Time. Last post, I jokingly said 3 months as a very long time between posts. Yet here I am sitting down to write again nearly 6 months later. I never quite understand the way that time seems to be accelerating on me. A span that used to seem hugely long is now far too short for comfort. Days, weeks, months, and now even years are going by far quicker than I really want them to.
I am sitting in the kitchen of my grandmothers house where we have stayed for a week or two every summer as long as I have been alive. This is my 18th trip. Part of what I love about this place is its ability to make me relax despite whatever might be going on in the outside world. Age has corrupted that slightly, as I become privy to the adult disagreements that plague this family. Despite them though, we have always made do. The acceleration of time is hitting me again though. I have to leave on the 30th back home. That is one week from today, and I feel like I have no time. I want to do too much with the time I have, and know I won’t do enough of it.
When I was little, the two weeks we had here seemed like such a long time. There was time enough to do everything I wanted to twice, and all the time for the things I didn’t realize I wanted to do. Now I’ve been here 5 hours, and am already panicked that I’m running out of time. My father and grandmother have both told me that time never stops moving, nor does it ever stop speeding up. This frustrates me. While there are certainly bits of the future I want to hurry up and get here already, far more things don’t get the attention or time they deserve, because I’m running out of it.
I am entering my senior year of high school. One year from now, depending on how college plays out, I may either be in Basic Training before West Point, or preparing for wherever else I choose to go. Then it’s 4 lightning years of college education, and then I’m in the world. Quite frankly, that is terrifying. I don’t feel like a kid anymore, but I certainly don’t feel like an adult. 5 years is supposed to change that, but I don’t really know how well it will. I don’t have time anymore. It worries me that while the time I don’t have now means that I miss a few things I wanted to do, the time I don’t have in 5 years starts costing me dreams and bits of life. There doesn’t seem to be any stopping it. The funny thing is, I’m not sure I would.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Stopping Power
People among the gun community, law enforcement, military, and gun production companies tend to speak rather frequently of stopping power. It is almost the buzzword of modern self defense. They design or seek cartridges that will be most able to transfer a lot of energy to the target in a very short time. The two schools tend to be light and fast, and slow and heavy. While fast and heavy certainly exists, very few people are capable of using .50 BMGs effectively.
When I view stopping power, I don't focus on the cartridge. While a .45 will certainly be more likely to put a criminal out of commission than a .22lr, it will make no difference if you either have no gun to hand, or have not the willingness to use it. If I ever find myself in a position where I must defend my own life, I will pay attention to the stopping power of the particular gun I am using. It would be foolish to not be aware of the potential and usage of the piece in your hand. However, the stopping power of your prized .40 S&W or .357 is irrelevant in a situation of need if it's sitting safely in the safe at home. Additionally, even if you are carrying at the time, if you cannot make yourself use the piece at hand to save yourself, then you will die.
I prefaced this post several months ago, when Kaleb Eulls saved a busload of schoolchildren from an armed assailant. He did it empty-handed, without any loss of life. For the full story, head here: http://mississippistate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=983337 What Kaleb's story portrayed for me was one of a man who was willing to do the right thing at any cost. He could have sat back in his seat, said a prayer, and hoped that he survived the encounter. Instead, he deliberately put himself in the line of fire in an attempt to save everyone else. He was quoted as saying "She was pointing it back and forth at other people and the little kids that were sitting at the back. I just thought real quick and tried to grab her attention before she pointed the gun at anybody else. I wanted her to point it at me so she wouldn't point it at anybody else." People speak most often of 'self defense'. What Eulls did was not self defense. It was defense of everyone around him.
Kaleb had the mental fortitude and courage to put his own life on the line to save those around him. If he had not acted, odds are good that he would have survived the encounter. Others may not have. That kind of risk is too much to ask of most people. They would not be able to effect the necessary results, or couldn't move under the fear. Yet, without action, death or serious injury is a very likely outcome. In a defensive situation, you have to be willing to take the risks associated with intervention. These risks are extreme. If you fail, not only are you likely to die, but everyone else around is likely to follow. Therefore, the first priority in any defensive situation is conflict avoidance. There will be times when this is impossible, but when possible, avoid injury. This may happen one of several ways.
