Thursday, March 8, 2012

Better to live (maybe) on your knees, than to die (possibly) on your feet

Or so says Washington, D.C.’s Deputy Mayor for – get this - Public Safety and Justice, Paul Quander. He thinks groveling victimhood should be perfectly acceptable to all those citizens who, unlike Paul Quander, don’t have bodyguards.

The subtext of this “philosophy” is that, once law-abiding citizens accept the role, carved out for them by government hacks like Quander, of helplessness in the presence of street criminals, it softens them up to accept helplessness when faced with the encroachment by the state on the rest of their freedoms. In this way, small-time hoods serve as artillery for the much larger army of oppressive statist bandits who won’t be satisfied with anything so paltry as your wallet, but will demand your mind and soul, as well.

On a related note, down the road in infinitely saner Virginia, I completed my basic pistol course at the NRA’s national headquarters and am now ready to submit an application for a concealed carry permit. The course included four hours of classroom lecture (all very useful), and an hour on the NRA’s indoor range, where I employed my trusty Ruger Police Service Six revolver to burn up a hundred rounds of .38 Special ammo. My lovely female instructor was extremely knowledgeable and patient, and by the time I ran out of bullets, I was giving a very creditable accounting of myself. I ain’t no Doc Holiday, but it’s amazing (and kind of thrilling) the way that, with concentration, the pistol becomes an extension of your arms and eyes; toward the end of the session, I was putting the shots exactly where I wanted them, and the human-form target – which, for reasons that should be obvious, I have named “Che”– was shot to doll rags. The whole thing was so much fun, I’m thinking of taking some additional courses. It’s also relaxing; in fact, for me, the effect was similar to golf. I only played golf a few times, when I lived in Florida, but I found that the game completely took my mind off my troubles, and stress just melted away. Same thing with shooting.

9 comments:

JeffS said...

Shooting is much like meditation, such as yoga, Paco. You have to focus on the weapon, and clear your mind in the process. Many people find it very relaxing. At least one person I read of, previously of anti-gun beliefs, described it as "zen". It's what got her into shooting.

Paco said...

The zen of shooting. I like that.

rinardman said...

Yes, the sooner we get the word out to the criminals that their victims will always cower in fear and let them have their way, the sooner crime in the streets can be brought under control.

Wow, I can think like a liberal!

Paco said...

R-man: Careful! You don't want your brain to lock into that mode permanently. We shouldn't toy with the dark power of stupid.

Michael Lonie said...

Shooting to relax and calm the nerves is a well known effect. In WWII, the Navy surgeon who looked after Admiral Nimitz told him to go shooting frequently to calm himself and ensure the proper, objective frame of mind for commanding the most complex naval war in history. It served him well.

Shooting acted as therabpy for him when bad news came. The day he learned about the Battle of Savo Island, Nimitz went to his range and shot for a long time.

Steve Burri said...

Be one with the bullet, Paco! Visualize blood and tissue producing artistic patterns on the walls and ceiling.

"Shouldn't have felt lucky, Punk!"

Paco said...

That's the ticket!

rinardman said...

We shouldn't toy with the dark power of stupid.

You're right. Just that little look into the abyss gave me a splitting headache!

RebeccaH said...

My dad taught us kids to shoot when we were pretty young (about the time we each turned ten or so). I've kept one of his guns all these years (a .22 pistol), but haven't shot in decades. I'm not sure I could even shoot it now, because I can't bend my trigger finger far enough, but maybe it's time to find out.