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Praetorium Honoris

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Mud Season

(Source)
Ye Meihui knew she was lost. After escaping Albany in a stolen car, having acquired a much better firearm, she had headed west. She had tried at more than one place to get fuel for her vehicle. The first two had been deserted and looted.

At the third, a man inside the small store next to the fuel pumps had fired a shot at her, she had taken cover and yelled at the man to cease fire. All he had done was yell an obscenity and fired another shot.

She waited, she wasn't here to kill Americans, she was supposed to be helping them, but that mission had fallen apart nearly as soon as it had started.

"Don't shoot! I'm a friend!" she had yelled from behind her stolen car.

"Goddamn Chinese bitch!" had been the man's reply.

She waited, then she realized that the guy was approaching, she also felt that he'd been drinking from the way he had slurred his words.

She moved carefully to the rear of the vehicle, she leaned forward from below the car's bumper. There he was, weapon extended, it was apparent that the man had had some training, but not nearly enough. He had come into the open, exposing himself. He was focused on the front of the car, assuming she'd be taking cover behind the engine compartment.

She watched as the man stopped, she brought her pistol up and cocked it. The man seemed to sense her presence and slowly began to turn in her direction. She fired a single round at his torso. The man seemed to stumble as the round hit him in the chest.

The man coughed and dropped to one knee, she could see blood coming from his mouth. The man tried to bring his own pistol to bear, reluctantly she fired again. The man's head snapped back, she had hurried her aim, which caused the round to go high. Instead of hitting him in the chest, the round had hit him in the forehead.

"Damn it!" Ye hissed, she had wanted to ask the man questions, but he would not be answering again in this lifetime.

She moved towards him, her pistol aimed at him, she knew he had to be dead, but her trainers had beaten it into her, literally, assume nothing. She circled around the body, the man's eyes were glassy, staring at nothing, most of the top of his head was gone, still, she kicked his pistol away from the body.

Looking around, she could see a single house, up the muddy road a short way. She had no idea if anyone was home, she had to be quick. She went into the store and found some road maps of the area. The scale was too large but it was better than nothing. She grabbed a few items from a shelf, out here the looters hadn't been as thorough.

Returning to her car she was fixated on the dead man's body, she had never shot anyone before. Stabbing that policeman back in Albany had felt different, he had wanted to rape her. Shooting someone seemed impersonal somehow. It was then that she smelled gasoline. Looking under the car she saw a widening puddle.

"Damn it!" she hissed once more. The man's wild shots had holed her fuel tank.


Billy Kasparian was driving the MRAP, as he rounded a corner on the very muddy road he saw a gas station ahead. Sprawled next to the pumps was a dead man. There was a car next to the pumps as well. He brought the vehicle to a stop and woke everyone up. Something was wrong here.

Sgt. Jefferson suggested that the civilians stay in the vehicle, she would take her fire team out to investigate. Jack Bishop readily agreed.


Ye Meihui watched the military vehicle roll to a stop from her vantage point up the road. She was in the house she had seen from the gas station, a house which had turned out to be deserted.

She watched as the American soldiers dismounted and quickly checked out the scene around the fuel pumps. She wondered what they would do next. She had her answer soon enough as one of the soldiers went back to the vehicle and talked briefly with the driver.

The vehicle moved up the road, the soldiers using it for cover as the big military vehicle headed directly for her position. She had to make a decision, she needed to get out of the field and somehow report back to her superiors. But there was a very good chance that the soldiers would simply execute her.

It was obvious from the family photos around the living room that she didn't live there, they might tie her to the abandoned car at the fuel pumps and thus to the dead body.

She was at the edge of her ability to keep functioning. It was time to surrender, or maybe die. At this point, she didn't care which, she was tired.


SFC Levine rapped on the door to Colonel Tanaka's suite of offices, MACS Sorge opened the door and let him in.

"Anything yet?" Levine asked her.

"We just had a document messengered over from the Capitol. Seems that somebody in the State Department has a pet judge over at Superior Court. The warrant was sworn out by the White House Chief of Staff, some goon over at State vouched for him. Those bastards need to be rooted out." Sorge was rather vehement on that point.

Colonel Tanaka came out of the office along with interim President Rutherford and Admiral Fairchild, who had been reinstated as the Chief of Naval Operations. Tanaka had grown to trust the man, the Navy and most of the Marine Corps seemed to have actually paid attention when they had taken their oaths. However, the Commandant of the Marine Corps was one exception which had nearly broken Tanaka's heart.

