A German immigrant, now a US citizen, noted a few choice Teutonic-sounding gems sprinkled into TTAG’s content. There’s not much difference between Yiddish and German, so it’s easy to see how he thought TTAG might have a Deutschlander or German-speaking scribe on staff. Be that as it may, he relates his experiences in both the fatherland and the land of the free:

Just wanted to see if there were some fellow pro-2A German Americans on your writing staff. In my experience with my parents that migrated to the US along with myself 20 years ago, my pro 2A opinions, more often than not, clash with theirs. While I grew up in Germany until I was 17, in my heart I am an American now. I was never proud of Germany or being German. I didn’t know how to be. I didn’t learn patriotism until I came to the States. It was a totally foreign concept to me, something you read in school books but didn’t quite understand . . .

Despite that, moving to the US was the best thing that happened to me financially, career and success wise. The fact that I am actually capable of being proud of my country — proud to be an American — is something that no job, house or bank account can even come close to.

Having grown up in a more socialist, more controlled, less free and sheepish society, it provides me with a unique perspective at times. I have personally seen and experienced the results of some of the policies that have been proposed here recently, both the good and the bad.

When it comes to firearms and freedoms, one thing always stands out to me: I no longer have run away from some wannabe neo-nazi gangs looking for a victim for their means of entertainment. Too many friends got to “eat curb” or were shaved bald by force.

I was never hurt myself. I guess I was lucky that I was able to run fast enough, but the anguish, the terror, the sensation of tyranny is so vivid in my mind that I consider myself privileged to now experience the right to defend my life and freedom. I know I’m not telling you anything new, but never ever consider giving an inch to anyone wanting to step on your rights or freedoms. You do not want your children and grandchildren growing up with the normalcy of running away from tyrants.

I appreciate your efforts to keep us informed and entertained via this great website.

Thanks
Torben

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35 COMMENTS

    • Always happy to share my thoughts when I think they are relevant. I didn’t expect an entire post being dedicated to my quick email to TTAG. I am humbled by the responses.
      T.

  3. holy lol, you realize it’s things like “patriotism” and hypermasculinity and right-wing populism and fear of others that produced the nazi party right?

    I’m laughing so hard at this post

    • So did eating bread, breathing air, and walking. All bad things right? I heard that Hitler ate chicken, can’t ever be caught at KFC now.

    • Yet another historically-illiterate individual trying (and failing) to troll. Godwin’s Law, Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

      Now, I hate to compare the Nazis to any American political party, because it’s intellectually lazy and offensive. But if you’re going to compare the Nazis to one political party or another anyways, I have a few questions that will help clarify which modern party the Nazis are more closely associated with, policy-wise:

      – What does the acronym NAZI mean in German, and which American
      political party has economic ideas that are more compatible with the
      policies implicit in the name?

      – What did the Nazis do to private industry in Germany? How does this
      compare with the current administration’s actions?

      – What did the Nazi party stand for regarding healthcare?
      How does this compare with the Democratic and Republican stances on the
      same issue?

    • All populist leaders use such concepts and tactics. The only question is what these tactics are used to do. The conservative agenda of smaller, less intrusive government is diametrically opposed to the “National Socialism” of the Nazi party.

      Take your historical illiteracy and strawman arguments elsewhere, troll.

    • Nationalism, racism, collectivism, leader worship and all the other ****ing B.S. that are key components of fascism =/= patriotism.

      Loving your country and/or the people in it =/= thinking it’s the best ever and **** everyone else.

      FLAME DELETED

    • Meanwhile, the left has NEVER been responsible for anything comparable to the Nazi atrocities…. (And I’m sure Great Lenin’s Ghost will be happy with that Arizona beachfront property I’m prepared to sell.)

      That might be the most pathetic pseudo-intellectual troll attempt I’ve ever seen. Your beloved Lenin had different ideals, but his result wasn’t so much different from the Fuhrer’s. And he’d definitely expect better from anyone who dares to invoke his ghost.

      • Let’s not forget about the fact that Stalin, Mao, and other leftist regimes killed more innocent people than all those who died in WWII and the Holocaust combined in the 20th century alone. Of course kids never hear about the evils of Communist regimes because they’re taught that the Soviets “won” WWII all by themselves and the Chinese are kind humanitarians because one of them played ping-pong with Nixon. Sheesh.

        Many of today’s liberal democrats have a lot more in common with Stalin and Mao than Republicans do with Hitler. Who is it that’s been threatening to main/kill lawful gun owners and wealthy people? I don’t hear Republicans banging their fists on the table to see gays exterminated or illegal immigrants sterilized. I swear the hypocrisy will give me a brain hemorrhage one of these days.

