ual sodomy. The gay lobby’s raison d’etrerninvolves neither skin eolor nor gender,rnnationality nor religion. It exists to promoterna particular kind of sex aet. Withoutrnit they are literally nothing in theirrnown minds, hi fact, homosexuals claimrnthey would just as soon die without it.rnThat is the pathology that the WeldrnCommission is asking the public to support.rnDozens of recent studies show thatrnrevising one’s image of the familv andrnthe several roles to be played out withinrnthe family does not turn a grave situationrnbright. For decades liberal pundits andrnideologues have attempted, and managed,rnto establish a new social consciencernin which the liberation of the individualrnaway from the family is exalted. Womenrnwere encouraged to leave small childrenrnin favor of a career, parents were encouragedrnto place their small children in daycare,rndivorce was given a liberating quality,rnand sexual prowess was ele’ated tornnew heights of acceptability. The traditionalrnfamilv was pronounced evil andrndetrimental to a progressive societv. Thernopposite remains a proven truth.rnGovernor Weld’s support of homosexualityrndetracts from the effectivenessrnof the traditional family—and the traditionalrnfamily unit is the keystone to social,rneconomic, and moral well-being.rnLIBERAL ARTSrnRAINBOW-COLOREDrnROSESrnThe Los Angeles City Council votedrnlast November to end the city’s 96-rnyear sponsorship of a float in the annualrnNew Year’s Day Rose Paradernunless the Tournament of Roses includesrnwomen and minorities on itsrnexecutive committee. The ninernmembers of the committee are currentlyrnwhite, male volunteers withrnat least a quarter-century of service.rnAs a part of “Empower America,” GovernorrnWeld has isolated the family fromrnsocial conservatives. And no amount ofrnwater can be carried by Bill Bennett tornassuage them. The true test of their loyaltyrnis to denounce Governor Weld’srnsupport of the homosexual agenda asrndangerous and foolhardy.rnMartin Mawyer is the president ofrnChristian Action Network.rnDefending GunrnOwnersliiprnby Paul KirchnerrnGun owners are often asked byrnfriends, and rhetorically by politiciansrnand the media, “How can yournstand having a gun in vour home?”rnSometimes we try to bridge the gap byrnspeaking of our love of hunting or targetrnshooting or of our appreciation of thernhistory and craftsman.ship of firearms.rnBut this evades the issue. It is the gun’srnpurpose as a weapon, as a killing machine,rnthat provokes such questions andrnthat also makes firearms so precious torntheir owners.rnOf the two primal purposes of a gun,rnhunting may no longer be necessary forrnsurvival, but self-defense is increasing inrnimportance. When we defend ourselvesrnwe are looking not to kill, but to stop, immediately,rnthe actions of a deadly aggressor.rnTo do so we may have to kill, orrnthreaten to kill. The alternative is submission,rnand a man who submits tornviolence may or mav not survive; if herndoes he becomes a victim, one whosernfate has been controlled by his aggressor,rnwho may continue to prey on others. Arncivilized order cannot survive if decentrnmen are resigned to be victims.rnAlmost as basic as self-defense is therndefense of the individual against thernstate itself. If, in a democracy, power isrnin the hands of the people, then surelyrnguns, the tools of power, belong there asrnwell. As the bumper sticker puts it, “ThernSecond Amendment ain’t about duckrnhunting.” Americans have chosen neverrnto be helpless before their own government,rnand the right to keep and bearrnarms defines our status as free citizens. Ifrnthat upsets Janet Reno and the BATF,rnwell, that only hardens our resolve.rnThe smile that springs to a man’s facernwhen he handles a fine weapon is triggeredrnby the feeling of security and selfdeterminationrnit imparts, but also by anrnexcitement. In the Timid New Wodd ofrnthe nanny state, it is bracing to leave thernplaypen at times and get ahold of somethingrndangerous, to hear the bang andrnfeel the kick. A man doesn’t want to gornthrough life constantly having sharp objectsrnremoved from his reach. That arngun is deadly is part of its attraction, andrnnot, I believe, in any pathological sense.rnThe gun puts great power at one’s command,rnbut at the same time it imposesrnan absolute and unforgiving disciplinernon the man who accepts it. Not onlyrnmust he master the gun, he must masterrnhimself. Meeting this challenge is one ofrnthe gratifications of gun ownership.rnAs the ultimate power tool, the gun isrnan unusually satisfying possession. Itsrnmechanism is complex yet reassuringlyrncomprehensible. It is better made thanrnmost personal effects, intended to last arnlifetime and to be reliable under almostrnany condition. To function it requiresrnonly ammunition, an unusually durablerncommoditv with an indefinite shelf life.rnThis heirloom quality of the firearm appealsrnto those of us of the conservativerntemperament. Many of the tools we usernevery day pass through our lives like sornmuch Kleenex. Our computers, stereornequipment, and electronic gadgets barelyrnoutlast their warranties and then arerntoo obsolete to be worth repairing. Arngun is something we can hang on to.rnThe often symbolic aspect of gunsrnadds to their appeal. A friend purchasedrnan Uzi to protect his home, and in hisrncase I understood the choice. The Uzi isrnthe “Kentucky rifle” of the state of Israel,rnand as an observant Jew, he felt addedrnsecurity and confidence with this historicallyrnimportant weapon. Clearly, a gunrnpicks up some of the honor or ignominyrnof the causes it has served. The M-IrnGarand reminds us of Wodd War II, justrnas the AK-47 is a more fitting symbol ofrnworld communism than the hammerrnand sickle. The gun also acquires a piecernof its owner’s soul through long associationrnand use, especially dramatic use.rnThat’s the mystique of the personalrnweapons of famous gunmen, such asrnJesse James, Billy the Kid, TheodorernRoosevelt, Melvin Purvis, John Dillinger,rnand General Patton. There is a specialrnfeeling about father’s hunting rifle orrnthe handgun that has been the family’srnbulwark for a generation. As a child I oc-rn46/CHRONICLESrnrnrn