For the Love of Guns!

As some of you may know, the Supreme Court recently ruled that the Constitution guarantees the right of citizens to keep guns in their homes for self defense. Why we needed the Supreme Court to tell us what the vast majority of people in the U.S. already know is beyond me. It says right there in the Constitution that the right of the citizens (that’s you and me) to “keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” In typical governmental fashion, that has been interpreted by our fearless leaders to mean that the rights of the citizens (remember, that’s dumb folk like you and I) to keep and bear arms can, in fact, be infringed upon. Fortunately, the majority of the Supreme Court seems to have read the Constitution and decided that it means what it says. For now at least.

This brings us, via meandering logic, to my current point. We have been counseled for years that we should have a year’s supply of food for emergencies. Until Carlene and I moved into the house, we didn’t really have much room for extra anything, let alone hundreds of pounds of food. Now that we’ve got our house, we have been able to start making plans and getting ready for emergencies.

I’ve heard many people say that they have been grateful for their year’s supply of food, because they had to use it when someone lost their job or something like that. I may be a pessimist, but when I think of emergency preparedness, I am thinking of worst-case scenarios. And that is why I own guns. I’ve thought about it a lot, and even though some of you may take exception to this, I honestly do not think that you can truly be prepared for emergencies without a gun.

When Hurricane Katrina rolled through Louisiana and decimated all semblance of law and order, there was nobody to protect those citizens who had stayed behind. Many of the police disappeared, and many of those that remained would not, or could not, protect the innocent. Carjacking, looting, and other heinous crimes were committed in the absence of the police. In one case (and I hope it was the only one), an entire family was raped, tortured, and murdered in their own home by a gang of law-breakers.

Being prepared for emergencies means being prepared for anything. Yes, you may have a year’s supply of food, and you may never need it. You may only eat your stored food in order to rotate it. Or you may have to depend on it to save your life some day. Thus it is with a gun. And don’t tell me that it will never happen here. I’m sure those in Louisiana said the same thing. Everyone says it; it can never happen here. And then it does. When it does, I hope you are prepared for the worst-case, because that could happen here, too.

So that’s my advice; buy a gun. Then become proficient with it. Make sure everyone in your house who is old enough can use it. I’ve taken Carlene shooting, and she is actually a pretty good shot. Read her blog about it. And then do what she did. Because I’ve got my guns ready, and if the worst-case scenario ever happens, you cannot borrow mine.

I Like Making Stuff

First off, in case you haven't noticed, I have no intention of making daily posts. I've got way too much to do to devote time every day to blogging. If you do, that's fantastic. I wish I had time to read yours.

Anyway, now that I've got that off my chest... I was thinking today about how much I like making things. It doesn't really matter what it is. Several years ago it was Pinewood Derby cars. Now I've got a bookshelf where I can proudly display my beautiful, if slightly dusty, cars. I also made the aluminum stands on which the cars are displayed. When we moved into the house, I put up shelves in the garage. Maybe I'll put those photos on another post.

My latest handmade creation is a brass catcher. For those of you not into shooting guns, feel free to change the channel right now. My M1A throws empty brass all over the place, and I was tired of picking it up off the ground. At first I was going to buy a catcher, but the one I wanted runs about $60. "Really? Sixty bucks?" is what I thought to myself. After just a little thought, I realized, "I'll bet I can slap something together for WAY cheaper than that." Turns out I'm right, which has been known to happen occasionally.

Ace Hardware (my second or third favoritest place on the planet) had the aluminum tubing for about $12. I took it to work and used the tools there to bend it to shape, which cost me nothing. The netting cost me $.99 per yard, and I got two, though there is perhaps $.30 worth of netting on the actual catcher. The cord I stitched it together with cost about $1.50. I got the whole thing done for less than $16, saving me almost $45.

"Yea, but how does it work?" I hear you asking yourself with thinly veiled sarcasm. "Quite well," I respond with curt politeness. Just put it on the bench where you think your brass will fly, drop a sandbag - of which there are always plenty - on the U-shaped protrusion on the catcher's rear, and fire away! All the empties end up in a nice little pile on the bench top, and there is no more fumbling for mud-covered brass while everyone else at the range waits for you to finish up so they can get back to shooting. It's nowhere near as fancy as the store-bought model, but I'm not a fancy guy, and I don't need a fancy brass catcher. I need entertaining operas and functional brass catchers.

This probably all relates to why I like my job. There is something intensely satisfying about making things with my own hands. Saving money is just a bonus. As much as I would sometimes like a desk job, I don't think I would get nearly as much satisfaction from that. It is so rewarding to create something that has never existed before I put it together. So here's my advice: See something you like? Try making it yourself. Sure, making that new sofa you want just may be beyond your abilities, but there must be something you could use that you can make yourself. Try it! I guarantee* you will enjoy the process and you will have a greater appreciation for something you've made compared to if you had bought from he store.

*No refunds or exchanges will be given if not completely satisfied. This guarantee is not legally binding.