The Commandant was being held in an empty office in one of the basement levels, he was being guarded by sailors. Gunnery Sergeant MacAllister had cautioned against using Marines, the consensus among them was that the Commandant was a traitor and should be shot.

"Thank you, Mr. President, we'll take care of this." Admiral Fairchild looked at Tanaka and said, "You better update your uniform Jeff, er, I mean Commandant."

Tanaka gave the admiral a sick grin, "Not how I wanted to get here, Harry. Senior Chief Sorge, call down to the barracks, we're going to need a platoon and a couple of vehicles, armored if we have any."

"Roger that Sir." Sorge got busy.

Tanaka turned to look at SFC Levine, "Are you going to stand around looking stupid, or are you going to go update your uniform?"

Levine looked puzzled, "Sir?"

"Let's go Sergeant Major, you and I are heading over to the State Department. It's time to kick some ass. Diplomatically, of course."



64 comments:

  1. Well well, State Department gonna get visited, now the Courts should be looked into. Enough traitors need to be sent on the Long Journey otherwise the survivors will be encouraged to try again. Ya...I know, the older I get the less patience I have for "those" folks. Curious as to how Ye Methui's tale ends Sarge.

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    1. "...otherwise the survivors ..." Yes, that has traditionally been the way of things. Folks have been too soft, and have failed to stamp out evil. Always there seems to be that last bit of crawling slime, that re-emerges as a whole new cult. Need to be ruthless, and stamp it all out, to its' core, so that it does not re-emerge.

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    2. Nylon12 - The lessons of the French Revolution need to be taken into account, if you start executing people willy-nilly, eventually the people will be sickened by it and those who send people to their deaths will join them on the scaffold.

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    3. Patrick - It's nearly impossible to get it all. People being people, a new generation of those susceptible to bribery will arise thinking, "It can't happen to us." Hell, look how many times Communism has failed and there are some who still think it could work, it just wasn't implemented by the right people, they say (and truly they think that).

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    4. But in this case there is literally a paper trail, both physically and electronically, pointing at many of the traitors. Which is why summary execution without even just an evidenciary hearing is a baaaaad thing. In today's world, this needs to be done in the open.

      Sure, round up the 'afflicted' and warehouse them away from any communication system (kind of like the way the current (b)ad-ministration is doing with the 'January 6th Coup Insurrectionists (even though not one person has yet to be even charged with actual acts of insurrection.)) But taping and broadcasting a 3-panel hearing and then followed by an execution, that's the only way to handle it in the modern world. Don't know the extent of the lockdown on communications, emails, the web, the tv and radio system, but even if you just record for posterity and do the minimal 'top only' executions, there is a need for records.

      Now, don't get me wrong. Right now I wouldn't mind having a bunch of bureaucrats and congresscritters becoming crow-food outside of the Capital (you could use any budget bill and the House's expansion of Red-Flag Laws as a list of people who done need to get gacked for a start) but even with that, record everything. Hell, even give them a full military trial, with a panel of judges.

      Things that will take down a potentially successful coup. Killing too many of the opposition just because. And, killing too few of the opposition just because. There's a fine line of summary execution and trumped up charges (French Revolution, and the way our justice system attempted (and succeeded) in a silent coup starting even before the election of 2016 (there were people calling for Trump's impeachment even before the elections at the same time they said Shrillary was going to win.))

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    5. All good points. We'll see how things progress.

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  2. Gun nitpicking stuff.
    I suggest dropping the "gun cocking."
    It sounds like Ms. Ye knows her way around guns and she would have the pistol ready for instant use.
    Jerking the trigger makes the impact move down.
    Since she was close, the trigger jerk would have moved the impact down and into his stomach, then Ms. Ye could have carefully approached and finished him with a deliberate head shot.
    Written that way, maybe the drama might have notched up, and finishing off her opponent with a careful head shot certainly implies a mental and physical toughness in Ms. Ye.

    I loved the story, and I'm onboard for the entire ride.




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    1. Hey John, Jerking the trigger can result in any unintended impact point. (The jerk can be of a variety of directional sorts.)

