A rant I feel compelled to share

Some backstory to this: I was talking with someone who refered to firearm useage as unskillful, And refered to modern military fighters as cowards. This is my rant.

Alright, you really want to know? Pay attention then.
You refered to firearms as a weapon for the unskilled, That is highly false. To correctly use a firearm, You must know it inside and out, you must be able to maintain it to a level unimagineable to a sword user, You must know hundreds of intriquite hand motions to reload, clear jams or even shift your grip while keeping the rifle on target, You must master recoil control, and you must learn
To designate your dominant eye.
You must be capable of making out individual things at a great distance.
That way you don't end up shooting the wrong person, or thing.
You must know the exact method to clear every jam imagineable your weapon could possibly succumb to, And then some. You should be able to take it apart, clean it, and put it back together again with your eyes closed.
And not only must you master your own weapon. You would also find it in your best interest to master others you may come accross in the field.
Your countries, Your allies.
And your enemies.
The art of war, Is thousands of times more complex, Than it was three hundred years ago. And then it was thousands of times more compled then it was three hundred before that.
the age of the sword is over. Today it is about precision, Violence of action, Speed, And maximum effect.
Modern military fighting men no longer fight each other, In the majority of conflicts.
They fight insurgents.
They have to be wary of pressure triggered and command detonated munitions.
They have to be wary of everyone around them, Because any one of them could be a suicide bomber, Or a enemy fighter.
Accident's happen. Stress is overwhelming. They still muster through it with all the courage and dignity they can muster.
Thousands of miles from home.
To say a firearm does not require skill, Is idiocy. To refer to any modern servicemember of any nation as a coward, Is downright disrespectful, Dishonorable, And outright being a jackass.

Good job my weapons are on MAG on my PS3 then!

Honestly I'd be quite pleased to learn my opponent dislikes my use of firearms and has chosen the far more elegant weapon of a more civilized age.

LOOL classic

Not sure if it's me being from Boston, or if it's me being trained at Parris Island, but if someone called me a coward to my face they would realize their folly right quick. And no, I would not need a firearm.

Indeed. Those who say that the modern fighting forces are cowards are gravely misinformed, or just plain stupid.

You also forgot that with extended range shot that a marksman must also take into account a ridiculous number of factors that can and will affect the trajectory of the bullet - up to and including the slightest breeze. Wind speed and direction, humidity, etc, they all affect it.

Use of a sword in modern conflict isn't an act of courage - it's an act of desperation or stupidity, depending on circumstance. Yes, a knife has a place on the field, but that place is complimentary to the firearm and ordinance, a sword is purely ceremonial, unless of course you're having yourself an old fashioned duel of honor and somehow think you're in the Dark Ages...

Yes, and at extreme long ranges sniper's even have to take the curve of the earth into account.

In order to qualify with our rifles, (which if you don't qualify you get made fun of and go back a few weeks in training once, the second time you go home AFTER your original class graduates) We had to hit a torso target at 500 yards while prone. If you have ever seen a target at 500 yards it is ridiculous, we have to account for the wind at our location, and since it was so far down range, we have to account for the wind half way and at the end of the range. Not to mention the drop of the bullet. The size of the target is so tiny that the front site covers it completely and...well let's just say it makes for an intense time lol. Yes we are trained in bayonet fighting but as the instructors all said "If you get the call to fix bayonets, accept the fact that you are now fighting to go home with the flag, or under it."

Quite. "Banzai rushing" tends to pretty much be a last ditch effort. I've done a bit of long range shooting on a casual level, it's not easy even at that range. Even finger placement on the trigger can through the shot off considerably, and having to control your heart rate via your breathing to steady your aim is something.

Wait, how many of you guys are in the Military?