#Raton, NM AAR Apr. 28-29, 2019 Whittington Center

[TaosGlock]

"Every revolution was first a thought in one man's mind and when the same thought occurs to another man,
it is the key to the era".-Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Let that sink in folks.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was the son of William Emerson who was the reverend of Concord on April 19,1775.

Below, these flags represent the blood shed during our Revolution:


In 1802, William Emerson wrote the following oration below to commemorate the July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence. 

Because Liberty amongst our leaders, is but a dim light to what it once was,
very few men today could write such soul stirring words. 

Read and weep fellow patriots:
"The feelings of Americans were always the feelings of freemen.
Those venerable men, from whom you boast your descent, brought with them to these shores an unconquerable
sense of liberty.
They felt, that mankind were universally entitled to be free; that this freedom, though modified by the restrictions of
social compact, could yet never be annulled; and that slavery, in any of its forms, is an execrable monster,
whose breath is poison, and whose grasp is death.

Concerning this liberty, however, they entertained no romantick notions.
They neither sought nor wished the freedom of an irrational, but that of a rational being; not the freedom of savages,
not the freedom of anchorites, but that of civilized and social man.
Their doctrine of equality was admitted by sober understandings.
It was an equality not of wisdom, but of right; not a parity of power, but of obligation.
They felt and advocated a right to personal security; to the fruits of their ingenuity and toil; to reputation;
to choice of mode in the worship of God; and to such a liberty of action, as consists with the safety of others,
and the integrity of the laws.

Of rights like these, your ancestors cherished a love bordering on reverence. They had inhaled it with their natal air:
it formed the bias and the boast of their minds, and indelibly stamped the features of their character.
In their eyes honour had no allurement, wealth no value, and existence itself no charms, unless liberty crowned the
possession of these blessings. It was for the enjoyment of this ecclesiastick and political liberty, that they encountered
the greatest dangers, and suffered the sharpest calamities. For this they had rived the enchanting bonds, which unite the
heart to its native country; braved the terrour of unknown seas; exchanged the sympathies and intercourse of
fondest friendships, for the hatred and wiles of the barbarian; and all the elegancies and joys of polished life,
for a miserable sustenance in an horrible desert."

7 students showed up to help us celebrate the day that this nation was birthed. April 19,1775.
The location was the NRA Whittington Center.  It is of the largest outdoor classroom for firearms training and marksmanship
events anywhere.





The murky clouds had wind, rain and hail for much of the weekend.

[Mrs. Smith]

Out of the park, as usual, Dan

Excuse me while I go try to beef mine up 

[TaosGlock]

Thank you Traci!

[TaosGlock]

The Second Amendment is the supposed ‘final guarantee' of American Liberty.
It is routinely violated in jurisdictions across America.  It is American apathy that has enabled the oppressive
State to stand glowering over the entire world, morally and financially bankrupt. 
It's omni-surveillance equipment recording all that is said and done.
It is supremely confident in it's ability to tolerate or destroy by remote any pittance of rebellion its pathetic citizens 
might muster up.

Sadly, when all is said and done, more will be said than done, as talk is cheap because supply exceeds the demand.

That said, note Emily below, a 3 month pregnant shooter who showed up this weekend with her husband.
She is already a mother of 2 toddlers. She was experiencing bits of pregnancy nausea, but didn't miss a beat. 
A 22, an Ak, an M1 Garand and finally a 7 Mag.




The more I Appleseed, the more inspired I get...and Emily is the reason.

Meanwhile, many gun owners sit inert and stupefied by
a diet of alcohol, processed foods and hundreds of channels of infotainment and sports-ball mired in despair
at their own dimly acknowledged impotence.

So please tell me,  what's your excuse for not training....your not 3 months pregnant?
If so then: Please: don't lecture me on the essentials of liberty.

And to the rest of you tyrants and your supporters:


In the meantime, get to the range and practice...even in the worst conditions.

Dry fire practice whenever you can:
First thing in the morning, after a full meal, at night when you wake up to pee. You get the idea.
Lady Liberty may call on you under any conditions. 

Recent history proves that you must either drive a rifle or ride a boxcar...your choice.
Thanks to Bill Buppert for that quote!

[TaosGlock]

This weekend was our special Patriot's Day Celebration.  We had a different date due to the fact Easter was close, and April 19 was not on a weekend.

Each year arouind April 19th, on social media, have many 'historians' who still have not figured out the location of "the shot heard 'round the world".
As Appleseeders, we know the location of "the shot heard round the world" was at the North Bridge of Concord. NOT at Lexington where the first shots were fired. 
These words are not just tongue in cheek as written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, son of William Emerson above.