The first is to simply give the attacker what they want. People often forget this as an option in the heat of the moment, but a wallet is not worth a life, either yours or your attackers. Most muggers will also realize this, as armed robbery is a significantly lower offense than homicide. A method for this I have been told about suggests taking out your wallet (perhaps if you live in a particularly risky area, you should carry a spare 'fake' wallet for this purpose) and throwing it behind the assailant, then running like hell. Hopefully, they won't be interested in you once they've achieved their goal.
Failing avoidance, then intimidation can get you through. In most crimes halted by guns, not a single shot is fired. The presence of the ability to end a life is more than enough to carry the day most of the time. Draw the weapon, and let the assailant know full well that you will kill them if they try and hurt you or anyone. Let them run. After both these eventualities, it is important that the police be informed, on the chance that they may be able to help the matter, and apprehend the criminal. Apprehension should not be your priority however. Leave that to the police.
A third brief thing to consider is to make yourself appear to not be a worthwhile target. Being with other people, being confident, and avoiding traveling at night are all easy things to do for that.
There will regrettably be times when conflict avoidance is impossible. In cases of mentally unstable people who's goal is violence, or rape, there is no way to give them what they want without compromising yourself. In this case, the only option is to remove the threat. This has to be a last resort. Kaleb removed the threat with as little damage to all involved as possible. That becomes the new priority after all other options have been explored. Occasionally, it will be necessary to kill or be killed. In that situation, you must be the one left standing. Hope you never find yourself in that position.
It is not enough to just know what to do. There are people who train very hard on the practice of defensive firearms usage, but when the time comes to use that training, they cannot. They have not the willpower to make themselves take the necessary actions. There is the thing people should pay the most attention to. All preparations and contingencies are dependent on having the will to use them. It does no good to carry a handgun if you don't use it when you need it most. Have the will to use it. That will serve you more than any amount of training. Couple will with training, and you can make your life a much safer place.
P.S. Apologies for the long absence. The presence of 'School' kinda caught up with me. And just a note, this blog will probably not remain serious all the time. I will be posting random bits of life now, in theory. Or I might just forget. In which case, see you in 3 months.
When I view stopping power, I don't focus on the cartridge. While a .45 will certainly be more likely to put a criminal out of commission than a .22lr, it will make no difference if you either have no gun to hand, or have not the willingness to use it. If I ever find myself in a position where I must defend my own life, I will pay attention to the stopping power of the particular gun I am using. It would be foolish to not be aware of the potential and usage of the piece in your hand. However, the stopping power of your prized .40 S&W or .357 is irrelevant in a situation of need if it's sitting safely in the safe at home. Additionally, even if you are carrying at the time, if you cannot make yourself use the piece at hand to save yourself, then you will die.
I prefaced this post several months ago, when Kaleb Eulls saved a busload of schoolchildren from an armed assailant. He did it empty-handed, without any loss of life. For the full story, head here: http://mississippistate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=983337 What Kaleb's story portrayed for me was one of a man who was willing to do the right thing at any cost. He could have sat back in his seat, said a prayer, and hoped that he survived the encounter. Instead, he deliberately put himself in the line of fire in an attempt to save everyone else. He was quoted as saying "She was pointing it back and forth at other people and the little kids that were sitting at the back. I just thought real quick and tried to grab her attention before she pointed the gun at anybody else. I wanted her to point it at me so she wouldn't point it at anybody else." People speak most often of 'self defense'. What Eulls did was not self defense. It was defense of everyone around him.
Kaleb had the mental fortitude and courage to put his own life on the line to save those around him. If he had not acted, odds are good that he would have survived the encounter. Others may not have. That kind of risk is too much to ask of most people. They would not be able to effect the necessary results, or couldn't move under the fear. Yet, without action, death or serious injury is a very likely outcome. In a defensive situation, you have to be willing to take the risks associated with intervention. These risks are extreme. If you fail, not only are you likely to die, but everyone else around is likely to follow. Therefore, the first priority in any defensive situation is conflict avoidance. There will be times when this is impossible, but when possible, avoid injury. This may happen one of several ways.
