Membership in the Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen "is available to men, 18 years old and older, (and each man’s wife and adult female relatives) and Youth Club membership is available to minor males (under 18 years old) and minor female relatives of male members without regard to race, national origin, age, denominational preference, or political persuasion." What that does not say is that members are prohibited from speaking their minds regarding political issues. It simply says that politics is not a consideration in regards to Club membership. Ever since the website was founded on 9/11/01 I have been diligent to keep it as non-political as I could. I know how easily politics can divide groups. I also didn't want anyone to think that this is a Republican Hunting Club, for example, and they don't fit in because they are not of that political persuasion. However, there are times when we have to address political issues, especially when they threaten our very existence. Such a case is staring us in the face with the presidential election of 2004. Not only our hobbies but our Club itself is threatened by the contender to unseat President Bush.
John Kerry purports himself to be a sportsmen. In fact I just saw a news clip of him at a goose hunt on 10/22/04. But let's examine his words. The following is from http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/.
Now John "The Sportsman" F. Kerry makes my memorable hunting experience look anemic:
In July, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that "I go out with my trusty 12-gauge double-barrel, crawl around on my stomach."
Crawling in the woods is tough, not to mention loud, work - which is why almost all hunters except Kerry prefer to either stand or climb up into tree stands.
"I track and move and decoy and play games and try to outsmart them."
He was presumably referring to deer, not voters. But Kerry, a "former law-enforcement person," as he is also wont to describe himself, seems to have forgotten that the use of decoys is forbidden under Massachusetts law. Just using a decoy deer can mean a fine of up to $100, 30 days in jail, and/or loss of hunting license.
In the current issue of Field & Stream, the "outdoorsperson" was asked about the biggest deer he'd ever killed - er, harvested.
"Probably an 8-pointer," Kerry replied, "something like that. Nothing terribly big." Actually, an 8-pointer would be a rather large kill to most hunters - the kill of a lifetime in fact.
But Bwana John wasn't done. "I once had an incredible encounter with the most enormous buck - I don't know, 16 points or something. It was just huge. And I failed to pull the trigger at the right moment. I was hunting down in Massachusetts, on the Cape."
The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife doesn't keep such statistics, but an open invitation on the radio for calls from Cape hunters turned up no one who had ever glimpsed such a 16-pointer in Barnstable County.
It's pretty obvious that Mr. Kerry is, at best, a novice hunter. He's attempting to talk our lingo and look and act like us to court our votes. He's not very good at it. To go from the laughable to the alarming. The following is from the NRA political victory fund - http://www.nrapvf.org/.
"On behalf of NRA's four million members and tens of millions of American gun owners and sportsmen I'm proud to endorse President Bush for re-election to the White House," said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. "The differences between President Bush and John Kerry on issues of concern to gun owners and sportsmen couldn't be clearer. John Kerry has never met a gun control bill he didn't like. He has voted against gun owners more than 50 times as a U.S. Senator, and has accepted the endorsement of the Humane Society of the United States - one of the most virulently anti-hunting organizations in America," Cox added.
"NRA stands with President George W. Bush on November 2," said Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President. "If you believe in freedom and want to preserve the Second Amendment for future generations, vote to re-elect President Bush and Vice President Cheney. In the United States we have a long tradition of hunting and sport shooting," stated LaPierre. "President Bush and Vice President Cheney both love to hunt and fish. They know the Constitution guarantees people the personal right to bear arms. And, they want to pass the values of our Nation on to a new generation."
President Bush: Friend of Gun Owners
* The Bush Administration stated, "that the text and original intent of the Second Amendment clearly protect the right of individuals to keep and bear firearms," reversing the Clinton Administration position that the Second Amendment only applies to state militias.
* President Bush sent representatives to the United Nations with a clear message: we will not allow the UN to impose international regulations that would violate the Second Amendment and infringe on our sovereignty.
* George W. Bush respects America's sporting and hunting heritage. His administration signed an agreement with 17 major sportsmen's organizations to improve hunting and fishing access to Federal lands, and initiated a conservation agenda to protect millions of acres of forest, wetlands, and grasslands for future generations of hunters.
* As President, he gave money to prosecute federal gun crimes through Project Safe Neighborhoods and signed a national Right-to-Carry law for law enforcement officers.
* President Bush knows that holding the American firearm industry responsible for the acts of criminals is wrong. That's why he supported the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act," to prevent reckless lawsuits against lawful American businesses.
John Kerry: A Gun Owner's Worst Nightmare
* Kerry voted in 2004 to ban most center-fire rifle ammunition, including the most common rounds used by deer hunters, siding with Ted Kennedy, and said in a CNN interview, "I think you ought to tax all ammunition more, personally, I think you ought to tax guns." ("Late Edition," Nov. 7, 1993).
* Kerry cast numerous votes to ban guns, and currently is a co-sponsor of S. 1431, which would ban all semi-automatic shotguns, all semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines, and many other guns commonly used by sportsmen.
