Chasing a Buffalo

It’s been a year now since Bill Moore (my uncle and friend) passed and went to heaven to find Larry McMurtry and kick his ass for killing Gus McCrae from the novel, Lonesome Dove.

When he told me of his plans a few years earlier, it sparked a rather heady discussion over several Lone Stars. I rose to the author’s defense postulating that McMurtry had given Gus a death befitting his character.

Gus was aging physically but still lived his life as only Gus could, from drinking, carousing and playing cards to being a favorite at any of the brothels and saloons dotting Southern Texas. 

After surviving numerous scrapes with Comanches, Mexican bandits, and outlaws as a Texas Ranger; Gus was mortally wounded from chasing a buffalo when he was attacked by a hunting party of Lakota warriors.

He might have survived had he been willing to submit having both his legs amputated but he chose to die as he lived, drinking some fine whiskey listening to a whore playing a piano in a nearby brothel while his best friend was by his side.

My uncle passed pretty much the same way; his family was beside him and his sense of humor and sense of irony still intact as he left. He also lived the same way. Bill loved life as he loved his family and friends. He was also known to have “chased a buffalo” more than a few times in his life and I was fortunate to have been with him on several occasion, the earliest one being the time he hoisted me up in front of him on his motorcycle and tore off at breakneck speed as my mother and grandmother (his mother) chased after us on foot.

Bill’s loyalty and devotion to friends and family was unquestioned, but that didn’t spare us from his wit and sarcasm. One of his favorite barbs was when we showed hesitancy or doubt about one of his ideas or plans was “May I get you a couple of kerosene soaked bandannas to tie around your ankles to keep the ants off your CANDY-ASS?”.

He was also generous to a fault (if there is such a thing). He and his wife took in my cousin Daryl and tried over and over to help him. I got a letter from Bill after Daryl got settled in that things were so far so good and told me that though he and Charlotte had always wanted a house-boy, we’d never dreamed he would be white.

Bill showed us it was okay to chase a buffalo once in a while, whether it was toobing the Guadalupe River during a flood to just on the spur of the moment heading over to Luckenbach on a hot Sunday afternoon to drink a few beers and listen to some good Texas music.

I could go on and on about Bill, but I think I’ll close with this, I’ve seen and read epitaphs ended “Gone but not forgotten” but I’d like to say while he will never be forgotten, he’s not gone for in his generosity, he gave those he loved and cared for a piece of himself so he’s going to be around for a long long time. So don’t ever be afraid to chase a buffalo lest you need a pair of bandannas.

DW

 Today I lost the best friend that I ever had. Not only was he my friend, he was my cousin. We grew up together and we fought from time to time, but I can honestly say we never were mad at each other. I do have to say that some of my worst ideas and best of times included him.
 Volumes could be written about Daryl, but I'm going to only tell you about a few things we did growing up and as grown ups.
 Daryl was probably the most plain spoken person I ever knew. He was the real deal. what you saw was what you got. If he liked you, he'd do anything in the world for you; he was just that loyal to his friends. Case in point; when we were in our 20's, my mother called me about a situation regarding one of my sisters. Me being the big brother, I decided a little justice needed meting out to the person that had had laid hands on a member of my family. I told mom I was on my way pretty soon and would check on my sister and make sure she was ok. Mom told me not to take a gun so I wouldn't do anything rash. I told her not to worry,won't need a gun, Daryl was going with me. Mom then said Oh God, I'd rather you took a gun. She finally talked me out of going, but I do regret not making that road trip with DW.
 Speaking of road trips, I can't not tell this one. When I was about 17 and  Daryl was all of 15, we told my mother we were going down to Yuma to camp out and fish for a couple days. Little did she know we had a side excursion planned down to this little border town called San Luis. We were having a great time and got a little too boisterous to suit the local law. Needless to say we wound up in the local la carsa.. Now mind you there are no juvie cells in those places. We were tossed in with killers, smugglers and the like. The next morning, using my car as collateral, I was able to get out to arrange to pay the fine.. 15.00 each or fifteen days in jail. But seeing as how the bondsman had taken all our money as a ''fee'' I had to hitchhike back to Yuma to get money for the fine. I told Daryl of the plan and he asked why he couldn't go instead of me. I said fine, you go and call mom and tell her where we are and need money to get out of jail. He never hesitated when he said, " hurry back''.
 I could go on, but to me, the best times with Daryl were always at our family reunions. We played golf, we toobed, we drank a lot of beer and we just hung out. That's where some of the best ''Darylisms'' were born. This one is my favorite: One night a bunch of us went over to Gruene Hall to listen to some music and drink a few beers. Daryl wasn't drinking at the time, so for once he was the designated driver. We were laughing and joking when I noticed a strange look on his face. When I asked what was up, he just shook his head slowly and said, '' since I quit drinking, you people ain't as near f*****g funny as you think you are."
 Well, that's Daryl in a nutshell. I'm going to close with this, if you have or have had a Daryl in your life, your lucky. If you haven't, then you have truly missed out.

