Originally Posted by Ravenworks (Post 452190)

As a former Marine NBC Warfare officer I appreciate the thoughts! :)

I responded to the other thread, "Suggestions for a home defense weapon" about the same time this event was hitting the news Friday. I will be quite candid and say that when I am out in public I scan everyone, I sit in restaurants so that I can see all those around me, and I feel I have become so used to it that it is affecting my quality of life.
I own a Sig P226, a Baretta FS92, a Colt AR15, and a few other weapons. These are the ones I mastered in the Marines, I am completely comfortable using them and pretty damn proficient with them.
That said I wish I never felt the need for them. I wish I never had to worry about being confronted by another with a gun. I wish I could feel the police would be there to protect my family. I hope I never witness carnage here like what is found on a battlefield, ever. The reality is, though, there is a chance that I will need to draw against someone as a civilian. A small chance, but a chance enough to make me carry (which I hate doing).
This country doesn't have a gun problem, we have a spiritual decay problem that has been going on for decades. The decimation of families, abortions (not starting a fight, just pointing out how cheap life has become), the dumbing-down of education, the hollowness that comes with celebrity worship, and the focus on exterior appearances have all contributed to the decay. Hollywood has a fixation on the young, the people with the least life experience and therefore the least wisdom. Even the music industry is affected, imagine the stars of the 60' & 70's being put through the "image-conscience, camera-friendly" world of todays music industry.
There is no depth in our society today, no wisdom espoused to a greater audience, no appreciation for (or knowledge of) our history and that of the world. I'm a 100% capitalist but our rampant consumerism has pushed artisans and craftsmen to the side, so little we make is of value anymore.
We have "9-11 truthers" and other people so gullible it's beyond my comprehension.
I look at my boys, 16 & 18, and I weep at the thought of the world they may end up living in. I've taught them what they need to be self-sufficient, to protect themselves, and taught them the lessons of history. I hope it serves them well when I'm not around any longer.
I also weep when I see this sort of event unfold. I avoid watching the news reporters and all their "experts" trying to "understand" what has happened, as if they could, while making the nutcase a celebrity in the process.
To be honest, I also feel an enormous amount of frustration when something like this happens and there is nobody like myself there to intervene. I have begun carrying in those "gun-free" zones as it seems this is where the shootings are most likely going to happen. Nothing is more tempting to a coward than not being a target himself.
Should I ever be present when one of these horror-events happen I will make certain that the tax-dollars spent to train me will not have been spent in vain. I'm not itching to start a fire-fight but have no problem finishing one. In the mean-time I will continue to train those in my life on how to protect themselves and others should they ever need too.
May God bless the vicitims of this, and other shootings, and may God have mercy on us all...

Originally Posted by Vince@MSperfab (Post 452244)

could not have said it better. The Pres has a big problem on his hands but where to start.

Originally Posted by Ravenworks (Post 452190)

As a former Marine NBC Warfare officer I appreciate the thoughts! :)

