You've finally gotten most, or all, of the gear that you need together and are ready to go to your first shoot.
But you've got some concerns. Will I be able to shoot the stages safely? What do I need to bring? Should I call
the match director? Where is the closest shoot? How much ammo do I need? How are the matches run? Will I make
a fool of myself? And I bet you have other questions too.
The most important thing is safety! All other concerns are secondary. Your first Cowboy Action Shooting match
is not the place to learn to shoot or to learn how to shoot a single action revolver, lever action rifle, and
pump, double, or lever action shotgun. So what do you do? Go to the range! Load your guns up in the car and
head on out to the range. SASS rules state that revolvers should be loaded with 5 and the hammer on an empty
chamber. Make sure that you practice this at the range!
Set up a paper target at 25 feet and get to shooting it with your revolvers. Make sure that you know where
they print. High and Left? Low and Right? You'll have to shoot them to find out. Take your time and work on
hitting the target center, don't worry about speed. Now, put up a fresh target and send it down 50 feet. Load
up your lever rifle and work at hitting target center. Don't rush! When you finish up head on home and clean
your guns. Cleaning will help you to become familiar with them.
We're still talking safety here. Gun handling is next. Can you draw, fire, and holster? Can you pick up your
long guns and fire them without breaking the 170 degree cone? These can be practiced at home as long as you
make sure that YOUR GUNS AREN"T LOADED! If your range will let you, practice draw - fire 5 - holster.
Practice. Practice. Practice!
Now that you know how to work your guns, it's time to find a local match. The Cowboy Chronicle is a great place
to look. You could also contact your local gun shop, they should have the information that you need. Now that
you know when the shoot is, contact the Match Director (MD). A phone call works best. Make sure to discuss your
concerns and get a round count. Ask any questions that you have. He/she will be more than happy to chat. Find
out what time to be there, registration process, cost, lunch, breakfast, water, bathrooms, and other necessities.
If you only have one revolver - or are missing a piece of equipment, make sure to let the MD know. Arrangements
can be made to get you a loaner for the day. This can even include a gun cart! Don't hesitate to ask, most
shooters are more than happy to lend out any missing equipment.
Now that you have found out that the match is on the coming Saturday, registration ends at 9:30, safety
briefing at 9:45, match starts at 10. Also, lunch is provided for a nominal fee by the local Boy Scout
chapter. For breakfast, you are on your own. Water is provided. There is a bathroom in the club house.
Match fee is $10.00. There will be 5 stages, 50 pistol, 48 rifle, 22 shotgun. You also remembered to
get directions to the range. Well, now what?
The night before is the best time to get ready! Get your guns cased (double check that they are unloaded)
and make sure that you follow all state and local laws regarding transportation of firearms.
Get out a duffel bag and pack up your ammo. Make sure to bring extra! For the counts listed,
I like to bring double what is needed. It is possible that you will need to reshoot a stage,
so make sure to have plenty of spares. Don't forget to make sure that you get your ear and eye
protection in the duffel bag as well. These are required! Make sure that you have enough money
for the match and lunch. They have water, but it won't hurt to bring a canteen or water bottle
along. Get your holsters and gun belt and shotgun slide or belt into the duffel as well. You don't want
to forget anything! Make a checklist and mark off the items as they go into the bag.
Set your alarm to get up early! It will take an hour to get to the range, and you want to be there early,
and you need time to make breakfast. You set your alarm for 6. Sleep comes fitfully, excitement builds.
The alarm goes off and it's a clear sunny day! You tumble out of bed exhausted and take a shower. Get your
cowboy duds on and head into the kitchen to make breakfast. Eggs, sausage, and toast. Plenty of juice, and
even some coffee (not too much, you don't want to get jittery). You load up the car with your gun cart,
duffel bag, and guns and head off to the range.
You get there in plenty of time. It's only 8:30. You find the registration and sign up, choosing the Traditional
class to start. Make sure to introduce yourself to the Match Director and make sure to let him/her know that you
are a "tenderfoot." You will be posse'd up with someone that will help you through the day.
