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Old June 8, 1999, 05:45 PM   #1
cornered rat
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Seems to me that merely surrendering does not guarantee a better outcome...i.e., if someone wants me disarmed, they have worse designs on my life immediately thereafter or later. If that's the case, giving up to fight another day might mean not living to see another day.

Michelle is of opinion that the confiscators are just trying to improve safety (public? their own?) in a misguided way and are not planning any more Treblinkas or Mostars or "they had it coming" Wacos.

Hmmm...maybe I have been paranoid all this time. Got to go relax and enjoy the sunny day and play with a borrowed digicam. BTW, taking up digital photography is great -- instead of rushing purchases before prices/availability are adversely affected, I can wait and hope for better designs for less money next year...

------------------
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"Disarm, then past the barbed wire, into the oven and out of the smoke-stack..."
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Old June 8, 1999, 07:34 PM   #2
.
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CR,
Perhaps Michelle just wants all the bad unhappy stuff to go away. A common denial amongst those that haven't or won't come to grips with the ragged edge of excess reality. In other parts of the world, the bad unhappy stuff, like bullets, shrapnel, rampant endemic diseases, starvation and dehydration kill much more quickly. Whereas here it just numbs the political mind of the middle class (is this even a valid categorization anymore?) muddler whose most significant daily accomplishment is getting a parking place closer to the door of the mall.

We talk of lessons learned from the purges, crusades, witch-hunts, holocausts, genocides, and ethnic cleansings throughout history. But it appears the only ones that really learned it were the survivors, and unfortunately all too often those were simply the winners that wrote the history of the muted victims. Until the really hard lessons are inculcated into our cultural, social and governmental institutions, such that we the individuals are truly attuned to the blatant but benign beginnings of oppression, then we're doomed to suffer the fruits of our ignorance.
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Old June 8, 1999, 08:01 PM   #3
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Admittedly I am always quick to see a conspiracy where one may in fact not exist. However for the sake of conversation let's assume that their motives are pure and there is no grand scheme to capitolize on our lack of means to defend ourselves. History has taught us that once disarmed some preditor will eventually take advantage of the fact we are defenseless. If not by design simply because the opportunity exist.

Ask Michelle if she would worry while walking through the mall about her car being stolen if it was locked and the keys securely in her pocket.
Then ask if she would feel equally comfortable if she simply left the windows down and the keys hanging in it while doing her shopping.

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Old June 8, 1999, 11:25 PM   #4
Dennis
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It is a rare person who does not attach some sort of value or emotion to some
physical object or to an event. A home becomes more than a building. A statue of
the Virgin Mary, a crucifix, a flag or a song, or even a photograph can stir
emotions greater than the value of the material item.

I have a piece of paper showing I served in the military until I was discharged
honorably. But, oh, the memories that piece of paper conjures up. The friends,
the fun times. The bad times. The times when we were bound closer to strangers
than to our own families and, in frightening chaos, our lives hung by a thread.
Many of our friends died far from home. Ask us about the feeling of “American
soil” upon returning to the land we loved. Ask those returning soldiers about
America.

Remember the old, faintly humorous band of American Legionnaires, wearing
out-dated military uniforms straining at the buttons. But, God how proudly they
marched. Grinning, waving to friends and families, and always, always “The Flag!” Ask them if the flag is mere cloth, I dare you.

See the elderly lady sitting in a lawn chair watching the fourth of July parade. Three flags carefully folded some forty years ago into triangles now rest in her lap - one for each lost son. Ask her if those flags are mere cloth, I dare you.

Look at the old man quietly crying, leaning against the Iwo Jiima Memorial at
Arlington Cemetery. As he turns to you, smiles with some embarrassment, and
says in a choked whisper, “I was there.” Ask him, “Is it just metal and clay?” Ask
him. I dare you.

The Wall. My God, the Wall. See the young man lightly tracing the name of his
father there inscribed. Ask him if its just rock. Ask him. I dare you.

My guns? They’re of little real value compared to my family and my home. They
are toys, or tools, or both. But what those guns represent to me is greater than all
of us, greater than myself, my family, indeed greater than our entire generation.
What could be of such value?

The freedom of man to live within civil, self-imposed limitations rather than under
restrictions placed upon him by a ruler or a ruling class.

Imagine the daring, the bravery of a few men to declare they intended to create a
new country, independent of the burden of their established Rulers!

Those men we call our forefathers were brilliant men. They could have
maneuvered themselves into positions of influence within the structure of the
times, but they did not. They struggled to free themselves from tyranny. They
wrote the Declaration of Independence. And they backed up their words and ideals with metal and wood.

