From: "P. J. Alling"
On 2/20/2010 6:01 PM, John Sessoms wrote:
> From: "William Robb"
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "P. J. Alling"
>> Subject: Re: OT: Speaking of nutters...
>
>>> > Follow the logic, if I'm not at least well armed enough to be a
>>> threat to > a solder then I'm not an armed citizen. American
>>> traditions don't go back > to the Sword, they go back to the Musket,
>>> which was the common military > arm of the day. Unlike the Swiss we
>>> keep updating our traditions.
>>
>> Great.
>> It's bad enough dealing with unpredictable idiots packing pistols.
>> When you start packing personal nukes you all will be a barrel of
>> monkeys.
>
> The personal nuke is a chimera. How are people who can't even remember
> when to get their oil changed going to handle the complex maintenance
> requirements for nuclear weapons.
>
> The smallest RELIABLE, i.e. it could be stockpiled and expected to
> work when needed, weighs in around 50 lbs. And they're only good for 5
> years or so in storage before they have to be returned to manufacturer
> for disassembly and overhaul.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf6uX0hODuE
>
> If you wanted to implement a Swiss model "tradition" in combination
> with American "military history", the most reasonable equipage would
> be to require all citizens to carry a powder horn and ring bayonet
> into the voting booth.
Nope wrong. The ring bayonet was not well beloved by most American
soldiers from the Revolution to the Civil war. Americans didn't want to
be bayoneted\, and didn't think it humane to do it to the enemy, they'd
rather shoot them, even at close range.
>
My old DI ain't gonn'a wann'a hear that.
http://www.mydfz.com/Paxton/lyrics/tbr.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU7NEOBnMVI
I was, however, responding to an assertion someone made that the Swiss
still carry ceremonial daggers in lieu of swords as symbols of their
status as "free men" when they go to vote, and the statement that the
musket serves the a role analogous to the sword in American military
tradition.
Marrying the two traditions; should Americans feel the need for martial
symbols to bolster their courage for the daunting task of choosing
representatives, the bayonet & the powder horn might stand in for the
musket in the same way the ceremonial dagger stands for the sword ...
less cumbersome, particularly should you need an ad hoc stylus for the
Electronic Voting Machine.
You don't have to actually stab anyone if you don't want to, it's just a
symbol of our rough frontier heritage.
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