"The Gun Is Civilization" By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)
Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and
force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either
convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of
force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories,
without exception. Reason or force, that's it.
In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through
persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and
the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as
paradoxical as it may sound to some.
When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use
reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or
employment of force.
The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal
footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with
a 19-year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload
of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical
strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.
There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force
equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if
all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a
[armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger's
potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative
fiat - it has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.
People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the
young, the strong, and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a
civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful
living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.
Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that
otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in
several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the
physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.
People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute
lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of
it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force
easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger
attacker. If both are armed, the field is level.
The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian
as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn't work as well
as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.
When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but
because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I
cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but
because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those
who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who
would do so by force.. It removes force from the equation... And that's why
carrying a gun is a civilized act.
By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret.)
So the greatest civilization is one where all citizens are equally armed
and can only be persuaded, never forced.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Velvet Hammer
The Velvet Hammer
Last week, on a program dedicated to the retirement of James and Shirley Dobson, Jim Daley spoke of a rally the team was attending when several youth began to jeer. Dr. Dobson paused in his talk, turned in their direction and with a quiet voice said, "I know you all have hurting hearts." The jeering stopped; and for the rest of the time, the youth sat listening to his every word. Mr. Daley then used a term which has remained with me -" Dr. Dobson hit them with a 'velvet hammer'."
Jesus too used a 'velvet hammer'. When Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, the captains and elders of the temple took Him away to the high priest's home. All of Jesus disciples disappeared, fearing for their lives—all but one. Peter, the impetuous fisherman who often spoke before thinking, was in the courtyard.
At one time, he told Jesus he would follow Him wherever He went. Peter even vowed to die for his Lord. Now, sitting by a fire to warm himself, Peter was confronted by a servant girl. "This man was also with Him." Peter denied knowing Jesus. Sometime later, another said, "You also are one of them." Peter again responded negatively - "Man, I am not!" Imagine the battle going on in Peter's heart. Concern and love vying for position against fear and doubt.
An hour or so later, another confidently affirmed saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." This time Peter began to curse and swear. "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" As he finished speaking, a rooster crowed. At that very time, the crowd dragging Jesus to the house passed by and Jesus looked at Peter. The velvet hammer struck Peter's heart. He went out and wept bitterly. (Luke22:54-62)
With just a look, Peter recalled the words of Jesus when He said, "Before the rooster crows you will deny Me three times." Fear had won the battle and now Peter was a broken man.
Dr. Dobson explained to the hurting youth that broken hearts could be mended with the love of Jesus. After His resurrection, Jesus showed Peter that his broken heart could be mended too. Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" and when Peter really thought about it and from his heart of hearts said yes, Jesus said, "Feed My sheep."(John 21:15-17)
There are times when fear wins in our hearts too and we deny our Lord by silence, by going along with the crowd, by ignoring the still small voice of conviction or counsel. We can, however, rest assured, with heartfelt repentance and a desire to live for the Lord, we can be forgiven and the Lord will use us for His purposes. Praise God for the 'velvet hammer.' May we be in tune with the discipline of our heavenly Father and like Peter, move forward to do the work set before us.
Last week, on a program dedicated to the retirement of James and Shirley Dobson, Jim Daley spoke of a rally the team was attending when several youth began to jeer. Dr. Dobson paused in his talk, turned in their direction and with a quiet voice said, "I know you all have hurting hearts." The jeering stopped; and for the rest of the time, the youth sat listening to his every word. Mr. Daley then used a term which has remained with me -" Dr. Dobson hit them with a 'velvet hammer'."
Jesus too used a 'velvet hammer'. When Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, the captains and elders of the temple took Him away to the high priest's home. All of Jesus disciples disappeared, fearing for their lives—all but one. Peter, the impetuous fisherman who often spoke before thinking, was in the courtyard.
At one time, he told Jesus he would follow Him wherever He went. Peter even vowed to die for his Lord. Now, sitting by a fire to warm himself, Peter was confronted by a servant girl. "This man was also with Him." Peter denied knowing Jesus. Sometime later, another said, "You also are one of them." Peter again responded negatively - "Man, I am not!" Imagine the battle going on in Peter's heart. Concern and love vying for position against fear and doubt.
An hour or so later, another confidently affirmed saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." This time Peter began to curse and swear. "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" As he finished speaking, a rooster crowed. At that very time, the crowd dragging Jesus to the house passed by and Jesus looked at Peter. The velvet hammer struck Peter's heart. He went out and wept bitterly. (Luke22:54-62)
With just a look, Peter recalled the words of Jesus when He said, "Before the rooster crows you will deny Me three times." Fear had won the battle and now Peter was a broken man.
