- Joined
- Mar 8, 1999
- Messages
- 1,760
Okay, first of all - some background. Rusty, and perhaps others, have been offended by some remarks made by me in recent and past postings. The remarks in question were about my stab at humor when remarking about my carelessness with knives. I often say that I've "blessed" a knife, which means, in my parlance, that I have cut myself.
Rusty. I didn't mean to offend you or anybody else. I am sorry you were offended. As a way of showing you that I'm not the SOB that you infer me to be from my postings, I think you should know what goes through my mind when I make such comments about my carlessness (which will, for your sake, be void of all future allusion to blood ceremony).
I sharpen and polish 10 khukuris a day. In the course of my work, I become careless. When I become careless, I get cut. Rather than condescendingly warn people not to cut themselves (many of the readers are twice my age, are smarter, and/or have served combat-tours in Vietnam, Korea, and World War II), I choose to highlight the dangers of a khukuri in the best way I know how - through humor. The important nuance, which I think you missed, is that the humor is not aimed at the KAMIS, their religion or ceremonies . . . but at ME for cutting myself.
You had a valid point about the possibility of misinterpreting and being offended by my humor, but to question the motives behind my choice to remain in the US Marine Corps reserves and voluntarily serve in Northern Nicaragua, where 6 years ago, Americans would have been murdered on site? Why would you do this?
To answer your question matter of factly: no, it's not "under orders" that I serve. It's voluntary. I left my wife and by business for it. I've already done my two weeks - my humanitarian service in Nicaragua was for personal reasons.
Many would would be offended by your comments about my military service (a step further, I think, than an honest misunderstanding at the object of one's humor). I say I would be offended, but am not.
You are obviously a man who cares greatly about character. Kurt Vonnegut, another man of character, once said that profanity gives your readers an excuse not to listen to what you have to say. Do yourself a favor, and don't mud sling. If you do, you run the risk of having your constructive and valued opinions and comments fall on deaf ears, or you risk having them lost amidst a flurry of defensive remarks and counter-accusations.
Regards,
Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
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Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
Rusty. I didn't mean to offend you or anybody else. I am sorry you were offended. As a way of showing you that I'm not the SOB that you infer me to be from my postings, I think you should know what goes through my mind when I make such comments about my carlessness (which will, for your sake, be void of all future allusion to blood ceremony).
I sharpen and polish 10 khukuris a day. In the course of my work, I become careless. When I become careless, I get cut. Rather than condescendingly warn people not to cut themselves (many of the readers are twice my age, are smarter, and/or have served combat-tours in Vietnam, Korea, and World War II), I choose to highlight the dangers of a khukuri in the best way I know how - through humor. The important nuance, which I think you missed, is that the humor is not aimed at the KAMIS, their religion or ceremonies . . . but at ME for cutting myself.
You had a valid point about the possibility of misinterpreting and being offended by my humor, but to question the motives behind my choice to remain in the US Marine Corps reserves and voluntarily serve in Northern Nicaragua, where 6 years ago, Americans would have been murdered on site? Why would you do this?
To answer your question matter of factly: no, it's not "under orders" that I serve. It's voluntary. I left my wife and by business for it. I've already done my two weeks - my humanitarian service in Nicaragua was for personal reasons.
Many would would be offended by your comments about my military service (a step further, I think, than an honest misunderstanding at the object of one's humor). I say I would be offended, but am not.
You are obviously a man who cares greatly about character. Kurt Vonnegut, another man of character, once said that profanity gives your readers an excuse not to listen to what you have to say. Do yourself a favor, and don't mud sling. If you do, you run the risk of having your constructive and valued opinions and comments fall on deaf ears, or you risk having them lost amidst a flurry of defensive remarks and counter-accusations.
Regards,
Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
------------------
Craig Gottlieb
Gurkha House
Blade Forums Sponsor
