Doug Giles of The Daily Caller posted 13 politically incorrect gun rules that are are both humorous and thought-provoking. Giles noted that the list is not original to him and he does not know where it came from. We are sharing it below as well under the same caveat — if anyone knows the true source please let us know so we can give proper attribution.

Enjoy these 13 politically incorrect gun rules!

1. Guns have only two enemies: rust and politicians.

2. It’s always better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

3. Cops carry guns to protect themselves, not you.

4. Never let someone or something that threatens you get inside arms length.

5. Never say, “I’ve got a gun.” If you need to use deadly force, the first sound they hear should be the safety clicking off.

6. The average response time of a 911 call is 23 minutes; the response time of a .357 is 1400 feet per second.

7. The most important rule in a gunfight is: Always win – cheat if necessary.

8. Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets . . . You may get killed with your own gun, but he’ll have to beat you to death with it, because it’ll be empty.

9. If you’re in a gunfight:

- If you’re not shooting, you should be loading.
- If you’re not loading, you should be moving.
- If you’re not moving, you’re dead.

10. In a life and death situation, do something . . . It may be wrong, but do something!

11. If you carry a gun, people call you paranoid. Nonsense! If you have a gun, what do you have to be paranoid about?

12. You can say ‘stop’ or ‘alto’ or any other word, but a large bore muzzle pointed at someone’s head is pretty much a universal language.

13. You cannot save the planet, but you may be able to save yourself and your family.

Did you enjoy this? Any rules you want to add? Please share them in the comments section below.

Image credit: Roland Darby

Libertarian National Committee Executive Director Wes Benedict penned an eloquently simply message (entitled “Edwards, Weiner & Schwarzenegger” 6/6/11) in response to the rash of recent revelations about various government leaders and their personal moral failures. Rather than try to replicate his points in other words, it is included below in its entirety (emphasis added). Please note the concluding point that “government should have as little power as possible” because “when human beings have the power to control others’ lives, our natural fallibility makes us very dangerous.”

John Edwards was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004, and he was a leading contender for the presidential nomination in 2008. We all now know he cheated on his wife and lied to America about it throughout much of that time. Now he’s facing potential jail time if convicted of using campaign funds for a cover-up.

Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner has put on quite a show lately.

The soap operas aren’t confined to Democrats. Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently confessed to cheating for decades and had a child he hid from the public for years.

Not that long ago, Newt Gingrich was cheating on one of his ex-wives while haranguing Bill Clinton over Monica Lewinsky.

A few other names come to mind: Al Gore, Mark Foley, Jesse Jackson Sr., Jesse Jackson Jr., and Mark Sanford.

Some people argue that these people’s private lives should not be of concern to the public.

A counter-argument is that people who lie about their private lives are also likely to lie about official business as well. Could they also lie about weapons of mass destruction, or global warming, or the necessity of a trillion-dollar bailout?

So what’s my point? That Libertarians are more honest than Republicans and Democrats?

Actually, no. My point is, human beings are fallible, and many of us are dishonest and easily corrupted.

That’s one of the reasons why government should have as little power as possible. When human beings have the power to control others’ lives, our natural fallibility makes us very dangerous.

What’s worse, power tends to corrupt us and make us even more dishonest, conniving, and cruel.

We Libertarians understand that humans are fundamentally imperfect, and we will always be imperfect.

Libertarians aren’t simply looking for honest politicians. We are looking for politicians who understand this problem, and who will stand on principle to take power away from government, and return it to the individual.

Image credit: jscreationzs

Following our last PonderPicks post which highlighted a few Christian Resources to Protect Liberty, this article focuses on three Jewish organizations dedicated to the preservation of liberty in the United States. These organizations offer a wealth of information, thought-provoking articles, scholarly essays, and even videos that can be used to expand closed minds to see the light and join the fight to protect our American liberty.

===

The Jewish Policy Center (JPC) is a non-profit think tank offering “scholarly perspectives on foreign and domestic policies that impact the Jewish community in the United States, and the broader American public.” On the domestic policy front, the JPC endorses “smaller government, lower taxes, free trade, and other issues.” The JPC provides a variety of published materials, forums, speakers, and media materials designed to support this vision.

