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You Might Be A Member of the Armed Intelligentsia…

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Underneath the recent Quote of the Day by P.J. O’Rourke, TTAG commentator dwb wrote “If you read amicus briefs on the 1st amendment in a gun blog . . . you might be member of the armed intelligentsia.” Or something like that. Dee Dubs was riffing on Jeff Foxworthy’s “you might be a redneck” routine. How about “If you read the owner’s manual for your new gun before you take it to the range . . . you might be member of the armed intelligentsia.” Or “If you can’t mention the Second Amendment without calling it your “natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms” . . . you might be member of the armed intelligentsia.” Or a hopeless pedant. “If you know that the word ‘pedant’ doesn’t indicate a criminal offense . . . you might be member of the armed intelligentsia.” Your turn. The best one wins a free Armed Intelligentsia “Stand Strong Connecticut” T-shirt. Click here to purchase one (half of profits go to Connecticut Carry) regardless.

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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

0 thoughts on “You Might Be A Member of the Armed Intelligentsia…”

    • a.k.a. if you think the simple act of carrying a self-defense tool is not by itself legitimate grounds for being deemed a criminal …

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  1. To the Chris…ever hear of the Civil War? 600000 deaths. People ARE willing to die for freedom. “I don’t want to get shot”…and LEARN how to spell their.

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  2. If through some stroke of fate you have had children and friends involved in more than one mass shooting, and still realize that armed civilians are part of the answer . . .

    My son was in Arapahoe High school, had friends in Columbine and another in the Aurora theater. I am lucky enough to still have them all.

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  3. If your response to gun control legislation is citing three or more Supreme Court cases off the top of your head, you might be a member of the armed intelligentsia.

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  4. If a small part of you dies inside every time you see someone rack the slide of a pistol before getting ready to shootemup in a movie, then…

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  5. If your favorite night of television is Wednesdays on the Outdoor Channel… and your Youtube subscriptions include NRA NEWS, Mr. Colion Noir, and Hickock45. You might be member of the armed intelligentsia.

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  6. Both. Plus my lightsaber. I am hoping they hit the trip wires and get crushed by a tree trunk.

    I tried to put down just one intruder. Well, actually my small fire team did. One of our team members was hit. My weapons sergeant capped off a full belt on his M60A3 and then picked up his buddies minigun. He let loose with a few thousand rounds. I joined him with my M16A2/M203. Our team members engaged the intruder with a mix of M16s, M&P5s, shotguns, and grenades. We wounded the intruder but he was still able to get away.

    Since then, I keep my house wired with traps and I keep multiple guns on hand. Does anyone know where I can get a Pulsed-plasma rifle in the 40 watt range?

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  7. If movie gun fights have begun to annoy more than entertain…

    You might be a member of the AI.

    (O/U shotguns magically making pumping sounds, revolvers dispensing brass, thousand round magazines)

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      • I second both the annoyance and watching Heat. Also recommend Collateral, also by Michael Mann. I don’t normally like Tom Cruise but he was excellent. There’s a scene with a shootout at a night club that is just awesome.

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  8. Benelli. Because Benelli.
    and the Biden Defense.

    Seriously 870 because I can practice all day on moving targets at skeet range. And no where I know in soCA for moving man targets in 5.56.

    Its all abt shot placement under stress.

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  9. If you comment under gun blog articles and, convinced that your point isn’t coming across, write a 4-part series of articles instead.

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  10. If you have literally screamed at your television when they get something firearm related horribly wrong.

    See: click hello, Glock 7, .28 caliber chinese plastic gun, the 30+ shot revolver, bullet impacts causing badguy to fly back 10yds, unnecessary shotgun pumping, magic guns with no recoil, magic guns with way too much recoil, Glocks and revolvers with safeties, and my favorite, the bullets that spark on car doors that dont even damage the paint.

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  11. If you find yourself increasingly incapable of reducing your reasoned arguments against gun control to pithy one liners, instead relying on overwhelming bodies of reference materials, precedent court cases, and memorization of the last six years of the FBI uniform crime report to intellectually bulldoze your opponent………..

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    • I’ve actually gone in the opposite direction, the antis who actually try to argue with me won’t be convinced if I said gun ownership would cure brain cancer. Pithy one liners keep me on the moral high ground with the fence sitters around me, and they generally think the anti is the douche at the end of the convo. Most importantly it keeps my blood pressure from spiking as it tends to do whenever I run into a prog of any type.

