Liberty Or Death!!!

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"
On 20 March 1775, The Second Virginia Convention convened at St. John's Church in Richmond. They assembled to consider weighty matters concerning the tyranny and oppression of the Crown. Many favored continued conciliatory measures. A thirty-nine year old delegate from Hanover County named Pätrick Henry took a seat in the third pew.
Here sat a man with a burden. He knew he faced "an irresolute body; that he would be opposed by the powerful, wealthy, Tory element among the members. He realized that the Loyalists were insidiously entrenched and the outcome was uncertain. Pätrick Henry's risk was tremendous - one that could easily bring him to the block."1
But Mr. Henry feared not man that can destroy only the body - he feared God who can destroy both body and soul. "Liberty" burned in his heart and flowed through his veins. "Death" was to be preferred before cowering in fear before the British leviathan. Mr. Henry was the archetype Southerner whose motto "Liberty or death, " exhibited a bravery and patriotism seldom seen today.

Here is his famous speech delivered 23 March 1775. Read it and may the words burn deep into your thoughts and meditations:





"Mr. President, no man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
"Mr. President, it is natural for a man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove to be a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the instruments of war and subjugation -- the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy in this quarter of the world to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British Ministry have been so long forging.

"And what have we to oppose them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to treaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the Ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation.

"There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free; if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending; if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon, until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained; we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! (emphasis added, GC)

"They tell us, sir...that we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature has placed in our power. Three millions of people armed in the holy cause of liberty and in such a country as that which we possess are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us.

"Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come!! I repeat it, sir, let it come!!!

"It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace; but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?

"Forbid it, Almighty God -- I know not what course others may take; but as for me -- give me liberty or give me death!"

Remember to vote!!!!!!!!!

An economical battery of guns for the backwoods home by Massad Ayoob Issue #114

I love to read Massad Ayoob and after my post on a what survival guns should you have. I found this and liked it. So give it a read..... And I did get a good bit of my stuff done today, still have lots to do tomorrow.

An economical battery of guns for the backwoods home by Massad Ayoob Issue #114

It's Friday!!!

Lots of good stuff going on this weekend. 1st is working on my shop and moving around some stuff and getting rid of lots of unused items, some will be sold and others will given to goodwill. My plan is to cut down on my storage stuff in the shop by 50%. 2nd I plan to work on my preps this weekend. I would like to make 4-6 more 5 gallon buckets with rice, beans, oats and other items in them. Then I want to clean and store all the camping gear like the chairs, tents, lamps, grills and any other items that need a good cleaning. 3rd I plan to get out to the range this weekend and recheck all my scopes and just get some good shooting in. And after all that if I still have some time I would like to make some more Slinky Antenna's, I have a new one I working on that will work great inside your home or RV. When I get it done I will be giving one away in a contest for someone to try out. The contest will be soon because I coming up to my 500th post on this blog and I will do the contest then.
Everyone have a great weekend and keep up your prepping!!!!! We must be as ready as we can be!

I Like This!!!!!

I was looking around the web the other night and found this and liked it, so I am sharing it with all of you who read my blog.

Why I am a SURVIVALIST

A fireman is a fireman, not because he believes everything will burn, but because he believes much can be saved. Doctors don't believe in death, they believe in life, and a survivalist is not a survivalist because he believes everything must be destroyed and everyone must die, he believes that life and freedom can be saved, if people of good will are prepared. A fireman does not start fires, a doctor does not make disease and a survivalist does not make disaster.

Crime, disease, war, revolution, fire, flood, periodic financial collapse and famine are the results of nature and the nature of man and unfortunately are not within the power of anyone on this earth to prevent.

We all know that the sun will set each day, leaving us in darkness and we all know that warm summers give way to cold winters and that we can do nothing to keep the sun from setting or the cold winds from coming, does this make us pessimistic? I think not! So then, why is the survivalist called a pessimist when he makes ready to face events that are just as much a part of history and nature as the sunset and the changing of the seasons.

Another misconception is that survivalists are predicting world disaster. On the contrary, we seem to be THE OPTIMISTIC MINORITY that is predicting world survival. We are hard pressed to find any well recommended historians, economists, political scientists, sociologists or military strategists that can come up with a scenario that gives even a fifty-fifty chance of avoiding a large scale catastrophe, yet we survivalists dare to be OPTIMISTIC about the future. We survivalists do not need to predict the probability of disaster anymore than we need to predict the sun setting.

