Mar 6, 2020 5 min read

I would think it safe to say that most, if not all, outdoor persons are pro-gun. It is also safe to say that the separation between those who own firearms and those that don’t approve has become wider.

There are reasons for opposing gun regulations, some for financial consideration, some for principle and some because the right to own a gun is guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the constitution of this Republic we live in. It ends with the word the right, note please it is the word right, of the people to own guns that shall not be infringed upon. A right is something that belongs to a person from birth until death. Those words were included not to enable a person to go hunting but to protect the citizens of the time from the feared government.

One of the fears of additional gun laws, and there are many, is that an individual’s personal collection will be somehow confiscated and many collectors have quite a lot of money invested. I personally know some people who own decent collections valued in the six figures. I know one individual who owns a complete collection of pre-64 70 Winchesters. That is every configuration and every caliber. That is all but unheard of as that is a lot of bucks and time invested by the collector.

Next we have those opposed to anti-gun laws based on principal, although there are fewer in this category when reality sets in. Lastly, there are those who would protect the constitution at all costs. Not only does the Second Amendment protect the outdoors person but protects all of the rest of those great pieces of the Bill of Rights.

Among the protected is the all-important first amendment. I can’t help but wonder when it will sink in that the right to free speech is also under the Bill of Rights. Without the first one, there can’t be No. 2. James Madison insisted that it would be so.

Some major problems arise when otherwise sensible people think that the rumors seeping out from Washington are referring to their rights and their firearms. It’s alright to take the neighbor’s guns but don’t try to come here and take mine. I, of all people, would agree with some of this and have fallen for it a time or two. We must all calm down and use common sense when these matters arise. Those who protect the constitution don’t stand alone. We should all stand together to protect all the rights of the constitution legally.

It is seldom mentioned, but the Colt Revolver was often referred to as the great equalizer. Small and cold is a firearm and it cannot speak or shoot itself. It takes people to break laws or obey them. Free speech equalizes the playing field. Remember it is a right of the people and not a privilege of the powerful and the rich.

With all of this in mind there is a rally to celebrate the Second Amendment supported by the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsman’s Club on April 16 at the Double Tree on Race Track Road. The rally starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend. After all, the constitution supports this and sets us apart from other countries.

• I can’t help but be proud of the results of this past year’s George Block Conservation Scholarship award. This award could not exist without people helping me to make it a success and I send a thanks to each one. Next year, instead of asking for donations from local businesses and friends, we decided to sell tickets and so far this path seems to be successful. I thank all of you for supporting my scholarship by buying tickets. The prize is a Kimber rifle chosen in whatever caliber Kimber offers, topped with a Leupold 3×9 scope, with rings and mounts and a case. The winner will claim their gun by ordering it through Johnson’s Sporting Goods. It plays on the daily number and you get two chances to win. All proceeds go to the scholarship fund after the payoff of the rifle. So a lot of thanks to everyone who is helping sell tickets and those who buy tickets to support this cause. Let’s all celebrate the youngsters like this year’s winner, Gabriella Popovski, who are out there doing good work and keep this scholarship funded.

Two things to celebrate – the scholarship continuing and the Second Amendment. A big thank you should go out to our founding fathers who had the wisdom to insert all of the amendments into our constitution in the form of the Bill of Rights protecting all the people.