What's New
The Most Important Freedom
Charlton Heston raised his arm, holding his rifle high and shouted loudly, "Out of my cold, dead hands." Tears filled my eyes as I watched this man, in advanced stages of Alzheimer's, being held by his wife, still able to recognize the importance of our right as citizens of the United States of America to keep and to bear arms.
The founding leaders of the United States were determined America could remain free only if its citizens were assured of certain rights that would guarantee their ability to withstand the abuses of power, by individuals, police, or government. One of the most important rights was the Second Amendment, "that the right of the people to keep and bear arms would not be infringed." Thomas Jefferson declared: "No free man (or woman) shall ever be debarred of the use of arms." (Jefferson Papers, page 334, ed. C.J. Boyd). In 1770 he further emphasized this right: "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws only make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assassins; they tend to encourage than to prevent homicides. For an unarmed man or woman may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man or woman."
George Washington agreed: "Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the people's liberty teeth and keystone...The rifle and the pistol are equally indispensable...more than 99% of the (guns) by their silence indicate that they are in safe and sane hands. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference (crime)." Or as Noah Webster stated: Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe." (1787, Pamphlets on the Constitution of the US) "Americans have the right and the advantage of being armed, unlike the people of other countries, whose governing people are afraid to trust them with arms." (James Madison) Or as George Mason further emphasized, "To disarm a people is the most effectual way to enslave them."
One statement struck me as I listened to Charlton Heston in his speech to the NRA: "I say that the Second Amendment is, in order of importance, the first amendment. It is America's First Freedom, the one right that protects all the others. Among freedom of speech, of press, of religion, of assembly, of redress of grievances, it is the first among equals. It alone offers the absolute capacity to live without fear. The right to bear arms is the one right that allows "rights" to exist at all." And the first leaders of our country knew that the Bill of Rights was necessary to prevent a government's misconstruction or abuse of its powers, and that this Bill would extend the public's general confidence in the Government and alleviate its fear of another government like that of England which they had just overthrown. (Preamble to the Bill of Rights)
Recently in the United States we have seen our rights gradually taken from us, and before we lose even more of our rights which have made America the unusual and wonderful nation that it is, those of us who believe in our individual rights as citizens need to speak more loudly and care more fervently about the freedoms we have enjoyed throughout our lifetimes and want to pass on to our children and grandchildren.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a Russian in exile in the United States, warned us repeatedly that we were on the path that the Soviet Union (former) had taken several years earlier that led to the terrible condition of repression that he and other Russians endured. Although he was ignored by most in our country, his statements are being fulfilled each day as our citizens are willingly allowing their freedoms to be taken away from them. Solzhenitsyn stated that "he was not a critic of the West; he was a critic of the weakness of the West." "I am a critic of a fact which we (in Russia) cannot comprehend: how one can lose one's spiritual strength, one's will power and, possessing freedom, not value it, not be willing to make sacrifices for it...Human nature is full of contradictions and riddles. One of these riddles is: how is it that people who have been crushed by the sheer weight of slavery and cast to the bottom of the pit can nevertheless find the strength to rise up and free themselves, first in spirit then in body; while those who soar unhampered over the peaks of freedom suddenly lose the taste for freedom, lose the will to defend it, and, hopelessly confused and lost, almost begin to crave slavery...How can free people, who have defended freedom across the world this century, suddenly plunge into lethargy, into a kind of mass blindness, a kind of voluntary self-deception...There is a German proverb: 'When courage is lost, all is lost.' There is another Latin one, according to which loss of reason is the true harbinger of destruction. But what happens in a society in which both these losses - the loss of courage and the loss of reason -intersect? This is the picture which I found in the West today." ...But the greatest danger of all is that you have lost the will to defend yourselves against those who would take away your freedoms."
We in the United States who still value our freedoms, need to heed the warnings, open our eyes to how quickly our freedoms are being taken from us and take a stand against any attempt to convince us that it is for our good that the government wants to control our economy, our health care, and, most importantly, wants to be responsible for our safety by taking away our most valuable right, the right to keep and bear arms. Freedom of speech to disagree openly, plus the right for individuals to bear arms, are the first two freedoms lost when leaders want to control a people. We need to speak loudly at tea parties, town hall meetings and at the April 19th March on Washington, to let all people know that our freedoms are important enough to take a stand for and to defend. If we keep silent now, we will lose our valuable freedoms. We have lived too long with the assumption that what happened in Germany, Poland, Russia, Iran, etc. cannot happen here. Leyla Myers, born in Azerbaijan Republic, former Soviet Union, stated after reading 1984, I knew that while I lived in the Soviet Union I was a generation that did not know that a human is capable to think and to reason. And the Soviet government did not have to torture me to get me to that stage - I was already born in a thought-vacuum my ancestors allowed to be established."
