Are you ready to die?

[Hornet33]

Curval I think you've misunderstood what people have been saying in the other threads concerning the 2nd Ammendment. I'm probably one of the "chest thumpers" you refered too so I'll try and make things clear on that issue.

I'm not ready to die to protect my 2nd ammendment right. I am however willing to fight for it. If in the course of that fight should it come to that, and I died, well I'd go out knowing I was fighting for something that was worth paying that price. That being said, the ultimate goal in such a fight is this: Don't die for your cause but make the other poor bastard die for his. (gotta love Patton, amazing man) Anyway If I died in such a cause I'd be OK with it because I know I wouldn't be going alone, I'd be taking plenty of company along with me.

Now so this isn't a total hijack of this thread, I've had my share of close calls. 17 years in uniform, it can't be helped. I've been shot at by small arms, shelled by artillery and SCUD missiles while in the Army. Since I've been in the Coast Guard I've fallen overboard from the ship once. Almost had my head taken off by a swinging buoy while working on deck. Was riding in a 38ft high speed pursuit boat that decided to turn itself into a submarine, and had a heart attack while underway over 200 miles south of Cuba. Every incident scarred the crap out of me and really made me look at my life, but at no time was I ever ready to just quit.

Hell no I'm not ready to die, but I'm not so afraid of dieing that I quit living either. Life is a risk. Sometimes the odds are in your favor and for those unlucky people the odds run out. I'm still rolling the dice and plan to for as long as I can, but when my time comes, I'll go out knowing I lived a productive and eventfull life, having gone places and seen and experianced things that many people have not. Can't really ask for any more than that.

[Eagler]

Originally posted by BTW
...question comes from more of thinking what Tony Snow and Elizabeth Edwards must be wrestling with.

That and just thinking how tired I am and what would my reaction be to such news. I'm starting to think I may be a dull depression? Not self destructive as far as I can see, but really tired.

Am I the only one who thinks BTW is asking for help with this thread?

[Curval]

Hornet,

"I'm not ready to die to protect my 2nd ammendment right. I am however willing to fight for it. If in the course of that fight should it come to that, and I died, well I'd go out knowing I was fighting for something that was worth paying that price. That being said, the ultimate goal in such a fight is this: Don't die for your cause but make the other poor bastard die for his. (gotta love Patton, amazing man) Anyway If I died in such a cause I'd be OK with it because I know I wouldn't be going alone, I'd be taking plenty of company along with me."

To me it seems that you ARE read to die to protect your 2nd amendment right.  You say you aren't...and then proceed to say how you are.

Confusing stuff.

Another poster said this in the other thread on the subject:

"How willing are you to defend your rights as stated in the 2nd Ammendment? I am willing to lay my life down to defend it, are you?"

THAT is clear cut and not confusing.

[republic]

I don't WANT to die, I have too much I would like to do.  I don't fear what comes after death, I guess you could say I have a blessed assurance....

The only thing I fear, is a protracted death.  I've told my wife that in the event that I'm deemed to be a vegetable I want her to pull the plug but...I know her...and I know she won't.  I don't want to be a burden to my family, there's no need.  I fear things like Alzheimer's.

So...my answer is yes and no.

[Hornet33]

There is a BIG differance between "willing" and "ready" to die.

If I'm ready to die, then that means I have nothing left to live for and I just don't care anymore.

If I'm willing to die, that's a whole other story. That means I want to live but I'm ready to put my life at risk if need be for a greater cause than myself.

Based on that, my statement earlier is not confusing. I'm not ready to die to protect my rights, but I am willing to risk my life if it comes to that. I'd rather live.

[FiLtH]

I know what I would do.

   I'd go sky-divin..Rocky Mountain climbing!

[Curval]

Originally posted by Hornet33
There is a BIG differance between "willing" and "ready" to die.

If I'm ready to die, then that means I have nothing left to live for and I just don't care anymore.

If I'm willing to die, that's a whole other story. That means I want to live but I'm ready to put my life at risk if need be for a greater cause than myself.

Based on that, my statement earlier is not confusing. I'm not ready to die to protect my rights, but I am willing to risk my life if it comes to that. I'd rather live.

Okay.  Gotcha now.  

[Shamus]

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
I told my dad that I was a fatalist.  He told me, "If you really think that, why don't you put a pistol to your head and pull the trigger?  If it's not your time, the gun will misfire."

I guess I'm not a fatalist.

"Not to say that you cant mitigate risk, but some die young and some die old."

I knew someone was going to use the gun to the head, jump out of a plane without a chute, etc. comment, thats why I put the above sentence in.

shamus

[Dichotomy]

Originally posted by FiLtH
I know what I would do.

   I'd go sky-divin..Rocky Mountain climbing!

and 3.7 seconds on a bull named fu manchu

you read my mind and that song says it quite well for me on the subject.

Every morning before I leave I tell my wife and kids I love them.  I'm not going to get into metaphysics as we all have our own beliefs but should something happen to me at least they know that they were loved and my friends both old and new I hope they know how much their friendship and presence meant to me.

[Hawco]

"balance all, brought all to mind"- line from a poem by WB yeats- tells us that it's the present we should live in, in other words, live each day as if it's your last.
Strange thing is, when you think you think you are facing certain death, or think you are about to die, then you just live in that very moment.
The past means zip, the future means zip, it's the hear and now that matters, people who have the misfortune to be in a situation like above would agree with that.
So my advice would be to live in the here and now, try and forget your past and don't worry about the future too much as, well that's the future and you won't change it one little bit by worrying about it as the future is still going to arrive.

"cast a cold eye upon life, upon death
Horseman, pass by!"

[Guppy35]

An interesting question that no doubt will get a million different answers based on where people are in their lives.

Since my killed were killed in a car wreck 19 months ago, I've been ready.  I don't actively seek to die, but there is no fear and I suppose there are days where the grief is so strong that it would almost be welcome.

Because I believe I'll see my kids again, death now becomes the bridge to that happening.  

Where in the past my wife and I would talk about sitting on the porch in our rocking chairs at 90, we now sit and think how miserable it would be to live to 90 because it would mean that many years away from the kids.

That's the common response from parents who've lost kids though so that life event has most definately changed my thoughts on dying.

[Dichotomy]

my sincerest condolances Guppy

[Maverick]

I have been close to death more than once, sometimes for something I was doing. Other times it was because I took a job where it was a significant risk. No matter what, I was not paid to die, just to risk death. Quite a difference.

I don't fear it, why fear what is inevitable. I don't look forward to it and have no intention to hasten it. Both my wife and I have "living wills" and written instructions for care in extremis. Neither of us looks forward to it per se, but we did look at the inevitability of it and how we would need to deal with it. That's only logical to be prepared for what will happen.

[lazs2]

curval... would you give or risk your life to save your wife and kids?

Does that mean the you are ready to die?  

simple stuff really unless you are just trying to make some point that has nothing to do with the subject.   Hell... you seem perfectly happy to risk your life to ride that glorified bicycle with a tiny little motor on it...  Does that mean you are willing or ready to die?   It must mean you are willing to take the risk?

Why don't you tell us about you since you don't seem to understand anyone else?

lazs

[mandingo]

yup