All things being equal, I’d agree and say Trijicon needs to have their peepee whacked. If there is another company that has the experience, the capacity, and the capability of producing a product that equals Trijicon’s for the same price, go for it. I just wouldn’t want our guys getting something inferior because we’re being politically correct.
If not, tell Trijicon to stop with the bible thumping on government contract sights, but do keep using their gear. As a former cav scout, I gotta say, these sights are important - we’re not talking about who’s making the beef stroganoff in the MRE’s. Quality matters here, and Trijicon makes good stuff.
I guess I just see it from the point of view of the soldier - personally, I really don’t care if Haji now has a 247th reason to want to saw my head off on YouTube, I want the best optics so I can kill Haji before he gets close enough to spray and pray with his Kalashnikov.
Then again, if we recall all the bible sights, I wouldn’t mind picking one up on ebay for cheap.
Um, as I wrote the OP, well, I never thought I’d have to say this, but, (awkwardly digs toe into dirt), um, I feel I should point out, um, that I’m not actually Jesus.
As Bear_Nenno pointed out (and according to him, he actually is a soldier deployed in Afghanistan, so I think his take on the “point of view of the soldier” might be better-informed than yours), it isn’t the opinions of enemy jihadis that we care about here, since they’re not going to be well-disposed to us in any case.
It’s the non-enemy Muslims in the countries where our soldiers are deployed—as well as the non-Christians among our own troops—that we’d like to avoid offending or insulting with gratuitous plugs for Christianity inscribed on officially issued military weapons.
Again, it’s not really the enemy insurgents’ opinions that we care about here. Moreover, it’s not like the “Jesus guns” were a total secret even before the ABC News story:
And I think the blame-the-messenger attitude of “well, it wasn’t the policy that caused the problem, it was the publicizing of it” is short-sighted. Things like this generally do get revealed sooner or later, and the longer they’ve been going on the worse they look.
Well, remember that it’s been only about six or seven years that we’ve been involved in wars specifically against radical Islamist extremists that have been widely characterized as anti-Muslim “crusades”. Everybody’s a bit more aware of the impact of religious belief in warfare nowadays.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YoureBeingABinkyBoo
What a good thread. Thanks Jesus!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Attack from the 3rd Dimension
Um, as I wrote the OP, well, I never thought I’d have to say this, but, (awkwardly digs toe into dirt), um, I feel I should point out, um, that I’m not actually Jesus.
Anyway, you’re welcome.
Not knowing Jesus that well but having known Attack from the 3rd Dim since his birth, I can verify . . . he aint Jesus.
Especially since the founder of the company was from South Africa. The must have been selling the sights to the ANC. Certainly they wouldn’t have sold the sights to those trying to limit individual freedom.
Actually, I’m a combat veteran who served in Iraq, and spent the better part of 12 years fighting “radical muslim extremists” in North Africa, the Levant, and the Persian Gulf, serving with both US Naval Intelligence (specializing in counter-terrorism operations) and as a Cavalry Scout (specializing in kicking in doors) in an Army brigade combat team . I like to think my opinion is somewhat well-informed.
So seeing as attributing divine retribution to random tragic events seems to be popular at the moment, I have to point out that putting Jesus’ teachings on instruments of death and violence would seem far more egregious to God, than centuries old, probably apocryphal, pagan ceremonies. And:
Eeeeh, really good point, it was shortsighted of me to only think of the enemy. When you put it that way, it’s a pretty lowdown thing of Trijicon to do.
To continue this hijack of a hijack, I will note that his nickname “Mikey” was the appellation given to him at the USAF (from which he graduated with honors).
[obsessive/compulsive)Way back, somebody mentioned a sniper who recited Biblical proverbs as he took a bead on his target. They claimed it was from ‘Band of Brothers’. Maybe. But it was definitely the habit of Barry Pepper’s character in ‘Saving Private Ryan’.[/ocd]
Complete hijack – I don’t think adopting radical Sharia would placate them for an instant. They make war on each other when it suits them. I have all along thought the religious fanaticism was a cover (and a recruitment incentive) for wanting control over land. That’s what it’s about so much of the time; the Irish didn’t actually want to turn the Orangemen into shiny new Catholics, they wanted them off the land. Similarly, the issue in Israel/Palestine begins and ends with control of the land. IMHO bin Laden and company want to wrest control of their traditional lands from the current oligarchies and monarchies and see us as an obstacle to that. Not that they would be less ambitious if they got what they now want; they might then come to turn us into coreligionists subject to their rule, but power and control are the goal, not anything so ethereal as souls.
I agree we wouldn’t change the minds of the leadership and the dedicated holy warriors, but we are not trying to change their minds, and never were. The stupidity of putting holy marks on our gunsights might, however, offend those undecided Islamists who could be swung either way, the silent majority who apparently outnumber bin Laden’s fanatics.
These undecided masses are likely to either be (justifiably) offended by our lying about it not being a holy war or to (rightly) judge as as childishly stupid for having put the marks on there – and for not knowing our contractors were doing so. It’s like when you see someone do something stupid enough that you lose respect for him; you can’t even help yourself, sometimes.
The self-righteous people who did this are making the rest of us (the official US government and “the people”) look like the Mr. Beans of the military world, raising our eyebrows in quizzical surprise when everyone knows it’s an act.
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Hell, if I really wanted the Juju…I would construct a sight out of a laminate of 32 GB Flash Electromagnetic Materials. Upload every known sacred text from every religion, as well as their books of war onto the sights of my weapon, can’t be too careful… Got Mojo?
Apparently, this is not the only case where secret bible messages have been promoted by the US military. A quick look at former and current handguns deployed shows the following:
Colt 1911 Obviously, this super secret code for Revelation 19:11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war”
M9 Beretta - Is actually named for Mark, Chapter 9 which begins: “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”
My suggestion is to verify that every single piece of military hardware is not named in an offensive manner in anyway. It’s the only way to be sure.
