I wish you all a meaningful Memorial Day.

How many Americans sacrificed their lives for us to have the freedoms we’ll enjoy today? I’m not sure there actually is a confirmed count.

Every newspaper in the country will probably have an editorial comment reminding us that while we’re grilling food on the holiday weekend, we’re supposed to be commemorating Americans who died to keep us free to have that time with our families and the rest of those we love.

I’ll be spending my Memorial Day working on a shooting case in which it appears that a family’s right to keep and bear arms may have prevented family members from being murdered by a criminal.  Seems to me like a fitting way to commemorate that particular holiday…

The first of our American soldiers fought with their own guns, flintlock rifles brought from home, in the Revolutionary War.  As our nation’s history developed, one pattern that emerged was that the guns used to fight for our country became the models that the fighting generation, and those that followed, wanted to own as private citizens after the given war.  Bolt action rifles in the early 20th Century…semiautomatic .30 caliber rifles in the middle part of that century…and all of those, plus the AR15 format, today.  There are those in our country who would steal that righteous tradition from us…something to remember in every upcoming election, and something to bring up and holds the candidates’ feet to the fire about.

Memorial Day. To Memorialize.

Let us all remember, and thank…

 

1 COMMENT

  1. Thank You Massad Ayoob I served in Vietnam two years on Helicopter’s Slick’s, and about 7 years back my wife found my Door Gunner on line. I went to the VHCMA, “Vietnam Helicopter Crew Members Association”. I went to see a man that I haven’t seen in over 35 years. God that was a good feeling. After a couple of days we were getting on a bus to go to an air field, to show are family’s what we did there. Well all of a sudden I heard this voice and I knew instantly who it was, Bob Caraker he was my pilot in Vietnam. It was so great to see two men that I spent the longest time with in that country. So today means a great deal to me, I called and talked to both today, you really can’t explain a feeling like that.

    Thank you for this page to tell my story on.

    SP% Terry L Branch

    think God for Spell Check lol

  2. Mas,
    We attended a very touching and appropriate Memorial Day celebration today in Clear Lake, Iowa. Two Army National Guard officers spoke about their experiences in Afghanistan. There was a 21 gun salute by a squad from VFW shooting ’03 Springfields an honor guard of Civil War re-enactors and Taps played by the Clear Lake High School Marching Band.
    During all of this I thought of my father who served for 24 years in the Army, including time in the Philippines practicing for amphibious lands and having his finger on the tactical nuke trigger when the Berlin Wall went up.
    I also thought of my oldest son who served 20 years in the Army including multiple tours in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and Serbia.
    And my youngest son who served 2 years on active duty and 8 years in the National Guard.
    Thank you for reminding us of our debt to all of the veterans.
    Steve

  3. Belatedly, thank you to ALL who served, (whenever, wherever, however) and POW/MIA.
    God Bless to all.
    Thank you.

  4. There are many, that serve in so many different ways…thanks be to you all, for our freedom, liberty and strength as a nation…

  5. Thank you, Mas for all you do for our firearms freedoms. And thanks to all our veterans who have passed on, as this day is for them. Our day, those of us still alive, is November 11. And as a special favor, can we all please say a special prayer for those women in our armed forces who have given the ultimate price for us. They are often forgotten, but please, no more. Let’s remember them all, including the donut dollies and other civilians who served and helped us.

  6. Mas, your never-ending crusade to keep our Second Amendment rights has not gone unnoticed or without gratitude. Thank you for all you do.

    It is indeed vital that the younger generations are continually educated in the knowledge of what sacrifices were made to secure and preserve the freedoms that we have today. Without effort, those that gave some or all will be forgotten. When this happens, we all lose.

    It goes without saying that our veterans and those in service need to be thanked whenever we can, for they allow us to carry on with our mundane daily existence.

    On another subject, any take on Dudley Brown of the National Gun Rights organization? Just curious. Getting e-mails from this group and would be interested in outside views.

    Thank you again for the continuous firearms education, thought provoking articles and a reasoned approach to all topics.

  7. “The first of our American soldiers fought with their own guns, flintlock rifles brought from home, in the Revolutionary War. As our nation’s history developed, one pattern that emerged was that the guns used to fight for our country became the models that the fighting generation, and those that followed, wanted to own as private citizens after the given war. Bolt action rifles in the early 20th Century…semiautomatic .30 caliber rifles in the middle part of that century…and all of those, plus the AR15 format, today.”

    Those flintlock rifles that Americans won the Revolutionary War with were the “assault rifles” by that day’s standards – as they had longer effective range than the unrifled muskets the Brits issued their troops and fired just as fast! They were the “military” rifles by that day’s standards.
    Same with the bolt-action centerfire deer rifle your great-grandfathers hunted deer with in 1915-1930 – as they were about the same as the M1903 Springfields that Washington won World War I with.
    See the pattern?

  8. I know historically, Memorial Day is for American Veterans but I think it would be fair to include and remember all our First Responders who have gave their lives for us as well.

    I salute and give thanks to all of America’s Veterans and First Responders.

    Good luck with that case Mas and thank you for helping all of us gun owners.

  9. Memorialize the real Americans killed by tyrants: Never forget!

    Jose Guerena, Erik Scott, and all the victims of beatings, frame-ups, lies, and murder, and cover-up. These are the soldiers dying in this war against ‘we the people’. Those are the ‘shots heard round the world’. Never forget.