 DW toobin

 Workin' the pit 

I have no words

 

 DW

 With my daughter Kenzie

 Just chillin'

 The Original ''Outlaws''

  

 Daryl as ''ZZSOT"

Our favorite adult beverage

Daryl, we gonna miss you.

You were truly one of a kind!

Gonna Miss You

[Click on link for a little music]

An Open Letter to Millenials

Dear children,

    This is what I hope to be an eye opener to every child (I am loathe to call you adults as you have shown little inclination to act as adults) that thinks the world should be a safe happy place where everybody gets a  gets a trophy and no one gets left behind. You tell us that even with your limited life experiences that you already know what's best for the country and are not bashful about letting us know.
   Allow me to illuminate you on a few things you might want to ponder:

• Guns: You don't like guns, then don't get one. Just don't try to take mine.
• Free speech: you wanna protest a speaker, okay; just don't hinder my right to listen to him.
• Religion: Don't believe in God? okay, even though I feel sorry for you, I accept that. But don't try to restrict my beliefs by crying separation of Church and State
• $15.00 per hour minimum wage? Acquire a skill set that will make you that valuable.
• Recycling/Going Green: We have been doing that our whole lives. Jeans that were bought in the fall for school became shorts in the summer when the knees wore through. We lined our trash cans with newspapers and covered our school books with paper bags our mothers brought the groceries home in. Ever hear of hand me downs? We wasted nothing.
• Fossil fuels:  Did you ever wonder how we will get along without plastics? Or how much electricity is generated by coal and natural gas? Probably not.
• Don't like a certain program,change the channel.
• Abortion?I don't believe in it, but it's your choice. However do not try to justify it by saying it's  your body then saying I have no right to buy a 32 oz Dr Pepper because it's harmful to my body in the same breath.
• Constitutional Rights? The Constitution is the framework of our government. If you read it, you will see it does not grant you rights, but restricts the government from taking your rights from you. Big difference.
• Immigration?  I'm all for it, but knock on the door and not break in through the window.
• Global Warming/Climate Change? I learned in 6th grade science all about that. It's called seasons! I do have one question about man made climate change: What caused the last Ice Age and what ended it?
• Government subsidized college education: who decides who gets in and what will be the deciding criteria? That which the government gives, it can also take away.
• Stomping/burning the American Flag as a form of expression of your feelings: I'll give you that as long as you realize that I will consider stomping on you for doing that as a form of  expression of my feelings.

   Well kids, if I have hurt your feelings or made you feel threatened, too bad. Life is funny that way. It always seems to balance out. But it's not fair. It only gives you back what you are willing to put into it. that may not sound fair to you, but it works for most of us.





