Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life

Crime & Punishment

I got to sleep in this morning, because Mrs. GF is still in Boston and I have to take Soccer Girl to school.  So when the alarm clock went off this morning, I had the opportunity to spend a little time listening to NPR, which I enjoyed.  There was the usual news, traffic, and weather stories while I showered, took the electric razor to the graying stubble on my chin, and as I got dressed, there was a story on gang-related crime in Virginia.

I will cut to the chase and tell you that the story itself was interesting, but what I found objectionable was the fact that some people (certainly not all) were actually of the opinion that since prison sentences for criminal gang members doesn’t prevent young people from joining gangs, criminal prosecution and incarceration isn’t the way gang crime should be combated.

This is what I wanted to talk about today.

I suppose that it won’t shock you to hear that I think that the sentiment expressed above is just so much piled up steaming horse**** on a cold Virginia morning.  While I am as much about crime prevention as anyone, I believe that when prevention fails, as it sometimes does, that prosecution after the fact is the next logical step.

I have never been able to get next to the notion that “building fewer prisons” is a solution to anything.  It seems to me that the “build fewer prisons” crowd is more about coddling the criminal class.

Yes, that is what I said… the criminal class.  You did realize that there is such a thing, didn’t you?  Those people who are wired towards wrongdoing… those that no matter what things you legalize, they will continue to break whatever other laws that there are, right?  Those people.  I call them the criminal class, because I think that is what they are, other people use a scientific name for them, they call them sociopaths.  Well, not matter what you call them, they are real.

So, what do you do about the criminal class?   For me the answer is simple:  When a person is convicted of a crime, they should be incarcerated for a long period.  Symbolic jail sentences and so-called country club jails should be things of the past.  I say that if you commit crimes, you should do hard time.  Why hard time?  Because, generally speaking, rehabilitation doesn’t work.

Jail might not fix the brokenness of the sociopath, but neither will trying to reason with him (or her).  Getting them away from the rest of society is about the best you can do.

Happy 235th Birthday Marines!!!

On November 10th, 1775, in Philadelphia... the city of Brotherly Love, Captain Samuel Nicholas was commissioned to recruit and organize America's first Marines.  Little did Captain Nicholas know that his name would live as long as American Marines continued to draw breath, from one age into another.

 

Captain Nicholas certainly couldn't know that 235 years later, his creation would be known as one of the most fearsome fighting force the the world has ever known. 

 

How could he have guessed that these rough and ready soldiers of the sea would be the stuff of fame and legendary exploits like the assault on Chapuletec castle, or the storming of Peleliu, or of the invasion of Inchon?

 

Nicholas surely, in his whole life, couldn't have imagined Marine tanks smashing the Iraqi Republican Guard at Kuwait International airport, or laying the smackdown on Taliban forces in Al-Anbar Province in Afghanistsn.

 

Since the inception of his Corps... Our Corps, United States Marines have been putting the boot to the ass of our enemies, but good.  We have done it in the tropics of the Pacific, the sands of the Middle East, the frozen moutains of the asian mainland, and in the equatorial heat of Africa... truly, in "every clime and place" like we sing in our hymn.

I am as proud of my service in the Corps today, as I was when I graduated from basic training, in 1981.

Happy Birthday Marines.

 
“Resolved, That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, two majors, and other officers, as usual in other regiments; that they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that particular care be taken that no persons be appointed to office, or enlisted into said battaions but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve with advantage by sea when required; that they be enlisted and commissioned to serve for and during the present War with Great Britain and the colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress; that they be distinguished by names of First and Second Battalions of American Marines, and that they be considered as part of the number which the Continental Army before Boston is ordered to consist of.”

 
(The Second Marine Division... My Division!)

Patriot Day

Here in the United States, September 11th is now known as Patriot Day. Patriot Day was instituted by President George W. Bush (and an act of Congress) in 2002 to memorialize the victims of the terrorist attacks that took place on this date the previous year.

Most people in this country refer to this day simply as "nine-eleven" or 9/11, and unfortunately, spend entirely too much time talking about the attacks that occurred on this day, nine years ago. Why do I say too much time?, because compared to the numbers of innocent deaths that were caused by the attacks, the United States has more than amply taken it's pound of flesh in retribution.

