I still don't have a military icon

[dream_labyrinth]

This is one of the best comeback lines of all time. Regardless of how you
feel about gun laws!!! It is a portion of National Public Radio (NPR)
interview between a female broadcaster and US Marine Corps General
Reinwald who was about to sponsor a Boy Scout Troop visiting his military
installation.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: So, General Reinwald, what things are you going to
teach
these young boys when they visit your base?

GENERAL REINWALD: We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery
and shooting.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it?

GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the
rifle range.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous
activity to be teaching children?

GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see how. We will be teaching them proper rifle
discipline before they even touch a firearm.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: But you're equipping them to become violent killers.

GENERAL REINWALD: Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not
one, are you?

The radio went silent and the interview ended.

Comments

[jonthedull.livejournal.com]

Hahaha!
I always thought that shooting was part of what boyscouts did. I'm not a big fan of hunting, but I have met people who hunted for food, not by choice, but because they really were poor, and a deer or two would provide enough meat for the family for really low cost. Besides, shooting is an Olympic sport. Knowhing how to use a gun doesn't make one a killer any more than knowing how to use a butcher knife makes one Jack The Ripper. If the kids have some sort of violent killer tendencies it wont' make a difference if the boyscouts show them how to shoot. A gun isn't the most complicated thing to figure out how to use. It's not like using a matchlock musket. And the kids will be supervised, shooting at targets at a range. unless one goes nuts and shoots another kid, I imagine it's a very safe thing to do. The chances of the gun blowing up are small, and the only real danger is to ones hearing if you don't wear ear protection. More Boyscouts probaly get hurt putting up tents or learning how to use a kayak than they do with guns.

It's 4:30am Why am I still up?

[dream-labyrinth.livejournal.com]

Accidents always happen, and of course a gun is a more dangerous thing to deal with than, say, a Barbie doll (though their arms are pretty hard and pointy, I'm sure you can poke somebody's eye out with them), but then again, if people live in a country where owning a gun is as easy as it is in the US, it would probably be good to let everyone have a fair knowledge of which end is the dangerous one.

[altonwings.livejournal.com]

Shooting a gun is easy. Any fool can pull the trigger and generally aim it at something (or someone) while doing it. It's a lot harder to teach people how to responsibly use firearms.

But what am I thinking? It's easier to blame people than try to make them responsible, productive members of society!

[dream-labyrinth.livejournal.com]

I don't really like the line "guns don't kill people, people kill people", and I don't think everybody should have the right to bear arms, but the phrase does make sense.

Just because you know how to handle a gun doesn't mean you're likely to kill somebody or even start robbing banks. IIRC, there are more guns per person in Canada than in the US, but the crime rate and the number of gun-related accidents is lower.

[dream-labyrinth.livejournal.com]

*g*
Definitely.
But what a perfect answer. I'll remember that for the next time somebody asks me how I can live with working for the military.

[cleverusername2.livejournal.com]

LOL, when was that on??

[dream-labyrinth.livejournal.com]

I have no idea. I got it in a mail from one of our soldiers months ago, and decided to save it for posterity before deleting the mail to make room in my inbox.

[dream-labyrinth.livejournal.com]

It seems to be an urban legend. Such a pity.
(See here (http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/n/npr-reinwald.htm))