I was showing my wife some pictures of targets I had taken on last week’s trip to the range. She noticed that there was a hole in the plywood that was the backing for the target. She asked if the bullet always went through the wood. I told her it would have to be several inches thick before it would stop a bullet. She seemed surprised. Even though she has been with me to the range often, and has been shooting for years she doesn’t have enough interest to really learn about ballistics or how bullets act. All she is usually concerned about is the holes in her target. I don’t fault her for this because she is not really into guns and shooting. She goes to the range with me to do things with me. Just like I will help her in the kitchen even though I don’t know the difference between folding in ingredients or mixing them into a recipe. She is a chef and a pro baker and I am not. But we like to be with each other so we do things together. She had never really paid attention to the bullets going through the steel or the ¾ inch plywood like it wasn’t there. She then starting asking about what would stop a bullet. She started to list things in our house.
A wall? No not a standard interior or exterior wall.
A couch or bed? No.
A refrigerator? No, depending on how much is in it and whether it is frozen or not.
A metal or wood front door? No, depending on the thickness
“Well what WOULD stop a bullet in our house?” Not very much I’m afraid. Brick or stone walls would. A stone fireplace or maybe a cast iron wood stove. I’ve never really tested a woodstove.
A book shelf from the side. In other words, a stack of books about 8 to 10 inches thick. I use a stack of paperback books taped together about 11 inches thick when I dry fire.
If you have a ballistic vest then you could use that. Or maybe a plate panel that goes into a plate carrier.
Practice pads that are specific for dry fire are a good portable alternative. Make sure it is rated for the caliber you will use.
A 5 gallon bucket of sand will stop a bullet.
A vehicles engine block or axle will stop a bullet, but not a vehicle door. The only vehicle I have seen stop a bullet is the door of an armored vehicle like some military Hum Vees.
A large tree will stop a bullet.
The five-gallon bucket of sand could be disguised inside a decorative basket, with a fake houseplant such as a ficus tree plunked inside the sand bucket. Such a contraption is a handy place to point your firearm when you must load, unload, or disassemble it (especially in the case of Glocks and other designs which require you to pull the trigger during the disassembly process).
I was reading a blog, Concealed Carry.com. The article is titled “16 Things That Will Stop a Bullet and 28 Things That Won’t”
The article showed video evidence of the things that would and would not stop bullets. It is very important to know what actually will stop a bullet.
There are several ways to explain this. I will attempt to do so.
There are several factors we need to consider. The caliber of bullet, the velocity of the bullet, and the thickness of the thing you’re trying to use as cover. We’ll talk about these things.
Caliber is the size of the bullet. Most of the time when you have a higher caliber you will have more power behind it. But not necessarily.
An example. The .25 caliber bullet only has a velocity of 760 feet per second while the .22 Stinger has a velocity of 1,640 feet per second. The .22 has more power behind it so it goes faster than the heavier .25.
Velocity is everything. If you compare a .22 Long rifle cartridge and a 30-06 cartridge the difference in size is obvious. The 30-06 is bigger around (.30 caliber) compared to the .22 caliber. But the case size differences are really where the large difference is. The 30-06 has much more power behind it so it travels at a higher velocity. That velocity gives it better punching power. Velocity is also affected by the weapons barrel length. The charge that the cartridge is loaded with has an impact on the velocity too. The charge continues to burn in a longer barrel so this increases the bullet speed. This can act in an opposite effect if the barrel is too long.
So why are we talking about all this physics? Because this is what plays a role in whether you can hide behind something and be protected or not.
There was a young guy who wanted to be a You Tube star in 2009. He kept bugging his girlfriend to film her shooting him with a .50 caliber handgun with a book in front of his chest as a shield. He is now dead and she is in jail for accidentally killing him. They did not understand what was considered cover, (stop a bullet) and what is concealment, (something to hide behind.) It is vital that you know this too. Ever see a movie and see a shooter in a restaurant having a gunfight? People are hiding behind walls, appliances, and tables. None of these things may stop a bullet. Maybe the wall if it is brick or concrete. I’ve seen countless T.V. shows where law enforcement stops their patrol car, get out, and kneel in back of their vehicle door pointing their gun. This would be a fatal mistake. But that is what has taught us how to protect ourselves. This is a horrible lesson. First of all, I’m not sure we should take our life-and-death advice from fictional characters. Learning the truth about what is cover is very important. I have shot through 2 X 4 and ¾ inch plywood lumber. Almost any caliber unless it is quite a distance away would go through this type lumber. Maybe a 4 x 4 or a 4 x 6 inch piece of lumber would stop some bullets but not all and not at all distances. A concrete wall full of rebar and concrete will stop most bullets.
In my experience, 8 inches of bound paper will stop a 9mm bullet at point blank range. I’ve tested that and use 10 inches of bound paperback books as a bullet stop for dryfire drills. Sand is a pretty good bullet stopper. A sandbag is about 4 inches thick. Sandbags saved my life many times over. They lined the walls of our fighting positions with about 8 rows of sandbags!