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  12. I’ve had a K-38 SW Masterpiece revolver since 1980. But it was confiscated by police . I just represented myself in a case to save the gun from immediate destruction. I’m being allowed to have the gun turned over to a licensed dealer in my area and I will get 80% of the proceeds when it it sold. It really is a nice weapon and was great for target practice. Still in great shape and hasn’t been fired since 1989. I have 3 yrs, 4 months left before my gun possession rights are restored. Some of these laws really seem unfair.

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  13. Your 14yr old goes to see to see “Son of God” with his youth group and his take-a-away is the inaccurate depiction of the use of Roman Arms/Armor (and materials in the boat scene (steel)).

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  14. If you comment that the gun babe shouldn’t have her finger inside the trigger well, you might be a member of the armed intelligentsia.

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  15. If you’ve ever shut down the militia clause argument with:
    “Every other amendment in the Bill of Rights endeavors to empower the people and/or restrain the power of government. Why on earth would the Second do the exact opposite?”- you may be a member of the A.I.

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  16. If you know that:

    Regulated = In good order
    Militia = all citizens
    Shall not be infringed = Shall not be infringed

    you are probably a member of the AI

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  17. Dear Mr. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke — please contact

    Lt. J. Paul Vance
    Public Information Officer

    For the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection &
    the Connecticut State Police

    and give him a lesson before hell breaks loose.

    Reply
  18. If you subscribe to Hickok45, Iraqveteran8888, Panteo, Magpul, training videos Jerry miculek, Mr Colion Noir and TTAG and read them ALL daily…

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  19. Welcome to Chicago and America 2.0, no one is willing to help nor does the law incline those willing to actually do so.

    Good thing he didn’t have a gun though, otherwise a serious offense would be committed and it might get “actual” media coverage.

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  20. The part that truly pisses me off is the school’s refusal to help, presumably out of fear of publicity. I grew up in a rough neighborhood in North St. Louis in the 50’s, and the priests and nuns at my grade school were NOT afraid to intervene when local punks acted up in their presence. Hell, Father Hrdlicka kept a 1911 in his desk drawer (and a case of Falstaff in the office ‘fridge). Kids learn from example. What are the kids at this school going to take from this episode? Keep your head down and hope the problem goes away? I really hope this woman’s child was not a witness to his mothers beating or the cowardly failure of his school officials (who are, after all, supposed to be protecting HIM) to aid his injured mom. If that kid ever trusts an adult again, it will be a miracle.

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    • I’d say more out of fear of liability. In many cases, if you try to help and, despite your good intentions, arguably make things any worse, you can be sued. So thank the ambulance-chasers for a goodly portion of that non-intervention stuff.

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  21. A man beating a women almost to death? There are few things on this planet that would justify that. It wouldn’t matter to me WHO was doing the beating, even if they had a badge, they would have a gun pointed at their head with a real threat to put a hole in it. A persons duty would be to stop that attack.
    If I have to answer to the law for my actions, oh well, but some things a man has to do.

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  22. Nobody, but NOBODY deserves a beat down like that, hell yes I would have intervened, if for no other reason to stop the beating…part of the problem in America today, NOBODY wants to get involved, until after the fact…being reactive fixes/solves NOTHING, being proactive is being an American…don’t be a reactive leftist/liberal, be a proactive American…

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  23. Slow clap continues for a true American Patriot, one who appreciates The Bill of Rights, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. Long may you run.

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  24. If you are familiar with the carry laws in your state and at least two adjoining states.

    If you have spent more money on gun rights causes than ammo in the same month you’ve spent more on ammo than food.

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  25. If you’ve ever been drooling over a new gun and you wife walks up threatens to hit you if you DON’T buy the gun, you are lucky, and your wife may be a member of the AI.

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  26. Seems a little expensive for the bulk, but I guess it depends what you use it for. I prefer something more concealable that will still stop a pistol round (even if it hurts like hell)

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  27. “If you know it’s always been the Moral Obligation and Duty of all Freemen in America to Keep and Bear Arms — and have wisely chosen to do so…you already are a member of the Armed Intelligentsia.”

    Do No Harm / Successfully Defend
    Gw

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  28. If you’ve come around to believing that all persons not in jail (even convicted criminals) should be able to own firearms. And that if someone can’t be trusted with a firearm, they likely can’t be trusted in public without direct supervision

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  29. Disclaimer: As you all know, NJ is all about citizen disarmament, so I don’t carry.
    If I see *anyone* getting beat down, I would definitely call the fuzz and be vocal about it. I would NOT get myself killed for someone who may not even want me involved.

