On another and lighter subject

[robivi3]

It was a beautiful cool day here in SoFla. Went to Markham Park and shot the Remington and the Ruger. Never filled out a 4473 for a Rifle before. Had to for the little Remington 597. Nice little Rifle. Guess they'll know eho to look for when "THEY" come for our rights. I hope that struggle is left to another generation and i never see it. I made my son get on the books where he works because I don't want a 19 year old starting out with a "left foot" mentality. If he's gonna be a CPA integrity will mean everything, he agreed. As I said, someone has to pay for the fuel, tanks, planes and soldiers who walk on the wall. I believe that firmly, no tax, no stake in the picture. That's just me, so no putdowns, I wouldn't rat on anyone, including illegals supporting a family (and believe me i could, closer than you can imagine).

But as far as firearms, I have a problem with an increasingly intrusive Government knowing when i go to the Range, when i buy ammo and what i own. I am not a criminal, I would glady obey a warrant to appear and not hole up in a cabin in Montana. However, should they take my land like in Kelo vs. New London or come for guns which means i become a subserviant slave I have made up my mind to die on principle. I'm already on the watchlist as i called the Whitehouse after reading the majority opinion on the Supreme Court website in Kelo vs. New London. I gave name and all, don't give a damn anymore, not gonna hide.

I'm 46, you only get 70 and the Spartans had it right. Three hundred of those fella's went down in honor and because of them Western Civilazation was saved. They held "The Hot Gates" (Thermo- fire, pylea-pillars), a narrow mountain pass against a Persian army of 2,000.000 under Xerxes for three days and bought the Greeks enough time to assemble 295,000 men in the field and hold the Persians for the winter. During that time the Greek Fleet destroyed a Persian fleet of 60 squadrons with 980,000 men, the largest seaborn invasion (YES BIGGER THAN D-DAY) in history. The last survivor of the Spartans was saved for a time by order of the King who wanted to know why men would die on principle alone and not for pay. The man refused to speak for to the king because he had hung King Leonidas' body on a post for the buzzards. For the first time in history a Persian King apologized! "You killed my brothers and cousins and I was wrathful, I am sorry for what was done to Leonidas body". Leonidas was given a proper burial and the man agreed to talk which is why we have the book "Gates of Fire" today. To this day the monument to those fellows who stood for principle remains. They had nothing to lose but their freedom as a poor, independant hardscrabble country. they could have been Persian subjects forever. Books are still written about them. To this day NO Army from the east (Turkey is not "east") has crossed the Euphrates to invade Europe. They saved western civilization by a selfless act. Irregardless of their peculiarities i regard it as a great thing to act on principle alone. We've had our Lincolns, Washingtons, Carvers, Reagans, Kennedy's and others, all sinners like everyone but men who chose principle over popularity.

[Genenco]

It was a beautiful cool day here in SoFla. Went to Markham Park and shot the Remington and the Ruger. Never filled out a 4473 for a Rifle before. Had to for the little Remington 597. Nice little Rifle. Guess they'll know eho to look for when "THEY" come for our rights. I hope that struggle is left to another generation and i never see it. I made my son get on the books where he works because I don't want a 19 year old starting out with a "left foot" mentality. If he's gonna be a CPA integrity will mean everything, he agreed. As I said, someone has to pay for the fuel, tanks, planes and soldiers who walk on the wall. I believe that firmly, no tax, no stake in the picture. That's just me, so no putdowns, I wouldn't rat on anyone, including illegals supporting a family (and believe me i could, closer than you can imagine).

But as far as firearms, I have a problem with an increasingly intrusive Government knowing when i go to the Range, when i buy ammo and what i own. I am not a criminal, I would glady obey a warrant to appear and not hole up in a cabin in Montana. However, should they take my land like in Kelo vs. New London or come for guns which means i become a subserviant slave I have made up my mind to die on principle. I'm already on the watchlist as i called the Whitehouse after reading the majority opinion on the Supreme Court website in Kelo vs. New London. I gave name and all, don't give a damn anymore, not gonna hide.

