[TheForge] O/T Survivor

[Ries Niemi]

On Friday, January 2, 2004, at 03:43 PM, Phlip wrote:

>
> Ries, what does this have to do with anything?

I just get tired of hearing that an armed citizenry is the answer to 
all our problems, and if we arm everybody we wont need foreign policy, 
an army, or diplomats- that's all. And that seemed to be what Darrell 
was saying, although of course I could be totally wrong. Have been 
before.

Most of the people I know with guns have them because they are fun.  I 
know people who are very responsible, and I know total knuckleheads who 
have a houseful of weaponry. Doesnt seem to make any difference whether 
they grew up with them, or bought their first gun at 30- people 
everywhere seem to vary widely in their smarts, common sense, and 
honesty. Every year in the farm country where I live, a couple of good 
old boys who have been hunting since they were knee high to a 
grasshopper manage to shoot their buddies by accident. Guns are tools, 
and people insist on using tools when they are drunk, hungover, tired, 
angry, sleepy, and just plain dumb to begin with. They amputate limbs 
with ag equipment all the time too. And I sure wouldnt want some of the 
loggers who live around here to be able to take their chainsaws on 
planes, just cause they know how to use em.

So I dont have any great faith in how much safer I would be on a 
airplane if everybody was armed. I have been on plenty of airplanes 
with plenty of dickheads who proceeded to get as drunk as possible, and 
then raise havoc. I was really glad they werent packing. In fact, 
recently there was this soldier, on leave before going to Afghanistan- 
he was drinking vodka 2 little bottles at a time, and bragging to the 
girl next to him about how many drugs he took before he shot his M-60 
in live fire excercises back at the base. There was somebody who was 
technically just who you would want to be armed- a trained soldier. And 
I guarantee you that if that guy had a gun on an airplane, he would be 
more dangerous than any 5 terrorists.

Undercover air marshalls with bullets that are less likely to cause 
depressurisation- that sounds good to me. The average gun owner that I 
know, even some of whom are good friends of mine- no thanks.

ries