    • I love when people try to pretend like the Nazi’s weren’t left-wing socialists…it’s right up there with those who deny that the Holocaust happened.

    • The Treaty of Versailles was more responsible for the rise of the Nazi Party than any sense of nationalism. The German people were subjected to economic disaster, and the Nazi Party gave them an out. Hyper masculinity did not win out, hunger did.

  4. Enlightenment is good at any age, especially when you get to make the choice, welcome my fellow American!

  6. Torben,

    Your comment made my short list of favorite things EVER written. “Never ever consider giving an inch to anyone wanting to step on your rights or freedoms. You do not want your children and grandchildren growing up with the normalcy of running away from tyrants.”

    You now stand in the company of greats like James Mattis, Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, Gandhi, and Margaret Thatcher.

    Well said, indeed. Thank you for that piece.

    • wow, while I hardly consider myself anywhere near the leagues of Ghandi or Jefferson, I very much appreciate the compliment.
      If my experiences and thoughts in the brief email to TTAG are worthy to make it into anyone’s “favorite list”, feel free to use it at your leisure. I was certainly not trying to come up with anything profound when I typed it.
      However, re-reading it in your comments, I will admit it has a good ring to it.

      thank you
      T.

  7. The United States Constitution was explicitly intended to establish a nation unlike any other and the first ten ammendments, known as The Bill of Rights, enumerates the liberties which particularly distinguish it. Those born elsewhere are often best able to appreciate it because they have witnessed life without it. Too many who grew up with these freedoms fail to treasure them as they should.

  8. Torben,
    Welcome fellow patriot. If only more of our citizens(and our president) realized like you that this country was founded to reject the mistakes Europe has been making for centuries.

    • Like most lefties, the President seems to be operating under the assumption that the mistakes were made because previous governments were deprived of his genius, leadership and other special qualities. BHO was just born too late and too far west, given that socialism began in earnest in 1917 he could have had all of this straightened out by 1919. 1920 at the latest.

      Torben, welcome aboard!

  9. Torben – well said. We have a lot in common, it seems. I also migrated from Germany to the U.S. 20 years ago, became a citizen, and now call this place home. Despite of the many issues this country has, I feel I belong here, this country has given me many opportunities and allowed me to make something of myself that would have never been possible in Germany.

    I also strongly believe in the principles this country was founded on, that the government should serve the people and not the other way around, and that we need to fight hard against politicians trampling all over our rights. I have spent more than a few hours recently making phone calls, sending email, and writing letters to help defend the bill of rights.

    Nice to know there is another like-minded German American out there. If you ever want to chat, drop me a note at abyron (at) gmail.

  10. Welcome, Torben. One thing I would mention, to all of you, be careful not to confuse nationalism for patriotism, they are very different – the later encourages dissent and skepticism in a citizen, the former punishes it and is how fascism sneaks up on a people.

  11. That’s a vivid reminder that NAZI terror began on the streets… and apparently still lives there.

  12. Um. So what does that bald guy’s head say?

    Looks like it says Hiney Air Heist True. From his other tattoos, I must conclude that’s his name.

    I only read English, Spanish, French, Latin, Greek, and a little Russian, Swedish, Portuguese, Italian…and Yiddish. Not German.

    • It says “Mein Ehre Heißt Treue” or “My Honor is called Loyalty”. It was the motto of both the Waffen/Allgemeine SS so logically it appears all over Neo-Nazism today. Congrats on learning so many languages that’s quite impressive.

  13. Every time I watch a British movie or TV show, I think it would be an interesting place to live, speaking the language to some extent but having so many interesting different things to learn.

    And then I think of their violent crime rate being triple the US, and occupied house burglary being so much more prevalent, and not being allowed to defend yourself; not just with a gun, but even a knife or cricket bat or cane, and I just could not put up with that mentality. The idea that you’d basically have to either fight the burglar(s) mano-a-mano, or watch while they ransack everything you own …. that’s just a little bit too much. I do not know how any human can think that is the right way to live. I can’t imagine being so beaten down by the State that I could live like that, let alone think it proper.

    • Tell that to the morons who were okay with all those laws being implemented in the first place and then bred children into that kind of environment. I knew a British kid from high school whose parents were doctors. They became US citizens, packed their bags, and moved here years ago just because the socialized health care system they have is absolute sh!t and his dad actually wanted to make some money. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he found out Obamacare was introduced.

  15. Interesting. My reading on the subject shows that shaven headed young men (of communist and nationalist) persuasions beat eachother up in Europe. Not sure why anybody singled out “Torben.” Maybe he liked his sickle & hammer shirt?

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