The Manchester Republican Committee will be holding its annual shooting event in a couple of weeks.
This year it's a Machine Gun Shoot at the Pelham Fish and Game Club on Sunday, Aug. 5th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The club is located at 100 Simpson Mill Rd. in Pelham.
A Shooters Pass is $25 (whether you rent or use your own firearms)
Spectators Pass is $10 (for those who will not be shooting but still want to attend)
Parking Pass is $10 per vehicle
All participants ans spectators must wear eye and ear safety equipment, which if you don't have can be rented for $2.
Firearms and ammunition will be available for rent and purchase respectively from Manchester Firing Line - prices vary.
All firearms other than personal carry must arrive at the range cased.
For more info and to RSVP, contact Kelly Hurst at 623-3011 or kelly @ manchestergop . com.
Murphy's gets mentioned, too.
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=GOP+fundraiser+to+feature+machine+gun+shoot&articleId=dff9058f-d867-4f10-8894-8ce94d13268b
GOP fundraiser to feature machine gun shoot
By SCOTT BROOKS
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
MANCHESTER – City Republicans will be packing some serious firepower at their next party fundraiser.
Tired of the usual chicken dinners, the Manchester Republican Committee is planning to arm supporters next month with Uzis, M-16 rifles and other automatic weapons for a day of target practice at a Pelham firing range.
"The thought just struck me one day: a machine gun shoot. What the heck?" said Jerry Thibodeau, the committee chairman.
Thibodeau, who is himself a hunter and skeet shooter, pitched the Aug. 5 event as a fun social gathering, as well as a demonstration of the party's support for Second Amendment rights.
The concept prompted shudders across the political aisle. Chris Pappas, the city Democratic party chairman, called the event "not just in poor taste; it is downright offensive."
"The citizens of Manchester have lived through a deadly spike in violent crime the past year-and-a-half, despite the campaign promises of (Mayor) Frank Guinta to lower crime rates," Pappas said. "That the mayor's political party would seek to glorify the use of machine guns for political gain is unconscionable."
The GOP fundraiser will be held at the Pelham Fish and Game Club. Proceeds, Thibodeau said, will be split among the party, the club and the gun supplier.
Republican party leaders are hoping for a strong showing of both novices and experienced shooters. The cost to participants is $25, plus fees for ammunition and parking.
Each of the Republican Presidential candidates was invited, Thibodeau said, but all declined, saying they'll be busy preparing for the following weekend's much-ballyhooed straw poll in Ames, Iowa.
"I really tried to get Rudy Giuliani there," Thibodeau said. "Because I'll tell you, this is a guy that can't relax."
Bob Shaunessy, who chairs the Pelham club's class-3 weapons committee, says he expects shooters will get to select from a range of submachine guns, including Uzis, MAC-11s and Swedish K's, as well as M-16 and AR-15 rifles.
Twenty safety experts, called "range officers," will be on hand to load the guns and monitor the shooters, Shaunessy said. On-site instruction will be required for all participants.
"My first and foremost goal is that everybody who walks in walks out," Thibodeau said.
Few may be more excited about the event than the man who conceived it.
Thibodeau, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday, said he has not fired a machine gun in 40 years.
A Seacoast native, Thibodeau was exposed to guns at an early age. His father, he said, was a machine gunner in Guadalcanal during World War II.
Thibodeau's own experience with machine guns began at 18, he said, when a friend and his father took him out to fire rounds in a sand pit.
The experience, he said, was powerful.
"It's a way of expressing yourself, I guess," he said. "We all have a little testosterone in us, right?"
And yet, he said, many of the people responding to the event advertisements have been women.
The city committee's executive director, Kelly Hurst, said she, too, is excited about the chance to fire a machine gun for the first time.
No stranger to guns, Hurst said she carries a small pistol for personal protection, but notes, "I've never felt a need to carry a machine gun down the street with me."
"It's very different," Hurst said. "I don't know when anyone else, man or woman, may get an opportunity to do this."
Manchester Republicans have several other social events in the works. The committee recently launched a monthly mixer, known as "Thirsty Thursdays," at Murphy's Tap Room on Elm Street.
Other events are more family-friendly. A Sept. 16 rally at Veterans Park will include face painting, rock climbing and, Thibodeau said, an inflatable "moon walker."
