Signature Line

[Gunny]

It was brought to my attention that some may find my signature line offensive.. It is a quote from Gen Mattis USMC who I am an admirer of. If anyone , just one person finds it offensive I will change it..

Thanks Rob

 

[ArtW]

I don't find it offensive. Any one who does has probably never stood face to face with danger, bad people and other threats generally don't respond to polite requests and sing 'kumbaya' with their intended victims

 

[Gunny]

It struck a chord with me because of all my memories, nightmares and whatever I will never forget the look on the face of the first person I killed in combat when he realized he was about to die. I sometimes dream of it in Technicolor. Then I wake up and take a Xanax.

Rob

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I've been thinking about stealing it and using it in my signature on a couple of other forums I'm on.

I could add more, but it would probably get me moderated.

 

[ArtW]

I'd probably mirror your 'more' OP, and get moderated, too
I think I might add a sig line of my own

 

[TMG51]

I'm offended by any who find this offensive.

 

[Gunny]

http://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/15-quotes-from-gen-mad-dog-mattis-slayer-of-bodies

 

[justbreathe]

Ditto to what TMG said.

 

[TrainChaser]

I don't understand the problem -- it's true.  *shrugs*

 

[ArtW]

Thanks for that link Gunny

 

[anewbiewannabe]

Gunny, I don't find it offensive. I think it speaks truth. I could have skipped your story though as I have PTSD not related to war, but I also have some trauma from being the person gifted with the privilege of being the confessor for a couple of Viet Nam vets who were finally able to share their stories with someone (me) after having them bottled inside for years. One lied about his age and was just 16 when he went over. I had nightmares for months just from hearing about it so can't begin to imagine how it must be for them. I have always felt disgust at the way our Viet Nam vets were treated then and how insufficient the support system for all our veterans has always been.

 

[Gunny]

I probably shouldn't have written about it. Sorry if it brought bad memories back to you. And thanks for helping those Veterans. I was 17, wasn't supposed to enter a 'war zone' until 18 but by the time the Marine Corps discovered their error I was 18.

Thanks for the comment and Take Care..Rob

 

[Txjaybird]

I am not offended.  Born and raised in Texas with family going back into the 1800's in the deep south I have heard more than once that " Judge he just needed shootin' " can be a valid defense in a some courts of law.

Luckily I've never been in a position to have even wounded anyone.  A few well placed warning shots have done the trick....so far.

Jewellann

 

[GotSmart]

The first time I read it made me pause and think of the times I had to draw down on someone.  Each time  the sight of Smith & Wesson stooped them cold.  As I was protecting my family, I firmly believe I would have pulled the trigger.  

The law was called each time, and my unlicensed and unregistered weapon was never an issue.  

Keep the name and signature.  It helps remind me that a healthy society needs warriors with a conscience.  

Thank you for your sacrifice.

 

[anewbiewannabe]

I probably shouldn't have written about it. Sorry if it brought bad memories back to you. And thanks for helping those Veterans. I was 17, wasn't supposed to enter a 'war zone' until 18 but by the time the Marine Corps discovered their error I was 18.

Oh, I knew the risk if I kept reading, so don't think you shouldn't have written it on my account. I think you needed to share it, just like I needed to share my experience. At least it didn't catch me unawares like some of my triggers that people think nothing of sharing on fb. I made the choice to read.

I'm grateful I could be there for them and that they knew I was a safe person. It was so worth any discomfort I might have experienced. I often wonder how they are doing as we lost touch long ago.

Goodness you were so young for that. Most were too young for that.

Take care!

 

[DannyB1954]

The problem with reality is it is not what common sense would dictate. It would be nice if every evil person would listen to reason and change, but that is not the reality. Some people need to get dead. It is not only a matter of self preservation, but also the protection of others.

A person needs to decide what they are willing to do before they need to do it. When someone is crawling through your window at night, that is not a good time to ponder about what you are willing to do. Today I have a concealed carry permit. I have decided that if I am where an armed person is threatening others, I will not leave the decision up to them weather or not someone gets hurt or killed.

One thing that 9-11 did was eliminate the notion that if you do what the evil person demands all will be well.

 

[akrvbob]

Here's the problem, who gets to decide who the asshole is that deserves to die?

Every one of the men who boarded the jets on 9-11 totally believed that the 3000 Americans they were about to kill deserved to die.

We all universally believe they are wrong, but there are many other millions of humans on this planet who think they were right.

Every German soldier in WWII thought the Americans were the assholes who deserved to die. Of course the 6 million Jews who were murdered might look at it differently.

There is no question in my mind that every man in Custer's 7th Cavalry were 100% in the wrong, they rode down that hill intent on killing every man woman and child in front of them. But I do not think they deserved to die because they were soldiers. Had they managed to do that, I would say they should have been tried as war criminals, but instead they would have been treated as great heros.

The Viet Cong who shot your buddies all totally believed that the Americans were the ones that deserved to die. It's extremely sad, but history has landed pretty squarely on their side. If who was right gets to kill the other soldiers because they are wrong, most people would say the Americans were the ones who deserved to die.

Perhaps "deserve to die" is a phrase that should rarely or never be applied to war. Very few soldiers ever truly deserve to die. And even if they do, it should only be after a fair trial. Had the hijackers of 9-11 been captured, they should have been tried as criminals and if found guilty, then executed.

You take a scared, patriotic boy, put a gun in his hand and tell him to go fight and kill for god and country, I don't see any way that that boy can ever be said to deserve to die, no matter what country he is fighting for, no matter how right or how wrong the country is. Unless he commits a crime, then he should be tried as a criminal--not a soldier.

No, in war it's required that you kill or be killed, but that has zero to do with deserved.

I think it's a terrible mistake to think in terms of who deserves to live and die in war except after a fair trial.

 

[Gunny]

Bob, I don't argue the merits of war or combat, it's like politics, you have your views and I have mine. If you think my signature is offensive I will delete it, no problem.

It is your forum and I respect that so just say the word and POOF it goes away. Rob

 

[TMG51]

It's worth pointing out that the word "deserves" does not appear in the quote.

 

[ArtW]

Very true, nor do I recall 'deserves' being part of this topic before now