The attacks of September 11^th, 2001, instigated two wars in which nearly six thousand (and counting) American service men and women have been killed; wars in which hundreds, perhaps thousands of allied service men have been killed, wars in which uncounted thousands… even hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed, continuing to this day. Well, I don't know about you… but none of this makes me feel particularly patriotic.

I started thinking about how I should mark Patriot Day, because I don't think that there is any really good reason for waving the flag on a day that has no meaning other than a commemoration of the death of thousands of people, so I did what I normally do when I need to work things out… I wrote.

Being patriotic comes naturally to me… Love of country and service to the same run long and deep in my family, but to me, patriotism means more than jingoism, so I decided that not only would I not be doing any flag-waving, I would do what comes naturally when I think about doing what is good for my country. So I spent September eleventh like I spend most of my days: I spent money on things that were made in the United States, because spending our money at home is good for our economy; I spent the day with my family, because family is what we are… or should be what we are all about; I cheered for my daughter's soccer team as they pummeled another team in their season opener, because athleticism and competitiveness are good and healthy things; and I drove my American-made car, because I believe in buying American when I can.

Do you know what I didn't do on Patriot Day? I didn't support the liars, racists, and myth-makers that propagate stupidity by accusing the President of the United States of being a Muslim (or a socialist, or a foreigner). On Patriot Day, I didn't spend one single minute grousing about my taxes (which pay for our wars and for so many of the things that people in this country want and need). I didn't talk about our loss of freedom, because there has been no loss of freedom in this country since this President came to power… the loss of certain freedoms happened on the watch of the previous President (the one that founded Patriot Day. See the Patriot Act). Do you know what else I didn't do on Patriot Day? I didn't try to deny the right of any Americans to build a house of worship. Neither did I ram the cars of some of the other parents at my daughter's soccer game… those foreign-made cars which were sporting those stupid "Don't Tread on Me" stickers so popular with the Glenn Beck crowd. I didn't do any of those things, because I don't believe that those are things that a patriot should do.

The last thing that I did for Patriot Day was to pray. I prayed for my family, my friends and coworkers, and the victims… all of the victims of war, and other senseless violence, and I prayed for peace. I did this not only because prayer is a regular part of my daily life, and not only because praying for peace is a good thing, but because I have the freedom to practice my faith as I see fit, as long as it doesn't impinge on the rights of others to practice their own faith, or to not practice a faith of any sort. That too, is Patriotic.

 

Freedom Isn’t Free (not by a long shot!)

You have heard the term "Freedom Isn't Free", haven't you? If you have never heard it spoken, you are almost certain to have seen it on someone's t-shirt, book tote, or as a large sticker on someone's car or truck. Mrs. GF and I saw a car with one of those stickers on it today, while we were heading to Disney's Animal kingdom (Soccer Girl wanted to see some more animals… could I say no?)

Anyway it made me think, and it started an oft-repeated conversation between us. I'll shorten the conversation down to its most salient point, which for me is this: Those friggin' t-shirts, stickers, banners, and signs really piss me off. Do you know why they piss me off? Well, I'll tell you. That particular sentiment is a favorite of Republican/Conservative/Libertarian/Tea Party whack-jobs who chant "USA! USA!" out of one side of their faces while whining about the federal government and paying taxes out of the other.

Personally, I don't get it… how can we shout defiantly that "Freedom Isn't Free" while complaining about the costs? How can the anti-tax nimrods continually natter about President Obama's spending, while having been silent about the orgy of spending perpetrated by his predecessor? How can we say "Stay in Iraq/Afghanistan as long as it takes to finish the job" (that would be the job that Mr. Bush was never able to define), without counting the cost? Never mind the cost of lost lives and limbs… because the whack-job right doesn't care about our soldiers and Marines getting maimed or killed. After all, if they cared, they wouldn't be so effing happy to have sent those men and women to war for no good reasons in the first place... but I digress.

Look, wars cost money. Wars cost an unholy sum of money… numbers that the average person couldn't even being to visualize. The cost of ammunition; the cost of replacement parts; the cost of tanks, aircraft, and trucks… not to mention the gas/oil that it takes to fuel them, is beyond astronomical. The costs of equipping soldiers and Marines alone is staggering, to say nothing about the cost of equipping the sailors and airmen that are in the war zones.