I'm 46, you only get 70 and the Spartans had it right. Three hundred of those fella's went down in honor and because of them Western Civilazation was saved. They held "The Hot Gates" (Thermo- fire, pylea-pillars), a narrow mountain pass against a Persian army of 2,000.000 under Xerxes for three days and bought the Greeks enough time to assemble 295,000 men in the field and hold the Persians for the winter. During that time the Greek Fleet destroyed a Persian fleet of 60 squadrons with 980,000 men, the largest seaborn invasion (YES BIGGER THAN D-DAY) in history. The last survivor of the Spartans was saved for a time by order of the King who wanted to know why men would die on principle alone and not for pay. The man refused to speak for to the king because he had hung King Leonidas' body on a post for the buzzards. For the first time in history a Persian King apologized! "You killed my brothers and cousins and I was wrathful, I am sorry for what was done to Leonidas body". Leonidas was given a proper burial and the man agreed to talk which is why we have the book "Gates of Fire" today. To this day the monument to those fellows who stood for principle remains. They had nothing to lose but their freedom as a poor, independant hardscrabble country. they could have been Persian subjects forever. Books are still written about them. To this day NO Army from the east (Turkey is not "east") has crossed the Euphrates to invade Europe. They saved western civilization by a selfless act. Irregardless of their peculiarities i regard it as a great thing to act on principle alone. We've had our Lincolns, Washingtons, Carvers, Reagans, Kennedy's and others, all sinners like everyone but men who chose principle over popularity.

Gee Robvi, couldn't you have posted that earlier?

Now I have to reset my reading list!

[robivi3]

Gen, read "Gates of Fire" a great Book on the 300. They held the pass for three days and even had fallback positions with weapons caches. At the first negotiation the representative told king Leonidas that "we are so numerous that our arrows blot out the sun". "Good" replied Leonidas, "we will fight in the shade". The only pre-requisite for Thermopylea was that you have a living son. The Greeks figured that at that point Xerxes could only push 5000 into the pass at once. On the first day he sent "The Imortals", an elite cavalry unit of his cousins and brothers, they were slaughtered.

There were also 1300 Thebans and several hundred Helot slaves, some of whom had fled to Sparta and offered themselves in return for refuge from earlier invasions. To a Greek in that day the worst dishonor was in not being claimed by a City or an honorable family. The helots were made full Spartans on the final day. The 300 were the front line and on the third day all at the site were overrun. The one survivor had been a Helot made a Spartan and was found filled with arrows crushed by a wagon. Xerxes ordered the physicians to keep him alive or they would die. In the end (months later, he was still not recovering well) Xerxes ordered the man killed as the evacuation began but General Mardonius intervened and reminded the attendants that tomorrow the king would be in a better mood and kill them for obeying such a command. The man finally expired and General Mardonius generously hired some Greeks to escort the mans body to Athens. He took their names and on oath swore that he would see that they all died if the body failed to reach the Temple there (I forget which one) and be handed over to the priestesses. He later sent a messenger, while in retreat to insure that the man had recieved an honorable burial. Great story.

[robivi3]

I believe that the Bible makes a clear refernce when it talks in Revelation about the Angels guarding the Euphrates being loosed. As I believe that spiritual things also have an earthly manifestation I believe that at that point it was determined by Providence that no Army would cross the Euphrates until the end times. It isa an odd thing that with all the vast armies that have criss-crossed that this one area has not been breached and Eastern Culture and Influence have thankfully had a lesser effect because of it. I love Mozart, Napoleon (The Lion of Napoli), Colombus and all the good things that Christianity and Western influence have done. Yes, I know every other Culture is so FAAAAAAAR superior, only because they weren't the dominant influence in our sphere. If you love Chinese culture, talk to some Koreans, if you love Japanese Culture talk to some Chinese! The dominant culture is always hated. We have done good and bad obviously, Countries sin just like people sin.