                                                                                     Sincerely,
                                                             A Gun Owning Bible Clinging Baby Boomer

Me

 Howdy,
   Ever what wonder what you are? How cool you are? How smart you are? When I was not so much younger, these questions and many more used to run through my mind and it has occurred to me that I might oughta get around to answering them. Soooo with out further hemmin' and hawin', I'll do my best to tell you how I came to see things like this in my head...

•  If you find yourself asking if you are cool, most likely you aren't. take for example my quintessential example of cool: Steve McQueen. You think he ever had doubts? Of course he did, but did it show? Have you ever tried to act cool and trip over your tongue or feet? I have, but now I try to be just me. It's much easier.
• If you have to ask if you're funny, most likely you aren't. Most people by nature have a sense of humor, but most don't have the timing or the instinct for being funny on demand.
• If you have to tell people how smart you are.. you might wanna rethink that. To my way of thinkin',I'll take common sense over genius any day. Give me some one that can reason something out than a person with a 190 IQ that couldn't pour pee from a boot.
• this is from a a movie, but it fits: "If you find yourself at a poker table and can't spot the patsy real quick, it's you". Best you rack your chips and find another table. This goes for your life as well.
• But, on the other hand, if you find yourself asking if you are a coward, most likely you aren't. I think it takes a lot of courage to really ask yourself that question. When I was younger, I let what I took for fear hold me back from doing something fairly dangerous and afterwards to compensate, I had  a serious propensity for mistaking rash and foolhardy acts for courage. As I've gotten older, I've learned that doing something both foolhardy and dangerous isn't brave, it's kinda stupid. Courage is being able to say,'' I think I'll pass on that but thank you for offering''.

  Well, those are my thoughts. I'm fairly positive that I'm not the only one has had these thoughts pop into their head from time to time and we all have our own ways with dealing with these questions.

Remembering

   The sun is up now and the guns are quiet and the only sounds to be heard now are the moans of the wounded,and the crackling of the pyre burning as the rebels are being cremated. The Mexican soldiers seem to be moving as if in a trance as the toss the bodies unceremoniously into the fire. It had been a brief albeit savage battle with no quarter asked and none given. 
     Santa Anna had decided to erase all traces of the rebels by cremating them and scattering their ashes, yet he wanted the Texians to know and remember what happens to rebels and those who would defy the Central Government.  What he didn't realize were those ashes were seeds. Seeds that would grow into a nation that would would one day become a state in a country that would become a light for freedom for peoples all over the world. Those seeds grew into a people called Texans that are fiercely proud and independent, loyal and friendly. Those people, The citizens of Texas have made their state an example of what determination and hard work can accomplish.
 So on this Sunday morning, let us remember, along with the defenders, our forefathers and all the people who helped to make this state what it was and is today: TEXAS!

                                            

                                                        REMEMBER!            

People and Things I Trust More Than Hillary

Howdy,
   Why is it ever time politicians say, ''you can trust me'', I get the feeling they are trying to sell me a pair of breeding mules[mules are sterile]. Trust, a small word but so large in everything we do during the day. Think about the things we automatically trust: our vehicles to start, an alarm clock to wake us up, the save icon on a document, etc. All small things but very important in most of our lives. How do you trust? Do you give it or does trust have to be earned? Me for the most part and maybe for most people it is a combination of the two. If someone or something betrays your trust, are you ever able to trust them or it again?
     Well now, seems we have a familiar name in the pot that is running for President. She says she thinks the US is ready for a woman President. I agree with her on that just not that it should be her. This has nothing to do with her last name or the fact that she has very little experience, her views differ from mine, and has a very off putting personality. I just don't trust her. In fact, here is a list of things and people I would trust before I would her:

• A morning fart after a night of drinking Lone Star
• Petting a porcupine
• The EPA
• The ATF
• The IRS
• A  street-corner 3 Card Monte Dealer
• Gun Free Zones
• Tony Romo when the game is on the line
• Chupacabra sightings
• A nasty looking Allsups Burrito at two o'clock in the morning
• Area 51 reports
• UFO sightings
• My ''Jungle Juice'' not cause hangovers
• Quail hunting with Dick Cheney
• Catching a ride home with Ted Kennedy 
• A Brian Williams  newsstory
• General Petraeus' mistress
• Filipino Street Food
• Bill Clinton's marital fidelity

   That list could go on, but I think you get the idea. No matter how qualified a person may be for President, if you can't trust them, how can you vote for them?