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    2. John - If I get the mechanics of how a firearm works, feel free to correct. That being said, when she was fired upon, her pistol (a revolver by the way) was in her pocket, you don't carry a pistol with the hammer cocked, ever. Secondly, she's scared, tired, hungry, all by herself in a foreign country which is hunting her kind down and killing them, and a host of other things. She drew the weapon when the man came out, cocked it, then jerked the trigger. I often hear of the shooting classes people take and I truly doubt their overall effectiveness. Especially as they don't train all the time, no one does unless they're in the military or one of the better police forces (some cops qualify once a year, if that).

      Miss Ye is indeed tough, her survival so far indicates that.

      And, what Patrick said.

      (Bit of a rant, I know, but there are certain aspects of "gun culture" I find annoying. Also, strictly speaking, a "gun" is an artillery piece.)

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    3. But a 'hande gonne' isn't... :)

      Being tired, scared, hungry, cold, and extremely paranoid can cause even the most stable shooter to fark up. It's what gets even good hunters to occasionally miss.

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    4. Classically, a pistol is a semi-auto, a revolver is a revolver. At least that's what Sgt. Dad always told me. Everything was a 'pistola' to my Suegra. One of the things about the gun culture is technical accuracy. Maybe it attracts the OCD set, I don't know, but I've rarely jerked a trigger that had the round impact high. I have had a rushed shot fly high. And excitement or emotion is difficult to train for. There are various extremes of the gun culture: those that mix alcohol and gun powder all the way to those that push a gun for a living; the extremely well trained amateur (french or latin definition means lover of, not unskilled) to the lackadaisical professional. If this had happened in Texas, she would've "eared back the hammer". Poor guy broke cover without overwatch. Some mistakes you only get to make once. Choose wisely.

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    5. Heh, "hande gonne" how late medieval. I liketh it.

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    6. Classically? Since when? A pistol is a handgun (or hande gonne if you will), whether it be muzzle-loading, single shot firearm, a revolver, or semi-automatic.

      The American gun culture annoys the Hell out of me at times.

      Yes, this thread touched my "third rail."

      As to jerking the trigger, some of you are reading way too much into the story, calm down, relax, enjoy.

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    7. "...gun culture..." I really don't like that term. If I grew up in cave people days, and was initiated into the art of spear chucking, would I them be referred to as part of the "spear culture"? All different kinds of folks use guns, or spears, for a variety of different reasons. When some doped up freak robs a seven eleven with his (stolen) semi-automatic spear, does that mean he and I are of the same 'culture' because we have used the same tool, though for very different purposes? I use mine for defense of home and family, and for harvesting food. And how about say, an 'automotive culture'. Or an 'aeronautics culture' (nudge, nudge)? It is my long considered opinion that the term 'gun culture' is just another one of those buzz phrases manufactured by the leftist bastages in an effort to promote societal segregation, make us think of each other as them, or us. It ain't right. I should probably apologize for the rant, Sarge. Some usages of leftist terminology just get under my skin.

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    8. When I say "gun culture" I guess I really mean people who worship the damned things. They're tools, nothing more.

      Too many people put too much emphasis on the weapon, not the person wielding it.

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    9. Ah, that would be them "gun nuts". An entirely appropriate term. Like a cave feller I used to know what had a spear with seven points on it. WTF drives the need for that? Yeah, there be all kinda nutters out there.
      And yes, that is what the leftist commies want, emphasis on the weapon, as being the root of all evil, regardless of the intentions of those that may wield it. How else can they justify their urgent need to take guns outa the hands of actually righteous folks? 'Course, the nutters play right into their hands, creating the most outlandish seven pointed spears, and getting all dressed up in camouflage sabertooth skins and playing war games and shit.

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    10. I didn't mean to besmirch the muse. Or the author. Please don't read it like that.

      Classically: as stated by my dad. He pushed a "gun" for about a quarter century as a Texas peace officer. I was taught by him, so I revert to training when it comes to this subject. I realize that is subjective, but to each his own. I hate the term gun culture as well. It's just part and parcel of being a man. Skill at arms, construction, mechanics, all part of life in general of the well rounded and, yes, classically trained man.

      Everyone needs a barbecue gun. And next time you are in Waco, run by the Texas Ranger Museum. Every one of their displays is a beautiful example of a man that takes pride in the tools of his trade. I grew up like that as well. But like the Marines learn, "There are many like her, but this is MINE." Ergo, I want her to be pampered and loved on so she will love me right back when I need her the mostest.