"It's about people meeting people," Thibodeau said. "Get the heck away from the computer, get the heck away from work. Come on out and talk to people."
FYI - there will also be hamburgers & hot dogs for all attendees.
We're looking for GO-NH members to help out at our table there - contact elogan@metrocast.net.
on the radio this morning they mentioned it and some Democrat honcho from Manchester was calling it "irresponsible". Basically 'we have fundraisers for the environment and these people are encouraging destruction. And when we've already had a cop killed' yadda yadda.
What a pansy...
Quote from: Quantrill on July 24, 2007, 05:05 PM NHFT
on the radio this morning they mentioned it and some Democrat honcho from Manchester was calling it "irresponsible". Basically 'we have fundraisers for the environment and these people are encouraging destruction. And when we've already had a cop killed' yadda yadda.
What a pansy...
how is the shooting anti environment?
How does it have anything to do with a thug killing a cop?
pansy is right.
I didnlt hear it myself, but I understand that Manchester Dem Chair Chris Pappas was saying this is an inappropriate event considering Michael Briggs was killed....or soemthign along those lines.
Basically doing exactly what Dems always do - lie about the facts ans try to scare the voters into choosing the Dems.....God knows they wouldn't choose them for any other reason.
The Ron Paul Wrecking Crew should seriously be in attendance.
Are there any Dem functions where alcohol is served? Or where attendees arrive by car? Don't they know how many children were killed by drunk drivers last year? How can they be so insensitive?
Quote from: Quantrill on July 24, 2007, 05:05 PM NHFT
on the radio this morning they mentioned it and some Democrat honcho from Manchester was calling it "irresponsible". Basically 'we have fundraisers for the environment and these people are encouraging destruction. And when we've already had a cop killed' yadda yadda.
What a pansy...
Maybe it's needed so people can work out their frustrations over the DAMAGE the Democrats have done since taking over in the statehouse.
Quote from: KBCraig on July 24, 2007, 10:44 PM NHFT
Are there any Dem functions where alcohol is served? Or where attendees arrive by car? Don't they know how many children were killed by drunk drivers last year? How can they be so insensitive?
They haven't heard about Ted Kennedy and Gary Condit? <snicker>
What about fat chicks and cigars? ala Bill Clinton?
Heck, a guy was beaten within an inch of his life last year in Manchester, left permanently disabled, with a baseball bat, and yet the Fisher Cats play blithely along in a huge stadium subsidized with tax money. How can they be so insensitive?
Quote from: mvpel on July 26, 2007, 07:52 AM NHFT
Heck, a guy was beaten within an inch of his life last year in Manchester, left permanently disabled, with a baseball bat, and yet the Fisher Cats play blithely along in a huge stadium subsidized with tax money. How can they be so insensitive?
Yes! Ban federally funded baseball!
OK, this is starting to go down hill! I say we sue Oldsmoblie! Masshole Sen fatboy should still be in jail!
I sent Guinta an e-mail telling him I'll contribute to his election if he showed up. I also told him it was nice for a Republican to act like one for a change.
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Quote from: grasshopper on July 26, 2007, 10:05 AM NHFT
OK, this is starting to go down hill! I say we sue Oldsmoblie! Masshole Sen fatboy should still be in jail!
I sent Guinta an e-mail telling him I'll contribute to his election if he showed up. I also told him it was nice for a Republican to act like one for a change.
Hey, grasshopper....
How about contributing to a Manchester Alderman candidate who will be there?
Quote from: grasshopper on July 26, 2007, 10:05 AM NHFT
OK, this is starting to go down hill! I say we sue Oldsmoblie! Masshole Sen fatboy should still be in jail!
I sent Guinta an e-mail telling him I'll contribute to his election if he showed up. I also told him it was nice for a Republican to act like one for a change.
;D +1
The comments on the UL website have just been embarrassing. So many sheeple, so little time...
Here's a good guest editorial, though
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Phil+Greazzo%3a+Sport+shooters+have+nothing+to+do+with+crime+in+Manchester&articleId=9491d889-627c-4ab3-a48e-8eac16c7bf1c
Phil Greazzo: Sport shooters have nothing to do with crime in Manchester
By PHIL GREAZZO
WE ALL WANT to keep our neighborhoods and families safe. I think that's something nearly everyone agrees on. Residents of Manchester are no exception to the instinctive nature of self preservation.
