Neither does a state government nor the federal government have any money except what it receives from the citizens in taxes and fees. It has no way of making money if it stays within the bounds of its constitution. Operating a lottery costs a lot of money, but there is no profit to cover the cost, so it has to come out of the participants’ money. The only money available is the losers’ money, which includes that of nearly all the participants. This means all that money deprives the participants and also keeps it out of the market place where they would receive goods and services, which, in turn, would improve the economy and help keep them off welfare or out of poverty. It would also keep some of the losers’ money out of investments which would bring them profits, increasing their own assets, and further help the economy. Halter’s claim is very faulty and wrong! It is scary and very unwise for anyone, with this kind of twisted reasoning, to be put in the senate to handle our tax money. It would be interesting to know if he participates in the lottery. If he does, that further proves his disqualification to be a senator or any other public official! – Lowell E. McCoy

My next call was to Senator Pryor’s office and had a similar conversation with the girl there. She does not understand the principles involved in national health care or any other government involvement in private citizens’ affairs, either.

In all three calls I asked if he or she would explain my question to the official and request that a personal letter be sent to me with the answer. Each one agreed to do that, so we’ll see what happens. I have my doubts that it will happen.

The young man in Vic Snyder’s office gave the following explanation. He said the Constitution says the government is to “provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare.” True enough! But, he went on to explain that the Supreme Court had determined the word “promote” could mean “provide.” (Incidentally, some months ago, a young woman in his office said the words mean the same.) When I questioned that, he said I could ask any attorney. I told him I didn’t need to do that. The “Court” had made no such decision. If they had, they would have been sorely rebuked! I remarked that the two words do not mean the same; they are not even synonyms. If they mean the same, why did the framers use two different words? Why didn’t they simply write, “provide for the common defense and the general welfare?” Furthermore, if they mean the same, why couldn’t the two words have been reversed?

He went on to make the liberals’ uniform arguments of instances in which families either had no health insurance or it was too insufficient to fully meet the needs, so the government ought to help them. That is an emotional argument, rather than rational, based upon the Constitution. I asked him if he had a college education to prepare himself to be productive and care for himself.. He does. I further asked him if he liked for the government to take money from him to give to those who had not prepared themselves. He skirted around my question, replying that we all pay taxes. I asked him specifically, how he felt about teen girls, who become pregnant, by other teens, who have no financial capabilities, so they abandon them, leaving them to the mercy of society in general. Does that bother him to have some of his tax money used to cover other people’s irresponsibilities? He said the government has set a certain poverty level. My reply was, “Where does the Constitution give any authority for that?” It was clear that he is a very mixed up man, ill equipped for rational thought, but he is in a representative’s office, presuming to speak on his behalf. This is not surprising, seeing that President Obama campaigned with this view and a very high percentage of others in the government espouse it. One of our largest expenditures is in support of this concept. It is self-destructive, compounding lethargy, laziness and slothfulness. We see this in abundance in the public schools every day! It is weighing heavily on our nation!

Where is the Constitutional authority for the government to take over private enterprises, establish competitive enterprises, tell insurance companies whom they have to insure, regardless of their risk factors, for the same premiums and force younger people to buy insurance or be fined? All these things are not just unConstitutional, they are anti-Constitutional!

The government has no right to be involved in any citizen’s personal affairs at all! Period!

I finally asked the young man in Mr. Snyder’s office if he would make my question known to him, along with my request for a personal explanation to me. I am not speaking for anyone else, but I suspect most of you, if not all, are like-minded. Whether or not I get a reply from one or all three, I will make a report in an essay. To a large extent, I believe we have already lost control of our nation. It is imperative for us to become assertive in our efforts to recover it. Mary Lou and I are extremely concerned about our family and yours as well. –Lowell E. McCoy

The other evening we were discussing the problem of sin and evil with a new Christian.  He struggles with the idea of “Why did God allow us to choose rather than creating a perfect world in which there would be no opportunity for sin?” And that’s a tough question if we look at it from our limited perspective.  If there is no choice then there is no opportunity for excellence because we would not know excellence since we have no point of reference.  In a land where the average height is somewhere around five and a half feet, a six foot tall man is a giant.  In a land where the average height is around six foot, he is just average.  It is a matter of perspective.

