The Best Pro Firearms Statement I've Ever Read

[Gene03 0]

"The Gun Is Civilization" by Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force.

If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either
convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception.

Reason or force, that's it.

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.

When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.

The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19 year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunken guys with baseball bats.

The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.

There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat--it has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.

People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.

Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.

People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute lethal force, watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level.

The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.

When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation... And that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act

So, the greatest civilization is one where all citizens are equally armed and can only be persuaded, never forced.

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)

[StreetScooby 5]

He's leaving out another option that is used far more frequently - ignore the other person. A truly civilized society allows for that option.

We are all engines of karma

[toolbox 0]

It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

[Stumpy 284]

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It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

Its often said, but it's just about never true.

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[ManagingPrime 0]

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It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

Its often said, but it's just about never true.

Come to AZ. Conceal carry is legal without a permit. A large number of people open and conceal carry. With that in mind I don't "mouth off" at people for perceived slights like I may in a state like say, New York or California.

Conversely, I conceal carry quite often. I also make a point not take offense if someone is trying to be provocative. Why? Because if the situation escalated someone could die.

It's one thing to say "mutual respect". It's something wholly different when both parties have the means to defend themselves with lethal force.

[Remster 30]

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It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

Its often said, but it's just about never true.

Come to AZ. Conceal carry is legal without a permit. A large number of people open and conceal carry. With that in mind I don't "mouth off" at people for perceived slights like I may in a state like say, New York or California.

Conversely, I conceal carry quite often. I also make a point not take offense if someone is trying to be provocative. Why? Because if the situation escalated someone could die.

It's one thing to say "mutual respect". It's something wholly different when both parties have the means to defend themselves with lethal force.

That's not what being polite is. That's what being scared is.

Remster

[billvon 3,070]

> With that in mind I don't "mouth off" at people for perceived slights like I may in a
>state like say, New York or California.

If you are polite only when you fear what the other person might do - it's not politeness, it's fear.

[Remster 30]

Get your own material, will ya!

Remster

[Skyrad 0]

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He's leaving out another option that is used far more frequently - ignore the other person. A truly civilized society allows for that option.

Well said, also concede a point based on its just not worth the argument, clearly this guy has never been married

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[ManagingPrime 0]

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It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

Its often said, but it's just about never true.

Come to AZ. Conceal carry is legal without a permit. A large number of people open and conceal carry. With that in mind I don't "mouth off" at people for perceived slights like I may in a state like say, New York or California.

Conversely, I conceal carry quite often. I also make a point not take offense if someone is trying to be provocative. Why? Because if the situation escalated someone could die.

It's one thing to say "mutual respect". It's something wholly different when both parties have the means to defend themselves with lethal force.

That's not what being polite is. That's what being scared is.

I would disagree. I would say that the situation (being in a population group where a large percentage are armed) simply forces some people to give a little more consideration to their actions where they otherwise would not.

Polite as defined simply means: "1.well-mannered: showing or possessing good manners or common courtesy".

If someone is generally not well mannered, but is because they are unsure if the other person is armed or not, I'll call that a win.

[airtwardo 7]

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He's leaving out another option that is used far more frequently - ignore the other person. A truly civilized society allows for that option.

Kinda hard to do when the aggressor is holding a baseball bat demanding your wallet & watch...or going through your home uninvited at 2am.

There is a name for people who choose to 'ignore' threats against them..."Victim"

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[toolbox 0]

Your definition of a victim is right on the money. I had some tweaker threaten me with a tire iron once.
This guy came at me with his tire iron raised above his head yelling "your dead mother fucker",and then he noticed the 45 pointing at him and instantly became very polite and apologetic.
He said quote "I'm sorry man,please do not shoot me" and then it got really strange as the guy dropped to the ground and begged me not to arrest him.
I am not a cop,nor do I think I look like a cop.
The guy was twackled out for sure,but instantly polite at first sight of the gun,and I did not have to fire a single round.
So I went from potential victim to someone who received a very heart felt apology,instead of becoming a dead mother fucker.

[skybill 22]

Hi G-03,
Buddy you proverbially,"Hit the nail on the head!!" Thanks and spread the word far and wide!!

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[skypuppy 1]

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It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

Its often said, but it's just about never true.

That's a pretty absolute, unqualified sweeping statement. How do you back it up. Sources?

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[Stumpy 284]

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It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

Its often said, but it's just about never true.

That's a pretty absolute, unqualified sweeping statement. How do you back it up. Sources?

Both statements are unqualified and sweeping, but given that the US is an armed society, people are just as rude and often ruder than where I live, which isn't.

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[winsor 236]

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It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

Its often said, but it's just about never true.

[Stumpy 284]

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It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

Its often said, but it's just about never true.

Thats BS - I guess you probably havent travelled too much. People in the US, yes, even those states that are heavily in favor of guns, are just as rude and confrontational as anywhere else, and much worse than some.

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[davjohns 1]

I wasn't there and I'm not a historian; but I've read that the wild west wasn't really wild.

Think about it. If everyone has a gun, wouldn't you make sure you were in the right before pulling yours?

Billy the Kid is infamous for killing 21 men. We have had serial killers that killed in excess of 100...without a firearm. The OK Corral is a famous site of violence. Three guys died...in a town where firearms were outlawed. Today, three guys dead might make the news. Might not.

There is a very good argument that an armed society is a polite society.

I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet..

But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course.

[tkhayes 348]

reason or force are not actually the only two options - the argument is flawed from the very first statement in it.

[skypuppy 1]

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It is often said that an armed society is a polite society.

Its often said, but it's just about never true.

That's a pretty absolute, unqualified sweeping statement. How do you back it up. Sources?

Both statements are unqualified and sweeping, but given that the US is an armed society, people are just as rude and often ruder than where I live, which isn't.

actually both statements are not sweeping. The first is a statement that 'it is often said'. I've heard it. I believe that it is probably said quite often.

Your statement was that it's just about never true. That is a sweeping statement, and I'm waiting to hear how you know that it isn't usually true. Do you have a source? Or are you going on your gut feeling?

You obviously have a problem with people owning guns. That's fine. But you don't have the right to take them away from people who don't have a problem with them, or just want to own them.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[skypuppy 1]

what are the other options?

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[NewGuy2005 53]

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...There is a very good argument that an armed society is a polite society.

Maybe a better phrase would be "An armed society is a careful society."

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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Your statement was that it's just about never true. That is a sweeping statement, and I'm waiting to hear how you know that it isn't usually true. Do you have a source? Or are you going on your gut feeling?

It is my gut feeling.

If you ask people outside the US to describe Americans...would polite come up?

I have been to the US quite a bit and would state that generally Canadians are much more polite than Americans.

Lastly, since people on this thread are treating fearfull and polite as being equal, the whole statement might just be flawed from the beginning.

[Gene03 0]

Howdy TK.

Would you please elaborate?

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)

[Gene03 0]

Zane Gray had a flair for the dramatic.

Louis L' amour writings are much more accurate.

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)