You get your gun cart out, and your guns uncased. The leather is on and your revolvers go into the holsters
(make sure that they are unloaded). You get your long guns in the cart with the actions open. All your ammo goes
into the cart box and you head on down to the growing crowd of well-dressed (and some not so well-dressed)
cowboys and cowgirls. You feel a little intimidated by the costuming cause all you could come up with is blue
jeans, long sleeved dress shirt, cowboy hat and vest. There are several vendors set up and you go to peruse the
clothing options. Maybe you'll buy a new outfit? Maybe you decide to wait until lunchtime.
While you are wandering around, several shooters come by to introduce themselves and make you feel welcome. Some
provide some tips and one may even take you down to look over some of the stages. All these targets! Are you going
to be up to the challenge? Anticipation and excitement mount!
9:45 rolls around and the Match Director is standing on a table calling everyone together. Make sure to listen
closely! There may be local match rules that aren't in the SASS handbook. You will hear again about safety, about
not breaking the 170, about not sweeping, and about the "cross draw shuffle" (this is a hip twist if you use a
cross draw holster. The goal being to have the muzzle pointed down range when you draw and holster, this way you
don't inadvertently sweep anyone). After the safety briefing, the Posse Marshals come out and call out the members
of their posse's for the day. You find yourself in Posse 3. So you grab your guncart and head on over.
You introduce yourself to the Posse Marshal and he sets you up with someone named Lumber. He is to be your "guide"
for the day and help you along. He will shoot in front of you and make sure that you get through the loading and
unloading table and also help you learn about the activities that have to be done in order to make sure that the
posse runs smoothly.
He tells you about the Loading Table Officer who makes sure that the revolvers are loaded with five rounds each and
the hammer is resting on an empty chamber, and makes sure that the rifles are loaded with the right number of rounds
and that one isn't jacked into the chamber. He also makes sure that you have the correct number of shot shells and
that you understand the stage.
He tells you about the Unloading Table Officer who makes sure that all of the guns that you have with you are unloaded
and clear and that the actions are open.
He tells you about the Spotters who count misses and the Scorekeeper that writes down the scores and calls out the
next shooters and about picking up brass and the function of the Posse Marshal.
Once everyone is assembled, the Posse Marshal calls everyone together to go over the stage. This is an easy one! You
start with your hands touching the brim of your hat and call you "Hey You". Then the buzzer goes off and you sweep the
bank of five pistol targets twice, then sweep the bank of 5 rifle targets twice, and sweep the 2 shotgun targets twice.
"No Problem!" you think. You will shoot fifth so you can watch the first few shooters before going to the loading table.
You hear your name called and Lumber comes to help you get your stuff together. You grab your box of rifle/pistol ammo
and your long guns and head on over to the loading table. He helps you get loaded up, and you need the help because your
hands are shaking with nerves! He also shows you some tricks for making sure that the hammer is resting on an empty. The
Loading Officer over sees this and goes over the stage with you one last time before you are called to the line.
It's your turn now! You holster your six-guns and pick up your long guns, holding the muzzles up and head to the line.
When you get there, the Posse Marshal shows you how to set your guns on the rest to that they are upright and more easily
available. He also goes back over the stage with you one last time and tells you that he will help you through it. You get
ready and call out "Hey You!"
The buzzer goes off and you forget the entire stage! You hear the Posse Marshal say "revolver" and then you remember. You
draw your first gun and sweep the bank of targets without a miss and holster. They you draw the second and miss the first
two shots and get the next three and holster. You pick up your lever gun and try to remember that Lumber told you to keep
it on your shoulder while you work the action. You promptly miss the first three targets, but then hit the next seven!
You set the rifle down and the Posse calls out to you to open the action. You remember that the guns are always returned
with actions open. You open the action and then pick up your shotgun. Hands are shaking so much in the excitement that
you fumble and drop the first two shells. The Posse Marshal tells you to relax, you manage to finish the stage.
You pick up your long guns and head on over to the unloading table and empty them. The lever of your rifle is worked a
few times to show the Unloading Officer that it is empty and he also checks the action of your shotgun. As you start
unloading the first revolver you hear 5 shots kicked off very fast and you turn to watch Lumber. The Unloading Officer
pulls your revolver back to the table and reminds you to pay attention to what you are doing! You finish getting unloaded
and get everything back in your cart and the Posse Marshal asks if you can pick up rifle brass.
