Marine Corps General Reinwald was interviewed on  National Public Radio (NPR) by a female broadcaster in connecting with USMC sponsoring a Boy Scout Troop visiting a military installation.

FEMALE  INTERVIEWER: So, General Reinwald, what things are you going to teach these young boys when they visit your base?

GENERAL REINWALD: We're  going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery, and shooting.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible,  isn't  it?

GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the rifle range.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Don't you  admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?

GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see how. We will be teaching  them proper rifle discipline before they even touch a  firearm.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: But you're equipping them to become violent killers.

GENERAL REINWALD: Well, Ma'am, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are you?

The radio went silent and the interview ended.

As much as the general's remark was out of line, so was the interviewers take on gun instruction.  I learned how to fire a rifle when I was at summer camp 45 years ago, and my son likewise got training.  I have never owned a firearm, and don't intent to, but I am glad I learned how to fire one should I ever need to.  Besides, target firing is a popular sport in many areas.  The general should have pointed this out to the NPR interviewer instead but I could see that, as a military officer, he would take offense at the interviewer's assertion that he would be teaching the kids to "violent killers", a dumb remark if ever there was one.

Give the Gen. another medal for a witty retort. Using her logic, he was spot on. We call can't be PC or we risk being sanitized into extinction.

First of all, "Female Interviewer" is a strange attribution for an NPR person.  Those people give their names, you know.  Why do hide her name?  Could it be that in fact, putting a name here might be embarrassing because nobody made this interview?

Second, interviews I hear on NPR news aren't live.  There are a few exceptions like the Diane Riem show, but if it was there, shouldn't her name be identified?  I can't see them leaving a pause and just having the interview end.  If it's live, I can't see that any of their staff would be that unprofessional.

Third, I've actually found NPR staff to be rather worldly.  They would not be surprised that Boy Scouts learn to shoot, nor that Marines would teach them this.

Now, it might have been a local affiliate to NPR, and that would explain it, but I really think that should be explained.  Even if it's not as meaningful for right wing propoganda if you do.    

Otherwise, the whole story sounds like hogwash.      

a quick Google turns up that it is in fact "urban legend" http://www.snopes.com/military/reinwald.htm

ie, good story and nothing else.   Plausible only as far as I've personally heard female MDs make the same comment on the assumption that people have no control over the way they use machinery.

The same story/joke many, many times with a different general each time...........but it is a good one and I like it.

Thank You

In the interest of full disclosure I am PRO_NRA

and a pistol club member......you know

drink beer from 5 to 11 and piss-til 4~~~~and that is no joke! ! ! !

I agree -- the interviewer is a nitwit!

except, why the majority of us come here. I've stated many times that reviews, the board's lifeblood are mere snapshots in a writer's brain and subject to lots of interpretation. I am never baffled by posters who seek to shoot holes in what other people offer as their truth. We are, afterall, (at least most of us) the most pliable when it comes to all things pussy. Are we not?

-- Modified on 1/23/2006 11:44:41 AM

Opening line of a fairy tale: "Once upon a time...."

Opening line of a sea story: "This is no shit...."

I own a few guns and get so tired of the hysteria that I wish there was a General Reinwald.  But if you do a search on Snopes (type Gerneral Reinwald) they discuss the derivation of ths one.  

I've been getting versions of this sent to me for about five years from other gun owners, but I'm afraid its just wishful thinking.

"in order to accurately determine...."

...being marine generals.

one has a sense of political savvy matched only by ones ability to dodge bullets and missles and such...  when I first read that - the only thought that went through my head was this guy is not regular - must be a national guardist!  lol   no offense but regular army, marines, navy and AF are vetted so many ways it is not funny and most of them would not talk like that - ESPECIALLY to an NPR chick.

Well, since they are boy scouts it makes sense for them to learn how to shoot.
But that is one of the most awful things to say.  How sexist!  By virtue of having a vagina, she is equipped to be a prostitue?  That is just disgusting.  My usual academic take on these matters has gone out the window by the sheer revulsion I feel about the comment.  I wouldn't be surprised if he slapped him.

that we're mostly satisfied it's an urban myth, and 2ndly, I'm not sure why somebody here is going to get excited about being a provider.  OTOH, I think that being a violent killer is a much more serious concern.

Why shouldn't HE have slapped HER for suggesting that he was turning people into cold-blooded murderers?   Murder is a serious issue to me - doesn't the thought of premeditated murder bother you as much as a little play for pay?  Your academic detachment may not be all you think it is.

While the story is apocryphal, the point remains the same, that choices are the issue.  

I think the reason the story is in its present form is that people imagine it's something a Chesty Puller might say.   They think of Marines as horrible savages, because it thrills them.  Actually, Marines are generally pretty decent fellows, and somewhat more reliable than the average bear.

i learned to handle and shoot a gun when i was 5.  i'm not a violent killer out on the streets hunting people.  too many people forget that guns dont kill people, people kill people.

but common responses baffle me.

One the one hand, some people seem to think that it's impossible to control lethal machinery, that anybody with a firearm will be irresistibly compelled to shoot somebody else.   Maybe this is they way they would react, who knows?

On the other hand, other people seem unwilling to accept that there are a fair percentage of people who SHOULDN'T have firearms, and will either deliberately or accidentally shoot people who don't need to be shot; and there is not any real good way to predict who will do that, or when.   I think it's perfectly reasonable that people may not want to find this out by experimentation.

The question seems to be getting an acceptably high probability of reliability that somebody isn't going to go shooting the wrong people, and that is of course a matter of opinion.

I suspect that familiarity with a subject tends to make it less exciting; and part of the issue is that few people do so much shooting that it bores or annoys them.   Probably a good thing - but maybe not.

No, I don't think the 2nd amendment guarantees a practical private right to possess firearms, if for no other reason than it would be subject to regulation to distinguish between the right to a bird gun and the right to automatic cannon.

And who knows how the 2nd amendment wound up in the Bill of Rights - an interesting guess is that it was intended as an enforcement provision against the Feds, as found in many treaties.

Chief, you are spot on, that is something that Chesty Puller could have said. He has made many witty remarks some that bwould be considered much worse. He was very colorful to say the least. Sadly most people today would have no clue as to who he was

It is also not the first time the Marines have been viewed as savages, in the early 80's we were still being spit on in public places while in uniform

Sorry just had to vent that

USMC = Americas 911

Semper Fi

easily a third of Marine SNCOs were "characters", ie   people who would make a John Wayne character look lame (OK, so he was lame, not everybody made it obvious).   Most of the officers were too, except they kept it quiet; and the troops by & large would assault Hell with a teacup for these people.

Nowadays, looks like they have to go to freaking Afghanistan to express themselves.  

I would be more than a little pissed if I was a soldier who wasn't allowed the same rights and privileges of any other person passing thru NV.   In my memory, some NV ranches gave deep discounts to units visiting Bridgeport.