Before you like and share the April 19th, 1775 stories on your favorite social media, please give a gentle correction when needed if you see this mistake.
Otherwise we simply enable these 'historians' to remain historically incorrect, thus disparaging the sacrifices of our Founders.
Details matter.  Our Founders would be appalled by us not knowing this.

Still, there is one historian who gets it wrong each year and many have told her in kind and gentle words, but to no avail.   

Again, this weekend, we celebrated the birth of our Nation. It was birthed by effective marksmanship on April 19, 1775. That was the first day of the Revolutionary War. This is NOT the same as the American Revolution. There are 6 famous words associated with this day and they were coined by Ralph Waldo Emerson's grandson. Emerson's grandfather, William Emerson was a minister in Concord and witnessed that battle. Those 6 famous words are "the shot heard round' the world".
Again, this refers to the famous 3-4 minute battle at the North Bridge of Concord. Those 6 famous words were contained within his poem called the Concord Hymn. If you hear any 'historians' today proclaim that these 6 words were referring to Lexington Green, where the first shots were fired on April 19th, 1775, they are wrong and have not studied their history deeply enough.  If any 'historians' say the American Revolution started on April 19th, 1775, they are also incorrect.   
It was John Adams who said that the American Revolution was won in the hearts and minds of the people even before the first shots were fired at Lexington.
Now go do something patriotic today and celebrate liberty as it was meant to be. Make John Adams proud!



It is true, some historians still get it wrong, and apparently even some of the staff/publications at the NPS.
One well know historian whose initials are TR, gets it wrong every year on FB while continuing to dishonor our heritage.

The "shot heard 'round the world" is sometimes generically, albeit erroneously,
used to describe the first shots of Lexington. But according to Emerson himself, this famous "shot" 
he was referring to, occurred at the North Bridge of Concord.

The Minuteman statue-depicting Isaac Davis- below represents the icon of Project Appleseed.
It is our avatar on the Project Appleseed forums.  It is emblazoned on all our instructor gear and accessories.



This statue is right at the entrance of North Bridge of Concord. This statue was designed by Concord resident
Daniel Chester French who was a sculptor. It was Ralph Waldo Emerson, also of Concord,
who suggested to French that he talk to the 1875 Centennial Statue Committee which was to honor the 100th
year of the Battle of Concord at the Old North Bridge. 
Emerson had previously written the Concord Hymn in 1835,
at the request of the newly formed Battle Monument Committee, to immortalize the North Bridge fight (minus the battle details).
1835 was to be the 200th anniversary of the founding of Concord.
It was the dedication one of the first monuments to military, the Obelisk that stands on the opposite end of the
Old North Bridge.  That was one of the Nation's first military type monument and was finally erected in 1836.

Much like John Adams' definition of the American Revolution, the Concord Hymn,  according to Emerson
was designed to live on in the hearts and mind of the people.
French was finally tasked to make a statue. French wanted the likeness of a Minuteman and settled on Isaac Davis.
He interviewed many relatives of Davis. The story of Isaac Davis is powerful and moving.
Isaac Davis was the first to die at the North Bridge of Concord and it is his likeness on this statue.

The words inscribed at the base of the Minuteman statue are from the Concord Hymn.
Again, this hymn was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, actually the son of William Emerson.
When the fierce fighting broke out at the North Bridge of Concord On April 19th, 1775
William Emerson was a pastor trying to calm the local residents of Concord. Predominately the elders,
the very young and the infirmed.
As a tribute to the Concord Battle at the Old North Bridge, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote the Concord Hymn.

Those famous 6 words did not occur in that order until Emerson wrote the Concord Hymn.
The first stanza is even written on the Minuteman statue at the North Bridge in Concord.
It is:
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
   Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
   And fired the shot heard round the world.

The entire Concord Hymn was first sung on July 4,1837. On the 200 year anniversary of the founding of Concord.
This was when the first Obelisk Monument (at the opposite end of the bridge) was dedicated to the memory of those
who fought at Concord.

The "flood" from the line "rude bridge that arched the flood", referred to swollen spring waters that were common to
all the rivers around the Boston area.
Below is a replica of the original "arched" bridge.



"The shot heard 'round the world" was clearly written for Concord and not Lexington.
The Minuteman statue-depicting Isaac Davis- below is located at Concord's North Bridge with those famous 6 words
"the shot heard round the world".