God gave us the ability to choose because He wants a people who freely come to Him and who seek His ways and His paths over any and all other ways and paths.  Love that is forced is not true love.  Obedience through lack of choice is not true obedience.  And the way to show whether a person really wants to live like He designed us is to allow them to choose between two paths.  If that person freely chooses to seek the path of Light and godliness over the path of darkness and sin, that person obviously WANTS to walk in God’s paths.

Too often we look at life and the choices before us from a limited perspective.  We don’t look far down the path to see the results of our choice, we tend to choose on the spur of the moment – too often being influenced by immediate gratification rather than long term results.  And that is where we tend to mess up.  Building for the long term means making tough choices in the short term.

Here are a few quotes from the founding fathers of the republic known as the United States of America.

• “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. … Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.” —Thomas Jefferson
• “If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.” —Samuel Adams
• “A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one!” —Alexander Hamilton
• “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” —Benjamin Franklin
• “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God, I know not what course others may take, but give me liberty or give me death!” —Patrick Henry
• “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” —George Washington
• “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.” —John Adams

That last quote came to mind during another recent conversation.  In my current place of abode we are faced with an election for Congress critters and Senators as well as a primary (on the same day) for President. While discussing some of the principals we Christians should take into consideration before casting a vote, the subject of Constitutions came up.  I mentioned that although I’ve studied and considered the US Constitution in depth, the constitution of my current nation of residence is of such a complexity and length that I’ve long put off looking at it to any degree.

My friend commented, “The US Constitution is no longer sufficient to the needs of the nation.” At my raised eyebrow he went on to explain, “The US Constitution was designed for a moral and godly people, but the nation has long since departed from those principles.” OUCH!  I KNOW that’s true, but still it hurts to hear it from other lips.  And the funny thing is – he’s never read John Adams.  That’s right, he came to that conclusion through observation and consideration – and smacked it right on the head with accuracy.

He went on to say, “Our own constitution is complex of necessity.  We as a people are so corrupt that we can be governed in no other way.”  Again – he smacked the nail dead center. One of the “thorns in my side” here is the level and depth of dishonesty and corruption.  Everyone gripes about the politicians – but if we were to shoot them all and replace them with “average joes” off the street – we’d have the same type of problems because the roots of the problem go so deep.

But the thing about freedom is – we are free to choose wrong or to choose right.  We can choose justice and mercy and righteousness – or sink into apathy, egotism and filth.  Freedom allows us to choose.  We will become that which we CHOOSE to become.  If we choose to “go with the flow” – the flow goes naturally downward, if it moves at all. Stagnation results from NOT moving.  To move on an upward path requires a driving force, a desire to achieve.  Just think about plumbing for an instant.  If your toilet and drain pipes are not properly sloped they will cause the filth to back up and overflow.  If they are properly sloped they will cause the effluent to gently flow down into the cess pool.  But for the pure water to properly flow up from the well and into the home, there must be a pump to bring about the proper pressure.  As a nation are we merely “going with the flow” towards the cess pool of history, or are we ready to turn around and allow the desire for justice and mercy and godliness to to drive us to bring the pure, sparkling water of freedom in Christ to a thirsty world?

In the end, freedom must be chosen.  Freedom must be fought for.  Freedom must be wisely used.  God created us for freedom on all levels.  It is up to us to choose to live as He designed us – or to badly use that freedom which will lead us to follow the easy flow to corruption.

The Cycle of Democracy follows this sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty (rule of law);
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage (rule of men).

(Attributed to Frasier Tytler)

It reminds me of the story of the little boy who asked his mother, “Mommy, is it true that God made Adam from the dust of the earth?” His mother replied, “That is true, son.” So then he asked, “And is it true that when we die we go back to dust?” And she answered, “Yes, son – that is true.”  “Well, Mommy, you’d better look under my bed,” the little guy told her, “because there’s someone either coming or going!”

