ers, wiped out any traces of civil liberty and a free press. In his short reign, from 1917 until his death in 1924, Lenin created a model not merely for his successor, Stalin, but for Mao tse-tung, Hitler, and Pol Pot; three of the worst tyrants the world has ever seen. (Remnick, http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/profile/lenin.html)
             Thomas Jefferson once stated, "When the people fear the government you have tyranny... when the government fears the people you have liberty." (http://www.chvanilla.net/frogquotes.html)
             Tyranny, it has happened before and will happen again. It is up to us to take a stand, to hold the government back. Charleton Heston is a great example of one who has taken that challenge. As president of the National Rifle Association, he has continually worked to assure our freedom from tyranny by securing our ability to own guns. Heston's dedication to this cause was shown when he raised a rifle above his head and yelled, "From my cold, dead hands!" (http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=2000/5/21/165857)
             Bill Twist's, From My Cold, Dead Hands, discusses the reasoning behind this great statement. "It is a direct reference to those who gave up their lives so that we could have freedom. And while we have grown as a nation, that spirit is alive and well today, as it was that spring day of April 19th, 1775, when poor farmers and tradesman stood their ground against the might of their own government.
             Why did they stand up to the British troops at Lexington and Concord? The answer is rather simple. The duly appointed government was going to take away their arms and ammunition. In other words, they fought because of gun control. While there were numerous underlying causes to the War of Independence, gun control provided the spark that exploded into this great nation. Those farmers were resisting the confiscation of their best guarantee against tyranny, and they knew it." (http://216.117.15...