This link pretty much echoes much of the rest of "the shot heard round the world" history.
http://historyofmassachusetts.org/where-did-the-shot-heard-round-the-world-happen/

[TaosGlock]

King George III and even our leaders today are now open about wanting complete control of the means of our Liberties.
Each atrocity committed by some deranged individual gives the enemies of freedom more fuel for their fire.
They have been taking that control incrementally for decades thru law and regulation,
they are now poised for the finale.  Do you understand what this means?

It is time to figure out what kind of country you are comfortable leaving to your children and grandchildren, because with today's lackadaisical attitudes, they will be able to bury us without firing a shot.

We have been spoiled by our own affluence and material success.  Ask yourself, how will you preserve your liberty?
Without Liberty, all of our material success and easy lifestyles means nothing.
Unless you have learned about the world of sacrifice, depredation, and concrete threats to our nation,  you can not understand how bad it can really get. What kind of Nation do you want to live in?
Our Founders knew the answer before the Revolutionary War began and later
John Adams answered this question again when he succinctly defined the American Revolution.
If we have the "hearts and minds" of the American people, we will never need our arms.  Likewise if we don't have the "hearts and minds'' of our countrymen, then all the arms in the world won't help.

"Arms discourage the and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property...Horrid mischief would ensue were the law abiding deprived of the use of them."-Thomas Paine

Our leaders have not learned from history and are content to criminalize anything that interferes with their presumed right to rule.

Have we learned anything from the sacrifices the Founder's made to secure our Liberties?

Liberty is not a cruise ship full of pampered passengers.
It is a man of war and we are all crew-Boston T. Party

What have you done to advance Liberty in America today?

Yesterday.....


Today... we may well be reaping the results of ignorance, laziness and apathy...



While the woman above answers quite matter of factly, a more direct response is a quote from Jeff Cooper:
"The rifle is a weapon. Let there be no mistake about that. It is a tool of power, and thus dependent completely upon the moral stature of its user. It is equally useful in securing meat for the table, destroying group enemies on the battlefield, and resisting tyranny. In fact, it is the only means of resisting tyranny, since a citizenry armed with rifles simply cannot be tyrannized."






Today...


The current outrage towards "gun control" isn't about that really. It is predominately a reaction by folks who already know they will comply.

People comply with and finance their own tyranny. Modern day slaves, to paraphrase Ezra Pound, "Wait for someone to free them".

Etienne de la Boetie in his Discourse on Voluntary Servitude from the 16th century discussed obedience to rulers. "Why is it that we have lords, he opined? The serfs outnumber the lord, but why does he continue to rule? It has to be that people consent to him." So what happens if one just walk away from the game.  If you think about it, that is how we divorced ourselves from King George III.

He points out:
"Obviously there is no need of fighting to overcome this single tyrant, for he is automatically defeated if the country refuses consent to its own enslavement: it is not necessary to deprive him of anything but simply to give him nothing… It is therefore the inhabitants themselves who permit, or, rather, bring about, their own subjection, since by ceasing to submit they would put an end to their servitude."- Etienne de la Boetie, Discourse on Voluntary Servitude

The Statists aren't dumb. It is more successful to turn up the heat a bit on the boiling froggie by simply passing "infringement" type regulations than go thru the powder keg of Concord style door to door confiscation. Modern day loss of all liberties will eventually be death by a thousand cuts. 

Liberty is not for the faint of heart.
America's founding ideas of freedom and liberty are ultimately unable to serve their intended telos without also emphasizing the value of personal responsibility. When we reflexively assign blame for the occurrence of almost every event, we implicitly relinquish the capacity to take control of our individual and collective futures.

Homeland Security is a Nation of Riflemen.
A free and independent nation should be well trained, well armed and have plenty of ammo to repel either terrorists, criminals and most predominately, a tyrannical government.
Thus the purpose of the Second Amendment.

"Make no mistake, when you cheer for the people of the American Revolution, you are cheering for traitors and criminals.
They broke the law, because liberty is always illegal"- Larken Rose



...more later as we are just getting caught up from a fantastic weekend.

[TaosGlock]

Through Project Appleseed, the Revolutionary War Veterans Association is committed to teaching two things: rifle marksmanship and our early American heritage. We do this for one simple reason, the skill and knowledge of what our founding fathers left to us is eroding in modern America and without deliberate action, they will be lost to ignorance and apathy.

Is there a direct relationship between understanding our country's founding and civic virtue? The answer should anecdotally be quite clear. As our citizens' knowledge of founding principles has declined, so too has our involvement in this government 'of, by and for The People.' Instead, our citizens seem all too content to relegate governmental decisions and knowledge to those that have been elected, all the while assuming these officials' abilities and agendas are working on their behalf. We believe that if this trend continues, our country will be left with an expansive gulf between the populace and the government.

