Some years back, I asked a policeman what he recommended to protect my home. The answer was short and sweet: "Big locks. Big Dogs. Big Guns." He did not say, "Don't worry, I'll protect you!" He didn't say it because it wasn't true.

Los Angeles Police Chief Bratton does not share this cop's view. He recently said that it's insulting to suggest that the police can't protect the citizens of his town. Admittedly, Bratton is originally from Massachusetts where their idea a law and order candidate is Teddy Kennedy. He now works in California, where politicos are so concerned about crime, they want to make it illegal to spank your kids.

Sorry, I'm just not crazy about politicians, even when they're cops. No matter how much we pay them, politician don't become any wiser or more helpful. If anything, they muck things up. Former police chief, now city councilman, Bernard Parks proposed on Feb. 14, 2007 to have gun dealers post warning signs explaining the dangers of firearms. He said that most people are unaware that guns can go off accidentally or be used to commit suicide. That's right, he said "most people." Mr. Parks pulls down about $200 large per year to come up with cutting edge ideas like warning signs for guns. Not helpful.

Just one day later, this headline appeared in the Daily News: "Top cops, mayor want new gun laws." The article says:

"These bills will give us the legal ammunition to go after gangs," said Villaraigosa, who was joined by Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton and county Sheriff Lee Baca. Displaying an AR-15 assault weapon, Baca said officials recently seized 300 weapons illegally possessed in Compton - 80 percent of them reported lost or stolen by their owners. "This is a weapon that was not designed for sport," Baca said, holding the AR-15 in the air. "This is a weapon that was not designed for hunting. This is a weapon of war."

Oh boy, more gun laws. I know how much hoods, thugs, and gang bangers love to respond to gun laws. Uh, they don't. There are hundreds of gun laws on the California books. Adding more will do what? If officials "recently seized 300 weapons illegally possessed in Compton" using laws already on the books, would another law have allowed for 400, 500, 1,000 weapons to be seized? And Baca holding an AR-15 does not impress me. Question, Mr. Baca, was it a full-auto AR-15? Can't be, those are illegal, you know. Did it hold a clip with over 10 rounds? Illegal again. Or was it a civilian version of the AR-15, which is not automatic and has the right clip and which, yup, can and is used for hunting. Wild game does not stand in a clearing, arms akimbo and shout, "Hey, is that an AR-15? Can't use that for hunting you know. Bullets don't work on fur."

The king of all gun laws isn't really a law at all. It's a right. The Second Amendment is not about hunting, or pinging cans, or being in a militia. It's one of those ten "rights" the founders gave us and it means you can own a gun to protect yourself and your castle.

So why am I writing this to you lovers of illustration art? Because, if you're like me, you haven't heard much positive news about guns, gun owners, the NRA, etc., in the MSM. It took me years to catch on myself. And that cop who told me, "Big locks. Big Dogs. Big Guns" started the ball rolling.

Look, if someone breaks into your house with you and your family inside, you can reach for a phone and dial 9-1-1 and wait to connect to the police (sometimes its busy) and you can wait for the cops to arrive (sometimes they don't) which can take several vital minutes: long enough for the intruder to beat you, rob you, rape you, and make a sandwich using your favorite deli meats and cheese!

Or, instead of reaching for the phone to dial 911, you reach for your 9mm. NOW you can call 911.

My immediate family has been involved in the following: assault (physical and sexual), home invasion, and robbery. The number of times the cops were there to help? Zero. The police are almost never there when a crime happens. The only people who are guaranteed to be at the crime scene are the criminal and the victim. And one of them doesn't give a hoot about gun laws.

So what do you do? If you live in America, buy a gun and learn how to use it. If you want the best bang for the buck, a pump-action shotgun is the way to go. Trust me, I don't care who the thug is breaking into your house, even if he's armed himself, if he hears the chug-chug of a shotgun being loaded in the dark, he's most likely going to leave. Quick. If he doesn't, a blast of double-ought will settle things.

If you live in a Right to Carry state (the majority of states in this great country), consider arming yourself with a handgun.

If you live in a state like I do where it's basically one-party rule and the party in power doesn't like you to protect yourself in public, you can still own a gun to protect your home.

No matter where you live however, skip gun ownership if:

1) You have no intention of learning how to store, load, and shoot your firearm safely.
2) You cannot ensure that your firearm can't be accessed by others (roommates, children).
3) You have anger issues (you are violent by nature or when stressed).
4) You have any serious depression issues.
5) You plan on buying a gun illegally (duh).

Remember:
1) Treat ALL guns (even toy or fake guns) as if they're loaded. Keep your finger OFF the trigger.
2) Never point a gun at a person who is not a threat to your life.
3) Never fire a gun at any target if you don't know what's behind that target.
4) Never let someone, even someone you know, pick up your gun "just to look at it." If someone wants to see your gun, unload the gun before handing it to the person and insist they also check it to make sure it's unloaded. Don't hand your gun to anyone you distrust (even if they're just a proven knucklehead). Don't even let such a person know you own a gun. Period.
5) Transport your gun safely and as prescribed by law.

