Let none of us forget that Memorial Day is a time to remember the Americans who gave their lives to preserve our freedom, and we can’t forget our wounded warriors, either.
Yes, we’re still fighting our own politicians to keep some of those rights, as any gun owner who has listened to Hillary Clinton’s rants against the NRA (and, by extension, its five million plus members). But we can’t shape our future if we don’t understand our past.
I don’t particularly need to do any shooting on Memorial Day, but I always try to do so. The sound of gunfire in good people’s hands is the sound of freedom, a one-gun salute to those who gave their lives for the rights we enjoy.
Feel free to share here your plans for recognizing Memorial Day, as well as your memories of those in your family and circle of friends whose sacrifices we honor.
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives in defense of this country and for the freedoms we enjoy.
I also see it as a day of contemplation by the living to rededicate ourselves to standing ready to come to the defense of our country, should the need arise, against all enemies that would take freedom from us, be they foreign or domestic.
So, Mas, I can think of no better or more fitting way to observe Memorial Day than by doing some shooting. By doing so, you are declaring, by exercising your second amendment right, you are also declaring your commitment to come to the common defense if the need arises. Ready to risk the same sacrifice, if called upon.
If one is not prepared to respond, I question whether they deserve the liberty the Constitution guarantees. Just my thoughts.
@ Dennis:
You and Mas, both, are 100% correct. Freedom is not just something that our fore-bearers purchased for us and which we get to use, free of charge, into the future. Rather, freedom is constantly under attack and, if it is to be retained, each generation must fight for their share.
Unfortunately, the world is full of ideologies that seek to suppress freedom. They range from the idealistic “head in the sand” theories of the left-wingers to the fanaticism of religious extremists.
The sad thing is that all these people (leftist, religious fanatics, etc.) sincerely believe that they have a hold on the “one true ideology” that answers all questions and is, therefore, beyond question. The more devoutly they pursue their particular, selected ideology, the further it leads them astray. It leads them down a path whereby any “non-believer” gets oppressed and freedom gets crushed.
So, the fight for freedom continues and will always continue until the human race wakes up and realizes that the true answer is freedom and consideration for your fellow human beings rather than by forcing an ideology down their throats.
I was planning to go to the range this morning with my son to celebrate our freedoms. However with all the rain we’ve had in Texas (more last night) I fear the range will be a muddy mess. I guess I’ll reload and watch baseball instead! Enjoy this day of remembrance.
Mas
I’m active duty Air Force and thank you for recognizing the sacrifices of all military members, both past and present. America is unique among nations in that we are suposedly an autonomous culture…each person may choose what they believe. I’m a person of faith and believe in freedom of choice for all to believe as their conscious leads them. This is the freedom we must preserve.
A great day to see if my new 12-gauge goes “BANG!” I am not betting against it. It’s going to sound like the 4th of July already around here. FREEDOM!
Agree with you Captain A.
Let’s give some freedom to God’s 4 legged creatures as well as his special 2 legged ones.
No, not a Bar-B- Q day, but a day for prayer and appreciation. HMC/FMF/ USN RET.
I’m spending Memorial Day working the phone banks for Madame Hillary and Comrade Sanders so they can transform our country in a police state and keep us safe. Oh yes, and protect our Second Amendment rights too as they promised they would. If you can’t trust HillBilly, who can you trust?
Three members of my extended family made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom and liberty during WWII. All three died bravely and were bearing arms proudly at the moments of their respective deaths in combat. My surviving family members deeply appreciates the wondrous reality that patriotic Americans posting comments on Mas’ Memorial Day Blog understand the importance of millions of our ancestors volunteering to fight for freedom and liberty since 1775 and then not returning home.
As an Army Captain 100% disabled in the line of duty who receives ongoing, outstanding rehabilitative health care at a local VA Medical Center, please know that BHO and HRC are intent on using both the VA and the Social Security Administration of the Department of Health & Human Services to alter administrative guidelines to compel the addition of as many 100% disabled veterans as possible to the FBI’s NICS “No Go” Database.
Without allowing 100% disabled veterans legal due process, BHO is attempting to disqualify as many 100% disabled veterans as possible from purchasing firearms and plans to inform these 100% disabled veterans in writing that they are henceforth prohibited from carrying, possessing or using any firearms for any reason whatsoever. I would call such formal notification as an attempt at bringing about “total disarmament” of male and female military veterans who incurred life long disabling injuries in defense of freedom and liberty.
Fellow shooters, this is not an Internet rumor. Sadly, this is fact. The NRA is pushing back hard against this extra-legal maneuver by BHO to circumvent Congress and to ignore the rule of law, as is his habit.
