By David L. Sutfin, Steuben County
The noose of socialism is ever tightening. All gun owners across our state and this country, if combined, would be a resolute voice. Think about what could be accomplished if gun owners stood together. How can we sit back and let socialism become the reigning doctrine? Too many people believe that this cannot happen, but we are falling fast. The ‘New Green Deal’, abortions, illegal immigration and voting, and the never-ending call for gun control are precursors to an eventuality that is, in a word, frightening.
We cannot allow this. How many of the Pro-Second Amendment groups are bickering amongst themselves, all looking to be the ‘leader’, wasting time and resources to achieve the result we all want? We need to open dialogue across the divide and leave the bickering to Congress. In the meantime, we need to get serious, organize, and stop standing alone.
Remember why we are fighting: Our forefathers joined forces without phones, social media and other technologies and advancements we have today. How? Hard work, courage, and dedication to each other, and above all, to liberty.
Write letters, to newspapers and your representatives. Go to meetings, town halls, and share ideas, even if you think your ideas won’t change anything. Your idea could spark the flames of change when combined with other great ideas of like-minded citizens and could prove successful. I have no doubt that every member of SCOPE has plenty to say at home. We yell at the TV and debate with friends and co-workers. But how many of us shout our thoughts and ideas at home only to sit quietly at a meeting, if you even attend. We need to build our voice, let them hear it in Albany, Washington, D.C. and everywhere. Remember what Benjamin Franklin said, “We must hang together or surely we will hang separately.”
During the American Revolution, the Continental Army and the state militias initially could not win battles because they didn’t work together. General Washington had the foresight to assign Baron von Steuben, known as the drillmaster of Valley Forge as the Inspector General. He created training techniques to build cohesiveness within the varied militias, in order to create one army. Writing his orders every night in German, they were translated to French then to English for the troops. This was challenging work but he succeeded. The Americans started to win battles and eventually win the war against tyranny. Today, we are not unlike those separate militias: SCOPE, GOA, NYSRPA, NRA. Our strength is in our total numbers, not individual groups.
Fortunately, that same winter, the writings of Thomas Paine reached Valley Forge. General Washington was so inspired by “Common Sense” and “The American Crisis No. 1” that he ordered it read to the troops, most of which were in the midst of deserting or expiring enlistments. These now seemingly forgotten yet famous opening lines stirred the troops to reenlist and stay in the fight. It reads in part: “These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot, will in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
It goes on to remind us that we have to work hard to keep our freedom, especially from tyranny. How can we allow everything that was earned by our forefathers, everything they fought and died for, in each generation, slip into darkness?
We are losing our state and our country to the spread of socialism. What will you do to help in this fight? The time is now and the cause is great.
The founding fathers were bold enough to write their beliefs on paper. They pledged to each other their lives, fortunes and “sacred honor.” They immediately became wanted men, treasonous to the crown. Can’t we as patriots do something for this cause? A quote often attributed to Edmund Burke, a member of the British Parliament, states: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Today it is our gun rights. What will be next and what will you do?