      Also, check out the Trigger Analysis Target for helping to resolve issues with trigger control and anticipation. It really helped me when I started banging away with a pistol (1911A1 Gov't Model) My revolver skills were honed when I was but a lad. Sgt. Dad saw to that by the time I was 10.

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    11. Patrick - Yes, "gun nuts" a much better term!

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    12. STxAR - I didn't take it that way, not really. I just get wound up around "gun nuts."

      Pistols are fun to shoot, but nearly worthless in combat. So I lean towards a good rifle, of which I have some.

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  3. Shit, the Commandant?! That about breaks my heart, too!
    Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, now there's a position where real power and authority lies! (Or used to, anyhow. Kinda outa the loop these days.) First Shirt I used to work for was up for that position, back when I moved laterally. Never heard how that turned out, because my new duties kept me pretty far into the dark zone, where you only thought about two things, mission goals, and come back in one piece. I remember a story he used to tell about how in the Vietnam war, he didn't carry a weapon. He carried extra ammo and c-rations, and Everybody had his back. Kinda wonder how many boot Lueys he met that ended up getting fragged by their own troops. (West Point philosophies were very counterproductive in that environment.)

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    1. I know, I'm not sure how far gone he is though. The current one seems to be one of those "transformationalists." Ridiculous plans for placing Marines on islands off an enemy coast to interdict shipping. What I call "a good way to get Marines killed, for no good reason.

      The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps was out of the country when all of this went down. AFAIK, he's on the side of the angels.

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    2. You mean like the current commandant who has gotten rid of all heavy armor? Even though experience in every war and action since mechanized armor has come out shows the extreme need for armor and mobile guns?

      And as example of a deep-state rat, I only have to name one name. Mattis. What a complete disappointment. Someone who definitely rose to his Peter-Principle Position.

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    3. Yep, that's the current Commandant. I too am not a big Mattis fan.

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    4. Hmmm...seems I'm not up to date on recent developments. S'cuse me whilst I go load up a couple more extra mags, and look more closely at the UCMJ. The more sons of bitches get away with acts of 'borderline' treason, the more others figure they can get away with that shit, too. And the closer we get to the outrage fomenting real and transformative acts of retribution.

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    5. Yup, if one doesn't enforce the law...

      Expect others to ignore it.

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    6. Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps might be a very powerful position, but his counterpart in the Navy, the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy doesn't seem to do much in my opinion. Several years ago we had a couple prominent ones, but recently, not so much. Not sure why.

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    7. I have a very low opinion of most E-9s, many of them are nothing more than politicians in uniform and don't really have the best interests of the troops in mind. IMHO

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    8. Spot on, Sarge. They are worse than useless. Like many they usually have compromised principles in their quest and have forgotten that their purpose is to advocate for the rank-and-file. They like the "lifestyle" and will continue to compromise themselves to maintain it.
      Boat Guy

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    9. Boat Guy - Ah, you know them well!

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  4. The comments are almost as good as the story.... You're doing great!

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  5. YEEEEEESSSSSSSS! Bout time Foggy Bottom got its collective bottom spanked and hard. Heck, the place's own internal investigations are what started McCarthy going on a Red Hunt (showing that the Soviets had pretty much bought and paid for the place by the mid 20's, and really got their fingers into it during FDR's (hwack-sptooie) regime.)

    But cautiously. Surround the place, go in. Arrest the top that the Restoration (a better name than 'coup' because, well, that's what is being attempted) has absolute proof on. And then do a forensic sift combined with good old questioning to root out the majority of the rats. Seize (with proof) the property and accounts of those who profited illegally. And then do hearings and followed by correct military-style sentencing.

    Proof, or they just get locked away for a while. With Proof? Execute them, cut their heads off, cast into resin blocks and line the halls of Foggy Bottom with the heads of the traitors, as a remembrance to future generations of weasels. Or not. Do something harsh and drastic, like burn the place down after nailing the doors shut, salting the earth with radioactive salt, and.... Or not.

    I really hate the State Department. Can you tell?

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    1. There's no time for investigating, sifting through evidence and the like. Go in, round up the worst of the lot, then move on.

      The Rebellion is so far outside of normal at this point that very few of the niceties will be observed.

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    2. For the sake of continuity, Ye has killed before. It was the cop she murdered back in gangland.

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    3. Dang, you're right! I'll fix that.

      Thanks Rick.

