What I Did on 9/11

by Greg Perry by Greg Perry

DIGG THIS

What did you do this week on Tuesday, September 11, 2007, the 6th anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon disaster?

Did you mourn the dead? Did you hug your family members? Did you watch the ceremonies on television? All three of those are good things to do. Well, on second thought watching the ceremonies on TV probably isn’t a great use of your time for a number of reasons that only those on LewRockwell.com would understand.

Celebrate Freedom

Tuesday, September 11, 2007, I celebrated freedom in the best way possible. It’s an eroding freedom. It’s freedon in a land where freedoms before 9/11 were dwindling and after 9/11 they began dwindling more rapidly. It’s a freedom where the airports treat you like criminals instead of customers. It’s a freedom where you are considered crazy if you want to protect your children from the government school system by keeping them at home where you can raise them in the way they should go. It’s a freedom where if you risk a bunch of money to build a building for your new business you are then forced to reserve the best parking spaces and bathroom stalls for people who may never ever be a customer of yours (think Gold’s Gym as a prime example).

Tuesday, September 11, 2007, I celebrated freedom in the best way possible. Although it’s an eroding freedom, we must admit that we’re still free in most states (California is an example of a state that despises freedom unless you’re Mexican). You’re reading LewRockwell.com and until it’s not allowed to exist, we do still have more freedom than many countries had throughout history. We still have enough freedom to turn the tide and restore the true freedoms that made America great, the years from our founding up to about 1914.

How I Celebrated Freedom in the Best Way Possible

Tuesday, September 11, 2007, I celebrated freedom in the best way possible. I bought a gun.

It’s not just any gun. It is the gun. I bought an M1A. A Springfield Armory M1A, a .308 caliber rifle. A rifle that shoots a bullet that has more energy after the bullet flies 300 yards than an M16/AR-15 has at its muzzle.

In other words, my real rifle’s bullet is still more powerful after it’s traveled 300 yards than the U.N.’s bullet the moment it leaves the gun. My M1A has far more than twice the distance of those little 22-caliber peashooters that the jackbooted thugs carry with them when they descend upon a nation to squelch the life from it. My rifle can really reach out and touch someone.

Are You a Rifleman Or a Victim?

I just love a guy named Fred who writes for Shotgun News. He has a web site where you can learn what it takes to become a Rifleman too. Thanks to Fred I now have a weapon that is usable. Thanks for Fred I have a weapon with which I can be a Rifleman. Thanks to Fred I now can defend my freedom if I’m ever called to do so by the situation.

It would just be great if I never have to defend my freedom. It would just be great if I have fun shooting the rest of my life at little targets I set up 400—800 yards down the field. It would be great if I never have to defend my freedom and my country’s freedom but I will immediately prepare to be able to do so if required.

Can you hit a man-sized target at 400 yards? That’s a primary, doable, easily-obtainable requirement to become a Rifleman. 500 yards isn’t too tough after that. This isn’t sniper school. This is old-fashioned Rifleman skills, the skills that Americans used to have in general and a skill that would be useful for our military if they got any real rifle training these days (most don’t).

Become a Rifleman. That is how you celebrate your freedom.

Step One Completed

Becoming a Rifleman is only step one in celebrating your freedom. Step two is forming a group of like-minded individuals. Step three is training others to become Riflemen. Yes, of course, women who wish should become Riflemen too; Annie Oakley could outshoot 9 out of 10 sharp-shooters of her day and a woman is often a good shot because she will follow instructions better than a man. That’s the thing about becoming a Rifleman. It’s not difficult. We usually make it more difficult than it is. Hitting a 400-yard shot requires only a little proper training.

Yes, you need to be able to shoot out to 400 yards or so with any standard rifle and any ammunition you find that works. I mean any real rifle, not some AR-15/M16 that the U.N. uses. That dart-thrower is effective for close urban quarters, and also for situations such as if the BATF needs to shoot children at Waco who try to flee flame throwers, but worthless in a Rifleman’s hands when distance is the key to winning the battle.

You don’t need "match grade" anything to hit a man-sized target 400—500 yards down the way. Heck, use an SKS if you have to because even they can punch through 450 yards in a pinch. Yes, you can become a Rifleman with a cheap SKS if you have to. You’ll eventually save enough to get a better rifle.

Go look at Fred’s site. Order his book, How to Become a Rifleman. Order some targets.

Even if you don’t have a real rifle yet (and I generally reserve the term real rifle for .308 or 30-06 caliber with only a few exceptions), get Fred’s book and order some of his skill-building targets. By the time you get through about 10 pages you’ll be looking for one of those real rifles, like the M1A or his proud daddy, the M1 Garand. By the time you read 10 pages of anything Fred writes, you’ll know your next goal in life is to celebrate your freedom by getting an M1A too.

A Nation of Riflemen Celebrate Freedom By Breathing

If we were once again a nation of Riflemen, we would be a free nation. Our freedoms wouldn’t be eroding away day-by-day.

The box on my new, 9/11 M1A says this: "Not allowed in the State of California."

Do you live in California? If so and you’re reading this, why haven’t you called the realtor yet? There are a lot of states that would benefit you. And perhaps you might just become a Rifleman and pay back some of that benefit. You might just train someone else some day to become a Rifleman. I realize I’m being caustic when I say what I’m about to say but I really say it because I really care about you: If you live in California, are you sure you respect freedom? Are you sure you would do everything in your power to protect your family when faced with the opportunity? I don’t know if you would but I’m a skeptic at heart. I’m not challenging your love for your family but I do challenge your willingness to do what is necessary to protect them from harm. Until you can open the box I opened this week legally in your own state, I’m not convinced you love freedom more than you love the security of the state.

For any of us, it is a lot easier to remember 9/11 by watching flowers laid on graves and watching debates on how the World Trade Center memorial should be designed. And it’s a whole lot cheaper than working extra hard to purchase a real gun. And it’s a whole lot less stressful than moving to a state where you can be an asset for your freedom for a change.

Are You a Rifleman or a Victim?

Fred is just great as some who order his book and follow it will learn. Fred says you’re either a Rifleman or a Cook. Fred is being kind; I’m not that kind. I say you’re either a Rifleman or a victim. Let’s hope the day never comes when I have to prove my Rifleman skills and let’s hope the day comes when many of you don’t get to prove how easy it is to be a victim. I am grateful I found out about Fred before I was forced to prove I was a victim.

I don’t know Fred. I assume Lew doesn’t know Fred. Neither Lew nor I make money if you order Fred’s book. Lew and I are better off if you do, however, because you might actually read it; and better still, you may even follow its advice to the letter.

I followed Fred’s advice to the letter.

More important, Tuesday, September 11, 2007, I followed Fred’s advice and bought my M1A.

The Best of Greg Perry