* Kerry voted to effectively shut down gun shows in America; voted to hold firearm manufacturers responsible for the acts of criminals. He voted to criminalize legal sales between private individuals at gun shows.
* Kerry has a 100% voting record with, and earned the endorsement of the Brady Campaign (formerly Handgun Control, Inc.) - a group that says you have no right to own any gun. And, he repeatedly earns the support of PETA and the Humane Society of the United States-groups who openly want to ban all hunting in America.
* Kerry was one of only 18 Senators to oppose the Firearms Owners Protection Act, which ended alarming abuses being committed under the 1968 Gun Control Act. * Kerry was one of only 29 Senators to vote to prohibit gun manufacturers from discharging debts created by the reckless lawsuits filed by municipalities.
* Kerry has voted to allow BATF to conduct unlimited warrantless inspections of FFL holders.
* Kerry has voted to impose penalties of a year in prison and a $10,000 fine on an adult if a juvenile steals a firearm from him, and then merely displays it in a public place.
* Kerry has voted to force many small firearms dealers out of business, which would have impacted both the availability and price of guns, particularly in rural areas.
* Kerry has voted 11 times to force law-abiding citizens to wait to exercise their Second Amendment rights. He voted to keep the federal waiting period after the National Instant Check System was in place.
* Kerry voted twice to eliminate the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
* Kerry wants to silence gun owners voices. When NRA sought the same exemption from campaign finance rules that news organizations have, Kerry called that effort "hijacking America's airwaves."
* Kerry commended the Million Mom March for their march on Washington that included calls for gun owner licensing, gun registration, and other restrictions on law-abiding gun owners.
If elected president, Kerry will pack the U.S. Supreme Court with Dianne Feinstein/Chuck Schumer/Ted Kennedy-selected anti-gun activists who believe you have no right to own any firearm.
Chris Cox summed it up well: "Without a doubt, John Kerry and John Edwards are the most anti-gun presidential ticket in our country's history."
Not understating the importance of the November 2 election for the future of our Second Amendment rights, Wayne LaPierre concluded, "The future of our freedom is at stake on November 2. Join with us, and ask your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen to join with us, in voting for a freer and stronger America. Vote to re-elect President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney."
There is no guarantee that Republican's will regain control of the House and Senate. I shudder at the prospect of what Mr. Kerry and a congress controlled by the Democrats would do to our guns. Once guns are outlawed for private citizen's they'll win the hunting battle by default. Don't think it couldn't happen here - just look at England, Australia, and Canada where guns have, for all practical purposes, been banned. The following is from Ed Chenel, a police officer in Australia, written in approximately 2003.
Hi Yanks, I thought you all would like to see the real figures from Down Under. It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.
The first year results are now in: Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent, Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent; Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)! In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not and still possess their guns!
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since the criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly.
Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in "successfully ridding Australian society of guns." You won't see this on the American evening news or hear your governor or members of the state Assembly disseminating this information.
The Australian experience proves it. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens. Take note Americans, before it's to late!
Not only is John Kerry a disaster for hunters and sportsmen but for a Christian he's just short of the Anti-Christ. Mr. Kerry's website proclaims, "John Kerry has been a champion of women's issues. He and John Edwards will commit to helping women balance work and family, expand college opportunities, protect their health and their constitutional right to choose, increase funding for cancer research, fight violent crime and close the pay gap." It also states "And John Kerry will only nominate individuals to the federal bench whose records demonstrate a respect for the full range of constitutional rights, including the right to privacy and the right to choose." Mr. Kerry is "for" allowing women to be able to butcher their babies in their wombs - calling it "the right to choose."
I'm Pro-Choice too. I believe that a woman has the right to choose between contraceptives or adoption. I hope that you didn't miss the fact that Mr. Kerry states that he will only appoint judges who respect "the right to choose." His "right to privacy" statement means that he is against parental notification of their minor daughters requests to have an abortion! Mr. Kerry further demonstrates his disregard for tradition family values by supporting the homosexual agenda. Again from his website, "The LGBT community contributes to our nation in so many ways, in every corner of this country. Gay and lesbian Americans only ask for equal treatment. They deserve the right to make medical decisions for one another in times of crisis, the right to inherit a house purchased together and equal access to health insurance, social security and retirement benefits. Together, we can provide this simple justice." Lawyer speak for support of gay marriage.
When it comes to religion what's loud and clear on Mr. Kerry's website is his silence. A search only pulls up 10 speeches where he talks about "their" religion, not his. The following is from Mr. Bush's website:
"Building a Culture of Life: President Bush is the most pro-life president in history. On his first day in office President Bush Reactivated Ronald Reagan’s Mexico City Policy which prevents international organizations from receiving federal funds for performing or actively promoting abortion. He has signed into law the Born Alive Infants Act, the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, and Laci & Connor Peterson’s Law.
