From the Editor

It surely seems that lately the news has been comprised of more than enough negative stories. These are “interesting times” to be sure and one has to look hard to see any bright spots in current events. Of course, the media focuses on the sensational news occurring every day; positive developments rarely make it to the broadcasts of many “news” outlets. I’m using the word “news” loosely, as a good portion to what we listen to as news, is simply propaganda, or termed more correctly, “perception influencing.”

However, there are silver linings to many of these dark clouds.

In the past, many of the debates I would have with those acquaintances of mine who were dubious of the merits of our Second Amendment freedoms would state that “Well, I can see why you need to own a gun, given the remote setting that you live in.” The inference being that a firearm was only needed to literally prevent the wolf (or bear) from breaching the door. I always argued that, no, the place where one should really be armed was in our population centers. This statement was always answered with much eye-rolling and the general accusation that I was being a bit overdramatic and very distrusting of my fellow man. I can only imagine the part of the conversation I wasn’t privy to that centered on my being slightly more conservative than Rush Limbaugh.

So now, given all the civil unrest and rioting, citizens themselves have had to protect their homes and businesses from vandals. This problem has been magnified by the inability of many police departments to deal with the large number of looters and anarchists, mainly because of their politically correct bureaucracies. Lo and behold, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is showing record numbers of background checks from new purchasers of firearms; June of 2020, set an all-time record of 3,931,607 National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks. I understand that not all background checks result in a firearm sale, but it certainly looks to me like many people in the city have finally figured out the merits of firearm ownership. There’s nothing like some real-world experience to change an erroneously held opinion. If I were a politician and had only the slightest ability to read the tea leaves, I would certainly know that now would not be the time to promote or introduce more gun legislation. It certainly looks like many Americans have developed a newfound appreciation and respect for the Second Amendment. That fact, in and of itself, is a good thing. It is just too bad that this lesson had to come at such a relatively high price.

Another silver lining from recent events is the revelation that some people have come to regarding toilet paper. Most have figured out that having a closet full of toilet paper isn’t much good without also having another same-sized closet full of food. Our various “lockdowns” and quarantines worked to give many folks a wake-up call on being just a little more prepared for unforeseen events. I’m not saying that everyone went full-on “prepper,” but more than a few have realized the value of a basic food stockpile, as well as the tools needed to keep that stockpile secure. A change in the general public’s attitude, from one of benign complacency to a basic sense of situational awareness is yet another good result that has come from current events.

Heightened situational awareness has also, hopefully, come to our elected officials. A short time ago there wasn’t much enthusiasm for America to be more self-sufficient, at least among the political classes. Now, however, the veil has been lifted; not being beholden to our enemies for basic supplies seems like the new good idea. We can only hope that this isn’t simply a short-lived revelation and that we seriously begin to manufacture our own medical necessities, as well as other strategically important items. That we have become dangerously reliant upon the products of those countries who aren’t our allies is painfully obvious and something that needs to be rectified immediately. We can only hope that the concept of self-sufficiency on the national level won’t go away after the election cycle.

The biggest silver lining, however, has been the long overdue mobilization of the vast “silent majority” in this country. The insane antics of the “left,” along with their sponsored anarchist thugs, have served the purpose of showing the average citizen how absolutely anti-American they truly are. Everyone now sees the “progressive” movement for what it really is, and we are also being treated to the spectacle of how absolutely dysfunctional those cities and local governments are that have embraced a “leftist” agenda. The enemy has truly “crawled out from under their rock” and revealed himself for exactly what he is.

That “revealing” is going to be their fatal mistake. The powerful “silent majority” will deal with this challenge like they have historically done with every other challenge to our American way of life; with clear thinking and common sense. As in the past, our enemies now seriously underestimate the ability of the American people to chart the correct course and hold to it. They truly ignore us at their peril.

– Gut Ziel