Editor,

I don't complain much but sometimes I feel like we get the news after it has been warmed over several times.

During the last few days I have been reading about HR 45, (Blair-Holt Bill) on the Internet. Is anyone else in WV upset by this Bill as much as I am? HR 45 is a Bill that is coming up for vote in the next few days that will make it mandatory for everyone to have to register their firearms, and then pay taxes on each and every gun on a continual basis. The Internet is full of organizations that are arguing about the best way to get the citizen's feelings to our members of the House and Congress.

Since 911, I understand, it takes several months or more for a letter to find its way to our Representatives. All mail goes to a remote site and is tested for anthrax and other things. If this Bill passes, I know a few people around here that will never comply with the requirements.

History shows that when certain countries were forced to give up their weapons they were confronted by criminals with guns and could not defend themselves. People in Germany had to surrender their guns and were later exterminated, the same happened in Angola, Cambodia and many other places. Australia recently had to surrender their guns and crime in that country has been on a steady rise ever since. When the criminal knows he can walk into any home on the block and not be confronted by a citizen with a gun he is more likely to do it. It’s a lot easier than working.

With the economy going down hill citizens without the means to protect themselves will be easy pickings.

I would like to see some hometown coverage on this HR 45 Bill and maybe we all can flood our representative's offices with e-mails. Historically the citizens of the United States just set around and do nothing and the government continues to chip away at the few rights we have left. Remember how fast the right to post "In God We Trust" and how "Merry Christmas" went away. The people that are responsible for these actions have forgotten why America was formed and was based on a God fearing nation. Some of us say, "that could never happen to us", well did we foresee the state of the union nine months ago as it is today.

It is like we elect these people to represent us but on certain things we cannot get a chance to speak our minds. What we need is a volunteer organization to keep track on how our representatives vote and don't let any of them slide. Then when elections come up their actions should be plastered all over the media. It is time we elected people who do not have an agenda but get elected on their merits and do not get "pig-tailed" in on a family name. After getting elected most of these Representatives help out on a Bill, get their 15 minutes of fame and then set back and enjoy the ride. Just serving one term is worth millions in pensions, insurance and other perks. Term limits must be put in place soon. We have good men that can hardly get to the office, making decisions on a daily basis. In a lot of cases their offices are being ran by the staff.

Wake up people. Remember the old saying," When we snooze we lose." Well, we are losing faster than we will ever recover. Once it is taken away, it never comes back.

Noel Richardson

Chapmanville