Buy em now gents... buy em now.... Hows that for a buy signal???!! Don't forget the accessories... magazines, ammo, etc. That stuff will disappear quickly as well Keep them quite and outta site too. Call me paranoid... call me a gun nut.... we will see when everyone is beating down piratebobs door after the fecal matter hits the rotary blades. I mean it makes complete sense to have stricter gun control laws.... Look at the great job it did in Washington............or.......anywhere....... ever.........
And those that survive I will see. Sometimes I wish that the gunshot wound to the spine would have killed them. But, it didn't so now they are here with me and the rest of my nurses. It is sad to see a 20 something year old in a wheelchair, and all that comes with lack of mobility. I feel for you bro, and I trade as well in the hopes that I can escape a failing health care system.
I'm not looking to start a fight here, but since you volunteered the personal information, I'd like to pose a thought. You say you "chose" your path. I agree wholeheartedly. We all choose. My question is why did you choose law enforcement? My inclination is that "time" was not all that important to you at an early age, when you "chose" to do what you do. But as "time" has passed you have become aware of it's preciousness, but not fully, because you "wouldn't change it for the world". Do you have more of a sense of fulfillment from your job or your life, your family? We are all aware of the high divorce rate and other indicators of emotional distress among law enforcement. So with that information, why would you "choose" to become a part of it? To me it's a contradiction, or rather, the lesson learned contradicts the original intent to protect and serve. If that was the intent. As I said I am not trying to antagonize you. I simply disagree with your chosen profession. Until it is radically changed to truly protect the innocent, I can't garner the least amount of respect. I simply wonder why one would choose it as a career knowing the harm it causes. My assumption is to fulfill some self worth issue or to exact some kind of revenge. Please correct if I'm wrong. BTW. As far as guns go, I too believe strongly in the second amendment.
No knocks and the typical SWAT door kick in frighten me for one reason. What if they get the wrong address? It happens. If someone kicks in my door at 3 AM I am likely to shoot first and ask questions later. Then I either get shot down by 15 pumped up cops or I get charged with shooting a cop. What is the answer? What should a citizen do in this situation?
You already know the answer. Which would you rather have? 'Tried' by twelve, or carried by six? - Spydertrader
Good questions and I will try to respond... I chose law enforcement for several reasons. I come from a family who spent their careers in local government. In the area I live, there is not much industry, mainly service oriented professions or sales (which I hate). Law enforcement, public education, etc. are historically stable careers with a retirement and benefits at the end, even if the income is rather low to average. I was 24...at a point where I felt a choice in life was needed. Time was important then, but on a different level. I was newly married, no children and ready to rock and roll. You are right in that as time has passed I have become more aware of its preciousness, however the fact that I wouldn't change it for the world has nothing to do with time. My choices in life are all precious to me and hopefully yours because that is what makes you who you are. The lessons "learnt" over the years transforms someone into a unique person and that is just as important as anything else. If I was lamenting my life regretting the choices I made and wished I had done something else, then I would not be "growing" as a human being...that is what life is all about, at least to me anyways. Public service on any level may not be the best choice financially, but there are many rewards and I have experienced alot of them. I can walk away with my head held high knowing that I have given to my community, saved a life or three, and put some bad guys in the jailhouse. Not bragging or anything, it's just who I am. It's also who I am to want more for myself and my family...so off to the markets I go. When I first started my career my fulfillment came from my job. Now it is my family and the things I do with them on a daily basis. That is why I have changed direction and moved toward trading. I am lucky in the fact that I have a strong marriage, however I have seen families literally fall apart in front of my eyes and my wife and I see that and try to take lessons from those observations so we do not fall into the same trap. She understands why I want to hang up my gun belt and supports my trading 100% I have a pretty flexible schedule which allows me to trade "part time" however my research and mental focus probably equates to "full time". I feel as motivated about trading as I did years ago when I first hit the road...I still enjoy my job but it is waning. There are a few more things I want to accomplish and that is good for me because it would be real easy to abandon everything and think that I am going to be rich off of trading and quit my job. I have a 3-4 year timeframe which I believe is achievable. No revenge needed...I haven't been wronged by the system or anything like that. I respect your disagreement with my path and sometimes agree with you in that the system is set up a little bass ackwards however I think that is overshadowed by the good things that are present because there are "laws" and an institution in place to enforce those laws. I think it causes more good than harm, however I would not argue that to a person who has experienced the harm because their experience is what matters to them and I am sympathetic to their situation. They are double victims...first of the act then of the system, but that has really little to do with the "street" cop. Hope I answered your Q's...
As I said, I don't know your motives, I was just guessing. The thing that struck me most about your reply was the premise that the laws and an institution to enforce those laws are a good thing. To illustrate, a few years ago the national speed limit was 55 mph. How many hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people were cited for breaking that law? And then it went away. You see, it was against the law at the time to go faster than 55 mph. Now it's not. To be sure, we don't consider those that broke that law to be criminals, but there are laws that do criminalize behavior regardless of the morality of the behavior. My point is, I believe there to be too many laws. Subsequently there are too many cops. Blame it on our litigous nature, but sometimes I wish people would fight back. I think police posess way too much power and I think explicably they abuse that power way too much. And that is overshadowed by the good? I shake my head. You cannot control the behavior of people, try as we might. The more laws you have the more lawbreakers you make. If you have a teenage daughter then you know that the more you tell her what to do, what not to do, where she can go, who she can and cannot see, the more you control her the more she rebels. I say let people make their own mistakes and take responsibilty for their own actions. Again, I say this in discussion and am not interested in attacking anyone. It is a highly charged topic and an easy one to blow out of proportion. It would be nice to wave a magic wand and "make it all better". I don't hold much hope of it becoming better magic wand or not. At this age I find myself just wanting to check out and go somewhere else, but I have kids too and thus the responsibility to be available.