The Rifleman  

“We shall tax you, and we don’t care whether you want us to or not…”

Is that about how Congress is, these days?

Are we looking at the “new Parliament”?

People who don’t care what you say, what you want, what you think?

Because they want your money.

Like a long ago Parliament did.

Only back then, we fought a bloody 8-year war to establish the “no taxation without representation” principle.

And, two hundred years later, we see the result. (A Founder would be quick to point out the result is from the great American people falling asleep at the switch. No way they left us in this predicament.)

So, here we are, 230+ years after the fighting began over taxation without representation.

How’s it - “taxation WITH representation” - working out for us Americans, these days?

Well, let’s see, by looking at a little historical comparison of sorts.

Forty-five centuries ago, Egyptian society was already a thousand years old - and the government was anything but representative. In fact, Pharaoh was a living god.

Yet, when it came to building the pyramids, the ‘living god’ could only squeeze 3 months a year out of his more or less willing servants - that time period when the Nile flooded every year, and no one could work the fields…so archeologists tell us.

It’s estimated by these same archeologists that building the Great Pyramid took 10-20 years of hard, back-breaking work.

It stands to reason, the job could have been finished faster, if Egyptians were asked or forced to work more hours each year on it.

So, working four months each year, instead of three, would cut maybe 4-5 years off the task.

Working five months a year could have cut 8 or more years off the task - that’s a pretty big cut, if you ask me. Finishing in 12 years, instead of 20 - and all you have to do is work the slaves/peasants an extra two months each year? Good deal!

I doubt royalty back then was any more into delayed gratification than royalty in, say, the 18th-century.

So, why didn’t they work them harder?

Could it be possible, someone was worried you can only squeeze so much blood out of a turnip? And squeezing ‘more’ might not be a good idea, for social stability, and harmony?

Or could it be someone was smart enough, way back then (2500 BC), to understand you can only skim so much off the top, without wrecking the economy?

If so, what do you think of our new-fangled (only 200 years old) notion of “no taxation without representation”?

Let’s see - just to compare - we currently work 5 months a year for various levels of government - until May 29th, according to the “Tax Freedom Day” people.

And it’s not just ten or twenty or fifty thousand of us - like however many they used to build the pyramids. No sir, EVERYONE working in this country donates 5 months a year to government.

To the modern Pharaoh.

But, worse - at least when the Egyptians got thru building the pyramids, they seem to have been ‘let go’.

Ten or twenty years? “Thanks, you can go now”.

But, pity us. Ten or twenty years look good, compared to a life-time - which is what we are all obligated for.

Makes you want to long for the days of “taxation without representation”!

Work ten years, or twenty, and take the rest of your life off?

From 21st-century America, it doesn’t look so bad…

“Hello, welcome to ancient Egypt, a certified Vacationland!”

If time machines were possible, guess what? Congress would outlaw them.

Can’t have all those taxpayers fleeing to ancient Egypt to build pyramids. Too embarrassing!

And besides, no way do we the Congress want to give up all those man-years of labor represented by every living soul in this country. That’s pure gold, that is. Money. Lots of it.

At the same time, no way Congress will give up on the notion of taxing you more.

For that matter, of working BOTH sides of the street.

Of working both the “taxation with representation” (the present) AND “taxation without representation” (the future).

Digging, with BOTH ends of the stick.

Yes sir, borrow money from future unborn generations, none of whom, to my knowledge, have the right to vote (except in Chicago), and none of whom have any representation in present-day Congress.

No representation at all.

In fact, those future unborns rely on us to protect their rights, something the Founders knew and cared about.

Our new Parliament does not. Seemingly, for them, “money is money” - and they don’t really care whose pockets it comes out of - even the pockets of the unborn future (who technically don’t have any pockets yet, but that’s not a problem for our modern-day wizard politicians…).

I don’t know about this stuff.

No one seems to care.

Maybe it’s not an issue.

Maybe we should all simply stay home, and watch TV, like most of us are already doing.

What do you think?

Ready to leave the problem-solving to the unborn future/

You prob are.

Ah, but there’s a bit of a thorn in that rosy picture.

The ‘crunch’ may come when YOU’re still alive.

There’s no guarantee it won’t.

In fact, it’s quite likely it will.

Because our political elites seem to have no boundaries, and no restrictions, on ‘em, any more.

Every year, the process not only continues - but accelerates.

Yes sir, there may not be time to live out your life, die, and let your kids or grandkids “face the music”.

Beside, when you think about it, isn’t that just a little bit - just a touch - cowardly?

