Special to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

Saw purple cartridge case in my lane when I was sweeping up brass so it wouldn’t be under foot. I was shooting aluminum cased practice ammo so I was worried it had been discolored by fouling and heat from my chamber. Turns out it’s Law Enforcement practice ammo from the youngsters in the next lane (I’m not kidding, they looked like barely 21, if you count from the moment of conception. At a couple of weeks short of 66 most people under 30 look like kids, especially the slow aging folk in El Paso. A lot of folk over 30 for that matter.) It’s supposed to be reloadable, but if you don’t reload cases could be used for making jewelry or Christmas decorations. I think you can order this ammo in a variety of calibers, but I have not seen it in local stores.

Now some people might get bent out of shape at the idea of Christmas decorations made from spent ammo cases. In fact I understand some people get upset over the commercialization of Christmas. They are not as right as they think. Thousands of people and companies live and die by Christmas sales. Remember Mervyns and Montgomery Ward? should have remembered them the Christmases before they closed, it was weak Christmas sales that did them in. Factories gear up and hire people to make products they sell for Christmas, both regular and specialty products. To make a reference to fictional characters, Bob Cratchit pays for treating Tiny Tim with an insurance policy paid for with Christmas sales.

Commercializing Christmas has positive results. Some people might counter this by claiming we need to put Christ back in Christmas, however I honestly do not see how exchanging gifts and engaging in commerce pushes Christ (or any other deity) out of Winter Solstice celebrations. I want to point out we still enjoy religious freedom as well as commercial freedom, perhaps the critics should exercise both.

Meanwhile, somewhere in America a kid is working at a mall selling Christmas goodies, decorations, and stuff to give as gifts to pay for college. Help him and thousands of others keep his college debt down by Christmas shopping.

Surely you know someone who deserves a box of purple ammo?