TexasCHLforum.com

parabelum wrote:I don't understand the post.

I came to this country with literally one suitcase, from war torn Bosnia. Worked my tail off, in construction by day and cleaning toilets during night.
Slowly, I saved my pennies and put myself through fire academy/emt school, bought a house and started a family.
Few years later, I studied more and went through process of becoming naturalized US citizen. The drive for Constitutional knowledge and 2A was visceral for me.
Some time later I went further and obtained 4 year degree in Mathematics, along with Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
Yep, in 17 years I went from toilet cleaner fresh from war torn country to a successful business person, and that has nothing to do with rich or poor, black or white etc.
It has everything to do with being an American, understanding that through love for God and this Country, nothing is impossible.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phillippians 4:13.

Your friend has to hunger for knowledge.
If you serve it on a platter, he'll never learn.

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

This is the kind of immigrant attitude that has helped make this country great. Continuing to play up the race card, whining about being disadvantaged, using economic status as a basis for being disenfranchised and not getting a fair share is what is causing third world countries to remain third world and what is eating away at our country.

I also sense somewhat of an all or nothing "constitutional carry" trolling nature to the original post.

mojo84 wrote:

parabelum wrote:I don't understand the post.

I came to this country with literally one suitcase, from war torn Bosnia. Worked my tail off, in construction by day and cleaning toilets during night.
Slowly, I saved my pennies and put myself through fire academy/emt school, bought a house and started a family.
Few years later, I studied more and went through process of becoming naturalized US citizen. The drive for Constitutional knowledge and 2A was visceral for me.
Some time later I went further and obtained 4 year degree in Mathematics, along with Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
Yep, in 17 years I went from toilet cleaner fresh from war torn country to a successful business person, and that has nothing to do with rich or poor, black or white etc.
It has everything to do with being an American, understanding that through love for God and this Country, nothing is impossible.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phillippians 4:13.

Your friend has to hunger for knowledge.
If you serve it on a platter, he'll never learn.

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

This is the kind of immigrant attitude that has helped make this country great. Continuing to play up the race card, whining about being disadvantaged, using economic status as a basis for being disenfranchised and not getting a fair share is what is causing third world countries to remain third world and what is eating away at our country.

I also sense somewhat of an all or nothing "constitutional carry" trolling nature to the original post.

Yep, parabelum is the kind of immigrant that benefits the country and those are the kind of immigrants any rational citizen wants. Unfortunately, those aren't the kind of immigrants that shift demographics to the left and empower progressives, so they're not the kind of immigrants being encouraged by the left or their GOP collaborators. In fact, the system is set up to make immigration difficult for people like parabelum and give a pass to those likely to get government assistance, or provide cheap labor and swell the rolls of Democrat voters. The left doesn't get more power by encouraging independence of thought and action....it gets more power by fostering dependency.

My own childhood background is one of extreme poverty.

Ever slept under a bridge, in an abandoned car, a hay loft you snuck into after dark and left in the dark before the farmer came to his barn?

Felt lucky you were able to get to a Salvation Army transient lodge for the night or some sort of Jesus Saves Mission, where you're made to feel like dirt because you're broke and homeless? Have to behave with an extra dose of humility with your hat (if had one) in your hand with downcast eyes?

Plus, your peers were down and out alcoholics, sometimes afflicted with T.B., or were simply out and out insane?

Ever gone without eating for days on end and this goes on for years?

Ever worn tattered, dirty clothes, again for days on end?

I won't go on, but I can tell you this condition existed for many years before I took control of my life at 15.

Immigrants like parabelum persevere to success. Natural born Americans persevere to success.

Essentially complaining about the raw deal and plain unfairness that is the lot of immigrants is, to put mildly it, nonsense.

Want to get ahead?

Work at it and it'll happen. No, you won't experience instant gratification, but it'll happen if you really want it;

Want it handed to you?

Wallow in misery and I won't be one to feel pity for you.

Bravo!

mojo84 wrote:Continuing to play up the race card, whining about being disadvantaged, using economic status as a basis for being disenfranchised and not getting a fair share...