As we look at our nation, we can see that indeed, it is either “Coming or going”.  In fact, as we look at history it is easy to see that we are at the point of going.  As a nation we have reached the point where apathy is leading to dependence which will pave the way for a despotic government to enslave a once free and prosperous land.  And this leads me to the point of remembering the words of Elijah as he complained, “Lord, there is no one left but ME.” The Lord told him (essentially) “Stop whining – there are still 7,000 men who have not bowed their knee to Baal.”  There are a lot of good folk left who are independent in nature and many of which are faithful to God.  The question is – will we stand and be counted or allow our nation to keep sliding down the slippery slope of history to become yet another example of the relentless cycle of democracy?

It is time to seek the Lord with a whole heart.  It is time to cast our cares on Him and to live as He designed us to live – walking in His Light.  If we will do so we may be able to swing our nation back to spiritual faith, great courage and liberty.

And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)  And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.  For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” – Mark 7:18-23

For millennia people have sought ways to be ceremonially pure. Their conscience has burned and caused distress because they know that they do not match up with the Divine ideal.  God, through The Law of Moses, helped them to search out this tendency – and find that mankind is incapable of attaining purity by elimination of externals.  The Lord spoke to His people and told them that He was fed up with their ceremonies and celebrations and fasts – that He wanted a people who sought after justice and mercy rather than being obsesses with sacrifices.

The key to all this?  Man is not defiled by that which he eats or drinks, he is defiled by that which comes out from within him.  When his thoughts lead him to do that which is against God’s nature – that is what defiles him.  Even today people search ways to eliminate externals.  “If there is no opportunity to sin there will be no sin” is the rationale.  But sin does not come from opportunity, it comes from desire.

Mankind finds it easier to ban things than to teach right thinking.  It is when we think properly that we live properly.  Two different people can pass through identical situations.  One will sin, the other will not.  Why?  Because one has not allowed that particular set of stimuli to become an influence in their mind but the other person did.  Objects and substances are not in and of themselves “sinful” or “evil”.  Objects and substances are essentially neutral.  They require an active agent in order to perform any task.  That is why a knife in one hand will take a life, but in another hand will save a life.  That is why a certain plant in one hand is medicine which treats certain medical problems whil in another hand it becomes an all encompassing search for fleeting pleasure that over time becomes a haunting need that destroys. So what is evil?  It is not the substance or the object – they will not move nor act unless they are caused to act by a force outside themselves – it is the mind, the way of thinking of the individual that chooses to use them – or not.

That is why the apostle Paul wrote, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. “ – Romans 12:1-2 Our “spiritual worship” therefore is to live according to God’s will, not our own.  It is a matter of learning to think like God thinks, to prioritize life like He does.  It means focusing less on our desires and whims in order to focus on His directives, guidance and Will.

That which defiles us comes from within.  BUT we CAN change with the help of the Holy Spirit so that we no longer desire to live in sin but according to God’s plan for our lives.  Sometimes we have to separate ourselves from externals in order to put our selves in order on the inside.  But it is not because the externals in and of themselves are evil and wrong, but rather because we have given them a place in our life that does not correspond to their proper place. Living holy before God is a matter of changing our minds, because that is what will change our actions and bring us into compliance with His plan for us and His church.

I got to thinking about this because of some recent discussions (arguments?) I’ve observed about the existence of God.  Seeing folks talk about the issue got my thinker to thinking.  One thing that I’ve long contemplated is, what is so great about unbelief?  What if the atheist could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no god and managed to convince every single person on earth of that truth?  What would change about the world we know? How would the world be a better place?  Imagine seven billion people who suddenly, unanimously began to act as though they were mere accidents of chance and circumstance and impersonal forces that coincided to cause them to exist meaninglessly at a certain time and a certain place in a universe devoid of design or meaning? What would the result be? What would restrain certain people from imposing their will upon others by brute force?  We would indeed be living “the law of the jungle”.  Each person would suddenly realize that all they can hope for is whatever they can get during the fleeting moments of their pointless life.  They would realize that there IS no meaning, no point, no reason for being other than to obtain whatever they could obtain for whatever reason they should wish to do so.

