Prof returned today with grade - [b]A+[/b] [:D]

This was written by my son, aka Mcwarrior.

Dear Mr. Stevens,
This week while in my cell awaiting indictment I chanced upon your remarks to the press concerning my recent activities. While I understand the need of Cal-NRA to act lawfully in all its business, your pronouncing my deeds "shameful and unfortunate" concerns me. It is true that I acted alone and did not in any way request the assistance or support of your organization, and never did I suggest that I represented you, your members, or any other group when breaking the law. I believe, however, that your organization was built upon the same principles that compelled me to disobey California State law and which resulted in my being arrested as a felon.
All laws are written with a purpose in mind. Some legislation enacted is conceived, written and enacted clearly and addresses specific detail and concerns. Some laws, on the other hand, are written in haste, with little or no thought to purpose or effects. These laws are written in response to a perceived need of the public, designed to put the majority at ease. These laws are sometimes unreasonable and poorly thought-out; they appease the demons of fear and ignorance. Such is the law by which I have become a felon.
Whenever we are confronted with the prominent horror of another schoolyard or office shooting, the media seems to cry out the need for more gun control, more restrictions on "assault weapons," "Saturday night specials," or "sniper rifles." It is ignorance of the causes of heinous and regrettable travesties against mankind that lead to these cries. It is not because of the proliferation of certain kinds of guns that causes people to commit crimes, but most people are unable to see past the immediate, and desperately demand action by the authorities -- and if it is too late to call the police, they look to the legislators to prevent future tragedies.
California's firearm restrictions are among the toughest in our nation. You and your council know this better than any others. In particular, the law that confounds and disturbs so many citizens is the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Act of 1989 (RR) and its amending laws. According to statistics that one may read on the FBI, ATF and CDC internet web sites, assault weapons as defined by RR comprised very little of the total percentage of gun crimes both before and after the enacting of the law. The law is not faulty because of its seeming ineffectiveness. The law makes criminals of ordinary citizens practicing their rights and freedoms as set forth in the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. You of all people champion the 2nd Amendment, Mr. Stevens. What about the RR laws do you not see as an infringement on those rights?

continued

Every American knows, and I need not quote, the 2nd Amendment, which reads as follows: "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." As numerous quotes and documents demonstrate, the drafters of the Constitution believed that the militia was in fact made up of the individual people in the nation -- not the standing army, as the authors and supporters of RR would have us believe. No, we "the people" as mentioned above are all the individuals who make up the national community (United States v. Verdugo-Urquidez, No. 88-1353 [1990]). This is the first hint that the Roberti-Roos law is an unjust one. RR violates that right as enumerated, not granted, by the Bill of Rights, or the first ten amendments to the Constitution. As Marbury v. Madison, 5 US 137 (1803) spells out, we are not required to obey any law that is in direct conflict with any provision of the Bill of Rights.
I am part of the reserve force of our Nation's great military, but I do not believe myself to be part of any elite that should be allowed to buy special arms such as the RR assault weapons. I sought to acquire a certain rifle as a private citizen, and was prosecuted as such. Because I am uncomfortable with the level of training I receive in the military with a similar rifle, I took it upon myself to privately own and practice with that rifle on private property. Before I was arrested I knew nothing of the assault weapons laws in place here in California. Having read some of your documentation this month, I now know better and feel myself to be a well-informed citizen. Unfortunately, it is too late. Prior to my incarceration I did not know it was illegal to buy or own said rifle in this state, or that I am required to transfer such rifles through federally licensed dealers.
It seemed to me the most natural thing in the world to be taught to use a rifle in boot camp, and then desire to continue my education by constantly practicing with a similar rifle so as to be confidently competent in time of war. Even were I not part of the "standing army," as it were, I am more confident of my ability to defend myself and my family having practiced with it. It seems to me that it would be the most natural thing in the world for a man to arm himself to protect his family and home against intruders both human and animal. If that man is not a law enforcement officer as defined by RR, though, that man must find another means of defending himself. Perhaps he may rely upon law enforcement -- although California has no law requiring a police officer to defend a citizen, or else the State would be inundated by lawsuits whenever the police were unable to respond to an emergency in time. The blame does not lie with law enforcement; the fault is in the law itself.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. noted in his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail," one must not be content with broken promises or abandonment from supporters such as certain advocacy and lobby groups. Like King, I have taken direct action. I would like to believe that, even had I known about the laws concerning assault weapons, I would have practiced civil disobedience.

continued

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, understood this: "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember it or overthrow it." Lincoln said this in his First Inaugural Address on March 4, 1861. I have not the resources nor the inclination to amend or dismember my government, but I have thrown off the yoke about my shoulders from this injustice.
I look forward to your response, and abide patiently against the day when all may understand the failure of this law to use reason and logic to provide for the safety of the citizens of California.