Water and glass can be shot through but the course of the bullet is usually altered along with its strength depending on the thickness of the glass and depth of water.
Basically, knowing the difference between cover and concealment may save your life. Just know that most things don’t stop a bullet but it’s difficult to hit a target that can’t be seen. So concealment is important too.
It’s always better to not get in a fight. But if you must be in a firefight, know the difference between cover, and concealment.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Who Is Watching You and How To Be More Invisible
Someone asked me the other day why I don’t identify myself on this blog. I want to answer that question here and talk a little about privacy.
I don’t use my name and remain vague about my identity and location, and even about details about my family. I do this because I am a little paranoid. I’ve worked for the United States government my entire adult life and I know how intrusive they can be. I’ve also participated in activities in my youth and military days that were not really things our government should be doing. I’m not a mysterious operator or CIA field agent, but the things I was involved in were in support of activities that in hindsight I know were not kosher. So because of these experiences I tend to guard my privacy. That is a driving force behind my trying to remain somewhat anonymous. I’m also not naïve enough to believe that if someone wanted to find out who I was they could. I know that I am not anonymous here on the internet, and neither are you.
There are things you can do to lessen your identity. Let me give you an example of what kind of information can be gleaned from “mining” the internet.
We have some great friends who live in another city. We stay in touch mainly through texting and Facebook. Last year I saw a picture of the Grandson of our friends. It was the beginning of school, and beyond my understanding (maybe I’m getting old), our friend’s daughter felt she had to show off her son on his first day. Did I mention I’m paranoid? I think the first day of school picture post is pretty stupid, but I digress. I looked at this picture and noticed the boy’s first name, and in the background, the number on their house. All pretty innocent right? I just mentioned to my friend there was a lot of information in that picture. She mentioned it to her daughter and her daughter gave a typical “eye rolling” because Mom couldn’t possibly be right about this innocent picture. My friend told me her daughter’s reply. So I said to my daughter who is not friends on Facebook with our friend or her daughter, “I want you to find out what school this kid goes to. We’ll show his Mom that her “innocent” picture has the potential to be dangerous.” Within less than 30 minutes my daughter had the following information: The boy’s full name, and complete address, and a phone number. His parents full names. His father’s place of employment. The boy’s school along with the address and hours of the school. The boy’s room number at school, class schedule, and his teacher’s name. Even a picture of the teacher.
I don’t know about you but I don’t think our friend’s daughter intended for the information my daughter found to be out there. Between Facebook pages and the schools website all that info was there. She found there were only two pre-K schools in the town the boy lived in. Because of the pictures on the schools website my daughter was able to confirm which school the boy went to. If anyone was stalking this family, they would have had some pretty good information from these sources. Always look in the background of the pictures you post. I’ve decided to post very few, indistinguishable pictures on my Facebook page. I also have no information on my profile. Facebook has to guess about things with me. When you get those “reminders” of information to post in your profile Facebook tries to get me to expose where I work and where I live all the time.
Limiting what you put on the internet is always a good idea. My son, who lives in another state, has asked us to not post pictures of his daughter, our Grand-daughter, without asking him first. They send us a lot of pictures in texts. Now I know that is not secure, but it is much less exposed to the internet.
Cookies are a way of tracking you. Most of the time cookies are used to store information about a website so it’s easier to get into. Pretty innocent right? Cookies can track what websites you frequent, and what you buy online without your knowledge. Legitimate websites inform you that they use cookies. Less reputable sites won’t tell you. There are ways of turning them off and clearing them but that is for another post. A quick Google search will get you that simple information.
If you need privacy try the TOR browser. It can hide what you do on the internet. It was developed in the 90’s by the U.S. Navy.
While connected to the Tor network, activity will never be traceable back to your IP address. Similarly, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) won’t be able to view information about the contents of your traffic, including which website you’re visiting.
It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to become truly anonymous online, but Tor can certainly help you be less visible. All of your traffic arriving at its destination will appear to come from a Tor exit node, so will have the IP address of that node assigned to it. Because the traffic has passed through several additional nodes while encrypted, it can’t be traced back to you.
However, one of the issues lies in trusting the operator of the exit node. If you’re visiting an unencrypted (non-HTTPS) website, it’s possible the node operator can track your activity and view your information. They could collect data such as which webpages you’re viewing, your login information, the content of your messages or posts, and the searches you perform. Although, there’s no way to trace that information back to you or even back to the entry node.
It’s worth noting that using the Tor browser only protects traffic going through that connection and won’t anonymize other apps on your computer.
Would you be interested in what the FBI has in their file on you? You’re wondering why you would have an FBI file aren’t you. Well you may not have one but there is one way to find out. Request it. Here’s how to do it.
Requesting Your FBI File
Records about you can be obtained under the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a. Your personal records may only be released to you, unless you give a proper express waiver to release records to another person. To file a successful request, your request should include:
• Complete name and current address are required.