Dr. Dobson explained to the hurting youth that broken hearts could be mended with the love of Jesus. After His resurrection, Jesus showed Peter that his broken heart could be mended too. Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" and when Peter really thought about it and from his heart of hearts said yes, Jesus said, "Feed My sheep."(John 21:15-17)
There are times when fear wins in our hearts too and we deny our Lord by silence, by going along with the crowd, by ignoring the still small voice of conviction or counsel. We can, however, rest assured, with heartfelt repentance and a desire to live for the Lord, we can be forgiven and the Lord will use us for His purposes. Praise God for the 'velvet hammer.' May we be in tune with the discipline of our heavenly Father and like Peter, move forward to do the work set before us.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Texting
For my older friends
If you just got your iPhone and are "learning" to text, here is some VERY helpful information. Don't thank me (DTM). This is a public service (TIPS).
Since more and more Seniors are texting and tweeting there appears to be a need for a STC (Senior Texting Code). If you qualify for Senior Discounts this is the code for you.
ATD: At The Doctor's
BFF: Best Friend Farted
BTW: Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM: Covered By Medicare
CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center
DWI: Driving While Incontinent
FWBB: Friend With Beta Blockers
FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
GGLKI: Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking In
GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
GHA: Got Heartburn Again
HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement
IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL: Living On Lipitor
LWO: Lawrence Welk's On
OMMR: On My Massage Recliner
OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas.
ROFL... CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... And Can't Get Up
SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go Poop
TTYL: Talk To You Louder
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again
WTP: Where's The Prunes?
WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil
MOST OF THESE I CAN RELATE TOO
CRABBY
If you just got your iPhone and are "learning" to text, here is some VERY helpful information. Don't thank me (DTM). This is a public service (TIPS).
Since more and more Seniors are texting and tweeting there appears to be a need for a STC (Senior Texting Code). If you qualify for Senior Discounts this is the code for you.
ATD: At The Doctor's
BFF: Best Friend Farted
BTW: Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM: Covered By Medicare
CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center
DWI: Driving While Incontinent
FWBB: Friend With Beta Blockers
FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
GGLKI: Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking In
GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
GHA: Got Heartburn Again
HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement
IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL: Living On Lipitor
LWO: Lawrence Welk's On
OMMR: On My Massage Recliner
OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas.
ROFL... CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... And Can't Get Up
SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go Poop
TTYL: Talk To You Louder
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again
WTP: Where's The Prunes?
WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil
MOST OF THESE I CAN RELATE TOO
CRABBY
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
ED
It happened every Friday evening, almost without fail, when the sun resembled a giant orange and was starting to dip into the blue ocean.
Old Ed came strolling along the beach to his favorite pier.. Clutched in his bony hand was a bucket of shrimp. Ed walks out to the end of the pier, where it seems he almost has the world to himself. The glow of the sun is a golden bronze now.
Everybody's gone, except for a few joggers on the beach. Standing out on the end of the pier, Ed is alone with his thoughts...and his bucket of shrimp.
Before long, however, he is no longer alone. Up in the sky a thousand white dots come screeching and squawking, winging their way toward that lanky frame standing there on the end of the pier.
Before long, dozens of seagulls have enveloped him, their wings fluttering and flapping wildly. Ed stands there tossing shrimp to the hungry birds. As he does, if you listen closely, you can hear him say with a smile, 'Thank you. Thank you.'
In a few short minutes the bucket is empty. But Ed doesn't leave.
He stands there lost in thought, as though transported to another time and place.
When he finally turns around and begins to walk back toward the beach, a few of the birds hop along the pier with him until he gets to the stairs, and then they, too, fly away. And old Ed quietly makes his way down to the end of the beach and on home.
If you were sitting there on the pier with your fishing line in the water, Ed might seem like 'a funny old duck,' as my dad used to say. Or, 'a guy who's a sandwich shy of a picnic,' as my kids might say. To onlookers, he's just another old codger, lost in his own weird world, feeding the seagulls with a bucket full of shrimp.
To the onlooker, rituals can look either very strange or very empty. They can seem altogether unimportant ....maybe even a lot of nonsense.
Old folks often do strange things, at least in the eyes of Boomers and Busters.
Most of them would probably write Old Ed off, down there in Florida . That's too bad. They'd do well to know him better.
His full name: Eddie Rickenbacker. He was a famous hero back in World War II. On one of his flying missions across the Pacific, he and his seven-member crew went down. Miraculously, all of the men survived, crawled out of their plane, and climbed into a life raft.