So why would Chris Pappas, chairman of the Manchester Democratic Party, choose to attack Manchester's law-abiding citizens who would exercise their 2nd Amendment rights? Politics, of course.
In response to a Manchester Republican Committee machine gun shoot event, Pappas called it "not just in poor taste; it is downright offensive."
What's offensive is implying that law-abiding citizens who choose to shoot for sport are equally as dangerous as criminals. I guess if Pappas had it his way, no one would be allowed to hunt, participate in shooting sports or arm and protect themselves. The only people with guns would be criminals who ignore the law anyway.
I support the 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms. In fact, I rely on it and would suggest our citizenry become more familiar with it.
On more than one occasion I've needed to rely on those rights.
For the most part, my neighborhood is great -- except for the many guests of one particular neighbor. I've had my tires slashed, I've been threatened with violence for merely sitting on my front steps and I've endured trash and puke on my property from the endless parties they have had out on the sidewalk.
Last year, I caught one of these "guests" urinating on my house. When I shined a spotlight and yelled out the window at him, he nearly came through that window, where I was sitting with my young daughter. Once the rest of the "gang" heard the commotion, they got involved. There were five of them and only one of me.
Just two weeks ago I heard noise coming from my garage out back. I went to investigate and found hiding in my yard six people who suddenly rushed out at me. They were guests of that same neighbor.
Thankfully, as I drew my weapon to defend myself from another possible attack, half a dozen Manchester police officers rushed past me and arrested all six for criminal trespassing. Thanks, Sgt. Olsen!
Chris Pappas continued his criticism: "The citizens of Manchester have lived through a deadly spike in violent crime the past year-and-a-half, despite the campaign promises of (Mayor) Frank Guinta to lower crime rates." He concluded with, "That the mayor's political party would seek to glorify the use of machine guns for political gain is unconscionable."
What's unconscionable is blaming Mayor Guinta for a problem he inherited from the previous administration and implying he is somehow responsible for the behavior of the criminal element. I applaud Mayor Guinta's effort to reduce crime and increase public safety. He's done a tremendous job making this a safer city.
It's because of Mayor Guinta we have increased patrols in West Manchester and because of my right to keep and bear arms that I haven't suffered injury or death at the hands of those who disregard the law.
What's equally unconscionable is that Pappas would like to have readers believe that the Manchester GOP in its promotion of this event is somehow promoting or advocating violent crime. Any rational, thinking person would easily understand the difference.
Phil Greazzo is a candidate for alderman in Ward 10.
Quote from: Dreepa on July 26, 2007, 07:34 PM NHFT
In fairness to Mayor Guinta - he will be in Maine with his wife Morgan who runs in an annual charitable road race each year.
Quote from: KBCraig on July 30, 2007, 12:59 AM NHFT
The comments on the UL website have just been embarrassing. So many sheeple, so little time...
Here's a good guest editorial, though
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Phil+Greazzo%3a+Sport+shooters+have+nothing+to+do+with+crime+in+Manchester&articleId=9491d889-627c-4ab3-a48e-8eac16c7bf1c
Phil Greazzo: Sport shooters have nothing to do with crime in Manchester
http://newhampshireunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=9930.0
It's true. I filed for Alderman. I asked Shuvom to include it on the agenda for the next MVP meeting. I'll go into more detail at Saturday's meeting.
This is a very winnable race if we do things right. One of the most important things is to focus on what's going to help and staying away from what's going to hurt.
I have the support of some really big sources. Both are a huge help and should be kept confidential for now.
Any controversial issues will hurt our chances.
Let's not bring any up, online or to the public, please. I'd like to keep the focus on small government that's more open and accountable, lower taxes, and quality of life issues.
We need all the help we can get. Please come to Saturday's meeting if you would like to get involved.
Thanks,
Phil
In the actual print version of the UL there was also a good LTE from John Castelot, Vice Chair of the Manchester GOP.
My last NHinsider blog was about this as well.....it never seemed to be posted in the headlines area though. In case you want to read: http://www.nhinsider.com/tammy-simmons/2007/7/27/responsible-recreation.html
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Re: MRC Machine Gun Shoot Fundraiser
« Reply #15 on: July 26, 2007, 02:34 PM NHFT » Quote
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Quote from: grasshopper on July 26, 2007, 10:20 AM NHFT
OK, this is starting to go down hill! I say we sue Oldsmoblie! Masshole Sen fatboy should still be in jail!