The first is to simply give the attacker what they want. People often forget this as an option in the heat of the moment, but a wallet is not worth a life, either yours or your attackers. Most muggers will also realize this, as armed robbery is a significantly lower offense than homicide. A method for this I have been told about suggests taking out your wallet (perhaps if you live in a particularly risky area, you should carry a spare 'fake' wallet for this purpose) and throwing it behind the assailant, then running like hell. Hopefully, they won't be interested in you once they've achieved their goal.
Failing avoidance, then intimidation can get you through. In most crimes halted by guns, not a single shot is fired. The presence of the ability to end a life is more than enough to carry the day most of the time. Draw the weapon, and let the assailant know full well that you will kill them if they try and hurt you or anyone. Let them run. After both these eventualities, it is important that the police be informed, on the chance that they may be able to help the matter, and apprehend the criminal. Apprehension should not be your priority however. Leave that to the police.
A third brief thing to consider is to make yourself appear to not be a worthwhile target. Being with other people, being confident, and avoiding traveling at night are all easy things to do for that.
There will regrettably be times when conflict avoidance is impossible. In cases of mentally unstable people who's goal is violence, or rape, there is no way to give them what they want without compromising yourself. In this case, the only option is to remove the threat. This has to be a last resort. Kaleb removed the threat with as little damage to all involved as possible. That becomes the new priority after all other options have been explored. Occasionally, it will be necessary to kill or be killed. In that situation, you must be the one left standing. Hope you never find yourself in that position.
It is not enough to just know what to do. There are people who train very hard on the practice of defensive firearms usage, but when the time comes to use that training, they cannot. They have not the willpower to make themselves take the necessary actions. There is the thing people should pay the most attention to. All preparations and contingencies are dependent on having the will to use them. It does no good to carry a handgun if you don't use it when you need it most. Have the will to use it. That will serve you more than any amount of training. Couple will with training, and you can make your life a much safer place.
P.S. Apologies for the long absence. The presence of 'School' kinda caught up with me. And just a note, this blog will probably not remain serious all the time. I will be posting random bits of life now, in theory. Or I might just forget. In which case, see you in 3 months.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
An introduction....
I am occasionally reminded that there are people in the world who are willing to do the right thing at any cost. I don't have the time nor mental wherewithal right now to write a full post on this, but it's something i've been planning for a while, and this seems to be a wonderful introduction. Read and think. http://mississippistate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=983337
More to come.
More to come.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
A Brief Salute.....
To William Kostric, the peaceful protester in New Hampshire who openly carried a firearm to the town hall meeting, not for purposes of violence, but to provide a demonstration of our rights. "...the right of the people peaceably to assemble.... shall not be infringed," and "...the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed," both rights exercised by this man. Additionally, he consented to be interviewed on Hardball with Chris Matthews afterwards, and made calm, informed arguments about what he did, why he did it, and the current state of our country. The full interview can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XflE0RMiIiA
Thank you Mr. Kostric. You have done the people of this country a service. Continue the good fight in peace.
Thank you Mr. Kostric. You have done the people of this country a service. Continue the good fight in peace.
Monday, August 10, 2009
I wrote this piece, and have sent it to flag@whitehouse.gov. I think it speaks for itself. For those not familiar with the address above, it was created for individuals to report 'fishy' information on health care reform, gathered from individual sources. It is, in essence, a Snitch Line. Please read.
I would like to submit a report of a very dangerous and very influential source of misinformation on the current status of the Health Care Reform. This man has gone on public record stating that the new health care bill would not eliminate private insurance. However, on page 16 of the bill, sec. 102, subsection a1,
(1) LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in
11
this paragraph, the individual health insurance
12
issuer offering such coverage does not enroll
13
any individual in such coverage if the first ef-
14
fective date of coverage is on or after the first
15
day of Y1.
16
Many were doubtful of the true meaning of this statement, as it seemed to mean that if this bill were to be enacted, after Y1, no new individual insurance policies could be written. The editorial writers of the Investors Business Daily decided to fact check before publishing, and so went to the House Ways and Means Committee for verification of intent. They did indeed verify that that was the intent of that clause. However, Barack Hussein Obama and his staff have consistently denied that private, individual insurance would be made illegal. In a publicized speech on June 15, 2009, stated “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period.” This is simply not true. In the case of layoffs or other causes for a change in health care, you cannot keep your old plan. You must switch over to government service. I expect a full inquiry will be made into this dangerous misinformant.