• Citizenship or US resident status is required. Privacy Act requests may only be processed for US citizens or lawfully admitted permanent US residents. Non-conforming requests will be processed under the Freedom of Information Act.
• Include any identifying data that could help the government identify records related to you, such as date and place of birth. Other optional information may could include former addresses, social security number, aliases or previous names.
• You may also describe any particular incidents or events in which you were involved that you think may have come under FBI surveillance.
• Describe yourself as either:
o “an individual seeking information for personal, noncommercial use,” or
o “affiliated with an educational or noncommercial institution, and this request is made for scholarly purposes” or
o “a representative of the news media and this request is made as part of a news gathering and not for commercial use.”
• Scholarly and media requestors may be entitled to a waiver of fees. If you fit that description, state “I am entitled to a waiver of fees” along with the name of your media or institution. . For other non-commercial requestors, such as individuals, the FBI cannot charge fees for the first two hours of search, or first 100 pages of document production.
• State the maximum dollar amount you are willing to pay for copying fees. By submitting a request, you are considered to agree to pay copying fees up to $25 unless you specify a different amount, lesser or greater.
• Certify that you are who you say you are. Sign your request. Then, you have two options. You may either:
o Have your request Notarized, or
o You may state “Under penalty of perjury, I hereby declare that I am the person named above and I understand that any falsification of this statement is punishable under the provisions of Title 18, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 1001 by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment of not more than five years, or both; and that requesting or obtaining any record(s) under false pretenses is punishable under the provisions of Title 5, U. S. C., Section 552a(i)(3) as a misdemeanor and by a fine of not more than $5,000.”
• If you wish to authorize the release of personal records about yourself to another person, you may state “Further, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Section 552a(b), I authorize the U.S. Department of Justice to release any and all information relating to me to:” and list all persons to whom you would like to grant access to your files.
You may also request your FBI file by filling out US Department of Justice Certification of Identity Form DOJ-361 [http://www.fbi.gov/foia/u.s.-department-of-justice-form-361-certification-of-identity] and attaching any additional information.
Requests should be addressed and mailed to the FBI main office in Washington, D.C., and any regional field offices that you believe may have records concerning you
The FBI is required to make a reasonable effort to search for records. Adding optional details and descriptions may make it easier for the FBI to locate records, and make it harder for them to claim they could not reasonably find information. But keep in mind that any information or details that you volunteer in this letter are being sent to the FBI and may be used by them as they see fit.
Privacy is the last frontier. With the breakthrough in technology of the last 30 years your privacy will be at stake with every turn. Being aware of what information you give out and who is watching you, you can go into this technology with some security. Be vigilant.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
I don’t use my name and remain vague about my identity and location, and even about details about my family. I do this because I am a little paranoid. I’ve worked for the United States government my entire adult life and I know how intrusive they can be. I’ve also participated in activities in my youth and military days that were not really things our government should be doing. I’m not a mysterious operator or CIA field agent, but the things I was involved in were in support of activities that in hindsight I know were not kosher. So because of these experiences I tend to guard my privacy. That is a driving force behind my trying to remain somewhat anonymous. I’m also not naïve enough to believe that if someone wanted to find out who I was they could. I know that I am not anonymous here on the internet, and neither are you.
There are things you can do to lessen your identity. Let me give you an example of what kind of information can be gleaned from “mining” the internet.
We have some great friends who live in another city. We stay in touch mainly through texting and Facebook. Last year I saw a picture of the Grandson of our friends. It was the beginning of school, and beyond my understanding (maybe I’m getting old), our friend’s daughter felt she had to show off her son on his first day. Did I mention I’m paranoid? I think the first day of school picture post is pretty stupid, but I digress. I looked at this picture and noticed the boy’s first name, and in the background, the number on their house. All pretty innocent right? I just mentioned to my friend there was a lot of information in that picture. She mentioned it to her daughter and her daughter gave a typical “eye rolling” because Mom couldn’t possibly be right about this innocent picture. My friend told me her daughter’s reply. So I said to my daughter who is not friends on Facebook with our friend or her daughter, “I want you to find out what school this kid goes to. We’ll show his Mom that her “innocent” picture has the potential to be dangerous.” Within less than 30 minutes my daughter had the following information: The boy’s full name, and complete address, and a phone number. His parents full names. His father’s place of employment. The boy’s school along with the address and hours of the school. The boy’s room number at school, class schedule, and his teacher’s name. Even a picture of the teacher.
I don’t know about you but I don’t think our friend’s daughter intended for the information my daughter found to be out there. Between Facebook pages and the schools website all that info was there. She found there were only two pre-K schools in the town the boy lived in. Because of the pictures on the schools website my daughter was able to confirm which school the boy went to. If anyone was stalking this family, they would have had some pretty good information from these sources. Always look in the background of the pictures you post. I’ve decided to post very few, indistinguishable pictures on my Facebook page. I also have no information on my profile. Facebook has to guess about things with me. When you get those “reminders” of information to post in your profile Facebook tries to get me to expose where I work and where I live all the time.
