Bright Idea Outdoors Weblog

Happy Independence Day

Regular readers of this blog have seen this post before.  It's the one where I tell you to remember what the upcoming holiday really celebrates; and to pray for and support the brave people fighting for our country.  I write this post at least twice a year, but, in light of the times we live in--and the great country we are blessed to call home--I think, if anything, twice a year is not enough.

So enjoy the fireworks, the cookouts and the day off if you got one.  But remember it's not just "The Fourth of July;" it's Independence Day.  It's the day the founding fathers signed a declaration aimed at throwing off the chains of tyrrany.  The nation that originated that day was a great one, founded on the principle of liberty, and it's only gotten better ever since.  This is due largely in part to the efforts of those who sacrifice some measure of their own independence and dedicate their lives to defending this country.  Because of them, the American liberty experiment will endure and continue to evolve, as long as the rest of us do not lose sight of what it is all about.

God Bless America.  Let freedom ring!

NRA Releases "Campaign Battle Plan"

National Rifle Association members recently received the NRA Political Victory Fund's "Campaign Battle Plan" to protect Americans' constitutional right to keep and bear arms in 2009 and 2010.  According to NRA-PVF Chairman Chris W. Cox, the next two years will be a critical period, requiring unprecedented vigilance by pro Second Amendment voters and public officials.

"America has elected the most anti-gun presidential candidate in history to the highest office in our land," Cox wrote in a letter to potential supporters.  "On top of that, you and I are facing bigger and more powerful anti-gun majorities in the Congress, controlled by iron-fisted gun-haters like Nancy Pelosi and John Conyers."

Cox urges NRA members to take action now rather than waiting for the president to sign anti-gun legislation into law.

"Because, when it all comes down to it, if we lose even the smallest battle for the Second Amendment, we lose that part of this precious freedom FOREVER."

Cox's letter concludes, as most NRA mailers do, by asking members for money.  The stated fundraising goal of the NRA Political Victory Fund is $3.75 million.  Among the things the organization would use that money for are:

• Recruiting pro-gun candidates to take on "D" and "F" rated candidates in 2010;

• Launching and sustaining pro-gun voter registration drives; and

• Fighting for or against ballot referenda and initiatives that impact our hunting and shooting rights.

These items and seven others are outlined and explained in the NRA-PVF's "Ten Point Plan for Victory."  The plan specifically mentions the need to "Win state elections in Virginia and New Jersey this year."  Both of these states will hold gubernatorial elections in November.

"These are bellwether races that will set the tone for 2010, when another 38 states will elect governors and state legislators across the country," says the plan.

For more information on the National Rifle Association, go to www.nra.org.  More on the potential threats posed by the new administration to Second Amendment rights can be found in Cox's article "Has the Gun Grabber's Time Come?" on page 16 of the February issue of the NRA publication American Hunter.

A Proud Yet Embarassing Moment

Is it possible to be both proud of and embarrassed about the same thing?  I say it is.

That's because I'm proud to say that early yesterday I joined the National Rifle Association (NRA.)  The embarrassing part is that I'd never done this before.

I could provide a long explanation of why I resisted joining the NRA for so many years.  Or I could write about what exactly prompted me to pull the trigger on a membership when I did.  Instead, I'll just say that if you're not a member, now would be a great time to change that.

Times are tight, but if the $35 a year membership fee is an issue, try to think of something else you could eliminate to cover it.  In my case, I canceled my subscription to the Washington Post.

Good News at the Gas Pump and a Message of Optimism

We hear it every day now: the stock market is crashing; the global economy is in a meltdown; capitalism as we know it is dead.

But not all the news is bad.  The price of gas is falling fast, at least in this part of the country.  The price for regular unleaded pictured here is more than $0.60 less than I paid at the same station in mid-summer.

Diesel fuel has dropped slightly below $4 a gallon for the first time in months as well.  That's good news for truckers; I'm not sure if truckers are best described as the "backbone" of our economy or its "lifeblood."  Either way, they're important, and what's good for truckers is good for America.

Even at these lower prices, fuel still costs way too much.  But think of it in terms of your next hunting or fishing trip.

I rarely travel far to hunt, but I do like to go hunt with my uncle in King William County for one weekend every deer season.  At today's prices, I would save about $8 on that approximately 250-mile round trip as compared to the gas prices I paid a few months ago.  It's not much, but I might put that money toward a box of shells or maybe spend it on lunch on the road.  Either will make my trip more enjoyable and help the business that gets the eight bucks.

And who knows, maybe gas will be down to $3 a gallon by November, and I can afford to stimulate the economy even more on my hunting trip!