    Example:
    -http://www.wsmv.com/story/24480769/good-samaritan-attacked-while-trying-to-defend-young-woman
    Group of guys harassing a woman (verbally), dude steps in, gets knocked out and robbed. Chick leaves, doesn’t even bother to call police/ambulance.

    -And, as every cop knows, there are many cases where someone, even police, intervene in a domestic situation and the woman takes up for her boyfriend/husband and they both attack the guy trying to help.

    -Finally, in college a group of us (5 guys, some of us football players) went to an event at another school. Came out and saw a guy in the car trying to steal the radio. We chased him and as he was fleeing, he was trying to get people to stop and help him.

    He absolutely looked like the victim: one skinny teenager getting chased by 5 older, bigger guys. But he was actually a scumbag and we were college students just trying to hold him for cops.
    If someone did stop to help, they would’ve helped a criminal (who would’ve kept running) and possibly gotten hurt themselves.

    tl;dr: MYOB and call the cops.

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  30. if people who want to get rid of firearms and those who misuse them infuriate you equally…

    if you read peer reviewed papers, ballistic tables, first hand accounts, history, and Supreme Court cases, and consider them all equally important…

    if you’ve waded through entire books arguing for gun control- desperately searching for any intellectual coherence anywhere in there, you might be a member of the armed intelligentsia.

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  31. Ah, Chicago. The shining example of strict gun control.

    Things will change for the better soon, as people get to exercise their right to CC.

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  32. Ref: Violations of ‘Rights’ in Connecticut

    Regardless of the intent expressed by the legislators, the evidence is now irrefutable that their actions have resulted in transposing many among the vast numbers of Morally-conscious, ‘Rights’-respecting, Law-abiding, Dutiful and Peaceable Citizens into ‘criminals under law’.
    Given these and other facts, the only logical, rational and reasonable solution to the legal problems lawmakers have created for themselves, the Citizens and those now trapped in the tenuous position as law-enforcement officers — is to immediately rescind the laws as enacted.
    Suggestion to de-escalate the legislatively-created conflict as follows:

    While our initial intent was purely in the interest of making an effort to enact laws with a mind toward preventing gun violence and enhancing safety and security;
    upon further review and given ancillary considerations;
    We as representatives, find that;-
    the laws as enacted were beyond the scope of Constitutionally-permitted authority and inconsistent with our Moral, Ethical and Legal Duties to ‘Secure Rights’ of all Citizens of the Great State of Connecticut.
    Therefore, all laws under Public Act 13-3, Concerning Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety are hereby rescinded.

    [ Simple point of inquiry: What better reason can there possibly be for legislators to avoid enacting ‘Rights’-violating laws than simply adhering to laws already written into Constitutions as ‘Rights‘ they‘re Duty-bound to protect, secure and defend?
    In the case at hand all that’s necessary is to simply rescind those erroneously written. ]

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  33. MAC called Wolf and debunked this.

    I love the first amendment, but hate that it means I have to let Yaeger have a voice. Too bad too many idiots who don’t know any better will listen to him and ruin it all for the rest of us

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  34. I’m a Glock 20. Fill your hand, you sonofabitch…

    No, seriously. I’m not anything in particular, just an average red-blooded American who happens to enjoy guns among other things…cars, motorcycles, so on.

    Tom

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  35. If you intentionally buy your jeans one size larger to accommodate IWB carry…

    If the mere mention of the names Eric Holder, Shannon Watts and Mike Bloomberg make your blood boil…

    If you get off on identifying the guns actors/cops are using on TV…

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  36. “Nobody did anything.”

    Until recently, nobody in Chicago was in a position to do anything. I hope that Ms. Radjenovic will get a gun and learn how to use it. Then, if there’s a next time, she will be able to defend herself and not have to rely on the kindness of strangers.

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  37. I’d definitely try to break it up if I saw something like that happening. Pull my gun…probably not (absolutely not in Chicago). There are more effective non lethal means to take down and restrain an aggressor. If it turns out that I’m in for an ass kicking too, well, it wouldn’t be the first one I’ve gotten, probably not the last either (unless it is).

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  38. If you intervene, do it with eyes wide open. Be prepared to be vilified by an anti-gun press, painted as a “cop-wannabe”, hounded by whatever DA is looking for a score, and bankrupted by legal fees. If you “clear leather” and shoot, make absolutely certain that EVERY SINGLE ROUND hits the target, because YOU are responsible for where those rounds land. If you aimed for the bad guy, but hit the child standing behind the bad guy, you’re fooked. If the bad guy is a gangbanger, and you kill him, be prepared for what happens after the press publicizes your name and your home address. Be prepared for the civil suit from the perp’s family…or the family of the innocent kid you hit by accident.