The rest of the day goes along much better and you start to settle down after lunch. Once your posse finishes the last
stage, everyone helps to break it down and you offer to help get packed up. The crew is grateful for an extra hand. After
cleanup, you get your guns and gear packed up and loaded in the car and head back to the clubhouse to find out how you did.
While waiting for the computer, you make sure to take the time to find your Posse Marshal and Lumber and thank them for
the help.
Everyone quiets down to hear the scores called out and you find that you weren't last! The Match Director stops by to see
if you had a good time and you assure him that it was great and that you will be back next month!
I hope that this answered most of your questions and expectations about your first match. The shooters that participate
in Cowboy Action Shooting are some of the friendliest around and are happy to help out newcomers. Don't be afraid to
ask questions! Above all, shoot safe and have fun. I hope to see you down the trail.
Doc Shapiro is the author of Black Powder Loading for Cowboy Action Shooting. For more information, see his web page
at: http://jnshapiro.home.mindspring.com/BPLoad.html, or via e-mail at: [email protected].
Note: This is an exact replication of National Public Radio (NPR) interview between a female broadcaster, and US Army General Reinwald who was about to sponsor a Boy Scout Troop visiting his military installation.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: So, General Reinwald, what things are you going to teach these young boys when they visit your base?
GENERAL REINWALD: We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery, and shooting.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Shooting? That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it?
GENERAL REINWALD: Don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the rifle range.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?"
GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see how. We will be teaching them proper rifle discipline before they even touch a firearm
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: But you're equipping them to become violent killers.
GENERAL REINWALD: Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are you?
Virtue of the Sword
by James Williams
Training in various, seemingly antiquated, military arts is becoming increasing common in our 21st century society.
Why pursue these arts that require so much effort, discipline, and often pain? Why do we seek to test ourselves in
struggle and training for combat? What brought us to these arts, and what do we hope to get out of this training?
I am frequently asked why I practice and teach classical warrior skills and adhere to a philosophy that appears
outdated to many. The sword has defined the warrior for thousands of years. It has defined the power, ethics,
duty and self-defense of a class of people who have shaped the face of civilization on this planet. The skill,
exercise, mental development, and sheer pleasure of using a sword is unique. Hand-to-hand combat with edged
weapons is the most demanding form of human physical combat. It not only requires the most skill, both physical
and mental, it develops in the adept abilities that separate him from others and elevates intuition, reflexes,
and technique to the highest degree. For the warrior, the sword represents his duty, his honor and his responsibility.
This is, for the most part, no longer a society that values the warrior and his virtues. Ours is a society that has
forgotten the sacrifices and struggles of so many who came before them, the fruit of whose effort and sacrifice we
daily enjoy; it is a society that will ask of its military, but not honor or care for its men. It is a society where
virtue is often looked at askance, where character is not required of those who would seek to lead us. A society
that enjoys enormous plenty yet denies its military the necessary munitions to train to protect this very wealth.
Why do a significant number of its citizens seek training and embrace virtues that seem passe? Perhaps not all have
forgotten that less than 60 years ago the entire world was involved in a great struggle to determine if a free
nation could exist. Most of us know someone who participated in that struggle and through whose efforts we have
the gift of choice and plenty which seems to be taken so lightly by so many.
"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without
victory there is no survival". Winston Churchill
"For without victory there is no survival." These words define the role of the male in history, his service to
life. The harsh reality of freedom in a nation, a fact that is overlooked or denied by many, is that our freedom
is the direct result of our strength. It was by struggle and conflict that we became free and have kept ourselves
that way. We have received from our ancestors, at great cost, a precious gift that must be cherished and nurtured
if we are going to pass it on to our children. It must be protected, fought for if necessary, and we must not let
this gift be taken from us by those whose rhetoric and actions are nonsense. These are people who seek things for
themselves at the expense of the whole.
"Freedom means responsibility and that is why most men shun it."
George Bernard Shaw
Everywhere that you look in history this is the case. When our strength goes we will no longer be free. We will be
dictated to and ruled by those stronger than ourselves. Does this mean that it is necessary to cultivate aggression
and belligerence? Absolutely not! It does, however, mean that we need to cultivate in ourselves those virtues that
guide a free people: courage, honor, truthfulness, responsibility, perseverance, charity, strength tempered with
compassion, discrimination tempered with tolerance.
Virtue as a prerequisite for freedom
It is the very cultivation of virtue that ensures the will and ability to be a free people. A society degenerates with
the loss of virtue and the high regard in which it is held. This has been the lesson of history. It is always surprising
to me that the events and lessons learned from the past are so quickly forgotten. It is as if we deliberately purge
them from our memory. Human history is fraught with the folly of this peculiar mechanism, yet we continue it at our
peril.
"If you lose the past," the 9th century Chinese poet Meng Jiao says, "The will easily crumbles."
This blurring and removing of the past is a valuable tool of social architecture as is evidenced in modern China,
one of many such examples in the 20th century. The misinformation and dis-information that make up so much of our
current social and political agenda separates us from our past. This deliberate perversion of truth should be
anathema to those who value virtue. It is anathema because those who use it seek to change the order of society
with falsehoods. As warriors we do not have to go far back into history to find instances where the courage
and sacrifice of a few have so benefited the whole.
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." These words were spoken by Prime
Minister Winston Churchill in reference to the debt owed by the British people to the RAF during the Battle of
Britain.
The reason we are called to cultivate classical warrior skills and virtues is out of a feeling of duty to the
whole of society. We prepare ourselves for those times when we may be called upon to protect and defend. Any
other reason is selfish and ultimately self-destructive. Being tough and a good fighter is not in and of itself
noble. For me, training in kenjutsu and related military arts prepares me to be a good citizen. It enables me
to be of assistance when it is necessary to protect and defend. It teaches me self-discipline that I may moderate
my behavior. I learn perseverance and courage in the face of difficulty so that I am not easily deterred. All of
this adds up to the courage to live life not just for oneself but also for others. For me, teaching is giving to
others what has been given to me. Like having children, it is the completion of the cycle. What a benefit it will
be to society as a whole if those of us who aspire to a noble nature strive to imbue society with care, commitment,
and positive action! Look out for and protect those in need! Support each other when faced with those of evil nature
who would prey on the weak and defenseless!
The noblest aspects of human consciousness, our virtues, become passe ever more quickly as we find substitutes for
living a life connected with the reality of our existence. The less we grow, hunt, and gather our food, the less
directly involved we are in protecting ourselves and our families and nation, the more readily we lose our virtue.
The less we know of and value our past, The less we honor those who, with their courage and sacrifice, have
bequeathed to us our current state of freedom and plenty, the less likely we are to pass this enviable state on to
those who follow us. Are we so self-absorbed that our decisions are made on the basis of our personal wants and our
ease? Are we as a people so easily bought that we will sell our freedom and that of our children for comfort?
The Warrior as protector of society
The warrior protects and defends because he realizes the value of others. He knows that they are essential to
society and, in his gift of service, recognizes and values theirs. This responsibility translates to children as well.
When in a public bathroom, keep an eye on any children that may be in there. Even wait an extra moment or two to make
sure that they are safely out of the restroom before you leave. It is an unfortunate fact that public restrooms are
frequented by pedophiles and potential kidnappers. Being a father myself I feel a serious responsibility to all children
and hope that other males will help look after mine when I am not present. I cannot count the number of times that I have
seen nervous mothers waiting outside of a public bathroom for a young son. Make a point, even to telling the mother, that
you will keep an eye on the safety of her child in an area in which she cannot go.
There are other ways in which we can be of daily use. For instance, take the extra moment in dark parking lots at night
to make sure that a woman gets into her car safely before leaving yourself. Daily involvement in acts such as these are
as much a part of training as time spent in the dojo, and indeed should be the reason for that time spent training.
The role and ability to protect and defend does not give the warrior-protector the right to misuse this strength and knowledge.
You are not superior to nor do you have the right to take advantage of others by means of this strength and ability. If you
breach this trust and your sacred responsibility then you are not a warrior-protector. Over the centuries this power has been
misused all too often in societies to dominate and control others. This is the dark side of power and has no place in the life
of the warrior seeking to live a life of virtue.
