I believe now, as I alway have, that America's strength is in 'We the People.'

With the right to bear arms comes a great responsibility to use caution and common sense on handgun purchases.

I've long believed that one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation that anyone's child, even from the humblest of families, could grow up to own a business or a corporation. Thomas Jefferson dreamed of a land of small farmers, of shopowners, and merchants. Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Homestead Act that ensured that the great western prairies of America would be the realm of independent, propertyowning citizens-a mightier guarantee of freedom is difficult to imagine.

Our loyalty lies with little taxpayers, not big spenders. What our critics really believe is that those in Washington know better how to spend your money than you, the people, do. But we're not going to let them do it, period.

If not us, who? And if not now, when?

By working together, pooling our resources and building on our strengths, we can accomplish great things.

It's just too bad we can't have an epidemic of botulism.