My father is an ex-marine, and lifetime hunter, and he's come to the conclusion that guns

[shcrane71]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by REP (a host of the General Discussion forum).

aren't needed in our society. I'm so proud of my Dad.

[pipoman]

1. There are no 'ex-marines'..

[shcrane71]

2. Former marine...

Is that better?

[freshwest]

3. Might want to edit the OP so they won't be offended. You're lucky to have your dad.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

6. Bullshit. Many former Marines refer to themselves as ex-Marines. Ask your father. Don't be

otherwise influenced by any self-appointed grammer police.

(Note: Do what you want to do, but it's worth knowing that the convention is to capitalize the M for Marines or ex-Marines. I have no view as to whether "self-appointed grammer police" should be capitalized or not.)

[shcrane71]

20. Thanks.

His job was killing people when he was a Marine (capital M). I'm fortunate that he got into the ex or former Marine, civilian mindset when he came home from war. He's been a great Dad.

[Ikonoklast]

4. My father is an "ex-Marine".

He told me that if I joined the Corps he would disown me.

Korea kinda soured him on the rah-rah bullshit.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

8. Good for you and your dad.

[PassingFair]

13. So was mine!

He was an USS Curtiss "Atomic" Marine and a Drill Instructor.

He absolutely forbade all of his children from joining the armed forces.

He told me: "NEVER put yourself in a position where you can't walk away."

So far, I've always preserved my access to CHOICE.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

14. Then your father, of course, was in an unique group of Marines. To gain the top security clearance

that he had with about 279 others, I wouldn't be surprised if his father (and your grandfather) was in the Corps during WW I.

(By the way, I'm sure that you mean the USS Curtiss.)

[PassingFair]

18. Yes, I meant USS...but nope,

...he was drafted!

[shcrane71]

21. Mine did something similar.

He forbade me to sign up prior to my 18th birthday, and then waited outside while I went to a recruiter's office when I was 17. The recruiters pulled the good cop/bad cop act with me, then finally told me I wouldn't amount to anything when they realized I wasn't signing anything. When I got out of there, feeling like a miserable failure, all Dad said was, "Did you really want you life in the hands of assholes like that?".

[PassingFair]

24. Love your Dad!

Sounds like we were both raised by common-sense fathers.
]

[rhett o rick]

28. When you make a statement like that, you should provide some kind of

source. Otherwise people mite think you are full of shit. I dont, but other might.

[xchrom]

5. Du rec. Nt

[Chorophyll]

7. K&R.

[mymomwasright]

9. OOh Rah to your Dad!!

Once, Always!

[Blanks]

10. Not to be disrespectful to your dad...

...but Ive been reading where 'sharpened sticks' could be used to massacre people.

It kind of makes me wonder if we've ever needed guns.

I don't have to put the little sarcasm graphic on here; do I?

[lonestarnot]

15. Hutus committed genocide on the Tutsies using machetes.

[Blanks]

23. Yes, they did.

I think we should take all weapons away from our service members except sharpened sticks and machetes.

I am told repeatedly that we don't need sophisticated weaponry to kill people.

I am told that by NRA folk; they're probably behind me on this recommendation.

In fact I'm certain of it.

[ellisonz]

33. That's not exactly accurate...

...the Hutu militias were armed extensively by the Rwandan military (who also participated) with assault rifles, machine guns, grenades, mortars, landmines, artillery and rocket launchers. While machetes were bought and distributed widely, the militias were always backed by the threat of military force in the face of resistance. The genocide was preceded by a civil war (the 1990 Tutsi RPF invasion of northern Rwanda) and a peace process (the 1993 Arusha Accords):

Arming Genocide in Rwanda
By Stephen D. Goose & Frank Smyth, September 3, 1994, Foreign Affairs

---------

To counter the invasion, the Hutu government drew from its existing stock of Belgian automatic rifles and French armored vehicles. But Rwanda was understocked and under siege. Until then, Belgium, Rwanda's former colonial ruler, had been its main military patron. But Belgium had an explicit policy against providing lethal arms to a country at war. Following the invasion, Belgium continued to provide military training, boots, and uniforms to the Rwandan army, but no arms. France, however, rushed in 60-mm, 81.-mm, and 120-mm mortars and 105-mm light artillery guns. France, which was committed to keeping Rwanda within the bloc of 21 Francophone African nations, also provided seasoned advisers and four companies of 680 combat troops at a time.

An arms race was under way. More than a dozen nations helped fuel the Rwandan war, and both sides appear to have purchased considerable weaponry through private sources on the open market. By its own admission, the Rwanda government bankrupted its economy to pay for those weapons. Former Warsaw Pact countries appear to have supplied both sides, seeing opportunity in Rwanda less than one year after the Berlin Wall fell. It remains unclear how long it took ex-Warsaw Pact equipment to reach Rwanda, but eventually most RPF guerrillas carried Kalashnikov AKM automatic rifles, many manufactured in Romania. Among the rebels who had uniforms, most wore distinctive East German rain-pattern camouflage.

