What are our politicians saying?"If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." -Sir Winston Churchill
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) "When the gunman realizes that nobody else is armed, he will lay down his weapons and turn himself in. That's just human nature."
A difference of Opinion
(CNN) Former U.S. Marines Cpl. Joshua Boston wrote a letter to Senator Feinstein regarding her proposed Assault Weapons Ban.
I will not register my weapons should this bill be passed, as I do not believe it is the government's right to know what I own. Nor do I think it prudent to tell you what I own so that it may be taken from me by a group of people who enjoy armed protection yet decry me having the same a crime. You ma'am have overstepped a line that is not your domain. I am a Marine Corps Veteran of 8 years, and I will not have some woman who proclaims the evil of an inanimate object, yet carries one, tell me I may not have one.
Boston went on to say that he is not a "subject," "servant" or "peasant" and should not be punished because of the acts of an evil man. "I will not be disarmed to suit the fear that has been established by the media and your misinformation campaign against the American public."
I wonder if all Marines feel the same way?
Many conservatives simply wish to be left to pursue their lives under the umbrella of the US Constitution. That's something that progressive people find unacceptable. Enacting laws to shove people who wish to be left alone, to live and let live, gives the progressive movement its wings, Bill of Rights or no Bill of Rights.
There are a lot of veterans in America bitterly clinging to God and guns. Of those people, most can shoot the eye out of a squirrel at at least 800 meters. They were trained to do that by the government that brought you a number of sequential wars. Some of them were "small wars" some of them were "large wars" but the United States has been in an at-war posture for many decades now. The "bitter clingers" simply wish to be left alone. A hunter in New York was asked why he didn't feel that he needed an assault weapon. He replied that the government agents who might wish to confiscate firearms were well supplied with that armament, web gear, magazines and ammunition and that if one wanted an assault rifle, one was there for the taking.
A Brief List of Wars that the US has been involved in since 1950. Keep in mind that there are small wars - 'brush wars' - where the US sent special forces that are not included here. Never the less, the US has been turning out guys who cash checks and snap necks for a very long time. Yes, the US has built themselves some mighty fine killers.
1947-1991
Soviet Union
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Hungary
Poland
Romania
East Germany
Albania
People's Republic of China
North Korea
Cuba
North Vietnam
Khmer Rouge
Afghanistan
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Hungary
Poland
Romania
East Germany
Albania
People's Republic of China
North Korea
Cuba
North Vietnam
Khmer Rouge
Afghanistan
First Indochina War or
French Indochina War
French Indochina War
1950-1954
Democratic Republic of Vietnam
Pathet Lao
Khmer Issarak
People's Republic of China
Soviet Union1950–1954Geneva Conference
Democratic Republic of Vietnam
Pathet Lao
Khmer Issarak
People's Republic of China
Soviet Union1950–1954Geneva Conference
Korean War or
Korean Conflict
Korean Conflict
1950-1953
1953-1975
North Vietnam
National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam(NLF)
People's Republic of China
Soviet Union1953–1975
North Vietnam
National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam(NLF)
People's Republic of China
Soviet Union1953–1975
Laotian Civil War or
Secret War
Secret War
1958 Lebanon crisis or
Operation Blue Bat
Operation Blue Bat
1970-1975
National United Front of Kampuchea
Khmer Rouge
North Vietnam
National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam(NLF)
National United Front of Kampuchea
Khmer Rouge
North Vietnam
National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam(NLF)
Invasion of the Dominican Republic or
Operation Power Pack
Operation Power Pack
Gulf of Sidra incidentor
First Gulf of Sidra Incident
First Gulf of Sidra Incident
1981
Action in the Gulf of Sidra or
Operation Prairie Fire
Operation Prairie Fire
1986
LibyaMarch
Bombing of Libya or
Operation El Dorado Canyon
Operation El Dorado Canyon
1986
1987-1988
Iran1987–1988
1989 Gulf of Sidra incident or
Second Gulf of Sidra Incident
Second Gulf of Sidra Incident
1989
1989-1990
1990-1991
1991-2003
Includes:
Operation Provide Comfort, Operation Southern Watch, Cruise missile strikes on Iraq (June 1993), Cruise missile strikes on Iraq (1996), Operation Northern Watch, Operation Desert Fox, Operation Southern Focus
Somali Civil War or
Operation Restore Hope
Operation Restore Hope
1992-1994
1993-1995
1994-1995
1998
1999
Renamed by Obama: Foreign Contingency Operation
2001-Present
Al-Qaeda
Taliban
Caucasian militants
Al-Shabaab
Islamic Courts Union
Iraqi insurgents
Hamas
Hezbollah
Baath Party Loyalists
Taliban
Caucasian militants
Al-Shabaab
Islamic Courts Union
Iraqi insurgents
Hamas
Hezbollah
Baath Party Loyalists
In the Philippines:
In Somalia:
- Al-Shabaab
- Hizbul Islam
- Somalia Pirates
In Sahara:
7 October 2001 – presentConflicts ongoing;- Insurgent groups:
2001 Invasion of Afghanistan - Ongoing
Jemaah IslamiyahAbu Sayyaf
Rajah Sulaiman Movement
al-Qaeda
Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa
2002 - Ongoing
al-Itihaad al-Islamiya (Dis)
Islamic Courts Union (Dis)
Harakat al-Shabaab Mujahedeen
Hizbul Islam (Dis)
Islamic Courts Union (Dis)
Harakat al-Shabaab Mujahedeen
Hizbul Islam (Dis)
- Somali Marines
- National Volunteer Coast Guard (NVCG)
- Marka group
- Puntland Group
2003
Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy
Movement for Democracy in Liberia
Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara
2007- Ongoing
2003-2011
Iraq
Baath Party Loyalists
Islamic State of Iraq
al-Qaeda in Iraq (2003–11)
Mahdi Army
Special Groups
Islamic Army of Iraq
Baath Party Loyalists
Islamic State of Iraq
al-Qaeda in Iraq (2003–11)
Mahdi Army
Special Groups
Islamic Army of Iraq
Taliban
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
TNSM
Al-Qaeda
Lashkar-e-Islam
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown
2010
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
TNSM
Al-Qaeda
Lashkar-e-Islam
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown
2010
2011- Ongoing Libyan Arab Jamahiriya:
This list does not include US involvement in "secret wars". There were a number of those and even though the personnel involved were comparatively few, there was a great deal of training and experience received.