They knew the dangers of such dreams and actions. They knew it was a frightening and dangerous venture into the unknown when they dared reach beyond their grasp for a vision - for an ideal. But they dared to dedicate
themselves to achieve Liberty and Freedom for their children, and their children’s
children, through the generations.

Imagine the dreams and yearnings of centuries finally being reduced to the written word. The Rights of “We the People!” instead of the “Powers of the Monarchy.”

Our forefathers dared to create a new government - a new form of government.
And they knew that any organization has, as its first and foremost goal, its
continued existence. Second only to that it strives to increase its power. It plots,
it devises, it maneuvers to achieve control over its environment - over its subjects.

Our Forefathers decided to make America different from any country, anywhere, at
any time in the entire history of the entire world. This country, this new nation of
immigrants, would be based upon the concept that people could rule themselves better than any single person or small group of persons could rule them.

Other countries have had outstanding documents with guarantees for its citizens -
but the citizens have become enslaved. How, these great men pondered, can we
ensure this new government will remain subject to the will of the People?

They wanted limits upon this new government. Therefore, our forefathers wrote
limitations into the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And one of those Rights
was that metal and wood, as the final power of the people, would secure this country for the future generations.

Metal and wood were the means by which we won our freedom.
Metal and wood were the means by which we kept our freedom.
Metal and wood may be the means by which we regain our freedom.

Metal and wood are the final power of the people. Take away the metal and wood
and the people become powerless - they can only beg, they supplicate for favors.

We are unique in our ability to rule ourselves but we are letting it slip away.
Today we compromise. We try to appease man’s insatiable appetite for power by
throwing him bits of our freedoms. But the insatiable appetite for power can not
be appeased. The freedoms we feed him only make us weaker and him stronger. We must conquer him and again ensure the “Blessings of Liberty” won for us by our forefathers.

We must be ready to use metal and wood again, for if we are ready, truly ready,
we may be able to conquer the monster with words - for in its heart it is a coward.
But if we continue to feed the monster our freedoms, we will become too weak to
win, to weak even to fight, and we will become a conquered people. We will have
sold ourselves and our future generations into servitude.

If words fail us, we will use metal and wood, we will regain what we have lost, we
will achieve what we seek, we will guarantee the America of our forefathers for the future generations.

So you see, our guns are more than metal and wood. They are our heritage of freedom. They are the universally understood symbol that the government, no matter how big and strong it may be, answers to us! They are the tools we will use to prevent tyranny in the land of our forefathers and our children. So, ask me what my guns mean to me. Ask my children what our guns mean to them. Ask us. I dare you.
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Old June 8, 1999, 11:46 PM   #5
Engineer
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Dennis, that was truly inspirational.
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Old June 8, 1999, 11:51 PM   #6
Mal H
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Dennis - you're a genius.
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Old June 9, 1999, 12:12 AM   #7
Ipecac
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Dennis, well done. Well done indeed. You make me almost embarassed to post anything further.

cr: are they planning new Treblinkas? No, I doubt that. Who in Germany in 1933 said, "Within ten years our government will undertake to eradicate the Jews, and other undesirables, from the Earth." Not many, I imagine.

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Imagine a future in which all the "civilians" are disarmed, yet the governments are well armed. Now tell me with complete conviction that you believe no government will ever take advantage of that situation.

"He who goes unarmed in Paradise had better be sure that that is where he is." Thurber

------------------
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Old June 9, 1999, 12:18 AM   #8
John/az2
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Dennis...

Can you hear the applause? Can you see those who have fought for this country with true conviction, who have died striving to fulfill that sacred oath they took? Can you see them stand and bring their hands together from beyond the grave and clap for the vision of patriotism that burns brightly in your heart? Can you see the tears in their eyes at your recognition of their sacrifice? And can you see the tears in mine as I read what I consider to be your inspired words?

My God! With men like these great things can be done!

Sincerely,

John
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Old June 9, 1999, 12:23 AM   #9
DC
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Truly beautiful, Dennis

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Old June 9, 1999, 12:35 AM   #10
Destructo6
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I don't think there are any concrete plans to put gun owners or any segment of the US population into concentration camps or anything similar.

On the other hand, it's obvious that when targets are selected, the soft and easy ones make the top of the list while the hard and hazardous ones are at the bottom. All it takes, once we are disarmed, is some enterprising, ambitious, and reasonably popular character to create another Warsaw Ghetto. Problem is that when it is easily recognizable, it will be far too late to do anything about it.

We have to ensure that we (the people) remain the hardest target on the block.
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Old June 9, 1999, 01:38 AM   #11
Gunslinger
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Dennis you actually brought tears to my eyes.

------------------
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We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.



