Posts by Boeing Stratofortress

96

Ray Franz was an Idiot

by vinman in

ray franz who gave us insight into the gb due to a crisis of conscience was an absolute moron, with absolutely no critical thinking skills whatsoever like all of us have.

i mean, to have a conscience based on some magic man in the sky.. how stupid can you be?

in search of christian freedom?

VA shooting suspect was raised a JW! He mentions it on his Twitter account

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

anyone in the usa following this morning's shooting "on-air" live tv will know what i'm talking about.

bryce williams (not real name, but on-air name) shot and killed 2 people on live television this morning in roanoke, va. he was wearing a go-pro camera, and uploaded his first-person video onto his social media accounts.

i've seen his twitter feed (before it was taken down), and not very far down he mentions being raised a jw.

Boeing Stratofortress

Oh sh!t, I'm gonna get banned for life now. Time for another Fosters.

Sorry, Simon. 😬

Sorry strat. Didn't mean to provoke you to the point of such anger. I apologize. Sincerely. Not joking.

No worries. I'm on my third Fosters & just lit up a corn-cob pipe.

324

VA shooting suspect was raised a JW! He mentions it on his Twitter account

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

anyone in the usa following this morning's shooting "on-air" live tv will know what i'm talking about.

bryce williams (not real name, but on-air name) shot and killed 2 people on live television this morning in roanoke, va. he was wearing a go-pro camera, and uploaded his first-person video onto his social media accounts.

i've seen his twitter feed (before it was taken down), and not very far down he mentions being raised a jw.

Boeing Stratofortress

privately calling someone a Homo makes you feel manly...well...that is too bad.

Yeah it is too bad, since I have no firsthand experience. We just had sheep back on the farm, so what the f%ck do I know.

324

VA shooting suspect was raised a JW! He mentions it on his Twitter account

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

anyone in the usa following this morning's shooting "on-air" live tv will know what i'm talking about.

bryce williams (not real name, but on-air name) shot and killed 2 people on live television this morning in roanoke, va. he was wearing a go-pro camera, and uploaded his first-person video onto his social media accounts.

i've seen his twitter feed (before it was taken down), and not very far down he mentions being raised a jw.

Boeing Stratofortress

But I wont be a paranoid pu$$y like I hear being talked about on here,

Ok, that's a new low "friend." I've been around guns all my life. I've spent many a day in third world shitholes. Hell, I used to be based in Khobar, site of the terrorist attack. All I'm doing is trying to expand the debate on accountability. Either by gun restriction, or regulation. I too, walk down the street without cowering, or living my life under a rock, just as I've done while overseas, in 3rd world backwaters. There are alot of people, women and children, who don't share your John Wayne bravado. There are a lot of people--US citizens who VOTE, that think we, in the US can do better than a 3rd world banana republic, when it comes to gun policy. The fact is that the Swiss example works. The Aussie example works. Not saying that we copy them verbatim. And neither model, SPECIFICALLY the Swiss one, equates to..."their gonna git our guns!!!" But, by your standards, they're all pussys anyway, right?

I'd like to see you walk into an Aussie pub and set your glass on the counter, upside-down. Then, you can get back to me on how the Aussies are all "pussys."

If you had the guts to call me that in my face, it wouldn't go down well, "friend." Are you sure you don't keep a big gun around to compensate for something else you lack?

I've had enough of your mindless, circular reasoning. You obviously don't care to admit that the US has a problem, or if you do, then you don't want to do anything about it. Fine. Like the old saying goes, "lead, follow, or get out of the way."

Like 'The Rebel,' mentioned, individuals can make a difference. And we will. So, step aside little boy, and let the grown-ups deal with this.

Oh, and no, I'm not a JW, or elder. Never was, and never will be, as you allege, in your insulting tone. But, I'll have to say, that my hat goes off to such people, who, after serving YEARS in the Watchtower, finally come up with some doubts on their own. And based on those doubts, they take the brave steps to leave the organization. THAT takes GUTS!!

324

VA shooting suspect was raised a JW! He mentions it on his Twitter account

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

anyone in the usa following this morning's shooting "on-air" live tv will know what i'm talking about.

bryce williams (not real name, but on-air name) shot and killed 2 people on live television this morning in roanoke, va. he was wearing a go-pro camera, and uploaded his first-person video onto his social media accounts.

i've seen his twitter feed (before it was taken down), and not very far down he mentions being raised a jw.