The point is that there is good news out there even amid all the gloom and doom.  Don't believe the hype.  Let the socialists among us sit back and gloat about the "failure" of our economic system. The rest of us simply need to keep a positive outlook, be thankful for any good news we can find and get back to work making this country even stronger than it was before any of this happened.

Don't Read This Until After You Eat Dessert

I don't spend much time here on the hunters vs. animal rights groups conflict, as there are many other blogs that do a better job of covering it than I ever could.  I don't write posts criticizing PETA because I don't know much about the organization.

But when I heard about this story today on the Jim Rome Show, I just had to check it out.  If you don't have time to read it, the gist is that PETA Executive VP Tracy Reiman wrote a letter to Ben & Jerry's founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield encouraging them to use human breast milk in their ice cream instead of cow's milk.

Like I said, I don't like criticizing people or groups that I don't know much about.  But that one strikes me as pretty off the wall. 

Fishing for a VP

Republican presidential candidate John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate and this week's Republican National Convention have created quite a buzz.  People that never talk about politics are asking me what I think about Palin, and some of them have said they wish she was running for president.

I can't tell you who I'm voting for, not today anyway, but here are links to a handful of blogs that have touched on presidential politics in the last week or so.

Norcal Cazadora was where I learned that Palin is a "huntress."

Guy K is blogging politics all day long.

I got the scoop on Palin's "fishing without a license" charge from a link posted on the Black Bear Blog.

Jim Braaten is not afraid to tell you where he stands.

Jeff Murray likes the Palin/McCain ticket idea.

I'm never able to spend the time reading blogs I'd like to, so if you wrote about politics this week and I left you out, let me know in the comment section.

Like I said, I can't tell you who to vote for, but I can tell you I'd rather hunt and/or fish with a great looking lady than listen to a great speaker ramble any day.  I'd even pick up the tab for her fishing license if that's what it took!

An Interesting Take on Handgun Ownership

Flip back to the Style Section of the Washington Post or click here to read Stephen Hunter's "advice" column for Washington D.C. residents whose right to own handguns was recently restored by the Supreme Court.

This column from the Post's long-time movie critic gives some of the most sensible advice I've ever read for D.C. residents and anyone who keeps, or is thinking about keeping, firearms in his home.  Of course, that comes as no surprise to me, coming from the Pulitzer Prize-winning Hunter.

In addition to his work at the Post, he has authored numerous books, including American Gunfight, Hot Springs, Time to Hunt and Point of Impact.  Hunter is a firearms enthusiast, a hunter, a cool guy and one of my favorite writers.  I'd love to know what the rest of you think of the column.

Last Man Standing

Washington D.C.'s NBC 4 reported this morning that regular unleaded gasoline is averaging $3.98 per gallon in Virginia.  But this market near the intersection of U.S. 15 and Harmony Church Road was the only station I saw today with gas below $4.00.

Meanwhile, I'm planning a trip to Virginia's eastern shore and cringing at the thought that the gas alone will cost me more than $100.00.  I'm also wondering if, by the time I return to the same area to hunt this fall, it will be more like $150.00 in gas for the whole trip.

The money I spent on gas for a hunting or fishing trip never even used to be a consideration.  Now it's become a big one.  Have fuel prices impacted your travel plans yet?

A Memorable Memorial Day Observance

The Memorial Day weekend was packed with fun and excitement, some of which I'll write about later.  But the most important part came Monday morning when my boys and I attended the Town of Leesburg's Memorial Day ceremony on the courthouse lawn.

Leesburg Mayor Kristen Umstaddt, a U.S. Navy veteran, was moved to tears as she delivered the opening remarks.  Virginia Army National Guard Captain Giancarlo Brizzi, whose Leesburg-based unit recently returned from duty in Iraq, followed the mayor as the featured speaker.  Here the two stand before the memorial to Loudoun County residents who lost their lives in World War I.

Even as Umstaddt and others in attendance wept for those who have died in service of this great country, all were thankful to note that Captain Brizzi, who serves as commanding officer of Company C, 3rd Battalion 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, brought all his soldiers back safely.  Now we can only hope that they get to stay home this time, and that their fellow heroes still in the war zone will soon follow.

And the Winner Is. . .

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of the Win Free Gas contest.  I just couldn't squeeze in time for a post during an action-packed Memorial Day weekend.

Jody, the Hunters Wife, guessed that I would spend $120 on gas during the week beginning May 15 and ending May 21.  She missed the exact total by only $0.65!  During that week I drove 468 miles and spent $119.35.

Congratulations Jody!  Please send an email to outdoorblogger@verizon.net to let me know where I can mail your prize.

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest and commented on how the current high fuel prices will impact their hunting, fishing and summer plans.  I'm still looking for more information in that regard, especially from anyone who is in an outdoors-related business.

I hope to publish my report on fuel prices and the outdoors within the next couple weeks.