Given the mission of Combat Flip Flops, name, and imagery, we recieve a lot of inquiries about our opinion regarding weapons.
“But you guys say, ‘Business, not Bullets.’”
“How can you be peaceful and still promote guns?”

 And the questions continue to pop up via email, social media, and in person.

Our attitude toward guns is a result of upbringing and professional experience.  From a young age, we were taught responsible gun ownership and the use of weapons as a tool for sustainability.  Professionally, we were paid by the American taxpayer to be extremely proficient and responsible with weapons.   Most do not have that type of childhood or career.   Fear, skewed statistics, curiosity, or mysticism fuel the gun debate.  Here’s our view…

If you like guns, that’s cool.  If you don’t like guns, that’s cool too.  

We have a mix of beliefs on the Combat Flip Flops team.  But we’re not shy about our background, the occasional use of a hot-rod gun in imagery, and anything that encourages the individual to draw the metaphor that Combat Flip Flops are weapons for change.

Combat Flip Flops & Guns #1 8-16-17

So, let’s begin the discussion.

The Reason and Purpose for Guns according to the CFF crew as of 16 Jan 15:

Rules #1 – #3 were those passed down to us.  Rule #4 isn’t really a rule, but it should be.  Each rule is married to personal responsibility and the realities of the world in which we live.

#1  Security of Food:  Guns are tools that put food on the table.  If you can hunt, you can survive.

#2  Defense of Self:  There is a saying, “If it isn’t worth dying for, it isn’t worth a dime.”  If you want to take my truck, computer, wallet, whatever… That’s fine.  You obviously need it more than I do.  That loss is merely a short term inconvenience.  It’s not worth your life.

However, we are fathers and husbands.  Family is worth dying over.   If a person chooses to responsibly defend themselves or family with a gun, they have the right to do so.

#3 Liberation of others:  I’m not talking about wars over oil, geographical boundaries, or any other major conflict representing the extreme failure of our nations’ leaders to resolve differences.  I’m talking about little girls sold into slavery, hijacking victims, or those subject to genocide.  If you are not able to live by rule #2, you’ll need somebody that believes rule #3.

Those were the three major rules passed down to us by our parents and being passed down to our children.  It wasn’t until after our time in the military that rule #4 came around.

#4 Recreation:  How we spend time with family and friends is not your responsibility.

Think of it this way:  Shooting is the new Golf.

If I prefer to send a metal projectile 300 yards toward a paper target instead of a golf ball 300 yards into a tiny hole, what’s the difference?  Both require tools for the job, training, patience, skill, and personal responsibility.

 

To close, I have one question that I ask my daughters before handling firearms.  I believe this question promotes safety, personal responsibility, and accuracy.  If you like it, please feel free to use it as much as you like.

Me: “Hey Sweetie.  What does a gun do?”

9 year old daughter: “It does what I tell it to do.”

 

 

 

As always.
#Peace
Combat Flip Flops
Matthew Griffin
Tagged: Philosophy

Comments

Well Said! I grew up with a respect for weapons by a father who served and loved to hunt. I learned how to shoot from him and while in the Navy. Quite honestly, I am not very good at it. That is part of the reason why I do not do it anymore.
I applaud CFF for its mission!
For those who wish to criticize, take pause before you do, take a deep breathe, make sure your targeting the right thing. Chances are your comments are more likely meant to be directed towards someone or something else.

— Dave Petri

Beauty, Matt! Wonderfully, and succinctly put. I don’t recall having seen a better argument in years! Thanks!

— John Hyatt

1, no. if situation gets to the point that you need to hunt for food, you are in big trouble and so does everyone else. never rely on animal source for nourishment as its not something you will use if you really have to. its a hobby , yet a shitty one. game meats have parasites and bacteria farm raised animals dont. its actually pretty gross to eat wood creatures, but each its own.
2.you must be hated enough that someone wants you dead. not sure why, but apparently in countries with very strict gun laws and much lower crime rate people dont hate each other that much.
3. slavery in this country was not solved by weapons, nor it happened by lack of weapons in hands of slaves, it did not happened in those in concentration camps either. you cant force 20 million people in gas unless you have lots of help and psychological control over the victims. wars are not won by violence but by intelligence. survival is not matter of power but adaptation.
4.true. you do you. but what instead of destroying something you spend it by building something. just an idea.

— gabriela

Excellent observations

— Chuck Haggard

I agree with your view. Thank you for putting it plain and simple.

— Tony Castro

Great article with healthy perspective. Thank you.

— Jon Phillips

Perfect! Could not have stated it better and I love the conversation with the daughter. Thank you for your service to our country!

— Danny Smith

As an American, our constitutional right to bear arms needs no justification whatsoever.

— Javier Quinones