This is a farcical piece. I wrote this piece for two reasons. First off, I wished to register a complaint against the new bill. It represents a serious invasion into the private lives of American citizens, in the name of helping the 15% of our population which is not insured. Both my parents are doctors, one a private concierge pediatrician and internist still trying to get his practice on it's feet, and the other a pediatrician at a reputable Chicagoland practice. Both the small practice and the large realize that this new bill would destroy them. Being in a family of doctors, I have come to know a great many. Not one of the people whose services are required by this legislation likes what it says. All of them, Republican and Democrat alike, are terrified that this bill will go through. They all realize what this will do.
My second reason was the very existance of this email adress. Classic science-fiction totalitarianism features the government urging the population to report suspicious or dissident behavior. Seeing such a policy actively in place is deeply disturbing. In the search for misinformation on Health Care, we need look no further than the chief proponent of the same. Yet he has much more credibility among the populace than people who, like myself and the Investors Business Daily, went to the source documentation for verification. As an American citizen, protected by the Constitution, I must ask that this address be permanently terminated. Amendment 4 of the Constitution guarantees the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. Setting up a direct line for reporting of suspected dissidence goes against that, as well as all the core values of America NOT listed in the constitution, and guaranteed to us by the 9th amendment. Thank you for your time in reading this, if indeed this ever reaches a human being. Your country is deeply divided on this issue.
Most sincerely,
The Scribbler,
Student at the Illinois Math and Science Academy, class of 2011
All views expressed above are my own, or belonging to those credited. I am not assosciated with any political group or organization. I wrote this of my own volition.
I welcome any and all comments.
I would like to submit a report of a very dangerous and very influential source of misinformation on the current status of the Health Care Reform. This man has gone on public record stating that the new health care bill would not eliminate private insurance. However, on page 16 of the bill, sec. 102, subsection a1,
(1) LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in
11
this paragraph, the individual health insurance
12
issuer offering such coverage does not enroll
13
any individual in such coverage if the first ef-
14
fective date of coverage is on or after the first
15
day of Y1.
16
Many were doubtful of the true meaning of this statement, as it seemed to mean that if this bill were to be enacted, after Y1, no new individual insurance policies could be written. The editorial writers of the Investors Business Daily decided to fact check before publishing, and so went to the House Ways and Means Committee for verification of intent. They did indeed verify that that was the intent of that clause. However, Barack Hussein Obama and his staff have consistently denied that private, individual insurance would be made illegal. In a publicized speech on June 15, 2009, stated “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period.” This is simply not true. In the case of layoffs or other causes for a change in health care, you cannot keep your old plan. You must switch over to government service. I expect a full inquiry will be made into this dangerous misinformant.
This is a farcical piece. I wrote this piece for two reasons. First off, I wished to register a complaint against the new bill. It represents a serious invasion into the private lives of American citizens, in the name of helping the 15% of our population which is not insured. Both my parents are doctors, one a private concierge pediatrician and internist still trying to get his practice on it's feet, and the other a pediatrician at a reputable Chicagoland practice. Both the small practice and the large realize that this new bill would destroy them. Being in a family of doctors, I have come to know a great many. Not one of the people whose services are required by this legislation likes what it says. All of them, Republican and Democrat alike, are terrified that this bill will go through. They all realize what this will do.
My second reason was the very existance of this email adress. Classic science-fiction totalitarianism features the government urging the population to report suspicious or dissident behavior. Seeing such a policy actively in place is deeply disturbing. In the search for misinformation on Health Care, we need look no further than the chief proponent of the same. Yet he has much more credibility among the populace than people who, like myself and the Investors Business Daily, went to the source documentation for verification. As an American citizen, protected by the Constitution, I must ask that this address be permanently terminated. Amendment 4 of the Constitution guarantees the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. Setting up a direct line for reporting of suspected dissidence goes against that, as well as all the core values of America NOT listed in the constitution, and guaranteed to us by the 9th amendment. Thank you for your time in reading this, if indeed this ever reaches a human being. Your country is deeply divided on this issue.
