a blunt statement that gets right to the point...

[Tgace]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....153661921361016.32790.135827763144432&type=1

I struggle what to say at times like this. Quite frankly, it amazes me that American's are "shocked" by today's terrorist attack. It amazes me when people are "shocked" by violence, or "shocked" by a mass murder.
...

One of my FB "likes" just posted this...a brother LEO, he gets direct to a point that I share with him.

 

[granfire]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Cyriacus]

Well said.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Yeah I saw some guy on the news say nobody was expecting this but Spokane had the same issue two years before. Who is in charge of expecting stuff? Appoint someone else.
Sean

 

[Steve]

I was with him until about the middle. He zinged off into a tirade against "progressives," made it very clear that he thinks very highly of himself, and ended by calling anyone who disagrees with him a coward.

He should have stopped at the end of paragraph four and called it a day.

 

[Cyriacus]

I was with him until about the middle. He zinged off into a tirade against "progressives," made it very clear that he thinks very highly of himself, and ended by calling anyone who disagrees with him a coward.

He should have stopped at the end of paragraph four and called it a day.

To be fair, we tend to be getting more violent with time, not less. Weve gotten alot better at genocide and mass murder since the middle ages, too.

 

[granfire]

well, violence seems to be running in cycles.

But I have to agree on his sentiments about 'progressiveness' although I do concede I might misinterpret it completely.

We have sanitized our lives and tend to be 'shocked' when things get dirty.

(I personally am more shocked that I can't get shocked much anymore...and I am not feeling like hiding. Morel like 'I am madder than hell and I am not gonna take it anymore')

 

[Steve]

To be fair, we tend to be getting more violent with time, not less. Weve gotten alot better at genocide and mass murder since the middle ages, too.

I don't disagree with that part of it. I just think that, toward the middle, it became a political tirade that said more about his derision towards his fellows than his views on violence. I agree that we need hard people to do tough things, but there's a line that he has crossed, in my opinion. When you think you're better than your fellows, and make it clear that you loathe the very people you are 'protecting,' the message becomes more about you, and you lose credibility.

The initial message is a good one. It's an acknowledgment that we are inherently violent creatures, and denial is a luxury reserved for people who depend upon others to protect them from the things they are unable or unwilling to face themselves. I get that.

But, I also believe that our country needs farmers, as well as fighters. We need engineers, both the gritty, salt of the Earth kind AND the nerdy, pocket protector kind. This guy clearly sees himself as more essential, more important and of more value to society than the very people he claims to protect. I disagree. I think we need them all.

That, and we're in deep trouble if the tough men and women who are our first responders believe that everyone else in the country is contemptible.

 

[granfire]

I don't disagree with that part of it. I just think that, toward the middle, it became a political tirade that said more about his derision towards his fellows than his views on violence. I agree that we need hard people to do tough things, but there's a line that he has crossed, in my opinion. When you think you're better than your fellows, and make it clear that you loathe the very people you are 'protecting,' the message becomes more about you, and you lose credibility.

The initial message is a good one. It's an acknowledgment that we are inherently violent creatures, and denial is a luxury reserved for people who depend upon others to protect them from the things they are unable or unwilling to face themselves. I get that.

But, I also believe that our country needs farmers, as well as fighters. We need engineers, both the gritty, salt of the Earth kind AND the nerdy, pocket protector kind. This guy clearly sees himself as more essential, more important and of more value to society than the very people he claims to protect. I disagree. I think we need them all.

That, and we're in deep trouble if the tough men and women who are our first responders believe that everyone else in the country is contemptible.

Yes, you are right.

I might have read it wrong, but I got from his vent that when the chips are down, the meek won't get anywhere.
You roll up your sleeves, get dirty.

And when that job is done, then the others get to do their job. I am sure the preacher he talked to had a good chuckle, knowing good and well that the tough guys will be knocking on his door once the dust settles.

Alas, his base Idea is a valid one: Wringing hands and lamenting the horrors won't get us nowhere.

 

[celtic_crippler]

Well, it looks like FB has taken it down so I can’t read it in its entirety.

Something to ponder though: events like this happen every day in some countries, often paid for by your tax dollars. That’s right, every day. Let that sink in for a moment.

It’s a lot different when it happens in your back yard though, isn’t it. Imagine if this were just an another average day for you.