Those who criticize survivalists, are like men who refuse to look at a calendar, in the hope that through self-imposed ignorance they can keep from aging another year.

"You survivalists will be disappointed if we don't have a world cataclysm." Here is another accusation that is pure B.S. and I could not think of a milder phrase to describe it. We survivalists have loved ones we don't want to see hurt or killed, we have homes we don't want to see destroyed, we are not tools to think that just because we are survivalists a world cataclysm would be fun for us or that we would not experience danger, loss, hunger, injury, cold or even despair and death.
We have spent time and money to improve our chances for survival and recovery from disaster, but we would have a great celebration if some day we could be assured that we had wasted our time. No, we will not be disappointed if there is no disaster to survive, anymore than the Red Cross is disappointed when there are no floods and storms or the man who buys an insurance policy is disappointed when his house faiIs to burn down.

It may be said that the survivalist would much prefer the pleasant (but unlikely) surprise of being wrong to the (probable) deadly rude awakening that the nonsurvivalist will face if he is wrong.

So, you see the survivalist can not lose because his survival preparations will be of value regardless of what the future has in store. In time of crisis, those who have not prepared to turn to each other, will turn on each other.

It is most regrettable indeed, that many people consider survivalists as a threat and regard them with suspicion and even hostility. This attitude is logically indefensible and is rooted in the nonsurvivalists own sense of fear and guilt. Subconsciously, the nonsurvivalist may hate the survivalist for reminding him of how fragile his lifestyle is.

Now, let's get the facts turned around right. THE MOST DANGEROUS PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY ARE THE NONSURVIVALISTS. Every person who has not made provisions for surviving without food, water, fuel and other essential needs from the outside, is a mortal danger to his neighbors.

What will a man do when he and his family are freezing, hungry, thirsty, sick and starving? He may ask or beg his neighbors for help, but when they have no extra fuel, food, water or medicine to give, will he just go back home to die with his wife and kids? What do you think? We survivalists who stock up on food and other supplies, now do a favor to society because what we now buy is replaced on the shelves, so there will be that much more available in an emergency. We survivalists won't be looting and killing for food. We won't be a burden on the medical facilities or a danger to the police. Since we will be able to turn to each other, we will not need to turn on anyone and we may be able to help at least some.

Survival preparation should be regarded as a social obligation, one that every individual owes to his family and community and his nation. The nonsurvivalist is simply a poor and irresponsible citizen.

So the reality is, that survivalists are optimistic, self- reliant individuals, who cannot help but see the imperative of preparing for the worst possible events, while hoping sincerely, that they won't happen. Today's survivalist is an asset, to his community and to the world and should be proud to be called SURVIVALIST.
By: CROW
From: Australia
Found at http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message932531/pg1

Survival Guns, What To Have And What You Need?

I see the people at survival forums post a question like this and get tore apart. I don't have the answer to this question because each persons type of survival or area of survival is a little different. So I will post some of the guns I like and then ask you to comment with some of the guns you like and why they are good for survival.When I think about survival guns for outdoors men, I think of three scenarios-the first involves using the firearm as an audible signaling device. The second involves providing meat to stay alive. And the third involves self-defense. Taking things in that order (which may or may not be the order of importance in any given survival situation), we've tried to define what makes a good survival gun. I think self-defense is the most important because I live in a small town and if TSHTF defense will be on top of my list then hunting for food.


* Ruger Mini-14 in .223 are small, lightweight semi-automatic carbines and a great survival gun. Some people don't like this gun but I don't know why.


* The Henry U.S. Survival. This take down .22 weighs just
2½ pounds. It breaks down and all parts fit in the hollow stock.


* Springfield Armory M-6 Scout. This fold-down model is also very compact and offers both .22 and .410 barrels.


* KEL-TEC SU-16 Rifle. This gas-operated, self-loading rifle in .223 Rem. also features a fold-down stock for easy
storage. The stock holds spare magazines and the for end folds down to form a bipod for increased accuracy.


* Marlin 70PSS Papoose. This stainless, seven-shot, semi-auto .22 offers a take down barrel and synthetic stock. It comes in a padded carrying case.

* New England Firearms' Versa-Pack. This rifle has interchangeable barrels that easily swap over from .22 rimfire to .410 shotgun.


