Thanks for every bit of this. "Matewan" is an important example and I used to show it to my high school students every semester. I wish it were more readily available.
In real life the Matewan shoot-out was followed by the daylight assassination of Matewan's town sheriff, Sid Hatfield, by Baldwin-Phelps detectives on the courthouse steps in the next county. That got 10,000 armed miners marching for revenge instead of for union recognition and an eight-hour day. President Harding sent the US Army with orders to stop their march, and they realized they needed to get their eyes back on the prize. But the coal operators wanted the violence. Logan County Sheriff Chafin and the West Virginia State Police went down Beech Creek to Sharples, murdering striking miners in their homes all the way. And then the war was on and the UMW was set back ten years in West Virginia.
There was danger of the same thing in Selma, Alabama after the state police and the sheriff's posse attacked the marchers at Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965. Andrew Young recalled armed men gathering in the church, prepared to fight back. And he spoke to them individually, saying: "What kind of gun you got? .32, .38? You know, how's that going to hold up against the automatic rifles and the twelve gauge, you know, ten gauge shotguns that they've got? And how many have you got? There are at least two hundred, you know, shotguns out there with buckshot in them." And the actor playing him says almost those exact words in the movie "Selma."
Forgive me if I am saying what everybody already knows.
I'm reading this from the UK, Scotland to be specific. We've just had the shit end of Trump's idiocy denigrating our military that stepped up to answer Article 5.
Your words are indeed words of urgent wisdom; moral and forged in experience.
My heart weeps for America. Your country shaped my life... the Art that shaped my own sensibilities. The music (Jazz) that continues to thrill me, and saved my life when the darkness descended after my previous partners untimely death.
You and your fellows (of both sexes) are America's hope in these black years. Thank you.
Good one, Stan. I got rid of my last gun 17 years ago, and don't miss it one bit. I remember you saying years ago that "guns make you stupider than shit". Thank you for the encouragement!
This morning at the dog sports field during training, I was amazed at how outspoken the people who are still officially on duty were. “That was an execution!” said one. “No one is allowed to shoot someone 10 times who is already lying on the ground and has no weapon in their hand,” said another. These guys are still in Gendarmerie. If this is the democracy Trump wants to bring to the world...
Much appreciated. Your commitment to non-violence is carefully considered, which is refreshing.
I have a question, though. My wife and I are, for the first time in 28 years together, talking about getting a pistol or two, then logging a bit of practice. I have no history of service, or violence, or macho posturing. For simplicity's sake, imagine a couple of concerned suburban liberals. What I *want* is a general strike ...
Whaddaya think? Because at this point it seems prudent, but I could easily be missing something.
I get people wanting firearms for home protection--even though it may fly in the face of my own commitments. If that's the case, I'd recommend a cheap little 410 pump shotgun and shells loaded with number 9 birdshot. It's enough to scare/stop some meth head who's broken in--perhaps lethal, but far less lethal than anything else, and the real virtue is that these itsy-bitsy low velocity pellets don't rip though walls and penetrate the nursery or whatever. People too seldom think about the fact that high velocity projectiles can go anywhere, pass through multiple layers, and more often than not miss the target for which they are intended.
That said, no one is going to successfully fight government agents with firearms. If it's for that, save your money. It'll just get you killed. Handguns are made for one thing only--killing human beings, and the human beings they most often kill are in murders, suicides, and horrifying accidents. Handguns are especially fascinating to kids. The way they are used on TV and by many law enforcement officers is just plain irresponsible. A gun is a trigger pull away from the terrifyingly irrevocable.
I'm glad we're in NV instead of our last two states, IA and WI.
I'll add this last thing: I believe that our personal and collective security relies almost entirely on the goodwill of our fellows, undergirded by beliefs, norms, taboos ... you get the picture.
Stan, all I can say is your writing needs more exposure.
Well, I’m linking it on Facebook for what it’s worth (not much, probably).
Thanks for every bit of this. "Matewan" is an important example and I used to show it to my high school students every semester. I wish it were more readily available.
