freedum
12th August 2005, 15:01
A right wing American Asshole posted a video of the US Marines attacking Falujah:
http://sites.godaddy.com/3rd_Bn_1st_Marine...lujah_Seige.wmv (http://sites.godaddy.com/3rd_Bn_1st_Marines_Fallujah_Seige.wmv)
along with this blog entry (http://www.bobparsons.com/):
"Some say it would only take one generation.
I’ve often read that there is a very special group of Americans. Without these individuals, it has been said that our entire way of life would disappear within one generation.
Who are these special people? They are those individuals that when danger presents itself, in the form of gun fire, burning buildings, threats of violence, and other disgusting and complicated situations, who instead of running away and protecting themselves -- do just the opposite. These people run toward the problem, place themselves in harm’s way and handle the situation. They are most appropriately called warriors. They could be members of the military, law enforcement, emergency services, etc. The list of these callings goes on and on.
I think it would take less than a year.
I personally disagree with the opening statement. I don’t think that, without warriors, our way of life would disappear within one generation. It would be much sooner than that. In fact, our way of life would be gone within a few months, certainly within one year. You see, I know something about this. I know it from first-hand experience.
The Baltimore Police Strike.
In 1974, the police department in Baltimore City went on strike. At that time, I was attending night classes at the University of Baltimore. At about 10 p.m., my then wife, Martha, picked me up from school, which was in downtown Baltimore, and we began the drive home. When I got into the car, Martha told me that the police department just went on strike. We learned the consequences of the walk-out about 10 minutes later.
We thought we took the safe way home.
To be safe as possible, we took a major thoroughfare home. The name of this key artery in and out of the city is Pulaski Highway. We drove past all the huge office buildings downtown, and the section of town that is known as Little Italy. A few minutes after we passed Little Italy, Martha stopped for a traffic light, and then it happened. The front windshield in our car exploded!
The explosion was deafening!
The loud noise, pressure and flying splinters of glass caught us completely by surprise. At first we thought we had been shot. It took us about 3 or 4 seconds to realize what actually happened, and the gravity of the situation. Someone had thrown a brick at our car and it hit the front windshield. Next to the huge hole in the windshield, we could see the clay marks from the brick. A quick check revealed that I was fine, but that Martha had something, possibly glass, in one of her eyes.
We were on our own.
The area from which the brick was thrown was pitch black. There were obviously people there, but we couldn’t see them. And given that the police were on strike, there was no one to come to our rescue. Also since the police were on strike, and we were, by necessity, going through a very tough neighborhood, we were the only car. The situation was not good.
Martha drove us to safety.
After we gathered our senses, my wife had the presence of mind to push the accelerator to the floor and we were out of there. We went straight home and didn’t stop at a single traffic light on the way back. Once home, Martha was able to rinse whatever it was out of her eye, and other than being shaken, she was fine.
There was wide spread burning, looting and gunfire!
Once home, we learned that as soon as the police department went on strike, the violence began. It was like letting a hungry monster out of its cage. There was widespread burning, looting, gunfire, muggings, rapes, you name it. All it took for this to happen was for the city to be without its warriors. Hospitals suddenly became overwhelmed. Emergency vehicles became reluctant to go into the worse parts of the city (keep in mind that during normal times no ones likes to go into these parts of the city -- and with the police being on strike, it became unthinkable).
I was prepared to kill to defend my family.
Those citizens who owned firearms, and who lived by and in the most troubled areas, immediately broke them out of storage and prepared for any eventuality. I owned a rifle. I loaded it and spent the night in my living room – prepared to do whatever it took to protect my family and my home. I knew from my recent experience as a combat Marine in Viet Nam that if it was necessary I would have no trouble pulling the trigger on the rifle, and using deadly force to protect all that was dear to me. Fortunately, other than my experience in the car, the violence that night did not touch my house. It did get close.
Order was restored by The National Guard.
The Maryland National Guard was immediately brought in the next day and order was, for the most part, restored. The strike was settled soon after.
A major lesson learned.
