So, Congressman DesJarlais will submit legislation allowing our military members to pack at recruiting stations and on military installations. Isn't that special.
Congressman Fleischmann and the rest of our Tennessee homies in the lower house of congress will follow along, as will Congressmen Corker and Alexander in the upper house. When do we see real solutions to these problems instead of feel good, circular knee-jerk responses that do nothing but kill trees and make elected officials stay limber patting themselves on the back? Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, a Democrat, commented over the weekend “everything he (President Obama) touches tends to turn to crap.” That comment could easily be extended to our elected congress and their appointed functionaries.
A solution?
GySgt. Thomas Sullivan and SSgt. David Wyatt, their pictures published here on the Chattanoogan.com. It doesn't take much of an internet search to locate pictures of Sgt. Carson Holmquist and LCpl. Skip Wells, except we have to ignore that boot camp picture of LCpl. Wells. Every one of us was scared half to death that day, often with a drill instructor behind the photographer making faces, knowing full well that if we broke attention our butts would be his, and at the very least we'd be doing calisthenics until he got tired. Compare these with 99.999 percent of Marines any of us knows. The glint in the eye, set of a jaw, turn of a mouth, the way they carry themselves in general, what do these tell us?
Bring it baby. Bring the best you have, as much as you have, and we'll take it in stride. We are the hunters, not the hunted.
There's a reason for the saying "There's no greater friend nor more formidable opponent than a United States Marine."
PO2 Randall Smith had it. I suppose with a few more clicks on the rack, perhaps a couple more turns on the thumbscrews, I would have to admit that most sailors, soldiers, airmen, and coasties have it, as do most cops. Some things never leave us and even if we think they have, they come back quickly. Riding a bicycle, those oh so smooth taikoocharoochi moves, significant personal events, memories, smoochin'… once they're embedded in our minds and muscles they really don't go completely away.
Take, for example, close order drill. A pace at quick time is 30 inches, no more and no less. It's exactly 30 inches. Forget about shooting pool for beers. I've known more than one young Marine who's staggered back to base after demonstrating the accuracy of a marching pace. I remember winning a home cooked dinner, with dessert, German chocolate cake, when a cute little blue eyed brunette doubted some paced off property measurements, and hope the statute of limitations has expired because it was here in Tennessee. A skill, once learned, doesn't go away.
I'm not sure about the other branches, but every Marine is required to qualify annually with his weapon. Staff NCOs and officers are required to additionally qualify with the TO sidearm, and this extends from combat infantrymen to Remington raiders in the admin offices. Combat MOS's have additional requirements. He must additionally be able to field strip his weapon, clean it, and reassemble it in the dark… male or female, it doesn't matter. When my son graduated from boot camp at Parris Island the range record was held by a young Marine from Greeneville, Tennessee… a girl. I know Air Force enlisted men who have better armories in their homes than some police departments.
The first step toward solving any problem is to identify and define it. This problem is twofold; gun free zones and military members who aren't allowed to be armed when the enemies of America, the greatest nation to ever grace the face of Planet Terra, have specifically, and publicly, targeted them and their families, including their children.
Now, fully understanding there are brave souls that gird their loins in spandex as they go off to do battle on a bicycle track somewhere, wearing one of those cute little helmets, and have never stared down the business end of a weapon held in the hand of a thug without his best interests at heart, who will tell us only fraidy cats reach for a weapon when armed thugs and other crazies are running the streets making threats toward those who cannot defend themselves. They're entitled to their dream worlds where evil doesn't exist, and if it rears its ugly head the government will protect them. However, in Realville there is evil, there are evil people, and government cannot protect us so it's incumbent upon each individual to be able to protect himself and his or her family.
There's the problem… the existence of evil and evil people in our world.
The solution is easy, a green ID card. I think they're still green.
We must also understand that most of our elected officials, even though they claim to be, are not leaders. True leaders would work, and inspire others, to develop a comprehensive solution similar to the following.
1. No military facility, including vehicles, will ever have personal weapons banned as they are now. Never. Ever. None.
2. That little green (active duty military) ID card automatically entitles the person to whom it's issued a lifetime, federal permit to carry any weapon of a class he or she is trained and qualified to fire. This would require appropriate entries in service records and additional weapons classes may be qualified for during off-duty periods with appropriate training requests.
3. All dependents aged 21 years and older would be entitled to enroll in weapons training for specific classes of firearms at no charge. The facilities and personnel are already in place. They might as well be utilized. The only requirement would be to provide his or her own weapon and ammunition. Weapons selection guidance would also be provided. We certainly don't want a 103 pound strawberry blonde packing a Desert Eagle to the range… and if she can handle it, I'm not messing with her. Successful completion of this course(s) would entitle the dependent to a lifetime, federal permit to carry for all weapons classes he or she is qualified to fire.
4. Qualification for, and possession of, a federal permit to carry specific weapons classes would automatically be recognized by the several states, all 50 of them, for active duty military and their dependents.
5. Personal weapons training obtained through private, civilian operated facilities may be obtained at the personal expense of the service member or dependent. This training would be considered equivalent to in-house military training and entitle the successful candidate all of the same privileges of weapon ownership as above, exclusive of military qualification.
(Now, a leader, a true leader would be able to inspire all 50 states to climb on board that train, wouldn't he, and without having to buy any state's loyalty. But neither can we leave out our veterans, those who've raised their right hand and sworn an oath to protect this great nation and all her citizens, and in so doing written and signed one of those blank checks due and payable upon need, with a value up to and including his or her own life, can we.)
6. All honorably discharged, retired military, whether for time in service or medical reasons, would be entitled to the same privileges as current active duty personnel.
7. Former active duty military, upon presentation of a form DD-214 and proof of personal weapons training within the previous five years would be eligible to purchase a federal permit to carry for a fee of $25 bi-annually or a lifetime permit for a fee of $250. Individual states may charge a fee not to exceed $15 annually or a lifetime fee of $300.
8. Immediate family members, spouse and children 21 years of age or older, of veterans covered under items 6 or 7 above would be entitled to the same privileges as the veteran with sponsorship by the veteran.
Leaders, true leaders, would think outside of the norms in searching for a solution. Wouldn't they.
These above aren't mine. I would have included some form of knife and bayonet skills, a minimum of six months training in some taikoocharoochi form, and successful demonstration of hand-to-hand combat skills for a lifetime permit. We can never become too dependent upon hardware for our personal safety.
But that's just me.
TechnoGeek hero and scientist extraordinaire Michael Faraday ended each of his lectures with the statement “You know very well that ice floats upon water. Why does the ice float? Think of that, and philosophize.”
A corollary to this might be, “We have elected officials who claim to be leaders. Are they? What have they achieved? To what heights do they inspire us to achieve? Cogitate upon that, and vote.”
Royce Burrage, Jr.
Royce@Officially Chapped.org