A few thoughts on death, illness, and exhaustion..

I learned a few moments ago that my birth mother will most likely be passing away on Monday. She has had a hard life and now will have a hard death.

At 15 she was molested by a family acquaintance, and upon becoming pregnant was sent away to a home for unwed mothers where she birthed her eldest son - and was coerced, as was common in that era, into immediately giving up that son for adoption.

She returned home to an abusive step-father and substantial chaos. She struggled to survive over the years, dating and marrying and having three other children that she would raise as a merry-go-round of mostly dysfunctional men passed through her life. She lost one brother to alcoholism (he still lives, but is deeply troubled) and nearly a second. Another survived by distancing himself from the family. I know less of her sister and step-sister.

She honestly cared for all of her children, but through nature or nurture - or some combination thereof - she ended up with two children lost to recreational chemistry, and a third living a difficult existence in many ways paralleling her own. She took pleasure in later years in re-establishing a relationship, however cautious and distance, with her eldest son that she lost to adoption.

In the last years of her life, she distanced herself from her stepfather and as a result was largely prevented from communicating with her mother. Allegations emerge that she was abused by those co-resident with her - her meager possessions looted and her health sabotaged.

I am that eldest son adopted out at birth, and I am saddened by her imminent passing and that we did not have a closer relationship. We reached out, cautiously, to each other - with rather more caution on my side than hers. I hesitated to engage more closely for many reasons - but mostly because I saw nothing I could do to improve the situation, and much about the situation that was immensely destructive.

I don't know what comes next. We'll see. I don't expect it to be easy.

Support CalGuns & SAF

IMPORTANT: Pro-gun TV documentary needs your support!

Three. Tres. Trois. Drei. 三. Tatlo. Trzy. Tри. Ba. That's the number of days we have left to help Emmy® award-winning producer and writer Kris Koenig raise the remaining $35,000 needed to produce his TV documentary Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire, the first in a series of documentaries focused on gun issues in America. This project will only be funded if at least $65,000 is pledged by 12:41am on Friday, October 5. 

In a rare opportunity to share with millions of Americans the truth about gun control's racist roots and enduring idiocy, Assaulted pairs a high capacity production team with what is arguably the pivotal social issue in our efforts to re-integrate the fundamental civil rights protected under the Second Amendment into mainstream America.  

Assaulted will take a critical look at a number of important legal and social elements including common semi-automatic rifles (often referred to as "assault weapons" by the gun grabbers), gun control legislative intent and efficacy, how 'product safety' is used as a means of gun control, and will show the ingenuity of gun owners dedicated to keeping and bearing their favorite firearms.  The film will also address carry licensing, illustrating how some residents are treated differently than others by some law enforcement agencies - infringing on fundamental rights in the process.  Finally, Assaulted will show how California is the front line in the gun rights battle in America.

"The road to Second Amendment freedom nationally will be paved through California," said Calguns Foundation chairman Gene Hoffman. "Ours is one of the very few states that does not have a 'Right to Keep and Bear Arms' provision in the state constitution and the California Legislature has worked very hard to set the standard for infringing on Second Amendment civil rights by passing a tremendous number of irrational gun control laws since the early 1920s.  Assaulted is a great way to get the message out not only to other Californians but to people across the United States."

“I plan to show these issues through the eyes of the California gun owner,” explained Koenig. “All too often documentaries regarding gun ownership and 2nd Amendment issues show the extremes of the arguments, polarizing the issues and inflaming viewers’ emotions. What I hope to do is to present a large dose of common sense, facts and logic to the subject matter, just like a science documentary.”

Both The Calguns Foundation and the Second Amendment Foundation have contributed $5,000 towards the Assaulted documentary project.

"Yesterday was a pivotal day for our campaign," noted Koenig in a recent project update. "Many of you took up our call to double your pledge and have a friend match it. The result was a $3,500 increase toward our goal. Please help us continue this trend and reach out to others that want to see a film about the 2nd Amendment and public safety in America."

Don't delay - we only have three more days to help make Assaulted a reality.  Please support this important documentary at the film's Kickstarter page, located at http://bit.ly/assaulted2a.

Pledge Options

• $10 - HD digital download of the film.
• $25 - Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire Limited Edition DVD signed by the crew.
• $50 - The limited edition DVD + a "Crew" tee-shirt. Tee shirt will be delivered November 2012.
• $75 - Limited edition BluRay + a "Crew" tee shirt. Tee shirt will be delivered November 2012.
• $100 - The BluRay + "Crew" tee shirt + "Assaulted" ball cap. Tee shirt and ball cap will be delivered November 2012.
• $200 - BluRay + "Crew" tee shirt + "Assaulted" ball cap + "Assaulted" film poster signed by the crew. Tee shirt and ball cap will be delivered November 2012.
• $500 - Join the crew as they film "The Weapons Experience" by 7 Star Tactical at the Angeles Range in Los Angeles, CA. Get behind the camera experience and learn what goes through a director's mind when capturing b-roll and receive onscreen credit as an Assistant Cameraperson. Travel expenses are not provided and are donor's responsibility. Includes BluRay + "Crew" tee shirt + "Assaulted" ball cap + "Assaulted" film poster signed by the crew. Tee shirt and ball cap will be delivered November 2012.
• $1,000 (general) - SOLD OUT!
• $1,000 (FFL) - Listed as FFL supporter in the credits. Each FFL pledging $1000 or more will receive 50 limited edition DVDs for retail.
• $5,000 - Receive all the rewards and Co-Producer credits in the film. (1 remaining!)
• $10,000 - Receive top bill as an Executive Producer and all the rewards below. (2 remaining.)

Watch the trailer for Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire on YouTube!