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Unquestionable Heroism
The word "hero" is sickeningly misused, often bandied about by politicians to describe anyone who happens to serve in the military, or dies in a fire, or otherwise gets killed either through misfortune or, sometimes, their own stupidity. Since it's used so often to pander to an audience, it has been diluted to near meaninglessness.
As I read the New York Times this morning, however, it's evident this trio of fellows can be adorned with the word "hero" without hesitation:
As the Times describes it, in part:
The man with the gun kept going down the carriage, holding his AK-47 and a Luger pistol. In a pocket was a sharp blade capable of inflicting grievous harm. He had at least nine cartridges of ammunition, enough for serious carnage.
Alek Skarlatos, a specialist in the National Guard from Oregon vacationing in Europe with a friend in the Air Force, Airman First Class Spencer Stone and another American, Anthony Sadler, looked up and saw the gunman. Mr. Skarlatos, who was returning from a deployment in Afghanistan, looked over at the powerfully built Mr. Stone, a martial arts enthusiast. “Let’s go, go!” he shouted.
Mr. Stone went after the heavily armed gunman and, with his friends, pounded him to the floor of the train carriage. “I mean, adrenaline mostly just takes over,” Mr. Skarlatos said in a Skype interview on Saturday that appeared on television, barely 12 hours after it was over. “I didn’t realize, or fully comprehend, what was going on.”
Their actions saved many lives on the train, which was packed with over 500 passengers, according to French officials.
With Mr. Skarlatos close behind, Mr. Stone grabbed the gunman’s neck, stunning him. But the gunman fought back furiously, slashing with his blade, slicing Mr. Stone in the neck and hand and nearly severing his thumb. Mr. Stone did not let go.
The gunman “pulled out a cutter, started cutting Spencer,” Mr. Norman, the British consultant, told television interviewers. “He cut Spencer behind the neck. He nearly cut his thumb off.”
Mr. Skarlatos grabbed the gunman’s Luger pistol and threw it to the side. Incongruously, the gunman yelled at the men to return it, even as Mr. Stone was choking him. A train conductor rushed up and grabbed the gunman’s left arm, Mr. Norman recalled.
The AK-47 had fallen to the gunman’s feet. Mr. Skarlatos picked it up and “started muzzle-thumping him in the head with it,” he said.
It is truly heartwarming to read how these three Americans took swift action without regard to their own safety and demonstrated true strength and courage. There are still guys out there like this, it's good to know. I'm sure if Caitlyn Jenner had been there instead, she would have tried something, but it's tough what with the ball gown's hemline and all.
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Aaahhh, bless all you down-voters, but watch out , eh? I hear Putin is coming after you with all those WMD's from Iraq...and 10,000 Chinese troops are ready to invade from across the Mexican border...because Alex Jones and Dave Hodges said so!
Pliskin? I thought you were dead!
Thank you...Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone, and Anthony Sadler...
It's hard to believe this dumbass got on a train in France with all those magazines, a luger, and a full size AK-47. This guy was a known terrorist and under surveillance by the frogs. He probably had some "help" from French authorities who now have to suck it up and congratulate the Americans who screwed up their latest false flag.
The desire to stand in line and be molested by the State's stormtroopers is an Anglo-American fetish particularly favored by Bible beating queer sheeple.
Other than legally (depending on your location) there shouldn't be anything to prevent one from boarding a train with an AK-47.
Automatic weapons are illegal in Europe. In the UK even the Army in Northern Ireland had to set FN rifles to single shot.
That's funny I live in Europe and I see people carrying Stgw90s on trains all the time, and even walking around the shopping mall at the airport with them (in fairness there's also a train station at the airport). In fact we have a big shooting match in a couple weeks, and the trains and buses will be literally packed with assault rifles that day.
Whether the UK or Northern Ireland is, or should be, part of Europe is certainly debatable, but they are certainly part of the Anglo-American axis of empire.
Regardless, if the gun is in a bag- how the fuck would, or should, anyone know before the rifle is removed from the bag?
Hollande has fscked up big time over the loss of the Mistrale contacts, maybe over the rafale deal with India too and economic blowback of sanctions against Russia. Quick, look over there ---> mad Muslim tourist!
For Pity's Sake...It was a fucking FRENCH TRAIN! lmao There...mystery solved dude.
Can we vote for any of them to be POTUS? That would be the kind stuff Im looking for.
Bravery isn't lack of fear, but overcoming fear and a hero is somebody who knows that something must be done, no matter how bad the situation and no matter the cost to themselves.
"...Mr. Skarlatos picked it up and “started muzzle-thumping him in the head with it,” he said..."
WTF? That sounds cartoonish.
Few people (even Caitlyn) could stand a moderate snap-kick to the groin. And you can pretty much take out someone's fight with the butt-end of an AKM to their neck.
I suppose rapping their boney skull with the muzzle HURTS plenty good and pisses them off, but seriously? Hey - good for what these guys did and nobody has time to think about much during these situations, but 'muzzle-thumping' someone's skull is just way down on the list of things I would think of to drop the guy. Maybe it's just me.
A good actor is somebody who can remember their lines and be where they're supposed to be at the right time....no matter the cost to themselves.
I’m sure that if Mario Drahgi was there he would have taken action.
A terrorist Islamist with an AK-47 in not nearly as dangerous as a chick with papers and confetti.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03268/draghi_glitterbomb_3268466b.jpg
She was wearing an assault thong if I remember correctly.
Draghi looks quite pleased by the attention.
these guys are brave, braver than i am, and, daresay, braver than the author who takes an ultra cheap shot at the end at transsexuals for absolutely no reason at all, just stupid "humor" and catering to low lifes.
braver than these three brave men, imo, is the very, very brave transexual chelsea manning, previously bradley manning, who took on not one heavily armed potential killer in an adrenaline rush in a group of three, knowing, at least subconsiously, that they would be praised for their efforts successful or not, but the entire united states war machine, essentially alone (he spent months in solitary confinement mostly naked) knowing he would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the lawless, to expose war crimes in iraq of hideous evil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_Manning
There’s a difference here. At least the former Bradley Manning did not become a media star to promote the dual sexuality movement; never appearing on the cover of a prominent magazine with his hands covered so they couldn’t be seen. If Jenner is willing to be used by the media in this culture war, he is fair game for comtempuous ridicule.
“Are we the only ones who thought Vanity Fair’s Jenner cover ghoulish?” – James G. Bruen, Jr., Bullets, Culture Wars
http://www.amazon.com/James-G.-Bruen-Jr./e/B005LDJGG0
Training and instinct bred heroism in this case.
My guess is that the Moroccan asshat was jazzing himself up in the can and might have been repeatedly slamming the magazine into the AK..
I would recognize that sound, too.
I believe everything I see on the teevee!