Hillary: The Next President or The Next Bob Dole?

Howdy,

Well I admit it's been awhile but better late than never. 
    Sooooo here goes. How about that Hillary, huh? Lies thu her teeth, lets Americans die, considers herself above the law; and yet is still the front runner.
Now anybody with a lick of sense knows the Dems have a great long game. They don't think in terms of election cycles, they think in terms of long term goals and will do whatever it takes to accomplish them up to and including letting Hillary run and lose in order to put the Presidency back in play in 2020.
   Ponder this, the economy is teetering under a mountain of debt, the market is a roller coaster, unemployment is at an all time high regardless of what the government says, foreign policy has weakened us abroad to the point that our allies don't trust us and our enemies don't fear us, and the current GOP leadership lacks the guts to make the hard decisions or are just content to be in power, which is even worse to my way of thinking.
Now, let's play this out two different ways. 
    First, we elect a moderate such as Jeb. He tries to work with the Dems and they take his lunch money every day. Then they blame every bad thing that happens that finally happens on him and the current GOP majorities. He works harder to reach across the aisle and they work harder to destroy him and the Congressional Leadership. Bingo, perfect storm to elect someone like Deval Patrick, Obama's hand picked successor.
   Second scenario: We elect a true Conservative such as Ted Cruz. He will attempt to right a sinking ship making tough decisions in spending cuts concerning welfare and ''entitlements''. He will be pilloried in the press as an extremist woman hating, homophobe that wants to euthanize the elderly by defunding Obamacare.  The Left will be out in force ready to pounce on everything he attempts to set right. He will have few public forums  in which to press his case. His every action will be scrutinized, he will taken out of context, the media will do a daily drum beat for the Dems.
     Why would they go to all this, to give up four years of control? my theory is twofold. First, this will give the Dems four years to register all the refugees and illegals to for a solid voting bloc that will pretty much guarantee a majority the will be the end of the two party system. Secondly, The Supremes are aging fast. I figger by 2021, the President will select two maybe three Justices for the court. that would be game set match for the US as we know it.
   Now this is all supposition on my part, but damn, it makes a body ponder, don't it? A final thought here, what if Hillary perseveres and wins and country goes south? She can always do what her predecessor did and blame Bush.

Judas, Betrayer of Christ or Misunderstood Disciple?

Howdy!
    I'd  like to bounce a few things off all y'all that I been pondering. It's kinda different that most things I write about but it's been sticking in my head.
    Last month at our family reunion, we had us a small family Sunday Service out on the deck. Won't go into much detail but something said there stuck in my head about Jesus having a time line. So it got me to  pondering, if He had a timeline, was Judas a part of it?
   Here's what I'm getting at, we all know Jesus came to save us and had to die to do it; could Judas have been the catalyst that started it?
  Judas was close to Jesus. He was in fact, the money man or road manager for Jesus and the rest of the Disciples. Jesus trusted him so could it have been possible that He trusted Judas enough and that Judas was loyal enough to do what had to be done?
   Jesus had told his Disciples that one would betray Him. All but one were aghast. Is it possible that out of loyalty and love, Judas could do the unthinkable? Could it be that the reason he hanged himself after giving the money back was not out of guilt for betrayal, but out of grief? 
  I know this is all supposition and postulation, but did not God command Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in a test of faith and loyalty? So, is not also possible that Christ could have asked the same act of faith and loyalty of Judas? Christ had plans for all his Disciples as we all know, maybe this was his plan for his close friend Judas.
  Guess only one way to find out huh? Me, I'm kinda looking forward to finding out!
 

