From: "Earl W", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.gunsandammomag.com/dynamic.asp?intSectionID=210&intArticleID=734
Is Freedom Lost on the Next Generation?
By Charlton Heston
We may be losing the next generation of Americans, as
they lose an understanding and appreciation of what the
Second Amendment is and does.
Consider this bit of news. In a June, 2000 national
poll of 1,005 high school students, with respondents evenly
divided between urban, suburban and rural areas:
. 64 percent of high school students said they favor
stricter anti-gun laws.
. 80 percent said the government should keep firearms
away from criminals even if that makes it harder for lawful
citizens to purchase them.
. 90 percent favor the licensing of handgun buyers.
. 96 percent said all handguns should be registered
at purchase.
. 19 percent of high school students don't believe the
Second Amendment guarantees the right to own a firearm.
Now, whether or not you believe gun registration, gun
owner licensing or any other anti-gun gimmick constitutes a
threat to the rights of Americans, consider this: When one
out of every five high school students believes the Bill of
Rights doesn't mean what it says, how safe can any of our
freedoms be?
Evidence of Indoctrination
Make no mistake: No matter what you think of this poll,
you have to admit that kids today can't help but be brainwashed.
Look at the awesome accumulation of anti-gun images, messages,
attitudes and biases they've been exposed to over the years.
Not long ago, high school rifle teams were as common as
debating or baseball teams. Now they're being eliminated as if
they were some kind of subliminal "boot camps" for future
killers. As long as anyone can remember, little boys played
cops and robbers with toy guns. Yet now, in some cities, even
toy guns are targeted with bans. Everyone from the President
of the United States to your kid's homeroom teacher treats
firearm freedom at best with suspicion and, more likely,
with outright contempt.
It's a clever tangle the anti-gun spinners have spun,
and not easy for a 14-year-old to see through. First they
take a kid's natural, inborn abhorrence to violence, then
equate violence with gun ownership, and then equate gun
ownership with gun-rights advocacy. Through this calculated
metamorphosis, kids get the not-so-subtle message that owning
a firearm is functionally equivalent to killing or committing
crime and that the real danger isn't the criminals, but rather
the firearms and those who stand up for the right to own them.
Our Traditions Safeguard Their Freedoms
You know where I stand, but let me say it again: I
believe the Second Amendment is our single most essential
safeguard against anyone who would take away our liberties
or our lives, whether it be King George's Redcoats or today's
criminal predators. But having the right to own a firearm
means nothing if that right is buried under so many
restrictions, requirements, fees and formalities that
Americans simply throw up their hands in frustration and
surrender. In the end, the net effect is the same: Americans
are disarmed.
Now, I'm sure you'll agree, these are big ideas for
young people to understand. If you're like me and most
American gun owners, you probably grew up with firearms in
your home, and you grew to enjoy them as a hobby long before
you ever considered their importance to the Constitution's
framers or our freedom. Now think about where you'd be today
if you had never been exposed to the shooting sports by a
family member or friend. I think many of us, if not most,
would have never chosen to own a firearm-and never pondered
its relation to our rights-without that first friendly
guidance, mentoring and encouragement.
That's why I believe it's our duty to sustain the
tradition of gun ownership-because only if the tradition
lives on, can it provide fertile ground for the freedom
to thrive. If we do our part, young people will continue
to grow up with firearms, and out of that interest, a few
of them will realize later in life-as I and so many others
did-why the right to keep and bear arms is so crucial to
our safety and our liberty.
In so doing, young people can learn how rights come
with responsibilities, why rules matter, and where they fit
into their families and their society. These are valuable,
positive lessons that can reverberate for a lifetime.
Give the Gift of Freedom
As the hunting and holiday seasons approach, consider
how you can help preserve freedom for future Americans by
introducing a young person to the fun and satisfaction of
shooting. Remember the thrill of your first broken clay
pigeon, your first toppled tin can, or the first time you
brought home game for the family table?
Consider sharing that tradition and helping to build
fond memories for another generation by taking your daughter,
nephew, neighbor or family friend out for an afternoon of
plinking, hunting or clay target excitement.
If you're unsure where to go, or where to get expert
instruction for that novice shooter, visit the National
Rifle Association's web sites-nrahq.org, nraLIVE.com and
nraila.org-for up-to-the-minute news and listings of courses,
ranges and events in your area.
For many young people, being allowed to own or use a
firearm can be a maturing experience, and the reason is
simple: The transfer of trust that goes with the gun doesn't
just acknowledge a young person's responsibility and
self-discipline. In so doing, it also reinforces those
virtues in ways that almost nothing else can.
Whatever you do, don't let Second Amendment freedom
atrophy through disuse. Don't let the right to keep and
bear arms be forsaken or forgotten. Share these vital
lessons, virtues and values with the young people in your
life. In so doing, not only can you expose them to a hobby
that lasts a lifetime, you can also exert a maturing,
strengthening influence on their development. And, with a
little luck, you just might spark a passion for American
freedom that burns brightly long after you're gone.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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