What Does OS X Say When You Ask it to Pronounce Itself?

People often ask me why I choose to carry a concealed weapon. When I respond
that there is real crime being committed all around us, and that I refuse to
forfeit my chances when confronted with it, the answer is usually the same.

No, they aren’t.

A buddy of mine recently underscored why carrying a weapon is not an
outlandish idea. He had just purchased a Nintendo Wii, at a Walmart in a
small town, in broad daylight, when someone came up behind him and his
girlfriend.

He said, “Hey, is that one of those new Wii’s?” My buddy turns and says
excitedly, “Yeah, man, they only had a couple more — you better hurry up if
you want one.”

The guy responds, “How about you sell me that one?”, and my friends says,
“Nah, man…I’ve been waiting to get one for months…” — not realizing there
was any danger. At that point the guy says, “No, you don’t understand — how
about you just GIVE me that one…” — as he pulls a knife on him.

In a flash, my buddy drops the Wii, pulls his Glock, and keeps it trained on
the guy as he reaches for his mobile phone to call police. The guy didn’t
take long to make his decision; he bolted and was gone within 30 seconds.

The police took over seven minutes to get there.

Some may say that the situation wasn’t worth it. Just give the guy the Wii,
right? Wrong.

That’s not the country I want to live in. I, as an American, want the right
to repel those who attempt to infringe upon my freedoms. And pulling a knife
on me, while I’m with my woman, in order to steal from me, most definitely
qualifies.

Keep in mind: this happened around an hour from where I live, less than a
year ago, and similar things are happening nearly every day in my area. The
threat isn’t theoretical. It’s not fantasy conjured up to support an
argument. It’s real. And its foundation in reality is simultaneously the
foundation of my logic for carrying.

If crime was extremely rare I’d be as anti-gun as you can imagine. But it’s
not, so I do what I have to. I simply refuse to rely on the government for
my security. And as an American, I shouldn’t be asked to.

[ Jul 22, 2008 ]