Let's get away from wars for a moment, because our freedoms and our safety aren't just about the military are they? Of course they aren't. When you have a car is stolen or when your kids go missing, you don't call the 82^nd airborne division… you call the police. When you fall down the stairs in a household ambulance, you call your local EMS paramedics. When there is a house fire or a car fire, there are firefighters rushing to assist to you as best they can. That stuff costs money, too.

You know, the military, our intelligence services (who have secret budgets you and I will never know about), and our Police/Fire/EMS and other first responders aren't the only guarantors of our freedom. One of the other guarantors of our freedom is education. Because we all know that an educated citizenry is the first defense against tyranny, don't we? Well guess what, warriors? Public Education is the best way to make sure the largest possible number of people in our society is at least basically educated. That costs money, too.

You see, we all want things. We want fire protection, we want police and EMS services, we want a strong military, we want to be educated, we want air safety, we want safe roads, and we want government services that we feel that we need (and those services will vary depending on your age, health, income level, etc…). What Americans are really twisted up about is paying for the things that we want. Somehow, a significant proportion of the American populace has gotten into their heads, that they can have all of the things that they want, fight two wars at the same time, and cut taxes. That math doesn't work, warriors. It doesn't work at all.

No sir, freedom isn't free… and blood isn't the only price. As a matter of fact, blood is the cheapest price there is, because we have so much of it. Freedom isn't free, because freedom costs an awful lot of money. That money has to come from somewhere, warriors, and guess where that is? Yup, you got it! It is coming from your pockets. I know you don't like it, but there it is.

You want a new moon rocket/heavy launch vehicle? You have to pay for it.

You want a new class of submarines? You have to pay for it.

You want roads? You have to pay for them.    

Not enough firefighters in your town? Uh huh… pony up!

Personally, I don't like paying taxes for a lot of things that our money gets spent on. No sir, there are some things that I don't like one little bit, but I'll tell you what: you'll never hear me carping about paying taxes, because paying taxes pays for those roads that I mentioned, and the teachers and others that staff our schools, and to our police and fire services. The money that I… that we pay in taxes funds our awesome armed forces (you may have noticed that we haven't sent our folks to war with a few shotguns and muskets). Paying for those things is my duty as an American citizen, and good Americans are attentive to their duty.

So there you have it. Paying your taxes is paying for your freedom. Complaining about it only makes you seem like a spoiled child who doesn't want to take a bath, even though taking a bath is exactly what the child needs.

Now, can you people please shut up, quit your whining grow a scab and pay your share without cheating?

If You Mess with The Bull...

...You get the horns.

 

Unfortunately, after the bull gored this a**hole, the other matadors killed it.  Personally, I believe that since it is called bullfighting, instead of bullkilling, the bull should have been pardoned and allowed to live.  After all, he won the fight.

 

That'll learn ya to torture animals.

TattooStory (3)

If you have been reading me for a while, you know that I have tattoos.  You know the stories behind all four of them , as I have talked about them in several places on my blog over the past few years.  Well, last night, I was once again privileged to be tattooed by master tattoo artist, and seriously cool guy, Paul Roe, proprietor of British Ink Custom Tattoos, right here in Washington, DC.

As you know, most of my tattoo work is of a religious nature... what I like to call faith statements... and this new (5th) piece is no different.  This one is on the inside of my right forearm.  Have a look:

(Please to forgive the photography.  Mrs GF had to deal with a squirmy subject)

Totally Lutheran.  Totally badass!

 

I love this... it is a total faith statement and a total historical hat tip to someone that I truly admire.  If you aren't familiar with this emblem, it is probably because you are neither a Lutheran or a student of the history of the Christian faith.  In any event, I'll explain it to you:   You know who Martin Luther was, don't you?  he was that splendid German Augustinian Monk/Priest/Doctor of The Church who was responsible for starting The Reformation.  The emblem on my arm was Luther's personal seal, and has become the symbol of Lutherans worldwide. 