During breaks, we'll teach you the true story of the nation that was founded on April 19, 1775, and why liberty was so important to the founders that they would risk everything for it. Project Appleseed believes that the essence of being an American is living up to the ideals of our founders and fanning the flames of liberty.

[TaosGlock]

On Lexington Green the militia was led by the very well respected, Capt. John Parker, aged 46 a hardened warrior from the French and Indian War. He was in the late stages of TB and his voice was raspy and hard to hear. Parker's youngest son had just celebrated his 4th birthday.
Parker had his drummer boy, William Diamond, sound the muster drum and 77 of his men were now ready. They range in age from 16-60 and are all related in some way or another. There are fathers, sons, brothers, uncles and cousins.
After the regulars, without orders fired upon Parker's men, 8 of Parker's militia were killed, 9 were wounded.  Most were shot in the back as they were retreating.



Captain John Parker of Lexington in his own words regarding April 19th, 1775:



Rev. Jonas Clarke later testified it was "the Second of the British officers that fired a pistol towards the retreating militia".
"After that "shot", the Regulars opened fire without orders onto Parker's men."

American heritage and marksmanship. For Americans, one can't exist without the other....
The map of Battle Road for April 19th, 1775 with 2 rifles that embody the spirit of marksmanship and patriotism, The M1A and the M1 Garand.
Wood and steel, blood and courage. It is all interwoven to create/maintain liberty.

[TaosGlock]

Back in colonial times, homeland security was a nation of riflemen.
This country was founded on the principles of effective marksmanship.

Therefore, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
"Well regulated" means well trained. The minutemen were a prime example back then.

Full quote of Lord Percy:

"During the whole affair, the rebels attacked us in a very scattered, irregular manner, but with perseverance and resolution, nor did they ever dare to form into a regular body. Indeed they knew too well what was proper, to do so. Whoever looks upon them as an irregular mob, will find himself very much mistaken. They have men amongst them who know very well what they are about, having been employed as rangers against the Indians and Canadians, and this country being very much covered with wood, and hilly, is very advantageous for their method of fighting."

Congrats to our new Rifleman, Scott!
Another man who also knows very much what he is all about!


This man persisted and scored Expert on the Army Qualifying Test.

[TaosGlock]

Our history/heritage is what makes America unique among other nations.
Our nation was founded on the principles of effective marksmanship.
It was 3% of the population utilizing the cold bore zero.

"Make no mistake, when you cheer for the people of the American Revolution, you are cheering for traitors and criminals.
They broke the law, because liberty is always illegal"- Larken Rose

History will always show that local populations with small arms and decent
marksmanship skills will always be a threat to any tyrannical rulers and their enforcers.



King George III and even our leaders today are now open about wanting complete control of the means of our Liberties.
Each atrocity committed by some deranged individual gives the enemies of freedom more fuel for their fire.
They have been stealing our liberties incrementally for decades thru law and regulation and they are now poised for the finale.

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewell. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever  you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."-Patrick Henry, June 5, 1778.

Every modern infringement on our rights is a an abridgement of our de jour and de facto right to preserve what precious remaining liberties we have left.
And everyone of these today would have been an adequate causus belli to violently separate from a tyrannical overlord resulting in the birth of our Nation on April 19th, 1775. All modern infringements violate the spirit of liberty as defined in the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property...Horrid mischief would ensue were the law abiding deprived of the use of them."-Thomas Paine

It is time to figure out what kind of country you are comfortable leaving to your children and grandchildren, because with today's lackadaisical attitudes, they will be able to bury us without firing a shot.
We have been spoiled by our own affluence and material success.
Without Liberty, all of our material success and easy lifestyles means nothing.

Ask yourself, how will you preserve your liberty?


"Better a sovereign in squalor than a slave in splendor".-Dresden James

Unless you have learned about the world of sacrifice, depredation, and concrete threats to our nation,  you can not understand how bad it can really get. So ask yourself, what kind of Nation do you want to live in? Our Founders knew the answer before the Revolutionary War began and later John Adams answered this question again when he succinctly defined the American Revolution.

If we have the "hearts and minds" of the American people, we will never need our arms.  Likewise if we don't have the "hearts and minds'' of our countrymen, then all the arms in the world won't help.

