To the young men and women of The High Road

[TheBluesMan]

I've noticed lately that we have quite a few members who are in their teens. These members are the future of the RKBA movement and as such are of the highest importance. I would invite other "older" members to pass along some sage advice to these up and coming patriots. Tell 'em what you wish you had known at their age...

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

To the young men and women of The High Road: (Those 13 - 19)

The first and most important thing I would like to share with you is an admonition to always be safe. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Guns can be a lot of fun. They look cool, they make a great noise and they can make watermelons explode. I've had more fun with guns in my life than I have with cars. But, like cars, guns can be dangerous if misused.

Many years ago, when I had first joined The Firing Line, I suggested to Rich that he create a forum dedicated to firearm safety. Though he didn't agree that a forum was necessary, he did add a page outlining the basics of safety. You can find it here: http://www.thefiringline.com/Misc/safetyrules.html

The basics of firearms safety are The Four Rules.
1. All guns are always loaded
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Be sure of your target.

Be sure to visit the link above and read the entire page! It may be the most important thing that you learn in your life! Take the closing paragraph to heart.

Make these rules a part of your character. Never compromise them. Improper gun handling results from ignorance and improper role modeling, such as handling your gun like your favorite actor does. Education can cure this. You can make a difference by following these gun handling rules and insisting that those around you do the same. Set the example. Who knows what tragedies you, or someone you influence, may prevent?

The second, and only slightly less important thing, is how much I admire you. I wish that I had a place like The High Road to visit when I was your age. More importantly, I wish that I had the courage to ask questions and post opinions as many of you do. This is no small accomplishment. You each bring a unique perspective to THR, and it wouldn't be the same place without our younger members' contributions

The very fact of your presence is reassurance to me that our country is headed in the right direction. I hope that each of you will continue to ask the questions that need to be asked, and not settle for a pat answer. You seem to have a good feeling for the difference between truth and half-truth, and between fantasy and reality. Many of the people you will meet in your life will not have this skill. With people of character and thought like you at the helm in our future anything is possible.


Thirdly, stay true to yourself. Stay true to your beliefs; even if they change. I don't think the same way now as I did when I was 17, and I'll probably think differently when I'm 62 than I do now. All that matters is that you have faith that what you are doing is the best you are capable of at the time. You are going to make mistakes, that is certain, but whether or not you learn from those mistakes is what really counts. Don't waste time second-guessing yourself or your decisions. Make decisions based on logic more than feeling. Trust your feelings, but know that they are not a replacement for logical thought. Remember that it isn't the final destination that matters, but the journey.


Last of all, keep the faith. This means you don't give up when things don't go your way. If you believe strongly in something, keep fighting for it. Work hard to make your dream become reality. Even if you don't ever see your goal completed, take heart in the fact that you did your best to get closer to the goal.

The fight to retain and regain our rights is an uphill battle on a slippery slope. You must remember throughout this struggle that you are not alone. The best comfort that forums like The High Road give is the knowledge that there are other like-minded people just like you all throughout this land.

The accomplishments you will achieve in your life are beyond the imagination of most people here. Use The High Road and other Internet resources to link up with others who share your dreams and carry on the traditions that our country was founded upon. You will take your place in the long line of patriots that have held dear the precious gift of liberty.

May God speed you on your way to the future. It is indeed bright.

In Liberty,

-Dave Miller

 

[S_O_Laban]

Nice post Dave, I too wish I would have had a place like THR to start out with at an early age.

 

[sensop]

Well said, TBM.

"... stay true to yourself ... to your beliefs ..."

This little jewel is one that I'd recite to myself every morning on waking.

 

[WAGCEVP]

NEVER give up!

 

[ysr_racer]

Here's my advice to all teens and people under 25 in general:

Now I'm not saying this will happen, but I will say it "might" just happen. I'm going to throw out an idea that's so far out there, it might just be true.

Is it at all possible that you don't know everything about everything and someone with a little more experience might just know more than you?

See, I said it was out there.

brad

 

[Andrew Rothman]

Protect your ears like they were the only pair you'll ever get.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

Good stuff Dave, That advice reminds me of a talk my father and I had many moons ago. You know, it still rings true to this day. Thank you for your words of wisdom.

