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Just to preface this post before I make a suggestion - I'm a pacifist in principle and abhor all violence - but I'm not an idiot, and I've had to defend myself and others from violent situations before.
That said; these people (adherents to any death-threatening cult) can only accomplish what they do because they have a collective mindset.
We need to get one too.
There wouldn't be nearly as much violence from any quarter, if the attacker(s) KNEW beyond any doubt that they wouldn't live to enjoy their folly.
Take the soldier who was stabbed, for instance. If the assailant knew that he would be attacked and killed the MOMENT he hurt another person; he wouldn't do it. We could put his death on You Tube as a deterrent to all others and repeat the exercise for as many times at it takes. The aggressors wouldn't have time for public beheadings, much less the time to enjoy them.
I don't care what the governments ban. Sticks and stones kill too, and most people nowadays have many good knives in their kitchens. Carry one.
I don't believe in an "eye-for-an-eye" (leaving the whole world blind) philosophy in principle, but when put to the test, I'm afraid I protected my kids. I'm not proud of what I did, but it was necessary, I believe. I simply wasn't prepared to let a bully rob my child of his life.
We need a collective mind, folks. We need to BE THERE IMMEDIATELY for each other.
"EVIL triumphs when 'good' men do nothing."
Shalom (please God),
Mahrie.
I dunno about that. As much as I also believe in that collective mindset, I don't see how that will deter a radical Islamist terrorist who hopes that his terrorist action *will* get him killed so that he can get into heaven.
I'm sorry, but I cannot stomach the several posts that drip and ooze pure hatred and malice in this thread. The level of ignorance here is both astounding and indescribably sad. I think it's time we had a look at the history of the 'west.' You want to sever the world in half and throw the (so-called) eastern half into 'The pit of Hell?'
Have you forgotten how well the *western* world has behaved over the past three thousand years?
We have the Ottoman Empire; the 800-year reign of the Roman Empire; the seventeen bloody Crusades; the unspeakable atrocities committed by the RCC (and no, I'm not anti-Catholic); the despicable tactics of the British Empire (and I'm Scots - born and bred); the slavery, brutality and murder of the Amerindians by the Spanish and Portuguese; the enslavement of black people by Americans; the genocide of the First Nations (American/Canadian 'Indians'); the Holocaust, and extermination of six million Jews.
We have Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and all other atrocities that we try to validate by calling it 'war.'
During the reign of the above-mentioned world powers, along with the RCC, and after that those involved in the protestant reformation, more than 60 million people were burned at the stake. Millions more were slaughtered by machetes and guns. Tens of millions more were purposely starved to death. Millions were imprisoned and tortured to death for their faith - all so-called faiths are guilty of this!
Face it - we're ALL a mess. The western world has behaved no better than our eastern brothers, and our eastern brothers, no better than those of us in the west.
I'm so tired of all this hatred! We have the power to make it cease, but we don't choose it. Whether we hail from east or west, we choose power, and greed, and cruelty, and oppression, and mankind has been doing this since the dawn of Creation. Thankfully, not *all* of mankind has chosen the 'dark side,' but, sadly, most of us have.
Love is the only thing that matters. Love is the only lasting thing in the Universe. Love is the only reason to get out of bed in the morning. Love is the only thing - period.
Yet, most of you choose hate.
For God's sake, stop it!
Mahrie.
I agree with just about everything you so eloquently posted here Mahrie. Thank you.
But I believe the hate expressed here is actually rooted in fear. Not so much simply the fear of people different from us...though admittedly there is some of that...but the fear of an organized group of people who hate us so bitterly and want us dead. All of us. No matter who or what we are. And the fear that there is no logical deterrent to their efforts to kill us because they believe their efforts will reap a reward beyond compare...eternity in heaven. And the fear that these killers have an enormous world population of moderate Muslims to hide behind. And the fear that these killers have money and are everywhere which makes them that much closer to reaching their goal of killing us. On our homeland...a place previously considered safe from such a universal threat.
