Monthly Archives: January 2013

The Second Amendment is NOT about Hunting…

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…it is, quite simply, about preserving liberty.  When hearing discussions regarding the second amendment, I quite often listen to people give their ‘take’ on what the second amendment means.  Many, on both sides of the gun control debate, treat the second amendment as though it were an isolated paragraph that was arbitrarily thrown into the constitution.  Even many of those who support private gun ownership do not seem to fully appreciate what the second amendment is really about.  The second amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the constitution.  For those who don’t know, those 10 amendments that we know collectively as the bill of rights were ratified together in 1791.  All 10 of these amendments have one common theme:  To protect American citizens from an intrusive, tyrannical federal government.  The constitutional framers knew that our American ‘experiment’ in self governing would eventually be threatened by the growing power of the federal government.  All 10 of the amendments contained in the bill of rights are there to prevent the federal government from becoming a totalitarian regime.  If you want to understand the second amendment read the third amendment.  Read them all.  It is preposterous to believe that 9 of the 10 amendments in the bill of rights are about protecting citizens from the overreaching government and the remaining one (the second) is about ‘Hunting’.  Of course it’s NOT about hunting!  The second amendment is the ‘glue’ that holds the entire bill of rights together.  The other 9 amendments contained in the bill of rights have no teeth if it weren’t for the second.  If you look throughout history, one of the first things an aspiring dictator does is disarm the citizens.  He is then able to systematically remove any and all of the rights and freedoms the population has and there is nothing they can do about it.  An armed population is what keeps our country free.

I have heard some say: “The founders wrote the second amendment with single shot, muzzle loading muskets in mind, not semi-automatic, high capacity magazine containing handguns in mind”.  That is again preposterous!  The founders guaranteed the citizens the right to own the the very same firearm technology the government had then and now.

I have heard others say: “You don’t need an AR-15 to hunt”.  To that I say, so what!  Again, the second amendment says nothing about hunting.  The second amendment guarantees citizens the right to bear arms.  Which arms I choose to own and bear is my decision, no one else’s.  The idea that someone else can decide what I need and therefore regulate what I am allowed to have based on their opinion smacks of Marxism.

I have heard some say: “We have to find a balance between gun rights and safety”.  That is nothing more than an thinly veiled first step toward gun control.  Anyone who cares to actually look at statistics on gun crime would see that these measures don’t add safety to society.  In fact, look for the regions in our country with the toughest gun laws and you will find the highest levels of crime involving guns.  Turns out that criminals and would be criminals aren’t deterred by tough gun laws.  Who’d have guessed that criminals would ignore laws?  Weird!  Right??  What does happen in these regions where tough gun laws exist is that law abiding citizens are left defenseless against the criminal element and crime levels are elevated.

Whether you choose to own firearms yourself or not.  The constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms is the key element that keeps our country free.  Your neighbor’s right to own and bear arms keeps your right to freedom of speech from being suspended.  Because our society is armed, you are protected from an intrusive government as well.

If you feel you are safer far, far away from guns, I would challenge you to turn your property into a ‘gun free zone’.  Simply post a yard sign in your front yard stating that your property is a gun free zone and that no firearms are permitted on your property.  This sign will protect you from criminals who may want to burglarize your property or assault you or your family members since they will not be able to enter your property with a gun.  ‘Cuz the sign says no guns…

The Bill of Rights

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The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States
begun and held at the City of New-York, on
Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form. These amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the “Bill of Rights.”

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

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.

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Homemade Pizza – Bread Machine Recipe

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Preheat bread machine bread pan by filling with hot water and place aside.  Add 1 1/3 cups water to a microwave safe measuring cup.  Add 2 Tbs unsalted butter to the water.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave on high for another 30 seconds.  Water should be around 130 degrees (cool or heat more if needed).  Dump out bread pan and dry.  Bread pan should now be warm to the touch but not hot.  Make sure mixing blade is installed and add water / butter mixture to the pan.  add 2 Tbs sugar and 2 tsp salt to the water in the bread pan.  Add on top of that, 4 cups all purpose flour.  Make a small hole, not too deep, into the top of the flour in the bread pan.  Add, into the hole, 1 packet highly active yeast (2 tsp).  Place bread pan into bread machine and select dough cycle.  Start machine.  Should take 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on your machine.  When complete, dump dough out onto lightly floured surface and punch down.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide dough into two parts.  Each part is one pizza crust.  Stretch, roll, hand toss, whatever works for you to get the dough to the size of your pizza pans.  I put a light coating of olive oil on the pizza pans then place dough onto them and let rest for 20 minutes to rise.  Coat with your favorite pizza sauce (we buy a jar from the supermarket).  Add your favorite toppings and top each pizza with 1/2 pound of shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake in over for 14 -16 minutes or until cheese has browned sufficiently.  Remove and cut into slices with a pizza wheel.

I Can’t Believe You Put That Much Chocolate in Your Birthday Cake – Cake Recipe

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This is a three layer, fairly dense, chocolate cake with a light whipped cream based frosting.  It seems to taste even better on day two and three then it did on the first.  It’s possible that it might taste great on the forth day, but we cannot verify that as it does not seem to last that long.

Ingredients: 

Cake

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 (4oz bars) Bakers German’s Sweet Chocolate
  • 2 cups boiled water
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla

Directions: 

Place a metal mixing bowl and the whisk attachments for your mixer in the freezer for a couple of hours to chill.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Grease and flour three 9 inch cake pans.  Break up chocolate bars and place into very hot (nearly boiling) water and set aside.  Using an electric stand mixer, begin by creaming the butter and brown sugar together.  Add, one at a time, the eggs.  Then add the vanilla and sour cream and mix.  Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.  By now, the chocolate should be very soft.  Stir the chocolate / water mixture together.  With mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and the chocolate mixture to the batter in parts, 1/3 of each at a time and alternating between the two.  Once all of the ingredients are added to batter, increase mixer speed briefly to blend batter stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula.  Be careful not to over mix though.  Pour evenly into the three cake pans and place in over.  Bake for aprox. 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for a few minutes before turning pans upside down over a cooling rack to release cake.  Cool cake completely before frosting.

When ready to frost, retrieve mixing bowl and whisk attachments from freezer.  Add cream, cocoa, and sugar and beat on high until fluffy but not dry.  I use a bread knife to cut the rounded top of two of the cake loaves, saving the third for the top layer.  Use the frosting between layers and to cover cake.  We refrigerate cake, but find it serves better at room temp.

Enjoy!