The lesson I learned was that the reason our society is able to exist is because of the warriors that enforce our rules and protect us against violence from others. The Baltimore Police Strike illustrated just what can happen when we are without our warriors that protect us from internal threats – it says nothing about the threats to our way of life that come from outside of our borders. Similar to domestic issues, these threats are also many.
The Universal Human Phobia.
Those very special people who choose occupations to be warriors encounter and must learn to deal with stresses and consequences that are unique to what they do. The most common phobia, one that affects 98% of us, is the phobia against human versus human violence. Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman (one of the world’s authorities on warrior science) has named this phobia the “Universal Human Phobia.”
Putting a phobia into perspective.
To put the Universal Human Phobia into perspective, consider what is the second most common phobia – snakes. Approximately 15% of our population has a phobia against snakes. To understand this, imagine a crowded room. Someone drops a bucket of snakes in the middle of the crowd. Many people would be afraid and back away from the snakes. But those with a snake phobia would have a message shoot directly from their eyes to their feet, bypassing their brains, to tear away from the “squirming, wriggling snakes,” and without conscious thought bolt towards the doors – some literally leaving a trail of body mass in their wake.
Not everyone can be a warrior.
A phobia is much more difficult to deal with than a fear. For those of us who choose to be warriors, the Universal Human Phobia can be overcome by training, and learning to deal with frightening situations. The phobia against human violence also, I expect, does not impact all of us to the same degree – just like snakes. I believe that this is why some of us can choose to be warriors and actually pull it off, and others simply don’t have the genetic make-up for this line of work.
“On Combat.”
I recently read the above information and illustration in Colonel Grossman’s new book, which is titled, “On Combat – The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace.” In my opinion, Colonel Grossman’s book is one of the finest works I’ve ever read – it reads like a novel. I found it almost impossible to put down.
Common things that affect all warriors.
For the first time, I was able to understand several things that I’ve had to deal with. For example, ever since Viet Nam and to this day, I have had a recurring nightmare. In my dream, I’m either in a firefight or about to go into combat, and either I cannot find ammunition, or, I have ammunition -- but when I shoot whoever I am up against, the bullets do nothing to them. They simply bounce off. According to Colonel Grossman, this type of dream is very common, and it is widely experienced by anyone who has been in combat, or is about to be in combat.
Colonel Grossman leaves no stone unturned.
In addition to the item I’ve mentioned here (i.e., recurring nightmares), Colonel Grossman talks about many other things that affect men and women in combat situations. He seems to leave no stone unturned.
I cannot recommend “On Combat” enough.
I strongly recommend Colonel Grossman’s book “On Combat” for anyone who is engaged, or is thinking about being engaged, in a warrior-oriented occupation. In fact, it’s a great read for anyone.
Here's how to purchase Colonel Grossman's book. I'm including the link here because for reasons unknown to me it's listed as being written by Gavin DeBecker. Mr. Becker wrote the Forward. The link provided is only for your convenience, and so you can see how it's presented. I make absolutely no commission or get any fee for your purchase.
Here's the link: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0964920514/
We could not exist without them.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks and sincere appreciation to all the wonderful and courageous men and women of our society who upon hearing gunfire and being terrified, instead of running away, run toward it and take care of business. Whether they are in the military, law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency services, there is one thing I definitely know for certain – our society and way of life could not exist without them.
A video tribute by The “Thundering Third.”
Here is a link to a video taken by Marine correspondents of the action by India Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines – the “Raiders” of the Thundering Third --during the battle for Fallujah, Iraq. The video contains some graphic language and actual combat operations. If you are un-nerved by this sort of thing, I recommend against watching the video. I apologize in advance that the link is in WMV format only. Finally, a few more caveats. The video is accompanied by a rather effective musical sound track. During combat, there is no music. Actual combat is much more brutal and debilitating than the video would have the viewer believe.
http://sites.godaddy.com/3rd_Bn_1st_Marine...lujah_Seige.wmv (http://sites.godaddy.com/3rd_Bn_1st_Marines_Fallujah_Seige.wmv)"
http://sites.godaddy.com/3rd_Bn_1st_Marine...lujah_Seige.wmv (http://sites.godaddy.com/3rd_Bn_1st_Marines_Fallujah_Seige.wmv)
along with this blog entry (http://www.bobparsons.com/):
"Some say it would only take one generation.
