“I left the sky in the middle of the night
I hit the deck and I’m ready to fight.
Colt .45 and Kabar by my side
These are the tools that make men die.”

-Infantry Cadence

This post is not a position on gun control rather it is intended give some insight into a side of the issue few outside of specialized jobs probably recognize or acknowledge.  That of the human weapon. 

There is an expression every Marine learns in Basic Training.  “The most dangerous weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle.”  Without justifying the statement (we Marines are very good at self-promotion), the statement is insightful and applies equally to the Rangers, Airborne, SEALS, RM Commandos or any other combat troop.  The truth is that it is the combination of the Marine and his rifle that make a weapon.  The ‘weapon’, whether it is an M4, SAW, LAW or even the Marine’s legendary Ka Bar fighting knife is nothing more than a tool that, when applied by a skilled individual allows a person to achieve an objective.

Is a gun a weapon?  It certainly can be.  Can it kill without being a weapon? Certainly.  Consider a firearm used for hunting that explodes and hurts the user.  This is a safety issue in which a tool failed.  Can an insect sprayer be a weapon?  In the wrong hands, it has been used to kill many people.   On June 11, 1964 a person walked into a school in Cologne, Germany with a bug sprayer filled with gasoline.  Armed with his “flamethrower”, a mace, and a lance, he killed 9 students, then himself.  Alone, a bug sprayer is an innocuous and helpful tool.  In the hands of someone intent on killing, it becomes a deadly weapon.  This post is talking about the person that makes the gun, bug sprayer, sword, or bomb…a weapon. Continue reading →