Derek Zeanah
New member
I get upset sometimes, and I tend to get long-winded. Drafted this reply in another forum, and wanted to know if it makes my point well.
Feel like I'm not as objective as I could be here...
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
Wow. I've been here all of 2 minutes and I've already found something I need to respond to.
>You all make our country dangerous. YOU ARE DANGEROUS!!
>You are nothing but a bunch of rednecks with guns.
If I didn't know better I'd think you are basing your worldview on Walker, Texas Ranger episodes. <g> I live in the South, but I'm far from being a redneck (or liking the music).
>Here's news...You are the MINORITY in this cointry now.
>Most of us live in cities,
Correct for spelling and this is probably true, unfortunately.
>can read and write
Actually, I've got a BA in history and scored 98th percentile on the LSAT; my wife is two years away from her MD (which means five years away from a real income, unfortunately). I've been self employed as a professional photographer in the past, though now I'm looking for a computer-support job (I'm an MCSE too) in a new city (we're closing on our second house in two days).
Not quite illiterate.
>and we don't need you or your guns and we are going
>to out vote you.
Actually, I think you do. If you really believed this then you would be lobbying to have police disarmed -- after all, they're less educated than your average gun owner (look it up -- Lott's book has the numbers, and you can make a "common sense" argument that goes something like "why else would someone put up with that level of bureaucratic BS *and* get shot at for *only* $7.20 per hour?"), and are something like 11 times *more* likely to shoot an innocent person by mistake than an armed citizen (check the DOJ statistics).
>Pretty soon you will not be allowed on the street with
>those pick up trucks or SUV's
Nice try -- I drive a diesel powered VW that gets 53 MPG. Your point?
>and we already stopped your cigarette's
Have never smoked, and won't eat in a restaurant without a no-smoking section.
>and soon we will stop those guns and I think we ought to
>ban cowboy boots too because you all think that you are
>some kind of John Wayne when you wear them.
Go back and look at your post again. You're saying that *I'm* bigoted?
>God. To think you people actually have guns is frightening
>but you won't be frightening for long. You will soon be >outlawed and It can't happen too soon for me. We will
>have a special prison for all of you nut cases. I think
>we'll fence Oklahoma and put all of you in there and
>let you kill each other off. HA! Good Riddance if you
>ask me. You are nothing but redneck , trailer park trash
>anyway and no one will even miss you.
Re-read your post again, and try and read the following comments objectively (not that I actually expect a response here):
People like you scare me, and I'm afraid that you *are* in danger of becoming a majority in this country. You're scared, but you don't understand what's scaring you or why. The world is (and has always been) a scary place, and you're doing your part to try and make it more friendly. But you don't have the sense to see the consequences of your actions.
It sounds like you're willing to give up most or all of your personal freedoms (for purposes of this discussion this includes everything listed in the Bill of Rights, plus personal privacy) for the promise of less fear in the future, *and you're willing to take my rights as well!*
I believe we live in the greatest country on earth (and I've lived in Germany and Brasil also, so I have some idea what I'm talking about here). I believe the Constitution is the reason why we're so well off, and I was pleased to pledge my life in the defense of this document ("against all enemies, foreign and domestic...").
You're scared of me for reasons that you can't voice or comprehend. It may be that the concept of freedom itself scares you, and that's OK -- the idea that a man is totally responsible for his own success or failure in life is a terrifying concept to some, and many (most?) are more comfortable with the title of "serf" or "subject" than they are with the title of "free man." Serfs don't have any real freedoms, but they know that the nobility is obligated to keep them fed and provide for their defense (as they are never trusted with arms.)
You're scared of me because I'm not like you. You're scared because I am *free*, and because I demand that those freedoms remain protected. I'm smart, educated, unimpressed with current political trends, and am unwilling to compromise with regard to my rights and those of my descendents. You're scared of me because you never served in the military, and the oath of enlistment that I took so seriously frightens you. You're scared of me because instead of your phobias regarding firearms, I train regularly. You're scared of me because I *like* owning a semi-automatic rifle capable of killing a moose, and that I can keep my rounds within an eight-inch circle at 400 meters.
You're scared of me because you don't understand me. I'm really easy to understand though, and it won't cost you a thing. Simply read the following:
1) Constitution: http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html
2) Declaration of Independence: http://www.house.gov/house/Declaration.html
3) The Federalist Papers (note that these were the guys who wanted a strong federal government, and they had to sell it *hard* to get the people to agree): http://lcweb2.loc.gov/const/fed/fedpapers.html
Might as well go ahead and read the anti-federalist papers too, just for balance: http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1776-1800/federalist/antixx.htm
To you, these are boring words written by dead white guys. To me, they're wonderful guidance, and rank not far below the Qur-an and the Bible. Of course, those books might scare you as well.