And yes, we humans tend to be a violent lot don’t we? I’ve often wondered how we’ve managed not to kill ourselves off this long. Especially since we’ve seemed to have lost our moral compass on the whole and common sense seems to be an endangered species.

Yeah, I know… I’m just a big ole’ ray of sunshine, aren’t I?

 

[granfire]

I struggle what to say at times like this. Quite frankly, it amazes me that American's are "shocked" by today's terrorist attack. It amazes me when people are "shocked" by violence, or "shocked" by a mass murder.

Having gone out to fight what you fear, I am not shocked by any of this. Why? Because I am realistic about human nature, and about violence. I know that humans prey upon each other, I know that humans victimize each other, and I have personally seen humans do things to each other that animals would not. I have seen the violent realities of human nature.....the realities that most people actively deny. The realities that men like me acknowledge, only to be called "paranoid" by "civilized society"....who are then "shocked" when that reality surfaces, violently.

Someone I know posted a status about "Praying for peace". And I thought....that's cute. You pray.....I will keep fighting. My way seems to be more effective.

I had a conversation with a priest from my kids' school today, about 10 mintues before the bombs went off. Very nice guy. He is the Chaplain for several Law Enforcement agencies....So he has a decent understanding of my mindset, and my personality. We talked about school shootings, and what we could do to make that school safer. During our chat, I asked him a question. "Father, when your God's flock is being victimized, attacked, injured, or killed....Does he send someone like you to protect them? NO. He sends mother****ers like ME. Someone who is perfectly willing to visit violence on others, because people like me know that force is the ONLY way to fight violence." (And, YES...I used those exact words, much to my wife's chagrin.)

They flew planes into buildings and murdered 3,000 people. Mass killings have been happening for many years. Humans have slaughtered each other since the dawn of time......and yet, people are still "shocked". Why? Insanity is defined as doing the same thing, over and over, expecting different results. Hoping for peace, yet denying the violent realities of the human condition is simply insane.....Yet, "Civilized Society" continues to do so. Honestly, I'm not sure why. Is it a sheep like mentality? Possibly. Is it cowardice. Probably. If they deny the violent realities of the human condition, they don't have to prepare, they don't have to examine how weak they are. Personally, I find this pathetic.

The "Progressive" view that humans will be peaceful IF we just remove the implements that they use to commit violence is laughable. That pathetic philosophy is worthy ONLY of derision. That philosophy is weak, ridiculous, and cowardly. It is not even worth discussing.

I was taught that the person is the weapon, and that the implement used was merely a tool. Read through that last sentence.....let it sink in. Really consider it, then look at violence in THAT context. Humans are responsible for their actions, they often inflict violence upon each other, and the implement used is merely incidental.

If you want to keep denying reality......that's on you. But, stop calling the realistic among us "paranoid". Humans are not a peaceable species. Some of us know this, and we acknowledge that reality. We also prepare for it. I don't know a single person who has been the Police that doesn't still carry a gun. Partly, it is because we have an intimate understanding of violence. Partly it is because we refuse to be the helpless victim.

I will say this......My sympathies go out to the victims of this violence. For those that have lost a loved one.....I am truly sorry for your loss. For those who have suffered a serious injury, my thoughts go out to you.

My thoughts also go out to the men and women that, while others froze or were running away, they ran towards the carnage. The "during" was never a problem for me. I had work to do, and I did whatever needed to be done, no matter what that entailed. It was the "after" that I always struggled with. The loss of sleep, because I was still "up". The images that played out in my head when I was alone. Remembering the smell. The nightmares. To those who took care of others I share this......for the love of God, talk to someone. We are not meant to bear that burden alone.

Lastly, to those that will inevitably protest, or call this "in bad taste"....know this. I left "Civilized Society" long ago. The soft and weak NEED the strong and realistic to protect them, so that they can continue to live their little "peaceful world" fantasy. I am one of those "rough men who, in the darkness, stand ready to do violence on your behalf." Consequently, I stopped caring what people like you thought. I find you soft, weak, pathetic, and cowardly. Go ahead.....say something. Write your pathetic bleating down. I will simply judge you for your cowardice.

It was still up, but could have been cached for me....

 

[Tgace]

Well, it looks like FB has taken it down so I can’t read it in its entirety.

Something to ponder though: events like this happen every day in some countries, often paid for by your tax dollars. That’s right, every day. Let that sink in for a moment.

It’s a lot different when it happens in your back yard though, isn’t it. Imagine if this were just an another average day for you.

