In 50 Words: What the Right to Bear Arms means to you

cek · August 10, 2009, 11:37 PM

After getting back into shooting recently (my son has "turned of age" and we've been having a blast reloading and...well..blasting away) I happened across the Gun Digest archive site. The blog post I wrote this weekend tells the story; I figure people here would apprecaite it...

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Full blog post with pictures here

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Gun Digest ran an essay contest in 1964: In 50 words or less write what the Right to Bear Arms means to you. The winner would get an all expense paid hunting safari to Africa.

I had known my father (Charles E. “Ted” Kindel) had won this contest when I was a kid but didn’t really know the details. All the family knew was that it was an essay contest in “some gun magazine”, that the prize was a safari to Africa, and that it was one of the several African safaris my dad went on.

When my father died in 1990 we found in one of his files what I thought was the essay:

“My Constitutional right to bear arms is, to me, the most significant example of my American heritage of individual freedom and human dignity. Such a right implies that my Government trusts me and, in turn, is worthy of my trust.”

My notes show he wrote this in 1962. I’ve never had any reason to believe this wasn’t the actual final wording of his winning entry.

The other day I happened across the Gun Digest Research website and on a whim searched for “Ted Kindel” and got hits for both the 1965 and 1966 issues. I immediately went to eBay and found copies of both these issues for sale and bought them (I didn’t feel like subscribing to the Gun Digest Research site).

I can’t tell for sure in which issue the contest was described. I suspect it was in the 1964 issue and I’m going to order that as well so I can see how the contest was actually worded. But the 1965 and 1966 issues are full of both information about my dad and great photos of him. Page 206 of the 1965 issue contains the announcement that my dad has won as well as the text of his winning entry.

The 1966 issue contains the story of his Safari to Africa, including pictures of some of the game he bagged.

The fascinating thing is the essay, as printed in the 1965 issue is different than the one we have in our files (I only have an electronic copy and I do not remember where it originally was copied from). It says the same thing, but is longer and more wordy. I find this odd because I can remember my dad nagging on my own writing as being too wordy.

“A mutual trust between the citizen and his government is a paramount essential of the American dream. To me this trust is best exemplified by my constitutional right to bear arms. Only as long as such trust exists can we maintain our cherished concepts of human dignity and individual freedom.”

My version is 40 words long. It is pretty awesome he crafted the “final” version to be precisely 50 words.

Skan21 · August 10, 2009, 11:44 PM

Mine's much less than 50 words. The second amendment, to me, is the right to remain free. I'm already reasonably free, and with help from the second amendment, I'm going to stay that way.

Al Norris · August 11, 2009, 08:26 AM

Not a civil rights issue, nor an issue of Law. Moved to GenDisc.

jfrey123 · August 11, 2009, 09:18 AM

The Second Amendment means, to me, that the forefathers believed gun ownership was the second most important right. Out of all the other specific rights, the right to keep and carry a firearm is second only to free speech.

MajorWhiteBoy · August 11, 2009, 10:16 AM

peace of mind.

Old Grump · August 11, 2009, 11:13 AM

It means all of the constitution is backed up by the power of the people who are armed and ready to defend it. It means I have the right to defend myself. Unless of course you live in Milwaukee Wisconsin or Cook county Illinois.

Brian Pfleuger · August 11, 2009, 11:35 AM

It really has nothing to do with guns, in my estimation. It's freedom. The freedom for humanity to peaceably do whatever they have a desire to do. The 2nd is merely a tiny piece of that freedom that had been targeted in the past and so the founders saw fit to protect it into the future.

pax · August 11, 2009, 11:45 AM

cek,

What a cool story! You must be very proud of your dad to have left such a heritage behind him.

pax

UniversalFrost · August 11, 2009, 04:15 PM

for me it is protecting myself by bearing arms to prevent any armed bears from getting me

EnoughGUN · August 11, 2009, 06:34 PM

The order of amendments does not mean that is the order of importance. The right to bear arms is an inherent human right PROTECTED by the constitution NOT provided by it. People trying to infringe on this right by changing the amendment or attempting to reestablish its meaning are missing the point. You could erase the 2nd amendment entirely yet we all would still have this right, the Govt would just not recognize it.

When the Govt no longer believes its citizens have the right to protect themselves it will be the Govt we need protection from.

