Page 2 of 2

Re: On Compromise in the wake of Parkland

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 9:57 pm
by schmieg
AlanM wrote:When I was an instructor at US Naval Service School Command, Great Lakes I stood senior Shore Patrol duty at the Enlistedman's Club about every 6 days. (I was an E-6 at the time)
We had three drinking ages, 21 for hard liquor and any beer, 19 for regular beer (in bottles), and 18 for 3.2 beer (draft beer served in plastic cups).
I would have about 4 E-4s and E-5s working with me and at least one of us would be sitting at a desk at the entrance checking IDs and stamping the backs of hands with one of three stamps. We would wander around the club tables making sure those that had 3.2 stamps were holding plastic cups.

Before the club would open for the night I would tell my SPs the story of a gentleman's club in England that had two brass plaques beside it's door. One (the older, more corroded one) stated "No dogs allowed." The other, newer, plaque said, "Any dog leading a blind man is automatically considered a cat."

I would then tell them that anybody coming into the club with a green ID card (regular Navy, not a reservist) was to be automatically assumed to be 18. (ie a cat.)

To illustrate this point, I was on the desk one night and a group of nearly bald recruits came in (boot camp liberty after six weeks) and I did a double take on the birthday of one of them. He was EXACTLY 17 years and six weeks old. I remarked, "Damn, your parents REALLY wanted you out of the house." I stamped him for 3.2 beer, even though, by Illinois law, he was nearly a year too young to drink and told him to behave and enjoy himself, which I'm sure he did.

BTW, I got to talking to the club manager one day and he confessed that he NEVER ordered kegs of 3.2 beer, just regular (~5%) bar kegs.
I doubt that Illinois knew or cared.
Gotta be careful with that one. At my last duty station, our unit SGM had enlisted in the Army at age 15 (he lied about his age). He was able to get away with it because he was 6'5" and weighed in at 230 pounds when he was 15. When he retired at age 45, he was still 6'5" and weighed about 250. He then became a parole officer for the state of South Carolina. I really pity the guys who drew him and screwed up. He was a great SGM though as he could strike fear into the hearts of lower ranks just be looking at them crossways.

Re: On Compromise in the wake of Parkland

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:59 am
by AlanM
My father enlisted in the Marine Corps in about 1921 lying about his age. It wasn't until about 1935 that his service record got straightened out.

He said, in those days lots of people didn't have birth certificates and if a young man looked big enough but said an age that was too low the recruiting Sargent would tell them they were too young and to go walk around the block.
Dad used to joke that some of the Swedes and Norwegians in North Dakota in those days were so dumb that sometimes the recruiting Sargent would have a Corporal walk around the block with them before they came back old enough to enlist.

BTW - My mother is a full North Dakota Swede. Her parents and grandparents immigrated from Sweden in about 1880.

Re: On Compromise in the wake of Parkland

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 6:50 pm
by Bruenor
AlanM wrote:BTW - My mother is a full North Dakota Swede. Her parents and grandparents immigrated from Sweden in about 1880.
One older gentleman I shoot with at our club is in his 80's. One of his favorite shirts says "Made in the USA with Swedish parts". ( betcha can't guess his heritage ) He has a number of Mausers, in 6.5 swede of course, that he regularly shoots 1 inch groups at 100 yards using iron sights. Hope I can still shoot half that good, when I get to his age.

Re: On Compromise in the wake of Parkland

Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:36 am
by weakhand luke
What is the age for enforced conscription in the U.S.?

Re: On Compromise in the wake of Parkland

Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:15 am
by bignflnut
Last week, Sen. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, said he was supportive of a bill with Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California to "raise the minimum purchase age for non-military buyers from 18 to 21."

To be sure, it isn't clear how committed Trump is to the issue. The President tweeted his support for the idea last week, and a few Republican senators, including Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, also voiced support for raising the age to 21.

Trump is set to meet with lawmakers on Wednesday to discuss the legislative response to the Parkland shooting. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wouldn't say exactly what would be discussed. Sanders said Trump has also instructed the ATF to find a way to outlaw bump stocks.

Re: On Compromise in the wake of Parkland

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 4:57 pm
by bignflnut
The hard-left in America has again jumped on the recent school shooting in Florida to call for taking guns away from American citizens as a solution to the problem, even though it is not a solution at all.
When will Republicans learn?
When you walk away from your base, you lose elections!

And once again we have Republicans, including President Trump, looking for a "quick fix" for the problem.

The biggest problem is Republicans are looking at the solutions the hard-left and even the few middle of the road Democrats are promoting, rather than real solutions. This spells disaster for Republicans in the coming elections.

Remember when Bill Clinton decided to attack gun ownership -- he got his butt kicked in the midterm elections. Well, Republicans, get ready for a major butt kicking if you go down the road of stomping on the Second Amendment.

What's amazing to me is that Republicans have the information they need to actually help them pass legislation that will stop school shootings, but somehow they chose to ignore the facts and give in to Democrat anti-gun ideas.
Trampling the base that you take for granted each election cycle will not prove a winning strategy.

I'm sure Trump is simply playing chess or something, tricking the Dems to vote for something he wants... :roll:

Re: On Compromise in the wake of Parkland

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:16 am
by bignflnut
There is some confusion out there about why I so staunchly opposed to the NRA and their actions. I clarify my position on the NRA, discuss uniting our community for the coming fight for our rights and touch on Youtube's recent banning of gun channels.
Video from a gun reviewer of note.