Personally, I find this to be a fine quote for a number of reasons, none of which are as black and white as the sorry argument that has erupted around it.My short and flippant answer as to "Who"these rough men might be is, "the Marines, bless their pointy little heads and bayonets".In a more serious vein,I would say, "My volunteer father and other men just like him, joined by a multitude of men concscripted for combat in WW II were those rough men". The point here is that they all served and it really didn't matter who was first(to volunteer or die).Similarly, those hundreds of thousands of men fighting in Vietnam were both volunteers and conscripts.There is no particular distinction made for the 57,000+ "rough" men and women who died there, and I doubt they even care, now.Truth be told those "rough men"in our country are all of us when the need arises. Some may hesitate, but almost all serve when called upon.Sadly, it only seems to be the living who want to make such distinctions. So, to Jeremy's in Tacoma, Washington bold statement, that only1 in 250 Americans are willing to fight for their country and protect their way of life, I can only ask, "Have you a citation, Sir, so that honest men may know the well from which you draw your water."Such distinctions between volunteers and and the rest of us (between soldiers and soft civilians)ring hollow for me. I understand that the differences between volunteer and conscript are immaterial when one gets right down to it.I also understand that there can be an awful lot of gray territory between who volunteers and who waits to be drafted . In my case, I volunteered to serve in Vietnam as a navy corpsman in 1969,and always joked I was drafted. It was not a war I believed needed to be fought. No freedoms were particularly in danger as this 19 year old college drop out saw it, I joined anyway, knowing that had I not done so,I'd be fair game for the draft. It was my choice in so far as my prospects went.Volunteer and have some control of how I would serve;go to the draft and roll the dice as to which branch I'd end up serving in, possibly as something other than a medic or corpsman.I didn't particularly think of it as potentially a life or death choice, and would have served wherever I ended up.As fate or God would have it, I never left my country, and was a pretty much the average enlistee while I served. What would that make me, really by the rather simplistic standards of some I've read here? A volunteer or useless baggage.Am I a veteran who is to be elevated to some Promethean hero, or just a guy who is still proud to have served his country, and thankful for those who serve it now. For all intents and purposes we allARE or HAVE BEEN those "rough men"as well as those sleeping "peacefully in their beds.

Its funny to me to see these people get so worked up about the ownership of guns. They claim that no guns = peace. I seem to remember there were no guns not that long ago, and war was made with swords and arrows. And before the swords, sticks and rocks. What a fantasy world they live in to think that weapons are what make war. Pens aren't responsible for mispelled words. Guns aren't to blame for murder or war.

The Second Amendment says what it says. You want my guns Reston, come get em.

Thanks for that Mike. Atleast there are still some in this country who educate themselves instead of swallowing what others feed them.

This quote deserves ten stars.

Well Terry, one thing we Wouldn't do is waste time arguing with idiots.

Fuck Janet Reno.

Its good to see such intellegence from my fellow countymen. If only there were more of you.

Well said Logan. "Arms" is never a term used to describe hunting tools. I agree with Terry, we should ban idiots. And my Glock has never been any aid to the destruction of our inner cities.

Either way, what do drinking and smoking have to do with anything? One can abstain strictly on the grounds that it is bad for one's health. I'm not a Christian, or religious at all for that matter. I don't smoke anymore. I only drink on occasion, and the occasions are getting fewer and farther between. Whats your point?

But Jack, all those you named ARE financial institutions.

Seems to me these days, people are GIVING their own rights away.

Once again, I wish people would start rating the quote, not the man who said it.

I think that was a stupid contribution tee, don't do it again.

In the history of the world, we're not even a blip on the timeline.

Ah Dick, but that is what makes them fools.

I agree.

Kathy in PA doesn't seem to get it. Right wing conservatives don't think like Christ. The teachings of Jesus have no place in today's "Christian Nation". I don't think they should be able to use the word "Christian" at all.

This is my philosophy in life. Joe doesn't even know the definition of Socialism. Especially when he compares it to China or the Soviet Union.

Why do you say that Joe? A church is as much of a business as any other business. What Justice Clark is saying here is that someone can call a church a business and a Christian fanatic can't have me prosecuted for it.

Yeah Joe, sometimes I think you're crazy man.

F Capitalism.

The sheep will follow the shepherd right over the cliff.

Welcome to Capitalism.

Amen