45Gunner · August 11, 2009, 07:06 PM

The right to protect myself and my family from whomever or whatever wants to take what is ours, whether it be material or spiritual.

rampage841512 · August 11, 2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Freedom

Bingo. When I first read this thread's title that is the one word that popped into my head, and the only one that I feel is necessary.

unloading · August 11, 2009, 11:43 PM

In 10:

It's the difference between being a citizen and a subject.

shortwave · August 12, 2009, 12:07 PM

The U.S.A.

Magi · August 12, 2009, 01:31 PM

Great post. Thanks for sharing ... truly inspiring!

ISP 5353 · August 12, 2009, 02:41 PM

What unloading said!

Foxrr · August 13, 2009, 10:02 PM

Sadly, nothing! Here in Oz firearm ownership is officially a privilege not a right. One wrong move and zzzzzzzzzt.. your guns are in a safe at the nearest cop-shop! I dream of the day when Australia has a Bill of Rights but I fear it'll never include a Right to Bear Arms.

Sorry, 53(?) words..is 'zzzzzzzzt' a word?

cek · August 14, 2009, 12:15 AM

Foxxr: LOL, but not in a happy way.

Baba Louie · August 14, 2009, 06:44 AM

cek,
Great story. I'm sure you'll pass it on to your kids and their kids.

50 words or less (w/ historical reference below): Don't Tread On Me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_flag

PhoenixConflagration · August 14, 2009, 06:52 AM

My life belongs to me and it is fundamental that I will protect it with the best means physically possible. What's that, 20 words? I'll take it.

August 10, 2009, 11:37 PM	#1
cek Member Join Date: July 12, 2009 Posts: 87	In 50 Words: What the Right to Bear Arms means to you After getting back into shooting recently (my son has "turned of age" and we've been having a blast reloading and...well..blasting away) I happened across the Gun Digest archive site. The blog post I wrote this weekend tells the story; I figure people here would apprecaite it... --------- Full blog post with pictures here --------- Gun Digest ran an essay contest in 1964: In 50 words or less write what the Right to Bear Arms means to you. The winner would get an all expense paid hunting safari to Africa. I had known my father (Charles E. “Ted” Kindel) had won this contest when I was a kid but didn’t really know the details. All the family knew was that it was an essay contest in “some gun magazine”, that the prize was a safari to Africa, and that it was one of the several African safaris my dad went on. When my father died in 1990 we found in one of his files what I thought was the essay: “My Constitutional right to bear arms is, to me, the most significant example of my American heritage of individual freedom and human dignity. Such a right implies that my Government trusts me and, in turn, is worthy of my trust.” My notes show he wrote this in 1962. I’ve never had any reason to believe this wasn’t the actual final wording of his winning entry. The other day I happened across the Gun Digest Research website and on a whim searched for “Ted Kindel” and got hits for both the 1965 and 1966 issues. I immediately went to eBay and found copies of both these issues for sale and bought them (I didn’t feel like subscribing to the Gun Digest Research site). I can’t tell for sure in which issue the contest was described. I suspect it was in the 1964 issue and I’m going to order that as well so I can see how the contest was actually worded. But the 1965 and 1966 issues are full of both information about my dad and great photos of him. Page 206 of the 1965 issue contains the announcement that my dad has won as well as the text of his winning entry. The 1966 issue contains the story of his Safari to Africa, including pictures of some of the game he bagged. The fascinating thing is the essay, as printed in the 1965 issue is different than the one we have in our files (I only have an electronic copy and I do not remember where it originally was copied from). It says the same thing, but is longer and more wordy. I find this odd because I can remember my dad nagging on my own writing as being too wordy. “A mutual trust between the citizen and his government is a paramount essential of the American dream. To me this trust is best exemplified by my constitutional right to bear arms. Only as long as such trust exists can we maintain our cherished concepts of human dignity and individual freedom.” My version is 40 words long. It is pretty awesome he crafted the “final” version to be precisely 50 words. __________________ "My Constitutional right to bear arms is, to me, the most significant example of my American heritage of individual freedom and human dignity. Such a right implies that my Government trusts me and, in turn, is worthy of my trust." - Charles E. 'Ted' Kindel (My dad), Gun Digest #19 1965

August 10, 2009, 11:44 PM	#2
Skan21 Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2009 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 463	Mine's much less than 50 words. The second amendment, to me, is the right to remain free. I'm already reasonably free, and with help from the second amendment, I'm going to stay that way. __________________ "An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life."- Robert Heinlein Some of you guys need to trade in a few of those Safe Queens and see if you can get a good deal on a Sense of Humor.- Me

August 11, 2009, 09:18 AM	#4
jfrey123 Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2006 Location: Reno, NV. Posts: 1,026	The Second Amendment means, to me, that the forefathers believed gun ownership was the second most important right. Out of all the other specific rights, the right to keep and carry a firearm is second only to free speech. __________________ Rock out with your Glock out!

