If You're A Farmer Please Please Arm Yourself!!!

[A-R]

Jonathan Edwards, was a Puritan Preacher in the 1700s. He was one of the most respected preachers in his day. He attended Yale at the age of thirteen and later went on to become the president of Princeton college. He married his wife Sara in 1727 and they were blessed with eleven children. Every night when Mr. Edwards was home, he would spend an hour conversing with his family and then praying a blessing over each child. Jonathan and his wife Sarah passed on a great, godly legacy to their eleven children.

An American educator, A.E. Winship decided to trace the descendants of Jonathan Edwards almost 150 years after his death. His findings are remarkable, especially when compared to another man from the same time period known as Max Jukes.



Jonathan Edwards’ legacy includes: 1 U.S. Vice-President, 1 Dean of a law school, 1 dean of a medical school, 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors, 3 mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 Military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates.

How may this be explained? Edwards was a godly man, but he was also hard working, intelligent and moral. Furthermore, Winship states, “Much of the capacity and talent, intensity and character of the more than 1,400 of Edwards’ family is due to Mrs. Edwards.”

Max Jukes’ legacy came to people’s attention when the family trees of 42 different men in the New York prison system were traced back to him. He lived in New York at about the same period as Edwards. The Jukes family originally was studied by sociologist Richard L. Dugdale in 1877.

Jukes’ descendants included: 7 murderers, 60 thieves, 190 prostitutes, 150 other convicts, 310 paupers, and 440 who were physically wrecked by addiction to alcohol. Of the 1,200 descendants that were studied, 300 died prematurely.

These contrasting legacies provide an example of what some call the five-generation rule. “How a parent raises their child — the love they give, the values they teach, the emotional environment they offer, the education they provide — influences not only their children but the four generations to follow, either for good or evil.” What a challenging thought! If someone studied your descendants four generations later, what would you want them to discover? Do you want an Edwards’ legacy or a Jukes’ legacy? The life you live will determine the legacy you leave!

My kids should not read this. They may just blame me and my ancestors for their poor grades...

Jokes aside, this is very sobering. Raise responsible kids and let your descendants be a blessing to the planet they live on, not a curse.

[mottobaaj]

This is the same attitude as with Black Lives Matter. If you aren't with us mindlessly, then you are against us.
People said they agreed that black lives matter but also pointed out that all lives matter, that statistically more white people are murdered in a year by police officers, and that the problem was more than what BLM suggested.

And now when we say that yes, farmers do matter but that all South Africans also matter and are facing the same/worse murder rate (which the stats back up), we're told to basically keep quiet and get with the program that farmers are the only ones marginalized, tortured, and publicly hated by the EFF.


Also, does it look like the only people that Malema doesn't like are people whose occupation is farming or who live on a plot ? I don't think so, I think he doesn't like an entire population group.

This post deserves more recognition. Excellent and well put. Until we can't root out the hypocrisy in our own thinking, we can't claim the moral high ground.

To add: Critique on BLM and co is centered around their victim mentality. So as harsh as it is, the same must apply to farmers. Arm and train yourself and become the solution.

Malema doesn't like Indians and rich blacks as well

[Shigawagga]

I own and live on a small farm for the last ten years. The closest police station is 25km away, and the armed response companies are not interested in providing a service in my area as it is not "cost-effective" enough for them to monitor alarms/panic buttons in this area. The edges of a very large township that stretches for tens of kilometers along the Kruger Park border is 8 kms's away and is an acknowleged EFF stronghold. The local SAPS response time in the past to my farm has been anything from 45 min to never. I am not the quintessential farmer. I do not know how to grow stuff or raise animals. I have a public shooting range on my farm, so I guess you could say I farm with lead.

I have followed this thread and other similar ones on GS for a while now, all the while forcing myself not to comment on the widely diverse and sometimes downright ridiculous/ stupid/ opinionated etc. comments and posts.

But I'm finally hopping onto the soap box here and need to get a few things off my chest.

