Day 301: ‘A nation of riflemen’

This is Day 301 of 15 Days to Flatten the Curve, and it’s Day 61 of Ohio’s 21-day WuFlu Curfew.

Deb and I are fine today. We had ourselves a great Sunday — my Facebook friends already know why, since I wrote about it on my personal page, but I’m compelled to give an account of it here as well.

(For those of you looking for content that tilts more toward the political, at the end of today’s post I’ll have something to say about the upcoming inauguration ritual.)

Late yesterday morning we dropped in on the Project Appleseed shoot being held at our local sportsman’s club. With temps in the low to middle 30s and light snow falling both Saturday and Sunday, the event definitely lived up to its “Winterseed” billing. Despite the weather, the class was full (and then some).

We watched the shooters — men and women, along with a couple of youngsters — apply the lessons they’d learned. We chatted with the instructors, several of whom Deb knows well. Inside the warm clubhouse for the group’s lunch break, we were there to help honor a half-dozen shooters as they received the coveted Rifleman patch they’d earned that morning. And we had the privilege of hearing the Shoot Boss tell the tale of April 19, 1775.

“The engagement lasted just two minutes — two minutes. At the Old North Bridge, marksmanship made the difference.”

At one point he publicly recognized Deb. He said that one quality all successful Riflemen possess is persistence — and of all of the shooters he’s coached over the last 12 years, he’s seen no better example of persistence than what Deb displayed in chasing her patch.

“What’s happening in DC this week isn’t America.
This is.”

Though I’m not a ‘Seeder myself, he also acknowledged my contributions to supporting and promoting Project Appleseed. He then honored Deb and me by presenting us with Appleseed Ohio patches, an unexpected gesture of respect that touched and humbled us.

We ended up sticking around much longer than we’d planned, and we’re glad we did. Before heading home we drove around the end of the ice-covered pond and took-in the beauty of the quiet, snowy woods.

Back at Second Chance Ranch later, I sat down to compose my Facebook post. I flipped through photos I’d taken over the course of the day and noticed something — to be more precise, I took notice of what I didn’t see in the images.

I saw no checkpoints, no barricades, no intimidating military presence — just Liberty-loving Patriots, contending with inhospitable weather, exercising their birthrights, honing skills that laid the foundation for our country and may again be required to preserve it.

Those two-dimensional images, however, didn’t capture the unapologetic sense of purpose among the instructors, the students and the club members we crossed paths with yesterday. And yet the air of resolve was unmistakable.

Thinking about it hours afterward, it occurred to me: What’s happening in DC this week isn’t America. This is.

At noon this coming Wednesday, according to a published schedule, Daffy McHairsniffer will be sworn-in as the 46th president, followed by Chuckles the Hooker as the presumptive 47th. For the record, and as you might guess, I have exactly zero interest in any of the inaugural festivities — as in none.

I did read that the “top priority” of the inaugural committee is “keeping people safe and healthy,” at the same time “resembling American inaugural traditions.”

Resembling? You mean like wearing masks and bumping knuckles (pictured) resembles a traditional American handshake? Resembling?

You just can’t make that shit up.

Meanwhile, other matters demand my full attention. I have a country to love, preserve and protect from the likes of Daffy and HeelsUp. Since I’m not a bureaucrat or a member of the military, I owe no obedience to this administration nor will I pay perfunctory tribute to it.

I have an Ubi Libertas “flashback” post staged to publish the moment Daffy is expected to take the oath of office, an oath he’s already promised to break. You’ll just have to wait to see what that is.

And speaking of the blog, somehow y’all got together and made yesterday the busiest day here — by far — since I launched Ubi Libertas. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who clicks on those links and judges my words worth reading.

Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.

#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath