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18 COMMENTS

    • Hey, unless his rifle is currently aimed at a couple of random people in a pickup truck, he’s ahead of the game…

    • Seconded!

      TTAG probably should have bounced this one back.

      Furthermore, I don’t see what Benghazi has to do with this man’s rifle. In foreign countries it is the local government that sets the rules regarding what weapons diplomats and their security staff are allowed to possess. Further still, at least one of the dead died of smoke inhalation. Can’t shoot back at a fire…

      • Bo four people died in a foreign country because our government wouldnt help them. So why the #v@% should we trust them when they say, “call the good guys” (and wait)?

  5. Welcome to you and your rifle! Your Benghazi comment was on point and correct.
    Some people here are afraid of the truth, just like many who would destroy this group and our way of life.

    Keep on keepin’ on.

  6. It seems like a bit of a stretch to go from from State Dept failing to provide adequate security in Benghazi, to a loss of faith in local government to respond to 911 calls.

    I’m not saying I disagree with the conclusion, it’s just that there’s a huge leap in from the starting premise to “therefore…”

    • Really Bo? They sat on a roof top calling for air support while our goverment did nothing. They were requesting additional security for weeks. The gun control advocates are calling gun owners paranoid. They have said the N.R.A is brainwashing gun owners. I was using it as an example as to why we cant trust our goverment. People from hurricane Sandy in New York are still waiting for help. Im sure they had faith in our goverment. Ask the family of the border patrol agent killed by operation “fast and furious”. What has happened to everyone behind these operations? NOTHING. I do not trust nor do I have any faith in our goverment

      • I don’t intend to be antagonistic. My first post smells of Internet snark and for that I apologize. Let me attempt to do better here:

        I am not suggesting that the government can provide 100% security. I agree that anyone that says they can is lying.

        Here is how I understand the argument you are making:

        1. The government has failed to provide adequate security for diplomats overseas.
        2. People are still waiting for help re: Hurricane Sandy.
        3. A government investigation/operation led to the death of a Border Patrol agent.
        Therefore
        4. We can’t trust the government at all.

        I’d like to address the three reasons you have given for not trusting the government at all. I’d also like to give a few reasons why I don’t think your conclusion necessarily follows from your premises.

        1. Diplomatic security is an incredibly messy business. I served as a Marine embassy guard for 3 years (3 posts at a year a piece) and (after a deployment to Iraq) spent some time in Kabul as a security advisor with USAID. In a diplomatic post, it is generally understood that you will always be outgunned by the opposition, especially in a warzone where heavy weapons are plentiful. It is also understood that in most places in the world help is usually 24-48 hours away. In the Benghazi case I agree that the government failed in both threat assessment and physical protection. However, everyone involved knew there was no promise of safety and all had more or less volunteered to go there.

        2. You’re right. The response to Sandy was abysmal. However, would no response be better? It seems some of the biggest problems were at the local level where “the people” should theoretically have the most influence. Seems to me that folks need to demand more accountability from their local officials.

        3. Fast and Furious was an abomination. However, that there is enough traffic in straw purchased firearms to warrant such a boneheaded operation points to some other problems as well.

        Now, these are all reasons not to put complete faith in any one agency or branch of government. Afterall, these are human organizations. I don’t have complete faith that even my wife or best friends will be absolutely perfect at all times. We all do the wrong thing sometimes.

        Here are my points for having a reasonable amount of trust in our government:

        1. Government is not a monolith. Some government entities and some levels of government perform at varying degrees of success. I know of many local governments that do a great job of providing trash collection, road maintenance, and a reasonable amount of security through police services. They don’t promise 100% security because its unachievable. (Thats where we come in with our rifles, shotguns, handguns, trebuchets etc.) At the federal level I would submit that the government does an adequate job of preventing our country from being invaded by hostile armies, bombarded by hostile navies or air forces, and protecting our territorial waters and shipping lanes from piracy. The feds also do an adequate job of keeping air traffic control up and running as well as setting safety standards for motor vehicles, food, water, etc. Having lived in places with little to no functioning government in these areas I can say that I am thankful for ours.

        2. The military is one of the action arms of the government. If one has a dedication to the troops then one is embracing part of the government. If you have faith that our military is not going to stage a coup, desert en masse, or go rogue in some crazy way then you are exercising trust and faith in the government. I honestly believe that the professional military we have today would fulfill its oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and disobey an order to impose martial law on a peaceful US civilian population.

        • Bo, you responded like a true gentleman. Thank you for your service. I see the points you are making. Much respect to you

  8. The trigger safety/grammar whores need to get a life.

    Great picture man. What kind of optic is that?

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