Please add your individual voices (to our collective voices as 100% disabled veterans) in expressing your outrage at this latest unlawful action that is being perpetrated now by BHO via executive order and that will be pushed forward just as forcefully by HRC if she should (God forbid) assume the office of President of the United States of America in January 2017.
Howdy Brother Mas: As a past student of yours, Thru firearms of Seattle, at Marty’s digs, I had the supreme pleasure of meeting you. You taught me LFI-1;LFI-2 and the Lindell Weapon retention classes.
I want to say I totally agree with all the comments and that this in not a day to hit the malls, and do all the other commercial 3 day weekend crap.
Our freedoms sere paid for in American Blood…so that we can be free to worship; work and play as our conscious dictates, including the right to defend those other freedoms weapons of our choice as we see fit, iff necessary.
Would love you to send me a personal email as I have some questions I would like to ask about. You have been for a lifetime a blessed individual, to teach, fight for and defend any Law Enforcement Officer and/or one of your students, who may have to drop the hammer on some perp or to defend their family or themselves. Lead On old friend, you are a inspiration for all of us. Hope you work your way to Portland some time, so we can break bread together.
Stay Safe,Alert & Alive, Sincerely, Tom Kelly
Spent gunpowder…what the Second Ammendment smells like!
8 am at the range with son and a friend who wanted to try shooting. 10 guns and 2+ hours later he was hitting the X with 9mm, .49 s&w and .45 acp at 7 yards.
@Ken. The rain here in Texas has really messed things up. I started the morning with multiple phone calls from friends and family telling me a fellow teacher’s son was killed in Brenham, TX while helping his church group remove downed trees. I’ve just stayed at home and reflected upon my own meager good fortune.
Mas,
I am a lifelong civilian, a college professor, who has great respect and admiration for my fellow Americans who choose to serve in the Armed Forces and in Law Enforcement.
Yesterday, Memorial Day, I rose early to ride my bicycle to the local junior high to attend the pancake breakfast/fund-raiser put on by the local chapter of The American Legion here in our small mid-western town. I sat with Pat and Mike (no joke). Pat is a WWII veteran and Mike is a local police officer.
From there I pedaled over to the local high school track and met my hurdlers for an 8:00 AM workout. (I volunteer as an assistant track coach, specializing in the hurdles). We had a quick workout because several of our track athletes are also in the marching band and they had to assemble in the parking lot at the edge of town for the Memorial Day parade.
I rode back downtown in time for the parade and joined my friends and neighbors to applaud as a group of military veterans (also friends and neighbors) marched by to the sounds of patriotic music provided the marching band.
The parade ended at the other end of town at the Freedom Memorial monument in our local cemetery where we held a ceremony to honor and to pray for those who have given their lives so the rest of us can live in freedom.
Later in the afternoon I celebrated my 2nd Amendment rights by heading out (I actually drove a car this time) to my local Sportsman’s Club for an I.D.P.A. practice shoot. I just got the official results via email a few minutes ago. Out of twenty-some shooters, I was tied for most accurate; my first time ever.
Must have been something in those pancakes.
Mouse-gun Mike
I was fortunate to have you as an instructor in a LFI I class eight years ago. Thank you for all you do.
@ Mike Sweeney,
Just a quick thank you for your work testing the more “petite” handguns and their ammunition, for self defense. Informative and helpful when contemplating downsizing.
Great men (and women) will fight and die for their own country. Americans are the greatest of men, because in the twentieth century, and even today, we fight and die for other peoples’ countries.
It saddens me to think of how young men are when they die in war. It seems most of them are about eighteen. I remember reading that on Guadalcanal, there were about five fifteen-year-olds. I don’t think they died, but they were there, and that is bad enough. Also, there was a twelve-year-old on a Navy ship just off the coast of Guadalcanal, and he got wounded.
It would be nice if people over forty could serve in war, and not those under forty. I’m sure plenty of grandmothers could be taught to fly a drone. Then again, maybe we will have robots fighting our wars in the future. Drone ships, drone tanks, and warrior robots.
I remember watching John McCain’s biography. His five and a half years as a POW brought tears to my eyes.
I’m sorry my timing was off and I missed “the day” to post. I was just talking to a young man (by my standards), who has just “hung it up” after at least 14 deployments (he lost count somewhere in the middle) in every hot spot, rat hole, etc. – there is on this earth for the last 20+ years. He sees fewer and fewer young people willing to make the continuing sacrifices he did for all those years. It’s noteworthy that he didn’t see them as “sacrifices,” he saw them as his duty. What a blessed word “duty” is! I’m afraid that the lack of feeling that it is one’s duty is common in every type of peace-keeping effort in today’s world – LEO, military, Firefighting, EMT’s, and the medical fields. I don’t envision a return to the greatest generation’s sense of duty, although it is certainly what we need to regain our former greatness.
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