Boeing Stratofortress

Here is a good question thought, is it going to stop the next person that wants to be the next Erick and Dylan? I highly doubt that, because their motive is not revenge, its revenge on steroids.

Ok, so you've identified a root cause. According to your 'root cause analysis,' it's revenge (on steroids) which motivates killers like Dylan and Erick of Columbine Infamy. Maybe they wanted to be like the Luby's shooter before them, or the Postal shooter prior to that. Fine. Now let's say, that as someone in the aviation field, I wanted to find a root cause as to why planes crash. By applying similar logic as you have, I deduce that gravity is to blame. Therefore, I ask the manufacturers to design an anti-gravity device. Then, I'll see about getting ejection seats installed in all passenger seats. You see where I'm going with this? It's obviously impossible to address this root cause directly. So, you do it indirectly, by devising cockpit procedures, checklists, technology, and legal penalties enforced by the FAA if these procedures are not complied with. It won't eliminate crashes altogether, but will mitigate them. Air safety stats over the last 30 years bear that out.

Look at the Watchtower abuse issues. There are certainly root causes there, but the Royal Commission can't just walk inside the headquarters in New York and push a button to make things right. They have to force change indirectly, from the OUTSIDE, by way of finacial penalties, and law enforcement.

Now, back to Dylan and Erick. Their motivation was revenge. On steroids, as you say. Fine. Now, what solution do you propose? Now that you've identified a cause. Do you want to develop a device that flies around and measures peoples' 'motivation for revenge?' Should we come up with 'thought police' as in "1984." Hmmm, a bit impractical as I see it.

You want to blame sensationalist media? Then I assume you're ok with trashing the First Amendment.

Earlier in this thread, someone with extensive military and security experience pointed out how guns & rifles were tools. Tools which obviously make the job of killing much easier, than say...a club, or knife. In Australia, some 650,000 of these 'tools' were bought up in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre of 1996. Prior to this massacre, there had been others, though not as large. Since the buyback program, there have been no such massacres at all, in Aussie land since '96. NONE. Now, keep in mind, that there have likely been people there, who were 'motivated by revenge on steroids.' But it's a but hard to act out these motivations if you have no, or at least restricted access to the tools that make this possible. And please, spare us the nonsense about how..."they can use a machete." Or, " they can get a can of gasoline and start a fire." Yes, there have been very isolated incidents like this here and there, but you can't even BEGIN to equate that with the chronic mass shooting problem as it exists in the US.

Mr Gardner says if he was barred from getting a gun, Flanagan could have killed with a knife or machete.

Of course. No disagreement there. If you saw the video, it's obvious that Mr. Flanagan had his gun drawn, as he was walking towards the young lady, Ms. Parker. She was focused on her broadcast, and completely unaware of what was coming. So yes, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, due to his close range and element of surprise, Mr. Flanagan could have successfully thrust a knife blade into her, if he were so determined. Here's one problem I have with that, however. A knife thrust like that requires some skill and knowledge. A Navy SEAL, for example, could no doubt execute such a kill with speed and precision. He'd know exactly how to plant the blade so as to avoid bone, and sever vital arteries/organs. Compare that with the virtually brainless act of squeezing the trigger on the very lightweight 9mm Glock, at close range. Chances are, that a knife attack might have resulted in a nasty stab wound, but no loss of life. Also, the camera man would've had time to distance himself from the attacker, had he only used a knife, possibly bashing Flanagan in his skull with the large camera. As pilots, we cover a lot of 'what ifs' in our training, as it relates to hijacking. Believe me, edged weapons, in general, are much easier to defend against, or evade, than rifles/shotguns/handguns. I've never heard of a drive-by stabbing anyway. Have you?

Ok. Now for solutions. We have an idea of the causes. What do you do about it? I say

A) Imitate the Australian example. Which is heavy restriction to gun access. Part of the reason this has worked in Australia is geography. It's more difficult to smuggle illegal weapons onto an island. Hence, US borders would need some major beefing up.

or

B) Follow the Swiss example. Which is an expansion of regulation, over not just guns, but ammo as well. Perhaps expand the idea of National Guard, or IRR (ready reserves) to allow for assault weapons to be kept at home, but with strict rules on training, procedures, and weapon securing. Also include strict penalties for non-compmiance. So, your kid gets hold of your weapon, and shoots up his school, then your irresponsible ass is going to Leavenworth for a looong time.