 

[Oleg Volk]

Advice which young and old can take to heart. I certainly will.

 

[Lightsped]

Good job.

I am may be one of the younger ones here (I am out of my teens, and legal to buy handguns) but I still see sooooo much negativity towards the gun hobby. It is almost as if you say the word "gun" in public people automatically look down upon you.

And various media such as MTV who conistantly put down firearms and their owners are not helping either.

 

[DadOfThree]

My advice is to remember how you were taught and what you were taught. Figure out what worked and what didn't. Remember what caught your interest and made you want to learn more. Then PASS IT ON to the next generation as you get older. If we don't pass the knowledge and traditions along, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves when they don't jump in to defend our rights.

 

[Black92LX]

I am doing what i can. Being 20 i am in college and there are alot of anti's all around me. I make my position well know. and let everyone know that i am always willing to take people shooting so they can experience it for themselves. i have found this to be a very helpful tactic.

i was talking with a good friend of mine who unfortunatly had to transfer to another school, but we are still in contact with each other.
well anyway we were talking about our time in school together, and he says that he wanted to thank me for being such a good friend. though the university was not the right place for him he was thankful he had attended there so that our friendship could have happened. He then told me that just by being around me, it really made him reconsider his positions on certain things. he then went on to state that prior to meeting me he never would have imagined shooting an animal or let alone even touching a gun. But now we are in the process of planning a little rabbit and Squerill hunting trip. so it can be done.

my advice to the other young folks.
Be these people friends, treat them with respect even though their opinion differs from yours. you can have a huge impact on their life.

 

[OF]

Good post, good thread!

My advice? Be humble, keep your mind wide open and sharp and live the golden rule.

Be passionate, but not strident.

- Gabe

 

[Ian]

Is it at all possible that you don't know everything about everything and someone with a little more experience might just know more than you?

What? No, no, I don't think that's possible.





Ian (out of his teens, but not legal to buy handguns)

 

[Leatherneck]

You can't recall a bullet.

TC
TFL Survivor

 

[P95Carry]

TBM ....... Excellent .... cannot keep this high-profile enough.

 

[BerettaNut92]

I agree with Black92 all the way. Just by being a good example can go a long way.

 

[chaim]

Gun related advice? Most has been said. Safety, and spread what you know. Also, buy your own ASAP. A .22lr rifle can be had for under $100 so there really is no excuse for not buying one. If you are 21 or over a decent .22lr pistol can be had for barely more than $200.

Non-gun related advice:
-Don't worry if you don't know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life.

-Do something to "give back". Join the Army. Join the Reserves or National Guard. Join your local volunteer fire department (this can usually be done as young as 16). Spend a couple years as a police officer or police cadet. Substitute teach. Get involved in politics as a volunteer. Spend an elections day as an elections judge.

-You don't need to go to college at 18 and finish in 4 years. If you don't want to go to college right away, don't. Do something that will make you more interesting. Join the Army. Get job training. Drive a truck. Hitchhike across the country. You can always go back later. Or better, get a job but go to school part-time in the interim. You can get some life experience, work experience, and still get some college credit so you aren't starting from scratch when you get there.

-Get an education. You don't have to go to college. However, there aren't that many good jobs out there that a standard high school education will prepare you for. You will at least need job training. Of course, this can be as short as a year or less (depending upon what you are training for), and even if you don't have much money you can always take student loans for an accredited program (student loans are not just for college).

-When you get a job, even if it is "only" McDonalds, take it very seriously. Show up on time. Show up every day. Work harder than expected. Don't wait to be told to do something. You will develop work habits and a reputation that might follow you the rest of your life- make them good habits and a good reputation and you will be successful in whatever you decide to do.

-When/if you go to college you can major in whatever you want but minor in something "useful" (computer programming, computer networking, business management/administration, accounting). There are jobs that a liberal arts degree can help you get, but you will be better off with coursework, and documentation (a certificate, a major or a minor) in something related to the job. Even better, major in something "useful" (education, computers, business, accounting, etc) and minor in what you want to learn just to learn.