When faced with a woman or child in a situation in which they are vulnerable, there are two types of men: those who would
offer succor and aid, and those who would prey upon them. And in modern society, there is another loathsome breed who would
totally ignore their plight!
I remember the first time my friends and I read about an incident that happened in New York City where a woman was attacked
and eventually killed over an extended period of time. This was in the early 1960's, and I think the duration of the attack
was 15 to 20 minutes. Neighbors in the area could hear her calls for help, however, no one had the courage to go to her
aid. My friends and I were incredulous that something like this could take place in America. How could anyone, most
especially men, hear a woman being murdered and not involve themselves in her defense. Many current laws actually
place the person who would come to another's aid in legal jeopardy. Is this a sign of social and psychological health
in a society?
In 1977 I was teaching and competing in boxing and kick boxing and teaching women and seniors self-defense through the
Institute for Better Health in Santa Rosa, California. An incident took place in Rancho Cordova, California that had
a big impact on me both as a man and a martial artist. This incident was a home invasion rape and murder. A husband
and wife were both home when they heard a noise in the master bedroom. The man went to investigate and was confronted
by an intruder with a knife who had entered through the bedroom window. Being threatened with the knife the husband
capitulated and allowed himself to be led into the front room and tied to a chair. The criminal then raped the wife
in front of the husband who could do nothing but watch. After finishing with the rape, the criminal got a hammer
from the garage and proceeded to beat the husband to death in front of the wife. After he had brutally killed the
husband he turned the hammer on the wife leaving her for dead. The wife, who was not dead, managed to crawl out
of the house where neighbors heard her mewling and came to her aid. She suffered physical and emotional scars
that marred her for life.
I often wonder what would go through a man's mind when he fails through fear and lack of training to fulfill his
responsibility in such circumstances. We all have fear. That is why it is necessary to prepare, to train, to
understand the part that we play in the dance of life. How much more honorable, more noble, to have engaged
the assailant, even if there was slim chance for personal victory, and in doing so give your wife the opportunity
to escape! Preparation for such an eventuality could have provided a better outcome for both.
In 1984, a good friend of mine, Toby Threadgill, who now teaches samurai arts in Texas, was faced with a more
difficult situation. He was awakened from sleep by two men who had followed his wife home from her nursing job
late one night with the intention of raping her. One held a gun to his head while the other went looking for
his wife. Realizing their intent, and at the risk of his life, my friend managed to disarm the gunman by
driving him through a sliding-glass door. Then confronted by the knife wielding second man he managed,
although sustaining a serious wound, to disarm and incapacitate him. Although a likeable and easy going
person, Toby had prepared himself mentally and physically so that when faced with a dangerous situation
he had both the tools and the courage to use them. How much better the outcome!
Society becomes vulnerable to every kind of threat when men no longer feel the need to prepare themselves by
acquiring skills to protect and defend society, especially women and children. When men no longer take
responsibility for being male and when a sense of duty is replaced by self-concern and self-indulgence,
society looses its greatest strength- the mutual caring and commitment of its citizens for each other.
Courtesy: a show of respect
Courtesy is an essential element for the warrior. It should be a defining act that can be practiced daily.
"To be a samurai is to be polite at all times."
Hojo Nagauji
Chivalry frames an ideal of heroic character. It combines invincible strength and valor, justice, modesty,
loyalty to superiors, courtesy to equals, compassion for the weak, and devotion to God; it is an ideal which,
even if never achieved in real life, has been widely acknowledged as the highest model for emulation.
These acts of courtesy are first and foremost for yourself. The respect and care that you have for yourself
can then extend to other human beings. This altruistic value and most virtues are being sacrificed to the
right of the individual to every form of indulgence. And, in that very process, the individual is then
pressured to conform to the mores of the current political thinking of the State.