I sent Guinta an e-mail telling him I'll contribute to his election if he showed up. I also told him it was nice for a Republican to act like one for a change.
Hey, grasshopper....
How about contributing to a Manchester Alderman candidate who will be there?
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Re: MRC Machine Gun Shoot Fundraiser
« Reply #16 on: July 26, 2007, 07:49 PM NHFT » Quote
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Quote from: grasshopper on July 26, 2007, 10:20 AM NHFT
OK, this is starting to go down hill! I say we sue Oldsmoblie! Masshole Sen fatboy should still be in jail!
I sent Guinta an e-mail telling him I'll contribute to his election if he showed up. I also told him it was nice for a Republican to act like one for a change.
+1
Hey Phyll, I didn't know you are running. Cool. I'll get to ya soon, I've got a wedding Saturday but I'll try to get to the shoot. I don't want to show up to a full auto shoot "under the weather" and be embarrasing myself and other Porcs.
me going probably, hope u will too!
report from the Machine Gun Shoot:
Ny2NH from this forum reports turnout of over 300 as of two hours before it ended
three ron paul activists showed up each independently of the other. i stood near a pedestrian choke point with a big RP sign and my NH flag. another guy brought a three wheeled motorcycle and covered it with RP signs. And the third guy stood next to that handing out flyers near the choke point. We probably handed out 100 and I delivered another 50 or so to RP activists who want to hand them out elsewhere. The eagle tribune, the monitor, the union leader, the herald, NHPR and Agence France Presse were there plus a TV crew. the monitor and the AFP reporter interviewed me for maybe ten minutes each about ron paul.
There was some press exasperation because folks put out a news release invited them then refused to let them near the shooting unless they paid the political donation. I'm sure that some of u think this is funny but pushing the press away never results in more positive coverage. The NHPR guy who showed up, Josh, sounded like he was giving up up on covering the story at all. Too bad because it probably would have made the national news and improved our recruiting. their reporting on us free staters at least has usually been fair, not that it has to be for us to benefit.
I'm sure it's not necessary to mention that i was open carrying the whole time LOL. however one of the organizers begged me to take the v mask off the back of my head, and i did.
See i can be cooperative when its not cops asking me to do something :)
also i got a great deal on ammo from the Manchester Firing Line table
The Nashua Meetup whipped that trifold up the other night..for which we are grateful.
I gave many out in Keene this weekend as well.
Sounds like this MGS idea was a success all around!
I hope they do it again next year. I didn't have the cash to do it this year. It would be cool if a range in Strafford County would open their doors for the SCRC to host a machine gun shoot like that one.
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Bullets+for+bucks%3a+%27Machine+Gun+Shoot%27+raises+%242k+for+GOP&articleId=cc3d5495-7282-4f42-b645-d67d6586297f
Bullets for bucks: 'Machine Gun Shoot' raises $2k for GOP
By SCOTT BROOKS
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
PELHAM – Manchester Republicans traded bullets for bucks yesterday in an unorthodox and controversial fundraiser at a Pelham firing range.
The city Republican party's first-ever "Machine Gun Shoot" lured hundreds of thrill-seekers and Second Amendment advocates to the Pelham Fish and Game Club with promises of a rare opportunity to wrap their hands around an automatic weapon.
"That was an experience, wasn't it?" said Ken Stargill, 27, smiling broadly after blasting 30 rounds from an AK-47.
About 350 people participated, with proceeds split evenly among the party, the Fish and Game club and the gun supplier, Manchester Firing Line Range. City Republican committee chairman Jerry Thibodeau estimated the party made upward of $2,000 on the day.
No one was hurt, he said, except for one girl who slammed her finger in a car door.
"The most important thing is it was a safe event," Thibodeau said.
It was an unusual fundraiser, with heavy weaponry in place of dinner plates and a dress code that demanded earplugs and safety goggles. Shooters paid $25 plus the cost of ammunition.
Parents and children shot side by side at targets 25 feet down field, spent casings piling about their feet. The sharp stench of cordite hung in the air.
Hardly anyone talked politics.