First of all a message to the right wing extremists in this country whom are increasingly aiming toward initiating armed conflict with their so-called "enemies".

The widely diverse opinions and attitudes amongst white people towards the current racial situation in SA is the very reason why the right wing extremists (which include farmers and individuals across the spectrum of society) cannot even begin to think that they can engage in a shooting match with their "enemies" and wipe out the perceived threat to white existance in South Africa. History attests to the fact that the Afrikaner (in this case referring to a white African-born citizen, and not specifically to afrikaans-speaking people) has never been able to stand together on a single cause. They (the right-wing extremists) must accept that their reckless actions in responding to Malema's inflammatory anti-white rhetoric can only lead to disaster, tragedy, heartbreak and failure. They will not succeed in winning the support of all fellow white South Africans, and most certainly will never gain international sanction, approval or support for any sort of armed confrontation. Armed conflict is not the answer.

Farmers should rather concentrate on efficiently using the one real bargaining chip they have, IE: food production. Empty supermarket shelves will be a much more powerful weapon than any old apartheid era R1's, R4/5's, hunting rifles or whatever other weapons these poor misguided "vryheidsvegters" might plan to use in their quest.


Secondly;

Looking at the original OP calling on farmers to arm themselves, it seems to me that the vagueness (it there's such a word) of the statement is the primary reason for the diverse responses in this thread. We all know that it is not wise to arm yourself and especially EDC if you have not taken the trouble to get some training to go along with that decision. And I am not talking about the silly basic "Competency certificate" that must be acquired before being able to apply for a licence. Although training is always generally a good idea, it especially applies if you live on a farm. Its probably better not to own a firearm if you do not want to go this route. Farm attacks or farm house robberies or whatever else you want to call it, are almost always committed by three or more attackers of which at least one is armed, mostly all of them. Anyone who has stared down the dark infinity of the business end of a gun barrel pointed at them will know the paralysing effect it has and to take down attackers even on a one to one basis in such a situation is extremely unpredictable. Remember, as the intended victim you would almost always be surprised by the attacker/s, whilst they are hyped-up and adrenalin-filled at the time, watching your every move. It can be done, but with training and situational awareness at all times. I can rant on and on about this, but 'nuff-said for now.

Lastly.
I EDC, I sit and watch tv with my SD firearm one-up, off safety, in my hand - I shit you not! Will I survive an attack?.. who knows. I know I am a target with the shooting range creating the impression that there are firearms to be looted on the premises. With the afore-mentioned SAPS slow response/ Security armed response almost non existant, they (criminals) will have plenty of time to "execute" their attack plan and I will be on my own, dependent on my own wits and security measures when it happens. This is the crux of the farmers plight. The hopelessness they will experience if caught unawares and overwhelmed/subdued. No one is coming to help, no matter how loud you scream & shout. No passing patrol car that may notice something amiss. Closest hospital 35 km away should you sustain injuries.

The efforts to bring farm attacks to the fore are not aimed at claiming that it is a bigger problem than any other person's risk of being raped/robbed/tortured/murdered etc. Its true that each and every citizen runs this risk wherever they are. The campaigns and protests are rather intended to raise awareness of the Government's reluctance to admit that such incidents do take place at a rate that is not normal. It intends to make known the brutality of this sort of crime, it brings to everyone's attention that such crime is being condoned and even encouraged by the Malema's of this world. We need to make it known that these crimes are being used to further political agendas on both sides of the spectrum. No-one has said to ignore all the other crime and look after us. We in the rural communities are simply demanding recognition of the problem and wish to be part of the solution. Not to be pushed aside and branded white supremists, racists, land thieves, colonial masters or whatever names are the flavor of the day.

So to all those who are of the view that farmers are being overly enthusiastic in pleading their plight, please think again, and rather support and rally behind their cause. If you cannot see your way clear to do this, hold your peace and do not give the other side more reason to down-play the situation and score political points out of it.