Most sincerely,
The Scribbler,
Student at the Illinois Math and Science Academy, class of 2011
All views expressed above are my own, or belonging to those credited. I am not assosciated with any political group or organization. I wrote this of my own volition.
I welcome any and all comments.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Meditations on this day
I know it's been a while since my last post. School work and social trauma of the sort to be expected in high school led to a brief hiatus, and I just didn't feel like writing anything new. The events of today led to some thoughts that I'd like to share briefly.
This day often brings out the best in out country. I served in a color guard at the Chicago History Museum, and did my best to give our flag the same respect that those who died for it gave it. The entire audience stood for the presentation, and gave a rousing round of applause to the veterans among our audience. The speeches were respectful, and there was a reading of the Declaration of Independance. All too often, people forget that that declaration is the reason not only for a day to hold barbecues and shoot fireworks, but for the very existence of this nation. On that note, it was also a condemnation. The signers knew that they were condemning this fledgling nation to years of war and hardship. The flag of our nation was paid for in the blood of our soldiers, and the tears of torn families. To show respect to the flag is to show respect to those who sacrificed to bring it, and the freedoms this nation guarantees are given by those who have given up their own. The flag is a piece of cloth. It stand for much more.
It was one of our unit's more successful presentations, and was received very well. Except by one man. This man came up to my scoutmaster (it's a boy scout color guard unit) and complained that we had asked the audience to join in the pledge to the flag we had carried. His complain was that it was a military flag, and he did not want to pledge allegiance to it. To me, this shows that this man has no respect for the military blood that was spilled to create that flag. The American Flag is the symbol of our nation, regardless of it's particular affiliation. And so, I would like to end with a few words to those who share this man's anti-military leanings. first. You don't have to support the war. Please support our troops. They gave you your barbecues and parades and fireworks. Second. That Flag is the symbol of our nation. Naturalized citizens must take the pledge. I daresay that those people understand this country better than you do. You are entitled to your opinion of our nation. But if you are unwilling to make that pledge, then you do not deserve US citizenship. Government constituent relations must go two ways. They can serve this nation best when the populace is loyal. Third. Enjoy the trappings of liberty today and every day. But always remember that that liberty is paid for in the blood of Americans. Respect them, and the ideals they died to protect.
This day often brings out the best in out country. I served in a color guard at the Chicago History Museum, and did my best to give our flag the same respect that those who died for it gave it. The entire audience stood for the presentation, and gave a rousing round of applause to the veterans among our audience. The speeches were respectful, and there was a reading of the Declaration of Independance. All too often, people forget that that declaration is the reason not only for a day to hold barbecues and shoot fireworks, but for the very existence of this nation. On that note, it was also a condemnation. The signers knew that they were condemning this fledgling nation to years of war and hardship. The flag of our nation was paid for in the blood of our soldiers, and the tears of torn families. To show respect to the flag is to show respect to those who sacrificed to bring it, and the freedoms this nation guarantees are given by those who have given up their own. The flag is a piece of cloth. It stand for much more.
It was one of our unit's more successful presentations, and was received very well. Except by one man. This man came up to my scoutmaster (it's a boy scout color guard unit) and complained that we had asked the audience to join in the pledge to the flag we had carried. His complain was that it was a military flag, and he did not want to pledge allegiance to it. To me, this shows that this man has no respect for the military blood that was spilled to create that flag. The American Flag is the symbol of our nation, regardless of it's particular affiliation. And so, I would like to end with a few words to those who share this man's anti-military leanings. first. You don't have to support the war. Please support our troops. They gave you your barbecues and parades and fireworks. Second. That Flag is the symbol of our nation. Naturalized citizens must take the pledge. I daresay that those people understand this country better than you do. You are entitled to your opinion of our nation. But if you are unwilling to make that pledge, then you do not deserve US citizenship. Government constituent relations must go two ways. They can serve this nation best when the populace is loyal. Third. Enjoy the trappings of liberty today and every day. But always remember that that liberty is paid for in the blood of Americans. Respect them, and the ideals they died to protect.
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