Ponderings

   Ever ponder certain things that get into your head when not much is going on? Stuff that when it pops in just won't go away? It happens to me all the time and it may be because I'm a very non linear thinker. I have a tendency to go off on a tangent from time to time but usually get back on track after a while. And on that note, here goes.

• What's so bad about being nonlinear?
• Why do we need a photo ID to cash a check but not to vote?
• Why are drug tests given to workers but not welfare recipients?
• What is the '' whole nine yards''? [I actually looked that one up]
• Why will some folks climb a flag pole to tell a lie when it's easier to stand on the ground to tell the truth?
• Why do chile con queso and chili con carne have different spellings of chile/chili?
• When does a chile become a pepper? [there's that tangent]
• How can someone be pro-abortion and anti-capital punishment? 
• Why do some people blame a bomber but not a shooter?
• Why do some folks go pale at the thought of armed guards in schools but find it perfectly acceptable to have them in banks? Which is more valuable to you?
• Why are Eagle eggs protected by Federal law, yet that same government funds abortions?
• Why do feminists rail about injustices to women here in the US but remain strangely quiet about the savagery inflicted upon women in  certain Muslim countries?
• How is it possible in New York a minor can  choose to get an abortion but not a Big Gulp? Both are choices made concerning her body.
• Does the school that Michelle's girls attend have the same lunch program the Michelle rammed down the public schools throats?
• Do Americans working in Mexico get a paid holiday for the 4th of July? 
• How many vacations do the Obamas need?
• Is there really a ''Catch 22"?
• Why is it that ''Murphy's Laws'' are simpler and easier to understand than the laws enacted by congress [I left it lower case because of the lack of respect I have for that body!]?
• Is ''My hard drive crashed!" now a viable excuse to the IRS to get out of an audit?

I could go on but I think I'd like to here some comments from all y'all on these. I know that y'all have thoughts like this also, so why don't we share them?

Thoughts

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

I thought this would be a good way to open my blog considering Memorial Day Weekend is just a few days away. Just how many of you really know what Memorial Day is all about? The poem above should be a hint.

These days it seems to be the kickoff to summer, graduations, vacations and the like.  And now, with it just days away, the reeking stench from the VA has cast a shadow over this holiday. And, how we as Americans have allowed our government to treat them as undesirables by withholding care in order to protect the bottom line is also unforgivable.

Our Vets have been denied care that was promised to them when they said, “sleep easy, I’m on that wall and I will keep you safe”. They have become mere names and numbers to a corrupt system that has given more than tacit approval of that which is nothing more than fratricide. The VA has denied and withheld care to our hurt and sick, deciding who will live and who won’t. It has lied to their families and to America. It has cast a stain on America’s honor that won’t easily be removed.

Mr. President, do not feign righteous anger over this. Do not tell me that you just learned of this when you spoke of it as far back as 2008 or did it slip your mind on all your vacations and golf junkets? Do not call yourself their Commander-in-Chief after this betrayal of the very troops that keep us from Harm’s Way.

What you can do, Mr. President is hold someone accountable. By this I mean someone goes to jail, people get fired, and the system is revamped from the top down. I know this won’t happen, as prior scandals have proven. But it’s nice to think that maybe somewhere down the road you discover that Karma can be a bitch.

As a final thought, for any of you that think this is an isolated incident, ponder this: this is the same government that now controls YOUR Healthcare. Kinda frickin’ scarey now, ain’t it?

I been gone a while but this hit me hard and it jump started me back into Stirrin' the Pot.So, look out for further musings, rants and whatever else pops into my head.One favor here, if you like this, please share it with family and friends and do not ever forget these words....

We the People.. 