I responded to the other thread, "Suggestions for a home defense weapon" about the same time this event was hitting the news Friday. I will be quite candid and say that when I am out in public I scan everyone, I sit in restaurants so that I can see all those around me, and I feel I have become so used to it that it is affecting my quality of life.
I own a Sig P226, a Baretta FS92, a Colt AR15, and a few other weapons. These are the ones I mastered in the Marines, I am completely comfortable using them and pretty damn proficient with them.
That said I wish I never felt the need for them. I wish I never had to worry about being confronted by another with a gun. I wish I could feel the police would be there to protect my family. I hope I never witness carnage here like what is found on a battlefield, ever. The reality is, though, there is a chance that I will need to draw against someone as a civilian. A small chance, but a chance enough to make me carry (which I hate doing).
This country doesn't have a gun problem, we have a spiritual decay problem that has been going on for decades. The decimation of families, abortions (not starting a fight, just pointing out how cheap life has become), the dumbing-down of education, the hollowness that comes with celebrity worship, and the focus on exterior appearances have all contributed to the decay. Hollywood has a fixation on the young, the people with the least life experience and therefore the least wisdom. Even the music industry is affected, imagine the stars of the 60' & 70's being put through the "image-conscience, camera-friendly" world of todays music industry.
There is no depth in our society today, no wisdom espoused to a greater audience, no appreciation for (or knowledge of) our history and that of the world. I'm a 100% capitalist but our rampant consumerism has pushed artisans and craftsmen to the side, so little we make is of value anymore.
We have "9-11 truthers" and other people so gullible it's beyond my comprehension.
I look at my boys, 16 & 18, and I weep at the thought of the world they may end up living in. I've taught them what they need to be self-sufficient, to protect themselves, and taught them the lessons of history. I hope it serves them well when I'm not around any longer.
I also weep when I see this sort of event unfold. I avoid watching the news reporters and all their "experts" trying to "understand" what has happened, as if they could, while making the nutcase a celebrity in the process.
To be honest, I also feel an enormous amount of frustration when something like this happens and there is nobody like myself there to intervene. I have begun carrying in those "gun-free" zones as it seems this is where the shootings are most likely going to happen. Nothing is more tempting to a coward than not being a target himself.
Should I ever be present when one of these horror-events happen I will make certain that the tax-dollars spent to train me will not have been spent in vain. I'm not itching to start a fire-fight but have no problem finishing one. In the mean-time I will continue to train those in my life on how to protect themselves and others should they ever need too.
May God bless the vicitims of this, and other shootings, and may God have mercy on us all...

Originally Posted by Boss 5.0 (Post 452001)

I don't get it, and I never will.

Originally Posted by realcoray (Post 452024)

I see guns being valid for two reasons, hunting and self defense. I don't think you need an uzi or something for either, and I think you don't need 19+ round clips for either.

Originally Posted by cmraman (Post 452276)

While the gun debate heats up. There is another debate that is closer to my heart. The shooter was recognized as having Aspergers, a form of Autism. He also had some mental illness. I'm a father of 2 Autistic boys and have a close friend with a Highschool son with Aspergers. She is dealing with hatred already. I'm afraid for my kids as well. Please don't judge these children on an isolated event. My boys are very innocent and loving. My friend's son is a very good kid as well. Here is a statement from the Autism Society of Wisconsin's Facebook page....

On Friday, 27 people in Connecticut lost their life through the acts of a single person. These people were children, teachers, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Today, their families are experiencing grief that cannot be described. Individuals impacted by Friday’s tragic shooting are in the hearts, thoughts and prayers throughout the Autism Society network.

Many national media outlets are reporting that the shooter was autistic. While as of yet, this has not been officially documented, many newspapers and television outlets are stating that the individual who shot the children and teachers was autistic. And, in such reports, there is an implication that autism might have had an impact on the person's mindset in leading to the shootings.

There is absolutely no evidence or any reliable research that suggests a linkage between autism and planned violence. To imply or suggest, as some are doing, that some linkage exists is wrong and harmful to the over 1.5 million law abiding, non-violent and wonderful individuals who live with autism each and every day. Stereotyping an entire group of individuals because of the actions of one is something is wrong and can't be accepted.

We ask that people not judge any autistic person based on what is being said about the killer of the innocent children and teachers. Rather, we ask that we continue to put our nation's attention on being there for the children and teachers who were killed on Friday.

Originally Posted by GregWeld (Post 452302)

I don't want to turn this tragic thread into a gun discussion....


But my feeling is that our founding fathers wanted the citizenry to have guns for defense - defense against tyranny - defense against their own government gone wild (tyranny) - defense against a militia turned against it's citizenry.

The citizenry can't match muskets or Winchester 94's against todays high tech weaponry... Either from "friend" or foe... and while we can single out the "need" for these weapons as being the problem... I think the citizenry would have a far different thought -- if, or when, terrorists use a dirty bomb... or some other truly massive destructive device(s).

This is where people are torn -- because we understand that it's the weapons in the hands of ordinary citizens that keep the country "safe" -- yet at the same time it's also these weapons that are being used to create such devastating carnage and tragedy. I'm not sure how we balance these but that's where we probably need to get to.