-----------

By 1993, Rwanda's Hutu government had begun to look to Russia to buy arms, especially Kalashnikov AKMs. But the key suppliers for government forces were France, Egypt, and South Africa. A $6 million contract between Egypt and Rwanda in March 1992, with Rwanda's payment guaranteed by a French bank, included 60-mm and 82-mm mortars, 16,000 mortar shells, 122-mm D-30 howitzers, 3,000 artillery shells, rocket-propelled grenades, plastic explosives, antipersonnel land mines, and more than three million rounds of small arms ammunition.

South Africa also supplied small arms, including R-4 automatic rifles, 7.62-mm machine guns, and 12.7-mm Browning machine guns. In October 1992, on the heels of the Egyptian deal, Rwanda made a $5.9 million purchase from South Africa: 100 60-mm mortars, 70 40-mm grenade launchers with 10,000 grenades, 20,000 rifle grenades, 10,000 hand grenades, spare parts and 1.5 million rounds of ammunition for R-4 rifles, and one million rounds of machine gun ammunition.

http://www.franksmyth.com/foreign-affairs/arming-genocide-in-rwanda/

[lonestarnot]

40. I did not deny the use of weaponry in addition to the machete. How many were hacked to death of the

million or more?

[ellisonz]

41. No one knows...

...but as I noted that question was truly beside the point.

[lonestarnot]

42. That question was the point.

[ellisonz]

43. The two are interwined.

Any separation in that case for demonstrating that somehow machetes are as/or more dangerous than guns is complete rubbish.

[lonestarnot]

44. In that people will kill people, people are creeps. People kill people with rocks.

[mymomwasright]

11. FYI

It is engrained (yes, engrained) in every Marine during recruit training that once your in, your in for life (meaning your soul/heart)! The only ex-Marines are those who couldn't make it through recruit training or achieved a status less-than-honorably during their enlistment. It's an achievement that can never be taken away.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

16. Bullshit.

Many former Marines refer to themselves as ex-Marines. Many WW I and WW II vets did so, as did Korean War vets. Some Viet Nam vets still do so, although some fools like Ollie North appear to be self-appointed word police who want others to believe that true ex-Marines only refer to themselves and others as former Marines.

You are claiming to have expertise which you cannot possibly have: "It is engrained (yes, engrained) in every Marine during recruit training ..." Bullshit.

And you claim, "The only ex-Marines are those who couldn't make it through recruit training or achieved a status less-than-honorably during their enlistment." Double bullshit.

There should be no confusion about this. You are doing a disservice to all those vets who served honorably and who have called themselves ex-Marines.

[Phlem]

19. What the fuck is it about hierarchy!?

Does it provide some fucking warm and fuzzy feelings that you can do something that other people can't, really!!??

Let's see my mom married my stepfather who was retired Airforce and served during the Philippine Japanese war when I was 2 or 3 maybe 4. My first memory of him was him hitting me in the face, he bought a pair of boxing gloves for a 4 yr old and thought he'd put them on and show me how to box. Then this dry drunk, fucking jersey shore ass, mountain monkey, abused me verbally, emotionally, and physically for the next 15 years. At 16 I put him down when he had his fucking hands around my throat, and I've got the PTSD to prove it.

What special place in this fucked up hierarchy do I fit in? The enemy!?



-p

[PassingFair]

25. My father was a drill instructor who called himself an "ex-marine".

Guess that "engraining" works better on some types more than others...

[shcrane71]

31. lol... so true. Agree about the "engraining". nt

[progress2k12nbynd]

12. I don't think most would disagree with you...

except the only ones that would hide/keep their guns would be the criminals that mean harm. Who would stop them? Not even the military or cops.

[shcrane71]

32. Blackwater went door-to-door in Louisiana confiscating guns.

You can't keep your hunting rifle with a unit of highly-trained quasi-military people set on taking away your weapon.

[snooper2]

17. can I ask how old he is?

[shcrane71]

22. 66

He's a Vietnam Vet. One of two to come back, alive, from his unit.

[2on2u]

26. K&R for sure. You are a lucky person to be able to call him dad. n/t

[shcrane71]

27. I think so. Welcome to DU!

Love Wallace & Grommit!

[2on2u]

30. Netflix has (I just watched it) A Matter of Loaf and Death.... what a job that fellow does

with clay... hilarious stuff.

[shcrane71]

37. I'm putting that in my Netflix queue. Thanks!

[RebelOne]

29. Kudos to your dad. I hope he is now an ex-hunter. n/t

[hughee99]

35. Perhaps he hunts with a bow, now. n/t

[hughee99]

34. Has he come to the conclusion that they should be banned?

or just that they're not needed?

[Alduin]

36. I'm proud of your dad as well.

[shcrane71]

38. Welcome to DU!

[Alduin]

39. Thank you.

[REP]

45. Locking

Per Skinner, the restriction on gun topics is to be enforced again. Please consider reposting in Gun Control & RBKA.

Thanks!