On Thursday, the gun
rights community will bid farewell to a friend and
mentor--a man who devoted nearly fifty years to
preserving individual freedom and the Second
Amendment. After fighting cancer, Neal Knox passed
away on January 17.Beyond being a nationally
renowned benchrest shooter and founder of "Gun Week,"
Neal served as Executive Director of the NRA Institute
for Legislative Action, and later became NRA Vice
President, staying on for ten years as an NRA board
member. Never one to shy away from doing the right
thing, when the NRA became increasingly bureaucratic
and self-serving, he pressed efforts to reform the
organization.
In recent years, Neal set about empowering grass
roots activism through his organization, The Firearms
Coalition. Having yesterday spoken to Neal's son,
Chris, he assures me that he and his brother Jeff will
continue the battle.
Rest assured GRNC will be actively involved in
their efforts.
GRNC members will remember Neal from the many times
he helped our organization, from the solidarity march
in Charlotte which prevented gun control activists
from embarrassing the NRA at its annual meeting, to
occasions when he flew to North Carolina to address
GRNC dinners and other events.
The Knox family should draw comfort from the fact
that Neal was able to see his efforts come to fruition
with the reelection of the Bush administration, the
sunset of the ban on semi-automatic firearms, and the
general reversal of the trend toward gun control,
which had reached its apex during the Clinton
administration. Neal was in no small part responsible
for these successes.
Below are letters from Neal and from his wife, Jay
Janine. I hope you will join me in expressing how much
we will miss the wit, the wisdom and the dedication
that Neal brought to us all.
Paul Valone
President, Grass Roots North Carolina
5 January 2005
Dear Friends,
I've always made it a point to deliver the news to
you straight - good or bad. Now I'm afraid I have some
unpleasant news. As you're aware, I have been fighting
colon cancer for the past year. The doctors tell me
that my fight is almost over.
I believe in miracles. I believe in God's healing
power and eternal life through Jesus Christ. I know it
will take nothing short of a miracle for me to win
this battle.
Should that miracle be granted, I will rejoice; but
I rejoice nonetheless, for I've been blessed with a
wonderful life, a great family, work that I love, and
many wonderful friends. Most of all, I thank God for
my long-suffering wife Jay Janen who not only put up
with me, but has actively supported my efforts for the
Second Amendment for nearly forty-nine years.
It's been a great run!
I had always assumed that long life was my
birthright. My father passed away just this past fall
at the age of ninety-two.
I counted on the same sort of life-span and was
planning accordingly. We've barely settled into that
house in the country that I've been promising Jay for
so long. I started rebuilding her classic Mustang
convertible and have it in pieces in the basement
garage. I've laid out a 100- yard range next to the
house, and was looking forward to having my dear
friend Ken Oehler help me set up a ballistics lab in
the basement.
Time for those projects was budgeted into the next
generation of the Firearms Coalition. The plan was to
have sons, Chris and Jeff take more prominent roles in
the fight, freeing me up to do other things like
shooting and writing books. Jeff moved out here for
that purpose over a year ago but my illness
sidetracked those plans.
I have long wanted to evolve the Firearms Coalition
into a resource for grassroots activists and
organizations. The goals of the Coalition would be to
provide activists with the resources, training, and
technology they need to be more effective in the
fight.
Now, I hope you will help Jay and the boys as it
looks like they will be taking on this important task
without me.
There will be more details in the weeks and months
to come, including a new book that Chris, Jeff and I
have been collaborating on. I regret that I am
unlikely to see it in print, but I am confident in
their ability to see it through.
I am thankful for you and the many other friends
that have blessed my life making me a truly wealthy
man. There have been disagreements, even fights, but
the goal of freedom has been a unifying force.
I ask your prayers, both for me and for my family,
especially for Jay who never expected to see me go
first.
I urge you to continue the fight. Continue your
support of the ongoing efforts of the Firearms
Coalition and keep the grass roots growing.
Thank you for keeping me in the fight for all these
years.
As always: Yours for the Second Amendment,
Neal
Neal passed away early this morning, January 17. He
was surrounded by our children and his brothers and
went quickly without pain.
A memorial service has been scheduled for Thursday,
January 20, at the Manassas Church of Christ, 8110
Signal Hill Road in Manassas, Virginia. The service
will begin at 10:30 AM with a luncheon to follow.
It was Neal's wish that in lieu of flowers,
donations be made to the Firearms Coalition or to
Rainbow Children's Home in Gainesville, VA.
Firearms Coalition
P.O. Box 3313
Manassas, VA 20108 |
Rainbow Christian Services
6004 Artemus Rd.
Gainesville, VA |
Neal's condition deteriorated so rapidly that there
wasn't time to get the letter above out before his
death. He very much wanted to let his friends and
supporters know what was going on. We will post more
information on the web site,
www.NealKnox.com.
I can't tell you how much Neal has loved the
difficult work to which he dedicated his life. It has
cost us much while at the same time being extremely
rewarding in so many ways. The greatest reward has
been the love and friendship that we have found along
the way.
You're an important part of that.
Thank you so much,
Jay Janen Knox
Obituary:
http://www.nealknox.com/Obituary.html
