Seriously. Don’t. (h/t Arnisador)
I am seriously humbled by and in awe of this man. I am seriously humbled by and in awe of how much ass this guy’s gonna get when he gets home.
I am also seriously troubled because from where I sit, my nation doesn’t have warriors like this anymore. We really could’ve used someone with huge stones during this tragic event, don’t you think?
We have become a nation of people who scream and run and wait for others to do something.
As Arnisador pointed out, this brave man is proof that “one person can make a difference. Well, that and some good training.”
If “all it takes for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing”, then I think we might be in a little trouble these days, you know?
UPDATE: How self-defense works in Canada.
The Hillside Circus 
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February 3, 2011 at 1:04 am
Viper Pilot
That quote speaks about more than just the things that ‘Men of Action’ do. There are plenty of things that weasely folks like myself must do in order to suppress evil.
This ranges from big picture things like being proactive about social issues and being an informed voter, to the little things like helping out friends/family/community and raising my kids to become responsible adults who will carry on the good I do.
February 3, 2011 at 3:13 pm
The Hillside Circus
All very true…I would consider those things “action pieces”.
But if things “go down”, why is it that more often than not, the one who tackles the creeps or actively defends themselves are the ones charged under the law? Somehow defending yourself and others is just as “wrong” as threatening those people?
Is *this* why we always look to others now days? We’ve been told to stay out of it? To mind our own business? To just “do what they want” and no one gets hurt?
Cenobyte is fond of saying “just don’t be a douche and everything will work out”. Or words to that effect.
Is not standing up for your family and community in those critical situations actually kinda “douchey”?
February 3, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Coyote
First and foremost. I need a set of kukri. Now. More sharp things for the Coyote. I demand tribute! In kukri form.
Ok so. I find this funny. I’ve been told repeatedly how much trouble I can get into for standing up for friends and family, let alone myself. Same with threats levelled against my daughter when I inform schools that she has been instructed to defend herself against physical harm. My response is, ‘g’head. Let’s rocks out with our cocks out.’ Because I have never had it happen. I’ve stopped physical bullying, I’ve shouted down would be attackers, I’ve brandished weapons in the face of people committing crimes, caught a man trying to steal my car and beat him till he came out of his drunken stupor, hell I even stand up for strangers, and guess what folks? Won’t happen. I’ll rely on a corrupt and abusive police force to take away the criminals to the pens they keep them in unjustly, but that’s about it. Too often I’ve been the victim of a crime and been told by the police that essentially it was my fault. Well if it is my fault I will deal with it then.
This is not some call to vigilantism. This is my experience. Because that’s what I have to do to be true to myself and my path.
The powers that be want sheep. I am not a sheep. I am a person, capable in many different ways and means. I think Zak from RAtM said it best. “Fuck you, I won’t do wha’cha tell me.”
February 4, 2011 at 3:36 pm
The Hillside Circus
There’s another saying you might agree with: “better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6”.
February 3, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Neo
I kinda agree with both sides here. I have also (as i’m sure most have) been victim of a number of crimes and received similar “well there’s nothing we can really do” sorts of attitude.
My thoughts are: “If I don’t stand up for me, then how the fuck can I expect others to?”. That’s not to say I will stare down every pecker who crosses my path that I think is a dickhead, but I won’t back down from one either. There’s a fine line between sack and stupidity. A very fine line.
PS. I might get kukris this weekend, but i REALY want a butterfly knife. Neo needs a butterfly knife people!
February 3, 2011 at 8:55 pm
The Hillside Circus
Well, this is kind of the thing for me.
On one hand, you have a man of outstanding bravery and sack thwarting a vicious crime, taking lives in the process, and being hailed as a hero for it.
On the other, you have the police *praising* people for quietly and calmly streaming out of a bus when someone else was being killed.
I *know* it’s hard to armchair quarterback these things – I wasn’t there, I don’t know this and thus, etc.
I just want to know what happened to us – have we *always* been this sheep like? If i was being assaulted or worse, I’d like to have some faint hope of someone stepping in on my behalf instead of waiting for the police…who “will be there in minutes when seconds count”.
February 4, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Neo
yeah i agree Ringmaster. For me, if someone was going to town on me with a knife, i would be praying the whole time that someone helps me. That SOMEONE has the courage to help their fellow man. Like in the movie Kick-Ass. Near the start he sees a guy getting beat up by 4 guys and just steps in. He gets his ass kicked as well but it proves a point. The greatest evil, is the indifference of good men.
