CULTURE OF COWARDICE

          NEVER BE BULLIED INTO SILENCE.
                  NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE MADE A VICTIM.
                        ACCEPT NO ONE'S DEFINITION OF YOUR LIFE;
                                DEFINE YOURSELF.
                                                  Harvey Fierstein




     Back in the 1960's and 70's there was only two ways to legally carry a concealed weapon.  One as a private detective.  The other as a commissioned law enforcement officer.  Since municipal jurisdictions authority ended at the city limits all officers were issued deputy sheriff commissions in their counties.  These commissions were good anywhere in the state.  So many commission cards were handed out to cover all the legitimate needs for concealed carry it was almost like a deck of cards and a political reward for supporters.
     Through this time frame I carried a commission and later a Private Detective license.  There was a legitimate need at the time to have a large pool of auxiliary officers available.  In the largest county in Kansas there were sometimes only three beat officers per shift.  Even though there was a trained Reserve and Lake Patrol, in the event of a huge emergency this large manpower pool could be quickly called up.
      It always bothered me that nationwide if a private citizen stood up against an attacker and refused to be a victim, whether for themselves or others, there was always a statement afterward saying WE DON'T ADVOCATE STANDING AGAINST THE PERPETRATOR or WE DON'T RECOMMEND THAT THE PUBLIC TAKE THE LAW IN THERE OWN HANDS.
     On one hand everyone was happy that the person stood for right but warned that they shouldn't because they could "get hurt".  For a long time it has been a steady line from media and political sources that standing against wrong was not worth the risk.  A line that was very successful in 1930's Germany.
     As the thinking and statistics prove that the only way to defeat evil is to stand up to it.  People of courage were always looked up to through history.  Going to the bare bones 10 Commandments the proper original word was murder and not kill.  There are several definitions of acceptable acts of taking of life in Jewish Law, in Common Law, and our own Justice system.  One thing that was universal was that no one admired a coward.  And most people today don't.  Yet it is in every 'official' message that it is not a good idea to stand for right because you might get 'hurt'.
     Fortunately our founding fathers foresaw what could happen to their great experiment when the freedoms which have been hard won and sacrificed for could be turned against the people.  After attempt after attempt to disarm the American citizen there has been steady progress in assuring that you have the right to defend yourself and others from an evil act.
     Fortunately, God grants Man freedom of choice as does our Declaration of Independence.  You are not required to be a hero.  But I do not notice cowards being admired.