"I'm more of a shooter than a politician," said Ken McDonald, who owns a Romanian WASR semi-automatic.
Politicians mostly shied away from the event, which drew criticism from local Democrats and some national pundits. MSNBC host Keith Olbermann lampooned Thibodeau last month, spotlighting him in a segment called "Worst Person in the World."
All of the major Republican candidates for President were invited to the fundraiser, Thibodeau said, and all declined.
Many shooters brought their children - some to shoot, some to watch. McDonald towed along his 12-year-old daughter, Katie, who wore a "Spectator" pass over a sparkly pink shirt. Her ear protectors were a size too big, and her face scrunched with every "bang" and "pop."
Another 12-year-old, Thomas Rothman, was in a markedly better mood. Rothman got to shoot an Uzi for the first time.
"For a guy his size, it's not as easy," said his father, Steve, who lives in Nashua. "He's used to firing 22s."
Shooters who didn't bring their own guns had a wide range of firearms to choose from. The most popular, according to Firing Line owners Jim and Carey McLoud, were MP5s ("like what the SWAT teams use," Jim McLoud said) and M-16 rifles.
The list of options noted M-16 users could attach a grenade launcher for an extra fee.
Shooters were monitored by a crew of 22 range officers, who gave instructions and loaded the guns. Bob Shaunessy, who chairs the Pelham club's class-3 weapons committee, watched at a distance, a bullhorn at the ready. His red ballcap read, "Kalashnikov USA."
"We're not going to let some 9-year-old who weighs 90 pounds come and (shoot)," he said. "It's based on, 'Can he handle a gun?"
Organizers were clearly anxious about the publicity the event would receive, as well as concerned for the shooters' privacy. No cameras or audio recorders were allowed on grounds. Atypically for a political fundraiser, reporters were ordered to pay $20 in parking and admission fees.
(Note: The New Hampshire Union Leader, abetted by friendly event staffers, sneaked in without paying).
"People think we're a bunch of yahoos because we like to shoot," said John Errico, president of the Pelham Fish and Game Club. "But it's just like bowling. It's just like baseball. We enjoy doing this. We're not bad guys."
"The truth is, it's a sport," said event volunteer Tammy Simmons. "It might not be a sport everyone is into, but, hey, I think golf is stupid."
In the clubhouse, vendors hawked rifles, handguns and hunting knives. One company sold pink T-shirts with the slogan, "Girls just wanna have guns."
A Plaistow dealer, Stateline Guns, sold two AR-15s and a shotgun. Paul Dobrydnio, a dealer from Merrimack, said he sold about $500 worth of scopes and other accessories.
"I would consider this moderately successful," he said. "I ain't getting rich."
At least one man left the event with a small treasure. Craig Yankes, a Pelham Fish and Game member, spent the intermissions on his hands and knees, picking up used shells, which he planned to recycle and reuse.
He and other members dumped the shells in a big blue bucket. By the event's end, they had collected about 70 pounds' worth.
"This is like a lifetime supply for me," Yankes said. "I'm set."
Quote from: KBCraig on August 06, 2007, 01:06 AM NHFT
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Bullets+for+bucks%3a+%27Machine+Gun+Shoot%27+raises+%242k+for+GOP&articleId=cc3d5495-7282-4f42-b645-d67d6586297f
Bullets for bucks: 'Machine Gun Shoot' raises $2k for GOP
By SCOTT BROOKS
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
<snip>
Politicians mostly shied away from the event, which drew criticism from local Democrats and some national pundits. MSNBC host Keith Olbermann lampooned Thibodeau last month, spotlighting him in a segment called "Worst Person in the World."
</snip>
Which proves that Keith Olbermann is the worst person in the world. ::)
Quote from: CNHT on August 05, 2007, 07:34 PM NHFT
The Nashua Meetup whipped that trifold up the other night..for which we are grateful.
I gave many out in Keene this weekend as well.
Sounds like this MGS idea was a success all around!
Whenever anyone prints any campaign materials, it ineeds to include a "Paid for By" statement on it. I mentioned this to the guy who was there handing them out....just as a heads up.
All in all, this was a good event. I think about 400 people total including the volunteers......I have no idea how much we netted. Scott from the UL had left before the event ended, so I have no idea where the $2000 figure came from. Scott and the girl from the Eagle Tribune both ended up trying a hand at shooting....which I was glad to see. Scott was actually really friendly and I was fairly sure we wouldn't get slammed in the paper today.