I’ve often read that there is a very special group of Americans. Without these individuals, it has been said that our entire way of life would disappear within one generation.
Who are these special people? They are those individuals that when danger presents itself, in the form of gun fire, burning buildings, threats of violence, and other disgusting and complicated situations, who instead of running away and protecting themselves -- do just the opposite. These people run toward the problem, place themselves in harm’s way and handle the situation. They are most appropriately called warriors. They could be members of the military, law enforcement, emergency services, etc. The list of these callings goes on and on.
I think it would take less than a year.
I personally disagree with the opening statement. I don’t think that, without warriors, our way of life would disappear within one generation. It would be much sooner than that. In fact, our way of life would be gone within a few months, certainly within one year. You see, I know something about this. I know it from first-hand experience.
The Baltimore Police Strike.
In 1974, the police department in Baltimore City went on strike. At that time, I was attending night classes at the University of Baltimore. At about 10 p.m., my then wife, Martha, picked me up from school, which was in downtown Baltimore, and we began the drive home. When I got into the car, Martha told me that the police department just went on strike. We learned the consequences of the walk-out about 10 minutes later.
We thought we took the safe way home.
To be safe as possible, we took a major thoroughfare home. The name of this key artery in and out of the city is Pulaski Highway. We drove past all the huge office buildings downtown, and the section of town that is known as Little Italy. A few minutes after we passed Little Italy, Martha stopped for a traffic light, and then it happened. The front windshield in our car exploded!
The explosion was deafening!
The loud noise, pressure and flying splinters of glass caught us completely by surprise. At first we thought we had been shot. It took us about 3 or 4 seconds to realize what actually happened, and the gravity of the situation. Someone had thrown a brick at our car and it hit the front windshield. Next to the huge hole in the windshield, we could see the clay marks from the brick. A quick check revealed that I was fine, but that Martha had something, possibly glass, in one of her eyes.
We were on our own.
The area from which the brick was thrown was pitch black. There were obviously people there, but we couldn’t see them. And given that the police were on strike, there was no one to come to our rescue. Also since the police were on strike, and we were, by necessity, going through a very tough neighborhood, we were the only car. The situation was not good.
Martha drove us to safety.
After we gathered our senses, my wife had the presence of mind to push the accelerator to the floor and we were out of there. We went straight home and didn’t stop at a single traffic light on the way back. Once home, Martha was able to rinse whatever it was out of her eye, and other than being shaken, she was fine.
There was wide spread burning, looting and gunfire!
Once home, we learned that as soon as the police department went on strike, the violence began. It was like letting a hungry monster out of its cage. There was widespread burning, looting, gunfire, muggings, rapes, you name it. All it took for this to happen was for the city to be without its warriors. Hospitals suddenly became overwhelmed. Emergency vehicles became reluctant to go into the worse parts of the city (keep in mind that during normal times no ones likes to go into these parts of the city -- and with the police being on strike, it became unthinkable).
I was prepared to kill to defend my family.
Those citizens who owned firearms, and who lived by and in the most troubled areas, immediately broke them out of storage and prepared for any eventuality. I owned a rifle. I loaded it and spent the night in my living room – prepared to do whatever it took to protect my family and my home. I knew from my recent experience as a combat Marine in Viet Nam that if it was necessary I would have no trouble pulling the trigger on the rifle, and using deadly force to protect all that was dear to me. Fortunately, other than my experience in the car, the violence that night did not touch my house. It did get close.
Order was restored by The National Guard.
The Maryland National Guard was immediately brought in the next day and order was, for the most part, restored. The strike was settled soon after.
A major lesson learned.