Our leaders have not learned from history and are content to criminalize anything that interferes with their presumed right to rule:
"The desire for patriotism is considered an enemy doctrine. The U.S. armed forces must be prepared to fight against all those who are holding out for nationalism. These patriots cannot be bargained with nor will they compromise. Our military needs more training and we need an active campaign to win over the populace. They must be coupled with irresistible violence."- Major Ralph Peters, 1994 Pentagon Deputy chief of staff

Below pic:
LOL!
Hear that folks? Law abiding Patriotic gun owners are the number one threat and since we can't be bargained with expect "irresistible violence!"

There has never been a tyrannical government that banned it's own ARMED FORCES from "Keeping and Bearing" ARMS.


"Hear ye, hear ye, our fearless leaders just yesterday wanted to re-enact a 2019 version of the 1994 AWB. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it!"

"I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery."- Thomas Jefferson


Oh, and remember:



To empower the people of the United States with the ability to resist any tyranny that might threaten them in the future was the sole reason our founding fathers gave all Americans the right to bear arms guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment. Period.

[TaosGlock]

We do not cancel events due to weather unless safety is or will become an issue. If the Founders can suffer such weather extreme conditions/events to birth a new nation such as Valley Forge and Washington crossing the Delaware, we can surely handle the relative, tame in comparison, weather conditions.

After the French and Indian War, King George decided to break his agreement with the colonists and decided to tax them to help pay off the massive debt incurred by the Crown. England was in social and economic shambles but the rebellious colonists were thriving with opportunity. Naturally the colonists revolted with even the smallest tax infraction. War with the Crown was inevitable and the militias started in earnest their training.  The fundamentals they learned have changed but a tiny bit, mostly in regards to modern equipment.



We are the descendants of those fearless men and women who earned our freedom on the battlefield.

Parker's Revenge.  Where the militia demonstrated the kind of courage and determination that sustained American soldiers through the eight years of the Revolutionary War. Parker's men had been defeated that morning on the Lexington Green, but after the shock of that first battle, they had reorganized, and had waited bravely for the retreating British to renew the battle.


We honor their pursuit of liberty by passing along the skills and knowledge that aided them in securing it.
Today's Rifleman understands that owning and mastering a rifle is part of his/her American heritage.
After all, this country was founded on the principles of effective marksmanship.

Remember, that it was common everyday folk who turned up on April 19th, 1775. With their principled skill at arms, these embattled farmers", shopkeepers,
and school teachers, successfully repelled the British Army in an embarrassing defeat.

[TaosGlock]

Can you hit a target at 25 yards? How about at 500 yards? Whether you are new to the shooting sports or a seasoned shooter Appleseed will be able to teach you a thing or two.

For the new shooter we can teach you to use your rifle safely and also be able to hit your target. For the seasoned shooter we can teach you to shoot more accurately - even out to 500 yards.

Project Appleseed can help transform you from a man with a rifle into a Rifleman. A Rifleman is more than a man (or woman) with a rifle. A Rifleman understands that owning and mastering a rifle is part of his heritage as an American. And he knows why: This is a nation founded by Riflemen -- men and women skilled in the use of arms.

Those skills served the colonists well when they stood up to the British on April 19, 1775, at Lexington and Concord, and routed the British forces that tried to seize the colonists' arms. They did it with grit, with determination, and with superior skill in marksmanship. They pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the task. And they didn't stop until they had won. Throughout history, Riflemen have embodied personal responsibility and been pillars of their communities, characteristics that are becoming ever more rare in our nation.

At Project Appleseed, we want to return America to being a nation of Riflemen. And we want you to join us
Before the Points of instruction at an Appleseed, the first target often looks like this...not the kind of marksmanship that would birth a nation.


...and after 2 days of applying the fundamentals of precision marksmanship.
Lady Liberty would be proud!



..."That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

[TaosGlock]

A hearty thanks to all my dedicated instructors. Captwa, Jones, desert_diver and my wife BlueFeather.
You did a bang up job! Pun intended.

BTW, at each of our events, our instructors are either required to shoot 25 yard AQT's, a Redcoat or long distance 
right along with the rest of the shooters.
You must walk the walk as an instructor.  And hey, who does not like to shoot!

Thanks again you guys!

BlueFeather explains the deadly effectiveness of a British bayonet and why effective marksmanship would
have prevented a militiaman from encountering one.


Captwa, desert_diver and BlueFeather use a laser pointer on a rifle stock to demonstrate Natural Point of Aim.


desert-diver and Jones: the dynamic duo on their way to becoming  Project Appleseed Shoot Boss's.
They are gonna make Albuquerque great again!


Captwa explains the Redcoat target.