Captain Rickenbacker and his crew floated for days on the rough waters of the Pacific. They fought the sun. They fought sharks. Most of all, they fought hunger. By the eighth day their rations ran out. No food. No water. They were hundreds of miles from land and no one knew where they were.
They needed a miracle. That afternoon they had a simple devotional service and prayed for a miracle. They tried to nap Eddie leaned back and pulled his military cap over his nose. Time dragged. All he could hear was the slap of the waves against the raft.
Suddenly, Eddie felt something land on the top of his cap. It was a seagull!
Old Ed would later describe how he sat perfectly still, planning his next move. With a flash of his hand and a squawk from the gull, he managed to grab it and wring its neck.. He tore the feathers off, and he and his starving crew made a meal - a very slight meal for eight men - of it. Then they used the intestines for bait.. With it, they caught fish, which gave them food and more bait......and the cycle continued. With that simple survival technique, they were able to endure the rigors of the sea until they were found and rescued (after 24 days at sea...).
Eddie Rickenbacker lived many years beyond that ordeal, but he never forgot the sacrifice of that first lifesaving seagull.. And he never stopped saying, 'Thank you.' That's why almost every Friday night he would walk to the end of the pier with a bucket full of shrimp and a heart full of gratitude.
Reference: (Max Lucado, In The Eye of the Storm, pp..221, 225-226)
PS: Eddie started Eastern Airlines.
/em>
Old Ed came strolling along the beach to his favorite pier.. Clutched in his bony hand was a bucket of shrimp. Ed walks out to the end of the pier, where it seems he almost has the world to himself. The glow of the sun is a golden bronze now.
Everybody's gone, except for a few joggers on the beach. Standing out on the end of the pier, Ed is alone with his thoughts...and his bucket of shrimp.
Before long, however, he is no longer alone. Up in the sky a thousand white dots come screeching and squawking, winging their way toward that lanky frame standing there on the end of the pier.
Before long, dozens of seagulls have enveloped him, their wings fluttering and flapping wildly. Ed stands there tossing shrimp to the hungry birds. As he does, if you listen closely, you can hear him say with a smile, 'Thank you. Thank you.'
In a few short minutes the bucket is empty. But Ed doesn't leave.
He stands there lost in thought, as though transported to another time and place.
When he finally turns around and begins to walk back toward the beach, a few of the birds hop along the pier with him until he gets to the stairs, and then they, too, fly away. And old Ed quietly makes his way down to the end of the beach and on home.
If you were sitting there on the pier with your fishing line in the water, Ed might seem like 'a funny old duck,' as my dad used to say. Or, 'a guy who's a sandwich shy of a picnic,' as my kids might say. To onlookers, he's just another old codger, lost in his own weird world, feeding the seagulls with a bucket full of shrimp.
To the onlooker, rituals can look either very strange or very empty. They can seem altogether unimportant ....maybe even a lot of nonsense.
Old folks often do strange things, at least in the eyes of Boomers and Busters.
Most of them would probably write Old Ed off, down there in Florida . That's too bad. They'd do well to know him better.
His full name: Eddie Rickenbacker. He was a famous hero back in World War II. On one of his flying missions across the Pacific, he and his seven-member crew went down. Miraculously, all of the men survived, crawled out of their plane, and climbed into a life raft.
Captain Rickenbacker and his crew floated for days on the rough waters of the Pacific. They fought the sun. They fought sharks. Most of all, they fought hunger. By the eighth day their rations ran out. No food. No water. They were hundreds of miles from land and no one knew where they were.
They needed a miracle. That afternoon they had a simple devotional service and prayed for a miracle. They tried to nap Eddie leaned back and pulled his military cap over his nose. Time dragged. All he could hear was the slap of the waves against the raft.
Suddenly, Eddie felt something land on the top of his cap. It was a seagull!
Old Ed would later describe how he sat perfectly still, planning his next move. With a flash of his hand and a squawk from the gull, he managed to grab it and wring its neck.. He tore the feathers off, and he and his starving crew made a meal - a very slight meal for eight men - of it. Then they used the intestines for bait.. With it, they caught fish, which gave them food and more bait......and the cycle continued. With that simple survival technique, they were able to endure the rigors of the sea until they were found and rescued (after 24 days at sea...).
Eddie Rickenbacker lived many years beyond that ordeal, but he never forgot the sacrifice of that first lifesaving seagull.. And he never stopped saying, 'Thank you.' That's why almost every Friday night he would walk to the end of the pier with a bucket full of shrimp and a heart full of gratitude.
Reference: (Max Lucado, In The Eye of the Storm, pp..221, 225-226)
PS: Eddie started Eastern Airlines.
