The Obstacle of an Armed Citizenry

[Tombstone]

I was reading an American Rifleman Magazine last night.
I thought this was an important tidbit. (August 2002 Issue.)


"It seems that in 1960, 15 years after the end of World War II, Robert Menard,
then a commander aboard the USS Constellation, took part in a meeting between U.S. Navy personnel and members of the Japanese Defense Forces. Most of the attendees at the meeting were World War II veterans.

One American took the opportunity to inquire why, after Pearl Harbor -- with the U.S. Pacific Fleet crippled and the mainland defenses in what must have been obvious disarray -- the Japanese had not simply invaded the U.S. West Coast.

Menard recalled the response of the Japanese commander: "You are right," he conceded. "We did indeed know much about your preparedness. We knew that probably every second home in your country contained firearms. We knew that your country actually had state championships for private citizens shooting military
rifles. We were not fools to set foot in such quicksand."

[Bill Sikes]

Originally Posted by Tombstone

I was reading an American Rifleman Magazine last night.
I thought this was an important tidbit. (August 2002 Issue.)

You read back issues of that sort of publication? Wow.

Originally Posted by Tombstone

(why after Pearl Harbor) -- with the U.S. Pacific Fleet crippled and the mainland defenses in what must have been obvious disarray -- the Japanese had not simply invaded the U.S. West Coast.

Menard recalled the response of the Japanese commander: "You are right," he conceded. "We did indeed know much about your preparedness. We knew that probably every second home in your country contained firearms. We knew that your country actually had state championships for private citizens shooting military
rifles. We were not fools to set foot in such quicksand."

This sounds like a UL to me - invading armies aren't normally dissuaded by
being shot at.

[Tombstone]

Originally Posted by Bill Sikes

You read back issues of that sort of publication? Wow.

Have you ever picked up and read this magazine? It's a great read. Lots of historical stories, heritage pieces, guns, reviews, legislation alerts, competitions, classes, etc. I'm looking at purchasing an M1A or Mini-14. They had several reviews of this rifle in either this edition - or the month before or after. (I don't have the magazines with me now - so I can't check.)

This sounds like a UL to me - invading armies aren't normally dissuaded by
being shot at.

Maybe on the story. But the Russian back-off was documented recently - The reason: Well armed Americans.

Look what a relatively small number of Afghanis did to the vaunted Russian Army during the 1980's.

I've said this before, I wouldn't want to go up against 95% of the men and women who own rifles and live in the ~46 pro-gun states. Many have a military background, most are peace-loving patriots, and a large majority can outshoot the vast majority of your normal conscripts.

[Xxena]

The NRA tends to **** me off to no end most of the time, BUT, their publications have some excellent articles and good info most of the time. And like or not the comment from that Japanese man echos of it are heard all the time from career criminals in prisons across the USA when asked how they choose people to victimize.. Most cite time and time again that if they know someone or a household is armed they avoid it and go onto the next victim. Obviously the taking heads of Kennesaw GA knew what they were doing when they passed their armed household law.. and the fact that to this day they have lowest crime in the nation.

[Tombstone]

Originally Posted by Xxena

The NRA tends to **** me off to no end most of the time, BUT, their publications have some excellent articles and good info most of the time. And like or not the comment from that Japanese man echos of it are heard all the time from career criminals in prisons across the USA when asked how they choose people to victimize.. Most cite time and time again that if they know someone or a household is armed they avoid it and go onto the next victim. Obviously the taking heads of Kennesaw GA knew what they were doing when they passed their armed household law.. and the fact that to this day they have lowest crime in the nation.

Yes, this interesting anecdote has consistently given the same results: A more polite and safer society. (Much to the chagrin of the gun grabbing lobby.)

[Accountable]

Yaaaaaaaaaay

Freedom!