One such JPC publication is the inFocus Quarterly journal which presents a variety of scholarly essays — a specific policy theme is focuses on each quarter. According to the JPC, these essays are written by “some of the top experts and academics around the world.” In addition, the JPC publishes their inSight blog with provides perspective related to contemporary events and news. The JPC also sponsors a variety of speeches, forums, and seminars in Jewish communities across the country. These events focus on current events and vital policy issues.

===

Another online resource is Jewish World Review (JWR) which is a free online magazine published five days a week. JWR is provided “to people of faith and those interested in learning more about contemporary Judaism from Jews who take their religion seriously.” In addition to offering a variety of information about Judaism, JWR also publishes many thought-provoking columns, editorials, cartoons, and other insights about government, current events, politics, and liberty.

===

Billing themselves as “America’s Most Aggressive Defender of Firearms Ownership,” Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. JPFO is not a lobbying organization but is instead a non-profit educational and civil rights organization. As such, JPFO offers a huge array of books, comic-style booklets, videos and films, and other well-documented materials to show how our Bill of Rights are being trampled in the name of gun control and other anti-liberty measures.

Based in Wisconsin, JPFO is dedicated to destroying the concept of gun control and encouraging all Americans to understand and defend the Bill of Rights. JPFO materials point out the racist roots of gun control in America and how a disarmed populace is vulnerable to abuse by government. JPFO explains their goals:

Founded by Jews and initially aimed at educating the Jewish community about the historical evils that Jews have suffered when they have been disarmed, JPFO has always welcomed persons of all religious beliefs who share a common goal of opposing and reversing victim disarmament policies while advancing liberty for all.

===

The views espoused by the above referenced sources are not necessarily those advocated by PonderPost or held by PonderPost editors. Please suggest other Jewish resources that are dedicated to the preservation of liberty and/or share your response to this information below. You may also contact us with your suggestions for future PonderPicks.

Image credit: luigi diamanti

From our nation’s very beginning we have acknowledged and relied upon God. In fact, our very Declaration of Independence, the document that created this nation, mentions God and the fact that our rights come from God as Creator. The Declaration points out that the very reason government exists is to protect our God-given rights:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . . .

In closing the Declaration of Independence, the signers once again referenced God — “Divine Providence” — and acknowledged their dependence upon Him in this joint effort:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

As was true in 1776 so it is today: Our nation needs God. Today we need the kind of spiritual renewal that birthed this nation. If we are going to return to the “spirit of ’76″ then we need God’s Spirit in our lives and culture.

Americans are blessed with great religious freedom to worship God as we see fit. However, not all is as it once was in this area. For the past few decades our First Amendment freedom of speech within churches has been curtailed to restrict political speech. That restriction is frankly not right or constitutional. The First Amendment was written with a one-way restriction — to keep the government out of the church but not the church out of the government.

If the Founders could not have used local churches for political purposes do you think our country would have been born? More recently, would the civil rights movement have succeeded without the direct involvement of many churches? Would the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. have triumphed under today’s unconstitutional federal guidelines that restricts political speech from the pulpit? In both eras church leaders were actively involved in impacting citizens and our political system.

We should pray for a return of liberty within our government. We need to learn our American history so we are not deceived about the rightful place of God within our government. Likewise, we must take these things seriously and personally prepare for spiritual renewal.

===

Today there are several online groups offering resources that individuals can use to impact our nation spiritually. One such group is The Presidential Prayer Team. Since 2001 the nondenominational Presidential Prayer Team has been impacting our nation through prayer. Each week a variety of executive, legislative, judicial, and military leaders are specifically featured to lift up in prayer.  In their own words, The Presidential Prayer Team describes themselves as follows:

[A] national ministry dedicated to a focused mission of encouraging, inspiring and practicing PRAYER on behalf of our President, nation’s leaders and our troops. We also seek to be a catalyst in the development of a robust prayer lifestyle. We do this by finding and PROVIDING tools to encourage prayer – through email, web, mobile phones and other communication tools. Ultimately, we believe that prayer will TRANSFORM our nation, one heart at a time.

===

Another group that offers a full library of information, news, and media is WallBuilders. Their purpose is to present “America’s forgotten history and heroes with an emphasis on our moral, religious, and constitutional heritage.” WallBuilders is named after the Old Testament leader Nehemiah who rallied the nation of Israel to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to protect the city. WallBuilders’ goals are as follows:

[T]o exert a direct and positive influence in government, education, and the family by (1) educating the nation concerning the Godly foundation of our country; (2) providing information to federal, state, and local officials as they develop public policies which reflect Biblical values; and (3) encouraging Christians to be involved in the civic arena.

