We need another holiday!

No, not another of those official days off like White Politicians Day, and Black Politicians Day, and Union Thug Appreciation Day, which really serve only to provide a long weekend. No, this is a meaningful new holiday, but strictly unofficial. It will never be officially recognized. But that need not stop us from observing it, every year, and on its proper date too. And it should appease the feminists since it honors a woman, not for her incidental gender but for her deed. I speak of Fanya Kaplan.

The Russian Revolution began on March 6, 1917, and after several days the Tsar abdicated to be replaced by a provisional Government, composed of leading political figures. However, they dithered about taking responsibility, even to the extent of refusing to defend themselves from radicals seeking a second revolution, or to call the much demanded election for a Constituent Assembly. And as a result, on November 8, 1917, Vladimir Lenin led a coup which seized power, partly in the name of calling for that Constituent Assembly. In very quick order, the Constituent Assembly was elected, in the first genuine election Russia had seen since the Republic of Novgorod had been suppressed by Moscow four and a half centuries earlier. But then, to Lenin’s dismay, the Bolsheviks did not dominate the Constituent Assembly, not even near a majority. The SR party was the dominant power, and after a single day of meeting, Lenin dissolved the Assembly with no intent of making such a mistake again. Almost immediately a civil war began to sprout in Russia, Bolsheviks and other hard left parties on one side, and right wing and moderate parties on the other. The Reds controlled the Moscow region among other locations, and during 1918, Lenin began an increasingly severe campaign to bend the other leftist parties to the Bolsheviks’ will, in addition to the pursuit of class enemies. Communist oppression was beginning to take shape. And already many of the fellow-traveling intellectuals began to sense trouble. But few dared do anything as the terror began.

Then on August 30, 1918, A young woman, Fanya Kaplan acted. A young intellectual and a member of one of the democratic socialist parties, she wore glasses thick as coke bottle glass but was still near blind. About 7:30 PM Lenin had finished a rabble-rousing speech at the Mikhelson factory, and as he departed, Fanya Kaplan stepped forward and at point blank range emptied her revolver into Lenin. She was immediately taken into custody by the ChEKA (the original ancestor of the KGB), was harshly interrogated, and shot. Lenin was almost killed, and never totally recovered from all the effects of his wounds, which probably hastened his death by several years. But if Fanya Kaplan had been a better shot, she could have ended Lenin’s evil career, and Bolshevism, just as it was beginning. What a heroic deed! What a tragedy it did not completely succeed! How many millions of lives would have been saved had she taken target practice!

So let us honor Fanya Kaplan every year on August 30 with pistol practice, and be sure to take a lady as your guest. Women shoot for free on Fanya Kaplan Day!  And if you feel a need for a gift for a special beloved, a box of .357 is always appropriate.

-Rurik

Contributed by George Mellinger on July 31, 2006 at 09:03 PM in 2nd Amendment, Current Affairs, George Mellinger | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: 1st Cav

Fanya Kaplan gave it all she had. The lady of the house and her 38 Lady S&W would give Fanya a run for her money. Will celebrate the holiday with the ladies.

Posted by: 1st Cav | Aug 1, 2006 12:36:17 AM

Posted by: Rurik

Having seen the lady of the house in action, I think she'd have succeeded where Fanya only half succeeded.
But since she has a 38, perhaps the Gift Advisor might recommend a pack of lovely Glazer in the ever populr 38 caliber. Their blue tips will compliment her eyes, not as if that would matter to anyone who might make the mistake of getting on her bad side and her down range simultaneously.

Posted by: Rurik | Aug 1, 2006 8:37:31 PM

Posted by: Eric

George,
Fanya Kaplan was pretty close to being blind. Even in Soviet movies she was shown wearing thick glasses. She could not hit much, and I read somewhere that there are now doubts that she was the shooter, or, at least, the only shooter. Nevertheless, she was a member of the SR organization and quite possibly acted as a decoy. So she does deserve a credit.
Eric.

Posted by: Eric | Aug 2, 2006 12:24:46 AM

Posted by: Marina

Nevertheless, only this girl - and nobody else has dared to kill the dictator. By the way, Russians of the present day do treat Lenin as the murderer of the nation and a kind of Antichrist. However, only Ms Kaplan was capable to sacrifice herself for the sake of the people.

Posted by: Marina | Jun 9, 2007 11:39:40 AM