December 29, 2012 marks the 122nd Anniversary of the murder of
297 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation in South Dakota. These 297 people, in their winter camp,
were murdered by federal agents and members of the 7th Cavalry who
had come to confiscate their firearms ?for their own safety and
protection?. The slaughter began after the majority of the Sioux had
peacefully turned in their firearms. The Calvary began shooting, and
managed to wipe out the entire camp. 200 of the 297 victims were
women and children. About 40 members of the 7th Cavalry were killed,
but over half of them were victims of fratricide from the Hotchkiss
guns of their overzealous comrades-in-arms. Twenty members of the
7th Cavalry's death squad, were deemed ?National Heroes? and were
awarded the Medal of Honor for their acts of [cowardice] heroism.
We hear very little of Wounded Knee today. It is usually not
mentioned in our history classes or books. What little that does
exist about Wounded Knee is normally a sanitized ?Official
Government Explanation?. And there are several historically
inaccurate depictions of the events leading up to the massacre,
which appear in movie scripts and are not the least bit
representative of the actual events that took place that day.
Wounded Knee was among the first federally backed gun confiscation
attempts in United States history. It ended in the senseless murder
of 297 people.
Before you jump on the emotionally charged bandwagon for gun-
control, take a moment to reflect on the real purpose of the Second
Amendment, the right of the people to take up arms in defense of
themselves, their families, and property in the face of invading
armies or an oppressive government. The argument that the Second
Amendment only applies to hunting and target shooting is asinine.
When the United States Constitution was drafted, ?hunting? was an
everyday chore carried out by men and women to put meat on the table
each night, and ?target shooting? was an unheard of concept. Musket
balls were a precious commodity and were certainly not wasted on ?
target shooting?. The Second Amendment was written by people who
fled oppressive and tyrannical regimes in Europe, and it refers to
the right of American citizens to be armed for defensive purposes,
should such tyranny arise in the United States.
As time goes forward, the average citizen in the United States
continually loses little chunks of personal freedom or ?liberty?.
Far too many times, unjust gun control bills were passed and signed
into law under the guise of ?for your safety? or ?for protection?.
The Patriot Act signed into law by G.W. Bush, was expanded and
continues under Barack Obama. It is just one of many examples of
American citizens being stripped of their rights and privacy for ?
safety?. Now, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is on the table, and
will, most likely be attacked to facilitate the path for the removal
of our firearms, all in the name of ?our safety?.
Before any American citizen blindly accepts whatever new firearms
legislation that is about to be doled out, they should stop and
think about something for just one minute-
Evil does exist in our world. It always has and always will.
Throughout history evil people have committed evil acts. In the
Bible one of the first stories is that of Cain killing Abel. We can
not legislate ?evil? into extinction. Good people will abide by the
law, and the criminal element will always find a way around it.
Evil exists all around us, but looking back at the historical record
of the past 200 years, across the globe, where is ?evil? and ?
malevolence? most often found? In the hands of those with the power,
the governments. That greatest human tragedies on record and the
largest loss of innocent human life can be attributed to
governments. Who do the governments always target? ?Scapegoats? and ?
enemies? within their own borders?but only after they have been
disarmed to the point where they are no longer a threat. Ask any
Native American, and they will tell you it was inferior technology
and lack of arms that contributed to their demise. Ask any Armenian
why it was so easy for the Turks to exterminate millions of them,
and they will answer ?We were disarmed before it happened?. Ask any
Jew what Hitler?s first step prior to the mass murders of the
Holocaust was- confiscation of firearms from the people.
Wounded Knee is the prime example of why the Second Amendment
exists, and why we should vehemently resist any attempts to infringe
on our Rights to Bear Arms. Without the Second Amendment we will be
totally stripped of any ability to defend ourselves and our
families. Jeffrey E.