I hate to be the one to bring it up - but I believe there is a faint unpleasant odor steaming up from that couch you seem to be glued to…

But you don’t have to stay there.

Fortunately, there is an something you can do.

Because if you are concerned about this, you are not alone.

Other Americans are concerned about our nation’s “drift”.

You’ll find those Americans at your nearest Appleseed.

You’ll meet new friends and neighbors with whom you can pool your efforts to change this nation.

To reconnect it with its roots, its foundation, its heritage.

Yes, YOU can become part of the solution - the solution being to wake up your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, your family and relatives.

Heck, make it easy - get ‘em to an Appleseed, and let us do the work!

You’ll be glad you did!

Let’s start out on a point of agreement.

Even fervent agreement.

YOU are an important person.

Yet, important as you are, you could be MUCH MORE IMPORTANT.

Like, REALLY important.

No, you haven’t been to an Appleseed. Yet.

And that’s the rub.

How do I know you haven’t been to an Appleseed?

Simple, really…

There’s 300 million Americans, and only one in 50,000 approximately has been to an Appleseed.

Not too hard, to figure you are likely one of the no-shows.

Maybe - almost certainly - it’s because you don’t know what Appleseed is.

Likely, in fact, you haven’t even heard of it (we’re trying hard to “get the word out” - but it’s slow, slow without the kind of money you need for a nationwide media blitz).

Yet this little volunteer program not ony has nation-changing potential, it has - from your point of view, what’s more important - personal-changing potential.

Yep, a volunteer program, one which takes a weekend, costs a mere 70 bucks (and for most - women, children, and military - is free), can make a new person of you.

Even, in some cases, give meaning to your life (that’s gotta be a big one) and, at the least, makes a more aware, a more serious, a more thoughtful - you!

For the price of twenty minutes on a shrink’s couch, you can become a new, better, more satisfied, more effective, more worthy person.

In fact, Appleseed can reach beyond you, to your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, your family, your friends…even your relatives.

It’s true.

I’ve heard more stories than one about how a parent shows up with a child with whom the relationship is troubled - and in the course of working out the problems and challenges of Appleseed, a barrier is broken, and they leave, talking, communicating, even understanding each other.

Will the wonders of this unique program ever cease?

Seemingly not, as if you ask the people most involved in it, the hard-working volunteers, they’ll tell you right out - for them, Appleseed offers HOPE.

Hope, that things can be changed.

Hope, that the future is not yet written, and we can play a part, a good part, in the writing of it.

Appleseed sends another message, one which is determinative for some volunteers - and may be determinative for you, once you attend. It sends you a message, right then and there, before you leave: that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

That message can be pretty important to you.

People who show up for an Appleseed are likely to be people you don’t run into everyday.

Americans who CARE. Care about what’s coming - for them, for their country, for their kids’ future.

Americans who are CONCERNED about the future. And Americans who aren’t gonna sit passively by, and let that dark future looming before all of us become a reality we may all have to live with - for years, if not decades; for decades, if not indefinitely - but possibly, indefinitely.

Yes, the ship may be sinking now (to use an analogy most Appleseeders use) - but it doesn’t have to sink. It can be stopped, saved, repaired, and made whole again.

But the point is, right now, it’s not being stopped, repaired - and certainly not being made whole, again.

No one is doing anything to fix it.

Yes, a few of us can protest publically - and we’re all better for it - but protest without further action is a fleeting phenomena.

And Appleseed is about permanent change in this country - for at least a generation or more. (Appleseed will try to make the change permanent, by continuing in future generations to teach those generations what they must know in order to meet the standards the founders held for every American.)

Which is why we don’t focus on elections, or getting out the vote, or anything like it.

We focus on the electorate, on making the long-term changes needed to make this country a safe place for Liberty, once again.

That’s why it’s so important for you to come to an Appleseed.

To find out for yourself. Then to, if the program so moves you, pitch in and help.

While you’re at it, ‘get the word out’ to all your family/relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers - and anyone else - about this program.

The future belongs to each of us.

We have the power to change it.

But to do it, each of us has to get off the couch, and make it happen.

There’re way too few people doing that, now.

Don’t you be one of them.

Don’t you be unimportant.

When you can be important…

[Comment] I’ve attended one Appleseed and I see how Appleseed could be part of solving our nation’s crises. Appleseed may even be the tipping point in the fight to halt, or even reverse, the ever growing infringements on our right to bear arms. However, I don’t see how Appleseed can change the values and minds of a significant number of citizens. Creating riflemen does change minds, but probably only slightly, in most cases. We need a complete overhaul of all major institutions in the nation (schools, media outlets, courts, legislatures, etc.) to teach and honor values that perpetuate liberty. Perhaps, in time, changing schools and families would be enough to begin to trickle the joy of liberty out to all the other institutions.

