Originally Posted by Rob Henderson

Do you believe any human deserves to die simply for their existence? I'm not talking criminal records, personal beliefs, or anything like that... Do you think any person deserves to die just because they live?

What I believe and how the world works are two totally different things. Unless you figure out how to wholesale change human nature, that's how it is. No matter how much you want to change the world first you have to figure out how to change human nature. You can preach this all you care to, it changes not one damn thing about reality.

Reality is this. There are people who will kill you for your skin color, your religion (or lack off), your country of orgin, your ethnicity, your choice of clothing even if you have done nothing directly too them. That is reality.

The world is not a pleasant loving caring place where we are all brothers and sisters. The world is ugly, cold and cruel. If you'd walked the places I have instead of the halls of a University you might understand that.

Yes, the world is a cold and cruel place. But that does not mean that we should feed into the system and be cold and cruel like everyone else, and blame "human nature" for our own deeds.

Originally Posted by The Other Guy

Yes, the world is a cold and cruel place. But that does not mean that we should feed into the system and be cold and cruel like everyone else, and blame "human nature" for our own deeds.

Which deeds? I'll stand by anything I have personally done. The decisions made by persons above me I have no control over except to complain within my circle.

People will also come and try to kill you and your family for what your great grand father did to their great grand father in some fight that people can barely remember the details of.

Sometimes you find the fight, sometimes the fight finds you.
And when it finds you, you better be good at it. Or have some very good friends who are very good at it. Or die.

Unsolicited advice to follow:

TOG, you can die for your beliefs, that is your right in our country.

However, do not even dream of being able to change the mind of men who have bled to secure those rights at costs you have merely read about. If someone is trying to kill me or mine I do NOT care why, I only care to stop them dead before they succeed.

It's like the whole "I don't kill. If attacked I will die with honor."
Is a pack of BS.
What do you achieve by doing nothing and just dying?
1) You've broken the hearts of a lot of those around you.
2) You've let crime pay.
3) You're dead and you can't fulfill whatever obligations you have.
4) A murderous criminal is still on the loose.

Name one good thing that ever comes about by choosing to die without struggle.
I guess removing someone stupid enough to believe in that stuff from the face of the earth might be one good thing.

There's a difference between rolling over and taking it and thinking that the entire world is out to get you 24/7.

I highly doubt TOG or myself would just sit back and let something happen to us or our family, but we don't go out looking for trouble or expect trouble to be around every corner... I wouldn't bring heat to Chuck E. Cheese...

In the case of 5.56, he lives in a world where the possibilities of danger does lurk behind every corner and behind every car door. So it is valid to him, though perhaps on campus, only rarely does it happen to you (though when it does, boy do you wish you had a weapon!).
Me, I'm in the camp that in regular civilian life I may not need protection 99.99% of that time, but that 0.01% is why being prepared mentally and equipment wise is necessary. But other threats include people trying to take my money, take my information etc.
In this country, guns are not legal as are many objects. "Defending" myself with sword for "decoration" may not fly in court. I have the next best thing. I have various home objects that can double as home defense aids in pretty strategic locations in the house. It gives me a slight edge, and the rest I deal with Krav Maga.

Originally Posted by 03USMC

The world is not a pleasant loving caring place where we are all brothers and sisters. The world is ugly, cold and cruel. If you'd walked the places I have instead of the halls of a University you might understand that.

Your're accusing Henderson of living in a bubble, but that description applies to you as well in the exact opposite sense.

If you globe-trot to places where wars, crime, strife, and misery are prevelent that I am not surprised that you have such a bleak view of the world. The fact is you CHOSE to walk where you did. Did you really expect the military/police was going to send you to Fantasy Island when you joined up? The government doesnt send soldiers/police officers like you into places where things are pleasant, they send people like you into places where things are very bad. What you saw was the bad part of the world, but fortunately most of the world isnt like that. Have you ever lived (not visited, actually lived) in a country outside of military/police service where things are calm and peaceful?

Ill agree that there are some particularily nasty parts of the globe, but you really cannot make such a general desciption as the world as some pit. And I say this because like yourself, I too have done my own share of globe-trotting across many continents. I can safely say that most of it isn't too bad. There are places to avoid, but thats exactly what I do: I avoid them.

What your saying is like going to going to the North Pole and then stating "Sh*t! the whole planet is a freaking ice cube". Some of it is, but most of it isnt.

It really doesn't matter mmarsh... Words and breath are wasted on men like them. Better just let them suck on their sores and not pay them any attention.