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STANDING UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
By William D. (Bill) Slater, Jr.

          Here in the beginning of the 21st century, it appears that gun-right's lawsuits, gun-ban legislation and the banter of the anti-gun legislators and organizations are in full swing.
           Our founding fathers would rollover in their graves if they could see and hear how we (the pro-gun, pro bill-of-rights and pro constitution advocates) are dealing with this direct attack on all that they went through to ensure that America truly would be the land of the free and the home of the brave. Remember, our founding fathers left a country where the English monarchy was eliminating and outlawing what they felt were their fundamental freedoms.
           Many of our citizens have fallen into the pit of ignorance when it comes to their rights and responsibilities as members of society here in the United States. The Bill of Rights are a collective listing of our inalienable rights, not a list of singular rights that can be given and taken away at the whim of our government. This land is covered with the blood of all those brave men and women who fought so valiantly to protect and preserve these rights.
           How quick we are to ignore the taking of one right from members of our society yet we come unglued when we feel that 'our rights' are being threatened. We must immediately recognize that if we as a society do not collectively hold our elected legislative representatives responsible for their actions then they will 'win' in the battle to take our rights and freedoms. Patrick Henry, during Virginia's Convention to ratify the Constitution in 1788, authored a powerful quote on liberty and the steps necessary to protect it; "Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined."
           Martin Luther King, Jr., a century and a half later was quoted as saying, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." He made this statement decades ago during the civil rights movement. It is hard to believe that a man so wise was ignored for so long by so many. How right he was then and how right he is still today.
           Our rights and our determination to protect those rights must be foremost in our minds day after day after day. What we believe in (our principals) must be nurtured, protected and passed on to our children so as to ensure the continued survival of our way of life. James Madison echoed these sentiments when he spoke of government and its power in Federalist Paper No. 46, "The ultimate authorityâ€¦ resides in the people alone."
           As we sit and read the newspaper or watch the evening news we are constantly reminded that freedom isn't free and that we must be ever aware of those events around us that threaten that freedom. We must ensure that everyone is held responsible for their actions, that we fight for our freedom and our rights on a daily basis, and hopefully wake up and realize that if we don't do it, no one will do it for us. Robert Hutchins, in 1954, was right on the mark when he wrote, "The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference and undernourishment."
           The ability to fight those forces that are intent on taking our rights can very well be a full-time job and then some. Professional organizations and non-profit associations can often times allow you to give what time and resources that you have available and combine it with the time and resources of others to build a group that can become a formidable force in defense of specific objectives.
           So the next time when someone asks if you would like to 'join', think carefully before you answer instead of automatically saying 'no'. Ask yourself the following questions first. Is this something that I truly believe in? Will they help to protect my rights and freedoms? Can I live without what they are trying to preserve and protect?
           Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." It is advice that we'd best take and act upon.

Copyright © 2001 William D. (Bill) Slater, Jr. This article was published in the Mar./Apr. 2001 (Vol. 5 No.2) issue of The Concealed Handgun, the official publication of the Texas Concealed Handgun Association.