He's Alive!

Happy Resurrection Day!  Jesus' Resurrection changed everything.  Because He lives, death has been conquered, those who trust in Him will have eternal life, and everything He taught and did has been validated.  I hope you enjoy this classic from Don Francisco.

He is risen indeed!

BSA Leadership Standards Letter

Mr. Downing,

I was in attendance at the leadership standards meeting tonight.  I think it was obvious from the crowd where our Council constituency stands on the issue, and that any policy change allowing open homosexuals in Scouting would result in a large number of Packs and Troops to be dissolved by their sponsoring organizations.  If Councils are already feeling a financial pinch when BSA is only *considering* a policy change, what will happen when half their sponsoring organizations end their relationship with BSA?  How many people will have to lose their jobs then?  How different will it be if only 5% (one PTO) dissolve their Pack?  As you said, either way there will be painful realities to deal with, but which one will be the most devastating?  While BSA is non-sectarian, I believe one gentleman pointed out that 70% of sponsoring organizations are religious in nature, and of those, 70% are conservative.  I believe that number will be much higher here in the Pikes Peak Council.

I am the Wolf Den Leader for Pack 55, sponsored by the Evangelical Christian Academy (ECA), and represent 7 of the 8 families in my den, who have all come to me individually and as a group saying that if the BSA changes their policies regarding homosexuals, we will have no choice but to leave Scouting.  I am glad that ECA's superintendent was there tonight to explain that they are officially waiting to see what policy changes come, but I think he was also clear that a move in the wrong direction would make it very hard for ECA to continue to sponsor the Pack.  I was very serious when I told him, publicly, that there are viable alternatives to the BSA if the BSA abandons its core principles.  (I don't care if there are 3.2 million Girl Scouts being indoctrinated by Planned Parenthood and the liberal Media Matters news organization, my daughter is one of 16,000 American Heritage Girls learning to be a God-honoring, patriotic young woman.)

As was stated tonight, Scouting begins and ends with God.  Scouting's core principles are why we joined, and why I want to see my sons, a 7 year old Wolf and a 3 year old Tiger (don't try to tell him he has to wait until first grade!), go on to earn their Eagles.  I am in Scouting to raise my boys to be God-fearing, patriotic, honest, courageous, upstanding men, but if Scouting abandons the core of those principles and the Source of all that is righteous, holy, and good, how can we stay?  If BSA gives in, it will eventually go the way of the rest of the world.  Instead of being a light in a dark place, raising up the next generation of leaders, the BSA will be just another service organization.  All of the wonderful, proven benefits of Scouting will slowly but surely erode and eventually fade away. 

From a purely practical standpoint, I was glad the Doctor who spoke near the end brought up the statistic that just 3% of the population produces 30-40% of pedophiles.  Homosexuals have significantly higher rates of domestic violence (gay on gay), depression, suicide, drug abuse, alcoholism, venereal diseases, premature death, and the list goes on.  Children raised by homosexual parents have significantly higher rates of depression, suicide, violence and earlier sexual experimentation than children raised by heterosexual parents.  It is not a healthy lifestyle.  Read the studies produced by the homosexual community.  The numbers tell a dire story, but they falsely conclude that their problems are due to discrimination and societal pressure.  We can't deliberately expose our children to a destructive, unhealthy lifestyle, and greatly increased risk of coming into contact with pedophiles.  It is completely irresponsible to do so.

This is all part of an open war by militant homosexuals against traditional morality.  They make no secret that making organizations like the BSA conform to their values, to force the rest of us to accept their immoral, unhealthy and dangerous behaviors as the new normal, is their ultimate goal.  They do not want simple acceptance - to live and let live;  they are working hard to indoctrinate everyone they can and to force us, through argument, legislation, litigation and intimidation, to agree with them.  Please do not give in.  Do not give up.  Stand up for what is right, and for what the BSA has stood for since its founding.  Let them come.  We will take our lumps and fight the good fight, but at least we will be doing what is right.  Don't let Scouting cease to be Scouting.  If it does, we'll have no choice but to look for alternatives.

Respectfully,

Jeff Odegard
Wolf Den Leader

Open Letter to Colorado State Senators

Senator _________,

Please do not cave in to pressure from outside the state to pass gun control legislation that has been historically proven to do absolutely nothing to reduce gun violence!  Colorado is a Western state with a long history of firearms used for self-defense, hunting, sport shooting, teaching youth responsibility and confidence and respect for the outdoors, and many other worthwhile uses.  Please do not throw away our God-give rights, expressed in the 2nd Amendment and the Colorado State Constitution.

There are many emotional arguments used to support these gun bills, but the cold, hard facts tell us that these measures will be completely ineffective in reducing gun violence.  The Clinton-era 1994 Assault Weapon Ban did nothing to reduce gun violence.

HB 1224: bans magazines with a capacity of more than 15 bullets. Magazines owned prior to the ban can be kept but cannot be transferred, sold, etc.