And yes, we humans tend to be a violent lot don’t we? I’ve often wondered how we’ve managed not to kill ourselves off this long. Especially since we’ve seemed to have lost our moral compass on the whole and common sense seems to be an endangered species.

Yeah, I know… I’m just a big ole’ ray of sunshine, aren’t I?

It's still there...it looks like you need to be signed-in to FB to see it.

 

[aedrasteia]

Weve gotten alot better at genocide and mass murder since the middle ages, too.

C
you may be right. source?? reference? You are interested in medieval history?
thanks

 

[celtic_crippler]

Kind of reminds me of Dave Grossman’s article titled “On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs.”

http://warriorofsuccess.com/on-sheep-wolves-and-sheepdogs-dave-grossman.htm

He doesn’t necessarily take the stand that all people are violent, but he does say there are “wolves” out there and “sheepdogs” are needed to protect the “sheep.”

 

[Steve]

Kind of reminds me of Dave Grossman’s article titled “On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs.”


http://warriorofsuccess.com/on-sheep-wolves-and-sheepdogs-dave-grossman.htm


He doesn’t necessarily take the stand that all people are violent, but he does say there are “wolves” out there and “sheepdogs” are needed to protect the “sheep.”

Excellent article, up to the middle.


What's interesting, though, is that, once again, about in the middle, the article turns from defining sheep as, "They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." And later expands to say, "I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin’s egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell."


Sheepdogs are defined, specifically, as having empathy for their fellow man. "But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed."


It's immediately after this when the article turns in much the same way the original post does. The author says this: "We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world." I thought that the definition of a sheep is someone who has no capacity for violence. Point is that there are people who are in denial, but I believe that the vast majority of people simply don't have it in them. They are sheep because they are not violent, not because they live in denial, unable to accept that there is evil in the world. These are different, unrelated things, but the author conflates them, and then builds the rest of the article on the presumption that people who are not violent are also living in denial.


Then the rest of the article is, frankly, hand wringing about cops not being liked or properly appreciated, built on the bogus presumption that "sheep don't like the sheep dogs" followed by the admonition to not be a sheep.

Bottom line, as with the OP, this article starts out saying one thing and then veers off way out into left field.

 

[Cyriacus]

I don't disagree with that part of it. I just think that, toward the middle, it became a political tirade that said more about his derision towards his fellows than his views on violence. I agree that we need hard people to do tough things, but there's a line that he has crossed, in my opinion. When you think you're better than your fellows, and make it clear that you loathe the very people you are 'protecting,' the message becomes more about you, and you lose credibility.

The initial message is a good one. It's an acknowledgment that we are inherently violent creatures, and denial is a luxury reserved for people who depend upon others to protect them from the things they are unable or unwilling to face themselves. I get that.

But, I also believe that our country needs farmers, as well as fighters. We need engineers, both the gritty, salt of the Earth kind AND the nerdy, pocket protector kind. This guy clearly sees himself as more essential, more important and of more value to society than the very people he claims to protect. I disagree. I think we need them all.

That, and we're in deep trouble if the tough men and women who are our first responders believe that everyone else in the country is contemptible.

I can concur to that.

 

[jezr74]

I don't think people are shocked rather than in shock. The closer to home the more or hits the reality of it.

The article had an arrogant tone to me. Drifting on and out of sensibility.





Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[aedrasteia]

Tgace

This:

" This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence.
One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.

But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation.

We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance,
just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

thanks to Patton Oswalt - full FB post here:

https://www.facebook.com/pattonoswalt/posts/10151440800582655

 

[Cyriacus]

Tgace

This:

" This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence.
One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.

But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation.

We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance,
just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

thanks to Patton Oswalt - full FB post here:

https://www.facebook.com/pattonoswalt/posts/10151440800582655

This is partly my sense of humor:

Unless we have a WROL scenario, in which case we're on a pretty dark spiral.

 

[Em MacIntosh]

"Human nature" is always some kind of excuse. Either the person doesn't know enough about what they're talking about and want's to hide their lack of understanding, they just don't feel like putting the effort into an explanation or they really think everyone is that simple and pathetic.

When someone says "in reality" it's extremely condescending. Like they have a monopoly on objectivity. They actually think they're better than you, being as how you wouldn't know reality if it bit you but they can smell it a mile away. BS.

While I do agree with the statement and sentiment it's patronizing and degrading. This is just partisan fuel.