By John Compere
Callahan County ranch (and grandad of 4-H shooters!)
Courtesy of the Buffalo Gap News
Texas 4-H Shooting Team wins National Championship.
Texas 4-H youth shooters competed at the 2014 National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational in Grand Island, Nebraska from June 24th to 29th winning 1st place as the best overall team for the 2nd year in a row.
Over 500 4-H shooters from 35 states participated. The Texas National Shooting Team consisted of 36 members who competed in 9 different disciplines that included shotgun, 22 rifle, air rifle, 22 pistol, air pistol, muzzle-loading rifle, recurve archery, compound archery and hunting skills. The Texas team had 8 Big Country shooters from Taylor, Callahan, Coleman & Brown Counties (see photo).
Selection to our national team is one of the highest honors in Texas 4-H shooting sports. Students must apply on a yearly basis for consideration and acceptance. Selection is based on the application, shooting competition scores and good character. Interested students may contact their local county extension agent.
The 4-H core principles are Head (thinking & managing), Heart (caring & relating), Hands (working & giving) and Health (living & being) which reflect the values instilled in students to build a foundation of leadership, skills and service for success in future careers. Texas 4-H shooting sports are supported by volunteers, businesses, Friends of the NRA, Texas State Rifle Association and local 4-H clubs.
The 2014 State 4-H Shooting Games will be held at the Callahan County Shooting Sports Range on the south side of Texas Highway 36 between Clyde and Baird from July 28th through August 2nd.
American families are blessed because our children and grandchildren have the freedom to learn firearms appreciation, safety & handling, cooperative team work & competition, and helpful hunting & shooting skills under the careful supervision of experienced & responsible adults in authorized youth programs.
This cherished freedom exists because of our US Constitution 2nd Amendment which provides:
“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.”
Radical gun control advocates and opponents of our “individual” right to keep and bear arms claim the right of the “people” (a plural noun) to keep and bear arms refers only to a collective group of people in connection with a “well regulated Militia” and “for the security of a free State”. Therefore, all firearms should be stored securely in a government armory until needed by the state and “individual” right of possession not permitted. They argue that the word “individual” is not literally in the 2nd Amendment so no “individual” right exists because if the framers had intended an “individual” right they would have included the singular noun “individual” instead of the plural noun “people”. Also, they would not have conditioned it upon a “well regulated militia” and “for the security of a free State”. In other words, they support a strict and literal interpretation of the 2nd Amendment.
Fortunately, the US Supreme Court rejected that position, liberally interpreted the 2nd Amendment based on historical context – not strict or literal wording, and ruled we have the “individual” right to keep and bear arms and not merely the right of collective militias to do so. District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 US 570 (2008); McDonald v. Chicago, 561 US 742 (2010).
Our US Supreme Court is the highest court of the judicial branch (one of three separate and equal government branches along with the legislative and executive branches) and it has the “judicial Power” to decide “all Cases”…“arising under this Constitution” (US Constitution, Article III). There is not and has never been a requirement to interpret the Constitution strictly or literally. The 9 Supreme Court Justices are nominated by the President and “by and with” the advice and consent of the Senate (US Constitution, Article II). All Justices serve lifetime appointments. The current Supreme Court consists of 5 Justices appointed by Republican Presidents and 4 Justices appointed by Democratic Presidents.
When the US Supreme Court decides a case involving the Constitution, renders judgment and publishes its final opinion, that is the law of our land and all citizens, states and government branches are required to comply. The judicial doctrine of “Stare Decisis” (decision adherence) applies which means the decision becomes settled law and is rarely re-litigated. It insures American law is consistent, reliable and permanent. This has been our basic constitutional law process since the nation was founded.
Those of us who support the individual right to keep and bear arms can be confident it will not be changed without repealing or amending the 2nd Amendment of our US Constitution which requires a lengthy and costly process. Moreover, it does not have the support of the American people.
“THE CONSTITUTION SHALL NEVER BE CONSTRUED…TO PREVENT THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES WHO ARE PEACEABLE CITIZENS FROM KEEPING THEIR OWN ARMS.” – Samuel Adams (American Revolutionary, Declaration of Independence Signer, Continental Congress Delegate & Founder)
Speak Your Mind