I am not afraid but I am very concerned. I am very concerned because my logical brain tells me that this is serious and that many more people will die. I am not afraid because I know Who has saved me and where I am going. But not everyone has the benefit of that inner peace and thus their fears are natural.
Perhaps. But those around you carrying can react and hopefully save your life.
First off I doubt some stranger is going to intervene, second somehow the thought of a bunch of random people pulling out guns and shooting doesn't make me feel safer.
Concealed weapons most likely would not help in this case.
The terrorists would be looking for opportunities to kidnap someone who fit the profile, thus they would be scoping out places and people, waiting for the opportunity to make their move, like how a crime of opportunity occurs.
A person with a gun most likely would have no time to react due to the nature of the kidnapping, they would never see it coming; the surprise element would be essential for the kidnapping to take place.
But, could a gun assist? Yes, there is a possibility these guys would really suck at the surprise element, or screw it up, thus allowing that small moment someone needs to use their weapon for self defense. But I think these guys would have more training than the average Joe kidnapping some girl/boy for some devious reason.
I dunno about that. As much as I also believe in that collective mindset, I don't see how that will deter a radical Islamist terrorist who hopes that his terrorist action *will* get him killed so that he can get into heaven.
When one is willing to die to achieve martyrdom, then there is no rational recourse than to simply shoot first to prevent the terrorist act from hurting anyone else. The shoot first policy will send the terrorist on his "way" to heaven, and preserve the safety of those who don't wish to join him....
First off I doubt some stranger is going to intervene, second somehow the thought of a bunch of random people pulling out guns and shooting doesn't make me feel safer.
Sad that you have so little faith in your fellow man. Strangers help people all the time.
I am confident if you were the victim of such a crime and a stranger pulled his gun and saved your life you would be feeling not only much safer but overwhelmed with gratitude.
Sad that you have so little faith in your fellow man. Strangers help people all the time.
I am confident if you were the victim of such a crime and a stranger pulled his gun and saved your life you would be feeling not only much safer but overwhelmed with gratitude.
I agree. Think 'The Good Samaritan.' A member of a sect (that believed in The God of Abraham) not normally acknowledged nor spoken to by the Pharisees and Sadducees and such, helped a man who had been 'mugged' (in our vernacular) and took him to a place of refuge, paid for his medical care, and personal care, and risked his own life to help not only a stranger, but a stranger who wouldn't normally have acknowledged his existence.
I believe there's an intended lesson there - a good one. 'Love they neighbor as thyself.'
One doesn't have to be a Christian to see the merit in this philosophy, one only has to be human.
Sad that you have so little faith in your fellow man. Strangers help people all the time.
I am confident if you were the victim of such a crime and a stranger pulled his gun and saved your life you would be feeling not only much safer but overwhelmed with gratitude.
I have no doubt their intentions would be good, but IMO having random people who are not working together as a team (individuals who just happen to be there) innocent people are going to get shot accidentally. There was recently a thread here about some melee in a mall, and everyone started saying if they all had guns it would have been good...to me a bunch of scared untrained civilians shooting randomly is just as scary as the event that caused people to pull out their guns.
I have no doubt their intentions would be good, but IMO having random people who are not working together as a team (individuals who just happen to be there) innocent people are going to get shot accidentally. There was recently a thread here about some melee in a mall, and everyone started saying if they all had guns it would have been good...to me a bunch of scared untrained civilians shooting randomly is just as scary as the event that caused people to pull out their guns.
An understandable concern for someone unfamiliar with guns which I am assuming you are from your post.
I think (but am not 100% certain) that all states require a class in firearms handling or equivalent training to obtain a CCW permit. Thus your fear of "scared untrained civilians" "shooting randomly" is unfounded. Those of us trained in handling firearms do not shoot randomly.
Of course there are exceptions to every such statement but that's just life. We don't stop giving driver's licenses to all who qualify and pass the driver's test or put an end to all driving simply because there are a relative few individuals who are unable to use good judgement (drink and drive, text and drive, get distracted and drive, etc.) and end up killing people with their car.
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