[MicahLorain]

In my neighborhood everyone is armed too. With unregistered weapons that are used to kill people and wound or threaten whatever businesses are left. 74 homicides this year alone in my town. 90% in the urban core. Armed suburbanites and rural residents have nothing to fear. Of course there is low crime. How do we handle the surging street violence involving guns in low income minority areas? One single example: 16 year old boy leaving the Lil Bow Wow concert. He waves at a passing car and is shot in the head. His mother shot in the shoulder and his 14 year old cousin is killed when the car crashes. 16 year old has part of his brain removed. In a coma and unlikely to recover. Assailants found and in possession of stolen gun. Yaaaay!! FREEDOM!

Originally Posted by MicahLorain

In my neighborhood everyone is armed too. With unregistered weapons that are used to kill people and wound or threaten whatever businesses are left. 74 homicides this year alone in my town. 90% in the urban core. Armed suburbanites and rural residents have nothing to fear. Of course there is low crime. How do we handle the surging street violence involving guns in low income minority areas? One single example: 16 year old boy leaving the Lil Bow Wow concert. He waves at a passing car and is shot in the head. His mother shot in the shoulder and his 14 year old cousin is killed when the car crashes. 16 year old has part of his brain removed. In a coma and unlikely to recover. Assailants found and in possession of stolen gun. Yaaaay!! FREEDOM!

Draw a conclusion, not off a single example please. State something please, your use of sarcasm is confusing if it is sarcasm?

Of the 74 homicides how many involve the use of guns?, then again how many invlove the use of unregistered guns? Or guns not used by their owners? Were any of the homicides a criminal in the act of criminal activity?

Lets see the numbers. It would be helpful to list the county for us.

Now this time im not purposefully trying to aggrivate you, I'm willing to listen to your points. Just make one.

[Xxena]

Our business is located in what is now called the Bario of Chicago... its obviously a low income Hispanic area but its also the most violent and well known gang territory as well - our business/our employees are the ONLY white people for MILES around !! Its nothing to have the crack whores lined up outside our parking lot gate at 6AM trying to get a trick off an employee for a quick fix.. my husband has been sweeping up the discarded hypo needles and crack viles for months now and depositing them in a huge glass container to send to our dear Mayor Daley to let him know just how well his "war on drugs and gangs" is going in the "real inner city" and what a great job Chicago's finest do in that area (NOT)... gun fire .. its a daily ritual down by our business as are the gang bangers on the corner openly armed to the teeth and trying to sell everything from guns to drugs , stolen property, pittbull pups, and the list goes on and on.
The East side of our building is riddled with bullet holes from the daily and weekly shoot outs... luckily its 3 ply brick before the 2 layeres of old walls from previous owners and then the new plywood and walls we've put on top of those..

Couple weeks back one of the workers came to tell my husband about the cool
shootout going on out back.. husband goes out there to see what the hell is going on and 4 of our guys are sitting on the benches out there for them for breaks and lunch in nice weather watching 2 gangs shoot it out across the street from our lot... LITERALLY shoot it out... noon, broad daylight, cars going by on the main street which is main road from the Lake front thorugh all of Chicago and out to the suburbs... cars, city buses, delivery trucks, city cops all driving by within yards of this shoot out going on between the members of these 2 gangs... No one calls the cops.. dosen't matter they don't show up anyway... people are walking around the area so they don't get hit by stray bullets.. and my moronic
employees are watching this like its TV or something... Nerds !

What does one do ... who the hell knows.. all the talk about the WAR on Drugs,
The War on Gangs, The WAr on Crime etc etc is nothing more than feel good babble on the part of politicans to get elected. Try and DO anything and you have the ACLU and every other radical group down your throat for "discrimination".. so you tell us. We alll know its NOT the guns and its not the law abiding owners... but no one wants to put the abusers into jail and throw away the keys in fear of being labled racists..

So what do we do ???? Personally I'd let them shoot each other until they were all gone and then the problem would be solved

Unfortunately there is the problem of innocent people in the middle, the working poor... and they are always caught in the middle and its not fair to them and I do agree. But if no one listens to us the citizens and really does something other than a lot of TALK to shut people up and then move on to the next election campaign, what do the law abiding do without being labled vigilantes ?

[Tombstone]

Maybe someday you can get out of there.