In real life the Matewan shoot-out was followed by the daylight assassination of Matewan's town sheriff, Sid Hatfield, by Baldwin-Phelps detectives on the courthouse steps in the next county. That got 10,000 armed miners marching for revenge instead of for union recognition and an eight-hour day. President Harding sent the US Army with orders to stop their march, and they realized they needed to get their eyes back on the prize. But the coal operators wanted the violence. Logan County Sheriff Chafin and the West Virginia State Police went down Beech Creek to Sharples, murdering striking miners in their homes all the way. And then the war was on and the UMW was set back ten years in West Virginia.
There was danger of the same thing in Selma, Alabama after the state police and the sheriff's posse attacked the marchers at Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965. Andrew Young recalled armed men gathering in the church, prepared to fight back. And he spoke to them individually, saying: "What kind of gun you got? .32, .38? You know, how's that going to hold up against the automatic rifles and the twelve gauge, you know, ten gauge shotguns that they've got? And how many have you got? There are at least two hundred, you know, shotguns out there with buckshot in them." And the actor playing him says almost those exact words in the movie "Selma."
Forgive me if I am saying what everybody already knows.
Needs sayin. Thanks.
Hi Stan
I'm reading this from the UK, Scotland to be specific. We've just had the shit end of Trump's idiocy denigrating our military that stepped up to answer Article 5.
Your words are indeed words of urgent wisdom; moral and forged in experience.
My heart weeps for America. Your country shaped my life... the Art that shaped my own sensibilities. The music (Jazz) that continues to thrill me, and saved my life when the darkness descended after my previous partners untimely death.
You and your fellows (of both sexes) are America's hope in these black years. Thank you.
Thank YOU
Yeah...
Good one, Stan. I got rid of my last gun 17 years ago, and don't miss it one bit. I remember you saying years ago that "guns make you stupider than shit". Thank you for the encouragement!
Wow! Real words here. Good lookin out, Stan…general strike indeed ✊
I couldn't agree with you more, Stan. Thanks for this.
This morning at the dog sports field during training, I was amazed at how outspoken the people who are still officially on duty were. “That was an execution!” said one. “No one is allowed to shoot someone 10 times who is already lying on the ground and has no weapon in their hand,” said another. These guys are still in Gendarmerie. If this is the democracy Trump wants to bring to the world...
Much appreciated. Your commitment to non-violence is carefully considered, which is refreshing.
I have a question, though. My wife and I are, for the first time in 28 years together, talking about getting a pistol or two, then logging a bit of practice. I have no history of service, or violence, or macho posturing. For simplicity's sake, imagine a couple of concerned suburban liberals. What I *want* is a general strike ...
Whaddaya think? Because at this point it seems prudent, but I could easily be missing something.
I get people wanting firearms for home protection--even though it may fly in the face of my own commitments. If that's the case, I'd recommend a cheap little 410 pump shotgun and shells loaded with number 9 birdshot. It's enough to scare/stop some meth head who's broken in--perhaps lethal, but far less lethal than anything else, and the real virtue is that these itsy-bitsy low velocity pellets don't rip though walls and penetrate the nursery or whatever. People too seldom think about the fact that high velocity projectiles can go anywhere, pass through multiple layers, and more often than not miss the target for which they are intended.
That said, no one is going to successfully fight government agents with firearms. If it's for that, save your money. It'll just get you killed. Handguns are made for one thing only--killing human beings, and the human beings they most often kill are in murders, suicides, and horrifying accidents. Handguns are especially fascinating to kids. The way they are used on TV and by many law enforcement officers is just plain irresponsible. A gun is a trigger pull away from the terrifyingly irrevocable.
This is why I asked. Thanks for your time, and have as good of a day as could be expected under the circumstances.
Ha! We're watching out the window as snow piles up by the yard.
Warm regards to you.
I'm glad we're in NV instead of our last two states, IA and WI.
I'll add this last thing: I believe that our personal and collective security relies almost entirely on the goodwill of our fellows, undergirded by beliefs, norms, taboos ... you get the picture.
That’s refreshing, and bracing, and right on.
Thank you. May your message spread like wildfire.