[/quote]
[This message has been edited by dzeanah (edited May 28, 2000).]
Feel like I'm not as objective as I could be here...
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
Wow. I've been here all of 2 minutes and I've already found something I need to respond to.
>You all make our country dangerous. YOU ARE DANGEROUS!!
>You are nothing but a bunch of rednecks with guns.
If I didn't know better I'd think you are basing your worldview on Walker, Texas Ranger episodes. <g> I live in the South, but I'm far from being a redneck (or liking the music).
>Here's news...You are the MINORITY in this cointry now.
>Most of us live in cities,
Correct for spelling and this is probably true, unfortunately.
>can read and write
Actually, I've got a BA in history and scored 98th percentile on the LSAT; my wife is two years away from her MD (which means five years away from a real income, unfortunately). I've been self employed as a professional photographer in the past, though now I'm looking for a computer-support job (I'm an MCSE too) in a new city (we're closing on our second house in two days).
Not quite illiterate.
>and we don't need you or your guns and we are going
>to out vote you.
Actually, I think you do. If you really believed this then you would be lobbying to have police disarmed -- after all, they're less educated than your average gun owner (look it up -- Lott's book has the numbers, and you can make a "common sense" argument that goes something like "why else would someone put up with that level of bureaucratic BS *and* get shot at for *only* $7.20 per hour?"), and are something like 11 times *more* likely to shoot an innocent person by mistake than an armed citizen (check the DOJ statistics).
>Pretty soon you will not be allowed on the street with
>those pick up trucks or SUV's
Nice try -- I drive a diesel powered VW that gets 53 MPG. Your point?
>and we already stopped your cigarette's
Have never smoked, and won't eat in a restaurant without a no-smoking section.
>and soon we will stop those guns and I think we ought to
>ban cowboy boots too because you all think that you are
>some kind of John Wayne when you wear them.
Go back and look at your post again. You're saying that *I'm* bigoted?
>God. To think you people actually have guns is frightening
>but you won't be frightening for long. You will soon be >outlawed and It can't happen too soon for me. We will
>have a special prison for all of you nut cases. I think
>we'll fence Oklahoma and put all of you in there and
>let you kill each other off. HA! Good Riddance if you
>ask me. You are nothing but redneck , trailer park trash
>anyway and no one will even miss you.
Re-read your post again, and try and read the following comments objectively (not that I actually expect a response here):
People like you scare me, and I'm afraid that you *are* in danger of becoming a majority in this country. You're scared, but you don't understand what's scaring you or why. The world is (and has always been) a scary place, and you're doing your part to try and make it more friendly. But you don't have the sense to see the consequences of your actions.
It sounds like you're willing to give up most or all of your personal freedoms (for purposes of this discussion this includes everything listed in the Bill of Rights, plus personal privacy) for the promise of less fear in the future, *and you're willing to take my rights as well!*
I believe we live in the greatest country on earth (and I've lived in Germany and Brasil also, so I have some idea what I'm talking about here). I believe the Constitution is the reason why we're so well off, and I was pleased to pledge my life in the defense of this document ("against all enemies, foreign and domestic...").
You're scared of me for reasons that you can't voice or comprehend. It may be that the concept of freedom itself scares you, and that's OK -- the idea that a man is totally responsible for his own success or failure in life is a terrifying concept to some, and many (most?) are more comfortable with the title of "serf" or "subject" than they are with the title of "free man." Serfs don't have any real freedoms, but they know that the nobility is obligated to keep them fed and provide for their defense (as they are never trusted with arms.)
You're scared of me because I'm not like you. You're scared because I am *free*, and because I demand that those freedoms remain protected. I'm smart, educated, unimpressed with current political trends, and am unwilling to compromise with regard to my rights and those of my descendents. You're scared of me because you never served in the military, and the oath of enlistment that I took so seriously frightens you. You're scared of me because instead of your phobias regarding firearms, I train regularly. You're scared of me because I *like* owning a semi-automatic rifle capable of killing a moose, and that I can keep my rounds within an eight-inch circle at 400 meters.
You're scared of me because you don't understand me. I'm really easy to understand though, and it won't cost you a thing. Simply read the following:
1) Constitution: http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html
2) Declaration of Independence: http://www.house.gov/house/Declaration.html
3) The Federalist Papers (note that these were the guys who wanted a strong federal government, and they had to sell it *hard* to get the people to agree): http://lcweb2.loc.gov/const/fed/fedpapers.html
Might as well go ahead and read the anti-federalist papers too, just for balance: http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1776-1800/federalist/antixx.htm
To you, these are boring words written by dead white guys. To me, they're wonderful guidance, and rank not far below the Qur-an and the Bible. Of course, those books might scare you as well.
[/quote]
[This message has been edited by dzeanah (edited May 28, 2000).]
On the other hand, your views may be appreciated by some innocent bystanders.