God, don't y'all love the sound of that? Let's not lose them!

Musings From the Couch

 I was sittin' on the couch last night, watching a little TV with my feet propped on the table when I happened to notice that my socks didn't match. that got me to thinking, does it really matter that you're socks don't match when you wear boots? One thought led to another and before I knew it, a lot of stuff went thru my head and I thought I'd share it with you and see if you can answer some of these for me:

• How far is "a piece"? [Oh, it's just down the road a piece.]

•  Why does the word phonetics star with "ph"?  [kinda defeats the whole purpose don't it?]

•  At what amount does "umpteen" kick in? [more than twelve, less than twenty?]

•  Why did most of my bad ideas involve my cousin, DW? [not sure, but most of them might have been bad ideas, but were a lot of fun!]

• Just how hungry would the first person to eat a raw oyster had to have been?

• Why do some people say they like draft beer, yet not like the same beer from a can? [come on people, they are both made of aluminum!]

• What is it about frying food that makes it taste sooo much better?

• Just how much is a passel?[or is it passle?]

• If it's better with butter, why use margarine?

• Is the saying,"Work like a dog", really appropriate any more?[Looking down at mine sleeping on his back paws up, I'm thinking it might be true only for Liberals!]

•  How is it possible an 18 year old can be issued a handgun and use it in the military  yet be denied the right or own or purchase one by the same government that issued it one, as a civilian?

• Finally, on that same note: On background checks to buy a gun, why does a person  buying a gun undergo a more stringent background check that Obama did to run for President? [I'm dying to hear y'all's comments on this one!]

 Well as y'all can tell, looks like I spent more time thinking than I did watching TV. Oh well, it was a rerun anyhow.

An Interview With Captains Call an McCrea

I sent this as a sample to to the Lonesome Dove Fan Page as a sample of my work . if they like it, I'll become a blogger for them. Regardless of what happens there,I'd like to share it with you and see what y'all think.

Thanks

An Interview With Captains Call an McCrea

                Hearing of a large herd of cattle being moved north towards Montana, I managed to run into the Leaders of the drive at the store here in Ogallala while they were ordering supplies. One seemed rather jocular while the other seemed kinda taciturn and only wanted to get their business done and get back to the herd.

                Approaching the talkative one, I asked his name and discovered he was none other than Captain Augustus McCrea, late of the Texas Rangers and his partner was Woodrow Call, also a Captain of the Rangers.

                Offering a round of drinks at the saloon next door, McCrae managed to get Call to follow along and while McCrea put a serious dent in a bottle, I learned they were driving a herd all the way from South Texas to Montana to start a ranch.

Here are some excerpts from that interview:

Me: So, gentlemen what ever made you decide to attempt something of this magnitude?

McCrae:  Well, me and Woodrow, we been all over most of Texas and Woodrow wants to be the first cattleman in Montana. Ain’t that right?

Call: Yessir.

McCrea: Now, Woodrow, this man wants to hear about us, don’t you think you could be a might more sociable?

Call: Gus, we got cows to tend to and I don’t like leaving the herd alone with most of the boys in town.

Me: Captain, just a few questions please. What gave you this notion to run cattle in Montana?

Call: Well  I got the idea from listening to a fellow ranger  by the name of Jake Spoon tell of his travels up there and all the grass and thought it  would be nice to see some unspoiled country before it got overrun  by folks  and civilized.

Me: This Jake Spoon sounds like an interesting person, I’d like to meet him and get his perspective.

Call:  Can’t.  We hung him down in the Nations for murder and horse thievin’.

Me: Without a trial? 

Call: Yessir caught him red-handed. Trial enough.

Me: Captain McCrea, why are you in on this adventure?

McCrea: Call me Gus. Well, Woodrow has it in his mind and well, it’s always been me and Woodrow. We fought the Comanche together; we built us a place down in Lonesome Dove together and well ,  I said, me and Woodrow.

Me: Gus, is there anything you’d like to add to Captain Call’s comments?

Gus: Well, a man needs something to do. And this seems like the thing for us right now. The Comanches are gone. We killed off most of the bandits and Texas is getting too tame. We are getting on now and this will be our last chance to go somewhere new, Like Texas was when we first got there.

Me: Well Gus, you seem to have quite a unique philosophy on live and living.

Call: Gus’ philosophy only comes out when he’s about half drunk or better.

Gus: Call that ain’t true. I’m a man who likes to engage in thoughtful conversation with people of a like mind. I do have quite a few thoughts on life and living, unlike you who prefers to watch the sunset cleaning your rifle.

Call: Well it’s a damn sight better than going into town playin’ cards and consortin’ with whores.

Gus: Whores need talking to also.

Call: Like all you do is talk to them.

Me: all right gentlemen, one last question, what kind of legacy do wish to leave behind you?

Call: Gus, you answer this; I’m going back to the herd. Nice meeting you, sir.

Gus:  well, I’d like to think we left each place we were a little better. That what we did mattered. And, that we will be remembered for just a little while after we are gone. Is that too much to hope for?

Bro and Joe vs The NRA

 Looks like the Left is going to have to take aim at the NRA. The NRA has offered several proposals and have been not only rebuffed but shot down. We all know the Obama regime wants no part of the NRA. They want no part of anything that will stand in the way of their scheme ban guns here in the US as has happened throughout most of the World.
 After listening to Joe talk about "Executive Action", I began to wonder where does Congress stand in all this. Are they going to stand meekly by and allow our system of checks and balances go by the wayside?
What about the Supremes? Are they going to stand by and rubber stamp everything this person wants to to? The next question is, are we? Enter the NRA! The NRA has been fighting for individual guns rights and the 2nd Amendment for years. They are well organized and funded, not by shadowy holding companies or bundlers, but by their members. I've been a member for years and have often contributed to their battles.
 So, now with the NRA in their sights, The Left will now attempt to do what they do best. Lie, vilify, marginalize, threaten and persecute taking their methods directly from the Alinsky Playbook. They won't attack them directly; they are cunning like hyenas in that matter. They will attack from the flanks, attempt to weaken support for the NRA and gun owners by saying they don't want to ban all guns, just the ''bad'' ones. You will see high profile supporters of the NRA pilloried in print and on on the air by the Main Stream Media. The NRA and its  members will be most likely subjected to numerous audits and subpoenas. Moderate (RINO) Republicans will be attacked with the threat of losing the moderate vote if the Republicans continue to back the Second Amendment. Lies about guns will profligate the airwaves. Every shooting incident will be blasted over the airwaves, the bloodier the better. The exception being the stories where an armed individual prevented or stopped an incident. Obama will try and soothe the people by saying that something must be done, trust me, I know what's best for America! Hmmmm, does any of this sound familiar? Let's roll back the calender to Europe in the mid 1930's and see if anything looks familiar. I'll leave you to your own conclusions.
 One problem with attacking the NRA, is they won't lay down, knuckle under or play dead. The NRA is is not some person trying to get elected, It's us, the average American who believes that Constitution is not written on a chalkboard that can be erased and altered at the whim of some petty demagogue that wants to change our country to suit his vision. We, the members are going to fight, the best way we know how, by educating people, by staying in contact with our elected representatives, by voting them out if they cave and electing ones who will stand for the principal that they work for us, not the other way around. That y'all is how you fight a revolution these days. We must be doing something right, We (NRA) added over 100,000 new members just last week.

