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(AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) In this day and age, it feels like anything to do with our Second Amendment rights is on the defensive to some degree. We’re outnumbered in Congress and the other side holds the White House. Even wins like in Texas require a certain amount of defensive play. Yet it’s not universally that way.
There’s good news all over the place. A prime example comes to us out of Oklahoma . The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has renovated six of the agency’s shooting ranges on its wildlife management areas across the state and plans to build new ranges on 11 others. All of the shooting ranges on Wildlife Department properties will include a 100-yard rifle range and a pistol range, and others also will have a trap range, archery range with elevated platforms and an additional 200-yard rifle range. About half of the new ranges also will include trap shooting and about one-third should also have archery ranges, said Lance Meek, who has been in charge of the project for the Wildlife Department. Improving the shooting ranges began in earnest seven years ago, Meek said. Renovations to existing ranges already have been completed on the Lexington, Cherokee, Beaver, Pushmataha, Okmulgee and James Collins WMAs. That’s actually pretty good news.
Gun range availability is something we really need to work harder on addressing. While private ranges are great, some people really need a more public option and this beats finding an abandoned patch of ground and shooting soda bottles or fruit. It’s safer, too.
Of course, this raises the question of who is paying for it. The thing is, it’s the people who are most likely to use it. Where is the money coming from? Most of it is coming from the taxes that hunters and shooters pay through wildlife restoration funds that the federal government doles out to state wildlife agencies. Under the Pittman-Robertson Act, the federal government imposes an excise tax on manufacturers of guns, ammo, hunting gear, etc. That money is distributed to state wildlife agencies based on the state’s size and the number of licensed hunters. […]
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They’re Trying to Shut Us Down
Over the last several months, I’ve lost count of how many times the powers-that-be have tried to shut us down. They’ve sent hackers at us, forcing us to take extreme measures on web security. They sent attorneys after us, but thankfully we’re not easily intimidated by baseless accusations or threats. They’ve even gone so far as to make physical threats. Those can actually be a bit worrisome but Remington has me covered.
For us to continue to deliver the truth that Americans need to read and hear, we ask you, our amazing audience, for financial assistance. We have a Giving Fuel page to help us pay the bills. It’s brand new so don’t be discouraged by the lack of donations there. It’s a funny reality that the fewer the donations that have been made, the less likely people are willing to donate to it. One would think this is counterintuitive, but sometimes people are skeptical because they think that perhaps there’s a reason others haven’t been donating. In our situation, we’re just getting started so please don’t be shy if you have the means to help.
Thank you and God bless!
JD Rucker