DISCLAIMER: This page contains the opinions of the individual author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Missouri Militia. Civilized debate or requests for clarifications may be submitted via e-mail to the above address. Enjoy!

New Year, New Resolution, Same Mission

By Tom Mullins

As we are entering the 3^rd month of the new year, it is natural for each of us to take a look at where we have been, and to determine where we are going. As an organization we must do this also. Routinely we assess our capabilities as best we can, but we must also evaluate the impact and success of our actions. Over the years the Missouri Militia has gone through many stages of readiness and received its fair share of public support and scorn. The coming years promise to be no different. There have however been some noteworthy progressions. First, is the consolidation of units under a common cause and purpose. Second, is the coming formation of a regional structure in SW Missouri in addition to the already established NW regional structure. The "Unorganized Militia" is becoming organized. In addition, we have been experiencing a steady flow of new people, allowing us to augment our fighting units with intelligence and logistics elements. Evidence of our increased public support can be found in the donations we have received of ammunition, gear, and advanced medical supplies, creating a supply stock for our logistics personnel. Individual qualifications have met or exceeded level 2 guidelines for nearly all members. Finally, at the last medical training, 18 people were certified in CPR and First Aid by the American Red Cross. Overall, it could be said that the "state of the units" is improving and moving toward being a professional, capable, and effective force. Our people are a wide variety of men and women of the highest caliber, the very backbone of this organization. In the coming months we have many events and training exercises planned which will motivate and challenge each of us, from the newest green recruit, to the 10 year veteran. We hope to continue this trend of improvement as we move toward being a better Missouri Militia. It is toward this end that we are now drafting new standards and a new method of training. These new standards are an adaptation of the National Militia Standards and will guide us in maintaining our level of professionalism. To the men and women who support and train with us, we thank you. We wouldn't be where we are without your dedication. To everyone still sitting on the fence, the time to get involved is now. We need your support more than ever. Let's make this a fun and productive year.

"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life, and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." - John F. Kennedy

It's been all over the news lately. Endless fighting and petty bickering over every issue that arises. Name calling and finger pointing abound. New legislation and Executive orders being brought about on a whim, as a way to take revenge or cause injury to the other side. The problem is that they should be on the same side, the side of the American people. Democrats fighting Republicans, liberals versus conservatives, both sides are sure they are right, but both sides are surely wrong. The rest of the world seems to be missing the point. They aren't looking at the big picture. They can't see past their little buzz words long enough to see that our nation is tearing itself apart…again. During the last election Americans were polarized and chose sides, nearly half with the Democrats, half with Republicans. However, this isn't about them, it never is. This is about hard working people and their families, and above all it's about the sacrifice that was made in order for us to live in a free society. But in this day words like sacrifice and freedom are thrown around so much that they have lost their meaning. Constitution, honor, courage, faith, liberty, truth, responsibility, are all concepts that have been discarded and left behind. Society today doesn't seem to care anymore. There is no sense of pride left in much of America. They seem to fight just to be fighting. They are so blinded by personal bias and partisan politics that nothing is ever done. Greed is the fuel by which this nation burns. There are many who do nothing and shout "Peace!" And one should ask, what is peace if brought by tyranny. Implied freedom is not freedom. The words of our fathers have fallen on deaf ears. There are few indeed, who would answer the call of preservation, too few in fact. It leads some to question the impact of their sacrifice, to question the worth of their cause. And the outlook is surely bleak, but not for those noble few. The few who still have the fortitude and the will to change the state of their nation. The few who, to use the words of my father, still have the "gumption" to effectively change the course of history. It is these few that we should be so lucky to have, for they will never turn their backs on us. We need to return to the roots of our heritage. To preserve the ideals once cherished by a new nation. We need to bring back the American values for which many men died to protect. Some may call this protectionism, or one of many other colorful terms, but these concepts were in their day, the most progressive and liberal ideas of the age. And history has a habit of repeating itself. For these ideas are now considered extreme by both sides. To me it would seem then that these ideas bring full circle certain aspects of the modern liberal and conservative. These ideas span the extremes of both ends of the spectrum encompassing it and provide a means by which the factions of our society may once again unite and restore true liberty. So there it is folks, a solution. A way to end the fighting, restore freedom, and bring about much needed changes to our government and our nation. It may not be perfect but I challenge you to come up with a better one. By this way we can achieve our goals through peace. But we cannot endure tyranny forever. The change now must occur within the mind of the American people. Until we can get the citizens of this nation to agree upon the goal of individual liberty, there will be no peaceful way to change. It would seem then, as George Washington once said,

"The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend on God and on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have therefore, to resolve to conquer or die."