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    4. She killed the cop taking her away to rape her... not murder in my book.
      A dirty cop at that.

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    5. Rick, I think 'murdered' is a bit strong. She was in rather dire straits, what with his intent to rape, and possibly kill her. I'm gonna call that a righteous shooting. Bastage had it coming.

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    6. She actually stabbed him in the eye.

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    7. Oops. Righteous killing, then. Guess it's time to go back to the beginning, and replay the drama, so far. My memory ain't what it used to be, but then, it never really was. (chuckle)

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    8. Based on the number of mistakes I make while writing, thank the Lord I have my readers to keep me on the straight and narrow!

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    9. Don't forget that DoS has a Bureau of Diplomatic Security/Diplomatic Security Service(DSS). A platoon from 8th & I would/could be seriously under-gunned in comparison to what DSS could potentially muster from their National Capital Region facilities.

      Just sayin.

      /
      L.J.

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  6. I'm suddenly in favor of heads in resin blocks, used for the flooring of the offices of the powerful.

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    1. I'm good with 'heads in resin blocks', but with one condition. Their expressions need to reflect the horror and agony of their final moments of life. Otherwise they could be misconstrued as being representative of some sort of honorable, or noble passing. Martyrs to the cause of leftism we do not want to create.

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    2. I would like it if they were forgotten, unmourned, as if they had never been.

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    3. Embed the heads in the walls at eye-level (and add more as necessary). Nothing like the sightless eyes of dead traitors staring at you when you look up from your work to remind you what happens to them. Maybe a sign under each head with a name and "You are here to work for the United States of America. I didn't"

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    4. Line the halls, with their only listing as "Traitor, Executed XYZ." As a reminder to the next potential traitors to besmirch the hallowed halls of our government.

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    5. (Don McCollor)...Marble statues in the nude (lasting a lot longer) without heads (but with name plates). Sculped bend over with bare buttocks on full display. Displaying exactly what they were...

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  7. I dunno. I'm kinda fond of the notion of Heads on Pikes at the gate, as a cautionary tale to would be evil doers.

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  8. Thou art a hero beyond my ken. Every reader an editor as well!

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  9. Miss Ye has effectively reached the end of her mission - which seemed like a long shot at the time (yes yes, I know, things still have to resolve themselves). I wonder if she will have the time to reflect on what went awry.

    One wonders what a state would look like in which the bureaucracy understood it worked for the people and could be replaced, and not the other way around.

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  10. Sarge, whether I am a "nut" or part of the "culture" I don't really know or care; I will note a couple of things
    1. Soon's I read "cocked" I assumed a revolver
    2. Many of us who are not peace officers and no longer in the military continue to train at what is frequently a higher standard and more intense pace than what is usual for either of those groups.
    3. I did receive good training when I was still in uniform because I had an assignment which occasioned my being armed discreetly -something I had been doing off duty for years before. Pistols might be "nearly worthless" unless and until you save your life with one. Yes, I'd prefer to have a rifle -and lots of rifle-armed friends too; but sometimes you find yourself in Miss Ye's position.
    4. I have had a carry permit for a quarter of a century now, many of us take it quite seriously and being free from military restrictions on range time and ammunition expenditures are able to reach and maintain what are higher standards than either "professionals" in law enforcement or all but SOF in the military; an assessment I feel qualified making as I was SOF for about half of my military career.
    Gun "nut" or "culture"? I'll own either or both as you please.
    Boat Guy

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    1. I wouldn't consider you a "nut" or part of a "culture," because you recognize that a firearm is a tool, nothing more, and you are no doubt proficient in your use of that tool.

      Thanks for noticing the "cocked" reference, that was intentional. As to "jerking" the trigger, after much thought, I reworded that bit to indicate that Miss Ye had hurried her shot, thus hitting high. (Coulda been low too, bad things can happen when you hurry, though in dire situations that might be all you can do.)

      Just firearm nitpicking annoys the holy hell out of me, can't say why for certain.

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  11. I guess what I could just have said is I don't worship my tools; I maintain proficiency with them and appreciate them.
    I don't even "worship" my BBQ gun; yes I have one and it's "purty", so's the leather it rides in.
    I DO "worship" our Founders who understood the need that "...every man be armed..." or even that your gun " ...be your companion on your walks"
    Boat Guy

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    1. Well said! I only worship God, thus your use of "worship" in quotes for the Founders (and the BBQ gun) is very well received!

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