The text above the seal "Here I Stand" is a quote from Luther, from when he was made to appear before the German "Diet", and Charles the 5th, the Holy Roman Emperor.  Luther had been branded as a heretic by some, and was brought before the Diet, The Emperor, and the representative of the Pope in order to be questioned and forced to recant his teachings. 

Naturally, Martin Luther, being the total badass that he was, refused to recant and ended his appearance before the Emperor saying "Since acting against conscience is neither safe nor right, I cannot, and will not recant!  Here I stand. I can do no other.  God help me, Amen!"

Now... I don't have to give you a lesson on medieval european history to tell you that only a true tough guy could stand up to the Pope AND the Emperor.  I mean, people like that tend to end up being burned at the stake.

If I can be anywhere near as hard core in my faith as Luther, I'll be doing it right.

Anyway, here are a couple of other images of Luther's seal, to show you the evolution of my new tattoo:

Once again, kudos to Paul Roe.  I'm telling you, he is a fine artist and an engaging conversationalist, even while tattooing.  We talked about everything from guns to old testament scripture, to family and classic cars in the 90 minutes it took him to do this piece.  Paul and all of the artists at British Ink are top notch and shouldn't be missed if you or someone you care about wants good, high-quality, custom tattoo work (no, I'm not getting a discount on future work for writing this... it's just the truth).  

You can visit Paul's shop here! 

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Hawkins

On December 4th, 2009, I wrote a post called "Tasers & The Use of Force".  The impetus behind the post was a long-continuing discussion on another blog about the use of Tasers by police departments, particularly when a Taser shooting results in a death.

In the post, I discussed the laws regarding the use of force, Supreme Court decisions, definitions of deadly force, the difference between the terms "less-lethal" and "non-lethal", and other things relevant to the subject.  My hope was to add some input from a law enforcement perspective.  What is more, I wanted to provide a little education for folks who may not have a clear view on the subject.  I wanted to present this information as just that, information... information without emotion, which is the best way to teach on a sensitive subject like this.

As you might imagine, the post generated several comments.  Some of the comments were clearly written by people didn't read the whole post, who were rather voluble on the subject.  case in point, the following comment, by a certain Mr. Hawkins.  I didn't respond to it then, but I think I will now... just because I need to.  The commenter needs to read this.  I hope that he will.

"i want it to say if one person is killed by a taser it is one to many! cops and taser international contends it is safe--for who? the cops or the person who refuses to take comands from the police? tasers is a firearm! i do not see how a taser is a soft technique.
that is 50,000 volts going through a persons body when they use only 2,450 volts in a electric chair for executions! i think there needs to be more restraints on the use of deasdly force with tasers. you can't say that woops we killed one and it was not suppose to happen --sorry! it doesn't work that way. one death is one to many. what was life like before the taser? mmm..."

 

Dear Mr. Hawkins,

I agree that one accidental death is one too many... but accidental death happens all of the time through happenstance as well the mysterious "act of God" that we struggle to understand.  The fact that accidental deaths happen in law enforcement shouldn't be a shock, as it should be expected in an arena where weapons are regularly used.

As for Taser International's assertion that Tasers are safe, I would have to agree.  Please remember that "Safe" means lots of different things, but in this instance, Tasers ARE safe.  Safe for the users and relatively safe for the person it is used on.  Whether the person is a trainee, or a non-compliant subject is immaterial.

Tasers, sir, are NOT firearms, and cannot be classified as such since they don't meet in criteria listed in the definition of firearm, to wit: 

According to 18 USC (United States Code) Section 921, the following are included within the definition

-- any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be

converted to expel a projectile by the action of any explosive;

-- the frame or receiver of any weapon described above;

-- any firearm muffler or firearm silencer;

-- any destructive device, which includes:

(a) any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas

(1). Bomb;

(2). Grenade,

(3). Rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces,

(4). Missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter

ounce,

(5). Mine, or

(6). Similar device

(b) any weapon which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a projectile by

the action of an explosive or other propellant, and which has any barrel with a bore of

more than one-half inch in diameter

(c) any combination or parts either designed or intended for use in converting any

device into any destructive device described in the two immediately preceding examples,

and from which a destructive device may be readily assembled.

