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Post by grasshopper on Nov 29, 2023 14:15:39 GMT -7
Some of you may have already heard about the subject of which I write, apparently it happened in the mid 80s, the late 90s and once more in the very early 2000-2001 time frame. I listen to a podcast on another YouTube channel called C&Rsenal. I’m positive that most of you have at least watched some of their extremely informative videos. On this podcast Othaisis was talking to the assistant curator of the Cody firearms museum. They were discussing the famous or infamous R.L. Wilson who for a time was the top dog as far as brokering a deal for extremely rare and expensive Colt single actions and rare collectible Winchesters. He also wrote many many books that were used as reference material all over the world. I won’t drag the whole thing out and if you want to hear them talk about it, it’s on the C&Rsenal site. Apparently he brokered a deal where he traded 290 early and important Colts from the Connecticut State library and traded them to a private collector for 8 lesser Colts and a walking cane supposedly having belonged to Sam Colt himself. Did I mention he was taking a commission from the library, the guy getting the guns in the trade, he’s partners with said guy and they already have big time buyers lined up. Finally these Colts did belong to the Colt factory and was their reference collection. In 1957 they donated them to the library on the condition they never be sold or traded. Wilson got around this telling the staff they were duplicates. At all be time the portion of Colts Wilso did the deal for they were appraised at 4 mil, this is 70s money! In 1982 he said they were only worth 1.1 mil. Fishy eh?? Just interesting, to me cause I owned his coffee table book with all the beautiful guns inside.
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 29, 2023 17:20:28 GMT -7
I believe every book of the new testament Bible as well as the old testament has some reference to, "" beware the deceitfulness of wealth"" I am pretty sure that even folks that do not follow the Bible have heard the verse, "" its easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven. I have also heard it said"" power corrupts and ultimate power ultimately corrupts ""
It is my belief that any amount of power given a person over other people has a corrupting affect no matter how slight that power may be. That is one reason I believe so many people even good honest people are afraid of cops because the power given them has a corrupting affect and sooner or later all will allow it to over rule their normal morality in for some a small way but also for some to rule their life.
Hope this voiced opinion does not offend anyone but this is what I have seen throughout my life. That old devil is a crafty one and knows to aim at the weakest point. Once wounded by him self judgment can push a person way over the edge .
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Post by grasshopper on Nov 29, 2023 18:02:53 GMT -7
I tend to agree with you my friend, having retired from the Army you know I’ve seen the type of thing you describe happen many many times. I have also seen just the opposite, I have seen men that moved thru the ranks and thankfully had excellent leaders and were able to mentor them and they turned out to be fantastic leaders and just great honest moral men. In my own experience I feel I was really blessed to have leaders that for whatever reason saw some potential in me and took the time to develop my leadership skills. I found it’s really probably the same in most jobs, even as a leader I had to demonstrate that I was proficient at whatever task I was instructing my subordinate to accomplish. As I said before I was lucky to have leaders that showed me one of the most important things in my opinion and that was I would never instruct a soldier to do anything I already knew how to do and had already done at some point in my career. The second factor that I think kept the leaders I had from being corrupted by the power they attained was the type of units I was fortunate to be in. The special operations community is filled with the smartest, most fit, most motivated soldiers in the Army. Contrast this with other “regular” type units and most, not all, are there just for their two years in order to get money for college or to take a break before they pursue some type of further education. This is the only example I have experience with that in my opinion and experience is the exception to your statement that power always or most always corrupts the individual. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it doesn’t or can’t happen in the units I was talking about, it can. It just most often does not because the group tends to be more mature and most times the leadership style is one where the group participated in the planning and decision making. The opposite of this is a “leader” will just tell the unit what’s going to happen without consulting the group. I’ve done it again, gone off on a tangent, I think you get my point anyway. I saw I got promoted today!! Four stars! Before long maybe I can join the ranks of the bullet master!!
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 29, 2023 19:08:17 GMT -7
Your points are well taken Rob. You were the necessary counter to my out of balance and completely negative opinion. Of course you are right and I am right and the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
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Post by grasshopper on Nov 29, 2023 19:33:09 GMT -7
I wasn’t trying to say you were wrong with what you wrote bud. I was just sharing some of my experiences and explain how it can develop either way depending on how authority figures or ones with power decide to use their influence and power. They can keep it and be a tyrant or use it to delegate tasks and appoint others to supervise sub tasks so over time their subordinates learn how to be a leader and use this pieer/authority rather than abuse it
I thought you brought up an excellent point about average law abiding citizens are mostly afraid to have any type of encounter with law enforcement personnel. This isn’t because they have committed a crime or done anything wrong it’s the possibility that the officer may assume, perceive or suspect the person has broken the law and regardless of the actual law you are now guilty until you prove your innocence. That my friend is wrong as wrong can be.
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 29, 2023 20:11:55 GMT -7
You are right again and thank you for pointing out that my opinion may have only been half right. There are people that can handle authority but I have seen so many that absolutely could not and abused what little they had. I can honestly say that you have been an exception and is maybe why I have admired you so much because you never allowed that to happen
I picked cops to make a point, why would good honest law abiding people be afraid of a cop ? I know if I see one in the rear view I get all wabable. Why ? I know I have done nothing wrong, I know my vehicle is legal but still possibility of an encounter with a cop that is abusive with their authority ties my stomach up in nots. It might have something to do with the fact that they are running near 100% of my encounters being bad ones. There I go being negative again but that last statement is true especially when those encounters have involved our boys
I know I have for a long time been living a sheltered life mostly free of any that might try to exercise control over me but I am getting old and fear the day that I know will come when others think they should have that control. Its a hard thing to look forward to after living such an independent life to have someone that I might think is a pin head have total authority over me.
Now I am rambling and being a twit so I better hush and move on to something I am better at. I should go and make some bullets.
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Post by grasshopper on Dec 5, 2023 4:29:20 GMT -7
I totally get what you are saying and honestly I feel the exact same way. For every one cop that’s friendly and actually wants to help the citizens he’s sworn to protect and serve and who pay his salary there seem to be another 9 that are complete jerks. I also feel the same if one happens to pull in behind me and just follow me for what seems like forever just cause he wants to see me sweat. I’m not sure why exactly I feel that way when I haven’t done anything wrong zero. It’s usually worse if I don’t think about it and happen to be wearing a hat that has my old unit logo on it. They seem to really have something to prove then. If I’m wearing it and I run into a cop at the gas station almost always they will ask “ were you in the military” I want to answer so bad with “na I just decided to wear this hat today because I knew it would aggravate you” once they learn I was in the Army most of them are like “ I was gonna go in but……” or they will tell me “law enforcement is the same as being in the military” uh nope. My favorite is the kid that just got hired and turned 21 a month ago and now he’s Billy bad ass with his shiny new pistol, ugh! There I go again running away at the mouth! Forgive me!!😁
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Post by missionary on Dec 5, 2023 7:52:21 GMT -7
Hey ...your not running your mouth... just jabbing keys at a proper "left, right, left" cadence.
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