To Keep and Bear Arms

The Kansas State Rifle Association held their convention in Hutchinson June 11-13. Patricia Stoneking is KSRA’s President and does a first rate job of promoting the 2nd Amendment.

Elsha and I enjoyed meeting many freedom and Constitution loving Kansans. We learned about issues facing gun owners in Kansas, America and around the world. John Siglar and his wife Ingrid came from Delaware to address the convention.

John is an immediate Past President of the NRA and sits on the board. He gave a stirring speech that motivated us to get all gun owners registered to vote and out to the polls. Twice he thanked Todd Tiahrt for his leadership.

The banquet on Saturday night provided an opportunity to tell of Todd's love of hunting and his interest in firearms.

John, Todd and Luke after a successful pheasant hunt.

The crowd was very interested to note that in 1994 Todd introduced the first-ever concealed carry bill in Kansas, modeled after Florida law. While the bill failed to garner enough votes to pass that year, it opened the door to today's current concealed carry law in Kansas. I read portions of an old Wichita Eagle story blasting Todd for his initiation of the bill. The first of many negative headlines for his promotion of the 2nd Amendment.

Then recounting Todd’s Congressional work to protect the privacy of every legal gun owner and of law enforcement in the Tiahrt Trace Data Amendment surprised the listeners. They were mostly unaware of the assault by Mayor Bloomberg and his 500 “Mayors Against Guns.” The ads they have run in major liberal newspapers and the billboards are outrageous declaring the Tiahrt Amendment responsible for the death of law enforcement officers, for the Drug War in Mexico, for the Virginia Tech shootings and most recently for the Ft. Hood Shooting.

The abuse Todd has taken is nearly unbelievable with Barack Obama campaigning on overturning the Tiahrt Amendment and then Eric Holder testifying before Congress that the Amendment is responsible for all kind of evils. It is apparent to any open-minded listener, that Todd Tiahrt has done more for the privacy protection of law-abiding citizens than any other legislator and has faced more persecution from the left.

While this smearing of our good name is deplorable, I am proud of Todd's courage and commitment to the 2nd Amendment and I support him. Where is the support from all the other legislators that the NRA rates as having an “A” on their report cards? Why don't they speak out in defense of privacy? Why does Todd face these ads and billboards alone?

Todd Tiahrt deserves the vote and support of every citizen committed to the 2nd Amendment.

On Sunday, Elsha and I attended the KSRA shoot outside Hutch. We both got pointers from attending instructors and law officers in the handling of a firearm, self defense, and safety. (How'd I do?)

Bob and Patricia Stoneking were patient teachers and I really enjoyed learning from them.

At the end of our time together I was eager to pay my membership to the Kansas State Rifle Association and Elsha joined too. Thanks to the Stonekings, and the new friends at the KSRA.