===

A third resource involves a new spiritual challenge called 40 Days and 40 Nights that has been issued by radio talk-show host and television commentator Glenn Beck. The challenge is to pledge to “practice faith, hope and charity” by doing three things: (1) re-establishing a relationship with God through prayer, (2) establishing a habit of honesty in everything as we seek the truth, and (3) doing something kind for every member of our family at least once a week and being grateful for how blessed we are. A variety of 40 Days 40 Nights Challenge Blueprints are available for download.

These three online resources can help Christians pray for our leaders, learn our history, and make personal changes that impact others in a big way. Together we can change our nation by changing ourselves through the power of God. Let us encourage one another to pray for and do good works for the preservation of liberty.

===

The views espoused by the above referenced sources are not necessarily those advocated by PonderPost or held by PonderPost editors. Please suggest other Christian resources to help preserve liberty and/or share your response to this information below. You may also contact us with your suggestions for future PonderPicks.

Image credit: graur razvan ionut

As the printing press was to our nation’s Founders, the Internet is to millions of patriots today. Facebook, Twitter, and the Internet’s other social media platforms offer an incredible array of innovative tools. These tools enable anyone to freely reach out and touch potentially millions of people. In short, social media has become a powerful political outreach tool for conservative activists.

The PonderPicks below highlight several free social media political action guides produced by American Majority, an organization dedicated to encouraging conservatives to get involved within the political system. Beginning with the local level of government, American Majority supports limited government and free markets and seeks to energize citizens to bring about political change. One way to effectively produce change is through effective online communication — especially that involving social media.

===

Twitter is a real-time information network that lets people share brief messages freely around the world. It is useful for instantly breaking news, making announcements, and spreading links to articles, blog posts, videos, photos, and other online material. American Majority produced a special 41 page free guide that covers the basics of Twitter, “tweeting,” and how to use this social media tool effectively for political activism. You can download “Twittivism: Guide to Twitter and Activism” for free.

===

Another wildly popular and free social media tool is Facebook. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide use Facebook daily to keep in touch and share information with each other. Facebook makes it easy to share comments, videos, articles, blogs, and other resources with others. Because Facebook also provides a wealth of free communication and support tools for groups, many political organizations and candidates are using this social media tool in lieu of establishing a web site. Others create a Facebook “fan page” or integrate their website with Facebook to benefit from the free social tools available.

American Majority has created a free 28 page Facebook  Guide to assist with setting up a Facebook profile and an organization fan page. Download your copy of American Majority’s free beginner’s guide for Facebook now and learn how you can use Facebook to expand your political outreach efforts.

===

There are other American Majority Guides designed with conservative political activists in mind. One powerful tool is the press release. Designed to be easy to use, American Majority’s free press release template establishes the framework and information needed to create professional releases that you can send to various media outlets.

Another online tool used for political activism are wikis which are simply websites that the public is allowed (and encouraged) to edit. Probably the most popular wiki in the world is Wikipedia which is an online encyclopedia that rivals the Encyclopedia Britannica in scope and accuracy. Three political wikis recommended by American Majority and available for public editing are Sunshine Review, Ballotpedia, and Judgepedia.

===

Engage our culture and exercise your liberty through the social media resources referenced above. Encourage others to support the American ideals of limited government, personal responsibility, and free markets. Please follow PonderPost via Twitter and like PonderPost on Facebook. Please share your insights relating to this information below or contact us with your suggestions for future PonderPicks.

Today’s PonderPicks are for people who want to know more about the founding of the United States of American and our Constitution. They contain free resources that you can use to educate yourself on these vital topics. Please use them and spread the word so others can learn.

===

The National Center for Constitutional Studies (NCCS) has made their popular 5000 Year Leap book available for download — download The 5000 Year Leap audio book free now. Read by Earl Taylor, Jr., two formats are available for downloading: Windows Media (individual chapters also available in this format) and Apple iPod.

