Many things in life require hard work and dedication to even be able to see or experience what will create a lasting memory. When someone goes out of their way – so far that it causes others to remember them – a price it typically paid.
Americans often take freedom for granted. We were born into a society that offers comfort and great hope, while people elsewhere just hope. Sometimes that hope can turn into jealousy, hatred or resentment if never reached. This in return can cause others to try and take what they can't afford, make or simply access. For his reason, we as Americans have been the focus of much discrimination. Yes, you can discriminate against others that have more than you. Discrimination has no boundaries and often turns to violence. Lucky for us, we have a built-in barrier to such confrontation. Unfortunately for people that like to hunt and fish, there is little protection from the bad guys.
First off, I want to thank everyone in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and National Guard for placing their lives on the line to protect our way of life. All freedoms we enjoy are bought and paid for by sacrifices made by those whom have stepped up to protect us. The price of freedom is high and can only be paid by the blood of those willing enough to protect it. The reason for this is there will always be people out there that resent the United States, and will want to take what we as a country have worked so hard for. These people are willing to die to stop our way of life, as are our soldiers to protect it. Hats off to you all!
I spend a lot of time in the woods and on the water. There is much time to think out there, and my thoughts often revolve around the protection provided by guns. While holding a gun, you feel an added sense of security, whether in the home or in the woods. You recognize the ability to protect yourself is in your own hands. With bears now roaming around our woods, I feel quite uncomfortable just carrying a bow. Multiple shot capabilities and instant knockdown power is the only thing that offers me the feeling of safety. I realize the reason I'm able to be out there with a gun is because of a gun in the first place. The Second Amendment grants us the right to bear arms against anyone threatening our way of life. Guns were used in the production of our free country, and will ultimately be what defends it in the future. I'm not sure what the future holds, but I can guarantee it will revolve around who has the most firepower. This is why we strive, as a country, to have the strongest military forces possible.
Being an outdoors writer, I have to tie-in to nature. I'm not at all comparing the sacrifices made by our soldiers to the struggles of outdoors people. I'm just making the point that it's a war out there. Everyone is jockeying for position to get the biggest buck or the first fish. This can turn into confrontation and cause people to get out of line. When this happens we turn to The Department Of Environmental Conservation.
Unlike our military forces, the DEC is spread way too thin. They are here to protect landowners and wildlife from those that don't choose to follow the rules. The problem is that there just aren’t enough of them out there. In my mind, protecting our resources is just as important as defending our border,s and you see how that's going. Fighting the non-scientifically-based anti-hunting groups is much like our forces fighting those who want to destroy our way of life. Anti-hunting groups are confused people that choose not to look at wildlife numbers and sustained management through regulated harvest. They operate on emotion, like the dirty people around the world that hate us for just being an American.
For this Memorial Day I choose to remember all that have given their time and lives to protect this great nation well, and the fact that none of this would have happened without guns. This country stands on the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It's what freed us in the first place and what will continue to protect us into the future.
Good wishes, and remember those we lost because for some people freedom wasn't free!