As for Tasers not being "soft" technique, I beg to differ.  Once again, I ask you to read the definition.  Soft Techniques are described as having "Minimal chance of injury eg; "come along" holds, Pressure points, electronic defense modules, chemical agents."   Tasers fit that description quite well, as most people who have this device used against them have no lasting effects.  I realize that you don't THINK that it is a soft technique, sir, but in this intance you are wrong.

OK, now let me address your comments about more restraints on deadly force with Tasers.... I don't know how much I can say here other than to repeat the fact that Tasers are not deadly force weapons.  Remember, deadly force is described as any use of force that is LIKELY to cause death or serious physical injury.  Tasers simply don't fill that niche.

Now, let's talk a little about your last statement... well, question, really.  You asked what life was like before the era of the Taser.  Well, here is my answer, and I hope you dig it.  Before the advent of Tasers, pepper spray, and other less-lethal weaponf, if an officer needed a weapon, he either had to use a baton or his sidearm to subdue a suspect.  I don't know how old you are, sir, but I'll tell you one thing, I know enough about weapons to know that I would rather be Tasered that struck, full power, with a steel baton.

Yes, steel batons.  You see, in pre-Taser America, if force requirements didn't warrant deadly force, your baton was it.  Do you think it was better or more humane to beat someone with a baton (which almost always causes broken bones)?  You do realize, of course, that probably more suspects have died as the result of being struck with batons than have died in Taser incidents... right?  You realize, of course, how often Tasers get used in America, right?  I am certain that in the next 36 to 48 hours, at least a hundred non-compliant or violent offenders will be Tasered across the country, and most of them will have no other effects beyond momentary pain and/or immobilization.

Look, being stunned with a Taser is unpleasant... it is designed to be unpleasant.  People who get Tased, in general, aren't just a bunch of people standing on the corner, peacebly minding their own business.  Sometimes unintended things happen, but that's just the way the world works.

Today in Confederate History (6)

Dude, really?  In April, 1865, things had gone as bad for the Confederacy as they could have.  Robert E. Lee had gotten badly mauled at Gettysburg, and was using his “Army of Northern Virginia” to defend Richmond.  Well, it was at this time that things went from bad to worse… I mean FOR REAL!

 

One of the keys to the defense of Richmond was an area called Five Forks, which is southwest of Petersburg.  This major road crossing was a vital escape route to the south in case Lee’s forces had to break out of the Richmond encirclement.

 

In command of the defenses of five forks was a dapper chap named George E. Pickett.  You’ve heard of him, haven’t you?  He is the person for whom the famed “Pickett’s Charge” at Gettysburg was named.  Well, Pickett, despite his fame, was a mediocre officer at best, who graduated dead last in the West Point Class of 1846.

 

Despite his poor showing at West Point, Pickett was sent to Mexico to serve the American Army and participated in the battle of Chapultepec, earning a bit of glory for himself.

 

Pickett was later posted to the Washington territory which is where he was when he shamefully forsook his oath to the United States, and resigned his commission to travel to Virginia to offer his services to the evil empire known as the Confederate States of America.

 

So on the first of April 1, 1865, Pickett’s troops were defending Five Forks and waiting to receive the Union attack, while Pickett himself was attending a fish-bake some two miles away from his unit of terrorist, freedom-hating, insurgents when the attack commenced.  The results were disastrous.  Pickett’s forces were routed… and I mean routed, by the valorous forces of dashing U.S. Cavalry commander Phillip H. Sheridan.  By the time Pickett finished his fish and got back to his unit, the battle was practically over.

 

The beating that Pickett took was so bad, and so important that on the following morning, Lee had to inform the Confederate bandit-in-chief, Jefferson Davis, that Richmond must be abandoned.

 

Pickett’s incompetence was so through that the defense of Richmond collapsed, leading Lee to retreat to Appomattox courthouse, where he surrendered to U.S. Grant, eight days later.

 

Look friends, let this be a reminder to you:  Never let someone who was a mediocre student be in charge of anything (are you listening Mr. Bush?, Mr. McCain?).

 

On a current note, it must be said that as I type this, I am only a half a mile away from a street named after that incompetent boob.

 

Today in Confederate History (5)

Welcome back, fellow history enthusiasts! Welcome back for another interesting item in the history of the war to crush the seditious, insurrectionist, traitorous, confederate scum. (is that explicit enough for you, Bob?)