• Limiting magazine capacities do very little to impact the speed that someone can shoot a semi-automatic weapon.  Sheriff Ken Campbell of Boone County, Indiana performed a test with both an experienced and inexperienced shooters, and proved that limiting magazine capacity had almost no impact on their ability to shoot 30 aimed rounds.
• Changing a magazine, even for an inexperienced shooter only takes 1-3 seconds.  (Experienced shooters can change a magazine in less than a second.)  This does not give a victim enough time to see that the gun is out of ammunition, make a decision (under extreme pressure) to act, and attack the shooter before he inserts the magazine and the weapon is working again. 

HB 1226: prohibits concealed carry on public college campuses.

•  According to firearms researcher John Lott, “With just one single exception, the attack on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson in 2011, every public shooting since at least 1950 in the U.S. in which more than three people have been killed has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry guns.”  That means 23 of 24 mass shootings occurred in gun free zones, or more accurately, "Victim Disarmament Zones."
• Attempted mass shootings in areas where guns are allowed almost never make it to the point of becoming a mass shooting. Santee, CA (2001), Appalachian School of Law, 2002,  Pearl High School, MS (1997), Edinboro, PA. (1998), New Life Church (Dec 2007), Winnemucca, NV, 2008, Mayan Palace Theater, San Antonio (Dec 2012) 
• None of the anti concealed carry predictions of "OK Corral" shootouts have happened.  Those who pursue concealed carry permits are far more law-abiding than the average citizen.
• This issue has already been decided by the Colorado Supreme Court, and students want concealed carry.

HB 1228: charges fees for background checks.

• A US Department of Justice report "Firearm Use by Offenders,"  reports that criminals only directly purchase 13.9% of the weapons used in crime.  The rest come from friends and family (39.6%) or illegal street purchases (39.2%).  It is already a federal crime (with a 10 year sentence) for straw purchases.
• Increasing fees is just a tax on law-abiding gun owners.  It serves no purpose for reducing gun violence.

HB 1229: requires a background check to be conducted by a licensed firearms dealer before any sale or transfer of a firearm. “Transfer” includes lending a firearm to a friend or family member on a temporary basis.

•  Criminals, already intent on committing a crime, will not bother to find an FFL to transfer a weapon from a family member, friend, or their illegal street seller.  This law will have no effect on gun violence.
• The law is poorly written, excluding extended family members like uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, etc.  It places an undue burden on people who want to loan a gun to a friend for hunting season or to take to the range to try out before buying one him or herself.  This will cause innocent people to be charged with "illegal transfer of a firearm."

SB 195: requires concealed carry permit applicants to complete training in-person.

• Training for concealed carry permit holders is important, but modern teaching methods have shown that online education is completely effective.  As long as the online training meets the educational content and testing standards, there is no reason to disallow it.  Online training is currently acceptable for driver's safety courses, K-12, college and graduate work and a number of other topics.  Why should the classroom portion of any firearms training be any different?
• This law would have no impact on gun violence, but would only make it more difficult for some people to receive a carry permit and so be able to defend themselves.
• A more sensible requirement would be to add a live-fire requirement for permit applicants to demonstrate basic competency with their firearm of choice.

 SB 196: “Assault Weapons Responsibility Act” makes users, owners, sellers, distributors, and manufacturers of firearms liable for harm caused by any firearm that was under their control at one point in time and is later misused by someone else.

• First, lawsuits of this type have historically a very poor chance of success.  Manufacturers cannot control their products once they leave their facilities. 
• If this is a sensible law, then automobile manufacturers should be held liable for all traffic fatalities (which kill far more people annually than guns), swimming pool and bicycle manufacturers should be liable for drownings and accidents involving their products too, since their products are more likely to accidentally kill someone than a gun.

Please vote "NO" on these ineffective, freedom-robbing bills and stand up for your constituents' rights.  The people who elected you and gave you this responsibility are watching.

Respectfully,

Jeff Odegard
Colorado Springs

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Friends of Freedom,

Here is the contact information for the State Senators currently involved in the discussions in Denver:
These Senators need to hear from you today via phone AND e-mail.  Please be respectful and factual.  Additionally, please read this post from the Colorado Senate News and sign the online petition here.

Senate President John Morse (SD11)
    (303) 866-6364; john.morse.senate@state.co.us
Senate Majority Leader Morgan Carroll (SD29)
    (303) 866-4879; morgan.carroll.senate@state.co.us
Senator Angela Giron (SD03)
    (303) 866-4878; angela.giron.senate@state.co.us
Senator Jeanne Nicholson (SD16)
    (303) 866-4873; jeanne.nicholson.senate@state.co.us
Senator Lois Tochtrop (SD24)
    (303) 866-4871; lotochtrop@aol.com
Senator Cheri Jahn (SD20)
    (303) 866-4856; cheri.jahn.senate@state.co.us
Senator Andy Kerr (SD22)
    (303) 866-4859; andy.kerr.senate@state.co.us
Senator Gail Schwartz (SD05)
    (303)866-4871; gail.schwartz.senate@gmail.com
Senator Mary Hodge (SD25)
    (303) 866-4855; mary.hodge.senate@state.co.us