers from the broader community.”

Examining existing crime data, working directly with local law enforcement and with the community to find the areas that are in most need of assistance is how the ACP chooses an area to arm. Once a neighborhood is chosen a free shotgun is offered to households and of those who request assistance through their website with single women/mothers being first priorities, providing the owner passes a background check and takes our legal, safety, and tactical training.

 

ACP12 and 20 gauge pump-action shotguns is what the program provides to those in need. “Shotguns are cheaper and we can arm more and the sound of racking a shell is scarier to an intruder,” Coplen said. “We are arming folks with a gateway gun.  Once they feel safe at home, they may want to take that next step and feel safe in the car, or in public.”  Also with the lower value to criminals, a shotgun is more likely to stay in the home.

“We have given guns and training to 30 people so far.  Our efforts are going to ramp up in the coming weeks, and we hope to give away up to 1,000 shotguns by the end of the year,” Coplen stated.

The growing program began in Houston, and it is anticipated being in 15 cities by the end of the year.  “We have already announced, in addition to Houston, Tucson, Dallas, San Antonio, and Indianapolis.  In five years, we hope to be in every major city in the United States,” he said. “The community has been very supportive.  The only pushback comes from those who are already have proven that they possess a hatred for firearms.”

If you would like to become part of the ACP in your area, you can do so by simply by contacting the program through their website.  That is how the program expanded into Tucson.  “A big factor in expanding into a new city, is finding a competent and motivated director, Coplen stated. “If someone wants us to expand into their city, they should contact us.  Also, we expand into cities that have shown an inclination to support us.  For example, we chose to expand into San Antonio after noticing a large amount of donations from the San Antonio area.  We want to support the communities that support us.”

It is our hypotheses that criminals do not want to die in your hallway, and that society should use that fear to deter crime.

For more information or if you would like to Donate visit  www.armedcitizenproject.org

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

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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

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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