* Savage 24F Predator. This over/under combination gun is available with a .22 Hornet, .223, .17 HMR or .30/30 over a 12-gauge barrel or .22 LR, .22 Hornet, .223 or .17 HMR over a 20-gauge barrel. The take down action makes storage easy.


* Winchester M-9422 and Marlin M-1894PG. Lightweight lever guns like these offer lots of magazine capacity and the versatility of using either bird shot loads or standard bullets.


* Thompson/Center's G2 Contender. This single-shot is known for accuracy. It comes in a number of different
caliber options, is easily scoped and stows effortlessly.



* Smith & Wesson AirLite SC Revolver. Smith offers a whole family of AirLite revolvers in a number of calibers and configurations. Models like the M-386 Mountain Lite would also be an excellent choice for survival use.


* Taurus M617SS2C. The mini titanium revolver in .357 Magnum is a standout candidate for survival because it
offers a seven-round cylinder instead of the traditional
six-shot yet weighs less than 20 ounces.


* Glock 17 or 19. These polymer-framed semi-autos can stand up to practically any abuse from Mother Nature and still function. They also offer plenty of magazine capacity in a small, compact package.



* Benelli Nova Pump H2O. This gun features nickel-plated parts and is capable of handling just about any shotgun ammo you can feed through it, from 3½-inch magnum shotshells to slugs.


* Winchester Model 1300 Coastal Marine. This stainless-steel pump is a rugged workhorse available in 12-gauge with seven-shot capacity and 3-inch chamber.


* Mossberg Model 500 Pump Action. Available in synthetic stock with a Marinecote finish, Mariner pumps are ideal for use on boats and are the choice of many saltwater skippers.

* Remington Model 870 Marine Magnum. This version of the 870 is similar to the classic Model 870 Wingmaster,
except the metal parts are plated with electroless nickel. It has a black synthetic for end and stock.

Post a comment and like me know what you like or don't like. I only own a few of the above.

Food Prices Expected to Rise Sharply - CNBC

I found this and it's a good read. But we all knew this was coming and it will get worse, a lot worse.

Food Prices Expected to Rise Sharply - CNBC

Thinking About The Rest Of This Year

I find myself thinking more and more of the day we have ahead. I'm not sure what is down the road for us as a country but I am sure it's not going to be good. And I am sure that things are not going to be getting any better. I see the job market getting worse and more and more people going without a job. I think this Christmas shopping season will be the worst in many years and a lot of stores will close after this bad season of non-shopping. Here at our house we have talked about it and are cutting down our shopping for this Christmas. Our kids are 24, 24 and 20 so we are not talking about young kids. We are all making a small list of needed items that only cost $20 to $35 each and then we can pick for the list of items. Me and my wife will be as one so the kids can shop for both of us at the same time so our list is one list for both of us, I'm sure they need to save money to. And me and the wife talked and we want stuff on our prep list. We plan to get our kids one of the items off there list and one extra small item and a gift card for $25 from the store they like or the mall. We plan to go small and I'm sure many others are doing the same. For all three kids we are only going to spend $250 and for the few other family we will keep our cost down to $125, so with Christmas Cards and gifts we are only putting out $400 this year. Most years it's 3-4 times that amount, but not anymore from this year on we will go small and get needed items. I'm sure Christmas will be just as fun as always if not much better, because when you take the rush and fuss out of it Christmas is all about family and love.
Don't stop prepping and stay ready, because our time is short.

Remember To Vote!!!!

It's not like we can trust any of the fools running for office, but we can get the Damn Fools out and replace them with a better fool or maybe we can find a few real Patriots to vote into office. It would be a nice country if we could get 1/3rd of the leaders in office to follow The Constitution and stick to true Freedoms for us Americans. I'm sure we never will get even close to 1/3rd.

Weekend Of Work And Prepping

I work this weekend but at the same time I am prepping around my working. I got some more ammo today at Wal-mart. And some lamp oil to store for later. I plan to get a container to put some K-1 kerosene in so I can use it in my lamps I have. I hear it works well and burns clean or as clean as the lamp oil you get at the store. I am trying to get as much done as I can with the time we have left, and I'm not sure how long that is. A week, two weeks, a month or 3, 6, 9 months I don't know. But I plan to work on my preps till I can't anymore and I plan to buy ammo every time I see some even if it's only a box or two. If I can pick up five boxes of ammo a week in 3 months I will have 60 boxes. It helps to get a little at a time because over time you build up your stocks and before you know it you have a small stockpile of needed items. I still use the coupons from the Sunday paper and get the can foods and dry goods with coupons and at times I even get items for free or almost free; It works very good and I plan to kick it into high gear next month because over the holidays you get five times more coupons in the paper. Use your tools to shop smart and make a plan and use the ads to shop for the best price. With a little time you can stock up a nice little stockpile.
Keep up the prepping and stand ready.......our time is short!