-Enjoy life. Get out and do things. Go skydiving. Learn scuba. Go shooting once a week. Develop other hobbies. Don't be boring and you won't be bored.

 

[chaim]

Oh I almost forgot some of the best advice I ever heard.

Start a new major hobby every year while maintaining your old hobbies. It will keep you busy and by keeping you busy it will keep you out of trouble and teach you discipline. It will keep you interesting, and it will keep you from becoming bored.

Another I left out...

Stay in shape. Work out every single day no matter how busy you are or how little time you have. It is much easier to stay in shape than to get back into shape. If you are already out of shape it is surprising how much easier it is to get back into shape the younger you are. Trust me, you will appreciate this later. If you ever get like me, about 50-60 pounds overweight (it doesn't take much neglect to get here), you will be extremely sorry you didn't take this more seriously earlier.

 

[sturmruger]

Young PPL

I am only 25 so I must admit that I do not have much wisdom to impart. There is one thing I might add for all the people that are younger.

One thing I learned is there is always someone out there that is going to say that to get a nice gun you have to buy a HK, or other expensive option. I have always been kind of a bargain shopper when it comes to my gun purchases. I bought a Ruger P89 for $329, a Ruger Security Six for $220, a Mossberg 500 $200, adn have bought three 10/22s. The bottom line is you just don't need to spend $700 to buy a good gun. Shop around, buy something that is comfortable with your budget, not something that some guy at the range is insisting the only gun to buy.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Honor your mother and father. I hated my father for many years because of the way he was when I was young but now I regret all the time I lost while hating him. I have forgiven and now only wish I had the time back that I lost without him in my life.

Cherish your family. Being away from my family is the hardest part about serving in the military. I miss my brothers and sisters.

When you purchase your first handgun, never get rid of it. Its your first choice and should be a keepsake. Pass it on to your children.

Shoot straight, be safe and believe in your creator.

 

[Horsesense]

If you get a good gun, keep it! Don’t trade it, don’t sell it just keep it.

Seek God. Guard your thoughts, they become your actions. Guard your actions, they become your character.

Save some money out of every paycheck. You will be paying everyone else for as long as you live, start the habit of paying yourself first. Enjoy the age you are, relax while you can, you will be old soon enough.

 

[NIGHTWATCH]

Excellent.

 

[ScottsGT]

Buy as many as you can before you get married and have kids! And buy a big safe to keep them in.
As far as a serious note, follow all the laws reguarding guns, or you will have to live the rest of your life without them. If your 2nd amendment rights are important to you, think about a felony DUI. I have a coworker that got a Felony DUI when he was a young man. To this day, not only does he remember killing a good friend, but he is reminded of it everytime he sees someone hunting or a gun magazine on my desk.
And guns are not to be flashed to your friends while out with one for protection. (CWP)
You have already proven to be level headed, by just asking us old farts for our experiences and advise.

 

[MessedUpMike]

This is more for the teens than the older "kids" but it still applies if you let it. What you have now isn't what you'll always have. You're at the beginning of the line not the end of it. Even if things look like they suck now they'll get better, If they don't look like they can get any better work harder, work different. If they're good keep it up. College is a worthwhile pursuit, but not the be all end all for success. I dropped out of college after floundering for five years and went into construction. I now own my own home improvement comapny and make more money than some of my friends with degrees. On the other hand I work 2 jobs to make that money, and not to many of my friend with degrees spend 8 hours outside in a rainstorm in the middle of December.
Take in everything you can. One of the smartest guys I ever met was a farmer turned backhoe operator who watched a lot of the history channel and payed attention to what was going on around him.
Tough is important, but polite is more important. Not only will good manners make you more pleasant to be around, but sometimes it's exactly what people don't expect.
There's a saying in the Fire Dept. that goes "The only thing that changes are the names". It's not an absolute rule but works more than it doesn't. Anything you're going through somebody else has been through. My dad and I never saw eye to eye on a lot of things due to a 35 years age difference, but damn if when my pregnant wife was driving me nuts with my first child if he didn't know exactly what I was talking about!

 

[Standing Wolf]

You'll do just fine, young folks, and don't ever let anybody tell you otherwise.