The Left and Gun Control

  Been hearing a lot these days about gun control on the news. Been reading about it, too. Not too sure what to think. Some say banning the high capacity clips will be plenty. Some same say we need to ban the AR platform rifles. Some even want to to ban all guns and confiscate them.
 I honestly don't believe any of this will do what the the idealistic left say. It will however, take us from  being citizens  of a free country to being subjects of a government that is growing larger and more powerful each passing day.
 But, I digress. Let's look at some of their arguments:
Gun control will reduce violent crime: Illinois[Chicago] has some of the strictest laws in the country and violent crime is at all time high. Please explain that to me. States who recognize the right pf a person to carry a gun to defend themselves have seen their crime rates plummet.
Guns kill people: I love this one. Yes, so do baseball  bats, knives, bricks, motor vehicles, etc. The one common denominator in the aforementioned is that it takes an action by a person to turn them into a weapon.
We have the  police to protect us: the average loss of life in a rage shooting when police respond is around fourteen; when an armed citizen intervenes, it drops to two usually including the shooter. Case in point: while back a man started shooting up a trailer park in a nearby town. Police officer responded and was pinned by gunfire.The officer might have been killed if a man hadn't responded with a well placed shot dropping the shooter. Who protected whom?
We need to raise age limits to purchase guns. Young people aren't mature enough to  handle guns: Oh really? Does this mean we are going to have to raise the enlistment age also?
Lower capacity magazines will make it harder to kill more people: This one is laughable. Anyone with any dexterity can switch clips in a split second. Here's a thought along that line of thinking, most drivers  and passengers in a motor vehicle can survive a head on crash at twenty miles per hour. Do  see or hear anyone screaming to limit a vehicle's speed to 15 miles per hour?
Making it illegal to own a gun will reduce crime: How's that working for Meth and Crack? Does Prohibition come to mind?

Okay, I could go on all day about drunk drivers killing more people than guns etc.., but let's face it, when trying to present our side to the rabid Left to make them  understand; it isn't going to happen because none of us are Jackass Whisperers!

One final thing, when it comes to defending you and yours, I just wanna leave y'all with this thought:

LOCK'NLOAD!

Happy Birthday Mom

 When we think of heroes, we often think of larger than life characters such as Superman, John Wayne and in my case; Ronald Reagan. But my real hero will always be my mother. 10 foot of all Texan packed into a 5'2'' frame.
  Mom was the one person we kids knew we could always rely on. She was the first to be asked to help out at school and with extracurricular activities. She was a band mom, worked with Scouts and never missed anything we kids participated in. Okay lotta moms do that, but how many drove a car home from Second Monday at 5 miles an hour while her nine year old son  held a lead line through the window to bring home a pony she bought on a deal?
  Let me tell y'all some more about our mother. she was what I like to call a "Leftivist". No, she wasn't a Leftist but a "Lefty". Not sure why, but lefties didn't seem to be so prevalent in those days. Might be we lived in a small town and not as noticeable.  Mom actively crusaded for lefties. She tried us all out as kids.I was at best ambidextrous and until our youngest sister was born, I was the closest thing to a lefty in the family. Do not laugh or scoff, I think if Laura had been a righty, there might be more of us. I'm just kidding but you never know.
 Here's a few more things about her I'd like to share. Mom took care of us, but she never over "mothered" if you follow. She encouraged us to be independent and self sufficient. In fact, she encouraged(insisted) we earn our allowance. She also taught me to ride a bike, sit a horse, play baseball and a lot of other things a dad was supposed to teach his son. She did just fine.
  But she also instilled in me a love of Texas. Not just the state, but a state of mind that comes from knowing you are a Texan. She bought me books on the early days of the Republic, on its early settlers and on its geography. And I think this kinda played into the most  important thing she ever taught me. Respect. Respect for myself as well as others. For without self respect, how can you respect others? I was taught to keep my hands off others and to expect the same from them. To be able to back up, but not down and to respect the rights of others; and to be able to stand  up for my own.
  Mom has been gone for a while now, but she still lives in all us kids. We still talk about her and remember our times with her. Some good, some rough, but never any real bad times, She wouldn't have allowed that.

Happy Birthday Mother

1935-1994