/em>
Friday, September 10, 2010
Another Great American has gone to rest
Allen Dale June | Visit Guest Book
Enlarged Photo WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Allen Dale June, one of the 29 original Navajo Code Talkers who confounded the Japanese during World War II by transmitting messages in their native language, has died. He was 91.
June died of natural causes Wednesday night at a veterans hospital in Prescott, his wife, Virginia, told The Associated Press on Thursday.
His health had been failing since earlier this year when he was hospitalized for a urinary tract infection and kidney failure because he wasn't drinking enough water, his wife said. He was hospitalized again two months ago after visiting family on the Navajo Nation and was transferred from a Flagstaff hospital to Prescott, where he was under round-the-clock care.
The Code Talkers took part in every assault the Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. They sent thousands of messages without error on Japanese troop movements, battlefield tactics and other communications critical to the war's ultimate outcome.
Several hundred Navajos served as Code Talkers during the war, but a group of 29 that included June developed the code based on their native language. Their role in the war wasn't declassified until 1968.
June, who attained the rank of sergeant, received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001 along with other members of the original Code Talkers.
With his death, only two of the 29 are still living.
"The Navajo Nation lost a great warrior," Tribal Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan said in a statement. "His unique service to his country brought positive attention to the Navajo Nation. He will be missed."
June first tried to sign up for the Marines in his hometown of Kaibeto on the Navajo Nation, but a recruiter told him he was too young. He then traveled to the reservation town of Chinle to enlist — because he figured people there wouldn't recognize him — and he could lie about his age and forge his father's signature, Virginia June said.
Even after the code was declassified in 1968, June said little about his role as a Code Talker because he viewed it as bragging, his wife said. Anyone who saw him in the past several years might have been able to guess he was a Code Talker, as he wore a red Navajo Code Talker cap with his name on it wherever he went and a black leather jacket with "Marines" written across the back. He completed his look with a bolo tie that had a large turquoise stone.
Virginia June routinely handed out cards bearing Allen June's picture and rank in the Marines that he had autographed.
Besides his wife, Allen June is survived by 10 children. Funeral services are scheduled for Monday in Page, with burial in Kaibeto.
Enlarged Photo WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Allen Dale June, one of the 29 original Navajo Code Talkers who confounded the Japanese during World War II by transmitting messages in their native language, has died. He was 91.
June died of natural causes Wednesday night at a veterans hospital in Prescott, his wife, Virginia, told The Associated Press on Thursday.
His health had been failing since earlier this year when he was hospitalized for a urinary tract infection and kidney failure because he wasn't drinking enough water, his wife said. He was hospitalized again two months ago after visiting family on the Navajo Nation and was transferred from a Flagstaff hospital to Prescott, where he was under round-the-clock care.
The Code Talkers took part in every assault the Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. They sent thousands of messages without error on Japanese troop movements, battlefield tactics and other communications critical to the war's ultimate outcome.
Several hundred Navajos served as Code Talkers during the war, but a group of 29 that included June developed the code based on their native language. Their role in the war wasn't declassified until 1968.
June, who attained the rank of sergeant, received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001 along with other members of the original Code Talkers.
With his death, only two of the 29 are still living.
"The Navajo Nation lost a great warrior," Tribal Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan said in a statement. "His unique service to his country brought positive attention to the Navajo Nation. He will be missed."
June first tried to sign up for the Marines in his hometown of Kaibeto on the Navajo Nation, but a recruiter told him he was too young. He then traveled to the reservation town of Chinle to enlist — because he figured people there wouldn't recognize him — and he could lie about his age and forge his father's signature, Virginia June said.
Even after the code was declassified in 1968, June said little about his role as a Code Talker because he viewed it as bragging, his wife said. Anyone who saw him in the past several years might have been able to guess he was a Code Talker, as he wore a red Navajo Code Talker cap with his name on it wherever he went and a black leather jacket with "Marines" written across the back. He completed his look with a bolo tie that had a large turquoise stone.
Virginia June routinely handed out cards bearing Allen June's picture and rank in the Marines that he had autographed.
Besides his wife, Allen June is survived by 10 children. Funeral services are scheduled for Monday in Page, with burial in Kaibeto.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
how do U cancel a bid on E/bay?
Got this in a e/mail& wanted to share
it.
Crabby
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO CANCEL A BID ON eBAY?
If so, please let me know ASAP.
I put in a bid on a "Mickey Mouse Outfit", and now it seems I am a mere 16 minutes away from owning Obama and his entire Cabinet
it.
Crabby
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO CANCEL A BID ON eBAY?
If so, please let me know ASAP.
I put in a bid on a "Mickey Mouse Outfit", and now it seems I am a mere 16 minutes away from owning Obama and his entire Cabinet
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