The lesson I learned was that the reason our society is able to exist is because of the warriors that enforce our rules and protect us against violence from others. The Baltimore Police Strike illustrated just what can happen when we are without our warriors that protect us from internal threats – it says nothing about the threats to our way of life that come from outside of our borders. Similar to domestic issues, these threats are also many.
The Universal Human Phobia.
Those very special people who choose occupations to be warriors encounter and must learn to deal with stresses and consequences that are unique to what they do. The most common phobia, one that affects 98% of us, is the phobia against human versus human violence. Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman (one of the world’s authorities on warrior science) has named this phobia the “Universal Human Phobia.”
Putting a phobia into perspective.
To put the Universal Human Phobia into perspective, consider what is the second most common phobia – snakes. Approximately 15% of our population has a phobia against snakes. To understand this, imagine a crowded room. Someone drops a bucket of snakes in the middle of the crowd. Many people would be afraid and back away from the snakes. But those with a snake phobia would have a message shoot directly from their eyes to their feet, bypassing their brains, to tear away from the “squirming, wriggling snakes,” and without conscious thought bolt towards the doors – some literally leaving a trail of body mass in their wake.
Not everyone can be a warrior.
A phobia is much more difficult to deal with than a fear. For those of us who choose to be warriors, the Universal Human Phobia can be overcome by training, and learning to deal with frightening situations. The phobia against human violence also, I expect, does not impact all of us to the same degree – just like snakes. I believe that this is why some of us can choose to be warriors and actually pull it off, and others simply don’t have the genetic make-up for this line of work.
“On Combat.”
I recently read the above information and illustration in Colonel Grossman’s new book, which is titled, “On Combat – The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace.” In my opinion, Colonel Grossman’s book is one of the finest works I’ve ever read – it reads like a novel. I found it almost impossible to put down.
Common things that affect all warriors.
For the first time, I was able to understand several things that I’ve had to deal with. For example, ever since Viet Nam and to this day, I have had a recurring nightmare. In my dream, I’m either in a firefight or about to go into combat, and either I cannot find ammunition, or, I have ammunition -- but when I shoot whoever I am up against, the bullets do nothing to them. They simply bounce off. According to Colonel Grossman, this type of dream is very common, and it is widely experienced by anyone who has been in combat, or is about to be in combat.
Colonel Grossman leaves no stone unturned.
In addition to the item I’ve mentioned here (i.e., recurring nightmares), Colonel Grossman talks about many other things that affect men and women in combat situations. He seems to leave no stone unturned.
I cannot recommend “On Combat” enough.
I strongly recommend Colonel Grossman’s book “On Combat” for anyone who is engaged, or is thinking about being engaged, in a warrior-oriented occupation. In fact, it’s a great read for anyone.
Here's how to purchase Colonel Grossman's book. I'm including the link here because for reasons unknown to me it's listed as being written by Gavin DeBecker. Mr. Becker wrote the Forward. The link provided is only for your convenience, and so you can see how it's presented. I make absolutely no commission or get any fee for your purchase.
Here's the link: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0964920514/
We could not exist without them.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks and sincere appreciation to all the wonderful and courageous men and women of our society who upon hearing gunfire and being terrified, instead of running away, run toward it and take care of business. Whether they are in the military, law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency services, there is one thing I definitely know for certain – our society and way of life could not exist without them.
A video tribute by The “Thundering Third.”
Here is a link to a video taken by Marine correspondents of the action by India Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines – the “Raiders” of the Thundering Third --during the battle for Fallujah, Iraq. The video contains some graphic language and actual combat operations. If you are un-nerved by this sort of thing, I recommend against watching the video. I apologize in advance that the link is in WMV format only. Finally, a few more caveats. The video is accompanied by a rather effective musical sound track. During combat, there is no music. Actual combat is much more brutal and debilitating than the video would have the viewer believe.
http://sites.godaddy.com/3rd_Bn_1st_Marine...lujah_Seige.wmv (http://sites.godaddy.com/3rd_Bn_1st_Marines_Fallujah_Seige.wmv)"