Today is All Saints Day. However, I will not be so naïve as to think that all of us are saints. On the contrary, there are humans amongst us and there are wolves. The humans take many forms; some act like sheep and others accept the role of sheepdogs. Similarly, the wolves amongst us run in packs and alone, but they represent a diverse breed indeed. They seek to rob, cheat, and steal. They seek to rape, mutilate, and murder. They seek to subvert, subterfuge, and spoil. Then there are the terrorists.

    The framers of the U.S. Constitution understood that no person was perfect and that no institution created by man could achieve perfection. So, they created a document that served their people and not the state. Amongst the many things that they incorporated and, which at that time, remained largely unheard of,  were the rights of the individual to possess and bear arms and that each of us were innocent until proven guilty. I wish to write about the former, but they both interconnect within our society.

    Our founding fathers understood that a disarmed society was ripe pickings for any two-bit thug and tyrant who wanted to impose their will upon the nation. They also understood that the state could not aspire to protect each and every individual even if each and every individual could somehow be employed by the state. No, the framers of our Constitution knew that freedom was only as valuable as the individual was willing �?and prepared �?to defend it. And they gave them this power.

    Opponents of the right to bear arms challenge this with a myriad of legal opinions and historical revisions designed to announce your guilt before a trial is even considered. Regardless, the true intent of our founding fathers belief is as clear as the placement of that very same right �?second only to our right to free speech. All the liberal platitudes are fainter, if at all legible, within the Constitution. The right to own arms �?pistols, long guns, machine guns, take your pick �?is so simply written that a child could understand. Unfortunately, with higher education, adults become less “child-like�?and complicate issues through a belief in superior reflection designed to take away your innocence before infraction.

    The vast majority of gun control advocates argue that gun ownership invariably leads to more crime as if mere possession were cause enough to convict.  I will challenge this with the simplest case study imaginable: our own prison system. Nowhere in our country is there a more isolated and guarded population than that of our harbored criminals. Yet, despite the absence of guns, the high concentration of law enforcement personnel, and the use of  advanced facilities, murders still occur, robberies still occur, and, yes, rapes still occur. So much for the liberal argument that guns are the harbinger of crime.

    The truth is, our proud military and police forces are “post event�?response units. They will rarely �?if ever �?be within ten or fifteen minutes away from your person. In a crisis, that’s a lifetime. Remember, when something happens you necessarily have to work your crisis resolution through a set chain of commands. Let’s say that your young daughter is being raped. If you are incapable of taking any other action, you (or someone else) has to call the police. The police dispatcher has to take down all the information �?description of event, description of perpetrators, location of crime, your description, etc. �?and then locate the most available unit in which to respond. Next, they have to contact �?via voice or data �?the appropriate response unit and deliver the information they just jotted down. Now, the police have to work their way over to the crime scene (which could be upwards of an hour or more as in the recent case of that seven-year-old Detroit girl that was shot several times while protecting her mother). I don’t know about you, but if my daughter was being raped someone is going to end up with some pretty big holes in their person.

    Police and federal agencies are a byproduct of civilized society, they do not create it. If there were any place on earth more in need of protective services, it would have to be Somalia. Unfortunately, the vast majority of honest Somalians do not possess guns; their criminal overlords do. The Islamic warlords and their gangs run all around armed to the tilt with AK-47s and RPGs and those who may seek democracy can’t do a damn thing about it. Is this the kind of future that you desire here (Minnesota taxi drivers please do not answer)?

    A firearm in the hands of someone who knows how to use it is simply a tool, nothing more. A .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum pistol may be able to stop a grizzly attack while on vacation. A double-barrel duck gun may be able to stop a burglar from entering your home. An AR-15-type assault rifle may be able to help pay college tuition through competitive shooting championships. None of these scenarios encompass what your typical citizen would characterize as a crime. Two saved your life; all three gave you a future.

    Those who wish to see firearms removed from your hands simply value the state over your life. Is it any wonder then that they view human life itself as inconsequential? How long after Barack Obama and a Nancy Pelosi/Harry Reid-led government rob you of your hard-earned income to “spread the wealth�?do you think it will be before they decide to “redistribute�?�?that is, take from your hands so that the only hands holding firearms will be the aforementioned rapists, murderers, and thieves �?your guns?

    Whether the threat is from an Obama or Osama, be wary �?be very, very wary �?of anyone who decides what is best for you. Arm yourself �?with both a firearm and the appropriate knowledge �?to secure your family’s future. Success in life means far more than just productive work ethics and prudent financial stewardship. It means knowing, above all else, that personal responsibility is what this nation was founded upon; that the individual, not the state, knows what is best. Otherwise, any other form of government would do just fine.