Defending Traditional Marriage: President Bush believes in the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, and has endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment. The President believes we should place greater emphasis on strengthening families and improving the well-being of children in welfare programs. He has proposed a healthy marriage initiative to help couples develop the skills and knowledge to form and sustain healthy marriages.
Appointing and Nominating Conservative Judges: President Bush has nominated conservative judges who will interpret the law and not legislate from the bench; he has made recess appointments to those qualified conservative judges the Senate refuses to give a fair vote.
The President’s view on sanctity of life is in stark contrast to Senator John Kerry’s. John Kerry voted at least six times against banning partial birth abortion, and he voted at least 25 times in favor of using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions in the United States. Senator Kerry opposes requiring parental consent or notification for a minor daughter’s abortion.
In 1996, Kerry was one of just 14 Senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act. 85 Senators voted in favor of the Act and it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. In 2002, Kerry signed a letter “urging” the Massachusetts legislature to reject a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
John Kerry has been an obstruction in the Senate blocking these qualified judges. Senator Kerry has stated that he will only nominate judges who strongly support the Roe v. Wade decision.
John Kerry voted to use taxpayer funds for needle exchange programs for drug users and he voted against banning federal funding of needle exchange programs."
President Bush's faith in our Creator is well known. He is the first President, since Jimmy Carter, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Lord of his life (he did so very publicly during the Presidential debates). I realize that there are many more issues to address, but I also realize that I am starting to lose most readers attention. However, I would be remiss if I did not address our greatest issue - the security of our nation. The following article from the Ellensburg, Washington Daily Record on 10/6/04 by Mathew Manweller, a Central Washington University political science professor. The title of the article was "Election determines fate of nation."
"In that this will be my last column before the presidential election there will be no sarcasm, no attempts at witty repartee. The topic is too serious, and the stakes are too high. This November we will vote in the only election during our lifetime that may truly matter. Because America is at a once-in-a-generation crossroads, more than an election hangs in the balance.
Down one path lies retreat, abdication and a reign of ambivalence. Down the other lies a nation that is aware of its past and accepts the daunting obligation its future demands. If we choose poorly, the consequences will echo through the next 50 years of history. If we, in a spasm of frustration, turn out the current occupant of the White House, the message to the world and ourselves will be twofold.
First, we will reject the notion that America can do big things. Once a nation that tamed a frontier, stood down the Nazis and stood upon the moon, we will announce to the world that bringing democracy to the Middle East is too big of a task for us. But more significantly, we will signal to future presidents that as voters, we are unwilling to tackle difficult challenges, preferring caution to boldness, embracing the mediocrity that has characterized other civilizations.
The defeat of President Bush will send a chilling message to future presidents who may need to make difficult, yet unpopular decisions. America has always been a nation that rises to the demands of history regardless of the costs or appeal. If we turn away from that legacy, we turn away from who we are.
Second, we inform every terrorist organization on the globe that the lesson of Somalia was well learned. In Somalia we showed terrorists that you don't need to defeat America on the battlefield when you can defeat them in the newsroom. They learned that a wounded America can become a defeated America. Twenty-four-hour news stations and daily tracing polls will do the heavy lifting, turning a cut into a fatal blow. Except that Iraq is Somalia times 10.
The election of John Kerry will serve notice to every terrorist in every cave that the soft underbelly of American power is the timidity of American voters. Terrorists will know that a steady stream of grizzly photos for CNN is all you need to break the will of the American people. Our own self-doubt will take it from there. Bin Laden will recognize that he can topple any American administration without setting foot on the homeland.
It is said that America's WW II generation is its 'greatest generation.' But my greatest fear is that it will become known as America's 'last generation.' Born in the bleakness of the Great Depression and hardened in the fire of WW II, they may be the last American generation that understands the meaning of duty, honor and sacrifice. It is difficult to admit, but I know these terms are spoken with only hollow detachment by many (but not all) in my generation. Too many citizens today mistake 'living in America' as 'being an American.' But America has always been more of an idea than a place. When you sign on, you do more than buy real estate. You accept a set of values and responsibilities.
This November, my generation, which has been absent too long, must grasp the obligation that comes with being an American, or fade into the oblivion they may deserve. I believe that 100 years from now historians will look back at the election of 2004 and see it as the decisive election of our century.
Depending on the outcome, they will describe it as the moment America joined the ranks of ordinary nations; or they will describe it as the moment the prodigal sons and daughters of the greatest generation accepted their burden as caretakers of the City on the Hill."
I, and many of my friends, sometimes become despaired about the direction our nation is heading. There is so much evil here and so many things have gone wrong. It's easy to develop a "why bother," "my vote doesn't matter," and "Christian's shouldn't get involved" attitude. Resist those thoughts. They are of the Devil. We are commanded to "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." I Peter 2:13 -15. Voting is not an ordinance - it is something much greater - a right! Exercise yours, but ask yourself "How would Jesus vote?" Remember also 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."