On the other hand, what if you were to be able to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that God DOES exist and that He DOES care about us and is active in the world today?  What if you could convince people to obey Him and follow His design in their life?  What would the world look like then?  Imagine a world where every one treated each other in the manner in which they wished to be treated.  Imagine a world where serving each other as service to the Creator was a manner of life.  Imagine a world where people began to use the talents and resources that they had at their disposal to create a better world around themselves.

I still see nothing attractive about unbelief.  Under such a belief system life would be but a useless, pointless striving – to what end?  Knowing that all there was to life was 70 years or so of existing while waiting for the lights to go out would point me towards a dark depression – and who knows what else the dark recesses of my being would conjure up.  But as I look around at the hand of God manifested in His creation and see Him active in my own life and the lives of others it is with joy that His plan is contemplated and His will sought.  What joy to know that as we teach people to not only know that God exists but that He is active in the world today and He is eager and willing to help them to live a fuller life , their lives change for the better and they find true joy and happiness.  Lives are turned from darkness to light, homes are restored, children are given a frame work within which they can grow and mature, individuals find a real purpose for their life and God is served by people serving others in His Name.  That is the attraction of belief in God – seeing the results of that belief lived out not only in my own life but also in the lives of those whom God has allowed and helped me to influence.

We electors have an important constitutional power placed in our hands: we have a check upon two branches of the legislature, as each branch has upon the other two; the power I mean of electing at stated periods, one branch, which branch has the power of electing another. It becomes necessary to every subject then, to be in some degree a statesman: and to examine and judge for himself of the tendencies of political principles and measures.

[John Adams, The Papers of John Adams, Robert J. Taylor, ed. (Cambridge: Belknap Press, 1977), Vol. 1, p. 81, from "'U' to the Boston Gazette" written on August 29, 1763.]

Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual – or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.

[Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907), Vol. IV, p. 256, in the Boston Gazette on April 16, 1781.]

Nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than that all persons employed in places of power and trust be men of unexceptionable characters. The public cannot be too curious concerning the character of public men.

[Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907), Vol. III, p. 236-237, to James Warren on November 4, 1775.]

Consider well the important trust . . . which God . . . [has] put into your hands. . . . To God and posterity you are accountable for [your rights and your rulers]. . . . Let not your children have reason to curse you for giving up those rights and prostrating those institutions which your fathers delivered to you. . . . [L]ook well to the characters and qualifications of those you elect and raise to office and places of trust. . . . Think not that your interests will be safe in the hands of the weak and ignorant; or faithfully managed by the impious, the dissolute and the immoral. Think not that men who acknowledge not the providence of God nor regard His laws will be uncorrupt in office, firm in defense of the righteous cause against the oppressor, or resolutly oppose the torrent of iniquity. . . . Watch over your liberties and privileges – civil and religious – with a careful eye.

[Matthias Burnett, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Norwalk, An Election Sermon, Preached at Hartford, on the Day of the Anniversary Election, May 12, 1803 (Hartford: Printed by Hudson & Goodwin, 1803), pp. 27-28.]

I have one great political idea. . . . That idea is an old one. It is widely and generally assented to; nevertheless, it is very generally trampled upon and disregarded. The best expression of it, I have found in the Bible. It is in substance, “Righteousness exalteth a nation; sin is a reproach to any people” [Proverbs 14:34]. This constitutes my politics – the negative and positive of my politics, and the whole of my politics. . . . I feel it my duty to do all in my power to infuse this idea into the public mind, that it may speedily be recognized and practiced upon by our people.

[Frederick Douglass, The Frederick Douglass Papers, John Blassingame, editor (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1982), Vol. 2, p. 397, from a speech delivered at Ithaca, New York, October 14th, 1852.]

