Archive for February 18th, 2012
“I did not choose the pen, or the microscope, or the musical instrument to make a living. I chose the gun”
h/t (interestingly) Ricochet.com
Image via Wikipedia
Many people, in their chosen fields of endeavor, use various instruments and tools to make a living. A tool is basically an extension of one’s own body. The hammer – used to replace the palm of your hand to hit hard metal objects. The musical instrument – an extension of your voice to help you express emotions you otherwise would keep inside. The pen – also replaces your voice in a more permanent way, to enable you to continue to speak long after death.
General Peter van Uhm, Chief of the Netherlands Defense Staff, explains the instrument he chose to enable him to extend his reach beyond the length of his arm; and the reasons he chose it;
We remain free in America today because we have guns. We, the people. Even IF Admiral Yamamoto never said it, it certainly was true; had Japan somehow been able to invade the mainland United States, there most certainly would have been a gun “behind every blade of grass.