Nonetheless, you’ve motivated me to participate in your plan, but I’d like to hear more about how creating riflemen can significantly alter the values of the nation. I just don’t see a strong connection between creating riflemen and, essentially, creating libertarians (with a small “l” so I don’t necessarily mean the party, though that would help a great deal). [end of Comment]

Glad to hear from you, and glad you’ve decided to participate.

Sure, “changing schools and families” would prob do it - but how do you do that?

We’re doing it, by changing the people who underlie schools and families.

Here’s an expanded version of an article I recently put in Shotgun News as an explanation of the concept of how marksmanship can save a nation:

Can marksmanship ’save’ a nation?

It sure can!

Particularly, the way Appleseed teaches it.

Even if you piddle with the definition of ‘save’.

Certainly, in a physical sense, it can be the difference - witness numerous instances in this country’s history, right from the first, when a single well-aimed shot turned history around - and many well-aimed shots earned our freedom, and helped us keep it, down thru the centuries.

Japanese admiral Yamamoto supposedly explained the Japanese failure to invade this country by opining it wouldn’t be healthy, as behind every blade of grass would be a rifle.

That may not be the real reason for the absence of any intention by the Japanese to invade the continental US, but if the war had turned out differently at Midway, who knows how far Nippon was willing to go? “Victory disease” creates a fever of grandiose plans, and they may have tried it…

But we don’t face, at least at present, any serious threat from a traditional foreign invasion.

So what about the other dimension of ‘saving’ - of creating a moral change which would result in a stronger country?

In my mind there’s no question on that score: marksmanship can ‘save’ this nation.

Learn how to shoot, to become part of the American tradition of the Rifleman, and you will become a different person. An American. Not a couch-sitting, complaining, sleeping, worthless Doofus Americanus…

That alone would be worth it - all that personal improvement.

Yet reflect that a nation is only as strong as its people make it.

And you begin to understand: Anything which makes Americans better and stronger has the power to ‘save’ a nation - if it makes a stronger America, morally.

“Getting off the couch” to come to an Appleseed is the first step on the road to self-improvement. The skills you learn will be lifetime skills.

The stuff you learn about your heritage will be lifetime motivation not to let that heritage down - or let it die.

The people you meet at AS will become life-long friends.

Your current friends? You’ll feel the need to get THEM to an Appleseed, so they turn into worthy Americans, just like you. It’s tough to hang around unworthy Americans - bad for your karma, and leads to contempt, despising, and worse. So, yes, you’ll want your friend to be “Appleseeders”, too…

For some people, Appleseed is about HOPE.

In the face of the coming future, you can argue anything which gives you ‘hope’ is worthy for that reason alone - and deserves your support for that reason alone.

But for some Appleseed is a much-needed shot-in-the-arm with the message YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Yes, there are other Americans out there. Honest, concerned, off-the-couch-bailing Americans.

Yes, it’s possible, by all working together, we can stop the ship from sinking.

Yes, there’s a plan, a program, a strategy to save this nation - and all we need to add to it is the efforts of all our shoulders.

Heck, we even have the gall to set a timetable for measuring our progress…

Do we require guarantees? Do we need to know, before we start to push the wagon, that we can get it out of the rut? Or save the sinking ship?

Only if we think we are better than the founders…

Who picked up muskets and went for the redcoats, with NO assurances, no guarantees, no promises of any kind - only the shining goal of liberty, and the dark image of a darker future lying before them.

So, we don’t need guarantees. We see the task, we step up, and, knowing the stakes, bend every effort, to get the job done.

Simple as that.

This is a program YOU want to make a success.

The founders (John Adams in particular) clearly pointed out the American Revolution was a revolution in thinking - a revolution in hearts and minds.

What is Appleseed about, but creating that revolution once more?

We (re)create it by exposing our fellow citizens to a history and heritage which the mere exposure to makes them quickly understand how precious that history and heritage is, and the value and need to make sure it doesn’t disappear on their (our) watch.

Sure, you better help us out!

It’s the only hope most of us have for changing the future.

The ONLY hope.

The only HOPE.

Here’s an easy thing you can do, to help make Appleseed the success it needs to be: Make a list of all your friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbors - everyone you know. Systematically go down the list, talking to each person about Appleseed, and the need to go to one of our 400+ locations this year (maybe you’ll show up at your first Appleseed with a carload - that’d be great). Time is short, and it’s not on our side. We have a nation to save…and a nation waiting, which needs saving…