Limiting what you put on the internet is always a good idea. My son, who lives in another state, has asked us to not post pictures of his daughter, our Grand-daughter, without asking him first. They send us a lot of pictures in texts. Now I know that is not secure, but it is much less exposed to the internet.
Cookies are a way of tracking you. Most of the time cookies are used to store information about a website so it’s easier to get into. Pretty innocent right? Cookies can track what websites you frequent, and what you buy online without your knowledge. Legitimate websites inform you that they use cookies. Less reputable sites won’t tell you. There are ways of turning them off and clearing them but that is for another post. A quick Google search will get you that simple information.
If you need privacy try the TOR browser. It can hide what you do on the internet. It was developed in the 90’s by the U.S. Navy.
While connected to the Tor network, activity will never be traceable back to your IP address. Similarly, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) won’t be able to view information about the contents of your traffic, including which website you’re visiting.
It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to become truly anonymous online, but Tor can certainly help you be less visible. All of your traffic arriving at its destination will appear to come from a Tor exit node, so will have the IP address of that node assigned to it. Because the traffic has passed through several additional nodes while encrypted, it can’t be traced back to you.
However, one of the issues lies in trusting the operator of the exit node. If you’re visiting an unencrypted (non-HTTPS) website, it’s possible the node operator can track your activity and view your information. They could collect data such as which webpages you’re viewing, your login information, the content of your messages or posts, and the searches you perform. Although, there’s no way to trace that information back to you or even back to the entry node.
It’s worth noting that using the Tor browser only protects traffic going through that connection and won’t anonymize other apps on your computer.
Would you be interested in what the FBI has in their file on you? You’re wondering why you would have an FBI file aren’t you. Well you may not have one but there is one way to find out. Request it. Here’s how to do it.
Requesting Your FBI File
Records about you can be obtained under the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a. Your personal records may only be released to you, unless you give a proper express waiver to release records to another person. To file a successful request, your request should include:
• Complete name and current address are required.
• Citizenship or US resident status is required. Privacy Act requests may only be processed for US citizens or lawfully admitted permanent US residents. Non-conforming requests will be processed under the Freedom of Information Act.
• Include any identifying data that could help the government identify records related to you, such as date and place of birth. Other optional information may could include former addresses, social security number, aliases or previous names.
• You may also describe any particular incidents or events in which you were involved that you think may have come under FBI surveillance.
• Describe yourself as either:
o “an individual seeking information for personal, noncommercial use,” or
o “affiliated with an educational or noncommercial institution, and this request is made for scholarly purposes” or
o “a representative of the news media and this request is made as part of a news gathering and not for commercial use.”
• Scholarly and media requestors may be entitled to a waiver of fees. If you fit that description, state “I am entitled to a waiver of fees” along with the name of your media or institution. . For other non-commercial requestors, such as individuals, the FBI cannot charge fees for the first two hours of search, or first 100 pages of document production.
• State the maximum dollar amount you are willing to pay for copying fees. By submitting a request, you are considered to agree to pay copying fees up to $25 unless you specify a different amount, lesser or greater.
• Certify that you are who you say you are. Sign your request. Then, you have two options. You may either:
o Have your request Notarized, or
o You may state “Under penalty of perjury, I hereby declare that I am the person named above and I understand that any falsification of this statement is punishable under the provisions of Title 18, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 1001 by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment of not more than five years, or both; and that requesting or obtaining any record(s) under false pretenses is punishable under the provisions of Title 5, U. S. C., Section 552a(i)(3) as a misdemeanor and by a fine of not more than $5,000.”
• If you wish to authorize the release of personal records about yourself to another person, you may state “Further, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Section 552a(b), I authorize the U.S. Department of Justice to release any and all information relating to me to:” and list all persons to whom you would like to grant access to your files.
You may also request your FBI file by filling out US Department of Justice Certification of Identity Form DOJ-361 [http://www.fbi.gov/foia/u.s.-department-of-justice-form-361-certification-of-identity] and attaching any additional information.
Requests should be addressed and mailed to the FBI main office in Washington, D.C., and any regional field offices that you believe may have records concerning you
The FBI is required to make a reasonable effort to search for records. Adding optional details and descriptions may make it easier for the FBI to locate records, and make it harder for them to claim they could not reasonably find information. But keep in mind that any information or details that you volunteer in this letter are being sent to the FBI and may be used by them as they see fit.