Let's not let our next generations be in a thought vacuum and not even realize the irreplaceable freedoms, that we, their fathers and mothers, willingly and without a fight, gave up. I hope to see each of you on April 19th or at other rallies throughout the country speaking loudly to our leaders about the necessity of voting against any legislation that takes away our freedom to bear arms.
Dianne R. Portfleet, Ph.D.
Hope College, Holland, Michigan
State Announcements
MICHIGAN
Michigan Town Hall Meeting for Second Amendment March
Where: American Legion Groves-Walker Post 346
Address: 31775 Grand River Ave. Farmington Hills, MI 48336
When: September 24th, 2009
Time: 6:30-8:30 pm
Contact: Carolyn Mirling at mirlingenterprises@yahoo.com or Brian Jeffs, State Coordinator at brian.jeffs@secondamendmentmarch.com
Sleepy Hollow Conservation Club SAM Meeting
Where: Sleepy Hollow Conservation Club SAM Meeting
Address: On Mead Rd. West of US-27 1.5 miles. 5 mi. north of St. Johns, MI.
When: Saturday Sept. 12th 2009
Time: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Family fun day. Trapshooting (Donation required to shoot). Kids fishing contest, lunch and more. Skip Coryell scheduled to speak.
Contacts: Tom Zink: Local organizer tgzink@verizon.net
Brian Jeffs brian.jeffs@secondamendmentmarch.com
Bay City Town Hall Meeting
Where: James Clements Airport, Bay City, MI (designation 3CM)
When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
Time: 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Speaker: Terri Stocke, SAM President
SAM merchandise available. There will be a silent auction to raise money for the march!
Contacts: Ernie LaFave elafave1@chartermi.net, Brian Jeffs brian.jeffs@secondamendmentmarch.com
Second Amendment March needs your help!
We have less than eight months until our D.C. event, and there is much to accomplish before then.
Many hands make light work, so we are forming committees to take on specific tasks. The descriptions are provided below.
If you are willing and able to serve on one of these committees, please send an email to Terri.Stocke@secondamendmentmarch.com with the following information:
Full Name
Email address
Phone number
Committee you are volunteering for
Information on your background / experience that would make you a good fit for this committee
We regret that these are all unpaid, volunteer positions (as is the case with all of our staff, coordinators and directors). While we cannot offer you compensation, we can offer you the opportunity to make history!
"If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed, if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not so costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no chance of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." ~ Winston Churchill
Fundraising
Responsible for identifying and contacting potential corporate sponsors for Second Amendment March
Follow up with sponsors after initial donations to send personalized thank you letters and other correspondence
Keep records (e.g. Excel spreadsheet) of potential sponsors along with date(s) of contact, responses, donation amounts, follow up date(s), and other pertinent information relating to sponsor relationship management
Regularly report to Second Amendment March Board of Directors to keep them apprised of progress.
Necessary skills include high degree of professionalism, strong oral and written communication skills, and strong organization skills.
Previous fundraising experience highly desired
Advertising
Responsible for advertising the Second Amendment March to get as many people to D.C. as possible.
Identify and research potential advertising venues
Keep records (e.g. Excel spreadsheet) of potential advertising methods, companies contacted, dates, associated costs, and other pertinent information relating to advertising venues.
Regularly report to Second Amendment March Board of Directors to keep them apprised of progress.
Necessary skills include high degree of professionalism, strong oral and written communication skills, and strong organization skills.
Previous marketing/advertising background highly desired
National March
Responsible for coordinating the national event in D.C.
Identify potential speakers/performers for the event, along with associated costs
Identify and arrange for all logistics of the event, including but not limited to: tenting needs, porta-johns, security, cleanup, entertainment, printed itineraries and other communication needs to direct attendees, staging, lighting, sound, etc.
Work with National Park Service in D.C. to ensure that all processes are followed
Keep records (e.g. Excel spreadsheet) of all activities/contacts/costs, etc.
Regularly report to Second Amendment March Board of Directors to keep them apprised of progress.
Necessary skills include high degree of professionalism, strong oral and written communication skills, and strong organization skills.
Prior large-scale event planning and project management highly desired
Transportation
NOTE: Second Amendment March is not providing transportation services for our attendees. All travel arrangement and associated costs will be the attendee's responsibility. This committee is to help make travel more convenient for our attendees.
Responsible for researching and identifying convenient, cost effective modes of transportation available to attendees (e.g., charter busses, hotel room blocks, etc.)
Contact various transportation companies, travel agencies, hotels, etc. to research and negotiate discounted rates for our attendees
Keep detailed records (e.g. Excel spreadsheet) of contacts made, dates, rates, and other terms
Regularly report to Second Amendment March Board of Directors to keep them apprised of progress.
Necessary skills include high degree of professionalism, strong oral and written communication skills, strong organization skills, and negotiation skills.
