Jeff Cooper's Commentaries
Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:46 pm
Source: http://dvc.org.uk/jeff/
A must read for every one. I have started taking printouts, so can read and enjoy Cooper's commentaries, whenever and wherever I travel.
About Jeff Cooper: Born Monday 10 May 1920 in Los Angeles, California, died Monday 25 September 2006 in Gunsite, Arizona.
John Dean Cooper is widely recognised amongst gun enthusiasts as the father of modern combat pistol shooting.Jeff became a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Marines after serving in the Pacific during World War II and having re-enlisted for Korea.
In the fifties Jeff was a guiding light in the Bear Valley Gunslingers in California, later to develop into the Southwest Combat Pistol League. Many techniques new to pistol shooting which revolutionised the use of the handgun in combat can be traced back to these beginnings and Jeff's subsequent work at the American Pistol Institute at Gunsite Ranch, Arizona (which Jeff founded and developed). Jeff was very influential in the development of the modern rifle, notably with the "Scout Rifle" concept.
Of special note are Jeff's writings on the combat mindset, particularly in Jeff's books "Fireworks" and the later "To Ride, to Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth." Jeff held an MA in History and Jeff's clear and precise writing style complements the intelligence of Jeff's writings.
Jeff was Editor at Large for Guns & Ammo magazine where edited versions of the "Commentaries" were published. Jeff was the Founding President and Honorary Lifetime Chairman, the International Practical Shooting Confederation. Jeff was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association of America.
As is noted in these "Commentaries" Jeff's writings always garnered controversy and are read with interest by all true students of the use of firearms in the social context. They have a wider relevance to those seeking insights into the condition of modern man.
A few of his quotes:
"Personal weapons are what raised mankind out of the mud, and the rifle is the queen of personal weapons."
"The rifle is a weapon. Let there be no mistake about that. It is a tool of power, and thus dependent completely upon the moral stature of its user. It is equally useful in securing meat for the table, destroying group enemies on the battlefield, and resisting tyranny. In fact, it is the only means of resisting tyranny, since a citizenry armed with rifles simply cannot be tyrannized."
"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."
The police cannot protect the citizen at this stage of our development, and they cannot even protect themselves in many cases. It is up to the private citizen to protect himself and his family, and this is not only acceptable, but mandatory.
One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree that ‘violence begets violence.’ I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure—and in some cases I have—that any man who offers violence to his fellow citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy. – Cooper vs. Terrorism
Regards
A must read for every one. I have started taking printouts, so can read and enjoy Cooper's commentaries, whenever and wherever I travel.
About Jeff Cooper: Born Monday 10 May 1920 in Los Angeles, California, died Monday 25 September 2006 in Gunsite, Arizona.
John Dean Cooper is widely recognised amongst gun enthusiasts as the father of modern combat pistol shooting.Jeff became a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Marines after serving in the Pacific during World War II and having re-enlisted for Korea.
In the fifties Jeff was a guiding light in the Bear Valley Gunslingers in California, later to develop into the Southwest Combat Pistol League. Many techniques new to pistol shooting which revolutionised the use of the handgun in combat can be traced back to these beginnings and Jeff's subsequent work at the American Pistol Institute at Gunsite Ranch, Arizona (which Jeff founded and developed). Jeff was very influential in the development of the modern rifle, notably with the "Scout Rifle" concept.
Of special note are Jeff's writings on the combat mindset, particularly in Jeff's books "Fireworks" and the later "To Ride, to Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth." Jeff held an MA in History and Jeff's clear and precise writing style complements the intelligence of Jeff's writings.
Jeff was Editor at Large for Guns & Ammo magazine where edited versions of the "Commentaries" were published. Jeff was the Founding President and Honorary Lifetime Chairman, the International Practical Shooting Confederation. Jeff was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association of America.
As is noted in these "Commentaries" Jeff's writings always garnered controversy and are read with interest by all true students of the use of firearms in the social context. They have a wider relevance to those seeking insights into the condition of modern man.
A few of his quotes:
"Personal weapons are what raised mankind out of the mud, and the rifle is the queen of personal weapons."
"The rifle is a weapon. Let there be no mistake about that. It is a tool of power, and thus dependent completely upon the moral stature of its user. It is equally useful in securing meat for the table, destroying group enemies on the battlefield, and resisting tyranny. In fact, it is the only means of resisting tyranny, since a citizenry armed with rifles simply cannot be tyrannized."
"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."
The police cannot protect the citizen at this stage of our development, and they cannot even protect themselves in many cases. It is up to the private citizen to protect himself and his family, and this is not only acceptable, but mandatory.
One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree that ‘violence begets violence.’ I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure—and in some cases I have—that any man who offers violence to his fellow citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy. – Cooper vs. Terrorism
Regards