I read the same into the original post. As far as pricing, I bought an SCCY CPX-2 for $160 recently. The deals are out there if one takes the effort to seek them.

parabelum wrote:I don't understand the post.

I came to this country with literally one suitcase, from war torn Bosnia. Worked my tail off, in construction by day and cleaning toilets during night.
Slowly, I saved my pennies and put myself through fire academy/emt school, bought a house and started a family.
Few years later, I studied more and went through process of becoming naturalized US citizen. The drive for Constitutional knowledge and 2A was visceral for me.
Some time later I went further and obtained 4 year degree in Mathematics, along with Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
Yep, in 17 years I went from toilet cleaner fresh from war torn country to a successful business person, and that has nothing to do with rich or poor, black or white etc.
It has everything to do with being an American, understanding that through love for God and this Country, nothing is impossible.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phillippians 4:13.

Your friend has to hunger for knowledge.
If you serve it on a platter, he'll never learn.

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

Thank you!

Parabelum and Abraham, I want to thank you both for sharing your stories. They embody the American spirit, and your 2 spirits shared with the generations of peoples coming before you is indeed the foundations of America's greatness.

Whether you came to this great land, or you were born into poverty here, one can accomplish one's dreams if one has the desire to change your own destiny.

Thank you!

parabelum wrote:I don't understand the post.

I came to this country with literally one suitcase, from war torn Bosnia. Worked my tail off, in construction by day and cleaning toilets during night.
Slowly, I saved my pennies and put myself through fire academy/emt school, bought a house and started a family.
Few years later, I studied more and went through process of becoming naturalized US citizen. The drive for Constitutional knowledge and 2A was visceral for me.
Some time later I went further and obtained 4 year degree in Mathematics, along with Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
Yep, in 17 years I went from toilet cleaner fresh from war torn country to a successful business person, and that has nothing to do with rich or poor, black or white etc.
It has everything to do with being an American, understanding that through love for God and this Country, nothing is impossible.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phillippians 4:13.

Your friend has to hunger for knowledge.
If you serve it on a platter, he'll never learn.

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

My Story is very similar. I came from war torn country called Lebanon. I Immigrated first to Canada, then I came south as fast I could. Everything else is history. As all good Muslims, we rely on our Creator, Allah, in all our matters. Our income/sustenance is divided, it will never increase or decrease, we only seek to rely on our Creator and do our best that we can do, everything else is just a matter of destiny. You reap what you seed, no more no less.
This great country is based on Freedom, self-reliance, justice and 2ndA.

And yes, I try to teach guns and self-defense to my foreign born, highly-educated, friends. However, they all the time cower in fear ending up on a black list, disappear in a black hole, or something in that nature. No wonder their country of birth is called Syria and their Assad President (the father and the son) was/is worse than Tito/Mussolini/Stalin. For instance, You disappear from your bed in the middle of the night. If anyone ask about your whereabouts he himself would never be heard of him again.
One can not express his free thoughts even in his own room as walls have ears

stingeragent wrote:I truly see no point to this post unless it was to start a financial debate? Your inherent conclusion at the end of your post is false. I have a LTC and am by no means rich. I wouldn't even consider myself blue collar. I think it is a far stretch to say a LTC is only for the rich. It's what, 150 for the license, 100-150 for the course, and like 12 for fingerprinting. So that means to save around 300 classifies you as rich?

I am not saying this is necessarily the case with the poverty-stricken immigrants described in the OP..... But there there IS a certain segment of the poor population who think nothing of spending more on a single pair of running shoes than I will pay for all the running shoes I will buy in a 5 year period. They will even kill one another over them. And then there is the crazy (to me) need to have a big screen TV in a home where the state is paying for their electricity. It is really a matter of priorities. If, instead of spending $500 on a pair of running shoes, you go to Famous Footwear and buy a $50 pair of running shoes, you'll find that you have $450 left over to spend on a CHL and a 9mm Highpoint. If, instead of buying a 55" LCD TV for $2,000, you go to Walmart and buy a $350 TV, you'll have $1,650 left over. If you forego BOTH the expensive sneakers and the expensive TV, you'll have $2,100 left over, which will buy you a CHL ($140 + $100 or so), a Glock 19 or 17 ($550 or so), a nice holster and gunbelt (call it $250), 2,000 round of 9mm ($406.88 @ FreedomMunitions.com), and still leave $653 for a personal defense pistol class.