Wood Burning

Wood Burning Basics
Burn Only Dry, Seasoned Firewood
Freshly cut wood contains up to 80% moisture, and must be "seasoned" (dried to 20-25% moisture content) before burning. Wood containing more than 25% moisture is "wet" or "green", and should never be burned in a fireplace or woodstove. If exposed to rain, a fallen tree will wet-rot before it ever dries enough to be used for fuel. To properly season firewood, cut it into stove-sized pieces and stack it so air can circulate and carry away the moisture as it evaporates through both ends of each piece. The woodpile must be sheltered to prevent rainwater from being re-absorbed, which reverses the drying process: firewood that is exposed to rain will rapidly become just as wet as it was when freshly cut. Wood must be cut into pieces and stacked out of the rain for at least 6-9 months to season properly. If no seasoned wood can be found, high-density compressed sawdust logs make an excellent substitute. Avoid burning mill ends in woodstoves, as the exhaust from even "untreated" mill ends has shown itself to be tremendously corrosive to metal.

Don't Let Creosote Build Up In The Chimney

Creosote is a highly combustible substance which condenses in liquid form as wood exhaust cools in the chimney, and then solidifies as it dries. If ignited, creosote can burn for days at temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees, which is hot enough to destroy the chimney and ignite surrounding combustibles. Creosote is very caustic; if allowed to accumulate, it will significantly shorten the lifetime of the stovepipe and chimney. A seasoned-wood fire that is given enough oxygen for proper combustion will reduce creosote formation in two ways, by consuming more of the wood gases while at the same time sending more heat up the chimney to reduce flue gas cooling.

Practice Proper Chimney Maintenance

Creosote should be removed from the chimney before buildup in the flue exceeds 1/4" thickness. Chimneys which vent properly operated woodstoves generally require cleaning once per year. If green or wet wood is burned, or if the fire is allowed to smolder, the chimney will require cleaning much more often, and should be inspected frequently. Creosote sticks like glue, and must be removed with a tight-fitting steel brush. Rattling tire chains down the chimney or pulling a bag of straw through the flue won't remove creosote, and neither will a chimney fire. Chimney fires burn away the resinous portion of the creosote, but the sooty husk remains: if this husk isn't removed after a chimney fire, smoke will filter through it, rapidly re-depositing fresh liquid resin. In a very short time, the chimney will be as bad as it was before the fire.

Follow These Woodburning Tips

If steam bubbles and hisses out of the end grain as the firewood heats up on the fire, the wood is wet or green, and needs to be seasoned longer before burning.

If a wood supplier advertises his wood as "seasoned", or claims that it has been "down" for a year or two or ten, be skeptical. Ask if the wood has been cut into pieces and stacked out of the rain for at least 9 months. If it hasn't, it isn't ready to burn.

Shelter the woodpile from the rain, but don't cover it completely with plastic tarps or store it in an enclosed shed or garage; air circulation is necessary to ensure proper seasoning.

Never burn garbage, mill ends, or individually wrapped compressed sawdust logs in a woodstove. These contain chemicals which, when burned, are highly corrosive to metal.

Unless the stove is EPA approved, never try to make a load of fuel burn longer than 6-8 hours. EPA approved appliances have built-in safeguards to prevent smoldering, but many older airtight can be adjusted to smolder along for extended periods, resulting in heavy creosote deposits.

Operate woodstoves with their draft control wide open for 20-30 minutes each time firewood is added, or until the fresh load is totally engulfed in flames. This will send heat up the flue to help solidify the liquid creosote deposited by the previous load, while kindling the wood to start gasification of the resins for efficient burning.

NEVER try to clean a chimney by deliberately starting a chimney fire. Have the chimney professionally cleaned and inspected at least once per year.

If a chimney fire occurs, close the draft control on the stove completely to quench the supply of oxygen, and call the fire department immediately. Then, make sure the chimney is thoroughly cleaned as soon as possible.

By: Tom Oyen