The deadliest enemies of nations are not their foreign foes; they always dwell within their borders. And from these internal enemies civilization is always in need of being saved. The nation blest above all nations is she in whom the civic genius of the people does the saving day by day, by acts without external picturesqueness; by speaking, writing, voting reasonably; by smiting corruption swiftly; by good temper between parties; by the people knowing true men when they see them, and preferring them as leaders to rabid partisans or empty quacks.

--William James

L. Neil Smith explains why some people prefer victimhood in "I Need My Pain!":

They dearly love to whimper about what big government and even bigger corporations did to them yesterday, what big government and even bigger corporations are doing to them today, and what they think big government and even bigger corporations are going to do to them tomorrow. Almost never is there any consideration given to fighting back effectively, politically, right now, although they spend lots of time, energy, and money on weapons and survival equipment, getting ready for a physical fight -- which they will lose gloriously, of course -- in a future that usually resembles those bleak scenes in The Terminator where robot tanks are running over piles of human skulls and crushing them.

They need their pain because it's the way they define themselves. At one level or another, they're afraid they'll cease to exist without it. But it's time for these pathetic specimens to grow up and to start defining themselves, as the Founding Fathers did, in terms of their rights instead of wrongs, real or imaginary, they see happening around them.

Via JPFO.

I sent a letter to the editor of our local paper regarding National Exercise Your Rights Day.  So we'll see what transpires.

I feel a little odd sending it, because if they print it, it will expose my blog to people who know me but don't know about the blog.  Not that there's anything here I want to hide.  Like I said, it just feels a little odd.  I'm the guy who always sits quietly and listens but never says anything, so this blog may be a surprise to some people.

I also sent emails to a few gun stores and shooting ranges.  We'll see...

UPDATE:  24+ hours and no replies yet.