Privacy is the last frontier. With the breakthrough in technology of the last 30 years your privacy will be at stake with every turn. Being aware of what information you give out and who is watching you, you can go into this technology with some security. Be vigilant.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Nationalism and Patriotism
I’ve been accused of many things. Usually I don’t care because I have an attitude problem. Usually I don’t care about my attitude problem being a problem for someone else. I’ve lived in a few places. One place that I identify with is the state of Texas. I like the pride that Texans have of their independence and the perceived arrogance of being a Texan. Some people have a problem with that. That is a problem they must “struggle” with. Because of my attitude problem I don’t care about others problems that they can fix with an attitude adjustment. My family has a saying that actually came from my son-in-laws family. It is “Suck it up, cupcake!” And so I usually dole out this advice as a product of my attitude.
Why do liberals have such a problem with those who love their country? I call it patriotism and they call it nationalism and ultimately racism (sometimes I think liberals think EVERYTHING is racism!). I’ve tried to explain that I don’t think I’m a racist. I have lived and now live among those not of my race. I am actually the minority. I accept that and have actually embraced many cultural and linguistic differences that I’ve known for years. But because I feel that the interests of the United States should come first in this country I am labeled a “nationalist” and “xenophobic”. I really don’t think it’s a bad thing to care about my country and its interests. I know that it is unrealistic to think that the U.S. is not affected by other countries or that we don’t affect other countries. I have no problem with other countries. I think the citizens of other countries should feel about their country the way I feel about mine. I was raised to have national pride and a love for my country. My father served during WWII and my Grandfather served in WWI. I have fought aggressors while wearing the flag of the U.S. I’ve watched my brothers die for this country. That changes you a little. So when I push a nationalist agenda I am doing so without malice for other races and other countries. I am also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This church is global. There are more members outside the U.S. than in the U.S. So I can understand my Church being more world-wide than I am. Also the gospel of Jesus Christ includes everyone in the world. God is not interested in borders. This too I understand. But I am different from the extreme right. I don’t think this country would be as great as it is without immigrants and the melting pot of race that is here. So, liberals and other small children, not everyone that doesn’t agree with you is racist. Some of us have given our blood for this country. We have a close bond with this country and its symbols. We can live with you and your views but I’m not sure you can live with us. So, call us what you may, and we will try to explain. You may, or may not care about my explanation. That is OK. The only thing I ask is that you not get in my face with your views and opinion. I can listen to them, and respect you for your opinion, but if you try to shove it down my throat I will not warm to the idea. When someone is aggressive with me I seem to double down and close and engage. It’s in my nature and my training and comes from past experiences. If you don’t care about my “feelings” then that’s OK too. Just know what you may get if you get in my face. I have tried to control myself over the years.
I don’t completely understand why Nationalism is a bad thing? Some think that nationalists feel that nothing would come before the interests of our country. I don’t think that precludes a country from being charitable, and helping other countries that need help. We do not think that laws should be broken to do this. But to survive as a country we need to strive to take care of ourselves. This doesn’t mean that we don’t trade with other countries either. But sanctions and tariffs might be something needed to influence countries to try and do right things. We are Americans first, members of the world second.
Nationalism has been used to equal white supremacy and it just is not so. I tell you one thing that gets under my skin is skinheads that use certain symbols and then all of a sudden anyone who uses that symbol is a supremacist. The Confederate flag for instance. All of sudden it means racism. In reality the civil war was not a war of slavery, but an economic war. Some people on the left have an idea that anything that reminds us of a civil war is racist. I think they would like to change history. I wish they would just leave history alone. If I found I was related to a horse thief (which I probably am) then I don’t think ignoring the fact or hoping no one will notice would change the fact.
While the words patriotism and nationalism were once considered synonyms, they have taken on different connotations. While both are the feelings of love people feel for their country, the values upon which those feelings are based are very different.
Feelings of patriotism are based on the positive values the country embraces like freedom, justice, and equality. The patriot believes that both the system of government and the people of their country are inherently good and work together for a better quality of life.
In contrast, feelings of nationalism are based on a belief that one’s country is superior to all others. It also carries a connotation of distrust or disapproval of other countries, leading to the assumption that other countries are rivals. I do not believe that nationalism means being better than anyone else. I think sometimes people read into words things that are just not there. Liberals tend to do this a lot. That’s why it seems like everything offends them.
I believe that we should have our country in our best interests. But then again, I think other countries should do the same. No country should treat another country bad. If we believe that we are truly a good country then we should show it by being kind and benevolent to the world. At times that has got us into trouble. I think we have honestly tried to fight communism and tyrants in the past but sometimes that does not work as it should.
I think it’s amazing to think that a country exists that believes it’s important to safeguard individuals rights even for those intent on destroying that same country. It matters not if you are left or right, Republican, Democrat, or Libertarian, your rights are important.
I’m not sure of the difference between a nationalist and a patriot. But I am in favor of the United States taking care of itself. I’m not naïve and know that helping other countries, trading with other countries, and sometimes protecting other countries is the best for our own country. We should be the champions of freedom through-out this entire world.
I think labeling is not generally a good thing. I often label people liberal or left. I don’t think giving your opinion about the way someone behaves is necessarily labeling. Maybe some whining, leftist, commie, snowflake, would prefer my “in your face” labeling, if that is true then me and my attitude would probably oblige.
