Common Sense

AKA “fiddling while rome burns…”

When you work on promoting Appleseed, you quickly get an eyeful of what modern American gun owners and gun clubs are like.

Far from seeing Appleseed welcomed as a potential program that can get thousands of new people into shooting - and now, what’s more, with the track record to prove it - you run into a wall of hostile ignorance, hostile apathy, and hostile laziness. With the ‘hostile’ sometimes greater, sometimes less, but generally present as a persistent undercurrent.

Man, you lose your idealism fast!

Being an Appleseed missionary is a lonely, heart-breaking, frustrating, depressing activity, sometimes ‘made up for’ with a big break - you actually find an American who’s not pickled in his own ignorance, laziness, apathy - and arrogance. Sometimes you even find a gun club not run by people high on their own power…

Here’s an example for you of an email I recently received, about a potentially great AS location at a club which shall remained unnamed, in a state which shall remain unnamed:

“… I had a chance to talk extensively to the Club Safety guy and also the Rifle Chairman/VP. I think the Rifle Chairman is happy with our Procedures, and I think the Safety guy is happy with our attention to safety. The next step in the process of gaining access to the club is to send a formal request to brief the Board of Directors. This will need to be a somewhat formal stand up briefing, and one thing that we MUST address is “what is in it for them”. I am pretty sure the chairmen of other disciplines within the club will not be overwhelming supportive and I am sure that any effort to encourage them with a “good for membership” effort will fail. I was told very bluntly that, “this is a very exclusive club, the membership is expensive and we have always had a waiting list. We do not want new members!”

“I was also told equally bluntly that the various disciplines within the club already do not get along so “why should they help you?” On a somewhat brighter note I was also led to believe that after formal briefing to the Board of Directors we would most likely have their answer immediately.”

There you go: “What’s in it for them?”

Is there no room for the Cause to be “in it for them”? Guess not.

And what a spectacle: A bunch of boorish ignorant dopes infighting among themselves, so why would they want to help anyone else?

On the deck of a sinking ship?

Guess you could say, “real smart” - right?

Is this a classic definition of fiddling while Rome burns - or what?

Here I have to censor my response to my correspondant:

“My gut reaction is that we can locate a piece of land, buy it, and set up a range quicker than we can get thru to these limp-wristed, in-fighting, “what’s in it for me” arrogant [bleep]-heads.

“But you prob want a more reasoned, calm reaction, right?

“You are the guy on the ground. And I leave it to your judgement.

“These people have already sent [us] a message: they don’t want new members, they don’t like each other and/or any other new or different shooting discipline.

“Plus they love to have people come crawling on their knees, simply so they have the self-gratification ego-stroking of being able to say “No”. Oops, slipped up and got a little emotional again…

“Regardless, we don’t have the time or manpower to put on a dog-and-pony show for these [bleep]-heads, unless you have the energy and motivation to do it.

“Hope none of the above discourages you. I am simply trying, on the basis of the info you provided, to indicate what I believe is the most rational course, based on my experience, and my knowledge of the priorities and shortages of our program.

“XYZ, I am sending this directly to you, so as to pass on my unvarnished opinion.

“As you can tell, I’m full-up with conceited [bleep]-birds who don’t give a rat’s ass about the Cause.

“So [I hope you will] forgive the bluntness, but appreciate the honesty, of my remarks.”

Just in case you think Fred is impervious to this stuff, here’s something I wrote shortly thereafter to someone in the program in response to his suggestion that “Fred may be able to help with XYZ problem”:

“I don’t know if Fred will be of any help, or not. I think he’s in his cave, trying to pull the entrance inside with him, where it can’t be seen - or found.

“I don’t know how you continue, to be honest.

“Did I copy you on my response to [the above email]? If not, maybe I should send you a copy. These Americans are not worth saving. Appleseed is an example of casting pearls before worthless swine…

“In a way, I hope the ship sinks while I’m around, so I can squeeze joy out of hearing the wails of those who’ll be saying, ‘Why didn’t someone warn me?’”

Three things out of this:

1. You are important as an individual. What you do is important. Because you have effects on things you don’t understand or realize. I call ‘em ripples. If you take action, other people who care, see you take action, and are heartened and energized. If you don’t take action, or take stupid/foolish action, other people are disheartened - and the Cause you supposedly espouse to is harmed.

2. As the perceiver of all the ignorance, laziness, apathy, and general foolishness in this country today, it’s very tough to maintain the grit and fortitude that working for the Cause entails. Very tough. It’s probable that what keeps me going thru the valley of despair is the fear that one day I may meet up with the Founders. On that day, I want to be able to look ‘em in the eye, and say, ‘I did all I could…’

A second thing that keeps me going is seeing others who care enough to do something. I don’t want to let those people down, and I don’t want to discourage them by letting them see me do nothing. Seeing them working gives me hope that somehow, some day, we’ll be able to save this country…

3. People in this country will not only fiddle while Rome burns, they will party. In fact, will worship the Golden Calf - as long as it has plasma, and is in front of a couch. If judgement is ever passed on this nation, I don’t want to be around when it is.