According to W. Cleon Skousen, author of  The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle That Changed the World, the Founding Fathers shared 28 essential beliefs that provide for the amazing creation and prosperity of our nation. These 28 beliefs made it possible for our nation to enjoy more progress in 200 years than the world had made in the previous 5,000 — which explains the title’s 5,000 year leap. Skousen devotes one chapter to each of these 28 principles.

===

Also available as a free download from the NCCS is their 2-page Constitution at a Glance (.pdf format) document. This document clearly identifies the various Articles and Sections of the Constitution and references the powers granted and forbidden under each. The Amendments, including the Bill of Rights, are neatly summarized also. Print and/or download your free copy today.

===

When reading the Constitution, have you ever wondered what “domestic tranquility” means or what “letters of marque and reprisal” are? Well, the NCCS can help you out with their online Constitution of the United States. With a single click this very easy-to-use interactive study tool provides access to dozens of definitions, pronunciation guides, and other details that clearly explain the Constitution.

===

The views espoused by the above sources are not necessarily those advocated by PonderPost or held by PonderPost editors. Please share your insights relating to this information below or contact us with your suggestions for future PonderPicks.

The links below are provided to draw attention to thought-provoking content and resources. Please review each one carefully and critically. Look for ways to improve your political understanding so you can better defend the principles of liberty and freedom.

===

The Independent Institute created the Government Cost Calculator at MyGovCost.org. This easy-to-use online tool lets you see how much damage the federal government’s massive spending has done to you personally. This tool calculates your lifetime cost estimate (in total taxes you will owe) and then compares that figure to the earnings that would be possible if you had been able to invest those funds privately. The Government Cost Calculator can also break down your total future tax burden by categories of spending to see how much certain items like the recent stimulus and bailouts are costing you personally.

===

Joseph Sobran’s 1998 article “Are You a Marxist?” brings up some very important points about the subtleties of Marxist though and their impact on our government. Here is a compelling quote to get you started:

Funny how you can exempt yourself from the crimes of Marxism by adding the prefix neo. A neo-Nazi isn’t usually regarded as a higher life form than a regular old Nazi, but a neo-Marxist is supposed to be unrelated to the folks who gave the world the gulag, the reeducation camp, and the vast boneyards of Siberia, China, and Cambodia.

===

In “Prepare for Betrayal,” Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. offers some thoughts on the 2010 elections relating to the anger within the country against an out-of-control federal government. Rockwell discusses how the system tends to corrupt people. He also expresses concern regarding certain intellectual aspects of the Tea Party movement and argues that as a loose-knit group it does not have a “coherent view of liberty.”

===

The views espoused by the above referenced sources are not necessarily those advocated by PonderPost or held by PonderPost editors. Please share your response to this information below or contact us with your suggestions for future PonderPicks.

The information, links, and article references that make up the new PonderPicks category have been sent in by PonderPost readers and/or culled from a variety of constitutional libertarian writers, blogs, and other sources. This information is included on PonderPost to offer a variety of real-life topics and how they relate to the Constitution.

Please follow these linked sources and consider them carefully. Critically ask yourself questions and make up your own mind about these topics. Are the points advocated by the author right and true? Is their argument consistent and does it line up with what we know about the “real world”? Did they make their case logically and honestly or did they mis-characterize something to make a point? Did they ignore truth or leave anything important out? What can you do with this new information?

===

Joe Wolverton II’s “Wither the Constitution?” discusses the Tea Party movement, the “living document” claims many make about the Constitution, and what enumerated powers from “we the people” really means.

===

Henry Lamb’s “Feds say global governance at ‘critical juncture‘” discusses the newly-released “Global Governance 2025: At A Critical Juncture” report by the United States National Intelligence Council and the European Union’s Institute for Security Studies. Learn more about global governance, global government, and the loss of national sovereignty under global initiatives.

===

In “The Great Divide” Robert A. Gomez, MSgt, USAF, (Ret) shares how “progressives” have used hyphenated ethnic terms to divide and conquer Americans when the Constitution is clear that all Americans are equal under the law.

===

Have you ever wondered why the price of gold has surged over the past months? Robert P. Murphy addresses the high cost of gold, the origin of money, the special role of gold and silver, and the differences between gold and government paper for money in his article entitled “The Meaning of Gold in the News.”

===

The views espoused by the above referenced sources are not necessarily those advocated by PonderPost or held by PonderPost editors. Please share your response to this information below and contact us with your future PonderPick suggestions.