Thanks to all who responded to my post before it was closed down. I wanted to quickly respond to a couple of yer observations. Disclaimer: The following are only my opinions and are as usual based on only the slightest grip on reality and a limited awareness of the actual facts.
Violence To those who castogated my approach. You're all right! It was completely wrong, violence is never the right thing to do. In my defense, he had just told my wife that he was going to make her watch as he beheaded my 4 year old daughter. What would any Dad do? I am still an idiot though
Guns Guns don't kill people. People kill people. Unfortunately, after Hungerford, there was a knee jerk reaction from the government to take guns away from all responsible as well as irresponsible legal gun owners. Perhaps an annual check up with your GP once a year to assess your mental state might have been more rational.
Anyway, it all worked out well for us in the UK. Now we can all sleep safe in the knowledge that the only guns out there are with the kids and criminals or the Police.
Hang on strung out armed intruder, I'll just call the community policewoman round to see if she could call someone with a gun a bit later if thats OK. Fancy a cup of tea while we wait?
Or maybe do what ya do when the baliffs call
Lets face it, they'd never let me near one. If they would and it was legal, then I would have one at home and would probably carry if I was going somewhere dangerous. This is purely because, with gang members and school kids dropping like flies from stab and gun wounds, I now see any potential threat to me must be based on a rational assessment of the risk. "is this a him or me" situation may arise. If thats what I assessed the risk to be, then it's him every time, No hesitation.
A gun is Like a condom. I'd rather have one and not need it than the other way around.
Hammers When push comes to shove the average man grabs a weapon he is fairly familiar with. Thus the angry mob with pitchforks, or men going into the English (and therefore proper) civil war armed with a whole collection of farm and forestry tools.
I also happen to know based on a love of medieval history, that one of the most favoured melee weapons for close quarters stuff was the humble war hammer 2Ft long, nicely balanced axe/hammer with a neat little spike for getting up under enemy plate armour. My humble Halfords hammer was nothing in comparison. I do use it a lot though and I'm familiar with it's grip, weight and balance, It's head is good for defensive hooking of an enemy weapon and therefore a fair choice of concealed weapon with which to defend against poor swordplay in a confined space.
I asked the copper if he would have gone in there knowing how he was armed without their batons and gas and they said no.
The Police Not all coppers are bad! I know this to be true! I've met many and worked alongside them for many years. Commander Ron McPherson and I have had many a chat over coffee on the state of the world in general. It's a thankless job, Lots of people mistrust or even dislike them (even decent law abiding folk)just because of the job they do. Somebody has to do it, if they didn't we'd all be in the creek lookin for a paddle. At least they aren't traffic wardens!
Yes mine was a typical reaction of someone who feels hard done by, as our officer member pointed out. You all know I spend most of the time feelin hard done by anyway, so situation normal
However, I have a history of asking them for help and not getting anywhere
I was kept in a glass fronted cell, wearin a paper smurf suit all day, (for my own protection
)but the Police didn't bother to call out my mental health worker, though I asked for her every time they asked me who I wanted them to call.
All the time my wife sat in reception with our two children and the drug dealers friends and family and we were both refused contact for 12 hours. whilst the Drug dealer was released quickly, following the statements of his family and friends who had all sat in reception, getting their story straight together loudly for some time.
The sword, wasn't fingerprinted, which would doubtless have had his dabs all over it. Instead they accepted his story that he'd never seen it before as it was just less hassle to get me to accept a caution than it was to do their job properly and show a little compassion for all of the victims.
Dealers For those of you kind enough to ask, no I can't get you any
if it had escaped your attention, I've knocked my supplier on the head. I wouldn't supply to anybody anyway, fellas, cos thats wrong and I'm too pretty to go to Prison!
For those of you kind enough to offer, no thanks
What ever happend to the dealer who was just some old hippy bloke, who cared about the qualities of his product, often grew his own just as house plants. You'd go in and have a smoke with him fer free and come away with some nice gear.
Nowadays, everythings mobiles, orders cycled to you by kids and twenty something pot dealers who are all wanna be gangsters who seem to want to stab you or each other at the drop of a hat. They skim the deals every time, spray glass on gear to make it look THC rich and generally go out of their way to irritate the
cr@p out of everyone within a 2 mile radius. It's time somebody did something about it!
Maybe those of you out there in certain of the more organised clubs already have these muppets on your radars. It's a pitty that there is no one out there carrying out some form of service in the communities which support them.
Not getting rid of it, cos it's never gonna happen and if you can't beat it, at least make sure it's safe. Like making sure punters get a fare deal, dont have glass on their weed and can buy in friendly and safe environment without feeling intimidated Etc Etc
Rant over, Carry on Chaps. For those of you who cared,
for those who din't
to you too.
