We Are Gun-packing Watercooler Warriors?

[Skiprr]

I follow MarketWatch, but not for OpEd tripe like this:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/lets-s ... 2015-11-20

Dunce Brett Arends (@brettarends if you want to rattle him on Twitter) manages in one short article to show his total ignorance of the Second Amendment, the NRA, "assault weapon," "cilp," the selective service system, and the FBI annual violence statistics.

Amazing.

Mr. Brett, I am older than eligible for military service, but I legally carry a handgun. And I have probably had more formal training in it's use than 80% of all regular military and LEOs. In live-fire trials a few years ago I outperformed both active SWAT officers in the class...though I had almost 30 years on them. I have had significant tactical training in the use of a semi-automatic carbine. My formal firearm training time is in the hundreds of hours, many hundreds.

If I were armed and at the San Bernardino incident, you can be certain I would have done my utmost to stop the attack.

Mr. Brett, I'm nothing special. I am nothing but a Texas citizen licensed to carry a handgun. In our state, there are almost 900,000 just like me.

Many of us have military and/or law enforcement experience. Many of us take the responsibility of carrying a firearm more seriously than you can imagine.

Many of us would run toward danger, not away from it.

[Papa_Tiger]

Why don't we draft and send smart, civilized people like him to war zones. Let's try diplomacy first and see how that works out...

[Skiprr]

I'm all for sending Brett Arends into a war zone. He'll wake up in about two seconds.

[KHickam]

Hmmm- Every veteran I know would take up arms to defend US soil again - even those of us past our prime.

[tlt]

I for one, would answer the call (again) if it came. While he would cower (again) behind the water cooler. Ridiculous article, with the comments seem to be disabled.

[jed]

WOW ! How nauseating was that? This guy should be leading Obama's gun grab. What an idiot.

There's 5 minutes I will never get back!!

[oljames3]

Hmmm- Every veteran I know would take up arms to defend US soil again - even those of us past our prime.

I voluntarily answered the call in 1973. After two DD214s, I was called back to active duty, earning my third DD214 when I retired in 2012. While I have breath, I will answer.

[Skiprr]

Hmmm- Every veteran I know would take up arms to defend US soil again - even those of us past our prime.

I voluntarily answered the call in 1973. After two DD214s, I was called back to active duty, earning my third DD214 when I retired in 2012. While I have breath, I will answer.

And this is why Brett Arends will always be wrong, and why the United States of America will always be right.

While we have breath, we will answer.

[The Annoyed Man]

I am not a veteran, and although I would like to afford all the training that Skiprr has had, I can't....at least not yet. And, while I am generally willing to step up to protect the truly defenseless in a criminal attack, I do not view myself as being very qualified to run to the sound of the guns. But all of that said, I love my country in a deep way, and I am willing to give up everything in its defense. I have lived a good long life and am closer to the end of it than to the beginning, and I have absolute confidence in where I am headed when it is my time to shuffle off this mortal coil. And if I get called Home tomorrow, I'd be ok with that and would have no regrets. In the case of a terrorist attack, I would do what I could. If I had the time to retrieve my AR from the car, I would, and I would commit to whatever had to be done. I really don't want to die, and would like to live longer; but if that was not to be my fate, I would make my life very costly to the enemy....and to quote Tecumseh, "sing my death song like a warrior going home."

There is a psychological term for what beta-males like Brett Arends are doing when they mock their betters, and that is called "projection". When a beta-male feels himself to be powerless, he projects his own powerlessness onto others so that he doesn't have to feel so bad about his own fecklessness and lack of potency. People like him use those kinds of arguments all the time. I don't get too worked up about it because I know their dirty little secret....their secret shame at their own weakness. And I take a certain comfort from knowing that if the zombie apocalypse/social collapse ever happens, men like him will be my serfs....because that is all they will be good for. And if they exhibit enough productivity and initiative, I may allow them to keep a small portion of the crops they work.

Pleasing thought, isn't it?

[Goldspurs]

Such faulty logic! It is just as plausible to demand we deploy people for exercising their 1st Amendment rights. I do not see this article changing anyone's opinion on guns. The purpose it serves is stirring up the gun-grabbers into a rabid frenzy. Too bad they can't draft me. I am already on active duty and sitting in the desert at this moment.

[Skiprr]

This is why we luv ya.

[Beiruty]

I'm all for sending Brett Arends into a war zone. He'll wake up in about two seconds.

He would not have legs to stand up on after the first Big Kaboom

[Skiprr]

I'm all for sending Brett Arends into a war zone. He'll wake up in about two seconds.

He would not have legs to stand up on after the first Big Kaboom

Charlie Mike.

Carry on, my friend.

[Jago668]

On the selective service thing, men have to do that anyways. So I don't know where he is getting suggesting we require that; unless he is suggesting that it apply to women gun owners. Seeing him get in a fight with feminist over that would be interesting.

As I told one guy recently that remarked he could get anyone accepted into the Army. I'll be in fighting shape in a year if you can get them to accept a 38 year old with a pin in my knee, and a plate on my collar bone. He amended his statement to most anyone. So I personally have no problem with his suggestion of drafting me. The pin in my knee came about during me signing up for the Army. I had surgery on my leg in junior high, and have a nice big scar on my shin. So the Army wanted a release from my doctor saying it was all cool, and nothing was wrong with me. Go see the doctor, he does an x-ray, and poof bone tumor. Luckily turned out not to be cancerous or anything. So had it cut out and a pin put in. They also found the tumor had caused the perennial artery to form an aneurysm, so got a nice kevlar (if I remember correctly) sheath on that too. So needless to say the Army was no longer interested (neither were the Air Force or Navy, didn't even bother asking the Marines), but the Army did save my life. If they hadn't wanted that release the tumor and aneurysm would never been found. Not explaining for sympathy, was many moons ago, just wanted to explain why I wasn't in. Put an end to the military in my family also. Grandfather (mother side) Marine, father Navy, uncle (mother side) Air Force, step-dad Army, grandfather (father side) Army, great grandfathers (father side) were all in the Army, and great great grandfathers (father side) Army. Always been kind of disappointed that I couldn't keep it going. Was amusing when I told my family I was joining up everyone was trying to get me to choose their branch of service.

Had an interesting phone call with a Navy recruiter two years after the knee surgery. Recruiter calls, asks for me, and I tell him I am speaking. He asks if I would be interested in joining the Navy. I say sure I'd love to, and you could just hear over the phone how his entire day brightened up. The "omg cold calling someone actually worked" type thought. Then all his hopes and dreams were crushed when I told him, "As long as me having a permanent pin in my knee isn't a problem." Poor guy still makes me chuckle to this day.

[Jago668]

Was just remarking that if I could I would go fight ISIS. So I didn't have a problem with that part of what he was saying. The rest was just me relating a story.