Showing courtesy is indicative of inner strength and security as a male. Courtesy is the lubricant of a
culture, and should be the hallmark of the warrior. No situation is made worse by the exercise of courtesy
and many situations are made the better for it. I enjoy showing courtesy towards women in the many ways
that are available. When I hold a door open for a woman or help her carry an object, it is not that I
think that she is not capable of doing it for herself. I do it in recognition of her intrinsic value to
society and to me. Men are respected and shown courtesy as they earn the right. This process of earning
respect is an important part of its value. The word loses its meaning and value in an atmosphere where
many think that respect should be given just because a person exists regardless of his actions or value
to the society.
An attitude of self-concern has grown more prevalent as our lives have become easier. Risking oneself for
others or for a principle is less and less common. We have become less committed to each other and have
created a world in which we seemingly do not need each other to survive. Virtues such as courage, honor,
and integrity even carry a stigma in some circles. The very foundations of character are under attack by
those who do not understand that there is nothing noble in being human without these virtues
It is not the role of everyone to be a warrior, however, those of us who respond to this calling should train
and study to be the best that we are able. The are many guides and heroes that we can look to as warriors, and
not all are male. One of mine, Mother Teresa, has just recently died. I find great inspiration in her life. Here
is someone who found her life purpose and lived it steadfastly and, from my standpoint, even gloriously by giving
to those too wretched for others to even consider. The courage, love and selfless sense of service that she
displayed should serve to inspire us all. If I can live my life while giving just one fraction of what she
gave to others it will be an accomplishment.
Teaching then becomes a means whereby we can pass on to others the knowledge and wisdom acquired from those who
have preceded us. It is not about self-aggrandizement or superiority. It is not about titles and rank, or
organizations or profit. Most of the time I feel that I am learning more from my students than they are learning
from me. The teacher becomes the student and the student the teacher. Neither can exist without the other.
As human beings we are all different. Having different skills, strengths, or abilities does not mean that
an individual does not have abilities that benefit himself and society. I shun the sameness that is a part
of much of modern social theory. It is abhorrent and detracts from what makes us human. I am a large, strong male,
over six feet tall and weighing over 200 pounds who has spent the majority of his adult life involved in
military and combative activities, studies and training. My wife is a foot shorter and over 100 pounds lighter.
We are physically suited for different tasks in life. I respect and cherish her strength and femininity.
And the more so because I have been at her side, in what limited capacity a man may provide, while she bore
our two children with only her courage and my meager assistance and encouragement to sustain her.
"When the choice is between cowardice and violence, I would strongly recommend violence."
Mohandus Ghandi
We are no longer training our children, especially our young men, to deal with pain, defeat, and discomfort
with a brave heart and stoic spirit. We seem to think that by removing consequences for their actions we are
actually benefiting them. They do not build true character based on trial and effort.
When there is no pain, no death, no challenge, no struggle, no adversity, and no disappointment we will lose
the best part of being human. When we structure a life and society devoid of every human challenge there
will be no courage, no perseverance, no honor, no compassion, no caring, and no commitment. We will have
lost the best parts of who we are because we will have let our fear steal them from us. We will no longer
need each other and this will be the greatest tragedy.
Being a warrior means being committed to making the ultimate sacrifice and also committing the ultimate
act. The gentleman warrior must take responsibility for his actions and use his power for the good of
society and his fellow human beings. As the old samurai saying goes, "To kill when it is right to kill
and to die when it is right to die!" In a similar vein, the code of the Sumerian warrior-king stated
that he was to act as the shepherd of his people. The role of the warrior as a stabilizing influence in
civilized society and protector of the weak is as old as civilization itself.
Sparta vs. Greece
Many, women more often than men, feel that being a warrior means being an oppressor. History, however,
does not necessarily bear out this idea. In Sparta, the strongest warrior culture that the Greeks produced,
the woman had the most freedom of any Grecian woman of the time. The women, received much the same
education as the young men, and shared a life with their men far closer than did the women of Athens.
In sexual matters, the Spartans, true to their nature, seem to have had the highest rate of monogamy
in all of Greece. They held their woman in high esteem and Spartan women had greater equality than
their Grecian sisters who were treated according to the more Oriental standards towards women of the rest of Greece.
