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Olympic Shooting From: [email protected] Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 04:54:59 EST To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Subject: Sergeant York, or "Crips and Bloods." You Decide. . . I'd hope, before you folks make any final decisions about closing the Olympic shooting-range, that you would consider some real-world results, as proven historically, and as presented by well-documented "liberal" sources --for instance, the poet, Robert Bly, who has stated that ". . .gangs exist because young men are trying to induct each other into manhood, without proper instruction from the males of their tribe. . ." Becoming an adult, in part, means that one must, sometimes, make life-or-death decisions. Young people who are without adult models and instruction, can, indeed, go far wrong in their quest to achieve adult status. On the other hand, those who receive instruction from respected authority figures in relation to life/death decisions, who are, as it were, inducted into the wisdom of the tribal elders, are much less likely to "go wrong." I was taught to shoot by my Uncle Fred, a veteran of the 101st. Airborne, who parachuted behind enemy lines on D-Day, later fought at Bastogne during the "Battle of the Bulge," and distinguished himself by capturing a German machine gun, single-handed; and, as an officer and a gentle man, stopped a group of G.I.'s from executing German prisoners -- ensuring that they were properly handled. No One trained by this man could ever misuse a firearm. Many of today's youth lack such models. Closing the Olympic Shooting Range will not help this situation, in fact, it can only make things worse. The "enemy" is not guns -- the "enemy" is ignorance. How many of you would know how to "safe" (unload) a gun if you found one lying on your front porch? If not, why not? I am mightily sick of being lectured on "gun safety" by people who speak from total ignorance of the subject. Think about it. . . Why should students graduate from high school without knowing how to change a flat tire, balance a checkbook, operate a fire-extinguisher, perform CPR, or "safe" a firearm? These subjects all fall under what are, or should be, known as "real-world skills." Kids who are learning disciplined "Olympic"-style shooting are not the problem. YOU are either part of the problem, or part of the solution. BE a part of the solution, and please reopen the Olympic Shooting Range. The Olympics are soon to come, and American shooters have an excellent record of success. Shall we succeed, or fail? Shall we be a nation of Sergeant Yorks, or of Crips and Bloods? Historical necessity should outweigh political correctness. Now, particularly in light of the threats we all face, is not the time to breed a nation of sheep. "Painful as it may be to hear it, there's nothing special about the people of this country that sets them apart from the other people of the world. It is the Bill of Rights, and only the Bill of Rights, that keeps us from becoming the world's biggest banana republic. The moment we forget that, the American Dream is over." -- Alexander Hope, Looking Forward To Get Your Letters Printed Here Click here and read submission guidelines.