[This message has been edited by Gunslinger (edited June 09, 1999).]
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Old June 9, 1999, 06:12 AM   #12
Hal
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This thread deserves to be at the top of the page every day. Good job Dennis.
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Old June 9, 1999, 06:25 AM   #13
Ed Brunner
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BRAVO! Dennis;I cant even comment.Thank you.

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Ed


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Old June 9, 1999, 06:50 AM   #14
longhair
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Dennis, what can i say that hadn't already been said? very well put. it was great!!!

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fiat justitia


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Old June 9, 1999, 08:47 AM   #15
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I hereby nominate Denis's post to be run FULL PAGE after the FOUP one has been run !

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Old June 9, 1999, 09:40 AM   #16
Ron L
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Dennis, words now fail me. I've read many things that others have posted but nothing else has ever had the impact.

I hope that we would all be given permission to reprint or quote from your post and to give credit where it is certainly due.



------------------
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Detroit Chapter
Terra-Haute Torque & Recoil Scoiety


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Old June 9, 1999, 10:18 AM   #17
cornered rat
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Dennis,

with your permission, I'd like to add this to my RKBA site.

------------------
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"Disarm, then past the barbed wire, into the oven and out of the smoke-stack..."
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Old June 9, 1999, 10:37 AM   #18
Fred
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WOW!!! Kudos, Dennis.

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Old June 9, 1999, 10:51 AM   #19
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Dennis,

I am standing here applauding you. Very, very well spoken sir.



------------------
No King is saved by the size of his army, No warrior excapes by his great strength alone.
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Old June 9, 1999, 11:54 AM   #20
David Z
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Unbelievably well-written essay, Dennis. Thank you.

CR, I don't mean to trivialize you and Michelle's difference of opinion, but it really is a good idea to "agree to disagree". Many happy couples consist of individuals that are different but complementary, and the differences can actually make their bonds stronger than a "matched" couple. Maybe providing physical security for both of you is going to have to be your job. Michelle can be as "soft" as her conscience requires, and that's not a bad thing really. Not everyone practices the arts of war, and our society would be poorer without them. Good luck.
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Old June 9, 1999, 12:04 PM   #21
cornered rat
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Michelle isn't soft. She's stronger than I am, and well capable of using her pistol to good effect. However, she reserves her butt-kicking abilities for when they are actually needed. She feels that my fretting ahead of time is 1) boring (an opinion shared by several other friends) and 2) deprives me of enjoying my life now. She has a point.

However, I am still pretty close to one side of the issue, whereas she has come to respect the will of the majority on issues like concealed carry. Hope we can overlook the differences.

CR
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Old June 9, 1999, 12:44 PM   #22
Talisman
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First time here and Dennis just blew me away with a most excellent essay. I've felt the same since returning from the Nam...still carry some of that anger though it only shows when I come across know-nothings who buy into the propaganda and spout it all over the place. When you make the slightest attempt to pin down their arguments they always cave without a decent defense. Were it not for TFL and sites like rkba and worldnetdaily.com, and all those who participate and view, we'd already be in a lot deeper than we are.
Made a major study of pending y2k issues and most of the govt will indeed crash....but that can bring on the martial law and that, I am convinced will bring on something of a civil war...this opinion is partly from rational study and part from a deep gut feeling.

I know the cornered rat and he is to be commended for his rkba site....one must balance ones activist urges with the necessity of a low profile so one does not get taken out before the big fun begins....I used to be an activist and now I just try to keep a low profile and prepare, prepare prepare. Where can I find a decent mountain hideaway...probably a three mile deep cave...

the question may not be the guns but how long the ammo holds out.....another thought...in the great American revolutionary war only about 2-4% of the population took active part....there were sideliners then too, ready to reap the rewards without paying the cost....seems more than 2-4% have the guns but how many REALLY have the guts???
Talisman
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Old June 9, 1999, 12:56 PM   #23
Talisman
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DEnnis, I have read you again and felt compelled to copy the text....dunno what I'll do with it other than shove it into a few faces....but it is too good to fade from this place....
Talisman
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Old June 9, 1999, 01:03 PM   #24
bookkie
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Dennis:

May we please have premission to distribute your piece? I would like to not only post it on a couple of other sites (giving you credit of corse), but I would also like to send it into our local newspaper to see if we can get it published. If permission is given, please give us a title and author's name for it.

Thanks,

Richard

P.S. You have my vote for the offical TFL writer.
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Old June 9, 1999, 04:29 PM   #25
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Damn.


What else could be said?

Who Could challenge that?

This needs to be printed in every newspaper in the USA.
This needs to be mailed to every politican in D.C.
This needs to read aloud in every school, in every class.
This needs to posted in every forum on the net, and in all of our Home Pages.

With permission of course...

Dennis... Thank you...

------------------
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