Perhaps we will avoid conflict and settle such a simple issue as freedom in a civilized manner. However, there has never been a time in the course of human events where the issue of freedom has been settled without conflict. It is the one issue for which there can be no compromise. The oppressed will always wish to be free, and the powerful will always want more power. There can be no negotiation when the price of compromise is the life of a human being. Freedom is not flexible, it is absolute. A man is either free or he is not. Any law, no matter how small, that infringes upon the liberty of just one person is a chain on the whole of humanity. Freedom cannot be judged by the size of the shackle. It is not measured by how many freedoms one may have, but whether he is free to have one more. I believe that it is indeed well within the human capacity to use common sense to achieve such a state through peace. But it will take the whole of the people to let go of the pettiness which they find so much comfort in. By whatever method we reach our goal is not as important as reaching our goal. And to quote Patrick Henry, "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

When I first became aware of the distress that our nation is currently in, I was outraged. I could not fathom the depth of corruption that has infected so much of our government, our media, and the many major corporations conducting less than ethical business. Our congress is plagued by relentless partisan politics, which prevents any real progress from being made. Our elected officials have assumed the role of rulers instead of public servants. There is an endless flow of unnecessary, intrusive and unconstitutional legislation that abuses and oppresses the people. There is a continual and seemingly deliberate failure to secure our borders and protect our citizens. There is rampant overtaxation reminiscent of the type imposed on colonial America. There are so called "free trade" agreements that are exporting American jobs to cheap foreign labor markets and are thus destroying our economy. The various news media outlets have been proven ripe with personal bias, false reporting, sensationalism, and an overall failure to simply present the facts. Many corporations, from those specializing in global communications to simple retail stores have been engaged in illegal acts ranging from fraud to hiring illegal aliens. Our judicial system has exceeded its given powers and now overrides every aspect of individual liberty. It has moved beyond interpretation of law according to the Constitution, to making public policy and thus single handedly rewriting the Constitution. It seems that those in power seek to stay in power and have therefore legislated their own agendas. Samuel Adams once said, "If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men hold the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of it's experienced patriots to prevent it's ruin." I find this statement to be increasingly relevant to the situation at hand. So the question is, How have we let ourselves get into such an intolerable condition. Simply put, we turned away. We assumed that our country would run itself. As the age of technology and "on-demand" entertainment became prevalent, we became concerned with ourselves. Many people assumed that the officials would take care of us, as though the government were a parental institution that would forever embrace us with "liberty and justice for all." We lost our vision, and we lost our purpose. We cast aside our responsibility and left others to take on the now boring tasks of understanding and participating in the political process. We became lazy and indulgent in the comforts of instant entertainment and information. We no longer take the time to read anything more complicated than romance or spy novels. Our schools have become ineffective in teaching substance and are now mere centers for social interaction which are only required to ensure that students are competent enough to follow orders. As a result of such carelessness, the embrace of liberty has turned to contempt. It has slowly tightened over the years until this moment when suffocation seems all but inevitable. It is in this last gasp that many are finding their visions, and are pushing away the distractions meant to shackle us. Let me show you the America that I envision. I envision a nation where individual liberty is held as a natural right. I envision a nation where people are responsible for their own burdens. I dream of an America which is built upon a foundation of freedom and not on a platform of legislative restrictions. I envision a nation that holds true to the constitution and seeks not to impose either iniquity or morality. A nation that keeps its people free from taxation and instead allows them to contribute their resources as they see fit. An America that does not allow any nation or alliance of such to impose laws or policies that violate our sovereignty. I envision a nation that promotes free enterprise and open mindedness. A nation that seeks not to engage in endless debate, speculation and name-calling and instead pursues the concerns and needs that the people request. I see a nation rich in culture and experiences. A nation that is informed and educated based on the principles of individual liberty and self-ownership. I dream of an America where government is small and fully controlled by the people. An America that gives refuge to those in need while keeping those who don't from violating our borders. A nation that ultimately respects the freedoms of each and every person, and teaches the necessary responsibility to protect them. I envision the America intended by those who founded it, and who, if here today would be saddened by our failure to uphold that which they sacrificed so much for. Indeed, Americans today should be ashamed of their carelessness. As Matthias Burnet once said, "Let not your children have reason to curse you for prostrating those institutions, and giving up those rights which your fathers delivered unto you." History sets a precedent. Let us not forget the past, so that we may better endure the future.

COMMON SENSE for the CONCERNED AMERICAN

By Tom Mullins

When considering the need for firearms in any modern society, one need look no further than those who have suffered helplessly at the mercy of armed criminals. It is indeed insanity to suggest that any person be asked to give up their most effective means of protection and to instead rely on the police. Unfortunately, there are people who have done exactly that. However, the people who tend to make these ludicrous suggestions tend to live in gated, patrolled communities far from the danger that is present to most Americans. Furthermore, they don't consider the fact that the police are a reactionary force and don't arrive until a crime is being committed. Then, assuming the perpetrator is ever actually caught, and assuming they are then convicted, in most cases they only serve for a short time, and then they are back on the streets to do it again. These people also do not consider the many places where the banning of guns, especially handguns, has caused massive crimewaves resulting in innocents being victimized at alarmingly increasing rates. Britain, Rwanda, Bosnia, Germany, and Washington D.C. should all serve as perfect examples of what becomes of a disarmed populace. Conversely, places where arms are not restricted and concealed carry acts have been passed, have proven to be much safer as crime rates, especially violent crime, have dropped significantly and are continuing a steady downward trend. However, upon asking the average American about the need for arms, their response rarely includes statistics or references to any particular document or piece of legislation. For the average American, it's personal. It's about their family and their ability to protect them. The average American has little need for the bravado displayed on either side of the issue, and cares even less about any experts or professionals who would speak on their behalf. The average American, simply put, doesn't give a damn. They will do whatever it takes to defend their family, their property, and themselves. Heaven help the fool who would test their resolve. The bottom line for law abiding Americans is common sense. Criminals by their nature and definition do not abide by the law. Therefore any laws that restrict the sale or possession of firearms only serves to take the best means of defense out of the hands of the people that need it most.