4. Appleseed, in case you don’t know, is the answer. Go to rwva.org to find out why. Any one will tell you: the best answer to depression and discouragement is action - and Appleseed is action!

You have beem waking each day with a cloud over your head, not knowing what it is or why it is there. I can tell you what it is. It is your soul telling you that you are not doing what your heart is telling you that you should be doing.

How can you fix it? Listen to your heart, seek out the answer to what is missing in your life and start doing it. One way to get started is to attend an Appleseed Event. We will get you started on a path that will help you find the answer. Come to an event and learn to become the master of your rifle, learn the fundementals of shooting and master them, then you will be told about the history of Americans and how they let nothing stand between them and success, begginning on April 19th, 1775 and the events that occured at Lexington Green, the North Bridge in Concord and along Battle Road on the way east to Boston.

Every journey begins with the first step, there has to be a beginning and we will give you one at an Appleseed Event. Not all Americans care about their country and the ones that do often find themselves in despair about what impact they could possibly ever have on the perilous future awaiting our Nation. Let us show you how to get started on your journey as an American Patriot, and how to live the life of a Rifleman.
Scout

Welcome to the Appleseed Garage, where overhauling vehicles is our specialty.

Say, that’s quite a heap you’ve got there.

What? “Been a while since the oil’s been changed”, you say?

A bit of an understatement, I’d say.

Better let me take a look at it, first, so I can figure what we have, here.

Yes, I can see, at one time it was a top-of-the-line model.

Looks like the only one of its kind.

Yep, I see it’s an older model - let’s see, looks like, over 200 years old?

“234 years”? So I wasn’t too far off…

The outside looks a little better - someone cared a little about appearances - but man, oh-me-oh-my, look at what’s under that hood.

What a mess!

No wonder you’re concerned about taking it out on the road. I would be too. Wouldn’t do ya no good to be stranded someplace, without transportation.

And she’s not much good to you, if she won’t get you someplace, safely…

Hmmmm, looks like the ball joints are worn out - see the play in that wheel - bet the bearing’s gone, too.

I’d say you have a real overhaul, here.

Forget about the exterior. Waxing ain’t gonna fix this baby.

She needs a lot more’n that…

You’ve been working on the maintaining appearances, not fundamental care - tsk, tsk, tsk…

What you need is not only an oil change, but a changeout of all those worn-out parts.

Once we get that done, she’ll run like new.

And it’s worth it, cause they don’t make ‘em like this one any more. I’d say, it’s well worth the time and cost of an overhaul.

You‘ll have practically a new vehicle, afterward - good for another 200+ years - or as long as there are Americans who will take care of it, and take care to pass it on to their posterity.

Meantime, I’ll need your help, cause there’s so much that needs fixing on this baby, so let’s roll up our sleeves…

Yeah, I know you’ve been told it’s too worn out, too far gone. But don’t listen to the people telling you that.

They’ve never had to build a car from scratch before.

And when they try, I don’t want to be there to ride in it.

Let’s take this one - it’s really perfectly sound, just got a lot of miles on it, a lot of miles of neglect - and we’ll get it in good shape for ya, now sir!

That baby’s got a lot of service life left in her, if we can only take care of the basics.

I’m glad you brought her into the Appleseed Garage. Old girls like this one need to be overhauled once in a while. I hate to lose one this old…

Especially when we don’t have too…

Ready to get to work? Hand me that wrench over there…

[Project Appleseed is an all-volunteer effort to save this unique, one-of-a-kind country. Why don't you consider picking up a wrench and help us put her back, all nice and cleaned up, like she oughta be? www.rwva.org is the place to be...]

Reality is what it is - and what it is, is sometimes what you want it to be, and sometimes is not what you want it to be.

Reality is slippery as an eel, both in concept and definition.

It’s not what you think it is, and it’s not what you want it to be.

Guess you could say, reality is when you can’t change the channel. In other words, you’re stuck with the show you’re watching.

So if the Germans send armored vehicles crashing across your border (Poland, 1939; France, 1940; Yugoslavia and Greece, 1941; Russia, 1941), you can’t change the channel. You are stuck with the channel you are on.

Similarly, when Japanese dive bombers appear above Pearl Harbor in Dec ‘41, the only channel being changed was the mental one inside most American’s minds. And the new channel was quite a bit different from the old one. The peace movement in America had to go underground, “for the duration“ - and another generation.

No, it was not a peaceful world. Nor was America protected from the wolves on this planet by the wide Pacific and Atlantic oceans, like most believed - or wanted to believe.

Yep, there’s channel-changing going on, all the time - only it’s not out there, in reality. It’s in our heads, where the disconnect between what’s out there - and what’s really out there (as opposed to what we think is out there) occurs.

We still live on a planet where all the old rules apply. The aggressor aggresses; the victim defends. The predators prey, and the prey fights, flees, or gives up and gets eaten.

The goal being survival.

And the end result, survival of the fittest.

And the fittest, you can say, are the ones who master reality. Or come closest to mastering reality - to understand what the rules are, and determined to win by playing by them.

Pretty simple stuff.

Yet humans have a way of interposing their minds into that equation.

