as Pogo said...

[cos]

From Tom Segev's foreword to The Other Israel:

Gabriel Stern, one of the more decent - though lesser known - journalists in the history of Israel journalism, once told me of a traumatic but formative experience that occurred during his military service. He was thirty-five at the time, having come to Israel from Germany a decade previously. He had

Comments

[benndragon]

I myself want to learn to use a pistol. Because you never know when such a skill becomes necessary. When confronted, I'd rather have the ability to disable with a couple of shots. Otherwise I might just pump bullets into a person until my gun ran out of ammo without even thinking, out of fear. Fear of violence can create violence, which is a lesson we gain from the tale of Stern. I believe the danger he felt was his own fear.

[xiphias]

A gun doesn't disable. It kills. Maybe it kills inefficiently and the target survives, but you can't consider a gun a tool to injure -- thinking that way will lead you to make wrong choices in how to use violence.

There are times that killing is necessary -- or, at least, less bad than all other available alternatives -- and it is for that reason that I learned to shoot. But I hope and pray that other options will always be available.

[lil_brown_bat]

A gun doesn't disable. It kills. Maybe it kills inefficiently and the target survives, but you can't consider a gun a tool to injure -- thinking that way will lead you to make wrong choices in how to use violence.

Word up. Don't ever set out to learn a weapons skill or fighting technique and start kidding yourself that you're just gonna disable your attacker. Stick with a more accurate statement that you will never, ever be able to achieve the level of skill that would allow you to control the outcome of a violent encounter to such an extent. It's an old cop saying, "Don't point it unless you mean to shoot it; don't shoot it unless you mean to kill."

[kahoki]

There is a similar story in the Audie Murphey autobiogrghy, To Hell and Back where he shots a closet mirror with his Thompson sub-machine gun when assaulting a farm house. One of his camrades remarked, "That's the first time I've ever seen a Texan beat himself to the draw"

[oscuridad]

Hmm. You seem to write about a lot of clever stuff that I want to learn about, so I added you. I think I met you once, at Johnny D's maybe? Or some other pub in Davis, it was a few years ago, on International Drink Guinness day or something? Heh. Anyways, don't feel like you have to add me back, I write a lot of mundanities that not all people would find interesting. That being said, looking forward to reading :)

[cos]

Thanks! How did you come across my posts?

I also vaguely think we've met. Vaguely in that I'm not sure who you are, but I your LJ name sounds familiar, and I think I should know who you are, and that if I did, I'd also remember when we met. If that makes any sense.

[oscuridad]

I think I've seen you comment in my friends journals, but we're both in howard_dean, and I remember you writing a lot about trying to get people to vote for him (yay!). I used to be neighbors with antimony and dphilli1 when they lived in Somerville, and, I was part of rigel's friends mob by association ;) Even if I am remembering how we met wrong, we still have a number of mutual friends.

[cos]

Oh! I think I remember who you are, and if so, I think I was at your apt once. And I borrowed a comic.