I do realize that the above is not possible for someone who works 12/7 and sends all his money home to Sri Lanka or wherever, or for someone wearing rags and sleeping in a shelter. But it seems like there are a lot of people in the U.S. who are living below the poverty line, but who still seem to have money for luxuries, but not for getting a CHL, gun, holster, ammo, and training. Why? Priorities. That simple.

I could be wrong, but that's how I see it.

Many, many think there is no need for a weapon? They ask why one needs a weapon? They are living in the fear of danger and the believe that only bad guys would have guns and if you seek a weapon you would be equated with bad guys, and guns are very dangerous. I do not know what I should call those class of people, least to say, they are irrational and immature to understand the reality of the world.

Beiruty wrote:

parabelum wrote:I don't understand the post.

I came to this country with literally one suitcase, from war torn Bosnia. Worked my tail off, in construction by day and cleaning toilets during night.
Slowly, I saved my pennies and put myself through fire academy/emt school, bought a house and started a family.
Few years later, I studied more and went through process of becoming naturalized US citizen. The drive for Constitutional knowledge and 2A was visceral for me.
Some time later I went further and obtained 4 year degree in Mathematics, along with Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
Yep, in 17 years I went from toilet cleaner fresh from war torn country to a successful business person, and that has nothing to do with rich or poor, black or white etc.
It has everything to do with being an American, understanding that through love for God and this Country, nothing is impossible.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phillippians 4:13.

Your friend has to hunger for knowledge.
If you serve it on a platter, he'll never learn.

I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

My Story is very similar. I came from war torn country called Lebanon. I Immigrated first to Canada, then I came south as fast I could. Everything else is history. As all good Muslims, we rely on our Creator, Allah, in all our matters. Our income/sustenance is divided, it will never increase or decrease, we only seek to rely on our Creator and do our best that we can do, everything else is just a matter of destiny. You reap what you seed, no more no less.
This great country is based on Freedom, self-reliance, justice and 2ndA.

And yes, I try to teach guns and self-defense to my foreign born, highly-educated, friends. However, they all the time cower in fear ending up on a black list, disappear in a black hole, or something in that nature. No wonder their country of birth is called Syria and their Assad President (the father and the son) was/is worse than Tito/Mussolini/Stalin. For instance, You disappear from your bed in the middle of the night. If anyone ask about your whereabouts he himself would never be heard of him again.
One can not express his free thoughts even in his own room as walls have ears

Beiruty,

I've gotten to know many Lebanese in Bosnia, as well as during my brief period of exile in Germany. I've never heard the hatred from any them because I'm Christian, nor did I feel out of place talking to 15 Lebanese, being the only Christian.
My own family from my mothers side is from Turk origin, so I have Muslims in my family as well.
One thing sadly is for sure, something went way south in the last 8 years that has created a firestorm of enmity and hatred from all sides, something that I last saw in Bosnia during the Serb ethnic cleansing, a genicide against Bosnian/Croatian people.
I think that "something" is our own POTUS, who like a parasite has infected every corner of the world with his radical ideology.
His time is coming.

Abraham,

Thank you for sharing your story.
Truth is, we all have either stared down the same barrel of life at some point, or we descend from people who have been through far worse.

Courage, honesty and perseverance is what we need. Not handouts that enslave the masses into helpless dependants, see Tytlers Cycle.

zatoman wrote:Seems to be a dead end post. Whatever. Since whites, with their fear of the cost of producing and raising progeny, are becoming history, the new Americans (I.e. Non whites) need to be taught.

Just a troll post . No one would open a thread this way . No serious intent here .