Today, we are going to talk about what happened on Aril 15^th, 1862. You see on that date, and intrepid naval officer by the name of David Glasgow Farragut, led his West Gulf Blockading Squadron into the mouth of the Mississippi river. Farragut was about to engage in the naval portion of Winfield Scott's "Anaconda Plan" which was to split the Confederacy by seizing control of the Mississippi.

Farragut was successful in entering the river, and over the next few days, was able fight his way past two masonry forts Fort Jackson and Fort St. Phillip. The fight to pass the forts wasn't as easy as just sailing past, mind you; it took a few days of bombardment, and then a nighttime stealth maneuver. Once the traitors in the fort were whipped, Farragut's squadron proceeded to New Orleans.

When Farragut arrived at New Orleans he found parts of the city already burning, with some rebeltrash sympathizers burning American flags. The commodore was having none of this and sent a message into the city saying that the U.S. flag would be respected…. Or else! Soon after, General Benjamin Butler led a contingent of American infantry into the city, and raised the colors at city hall. New Orleans was once again an American city. Shortly after the fall of New Orleans, Natchez and Baton Rouge surrendered to Federal forces without a fight.

The rebels were in a bad place by this time… the one city that they had that could really put a strain on the Union's ability to make war was now back in the hands of the rightful owner, the United States of America. The rebs may not have known it at the time, but this was truly the beginning of the end for them… and rightly so. To drive home the point, the rebel bandits in Forts Jackson and St. Phillip were so demoralized they mutinied and abandoned the forts.

Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and "Insensitive Remarks"

Here it is, straight, with no chaser:  During the 2008 Presidential campaign, in a private conversation, Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada), said that the facts that Barack Obama is "light-skinned", and doesn't speak with a "negro" accent would help him in his bid for the Presidency.

 

In 2010, a book about that campaign is released, with Reid's statement in it and the nation goes berserk.  Reid goes into preemptive apology mode by saying that his remarks were "unfortunate" and "insensitive".  He also calls various black "leaders" to apologize...  the effing pundits start talking about Reid's reelection prospects, and idiot Republican leaders, including that dope Michael Steele, call for Reid's ouster as Senate Majority Leader.

 

Gunfighter says:  STOP!

 

Look, Harry Reid might be a crashing bore... and he might have all of the personality of cardboard, but that doesn't make him a racist. 

 

Harry Reid might be a lackluster Senator, and a disappointment to many (including me) as Majority Leader, but those things don't make him a racist, either. 

 

Having said all of that, it must also be said that Harry Reid might, indeed be a racist.... but, you wouldn't know that from this quote.   

 

What I can tell you with all of the certainty that I can muster, is that Harry Reid's recent comments described above, don't prove that he is a racist.  Indeed, his statement proves that despite the unpleasant things I just said about him, Harry Reid knows a little something about the American political process and the pulse of the American electorate.

 

His comments about Barack Obama's Presidential prospects were spot on... and if you don't believe me, please note that we are now talking about PRESIDENT Obama, not Senator-Obama-who-lost-in-his-plucky-"black-guy-goes-to-the-White-House"-bid.

 

Had Barack Obama spoken like he was an escapee from a Jay Z video, he would never have been elected, and you KNOW that I am telling the truth... and so was Reid.

 

Racism is bad, wrong, immoral, unethical, un-Christian, un-Muslim, and un-just-about-all-religions-that-come-to-mind.  Moreover, racism is un-American.  That's right, un-American. 

 

Racism is evil, but what Harry Reid said wasn't racist. 

 

I'l tell you what, though... throwing out this tidbit and others released in the book tells us something very important about our American-selves:  Racism sells.  It's popular.  It is a growth industry.  Have you any idea how much ad copy/air time is going to be sold because the newspapers and the talking heads are all talking about this non-story?  The publishers of this book (and the authors) must be in hog-heaven.  All because of something that Reid said, that wasn't particularly bad or wrong, that was taken out of context and made into a spectacle.

 

This reminds me of the whole Skip Gates-Sergeant Crowley incident.

 

It's time to quit.

 

Disperse.

 

Return to your homes and your lives.

 

Don't feed the beast.