February 4, 2011 at 3:37 pm
The Hillside Circus
Yes. And as VP pointed out, this extends into the larger picture as well.
February 4, 2011 at 8:45 pm
Neo
That article, by the way, hits it right on the money. when i studied the criminal code, specifically legal use of force, for the armoured car company; the law specifically states “The necessary amount of force to put a stop to the situation”.
the guy in the article didn’t even hurt anybody. Cops have different options at their disponsal to deal with different situations. You and I, dont have those options. We don’t get pepper spray, an ASP, whatever. All we got is our sack and whatever is in arms reach. so if that happens to be my sword, guess what, between me and the godless son of a bitch meaning to do harm, i choose me. and i’ll do everything in my power to protect me and my family. and the day i plead ‘guilty’ who be a cold day in hell indeed.
February 5, 2011 at 5:25 am
Arnisador
The system we have in place is a legal system, not a justice system. Legal means it follows the law. Legal means that order is maintained. Justice doesn’t really factor into it at all.
Much better to be nice sheeple and hope that the squad car makes it to your house in time. Most likely, it will be there in time to tag n bag you. Cynical? Yes. Accurate? Quite probably still yes. When I worked on campus many many moons ago, we were unofficially advised that if we made a call to the police, we could expect to have someone on scene within 2 to 40 minutes…depending on whether the patrol car assigned to the university sector was on the Wascana parkway, or in the Uplands 😛
I don’t blame the police…most of the time they do a fabulous job with what little resources they have and despite the many restrictions they have. (Douchbaggery exists in any occupation and unfortunately, there may be some bad apples in the forces too.)
Here’s the the thing that gets my hackles up though. When those of us choose to be sheepdogs instead of sheep, we get blasted by those who say we should let the “pros” handle things, and not get involved. These people also tend to be the same types who preach “if it saves one life…” when they decide its time to ban the next item of the month.
They get eerily silent though if I use the same argument, that if it saves one life (that of my loved ones or my friends) I fully plan to destroy that lowlife opposite me. Those who think I’m a keyboard commando are more than welcome to that opinion. Those who know me though, are probably aware that actions speak louder than words and that luckily, I’ve never had to be too loud.
facta non verba
February 5, 2011 at 3:22 pm
The Hillside Circus
So in the case of the bus beheading, it’s been stated that by the time anyone noticed trouble, the victim was already dead and probably had most of his head off already. Do you think someone trying to take this guy down was warranted at that point? Or do you think everyone was correct in streaming out of the bus and letting the psycho slice and dice and eat?
February 5, 2011 at 5:31 am
Arnisador
Oh and Neo, I happen to have a kukri too 🙂 Genuine ghurka issue as well, from a decomissioned regiment in the late 1800’s. Even have the certificate of authenticity somewhere in a storage box. Sweeeeeeeet little piece of metal.
I wish I could say I had a butterfly knife/balisong, but due to the legalities, I can only dream of ownership. The plastic ones from ninja toy kits are workable if you can find them, even if they have the latch on backwards.
February 5, 2011 at 3:25 pm
The Hillside Circus
Query: what advantages does a concave blade give over a straight edge or convex blade? A convex edge I can see maximizing the cutting…
February 5, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Arnisador
are you referring to the blade itself or the grind of the edge?
http://ex_knife.tripod.com/excalibursknifeezine/id11.html has some info that you’d find interesting. On a kukri, my understanding is that its shape gives it more slicing and chopping power but less piercing power. I’m not a man of science though, so I’ll defer to anyone who has a better grasp of the physics.
Me just want shiny sharp pointy thing. Chop into bad guy. Uh-huh.
February 5, 2011 at 8:35 pm
The Hillside Circus
Blade itself. If a scimitar, for example, maximizes slashing, what advantages does a Kukri bring?
February 5, 2011 at 11:47 pm
Coyote
Chopping power in close quarters. Doesn’t require the expansive movements of scimitars or katanas.
February 5, 2011 at 11:50 pm
Coyote
Oh, and hand over the kurki. Now. Me want.
February 6, 2011 at 12:41 am
The Hillside Circus
Haha Coyote!
I expect if you tried taking it from him, you’d pull back a wet stump. 🙂