10 Jan 03

From a friend south of the border:

"We train law enforcement officers throughout Central America where the IMI Galil rifle is what most police here are armed with. In fact, the Galil is the primary arm of police officers. Pistols are carried only by the brass.

For all practical purposes, rifles receive no maintenance, but, to their credit, they keep running. Unfortunately, officers fire only a few rounds during training and are then thrown to the wolves.

I almost never handle a Galil without losing skin! Lots of rough edges and sharp corners.

You may find it interesting that ten meters is the maximum range anyone practices here. The rifle is actually used as a big pistol. A conventional sight picture is rarely taught. Officers typically look over the rear sight and just use the front sight as a reference. A great deal of potential inherent to the rifle is never exercised."

Lesson: Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. Trainees (military and police) will do exactly what is expected of them. If little is expected, little will be accomplished. Seldom are noble deeds done by men who are thought of, and think of themselves, as nothing more than cannon fodder. Nobel deeds are accomplished only by noble men. Training is largely meaningless if it does not make the trainee aware of his mission, of his place in history, and of his own magnificence.

/John

10 Jan 03

From a friend in Atlanta:

"Several days ago a seventy-year-old shopkeeper was sitting in the back room of his package-goods store down here watching TV when he noticed three sleazballs enter his store.

He calmly picked up his Remington 870 (charged with 00 Bk), and, utilizing his walker, hobbled out to the counter with the pump held low along one leg of the walker and below counter level.

The three nervously announced a holdup and pointed a pistol at the shopkeeper. Surprise! The shopkeeper had been through this drill before. H e calmly raised the shotgun, chambered a round, and began firing at the astonished robbery trio. As a result, two robbers were DRT and the third is critical (at this writing, still hanging onto life by a thread). The robber s never got off a shot.

Police arrived and arrested the wounded suspect (who didn't get far). They also arrested the robbers' stupid bimbo/girlfriend, who was still sitting in the getaway car twenty minutes later, apparently not paying attention.

Last year, this same shopkeeper was held up by another armed suspect. In that incident, the robber shot the shopkeeper without ever saying a word. The robber was also shot by the shopkeeper after the shopkeeper had been wounded. That robber was DRT also. Quoth the shopkeeper of his wound, It was through-and-through; didn't hurt'. He obviously saw no reason to give u p the fight!

He has no plan to retire or to sell his business"

Lesson: You're only beaten when you allow yourself to believe it. Criminals are wimps. An explosive counterattack will always take them by surprise. I f an elderly and crippled shopkeeper can be victorious in a situation like t his, what are we to think of healthy cowards who fearfully give up the fight before it even starts?

/John