Prior travel and/or sales experience highly desired
Speakers Announced!
We are pleased to announce the selection of the first four guest speakers for the DC March!
Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman (
www.killology.com)
Kenn Blanchard (
www.blackmanwithagun.com)
Michael Bane (
www.downrange.tv/bestdefense)
Larry Pratt (gunowners.org)
We very much appreciate these fine gentlemen agreeing to speak at the March, and are excited to have them!
Armed American Radio
The Second Amendment March is happy to announce that Mark Walters, host of the syndicated Armed American Radio talk show will be airing two hours per week starting on September 13th. On that show, and once a month until April 19th, (The DC March) Mark will feature a 15-minute segment on the Second Amendment March, updating you on all the latest details. Be sure to watch all Mark's shows at
www.armedamericanradio.com.
Thanks Mark and United States Concealed Carry Association (usconcealedcarry.com) for your rigorous defense of the Second Amendment March and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms!
Armed American Radio is the official radio program of The United States Concealed Carry Association. As the USCCA continues to expand its reach across the US and since its flagship publication Concealed Carry Magazine has become one of, if not THE most informative gun magazine in the nation, reaching up to the next level of media outlets became a natural, no brainer.
Broadcasting LIVE every week from the studios of Intelligent Talk 920 WGKA in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia and SYNDICATED NATIONWIDE to the "big birds" in the sky, AAR is now available to any radio station in North America. We are working very hard to get on your local dial wherever you may be so keep checking back as we add affiliate stations across the country. You may pick up the streaming live broadcast to the entire planet at
www.920wgka.com.
Grand Rapids Gun Rights Examiner
Here's another way you can earn money for the Second Amendment March at no cost to you! Simply click on this link (
http://www.examiner.com/x-18561-Grand-Rapids-Gun-Rights-Examiner) and visit the Grand Rapids Gun Rights Examiner. Every time you subscribe to Skip's column and read one of his articles, you earn money for the march. Skip Coryell, the Second Amendment March Founder, has agreed to donate all of his earnings to help the cause. Happy reading and happy earning!
Second Amendment March on Twitter
Second Amendment March is now on Twitter! Twitter is a free service that allows people to stay connected via short messages, called "tweets". Second Amendment March is utilizing this tool to provide updates and news to our supporters.
You can follow us at:
http://twitter.com/2AMarch Second Amendment March Store
Did you know that we offer Second Amendment March merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, pins, bumper stickers and more at
http://store.secondamendmentmarch.com? When you purchase items from the store, you can be assured that 100% of the money earned by Second Amendment March goes directly to supporting our second amendment rights. The organizers of Second Amendment March are not taking any personal income from these sales -- it's strictly a fundraising effort.
How You Can Help
There are many things you can do TODAY to make a difference for future generations:
Join our forums
spread the word
pass out flyers
set up a town hall meeting in your area
write articles for the Second Amendment March website
write to your legislators
make a donation
write to the media
Set up a Second Amendment March fundraiser in your area
Share your special skills/knowledge
wear your Second Amendment March shirt proudly
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.."
--Samuel Adams
Your company here!
Interested in a great advertising opportunity to reach an audience receptive to firearms and related goods and services? Advertise in the Second Amendment March Newsletter!
This newsletter reaches more that 5,500 subscribers every week, not including every time it is forwarded to a non-subscriber. You can reach this audience to drive traffic to your business while at the same time helping the Second Amendment March be a success!
We're running a special introductory offer. For just $50 you can have an ad approximately the size of this announcement in the next issue!
Contact SAM newsletter editor Daniel White at dwhite@OhioCCW.org for more information!
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If you are receiving this email, it is because you requested to receive email updates from Second Amendment March. We NEVER spam or send unsolicited email.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Second Amendment March
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In This Issue
The Most Important Freedom
Second Amendment March needs your help!
Speakers Announced!
Armed American Radio
Gun Rights Examiner
We're on Twitter
More Ways to Help
Advertise With Us!
Did You Know?
It takes a substantial amount of money to organize an event like Second Amendment March. Our fundraising advisors have set specific milestones that we need to meet in order to make the march happen. Right now we are VERY short of that goal and need your help! If you can help, please click on the Contribute Now button above to donate via our secured donation page. Thank you!
Our Mission
The mission of the Second Amendment March is to galvanize the courage and resolve of Americans; to petition our elected officials against establishing anti-gun legislation; and to remind America that the Second Amendment is necessary to maintain our right to self defense.
It is the one right that protects
all others.
We will accomplish our mission by a centralized, peaceful march in Washington DC, the United States Capitol, supported by satellite marches to State Capitols and other cities all across America.
Advertisement
CCWTargets.com is offering Second Amendment March combo packs, with a portion of every purchase being donated to Second Amendment March.
