Calm Before the Storm
By Scott Bach.
This article is copyright Scott Bach 2012, reprinted with permission.
My friend Scott Bach wrote the enclosed article for the News & Briefs of the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs. In addition to being the Executive Director of the ANJRPC, Scott is a practicing attorney, the founding Chairman of the NRA Right to Carry Committee, a certified instructor in rifle, pistol, and shotgun, and a former auxiliary Police Captain. Scott captured the mood and spirit of so many JPFO members in this brief piece that I asked his permission to republish it.
Rabbi Dovid Bendory
Rabbinic Director, JPFO.
Calm Before the Storm
By Scott Bach
As we pause to celebrate the Fourth of July and enjoy the glory of summer, it’s a good time to reflect on the true meaning of Freedom, and the crucial role we all have in protecting it.
There's a storm on the horizon, and it’s the most ominous one of our lives. Something has happened to our nation. It’s been happening little by little, and we haven’t even seen it coming. But now it’s here, and it’s big, and it seems to have unstoppable momentum. I’m speaking of the brutal and deliberate destruction of Freedom itself, in all its aspects.
There’s more to Freedom than just owning guns and setting off fireworks on the Fourth of July. Freedom means independence, the ability to peaceably live as one chooses without restriction. The opposite of Freedom is limitation, confinement, and servitude. Beyond Second Amendment issues, look around and ask yourself, “Are we really free to peaceably live as we choose without restriction, or are we limited, confined, and in servitude? Are we moving toward more liberty, or less?” Think hard before you answer; the conclusions you reach might be troubling.
Freedom is our birthright. It comes from God, not from government. And what government does not give, it cannot take away, no matter how hard it might try.
If the spirit of Freedom burns deep in your heart -- and I know it does or you wouldn't have read this far -- know that we are part of a fellowship of millions of people dedicated to protecting Freedom from its enemies, and know that our time is coming. Freedom in America may be under the worst attack in its history, but Freedom is eternal and can never be destroyed. It is as poignant as it is ironic that ordinary folk like us are the ones who have been appointed to defend it at this critical time in history. And defend it we will.
Rest well this summer, and recharge. It's the calm before the storm now. Use the time wisely.
Scott L. Bach, Esq. is President of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs and a member of the NRA Board of Directors. www.bachbio.com
