Old Soldier
09-20-2001, 07:59 PM
This is by David F. Norman (gunnyragg)over on the Guns and Ammo forum.
Like all of us over the last week, I have given a lot of thought to what America means to me. Maybe I can put this into words without offending anyone who matters.
America is a nation of warriors. We were born in blood and hardened in a thousand fiery battles. Over the years, we fought just about anyone who gave us reason and when we thought it was the thing to do we fought each other.
There have been times when we have done shameful things; there have been more times when we have reached for and achieved glory.
Once in a philosophical discussion in a bar in Africa, several other oilrig workers and myself were discussing who were the fightingest people in the world. One man closed the discussion when he said that of all the people he had known that as a group of people Americans would fight quicker than any other people in the world.
Over the last few decades, there have been those who tried to convince us that this bent toward violence was wrong, that we should be kinder, gentler, and not so quick to take offense. These people have tried to breed the warrior instinct out of us and for a while, it looked like it might work. They told us to stop spanking our kids; they told us to quit executing our violent criminals. They told us to be tolerant of our enemies and that rather than go to war, we should use diplomacy. They told us the United Nations would bring all people together and we would never have to fight another war.
While all this was going on, those who envy and hate us watched. From their point of view, we were a divided people without the resolve to even protect ourselves. While they were arming and training themselves, they had to be watching with glee while the bleeding hearts carrying some unfathomable guilt and hubris of self-righteousness, did their best to disarm us as individuals and as a nation.
They even made the mistake of believing that because all races and ethnic groups here are still uneasy in our homogeneity, that we could never be truly unified in a common cause as Americans.
They missed the signs of an increasing unease with being victimized by domestic criminals. They missed the signs that more and more states are permitting their decent citizens to arm themselves against these criminals.
They missed the signs that Americans are getting very tired of the pantywaists telling them how to raise their children.
They made the mistake of believing that a close election meant a divided nation.
They should have been paying more attention. They should have taken some lessons from history and seen that the United States of America is the most violent, bloodthirsty nation in the world.
They only saw that we are the most forgiving nation in the world. To mistake kindness and generosity -- especially to one's enemies -- for weakness is an error that will cost them more than they could have imagined.
Those who believe that we have no stomach for using nuclear weapons no matter the provocation should take a look at what happened to Japan in August, 1945. That was another group who swore they would never surrender to the American devils.
Over the last few days, I have given a lot of thought of how things came to this sorry pass. I have looked at our excesses and mistakes and every decision we have made where history proved us in error. I have also thought of all the nations and peoples and, yes, enemies we have helped and fostered and supported in our goal to allow everyone to enjoy the freedoms we have.
When you add it all up, America is way yonder on the plus side, the good side. We did nothing to deserve this attack and our enemies will find us terrible in our righteousness.
This will be one more fiery battle, even if it lasts for years, and when it is done, and our enemies are shown the fatal error of their miscalculation, America will be even stronger than before. We will also be freer than we have been for a long time.
Just as the American people will not let an enemy put us in chains or hamper our freedom, the government will see that it does not dare try to shove restrictions on our freedoms down our throats in the name of safety and security. The whole world is about to learn that Americans are free and will remain free from tyranny no matter what its source.
David F. Norman (gunnyragg)
:D :D :D
Like all of us over the last week, I have given a lot of thought to what America means to me. Maybe I can put this into words without offending anyone who matters.
America is a nation of warriors. We were born in blood and hardened in a thousand fiery battles. Over the years, we fought just about anyone who gave us reason and when we thought it was the thing to do we fought each other.
There have been times when we have done shameful things; there have been more times when we have reached for and achieved glory.
Once in a philosophical discussion in a bar in Africa, several other oilrig workers and myself were discussing who were the fightingest people in the world. One man closed the discussion when he said that of all the people he had known that as a group of people Americans would fight quicker than any other people in the world.
Over the last few decades, there have been those who tried to convince us that this bent toward violence was wrong, that we should be kinder, gentler, and not so quick to take offense. These people have tried to breed the warrior instinct out of us and for a while, it looked like it might work. They told us to stop spanking our kids; they told us to quit executing our violent criminals. They told us to be tolerant of our enemies and that rather than go to war, we should use diplomacy. They told us the United Nations would bring all people together and we would never have to fight another war.
While all this was going on, those who envy and hate us watched. From their point of view, we were a divided people without the resolve to even protect ourselves. While they were arming and training themselves, they had to be watching with glee while the bleeding hearts carrying some unfathomable guilt and hubris of self-righteousness, did their best to disarm us as individuals and as a nation.
They even made the mistake of believing that because all races and ethnic groups here are still uneasy in our homogeneity, that we could never be truly unified in a common cause as Americans.
They missed the signs of an increasing unease with being victimized by domestic criminals. They missed the signs that more and more states are permitting their decent citizens to arm themselves against these criminals.
They missed the signs that Americans are getting very tired of the pantywaists telling them how to raise their children.
They made the mistake of believing that a close election meant a divided nation.
They should have been paying more attention. They should have taken some lessons from history and seen that the United States of America is the most violent, bloodthirsty nation in the world.
They only saw that we are the most forgiving nation in the world. To mistake kindness and generosity -- especially to one's enemies -- for weakness is an error that will cost them more than they could have imagined.
Those who believe that we have no stomach for using nuclear weapons no matter the provocation should take a look at what happened to Japan in August, 1945. That was another group who swore they would never surrender to the American devils.
Over the last few days, I have given a lot of thought of how things came to this sorry pass. I have looked at our excesses and mistakes and every decision we have made where history proved us in error. I have also thought of all the nations and peoples and, yes, enemies we have helped and fostered and supported in our goal to allow everyone to enjoy the freedoms we have.
When you add it all up, America is way yonder on the plus side, the good side. We did nothing to deserve this attack and our enemies will find us terrible in our righteousness.
This will be one more fiery battle, even if it lasts for years, and when it is done, and our enemies are shown the fatal error of their miscalculation, America will be even stronger than before. We will also be freer than we have been for a long time.
Just as the American people will not let an enemy put us in chains or hamper our freedom, the government will see that it does not dare try to shove restrictions on our freedoms down our throats in the name of safety and security. The whole world is about to learn that Americans are free and will remain free from tyranny no matter what its source.
David F. Norman (gunnyragg)
:D :D :D