[T]he time has come that Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics or the Lord will curse them. . . . Christians have been exceedingly guilty in this matter. But the time has come when they must act differently. . . . Christians seem to act as if they thought God did not see what they do in politics. But I tell you He does see it – and He will bless or curse this nation according to the course they [Christians] take [in politics].

[Charles G. Finney, Lectures on Revivals of Religion (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1868), Lecture XV, pp. 281-282.]

Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . [I]f the next centennial does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.

[James A. Garfield, The Works of James Abram Garfield, Burke Hinsdale, editor (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1883), Vol. II, pp. 486, 489, "A Century of Congress," July, 1877.]

If the time ever comes when we shall go to pieces, it will . . . be . . . from inward corruption – from the disregard of right principles . . . from losing sight of the fact that “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but that sin is a reproach to any people” [Proverbs 14:34]. . . .[T]he secession of the Southern States in 1860 was a small matter with the secession of the Union itself from the great principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence, in the Golden Rule, in the Ten Commandments, in the Sermon on the Mount. Unless we hold, and hold firmly to these great fundamental principles of righteousness, . . . our Union . . . will be “only a covenant with death and an agreement with hell.”

[Rev. Francis J. Grimke, from "Equality of Right for All Citizens, Black and White, Alike," March 7, 1909, published in Masterpieces of Negro Eloquence, Alice Moore Dunbar, editor (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2000), pp. 246-247.]

A share in the sovereignty of the state, which is exercised by the citizens at large, in voting at elections is one of the most important rights of the subject, and in a republic ought to stand foremost in the estimation of the law.

[Alexander Hamilton, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Harold C. Syrett, ed. (New York, Columbia University Press, 1962), Vol III, pp. 544-545.]

Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.

[John Jay, The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, Henry P. Johnston, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnams Sons, 1890), Vol. IV, p. 365.]

The Americans are the first people whom Heaven has favored with an opportunity of deliberating upon and choosing the forms of government under which they should live.

[John Jay, The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, Henry P. Johnston, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnams Sons, 1890), Vol. I, p. 161.]

The elective franchise, if guarded as the ark of our safety, will peaceably dissipate all combinations to subvert a Constitution, dictated by the wisdom, and resting on the will of the people.

[Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert Bergh, ed. (Washington: Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, 1903), Vol. 10, p. 235.]

[T]he rational and peacable instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people.

[Thomas Jefferson, The Works of Thomas Jefferson, Paul Leicester Ford, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1905), Vol. 12, p. 136.]

[S]hould things go wrong at any time, the people will set them to rights by the peaceable exercise of their elective rights.

[Thomas Jefferson, The Works of Thomas Jefferson, Paul Leicester Ford, ed. (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1905), Vol. 10, p. 245.]

When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.

[Supreme Court Justice William Paterson reminding his fellow justices of Proverbs 29:2. United States Oracle (Portsmouth, NH), May 24, 1800.]

Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them; and as governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined too. Wherefore governments rather depend upon men than men upon governments. Let men be good and the government cannot be bad. . . . But if men be bad, let the government be never so good, they will endeavor to warp and spoil it to their turn. . . .[T]hough good laws do well, good men do better; for good laws may want [lack] good men and be abolished or invaded by ill men; but good men will never want good laws nor suffer [allow] ill ones.

[William Penn quoted from: Thomas Clarkson, Memoirs of the Private and Public Life of William Penn (London: Richard Taylor and Co., 1813) Vol. I, p.303.]

Impress upon children the truth that the exercise of the elective franchise is a social duty of as solemn a nature as man can be called to perform; that a man may not innocently trifle with his vote; that every elector is a trustee as well for others as himself and that every measure he supports has an important bearing on the interests of others as well as on his own.

[Daniel Webster, The Works of Daniel Webster (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1853), Vol. II, p. 108, from remarks made at a public reception by the ladies of Richmond, Virginia, on October 5, 1840.]