And changing it, they think.

But reality is billions of years old, and human minds think in terms of today, and tomorrow - and maybe next month.

So, in the end, reality wins out.

Thus we introduce our story of Mr and Mrs Wabbit, in a lush garden, eating their fill, and creating more little Wabbits to hop around and enjoy the overpowering richness of their environment.

The Wabbits don’t know who made the garden, and don’t really care. Filling their bellies, enjoying life - that’s enough for them.

Whoever built the garden for them has long passed from the scene. So who cares?

But meantime, the fox has discovered the Wabbits in their garden, and the fox is lean and hungry - or, in more contemporary terms, the tiger…

The Wabbits, of course, don’t know, and don’t care. Their little refuge of safety is and always has been - and therefore, in their complacent, placid minds - always will be.

Guess you could say, the Wabbits have a disconnect with reality, right?

How does it happen?

How does it turn out?

How does the end come?

The future is not written, so we don’t know.

But we do know the future will come, and it will be written, and Mr. and Mrs. Wabbit are not going to like reading what will be written.

Maybe the predators accumulate, and put pressure on the fence (a gift of the forgotten ones who built the garden, who also set up defenses to protect the inhabitants), and the fence suddenly gives way - and the predators have a field day, and all the Wabbits are eaten (in the real world, dispossessed, and enslaved).

For the predators, it’s a day of celebration, of feasting.

For the Wabbits, it’s an unmitigated, end-of-the-world disaster.

For reality, it’s just another day…

What would have happened if one of the Wabbits was alert, and spotted the danger, and sounded the alarm?

Probably no one would have paid the ‘crazy Wabbit” any attention - there’s too much to eat, too much to enjoy, too much personal entertainment to spare any attention for anything remote or outside the bounds of the Wabbit’s personal world.

What would have happened if the Wabbits were to remember their past?

It’s possible they would have discovered they benefited because someone in the past cared enough to seize ground, plant the garden, chase off the predators, and erect the fence.

It’s possible the Wabbits will wake up to the notion that the garden was not always there - nor is there any guarantee it will continue to be there…

It’s possible, as a result, the Wabbits come to understand and feel a debt of obligation to make sure the garden continues, the fence is kept in good repair, that it’s important to pass the garden along intact to all the little future Wabbits.

And in the process of remembering, maybe honor the unknown (to the Wabbits) founders of the garden.

When you get to honoring, when you understand the debt, you are likely to also feel something else new to you: determination.

Determination (sometimes, grim) to make sure what those founders did is not forgotten, and is not allowed to die.

“To remember, is to honor.”

Now, there is one more scenario to consider, one more alternative future: What if, instead of breaking down the fence, with the ensuing rush of predators into the midst of the Wabbit family, the predators are more clever? What if they sneak in, disguised as Wabbits?

Suppose they believe in the Golden Goose, and simply want to put the Wabbits to work for them, producing more Wabbits - and they arrange in some fashion to harvest a Wabbit or two or however many, whenever there’s hunger to satisfy?

What if, as a result, the predators multiply (natural, with all that food around) and the harvesting demand increases and increases, until the Golden Goose is killed, and eaten?

Gosh, by a roundabout way, we’ve come back to the same end: all the Wabbits gone, and the predators temporarily satiated.

In the endless cycle of predator-prey relationships, over-harvesting the prey results in a scarcity of prey, and the predator population collapses.

Reality. You can’t keep it out, even when you’re a predator.

Yet, we don’t view life in that global sense. As Wabbits, we are concerned solely with the fortunes of the Wabbits, and having the predator population collapse simply because all or most of us are killed and eaten is of little consolation. Right?

Far better to avoid this future in the first place, wouldn’t you agree?

And how do we do it?

By waking up our fellow Wabbits to the sacrifice of the founders, and the reality that the garden we are in is not ours to squander, but something to be improved upon, expanded, increased - and passed on, to the next generation of Wabbits - and to make sure that what is passed on is not simply the garden - no sir! - but the heritage of the garden, the knowledge of the true cost of that beautiful garden, and the need for the next generation to protect it, to preserve it, to increase it…

Thus, the parable of the Wabbits.

The end of the parable is not yet written, even if in gross outline you can guess the end, should things not be changed. Should the Wabbits not be woken to reality. Should the Wabbits continue to slumber on.

It’s up to us, is the essence of the parable.

Some of us Wabbits are awake, and it’s incumbent - an obligation so ancient as to extend right back to April 19th, 1775 - upon us to do it - to step up and save the garden - by waking up our fellow sleeping Wabbits.

Which is how and why this is an Appleseed parable.

Not a complete one, because we are still writing the future.

Because we can still write the future.

We have power to influence that future.

And if we have the power, we must use it.

Because the garden is in danger. The predators are gathering. The future of the Wabbits is doubtful…

So we must do what we can to change the channel.

Otherwise, there will come an end to “The Wabbit Supremacy”.

Mankind’s best hope, a shinning beacon to a dark world, the “city on the hill” - it will all disappear.

Because you knew, and did nothing.

Project Appleseed.

Why not help us save the garden?