It was great to see Dave Ridley there....and Irena with the Eans....and Bruce McMahon. If there were others, I must have missed you.
I'm sure there will be a 2nd annual event next year....with a few modifications. :)
"Parents and children shot side by side at targets 25 feet down field, spent casings piling about their feet. The sharp stench of cordite hung in the air."
It looked and smelled like freedom. ;D
And sounded like freedom too, echoing from the hillsides!
Quote from: ny2nh on August 06, 2007, 06:04 AM NHFT
Quote from: CNHT on August 05, 2007, 07:34 PM NHFT
The Nashua Meetup whipped that trifold up the other night..for which we are grateful.
I gave many out in Keene this weekend as well.
Sounds like this MGS idea was a success all around!
Whenever anyone prints any campaign materials, it ineeds to include a "Paid for By" statement on it. I mentioned this to the guy who was there handing them out....just as a heads up.
Well since it did not cost anything to print, there was no 'paid for by' to be had.
Quote from: CNHT on August 06, 2007, 10:04 AM NHFT
Quote from: ny2nh on August 06, 2007, 06:04 AM NHFT
Quote from: CNHT on August 05, 2007, 07:34 PM NHFT
The Nashua Meetup whipped that trifold up the other night..for which we are grateful.
I gave many out in Keene this weekend as well.
Sounds like this MGS idea was a success all around!
I think you are wrong on that.....I believe all porinted materials are supposed to have a "paid for by" because someone paid something for them.....if they were free to RP, that's fine, but someone still paid for them.
Do what you want, I was just trying to give you a heads up so that RP doesn't get grief for it somehow....
Whenever anyone prints any campaign materials, it ineeds to include a "Paid for By" statement on it. I mentioned this to the guy who was there handing them out....just as a heads up.
Well since it did not cost anything to print, there was no 'paid for by' to be had.
Yeah I understand what it's about.
It's just one of the zillions of things supporters do at their own expense to get the word out.
I would venture to say that if you counted these things as fundraising, it would put him at about $10M not $3M.
There are billboards in Iowa, Radio Shows (starting tonight), newspaper ads, radio ads, lighted car signs, Adopt-an-Iowan programs, and tons of literature and signs being printed, all without direction from the campaign, but in addition to the thousands of things they are sending us...
We had more materials than Rudy did this weekend! One of his workers told me that he loved our guy so much he might vote for him.
In case you hadn't noticed, bluehampshire.com is all in a twit about this and mentions that Jerry was a contender for Olbermann's 'worst person in the world' award for organizing it. They are also trying to use it to get people to donate money toward making stronger gun laws in NH.
I wish Democrat men would get some nuts don't you?
http://www.bluehampshire.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1497
Here is the video:
http://video.msn.com/v/us/fv/msnbc/fv.htm??g=1e6271c2-8572-433e-9608-da8367b9d89b&f=00&fg
I think Keith Olbermann should get his own award...LOL
(http://www.a-human-right.com/s_colors3.jpg)
Thanks mvpel! (A guy with 'nuts')
;)
Why The Gun Is Civilized
By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)
Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or forcing me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that's it.
In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.
When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat, or employment, of force. The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gag banger, and a single gay guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.
There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat--it has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed. People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.
Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser. People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level. The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.
When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation...and that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.
Quote from: GraniteForge on August 06, 2007, 07:02 PM NHFT
The NHPR guy came there with an attitude and an agenda, and got himself thrown off the line for trying to sneak a few pictures. He was also thrown out of the Manchester range last week for walking in unannounced and harassing customers.
I was surprised that the rest of the press I spoke with seemed to actually be there to gather information and report.
I would not have expected anything less from Josh... ::)
Similarly the guy who interviewed me for 90 minutes was not a bad person but I think I blew his perception of a 'typical' supporter out of the water.
So the whole premise of his article was kaputsky.
Hah.
Josh always has an agenda, but he was partly annoyed because when he interviewed Jerry on Friday, Jerry failed to mention that no recording devices would be allowed.....so Josh's trip was a waste of time.
The media that attended and actually went in all wrote OK pieces.....and OK press is always a good thing.