Can’t we all just get along?
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Why do liberals have such a problem with those who love their country? I call it patriotism and they call it nationalism and ultimately racism (sometimes I think liberals think EVERYTHING is racism!). I’ve tried to explain that I don’t think I’m a racist. I have lived and now live among those not of my race. I am actually the minority. I accept that and have actually embraced many cultural and linguistic differences that I’ve known for years. But because I feel that the interests of the United States should come first in this country I am labeled a “nationalist” and “xenophobic”. I really don’t think it’s a bad thing to care about my country and its interests. I know that it is unrealistic to think that the U.S. is not affected by other countries or that we don’t affect other countries. I have no problem with other countries. I think the citizens of other countries should feel about their country the way I feel about mine. I was raised to have national pride and a love for my country. My father served during WWII and my Grandfather served in WWI. I have fought aggressors while wearing the flag of the U.S. I’ve watched my brothers die for this country. That changes you a little. So when I push a nationalist agenda I am doing so without malice for other races and other countries. I am also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This church is global. There are more members outside the U.S. than in the U.S. So I can understand my Church being more world-wide than I am. Also the gospel of Jesus Christ includes everyone in the world. God is not interested in borders. This too I understand. But I am different from the extreme right. I don’t think this country would be as great as it is without immigrants and the melting pot of race that is here. So, liberals and other small children, not everyone that doesn’t agree with you is racist. Some of us have given our blood for this country. We have a close bond with this country and its symbols. We can live with you and your views but I’m not sure you can live with us. So, call us what you may, and we will try to explain. You may, or may not care about my explanation. That is OK. The only thing I ask is that you not get in my face with your views and opinion. I can listen to them, and respect you for your opinion, but if you try to shove it down my throat I will not warm to the idea. When someone is aggressive with me I seem to double down and close and engage. It’s in my nature and my training and comes from past experiences. If you don’t care about my “feelings” then that’s OK too. Just know what you may get if you get in my face. I have tried to control myself over the years.
I don’t completely understand why Nationalism is a bad thing? Some think that nationalists feel that nothing would come before the interests of our country. I don’t think that precludes a country from being charitable, and helping other countries that need help. We do not think that laws should be broken to do this. But to survive as a country we need to strive to take care of ourselves. This doesn’t mean that we don’t trade with other countries either. But sanctions and tariffs might be something needed to influence countries to try and do right things. We are Americans first, members of the world second.
Nationalism has been used to equal white supremacy and it just is not so. I tell you one thing that gets under my skin is skinheads that use certain symbols and then all of a sudden anyone who uses that symbol is a supremacist. The Confederate flag for instance. All of sudden it means racism. In reality the civil war was not a war of slavery, but an economic war. Some people on the left have an idea that anything that reminds us of a civil war is racist. I think they would like to change history. I wish they would just leave history alone. If I found I was related to a horse thief (which I probably am) then I don’t think ignoring the fact or hoping no one will notice would change the fact.
While the words patriotism and nationalism were once considered synonyms, they have taken on different connotations. While both are the feelings of love people feel for their country, the values upon which those feelings are based are very different.
Feelings of patriotism are based on the positive values the country embraces like freedom, justice, and equality. The patriot believes that both the system of government and the people of their country are inherently good and work together for a better quality of life.
In contrast, feelings of nationalism are based on a belief that one’s country is superior to all others. It also carries a connotation of distrust or disapproval of other countries, leading to the assumption that other countries are rivals. I do not believe that nationalism means being better than anyone else. I think sometimes people read into words things that are just not there. Liberals tend to do this a lot. That’s why it seems like everything offends them.
I believe that we should have our country in our best interests. But then again, I think other countries should do the same. No country should treat another country bad. If we believe that we are truly a good country then we should show it by being kind and benevolent to the world. At times that has got us into trouble. I think we have honestly tried to fight communism and tyrants in the past but sometimes that does not work as it should.
I think it’s amazing to think that a country exists that believes it’s important to safeguard individuals rights even for those intent on destroying that same country. It matters not if you are left or right, Republican, Democrat, or Libertarian, your rights are important.
I’m not sure of the difference between a nationalist and a patriot. But I am in favor of the United States taking care of itself. I’m not naïve and know that helping other countries, trading with other countries, and sometimes protecting other countries is the best for our own country. We should be the champions of freedom through-out this entire world.
I think labeling is not generally a good thing. I often label people liberal or left. I don’t think giving your opinion about the way someone behaves is necessarily labeling. Maybe some whining, leftist, commie, snowflake, would prefer my “in your face” labeling, if that is true then me and my attitude would probably oblige.
Can’t we all just get along?
