tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795260.post353408971107452283..comments2024-02-29T00:58:57.438-08:00Comments on The Unpopular Truth: God wants you to own guns and swordsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795260.post-42085936654031449542010-05-04T12:12:53.394-07:002010-05-04T12:12:53.394-07:00My people did not need a book to tell them to be a...My people did not need a book to tell them to be armed. Not only swords (considered a nobleman's weapon, sometimes forged out of meteoric iron) but also axes, javelins and spears were widely owned, used, and even objects of religious reverence. Women learned archery to supplement food for their families by hunting and often carried staves and long daggers. The axe was considered the free peasants emblem and crossed axes or double-bladed axes appear on various heraldry. From their early youth, defense was part of their practical education, such as hunting, skiing, trapping animals, making fire, orienteering, navigation, carpentry, self-surgery, cooking, fishing, care of animals, scavenging and forgaging. <br /><br />Like the claymore, the axe is often scorned by modern people as a heavy or unwieldy weapon, usually because they are not strong or coordinated enough to use one in work or combat. One thing any of these non-projectile weapons is not is a cowards weapon. <br /><br />I cannot say the same for firearms, which are not only long-range and highly lethal, but are often easy to conceal and require no skill, strength or stamina to use and thus are highly egalitarean. An intentionally low complexity of technology but high degree of quality in crafting weapons and the breeding and training of men, fearless and chivalrous men, to wield them, benefitted all of society and made conflicts smaller in scale and much much less destructive compared to the bio, nuclear, and landmine utilizing wholly conscienceless massdysgenic cyberslaughter of modern war. <br /><br />Paradoxically, and on a related note, because one struck down ones foe and watched him die of a ghastly wound, or perhaps survived one of their own, they were not quite so flippant about violence or manners as a firearms prevalent yet weapon-despising society as the U.S. is for instance. One prepared onself internally to die well, unstained by cowardice and with dignity, and could even trust an enemy to help one do so. Ask a Japanese if the chivalry of Bushido rotted his countries ethics, and you'll see what I mean. To be able to open ones belly without flinching requires values of fortitude, stoicism, composure, detachment and of course selflessness. They also had the partygame of "Matanuki", much like a facial scar from duelling was a badge of honor in Europe.<br /><br />While the Semitic ethic of the old testament is embodied in the puny shepherd with a sling, the ethic of mine is in the Philistine champion he dishonorably slew with the egalitarean projectile weapon. Ditto the merciless ambushes in the deserts by mounted archers who consider repeated retreats "brave" and plunder, not heroism, as ideal.<br />Martial customs tell us about a peoples values, just as much as their art or music does. The gangbanger has replaced the Celtic charioteer. How sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com