Think about the significance of this.In a sign of the nervousness surrounding the visit, Marines and other troops among the 200 people gathered in a tent at Camp Leatherneck to hear Mr. Panetta speak were abruptly asked by their commander to get up, place their weapons — M-16 and M-4 automatic rifles and 9-mm pistols — outside the tent and then return unarmed. The commander, Sgt. Maj. Brandon Hall, told reporters he was acting on orders from superiors.
“All I know is, I was told to get the weapons out,” he said. Asked why, he replied, “Somebody got itchy, that’s all I’ve got to say. Somebody got itchy; we just adjust.”[More]
Meanwhile...
“You’ve got one of the most important people in the world in the room,” said General Gurganus in reference to Panetta.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me while I throw up. Because you know, government thugs are much more important than Afghan children or American Citizens.
No surprise there. When VP Quayle came to visit my unit in Saudi Arabia in 1991, we were required to remove magazines from our pistols and turn them in. No rifles were allowed.
ReplyDeleteThat way, we looked armed for the cameras, but were not. Those in charge always fear armed subjects.
Someone in authority did not trust those Marines with weapons in the presence of someone "important". Why should that someone in authority then trust those same Marines to be armed in the presence of someone "unimportant"? If that someone does not trust those that he commands, why should they trust him?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, this type of thought process is prevalent. Some in Government at the local, state and Federal level do not trust the civilian population to be armed - not "well regulated" enough. Police do not trust anyone other than other police officers to be armed. Police in uniform do not trust police out of uniform to be armed. Federal police do not trust state and local police to be armed, and so on. So now senior USMC command does not trust their junior commissioned officers, non-commission officers and enlisted personnel to be armed.
Think about it. If they do not trust you, why should you trust them? Do they think that you cannot control yourself because they do not trust themselves to able to control themselves?
If anyone wants to run for any office or employment in government, ask him the list of questions related to 2nd Amendment rights that David Codrea and others have listed. Non-response, or "less than adequate" response should be met with no votes for the candidate or non-hire. "No job for you". How can they uphold and defend the Constitution otherwise? Ask the same type of questions about the other enumerated rights. Demand that those in elected office or employed by government to understand and follow their oath.
It has been said that you get the government you deserve. We deserve better than what we have now.
Looks like Panty-Pisser Panetta has been properly addressed here. Regarding the Obama flag; no big deal, nothing new (not by a couple of centuries). I already commented on it over at my blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://carlbussjaeger.blogspot.com/2012/03/obama-flag.html
Yeah, my 1st Sgt in Desert Storm wouldn't let us have mags in while in the field!
ReplyDeleteHe was universally ignored ...