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Monday, August 12, 2019
Going Underground
I love gun T-shirts! My favorite is a picture of a decked out AR with the words “Happiness is zero at 200”. The trouble is, I never wear it. I have another that I like from Academy Sports centers and it simple says “Got Ammo?” but I never wear it. My wife says I’m a closet gun nut. She’s pretty accurate. And I’m not “coming out” any time soon! I’m not ashamed of my affiliation with guns. I just don’t need the world to know. I even refrain from posting on politically charged Twitter feeds and Facebook posts. Some have told me I’m a wimp and afraid of the left. I don’t think I’m afraid of the left, but I have worked for the government for 30+ years. I know what they are capable of. I’m not afraid of them in particular. I’ve been a cautious guy for a long time. I have operated with great caution for many years concerning what I do and how I do it. I’m not as extreme as I sound sometimes in this blog. I have had food storage my entire marriage and that did not change with Y2K or with the “prepper” movement. I’ve been a gun nut most of my life and have not really changed much from my younger years. But I operate maybe from what some may deem paranoia. I don’t share personal information with many and especially with the internet. I use the word paranoid facetiously. But my advice to any of you is to tone down the way you talk about guns.
Red flag laws are a little different in each state. But basically, if a family member or others believe that you are a danger to yourself or others they report you. The police can take your guns from you “temporarily”. I’m not sure what that means exactly but it does have to go through a judge. This has already helped some would-be suicide victims. I am not sure. I’m wondering if a disgruntled ex-spouse can turn in their ex just for spite. I guess they would have to lie to a judge but for some that would not be a problem. I’m not sure what it is like to try and get those guns back from the police if the crisis is over. I may be worried for nothing. But like I said, I don’t trust the government. Even though I love this country and think our government is the best I’ve seen, I still don’t trust them! So I’m dubious about this law. But that’s not what this article is about really.
Because of these laws and possible future laws it behooves us to practice operations security. Be vague about what you do. In that same vein, don’t be so cavalier with talking about guns you own. Or the number of guns you have. Or the amount of ammo you keep. Or anything like this. Others don’t really need to know this information.
A few years ago I was waiting at a light in a line of cars turning into a Walmart. I was with my son and we were behind a pick-up. I sat there looking at the back of that truck and I told my son, “I can tell you a lot about the owner of that truck.” He said, “How?” I said “I can tell you with a reasonable amount accuracy that this truck owner also owns a gun. He has a “Glock” sticker along with an “NRA” sticker on his back window. He has 3 kids and a dog from the family stickmen stickers, and he’s Jewish from the Star of David emblem.” My son said “Wow!” “And finally” I said, “He’s probably a Republican from the “Ted Cruz” sticker in his back window.” All this from the back of his vehicle. Talk about vulnerabilities! I have no problem with any of those things that this guy has broadcast to the world but others may. For one thing you’re asking to be a target to any nutbag out there. The other is you’re making public some things that you may not need to be secret, but just private.
I am a Life member of the NRA yet you would not know it by my vehicle. I’m also a gun guy but you wouldn’t know by my clothes. I don’t wear 5.11 pants or “I don’t call 9-1-1” T-shirts. When I carry a gun it is concealed and you wouldn’t know I was carrying.
I was driving through a neighborhood one day when I happened to see a box out with the trash in front of a house. Nothing crazy about that. Except that it was a long, flat box with the Ruger logo all over it! Someone got a new rifle. This is prevalent especially after Christmas. Maybe you get your ammo in bulk from the internet. Take the box with the “Fiocchi” logo all over it and throw it in a dumpster behind the mall. Cut you name and address off of it first.
Some may call this paranoia but I just call it OPSEC. As laws change you may find yourself in a position of owning a banned weapon. I’m not saying bury it (although that IS an option) but I am saying it would be nice to try and figure out what your next move is before the neighbors turn you in.
So my advice is to look at what you do, what you say, how you dress, everything about you. If you’re comfortable with it and it doesn’t say much about you, then carry on! But if you need to make changes make them now. I’m not sure how these red flag laws are going to play out. They may do as they are intended to do and keep us safer. I have my doubts. That would be somewhat successful legislation from a government who can hardly fight a war. They can’t, and won’t, police themselves. I don’t see how their new ideas will actually work.
Beginning to trail off on your conversations, how you buy, and what you do will help you if these laws start to strip away our rights. Remember what Benjamin Franklin said:
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
I’ve talked before about the responsibility of Carrying a Gun. You must be the master of what I call ADD: avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation. This means your situational awareness must be sharp and always in use.
I would also advocate the quiet professional demeanor. Don’t stick out or be overly open about the fact that you own and train with a gun. Keep a low profile. When I was in basic training I had to get the signature of my instructor on a form. I entered his office in the proper way and stated my need. He took the paper and proceeded to sign it. As he did so he looked at me and said that I was keeping quite a low profile and that he noticed it. I said “Sir. Yes Sir.” He just smiled and gave me my paperwork and dismissed me. He knew what I was up to. I was trying to not make any waves, get into any trouble, or stand out in any way to avoid problems and get through this training. He wanted me to know he knew what I was doing, but approved of the tactic. At graduation as I was headed to jump school and SERE he went out of his way to find me, salute me, and shake my hand to wish me well. He appreciated the quiet professional. This may not be for everyone but I try to maintain this all the time. Sometimes I’m successful at it and sometimes I’m not.
