The Madman's got a Gun!

There's a madman running around out there in Michigan, and he's a got a gun - a big one - and he pays no attention to pistol-free zones. But you don't need to worry about him shooting up a school or a church or even a daycare center. Why? Because he's not your everyday, garden variety, run-of-the-mill madman. This madman is special. He's Ted Nugent, the Motor City Madman, and he's touring this great country of ours on a nonstop speaking tour giving a speech titled God, Guns, and Rock-n-Roll! And what's more, he'll be speaking right here in Michigan at Western Michigan University on Monday, March 31st. The venue is 7PM at Miller Auditorium and the speech is open to the public and free of charge.

My first exposure to Ted was watching him on television when his PBS Spirit of the Wild series aired many years ago. I remember thinking "Hey, that guy makes a lot of sense." The next day I called the number on the screen and joined Ted Nugent United Sportsmen of America (then named Ted Nugent World Bowhunters). Over the ensuing decade, I became a director in his organization and eventually rose to the position of Michigan State Director. Serving in that capacity, I got to know Ted and his family quite well.

One thing that I learned very quickly, was that Ted Nugent casts a very long shadow. In fact, I've been standing in that shadow for many years now, basking in his mentorship, learning how to stand up and shoot back (in the rhetorical sense) whenever anti-gunners pop their furry little heads up out of their burrows. There are several things about Ted that are indisputable: he doesn't play defense; he doesn't take prisoners; his logic is unassailable; his confidence is brazen; and his uncanny grasp of the issues and the facts is downright scary.

As for myself, boy could I tell you some stories about the madman - but I'm not going to - perhaps another time. But here's what I will tell you: Ted Nugent, AKA the Motor City Madman, the Teditor Predator, Uncle Ted, the Nuge, whatever you want to call him, Ted Nugent is a WYSIWYG man. That's a computer acronym which means "What You See Is What You Get". Ted is the same person everywhere he goes whether it's around a campfire, rocking on stage, or at home with his family. Once, before I knew him better, I asked Ted about his "rock-n-roll persona". His reply seemed abrupt and a bit impatient as if he was talking to a young buck who needed his butt kicked. "I have no persona!" he told me. And now that I've known him all these years, I know better than to ask stupid questions like that.

And yet, Ted Nugent is the kind of guy who inspires either undying loyalty and devotion or extreme hatred and fear. There is no middle ground when it comes to the Motor City Madman. People either love him or they hate him. Ted's world is kind of like a cut and dried, black and white camo pattern.

So, here I am, a success in my own right: an author of five books, a motivational speaker, and a sought-after personal defense instructor. But still, after more than a decade, I continue to stand in Ted's shadow. But, quite frankly folks, I wouldn't have it any other way. There's a lot to be said about the shade, especially on a hot, sunny day. Ted Nugent, with his in-your-face style, his brashness, and his no-compromise full throttle, no apologies stand for the Second Amendment, he takes a lot of heat off the rest of us. So I'm really quite content to stand in his legendary shadow, much the same way he stood in the shadow of own father while growing up, and then later with his mentor Fred Bear.

All of us have heroes. All of us stand in someone else's shadow. But the nice thing is, we get to choose where we stand. Now, I have no doubt this commentary will generate a few irate emails, but I'm okay with that. Some of you will complain: "But he's rude! He's brash! He's loud!" To which I respond: "Well, yes, he's Ted! How do you expect a madman to act? Civilized? I think not."

Ted is more constant than water. He doesn't change from liquid to vapor to solid, depending on his environment. Ted is a WYSIWYG man. What you see is what you get. And I find that incredibly refreshing, especially in the world of politics.

If I could bottle Ted Nugent, then I would pass out an ounce of him with every book I sell. Because I think the world can use a little more Ted and a lot less Chuck Schumer and Teddy Kennedy.

And now I leave you with a sneak preview of Ted's upcoming speech titled "God, Guns, and Rock-n-roll". It came straight from his computer to mine and I share it now in hopes that a little bit of Ted's true north brashness will rub off onto your spirit, infusing you with courage, boldness and power.

"I know free men. I work, play, hunt, fish, rock and hang with free men everyday. We know in our hearts and souls that God gave us the sacred gift of life, and with this sacred gift comes the self-evident truth that we have the God given right and spiritual duty to defend that gift. KEEP means "it is mine, you can't have it". BEAR means "yes, I have it right here on me". SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED is not ambiguous. It means "don't tread on me". We the people of this great experiment in self-government must eliminate all these offensive infringements on our God given, US Constitutionally guaranteed rights immediately. That the worse slaughters of innocent lives have occurred in "gun free zones" is an outrage that all good American families must fight hard to eradicate. America must ban gun free zones now. No more forcibly unarmed helpless sheep to slaughter! We rally for good over evil, not the gun-free zone guarantee of evil over good. Now more than ever. God bless America, God bless freedom."

There, now you've had your ounce of Ted. If you can handle more, show up at his speech. I know I will. I'll be the one backstage, basking in the coolness of his shadow. I hope to see many other MCRGO members there as well. God bless.

For more info on Ted's appearance go to http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/2008/03/074.html 

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Skip Coryell lives with his wife and children in Michigan. He is the author of five books including Blood in the Streets: Concealed Carry and the OK Corral, the hunting novel Bond of Unseen Blood, and the Second Amendment novel We Hold These Truths. He is an NRA Instructor and co-owner of Midwest Tactical Training, teaching CPL classes in both Michigan and Iowa. To find out more about Skip, his classes and his writing, go to www.skipcoryell.com and www.mwtac.com .