August 11, 2009, 11:13 AM	#6
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	It means all of the constitution is backed up by the power of the people who are armed and ready to defend it. It means I have the right to defend myself. Unless of course you live in Milwaukee Wisconsin or Cook county Illinois. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

August 11, 2009, 11:35 AM	#7
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	Freedom It really has nothing to do with guns, in my estimation. It's freedom. The freedom for humanity to peaceably do whatever they have a desire to do. The 2nd is merely a tiny piece of that freedom that had been targeted in the past and so the founders saw fit to protect it into the future. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

August 11, 2009, 08:26 AM	#3
Al Norris Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2000 Location: Rupert, Idaho Posts: 9,660	Not a civil rights issue, nor an issue of Law. Moved to GenDisc.

August 11, 2009, 10:16 AM	#5
MajorWhiteBoy Member Join Date: April 10, 2009 Posts: 70	peace of mind.

August 11, 2009, 11:45 AM	#8
pax Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2000 Location: In a state of flux Posts: 7,520	cek, What a cool story! You must be very proud of your dad to have left such a heritage behind him. pax __________________ Kathy Jackson My personal website: Cornered Cat

August 11, 2009, 04:15 PM	#9
UniversalFrost Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,300	for me it is protecting myself by bearing arms to prevent any armed bears from getting me __________________ Lifetime member VFW and NRA "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (when all else fails play dead) -Red Green

August 11, 2009, 06:34 PM	#10
EnoughGUN Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2009 Posts: 538	arms The order of amendments does not mean that is the order of importance. The right to bear arms is an inherent human right PROTECTED by the constitution NOT provided by it. People trying to infringe on this right by changing the amendment or attempting to reestablish its meaning are missing the point. You could erase the 2nd amendment entirely yet we all would still have this right, the Govt would just not recognize it. When the Govt no longer believes its citizens have the right to protect themselves it will be the Govt we need protection from. __________________ GLOCK Austrian for Lemming

August 11, 2009, 07:06 PM	#11
45Gunner Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 1,902	The right to protect myself and my family from whomever or whatever wants to take what is ours, whether it be material or spiritual. __________________ 45Gunner May the Schwartz Be With You. NRA Instructor NRA Life Member

August 11, 2009, 11:43 PM	#13
unloading Member Join Date: September 24, 2007 Posts: 38	In 10: It's the difference between being a citizen and a subject.

August 12, 2009, 12:07 PM	#14
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	The U.S.A.

August 12, 2009, 01:31 PM	#15
Magi Junior member Join Date: July 5, 2009 Location: Earth Posts: 127	Great post. Thanks for sharing ... truly inspiring!

August 12, 2009, 02:41 PM	#16
ISP 5353 Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 134	What unloading said!

August 13, 2009, 10:02 PM	#17
Foxrr Member Join Date: March 5, 2009 Location: Western Australia Posts: 48	Sadly, nothing! Here in Oz firearm ownership is officially a privilege not a right. One wrong move and zzzzzzzzzt.. your guns are in a safe at the nearest cop-shop! I dream of the day when Australia has a Bill of Rights but I fear it'll never include a Right to Bear Arms. Sorry, 53(?) words..is 'zzzzzzzzt' a word?

August 14, 2009, 12:15 AM	#18
cek Member Join Date: July 12, 2009 Posts: 87	Foxxr: LOL, but not in a happy way. __________________ "My Constitutional right to bear arms is, to me, the most significant example of my American heritage of individual freedom and human dignity. Such a right implies that my Government trusts me and, in turn, is worthy of my trust." - Charles E. 'Ted' Kindel (My dad), Gun Digest #19 1965

August 14, 2009, 06:44 AM	#19
Baba Louie Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2001 Posts: 1,552	cek, Great story. I'm sure you'll pass it on to your kids and their kids. 50 words or less (w/ historical reference below): Don't Tread On Me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_flag __________________ A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." - George Washington, January 8, 1790, First State of the Union Address

August 14, 2009, 06:52 AM	#20
PhoenixConflagration Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2008 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 517	My life belongs to me and it is fundamental that I will protect it with the best means physically possible. What's that, 20 words? I'll take it. __________________ *There is nothing quite so dangerous as a pacifist, for they will readily sacrifice others* for their ideals.**