For the children...
Yeah, I hate that phrase, but I'm not using it like a politician who wants to put his hand in your pocket. So pay attention. Even if you never intend to own a gun, you will have neighbors who do and your children will play with their children. To find out more about keeping your children safe, visit this page: http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/

And if you want a great way to get in shape AND protect yourself in a crunch, check this page: http://kravmaga.com/krav01.html

The Second Ammendment, what about that "right"? The right is this:

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state
the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

For those who don't like guns or who don't understand the Bill of Rights, only the first part of the right matters, ending at the word "state" (how appropriate). But that would make this the only part of the Bill of Rights that does not pertain to men and women. Others claim that it pertains to the National Guard, which puts it even further from the rights of the individual.

Until the 20th Century, the US military was relatively small as Americans were historically distrustful of standing armies (something King George could attest to). A milita is basically made up of citizen "soldiers," e.g. civilians who own fire arms and can bring them to bear in an emergency defense at the most local and even the state level.

While the National Guard is an outgrowth of this history (states have their own National Guard) it is not meant to replace a citizen's milita. Congress knew this when it passed the Dick Act in 1903 wherein every able-bodied man (that's you) between 17 and 44 would be a member of an unorganized milita, as opposed to the organized National Guard (some states have an even greater range; Virignia's being 16-55). This has never been rescinded.

There are those who argue that the Consitution is a "living" document. This is their way of saying that it should be re-interpreted whenever necessary without the pesky problem of ammendments. It's a sad day when members of our own highest court either don't understand the written words of our founders or, too be blunt, don't care. An example: Chief Justice Warren Burger stated that the "individual right" was "one of the greatest pieces of fraud -- I repeat the word 'fraud' -- on the American public by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime." I guess you could call "the People" mentioned in the Second Ammendment a "special interest group." Did Warren ever read Thomas Jefferson when our third president wrote: "On every question of construction, let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, June 12, 1823

What The Founders Said About That Right

The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed.
Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824

One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them.
Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1796.

Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of. Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. And it is not certain, that with this aid alone they would not be able to shake off their yokes. But were the people to possess the additional advantages of local governments chosen by themselves, who could collect the national will and direct the national force, and of officers appointed out of the militia, by these governments, and attached both to them and to the militia, it may be affirmed with the greatest assurance, that the throne of every tyranny in Europe would be speedily overturned in spite of the legions which surround it.
James Madison, Federalist 46, January 29, 1788

Forty years ago, when the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British Parliament was advised by an artful man [Sir William Keith], who was governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people; that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them; but that they should not do it openly, but weaken them, and let them sink gradually, by totally disusing and neglecting the militia.
George Mason, when Virginia's Convention met to ratify the Constitution in 1788

That the People have a Right to keep & bear arms; that a well regulated Militia, composed of the Body of the People, trained to Arms, is the proper natural and safe Defence of a free State; that standing Armys in time of Peace are dangerous to Liberty, and therefore ought to be avoided, as far the Circumstances and Protection of the Community will admit; and that in all Cases, the Military ought should be under strict Subordination to and be governed by the Civil Power.
George Mason on his proposal that a Bill of Rights to be added to the United States Constitution, 1788

The militia of these free commonwealths, entitled and accustomed to their arms, when compared with any possible army, must be tremendous and irresistible. Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom. Congress has no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American ... the unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.
Tench Cox, The Pennsylvania Gazette, 20 Feb 1788

The rights of conscience, of bearing arms, of changing the government, are declared to be inherent in the people.
Fisher Ames, letter to F R Minoe, June 12, 1789

Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States.
Noah Webster, An Examination  into the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, 1787

These people are either too superstitiously religious, or too cowardly for arms; they either, cannot, or, dare not defend; their property is open to any one who has the courage to attack them. Send but your troops and the prize is ours. Kill a few and take the whole. Thus, the peaceable part of mankind will be continually overrun by the vile and abandoned while they neglect the means of self-defense. The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world, as well as property. The balance of power is the scale of peace. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside.  And while a single nation refuses to lay them down, it is proper that all should keep them up. Horrid mischief would ensue were one half the world deprived of the use of them; for while avarice and ambition have a place in the heart of man, the weak will become a prey to the strong. The history of every age and nation establishes these truths, and facts need but little arguments when they prove themselves.
Thomas Paine, Thoughts on the Defensive War, The Pennsylvania Magazine, July 1775

Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force you are ruined... The great object is that every man be armed... Everyone who is able may have a gun.
Patrick Henry

Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?
Patrick Henry, in the Virginia Convention to ratify the Constitution

That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.
Samuel Adams,