Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Niceties and Dolts

I will get back to my frantic academic work soonest, but I thought I'd make a quick post first.

I've been fairly heavily involved on internet discussion boards since about 1998. I've been a moderator or admin on two large boards. I want to play nice with people, but some people...I guess I think that some people occasionally can't understand politely circuitous dialog. What's particularly irksome, is when disinformation is what the obtuse poster is passing along.

One of my least favorite pieces of "information" is the propaganda that if you, the righteous citizen or service member, ever have to kill another human being, you will be emotionally shattered. FOR EVAR. Rubbish. This nonsense is fairly akin to the idea that no-one can be trusted with dangerous weapons. It's just another attempt to convince dogs we're actually sheep, virtually powerless to defend ourselves, and doomed to eternal regret should that defense ever happen.

Hogwash. Often, what people believe will happen, is what happens. If you believe that protecting your family and getting to go to bed in one piece is a good result, and that no-one has the right to hurt you, a killing need not be devastating.

I am not saying that actions don't have consequences, and there could still be traumatic results ("How the hell do I get blood out of drapes?!"), but I don't think defensive violence necessitates severe emotional trauma. So, anyway, here's my recent post:

I'm sorry, sir, I cannot believe you.

I'm not trying to thump my chest any, and it certainly wasn't in a home defense situation, but this:
Quote:
Every shooter that downed a bad guy was devastated emotionally. Especially if the wound was fatal. You never get over it

Just doesn't ring true to me. I don't believe it a bit. Yeah, traumatic events can affect us, but I absolutely refuse to believe anyone "has" to be devastated for doing what needed to be done. This repeated assertion of yours, even more than the ridiculous suggestion to use birdshot (I have a friend who was shot point blank in the abdomen with birdshot, and walked to the doctor), leads me to ask that you either stop telling us about your fabulous life/work experiences, or email me some credentials.

John, with a stack of bodies to his credit this year...most days, don't even think about 'em...it's sad about the women and kids*, but the shooters shouldn't have hid behind their families.

*some details of this story are incorrect- for instance, the rocket (actually, two rockets) were fired at Tagab Fire Base, not Bagram 30 miles away, etc...


Quote:
My sympathies to those who haven't had enough of life's experiences to recognize that fact.

Could you get off the cross? The kids want the wood for a treehouse.

I mean, seriously. I'd like to believe almost everyone is well-intentioned here. But it's the intarwebs, so everyone's a SEEL Special Farces commando with 28 years of serving high-risk warrants from High Altitude, Low Opening flight vectars!!!!1111 So, if you have something worthwhile to say, say it, and don't get all hurt if everyone (or almost everyone) thinks their view is just as valid as the next anonymous guy.

8 comments:

The Lily said...

Did he/she sputter e-ndignantly?

It's galling that some people are so afraid to make decisions that they project their fears upon us. If they are incapable of handling that trauma then everyone else must be, too!

Oh, the line about the cross and tree house? I guffawed. Classic.

J.R.Shirley said...

Thanks. Shamelessly stolen from friend Tamara.

Habbs said...

I think society does more to traumatize and stigmatize the serviceman, cop, or private citizen who had to use lethal force.

I think about this issue whenever I hear some twit ask, "How can these guys from Iraq function in society after being trained to kill?"

They'll function just fine if they're treated with respect and compassion.

Tam said...

There's nothing wrong with killing, so long as the right people get killed.

Some people just refuse to internalize that concept, however.

J.R.Shirley said...

Exactly. I didn't enjoy killing anyone, but it was just business. I had no personal animosity towards them, and I'd like to believe they're doing the right thing as they see it, just as I was.

phlegmfatale said...

If someone threatened my dear ones, I'd dispatch them by any means at my disposal without batting an eye. I would hate the necessity of it, but I wouldn't feel guilty or lose sleep over protecting my own.

J.R.Shirley said...

Lilly, I've been kinda busy, but the last I checked, that poster had not replied. Oddly enough, I still have no bona fides/contacts to verify this individual's credentials, either. Puzzling...

HollyB said...

The line I heard, from my daughter, about someone else in the fam, was" I wish she'd just get off her cross, use the wood to build a bridge and get over it."


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