Something like this الله أَكْبَر?
CMC fnord!
That phrase doesn’t seem to be an official Marine Corps motto.
Beats me how “JN316” in small characters on a gunsight is a problem, either.
Now if it was computerized and automatically targeted nonChristians, it might be a problem, though it would be kinda cool, I admit.
On a gunsite being sold to Jews and Muslims for use in their Armies? On gunsites issued to Jewish and Muslim American soldiers defending a country that supposedly values freedom of religion?
It does not belong on government equipment. PERIOD.
Not to mention the huge fucking IO campaign it affords the Taliban and other AAF. I’m sure it will be fine when the Afghanistan National Army Commandos get word that the weapon sights given to them by the United States have references to the Lord Jesus Christ on them.
… no big deal at all.
Personally I don’t see what’s wrong with baptising babies without their parent’s consent. I mean, it’s not like it kills anybody, so why should anybody mind?
Oh, boo-fucking-hoo… Has anyone asked an actual combatant if they give a fuck what the letters and numbers on his weapon can be interpreted to mean? Do we need a list of forbidden abbreviations that could be references to bible books? This is a case of people looking for things to get offended about, and I say that confidently as a Jewish atheist army reservist who’s used military scopes and doesn’t care what the part numbers are, as long as the damn thing works.
Besides, if the Afghans don’t have access to New Testaments, they can’t translate the magic code, anyway.
Mikey Weinstein may not be exactly a household name, but he’s certainly a public figure, particularly in the context of activism against unconstitutional endorsement of religion in the US military. He’s the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and he is widely known (in news media references and elsewhere) as “Mikey” rather than “Michael”.
Does an American infantryman who has actually shot the enemy using the very scope in question count? How about one who is currently deployed in Afghanistan patrolling alongside Afghan National Army soldiers? Or how about a squad leader who has a Muslim in one of his fire teams?
I fit all of those qualifications. And I think it is fucked up for Trijicon to do such a thing. The possible ramifications are huge if this becomes well known. Like the IO campaign I mentioned. American weapons do end up in the hands of the enemy. Johny Taliban only needs to show this sight and the inscriptions and the explanations that it’s a “secret Jesus code” to get the wheels turning in their favor.
Trijicon had a lot of fucking nerve, that’s for sure.
Trijicon makes really good scopes, I mean really good. This is a ridiculous thing to be up in arms about. We’re at war with these people, I’m pretty sure they don’t give two shit’s what’s written on the scope we use to kill them.
I hope they are at least given the chance to change their ID system instead of losing the contract outright because Trijicon is miles ahead of other tactical optics manufacturers.
The real travesty here would be if the effectiveness of American servicemen were undercut by a series of letters and numbers.
Who is THEY? Are you forgetting that American soldiers can be Muslim? Imagine for a second you are a Muslim soldier fighting in Afghanistan against the Taliban. Fighting for your country that respects all religions and holds no god higher than any other… and that country issues you a scope (or ANY item for that matter) with inscriptions that declare Christ is Lord?
Did it work? If so, why are you looking for things to get outraged about?
Is there a law against inventory numbers that relate to the bible? what if it was kJP4L3 ?
Trijicon, while I have already admitted makes a scope without equal, has undermined true American values and the strategic efforts of the US Military. I am pissed at them for having the audacity to do such a thing.
I wouldn’t say I’m “outraged”. And I’m not looking. It was shown to me in this thread. Trijicon overstepped their bounds. It’s pretty obvious.
What if it was ‘AllA4U-AK8AR’? Glen Beck wouldn’t be stroking out right about now?
I’m still puzzled as to why they’d do this even though I don’t actually care. I try to imagine the company memo that mandated this, but I get stuck at “And from this point forward we’ll incorporate references to bible passages in our part numbers because . . .” and then I draw a blank. Some sort of insurance so their particular God doesn’t look down on them for making things used to kill people? What?
FWIW, it’s not an inventory number or other id system. It’s a superfluous code. It’s not a batch number or manufacturing code or anything.
At second glance, it doesn’t even come after the part number. Though, the first part of the inscription is descriptive, the whole line can be removed.
It says “ACOG4X32 JN8:12”
ACOG4X32 is descriptive of the type of optic, but it’s not a part number or anything.
You never, ever, ever fail to completely miss the point of anything I say. Ever. EVER.
Just for shits and giggles, I am going to hit the Bazaar tomorrow. They sell Chinese knock-offs of just about everything–including Trijicon ACOGs. I want to see if they copied that little detail.
The interesting thing is that there are huge numbers of WWII (and even WWI) guns floating around the Middle East (and Afghanistan). Lee-Enfield rifles are especially popular, and many of them (Especially in Afghanistan) will be stamped GRI on the wristguard- George Rex Imperator (King George, Emperor [of India].)
Does that mean the users condone Imperialism or support the British Crown? Completely the opposite.
It’s a silly thing for this company to have done, but getting worked up over it isn’t helping either. And telling your opponents “Our gunsights have Secret Bible Codes on them” isn’t going to win any PR awards either…