Nick - 2009-03-18 2:44 AM Hee hee, How did we get back on to guns again?-I remember this same debate on one of my first posts here

Probably my fault then too.   I don't think this is so far off, the OP was about dealing with violent situations, and how to defend yourself, and how that fit into the yogic lifestyle.

You can be effective with a gun very quickly, compared to training to use a sword, knife, unarmed combat, bow and arrow, etc.  IIRC, basic army training is 10 weeks, most of which is spent on physical conditioning.  They're very effective afterwards, though you're correct, the more training, the more effective the person is going to be, with just about anything.

With the increasing Big Brother culture of a camera on every corner, that appears to be taking root in Britain, I'm also happier on this side of the Atlantic.  We've got issues with it here as well, the wire-tapping debacle is a good example, but currently Britain appears to be in worse shape.

I think if you lived over here for some time, you'd find that the media has presented you with a stilted idea of what guns are like over here.  I live on the edge of a rough neighboorhood, and we've had one incident of gun fire in the past year, or so.  I own a couple of guns, and I've never had to even brandish one, let allow fire it.  Nicer neighborhoods have far far less trouble, and a gun isn't the only way to commit violence against people.  Where there's a will, there's a way.

I can also give you direct ancedotal evidence of people preventing violent crime because they had a fire arm with them, or near them, much to the relief of the potential victim.  I can't give you much the other way around.  So from my point of view, it's better to have than not.

Kristi - I'm refering to the invasion of Tibet by the PRC in the 1950s.  I sincerely doubt that the PRC is going to be influenced by the wishes of the people of Tibet, or their exiled leaders.  History is filled with similar tyrants who were little swayed by peaceful protest.  In such cases it would appear that people have little other alternatives than to deal with them on another level, or suffer some pretty grave consequences.  Personally, I don't consider either alternative to be a good one, but this is the world we live in.