In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate – look to his character. . . . When a citizen gives his suffrage to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor, he betrays the interest of his country.

[Noah Webster, Letters to a Young Gentleman Commencing His Education to which is subjoined a Brief History of the United States (New Haven: S. Converse, 1823), pp. 18, 19.]

When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, “just men who will rule in the fear of God.” The preservation of government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be sqandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.

[Noah Webster, History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1832), pp. 336-337, �49.]

Those who wish well to the State ought to choose to places of trust men of inward principle, justified by exemplary conversation. . . .[And t]he people in general ought to have regard to the moral character of those whom they invest with authority either in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches.

[John Witherspoon, The Works of John Witherspoon Edinburgh: J. Ogle, 1815), Vol. IV, pp. 266, 277.]

Recently a fellow started posting there.  He goes by the name Charlie and builds guns for a hobby.  Now, a lot of folks do that anymore.  They’ll order up a bunch of parts from Brownells or Midway or one of a number of other places and put them together.  Some of the guns so produced are fairly easy to do.  Put everything in the right place and PRESTO! You’ve got a functional firearm.  Others are more demanding, requiring some filing or stoning of parts to get them to fit and function properly.  But all these have one thing in common – they rely on mass produced factory parts.  Not that I’m trying to take anything away from the folks who build a gun this way, not at all. I’m in the process of building up a Kentucky rifle from a poorly built kit that was given to me a couple years back.  It takes time and effort to get it right.

But Charlie does something a bit different.  He builds his guns from scratch – and makes his own scratch.  The rifle that is the subject of this little piece is his rendering of an old design.  The Volcanic was a weapon made by Smith and Wesson before they became Smith & Wesson. It was a lever action design that fired a “rocket ball” which was basically a hollow based lead bullet with a charge of powder and a primer in it. The ballistics left a lot to be desired but the design gradually evolved to become the Henry, then the Winchester ‘66, the Winchester 73 and eventually the Winchester ‘76.  The main problem with building a Volcanic today lays with the need to use an available cartridge.  The original design makes it impossible to chamber this rifle for anything much longer than a 22 short cartridge, although there’s enough room for the 41 rimfire.  So Charlie designed his own cartridge around the 40 S&W – by trimming it down, reaming it out and loading it with a pinch of powder.  My friend Hobie did a blog post on the building process of the Volcanic.

What I find interesting in this entire process is that Charlie basically came up with the idea, made some calculations, did some drawings and went to work.  The quality of his work has to be seen to be understood.  He is a careful craftsman who is very painstaking in his efforts.  AND – if he can build something like this, what could NOT be built?  All the efforts of the gun banning crowd are useless as long as people have the creativity and ability to design and build machines or tools according to their desire and inclination.  Many folks forget our past.  Bill Ruger started out designing a machine gun.  Can you imagine the trouble he would be in today for building such a tool in his garage or basement? J.M. Browning was constantly experimenting.  One time he even converted a Winchester leveraction to full automatic fire. Again, if you do that today you will be in a world of hurt if the authorities find out.  BUT IT IS STILL DOABLE. With the wide availability of machine tools in the US and the world as well as the skilled craftsmen who use them, it is impossible to prevent people from building any firearm they so desire.

So, what to do about violence and crime?  They do not stem from the availability of firearms.  They stem from a mindset that views others as less than one is and the desire of obtaining that which another worked for with as little effort as possible and the decision to impose one’s will upon others by violent means.  These things were going on LONG before the advent of firearms – and if by some miracle all firearms were to be destroyed overnight the violence and crime would continue because it stems from the heart, not the tools available.

In my library I have a few books that detail the building of firearms in primitive settings.  One is a Firefox book that shows how early settlers would smelt iron and then work it into usable form on the anvil and make some of the most beautiful and elegant firearms ever, the Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Kentucky “Mountain Rifles” or “Long Rifles”. Charlie holds my respect for building such an intricate design as the Volcanic.  And I extend to him my gratitude for sharing with us the process he followed.