In the wake of gun tragedy and gun control being called for (they never let a tragedy go to “waste”) we must protect our rights and our property. Keeping a low profile, or going underground, will give you options if things go bad, and let you operate a little freer in these troubled times.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Red flag laws are a little different in each state. But basically, if a family member or others believe that you are a danger to yourself or others they report you. The police can take your guns from you “temporarily”. I’m not sure what that means exactly but it does have to go through a judge. This has already helped some would-be suicide victims. I am not sure. I’m wondering if a disgruntled ex-spouse can turn in their ex just for spite. I guess they would have to lie to a judge but for some that would not be a problem. I’m not sure what it is like to try and get those guns back from the police if the crisis is over. I may be worried for nothing. But like I said, I don’t trust the government. Even though I love this country and think our government is the best I’ve seen, I still don’t trust them! So I’m dubious about this law. But that’s not what this article is about really.
Because of these laws and possible future laws it behooves us to practice operations security. Be vague about what you do. In that same vein, don’t be so cavalier with talking about guns you own. Or the number of guns you have. Or the amount of ammo you keep. Or anything like this. Others don’t really need to know this information.
A few years ago I was waiting at a light in a line of cars turning into a Walmart. I was with my son and we were behind a pick-up. I sat there looking at the back of that truck and I told my son, “I can tell you a lot about the owner of that truck.” He said, “How?” I said “I can tell you with a reasonable amount accuracy that this truck owner also owns a gun. He has a “Glock” sticker along with an “NRA” sticker on his back window. He has 3 kids and a dog from the family stickmen stickers, and he’s Jewish from the Star of David emblem.” My son said “Wow!” “And finally” I said, “He’s probably a Republican from the “Ted Cruz” sticker in his back window.” All this from the back of his vehicle. Talk about vulnerabilities! I have no problem with any of those things that this guy has broadcast to the world but others may. For one thing you’re asking to be a target to any nutbag out there. The other is you’re making public some things that you may not need to be secret, but just private.
I am a Life member of the NRA yet you would not know it by my vehicle. I’m also a gun guy but you wouldn’t know by my clothes. I don’t wear 5.11 pants or “I don’t call 9-1-1” T-shirts. When I carry a gun it is concealed and you wouldn’t know I was carrying.
I was driving through a neighborhood one day when I happened to see a box out with the trash in front of a house. Nothing crazy about that. Except that it was a long, flat box with the Ruger logo all over it! Someone got a new rifle. This is prevalent especially after Christmas. Maybe you get your ammo in bulk from the internet. Take the box with the “Fiocchi” logo all over it and throw it in a dumpster behind the mall. Cut you name and address off of it first.
Some may call this paranoia but I just call it OPSEC. As laws change you may find yourself in a position of owning a banned weapon. I’m not saying bury it (although that IS an option) but I am saying it would be nice to try and figure out what your next move is before the neighbors turn you in.
So my advice is to look at what you do, what you say, how you dress, everything about you. If you’re comfortable with it and it doesn’t say much about you, then carry on! But if you need to make changes make them now. I’m not sure how these red flag laws are going to play out. They may do as they are intended to do and keep us safer. I have my doubts. That would be somewhat successful legislation from a government who can hardly fight a war. They can’t, and won’t, police themselves. I don’t see how their new ideas will actually work.
Beginning to trail off on your conversations, how you buy, and what you do will help you if these laws start to strip away our rights. Remember what Benjamin Franklin said:
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
I’ve talked before about the responsibility of Carrying a Gun. You must be the master of what I call ADD: avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation. This means your situational awareness must be sharp and always in use.
I would also advocate the quiet professional demeanor. Don’t stick out or be overly open about the fact that you own and train with a gun. Keep a low profile. When I was in basic training I had to get the signature of my instructor on a form. I entered his office in the proper way and stated my need. He took the paper and proceeded to sign it. As he did so he looked at me and said that I was keeping quite a low profile and that he noticed it. I said “Sir. Yes Sir.” He just smiled and gave me my paperwork and dismissed me. He knew what I was up to. I was trying to not make any waves, get into any trouble, or stand out in any way to avoid problems and get through this training. He wanted me to know he knew what I was doing, but approved of the tactic. At graduation as I was headed to jump school and SERE he went out of his way to find me, salute me, and shake my hand to wish me well. He appreciated the quiet professional. This may not be for everyone but I try to maintain this all the time. Sometimes I’m successful at it and sometimes I’m not.
In the wake of gun tragedy and gun control being called for (they never let a tragedy go to “waste”) we must protect our rights and our property. Keeping a low profile, or going underground, will give you options if things go bad, and let you operate a little freer in these troubled times.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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