Besides the mental health aspect, that we've talked to death, and that the NRA likes to include in it's brain-dead talking points...do YOU have a solution?

40

Crazyguy is going batshit crazy a Rant

by Crazyguy in

yesterday some jw's came over to my house and were even being nice to me, most of the time if they do come by an elder or ms may say something but the others will not, its even hard for them to say just hello (how pathetic).

( they also do this behind my back as if i don't know).

i now realize by not being their i've handed my kids right over to them!.

Boeing Stratofortress

Go to a United Church of Christ (UCC) service,

Yes...UCC is great. Very open minded. In fact the Disciples of Christ (DOC), aka ______ Christain Church, is closely associated with the them. They work together, and share very similar beliefs...or might I say NON beliefs, since the main point is accepting JC as savior. They disregard man-made creeds & tests of faith. They also do great 'works' that help the less fortunate (can u say 'imitate Jesus?).

Just don't confuse the UNITED Church of Christ with the regular Church of Christ.

Why are you allowing some f*ckers to "study" with your kids??? That shit has got to stop.

Agreed. The book "No More Mr. Nice Guy," or "Hold on to your N.U.T.S. (Non-negotiable Unalterable Terms) books I highly recommend.

40

Crazyguy is going batshit crazy a Rant

by Crazyguy in

yesterday some jw's came over to my house and were even being nice to me, most of the time if they do come by an elder or ms may say something but the others will not, its even hard for them to say just hello (how pathetic).

( they also do this behind my back as if i don't know).

i now realize by not being their i've handed my kids right over to them!.

Boeing Stratofortress

I'm not sure what to do anymore, do I go back and play nice with these idiots all the while trying to plant seeds with my kids?

Crazyguy, I'm a non-JW (never was one), but I have a JW wife, and kids that she'd love to turn into little JWs. I'd did the 'play nice' bit for the longest time. It probably helped early on, because they saw me as a potential recruit. They would be quick to reassure me that I was 'head of household,' while at the same time, teaching my wife and kids to avoid 'bad associations,' and 'worldly people.'

Earlier this year, I began showing my 11 year old son, who is pretty internet savvy, some of the news reports about child abuse among JWs. I also showed him the Silentlambs website, with their long list of predators, and their photos. I've also made him aware of the events in Australia. Now, everytime I see him, he asks me if I've got any updates on these events. I've also got him to think critically about the shunning & disfellowshipping. He's stopped by the Disciples of Christ church with me, during the weekdays, when I drop by to say "hi" to Chris, the pastor. My son knows that THEY don't shun & DF, in fact they do the opposite, by going out into the community and helping out. He sees this, and knows that something's up with the JWs. One more thing, there's a nice little Youtube video of a man, possibly a church pastor, standing in front of a JW convention, and calmly asking attendees if they "imitate Jesus." Almost everyone ignores the guy, and walks right by him. My son sees the irony of this too.

The old saying is, "the best defense is a good offense." I'm not suggesting you go off and join another church, but it'd be good to perhaps introduce yourself to a pastor of one of the more 'mainline' churches (not the fire & brimstone evangelical type). Those guys love to chat about what-would-Jesus-do type stuff, over donuts & coffee, and it would give your kid/s a chance to compare & contrast. One thing my son said right away was, "wow, he's a real nice guy!" His surprise might've stemmed from the fact that, during most of his childhood, he'd been taught that other churches (Christiandom) were bad. Again...I don't PUSH him in my direction, nor am I an active member of that church (Disciples). But after a few friendly visits for coffee with the rev & some of the other members, he can sense the difference ON HIS OWN.

Another thing that has helped, is having sort of a fraternal band of buddies. If you don't already have a 'crew' outside of J-dub land, then I suggest you get cracking. I know some groups, like the Elks, Moose Lodge, Oddfellows, and especially the Freemasons will f-ing HAVE YOUR BACK. Especially, with this sh1t of an elder trying to be your kid's SURROGATE DAD!!

That guy needs to be cornered by you and your crew, and told to BACK the F&CK OFF. Catch him on his way out of the supermarket...or the KH, if he's one of the last to leave. No need to get violent, but just you, with a few of your boys there for effect, should have him shaking for a few weeks.

By the way, I recently told one of the elders, that I knew all about the child abuse problems going on, and that if I found out that MY kids were going out in field service with ANYONE besides their mom, that there'd be serious f&cking consequences.

