How to write to your Congress Critter

29 January 2013

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The Honorable XXXXX
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Washington, DC XXXXX

Dear Representative XXXXX,

I am a constituent of your district in XXXXX and a lawful gun owner, as well as holding a XXXXX Concealed Weapon Permit and a Class 03 Federal Firearms License as a collector. Like many I am saddened and outraged about the senseless killings at Sandy Hook Elementary as well as Aurora CO and others which have happened in recent memory. These horrific events have created a national debate on the subject of guns and their place in our society.

Currently Congress is considering bills which would limit access to and/or ownership of certain classes of firearms in an effort to curb the kind of violence we've seen. It cannot be more misguided than to think that outlawing any type of firearm would have prevented these tragedies, and that creating registries, limiting magazine capacity or resurrecting any part of the failed 1994 Assault Weapons Ban would do anything to honor the memories of the children or make our streets safer. Criminals by definition would never submit to any of these laws, and only law-abiding citizens would suffer as a result, becoming disarmed in relation to the armed criminal element.

There are a number of reasons I could cite to oppose any ban which may be proposed, most importantly is that existing laws already would have prevented the perpetrators from having access to the weapons they used if it had been followed. We have adequate laws if they are enforced.

I urge you to support strengthening existing enforcement of law, and oppose any further effort to undermine the fundamental right of free, lawful citizens to defend themselves as is enshrined in the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

Thank you.


XXXXX

Reintroduction

In the beginning let me say that the purpose of this blog is to share and document my devotional relationship to The Morrigan ;not preaching, prophesy, prosleytize or promote. I have been active in the Pagan community since 1989, and dedicated to Her for many years. But as I often say, doing something a long time does not equate to doing it well.

I do not consider myself a Priest, for She does not ordain Priests and Priestesses. I'm not a Shaman, or whatever term indicates that in the Pagan community. I'm no expert, no artist, no soothsayer. I'm a man who is dedicated to a Goddess of war, sovereignty, the land and sacred sexuality.

So why start a blog about all this? In truth, there are only three main reasons. First, showing off all my work and adventures. Yes, adventures, having such a Goddess at your side will bring many adventures. Secondly, document my own progress. In a way it forces me to think, grow, and develop along this path (How I do hate the term “path”). Thirdly, it can help guide others who may be called in such a strange way and do not fit in the neo-pagan world.

So what is my avocation? I'm called to train as a modern-day Celtic warrior. And before you laugh, this blog will contain a lot of information about warriorship, and the mindset of being a classical warrior in a modern setting.

For the record, I am not law enforcement nor former/current military. For medical reasons, I'm ineligible to serve in either capacity, but nothing prohibits me from training like one. I'm what they refer to as a “civilian sheep dog”, and we will cover the sheepdog concept later in this blog.

And what do I mean by modern-day Celtic warrior? I live in the 21st century, with internet, air conditioning, and I'm not running about in ancient dress pretending to be something out of Braveheart. I learned to fight with sword and shield, knife and bare hands, and rifle and pistol. The art of warfare is a sacred art, and I practice all forms of it. This blog may focus on mentality or training, as I see fit.

My position on politics, etc. may appear here, but isn't the focus of this blog. I shall endeavor to keep my private life out of this blog, it's not about me or photos of my family, pets, etc. it's about a dedication. As to politics, I'm going to say nothing nauseates me more than some aging hippie taking her faith as a justification to use government as a tool to redistribute wealth – I'm looking at you Starhawk – and I think the Gods themselves would be as offended as I am. Or some granola-crunching PETA shrew thinking she can guilt me into changing my diet “for the children”. Or a self-hating closeted homosexual pastor thumping a Bible in my face and bashing all my queer friends in the name of his God. Or a well-connected corpratist who thinks the law doesn't apply to him by virtue of who his “friends” are.

I'm going to offer my voice for a silent mass, of a-political pagans who if pressed, would really rather be libertarians than anything else. I donate to charity, I volunteer as time permits, I believe in justice and goodness – but shut the fuck up already! We do great things even in a competitive materialistic world,so get out there and do them and stop trying to use guilt and force to make the world more just.

Be a beacon, not a shrew.

So back to the blog. As I read, think, develop, experience and grow, it's my hope that I'll document it for others. One thing I try to do is practice some operational security, and not give much away as to personal data. But I intend to make a great ride out of it, and to be worthy of all the blessings bestowed on me by Her, by being the best I can be.

I was trained as a scientist and as a philosopher, so from time to time that will creep in here, more as a methodology and outlook than as a subject.

So what does it mean to have such a dedication? For one, you don't get to slack. To be a warrior means to relentlessly pursue improvement. Physical, mental, spiritual, emotional. And that improvement is through act of will, and action. One can sit home with candles all day and will change, but unless you get off your ass and DO, nothing will change. You'll just burn candles.

It means staring down fear. Do I feel fear? Sure...watching my house burn made me feel fear. Telling my boss if they take away another one of my benefits I'll walk out, and meaning it. Grabbing a loaded handgun to check out a suspicious noise downstairs. My 40th birthday, and looking at what I've not yet accomplished. Yeah, I feel fear, but I do what is needed despite it.

And that powering through fear is a sacrifice of fear. I slay the dragon, and offer it to Her as my sacrifice. That is a fitting tribute I think, and one that makes both of us stronger for it.

So there is an introduction. On to the adventure.

Ready for prime time.

So I've been chewing on this blog thing for a bit, finding all kinds of reasons to write and not write it at the same time. The original plan was to specifically write about my dedication to the Morrigan, but I've decided it needs to be broader. She is the Queen of Sovereignty, Lady of War, and to keep it circumscribed to the Neo-pagan safe-zone is hardly fair or proper. Write what you know, they say, so this blog is that of a middle aged Pagan man, more than fifteen years into a singular dedication to the Queen, twenty-five years in the modern pagan community. How does one cultivate warriorship, will, self ownership, and do so in a community that generally looks unhappily at hints of war and violence? How do we adopt the values of ancient society in a modern one, and why? My blog will be unplanned, regular musings and opinions, some of which may offend. I hope so, much offends me, and is an offense to the idea of sovereignty. Let the games begin.