The Spartans were also renowned for their virtue and being the most pious of all Greeks. There is a
story told by Plutarch about the Spartans at one of the Olympiads. In the crowded throng at the
Olympic games, an old man was looking in vain for a seat from which to watch the events. His stumbling
attempts to find one were noticed by many Greeks from other states, who mocked him for his age and
difficulty in finding a seat. When, however, he came to the section where the Spartans were seated,
every man among them rose to his feet and offered him their seats. Somewhat abashed, but nevertheless
admiringly, the other Greeks applauded them for their behavior. "Ah," the old man is reported to have
said with a sigh, "I see what it is. All Greeks know what is right, but only the Spartans do it.'"
Woman also fared well in other warrior societies. Viking woman owned their own property and could divorce
their husbands if they were mistreated. The Celts of Britannia often had women as rulers and many tribes
were matriarchal. It is false to think that because men are warriors that it follows that they look down
on women.
Peace and pacifism are not congruent with each other. Albert Einstein realized the 1930's that his pacifistic
approach to Nazi Germany would not work.
"He experienced that the ultimate ethical values, on which all human existence is based, must, as a last
resort, be defended even by force and with the sacrifice of human lives..."
Max Born on Albert Einstein's realizations prior to the Second World War.
How can we forget the courage and sacrifice of those that have gone before us in providing us with freedom
and plenty. How can we not take up the torch to provide this same freedom to those who come after. We should
honor all who have given of themselves with the ultimate sacrifice that provides us with what we not enjoy,
even if this sacrifice was long ago and far away.
"Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here, according to her laws we lie."
Epitaph written by the poet Simonides at the ancient monument celebrating Spartan courage and sacrifice at
Thermopylae that was instrumental in holding off the Persians under Xerxes and preserving the concept of
democracy for the world to come.
Virtue must be taught and practiced; it must be nurtured and passed to each generation. Freedom must be
taught and practiced as well. If not, it easily perishes. Virtue and freedom go hand in hand. Not to cherish
the one is not to cherish the other. A society that looses the warriors' virtues is the poorer for it and
will soon be a society whose freedoms are lost. The male has a genetic prime directive-a service to life-to
protect and defend. In this service he is historically more expendable than the female and the children. Every
man is responsible for defending every woman and every child When the male no longer assumes this role, when
he no longer has the courage or moral responsibility, society will cease to value honor and virtue. Neither
laws nor government can replace this personal caring and commitment. In the absence of the warrior-protector,
the only way that a government can protect a society is to remove the freedom of its people. And in such a
society, the sons and daughters of lions become sheep.
The Whiner's Lament
Verse 1
I try and find a way to make
All our loads and times relate
Without that ever-present hate
But now I know that it's too late.
And -
Chorus
Dressin' up is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please.
Verse 2
Through early morning fog I see
Posses and the things to be
The clangs that are withheld from me.
I realize and I can see
That - (Chorus)
Verse 3
The game of CAS is hard to play,
I'm going to lose it anyway.
The losing shot I'll give away,
So this is all I have to say,
That - (Chorus)
Verse 4
The only way they win, is cheat
But I give up before I'm beat
And to another give a seat
For that's the only painless feat. 'Cause: - (Chorus)
Verse 5
The beeper's shriek will pierce our skins,
It doesn't hurt when it begins
But as it works its way on in,
The time grows longer, watch it grin.
For: - (Chorus)
Verse 6
A cowboy once requested me
To answer questions that are key,
Is it to be or not to be
And I replied; "Tex, why ask me."
'Cause -
Dressin' in up is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please.
Words and music by Mike Altman and Johnny Mandel/as attenuated by Boris in shorts, sandals and a dog under the desk
Go to town
The Sheriff in a small town walks out in the street and sees a cowboy coming down the
walk with nothing on but his cowboy hat, gun and his boots, so he arrests him for indecent exposure.
As he is locking him up, he asks "Why in the world are you dressed like this?"
The Cowboy says "Well it's like this Sheriff.... I was in the bar down the road and this pretty
little red head asks me to go out to her motor home with her...so I did. We go inside and she
pulls off her top and asks me to pull off my shirt...so I did. Then she pulls off her skirt and
asks me to pull off my pants...so I did. Then she pulls off her panties and asks me to pull off
my shorts...so I did. Then she gets on the bed and looks at me kind of sexy and says, "Now go to
town cowboy..."
"And, here I am."