So, I'd definitely start to go on the offensive, especially if one of your kids starts to see the light, just a little. That's the time to pounce. It's worked for me so far, and has been alot more effective than playing Mr. Nice Guy.

Oh...speaking of. That's a good book: "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Dr. Glover. It fits right in with what I've posted here. Even deals with the difficult spouse issue--JW or not. My 2 cents.

324

VA shooting suspect was raised a JW! He mentions it on his Twitter account

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

anyone in the usa following this morning's shooting "on-air" live tv will know what i'm talking about.

bryce williams (not real name, but on-air name) shot and killed 2 people on live television this morning in roanoke, va. he was wearing a go-pro camera, and uploaded his first-person video onto his social media accounts.

i've seen his twitter feed (before it was taken down), and not very far down he mentions being raised a jw.

Boeing Stratofortress

Yeah, I suppose that Obama's remarks were a bit simplistic, but...

Or do people turn to guns when they lose jobs?

...the out-of-work Vester Flanagan sure as hell grabbed HIS gun, didn't he??

5

The Watchtower Corporation Ability To Survive In A Changing Society Following The Edicts Of A Bronze Age Moral Code

by Brokeback Watchtower in

what are the negative and positives of this whole affair.

will they be able to make some positive changes that will insure their survival for say 5 decades?

will they survive the public scrutiny that the information age has brought upon us?

Boeing Stratofortress

Apples & oranges.

The Catholics don't shun & break up families. They don't disfellowship for minor wrongdoings. They're a huge religion, the JWs are small fry by comparison. The catholics are hierarchal, but they're not nearly as high-control, or authoritarian as the JWs: for example, a Catholic service in a church in Omaha, Nebraska will cover different topics, and different songs compared to one in say...Flint, Michigan. Not so with the JWs. The J-dubs march in lock step, with every little detail of their worship spelled out, literally, by the powers that be. In other words, the Catholics are not a full-on cult, as are the J-dubs.

I think that a governmental equivalent might be the Catholics as the old British Empire. They lay the groundwork for parliment & provide a general template for running things, but they don't micromanage every detail. The JWs on the other hand are North Korea.

Hence, the JW religion would simply implode if not for the Governing Body. There's no room for autonomy or self-governance, should the Governing Body disband and move their assets elsewhere...say, to Belize.

I'm thinking that the JWs will end up splintering into subgroups, each with it's own level of strictness. Some hardcore, others not so. It's happened before. Look at the Wordwide Church of God. Yep, me-thinks the Watchtower is basically screwed.

324

VA shooting suspect was raised a JW! He mentions it on his Twitter account

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

anyone in the usa following this morning's shooting "on-air" live tv will know what i'm talking about.

bryce williams (not real name, but on-air name) shot and killed 2 people on live television this morning in roanoke, va. he was wearing a go-pro camera, and uploaded his first-person video onto his social media accounts.

i've seen his twitter feed (before it was taken down), and not very far down he mentions being raised a jw.

Boeing Stratofortress

No they don't do those things, but I guarantee you they account for much more of the murder numbers than the spectacle shootings the media has made so desirable by our cult of celebrity maniacs.

Uhh, Freemindfade, that's precisely the POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE. So you now seem to agree, that gun violence statistics are driven up, or down by a large host of factors. If gang violence goes up, then so do the stats, if gang violence drops, then so do the stats. Yet, at the end of it all, your still left with the fact that we (U.S.) remain the only developed, "1st world" country, with a CHRONIC mass shooting problem.

As far as 'celebrity maniacs,' I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. I think that, you might be referring to well-known people who don't share your views. But, I'm not sure.

You know you guys also preach about this stuff like you know so much about crime and criminals,

I'm not sure who 'us guys' are. And as for PREACHING, I've heard enough preaching on here in the form regurgitated sound bites, cut & pasted from the NRA's current leadership. Note: I've had hunting rifles since I was a kid. My first was a Remington .22 cal pump that I got for my 11th birthday. Back in those days, the NRA was all about sportsman type shooting & hunting. If you follow the money, and do a little independent research, you can easily see that this organization has morphed into a well-funded mouthpiece of the gun manufacturing lobby. They WANT TO SELL GUNS! And nothing will stand in their way. I challenge you to research this yourself.

Rather than preaching, I'm only calling you out, for not being willing to parse through the facts, and see beyond the sound-bites. I've already quoted Lincoln once, please don't make me do it again.