OK! Here goes. there are THREE (3) Issues that I hope to address in my diatribe ... and I'm drinking Yuengling Black & Tan & American Honey ... its actually very good! (1) is civil liberties (2) Personal Gun Ownership and (3) ... you guessed it Boston/Chechnya and home grown terrorism ... FUCK I should really be in the bag for this!
But before I begin, Johnny I hope that you have been able to control your drinking. It is on a VERY rare occasion that I will EVER get out of control but when I do I tend to get amorous so I guess its a god thing that I a home alone on my computer spewing forth the political rhetoric that will either get me elected Emperor or shot for being a Model for Political REALISM!
So let me begin by saying what a travesty the events in Boston were/are and that I think we can all agree our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, the first responders, the public servants, and the residents of Boston/Watertown/etal.! Just an FYI my thoughts and prayers also go out to the family/friends of the perpetrators in light of the shame and horror that their sons/relatives/friends brought on them!
(1) Civil liberties - When a community/region/nation is subjected to terrorism then I regret to say that I am willing to relinquish SOME of my personal liberties in an attempt to protect the population at large. Having said that, some of the footage that I witnessed was impressive. The tactical units that were doing house to house searches were relatively effective and if you watched closely the rear guard was the most daunting for me as he is pointing his M4a1 up down and around the front of the house ... good job soldier. If they knocked on my door and said excuse me Mr. Darkness we're looking for Johnny Terrorist may we come in and look around I would personally say sir, or madam, I want you to know that if Mr. Terrorist were here you would need to come in because I would have already called you numbskulls and asked you NOT for an ambulance but to dispatch the Coroner!
Look they have a job to do. Will I protect my home and family using deadly force if necessary? Of course I will! Would I have shot the dumbass for getting on my boat? Hell no but I would not have been resistant to letting them come through the yard to retrieve his sorry ass as long as they brought some spackle, bondo, and paint to do the repairs if they shot up my cute little dingy!
The safety of the many out weighs the civil liberties of the few. Do I think that LE play an important part in protecting our freedoms and civil liberties? Hell yeah! Do I think that I have a responsibility to voice my concerns to ensure that my civil liberties are protected - you bet your ass! But when it comes to tactical movements of the police/swat/FBI/NSA through the streets of Boston I can honestly say that I give credit where credit is due and I support their efforts and appreciate the fact that they were putting their lives on the line to protect civilians during that nightmare. So I guess what I am saying is that I, personally, can and would cut them some slack!
(2) Personal Gun Ownership - I own them, I use them, I was/am trained and you know what? I am highly effective with a side arm, rifle, and a shotgun. I hunt and I eat what I shoot!
Do I think that current gun laws/regulations are draconian ... perhaps. But the reality is I will be the FIRST to stand in line to RE-register my hand guns and I have NO issue being subjected to a thorough background check. Is it a violation of my rights as a US citizen? FUCK NO! Should ANYONE who wants to buy a handgun have to go through a thorough criminal/psychiatric background check? Of course but do I think that things need to be done differently? Yes! Whether its me wanting a new .40-caliber Glock, Colt 1911 .45acp pistol, or the NIB Glock 20SF Gen 3 10MM 2 Hi Cap 15 rd mag I am willing to wait until AFTER they do their check ... there is NOTHING wrong with that.
To the issue of weapons capacities OVER 7 rounds ... I'm not happy, but given that I am a HUNTER ... I believe in the moniker One Shot One Kill and if you need 15 rounds to get it down Get the FUCK out of my woods and take up knitting ... BITCH!
(3) ... you guessed it Boston/Chechnya and home grown terrorism. I will be blunt and fairly straight forward here. Chechnya is a time bomb! The Philippines and Indonesia are also full of extremists. But the reality is each of us has a PERSONAL responsibility to be on guard and aware when ever we travel and to be vigilant in knowing where we are, who we are with, and how the fuck to get out of Dodge when and if the need arises!
I grieve for the loss of life in Boston just as I grieved for the loss of life in NYC, Oklahoma, Colorado, Atlanta, and everywhere else we have seen extremists take action.
... Hold up I had to get another drink!
So what are WE going to do about it? Perhaps we can think beyond our borders and the impact that our actions have on those around us. Perhaps we can recognize that it isn't Muslims who are the problem but a small segment of extremists who are bringing shame and dishonor on the faith! Perhaps we should recognize that it isn't all Catholics in Ireland who were members of the IRA and killed at Random (thank God that seems to be under control) or that all men/women with short hair are members of the National Front or the Aryan Brotherhood ... there are extremists in all walks of life and we need to build on strengths rather than tear individuals down.
... OK I feel like I'm starting to proselytize and that is the last thing I want to do! I know how fortunate I am and I really am proud to be an American! Boston is an example of what can go wrong but it is also an opportunity for us to learn and grow ... I'm tipsy right now! Can you imagine what I might have said if I was actually hammered!
Thanks for listening and until next time ... this is DDarkness (Your Candidate From Hell) signing off
And the Crowd goes wild
DD