Yours Respectfully,
Ryan M. Thomas

Ok, before DonR or anyone freaks out. This was written for his college english class assignment.

Ryan M. Thomas
English 1A
1 March 2002
Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
Suggestions for Writing, Response #1


"Write a brief letter protesting an injustice that you feel may not be entirely understood by people you respect. Clarify the nature of the injustice, the reasons that people hold an unjust view, and the reasons your views should be accepted. Consult King's letter, and use his techniques."

Keep up the good work!

So, he wrote this as a class assignment in the Gulag University.  His prof is probably looking forward to some nice heart-warming treatise on the plight of left handed exiled lesbian eskimoes living in Florida... and when he/she/it gets this paper... well lets just say that the SHTF!

Damn fine brief, and I hope, damn disturbing, for his professors. They really hate it when logic bitch slaps them. [:)]

Fine job!

-elliott

That is freaken amazing. I'm doubt I could have put it any better.

Hats off to your son on an incredibly well written, well thought out paper.

You must be proud.

Damn good job on raising the kid. I only hope all mine can express themselves that well, with a subject like that , one of these days.

Trying my best with them.

You done good.

Hey Pthfndr & McWarrior , I hope you don't mind if I clip this out and post it at the local gunshop .

Ok with me, and I don't think my son would mind either. I'd ask him but he is away on his weekend drill for the USMCR.

You had me going there, sympathising with him for getting lost in the law....  very well done.

Excellent piece, Ryan.

Let us know what kind of response he gets from this work.

[IMG]http://www.theunholytrinity.org/cracks_smileys/contrib/aahmed/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

If he gets anything less than a B, get your butt up to that "school" and bitch slap some so-called-educators.

I AM IMPRESSED!!!!

Good piece, good logic, and better well be a good grade.[:D]

Not trying to be conceited but, I have always prided myself on my ability to convey my thoughts, whether in written form or in speach, in an effective, concise and irrefutable manner.  I thoroughly enjoy reading a piece in which someone has done the same.

Your son, through his coupling of genuine convictions with obvious talent has created a document that both of you should be very proud of.

Although this assignment was designed to be based upon "ones opinion of an injustice" it is quite disturbing to think that letters of this magnitude can and will be a reality in days to come.

Congratulations to your son and to you.

[beer]    [beer]

Thanks Rob.  You just saved Ryan another ass-eatin'!! [:D]

Outstanding.

[b]Don![/b]

I'm shocked. You think I would REALLY break the law?

Damn skippy!!!!
Edited to add that if the laws are going to be changed, it will be because of Ryan and dedicated folks like him.  

Well done mcwarrior, are you headed to JAG? My father and grandfather were "lifers" USMC. Me Army as well as my son.

I wanna know what the "professors" say/grade. Please keep us posted....GOOD WORK(hey, my exclamation point won't work 1111)

I have to admit, I was utterly floored by the paper. I kept thinking of the brief contact I had with Pathfinder at HALO last year and how much it seemed his son meant to him. I was already figuring out how much I could send for Mcwarrior's defense fund. I often skip posts with titles like this one...DAMN GLAD I decided to read it! Thanks

i am impressed. you are a very good writer. congradulations, youve got the very first -A+ (so A+ its pre alphabetical) in my book.

corse they don't let thinking people like me in schools for fear i might contaminate the dumb pool.

Very well done indeed Ryan. I was thinking to myself " Why the hell didn't I hear about this guy getting arrested until now?" and getting mad about it until further down when I figured it out. I will be one of those that save it too.

Very nice piece of work, go to law school.

Out of a possible 50 points, I received 60. Yes, that math is correct. That means [b]A+[/b].

VERY WELL DONE!

Have a copy with original formatting?  I don't want to lose anything in the cut-and-paste!

FFZ
[email protected]

Excelent work! I love to see the look of my professors face when I turn in a pro gun paper, which is all of them. Some profs like them a lot and seem to agree with me, however many have a very sad look on their face when they have to hand the paper back with an A on it. Keep up the good work. As one of my Profs once said, "I still don't think I will ever buy a gun after reading your papers, but you make me think about the way that I have come to view them."

BTT ^

Excellent!!!

So what was the Grade????

I revised my last entry -- does that make more sense? What I mean is, I got [b]extra credit[/b].