Good enough for Compton, but not for Israeli soldiers
In Beersheva this weekend, there was a gang-related death. A grenade was tossed into some kiosk. This has led me to reflect on an interesting reality of Israeli weaponry. I had long thought that the Uzi was one of the coolest guns ever. Small, compact, rapid fire, it just seemed to awesome. I was amazed when I saw a security guard at a local bank with one. There was my first Uzi up close. Yet when I told this to Fievel, our madrich and former soldier, he laughed. "The Uzi is a woman's gun," he said. Apparently they were used more widely in the past, but no longer. They are no looked down upon, because they are too heavy for their size and when you drop them, they continue to fire (remember that scene in True Lies? Not as unrealistic as you might think). Thus, the M-16 is far preferred, and that is the gun you see all the soldiers carrying. Still, I find Uzis super-cool. I was just listening to Ice Cube rapping with NWA from Straight Outta Compton, and he talks aobut Uzis as well. True, that was a long time ago, but I imagine they are still in fashion in the underworld. Apparently, there are other people that still use them now in Israel: The Russian Mafia.
posted by Dave @ 3:25 PM
7 Comments:
It's interesting that you desribe guns with words such as "cool" and "awesome". Israel is not the set of True Lies. People are killed every days with these weapons whose sole purpose is to do exactly that. I am curiuous, do Israelies see guns as an unfortunate necessity for their safety and well-being, or are they simply fashionable toys like cell phones and PDAs?
I am Canadian. Of course I support massive gun control and don't believe that guns should be widespread as they are in the trigger happy United States. But in Israel, guns are everywhere, because soldiers are everywhere. And just because I support gun control does not mean I can't think guns are incredibly cool, which they are.
Guns aren't cool, Dave. Guns kill people.
Sorry, I can't get this thing to let me sign my name. That last comment was from me, Noah.
Maybe "cool" isn't what Dave means, maybe "fascinating" or "awe-inspiring" or "seductive" is better than "cool" because "cool" has a positive connotation. Also, if I had to defend myself, I think it would be "cool" to have an uzi so that when mofos started spraying I could unleash my hellfire back at them. Assuming my gun was more powerful, quicker, and assuming I surived, I would think my gun was "cool." I don't think bombs are "cool" but it would be "cool" to watch bombs destroy fascist armies as they try to conquer a continent.
I responded to Noah directly but I guess I should also clarify for the mass audience (however many that may be--my rough estimate is a baker's dozen, tops). Only soldiers and security guards and police officers carry guns. Civilians do not (off duty soldiers must either carry their guns or make sure they are secure somewhere). So, as far as I can tell, Israelis do not see guns as toys or accessories, but necessities of their work as soldiers. And when I say guns are cool, I say that in the same way that I might say that cigarettes are cool, ie, they look cool. Cigarettes of course also kill people, but let's not forget the old cliche that people kill people. Again, let me reiterate I support gun control and anti-cigarette legislation. But this is about aesthetics. I fired an M-16 at a target when I was 15 at Israeli boot camp and it was awesome, really fun. I enjoyed it. I think guns are cool, I don't think killing innocent people with, or without guns, is cool. I also think that protecting people from terrorists is sort of cool, and I think that the best Israeli soldiers, the real good people among them of which there are many, are real heroes, and they look incredibly cool with their M-16s.
Point well made. By the way, it was me who wrote the first comment. No sure why I left it anonymous. Now you know.I agree that guns can look cool and that it is fun to shoot them. Just not at people.
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