Love my guns

Like to write about how I came to have such a strong regard for the Second Amendment, and how I came to respect it so strongly.

While serving in the U.S. Air Force I was proud and privileged to be awarded the highest security clearance an enlisted man could be awarded. I was a cryptographer. Even though I served in peace time; 1954-1958, I was required to strap on a .45 semi-automatic military pistol while on duty, because I was stationed in a foreign country.

While I was proud to serve in the military I personally disliked wearing that .45 for hours at a time. And if that wasn't bad enough I had to qualify with the .45 twice a year on the firing range. Even with protective ear guards my ears rang for weeks.

Upon returning home from the Air Force my father offered me his shotgun as he was "retiring" from hunting. I thanked Dad, but declined telling him, "I don't like guns Dad, and I certainly won't shoot at a deer, rabbit,  or any other animal".  Dad gave his shotgun to my brother-in-law.

I lived in California for thirty-five years, moved back here, met and married my wife. We've been married for fourteen years. Her late husband was an avid hunter and gun collector. Still harboring a big fear and dislike of guns I urged her to give all of her late husband's guns to her son.

Three years ago a medical situation left me physically vulnerable. I was concerned for the safety of my wife and I. In a discussion with our city's chief of police he suggested my wife and I enroll in a concealed carry weapons course and take the state test. He also urged that we each buy a weapon for protection. By the way, in two more instances Sheriffs of two counties that I am aware of have found it necessary to lay off deputies. In doing so they urged county citizens to arming themselves for protection.

My wife and I have children and grandchildren spread all over the U.S., and we travel by car a lot. We visited another state, took the concealed carry state exam, and with state reciprocity, are licensed to carry our guns in all states except three; New York, Illinois, and California. Ironic isn't it that these three states won't allow citizens to carry guns, but have the highest gun crimes in the country?  Hey should we abolish cars in states that have the highest auto fatalities?

I have graduated to target shooting, bullet reloading, and have found a new hobby that I enjoy very much; joined a gun club and even organized a pistol league. Proud to write that I have overcome my fear of guns, but have a new found respect for guns.  I have met some very responsible citizens, most of whom are NRA members and are very law abiding citizens. I have yet to meet an NRA member who owns a gun, and is a proud Democrat or an Obie supporter. I find that strange.

I watched part of the gun violence hearings today in Congress. Did you see where the media got a lot of egg on their face? It was eye-opening to watch. The media edited a portion of a parent of one of the slain children in Sandy Hook. It was appalling to watch so many figuratively stand on the graves of fallen victims to advance their own agendas. It certainly is not a way to honor the slain victims. 

All of us NRA proud gun carrying members can't be wrong. NRA membership, along with guns and ammunition sales are at an all time high. I think Obie's getting the message that we are not giving up our guns. You remember what our former NRA president Charlton Heston said about prying our guns from our cold dead hands.

OK, I've give my critics enough ammunition for their lies and personal attacks. Let's take a break from guns for a while.

Stay tuned....tomorrow we'll talk about Obamacare and what Obie is doing to destroy our economy. It'll be fun...tune in.

And that's Politics with Pete for today....God bless our country....and our troops.