    Cops have sovereign immunity, union-funded legal defense, the benefit of the doubt from virtually all quarters, support from fellow officers, and protection against public release of personal information. You, on the other hand, are not a cop and enjoy none of the same protections. These are simply the facts.

    The legal system is impersonal and merciless: it grinds the guilty and the innocent with equal vigor. It will grind you, and no one (not even your lawyer) will give a damn that you did the “right thing”.

    Intervene, don’t intervene: the choice is always yours, but don’t bulls**t yourself with movie-inspired fantasies.

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  39. Tough call for me. I own an M4 and an AR (since I don’t own a SCAR, we’ll go with these as my choices). Right now, I’d go for the M4. It’s a little front-end heavy, but it’s perfectly controllable and more likely to knock down an aggressor with one hit. With my kids, I want an aggressor down as quickly as possible. It’s not about which would win in a gunfight; it’s about ending a gunfight before it begins. (If my kids are present, a prolonged shootout is on my list of things to avoid.) I live in the suburbs too; and the lower-velocity pellets will penetrate fewer walls and studs than high-velocity steel-core bullets. In my house, I’m not going for penetration of armor or barriers; I’m going for whatever imparts the most energy into the first thing it hits. That’s a shotgun.

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  40. NEVER said I’d shoot the lowlife. I don’t have legal carry YET. Pepper Blaster,knife,basball bat,AXE in the truck. Am I STILL the only one to notice large black man beating the s–t out of little white woman? And yes I’m STILL married to a beautiful black woman.

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  41. This is my first time on this blog and I am getting really upset by some of the stupid things said here. First of all, the Canadian medical system is far better than the US. Out of 48 countries the US is rated #46. (info from the Doctors show March 6, 2014). That is nothing to be proud of. Nobody in Canada is refused medical attention. Nobody in Canada looses their house or anything else due to hospital fees. Canada has some of the best hospitals in North America. And it does not cost us several hundred dollars a month for a medical plan. Our education system is far superior to that of the US. (possibly accounting for some of the comments) again the US is so low on the world comparison for the main subjects. Canada rating in the top 5, the US down around 45. As far as guns, every house hold I know has at least one gun, most more. We allow guns to be controlled, but hay, the US has the highest by a huge huge amount, murders by guns per year, compared to all other countries. wow that is something to be proud of. as for our police, I will take our mounties any day of the year over corrupt sheriffs that are voted in. Escape to the USA, never, but thanks for the offer. We have travelled quite abit tin the US and find for the most part people are very unaware of situations in other countries (medical, education etc) and seem to be brainwashed in to believing the US is the best country. I am glad you are happy with things there, but don’t go thinking that things are so bad in Canada. we have more freedoms than you do.

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  42. All arguments in favor of gun control or against the Second Amendment are essentially moot, since the amendment itself indicates that the government is in fact prohibited from infringing on this natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right.

    Not only is the government prohibited from infringing the right, they are specifically required to protect the right from infringement by anyone, including the individual states. That’s what “We the People” told the government 220+ years ago.

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  43. It only took 3 years. Both SBR bill prime sponsors were Democrats as was the
    Speaker of the House who pulled the bill from the Judiciary to the floor.

    We had much more important things to say than trying to convince anyone that an AR-15 with a 15 inch barrel is less powerful than one with a 16 inch barrel. We did go into detail at the hearings why we wanted SBR’s.

    SBS should be next.

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  44. I may be a bit late to the party.
    I’ve had a DP51 for about six or seven years now. I rarely shoot it any more, but it has been reliable during its admittedly low round count.
    It is an extremely comfortable pistol to shoot and carry. Can you think of anything good to say about the CZ75?
    Say it about the DP51, except lighter, more compact, and more comfortable in the hand.
    The safety IS a bit on the smallish side, though it is not quite as bad as the review made it sound, IMO. That said, it is neither my first nor second choice for carry.
    The “Quick Action” mode, as Daewoo literature referred to it, is interesting, but I’m not entirely sure how useful it is. To me, it seems like CZ’s SA/DA…neat on paper, but not actually useful. That said, I would love it if this pistol caught on (which I doubt it will)…it would be great to actually find magazines and parts for it.

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  45. You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be
    really something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complex
    and very broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to
    get the hang of it!

    Reply

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