    Never forget the judges, the prosecutors, the sheriffs, the trainers, the co-workers, the legislators who are murdering our countrymen. Never forget all those who continue to turn a blind eye, ignore their duty, and enable such actions- Treason to pay the mortgage. They have chosen.

    We are all Jose Guerena.
    Modern day John Brown, Samuel Hadley, Caleb Harrington, Jonathon Harrington, Robert Munroe, Isaac Muzzey, Asahel Porter, and Jonas Parker II… Patriots, dying in this ‘war against the people’ being waged by mercenary gangs of violent thugs- a standing army recently created in our midst.

    Memorialize the fallen on this day.
    And steel your heart to do your duty, to honor these men.

    We are all Jose Guerena.
    Never, Never Forget.

  10. Sofa, Scott and Guerena apparently wore their nation’s uniforms with honor, and no one can ever take that away from them or their memories.

    However, you might want to review the evidence presented to the grand jury in the Scott death, and follow the investigation into home invasion murder(s) that MAY have involved Guerena, before assigning them a billet with the Minutemen of Lexington and Concord.

  11. On another subject, any take on Dudley Brown of the National Gun Rights organization? Just curious. Getting e-mails from this group and would be interested in outside views.

    Mas, do you know anything about this group or have you had any contact? Thanks.

  12. Scott and Guerena were good and honorable men. And their lives were taken by mercenary pirates who take their livelihood by feasting upon the people. You might want to follow the ongoing excuses, fabrications, and cover-up by the perpetrators, as they ‘get away with murder’.

    Guerena responded within a minute to protect his family and his home from tyranny. Just like the minutemen. Never forget.

    And remember that the Torries (loyal officers of the tyranny) are not memorialized. Yet we remember John Brown, Samuel Hadley, Caleb Harrington, Jonathon Harrington, Robert Munroe, Isaac Muzzey, Asahel Porter, and Jonas Parker II because they responded in a minute to stand against ‘enforcers’, and never knew that their deaths were “shots heard round the world”: They did their duty against enforcers, and are memorialized. They enforcers are cursed.

    As ‘enforcers’ pointedly set themselves apart from the people… they set themselves apart from the people.

    This is what history looks like, mas.

  13. While I haven’t read too much on Erik Scott, my assumption is he was asked to leave while he was carrying (Costco is a no carry business), made a scene, Costco calls Police and says “guy with gun”, Police respond and Erik made a movement consistent with going for a gun. Generally if the Police get a call like that and you’re acting like that, you’re doing an awfully good imitation of a bad person.

    As for Jose Guerena, anyone read that small little tidbit about him having his AR-15 in hand when the Police responded? You know if the Police knock on your door and announce their presence. It’s probably not the best time to show them your AR-15. Sure you just wanted to them to take a look at your AR-15 and you were cleaning it right before they knocked but they might think you mean to harm them or others.

  14. Gary, I’m not familiar with that individual or that organization, sorry I couldn’t be of more help.

    Sofa, until you learn to dig for facts and look at both sides of an issue, you’re going to be suffering a credibility gap that all the rhetoric in the world can’t fix. By the way, your example is flawed: the Patriots died in combat with the British. To stay true to your comparison, you have to believe that Scott and Guerena WERE trying to shoot the cops who shot them.

  15. I believe previously respected people lose credibility when they excuse and encourage military tactics of violent subjugation against a hostage civilian population.

    I believe Scott and Guerena were Americans, decent salt of the earth men, trying to live good lives when they were murdered by tyrants wearing custumes they think grant them powers of life/death (enslavement and impoverishment) over others they somehow declare to be lesser human beings, less privileged. Just like the previous government of British.

    Policing is necessary, which is why’ we the people’ hire employees to protect our rights and our property and our lives.

    Enforcers, on the other hand, declare they have NO duty to protect lives or property. They excuse/ignore/mock the peoples inalienable rights, rather than protect them. They demand that it is the people who have a duty to obey them- or else! Red coat, Blue suit; how are they different now?

    On Memorial Day, and every day- Remember our American Patriots, murdered by self appointed overlords, with unintended consequences. History consists of facts like these (and it repeats, and sometimes rhymes).

    Never forget.
    Sic Semper Tyrannis.

  16. “By the way, your example is flawed: the Patriots died in combat with the British. To stay true to your comparison, you have to believe that Scott and Guerena WERE trying to shoot the cops who shot them.”-mas

    Excellent point: Scott and Guerena were killed without being in combat. They were civilians, murdered in cold blood, with no aggression on their part.

    So is it better that they were innocent civilians? I think it’s what makes their murders horrific. It’s the sort of thing done by Stalin or Mao, against their own civilians.

  17. sofa, you write, “Scott and Guerena were killed without being in combat. They were civilians, murdered in cold blood, with no aggression on their part.”

    Mr. Scott, according to multiple eyewitnesses’ testimony, was pulling a gun on Las Vegas Metro police officers after acting so aberrantly that the managers were evacuating the store before the cops got there, called to the scene by store personnel to deal with the situation. Mr. Guerena, by all accounts, was leveling an AR15 at police who were carrying out a lawful warrant when they shot him.

    What exactly do YOU think it takes to act with sufficient aggression to make deadly force justifiable? sofa, you clearly haven’t taken the earlier advice to learn what you’re talking about before you comment.