Categories
All About Guns

Colonel Whelen and the Winchester Low Wall Rifle By Terry Wieland

The Winchester Low Wall single-shot rifle is a slim, elegant, and graceful gun that will assuredly add to your gentlemanly demeanor.

Way back in 1953, Gun Digest asked Col. Townsend Whelen to reflect on his years with single-shot rifles. He summed up with these words:

“The highly efficient bolt action is but a remodeled musket…the lever action a product of America’s unrivalled quantity-production industry…but the single shot, constructed on fine and beautiful lines by a master riflemaker, is a gentleman’s piece.”

At that time, the single-shot rifle was all but dead. It was the coming age of high velocity and ever-increasing firepower, with many predicting that even the bolts and levers would soon be shouldered aside by semiautos.

Like many predictions, those came to pass, sort of, but not right away, and never completely. Fourteen years later, Ruger unveiled its No. 1 single shot to quizzical looks (from some writers) and cheers (from many riflemen), and it has stayed in the Ruger lineup to this day. A new No. 1 with a composite stock and stainless-steel barreled action, chambered for some whiz-bang rimless cartridge, is not exactly what Colonel Whelen had in mind, but it’s still a lot closer to it than any AR ever made.

For reasons many and varied, there remains a coterie of riflemen (not all of them gentlemen, nor claiming to be) that consider the single-shot rifle both practically and æsthetically all they need or want. Now how, you might ask, can that be? It’s simple: In all the world, and including such masterpieces as a Holland “Royal,” there is no rifle more fun to carry and shoot than a vintage American single shot.

Of them all, my candidate for the most fun is the old Winchester Low Wall with original iron sights; straight grip; and longish, heavyish barrel chambered for some friendly old round like the .25-20 or .32-20. There is nothing like a morning wandering the creek bottoms with a Low Wall, watching for…well, just about anything shootable. Squirrels? (They make a nice stew.) Possums? (Very edible.) Raccoons? (Sure, if they’re a problem.)

For that matter, though, you don’t need to see any game, or even squeeze the trigger except on a stray tin can or plastic bottle or a white rock on the far bank. In your mind, you can be something as exotic as a mountain man after a grizzly or as unexotic as the small boy you used to be, on the prowl with your first rifle. There is always an element of fantasizing in any shooting we do—at least there is in my case—and Colonel Whelen pointed out that one of the enduring attractions of the single-shot rifle was its romantic associations, from buffalo runners in Kansas to the lone mountain man to, for the more cosmopolitan, Frederick Selous in Africa.

Such daydreams aside, my personal affection for the single-shot rifle stems from the sheer animal pleasure of using a silky, uncomplicated mechanism, crafted by a master, built to do a specific job and do it well. Some single shots, notably the old German Schützen rifles, make the most elaborate Swiss cuckoo clock look restrained, but at the other end of the spectrum lies the old Winchester Low Wall.

The Winchester single-shot rifle in its various iterations, designed by John M. Browning and originally produced by Winchester from 1885 to 1920, is reputed to be the most common of the old rifles and is not held in the reverence afforded to the Sharps or the Ballard. It’s notable, however, that the last competition rifle Harry Pope built for himself was based on a Winchester High Wall. That’s a pretty good recommendation.

During the mania for high-velocity varmint rifles in the 1930s, many Winchester High Wall rifles were cannibalized for their actions, but the Low Wall did not lend itself to high pressures. As a result, there seems to be a lot of them around, many chambered for interesting and fun-to-shoot cartridges like the .25-20. Personally, I can’t think of a better rifle with which to start off a kid in handloading. But then, nor can I think of a better rifle if you want to reconnect with the kid you once were, when creek bottoms were freely accessible and the odd gunshot did not summon the police.

Will it make you a gentleman? Probably not. But we can pretend about that, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
All About Guns

Review: SIG Sauer MCX-Spear LT by JEREMIAH KNUPP

Firearms like the MCX-SPEAR LT represent a pinnacle where reliability, modularity and ease of use have been maximized.
SIG Mcxspearlt 1920X1080

As justification for its Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program, the U.S. Army stated “…the current 5.56 cartridge has been maxed out from the performance perspective…” The program resulted in the selection of the XM7 rifle (originally designated the XM5), as designed by SIG Sauer, and a brand new 6.8 mm cartridge (read the full story of the Next Generation Squad Weapons program in the February issue of American Rifleman). In September 2022, SIG Sauer announced a new addition to its MCX line of firearms, called the “MCX-SPEAR LT,” that was based on lessons learned during the company’s successful pursuit of the Army’s Next Gen rifle contract. If the 5.56 NATO cartridge has reached its ultimate evolution, designs like the MCX-SPEAR LT beg another question. Have we also maximized the performance of the semi-automatic 5.56 mm rifle?

What does “peak rifle” look like? I would argue it is when we have reached a point that mass-produced designs are reliable and proven, they are modular and ambidextrous, they come from the factory optimized for mounting optics and suppressors and they have a user-friendly system of maintenance and repair.

There are several designs that I feel fit into this classification with the MCX-SPEAR LT, including rifles like the Beretta ARX-160CZ Bren 2IWI Carmel and HK 433. Do these rifles represent the pinnacle of gas-operated, metallic-cartridge firing semi-automatics? To make the case for this theory, I tested and reviewed the MCX-SPEAR LT rifle in 5.56 mm and highlight how it meets each of these “peak rifle” criteria.

Reliable And Proven Design
Most modern firearms designs aren’t breaking new ground. Rifles like the MCX are based on firearms technologies that are more than 75 years old at this point. Continuing to use the MCX as an example, the multi-lug, rotating bolt-head design has its origins in the late 19th century, the multi-part, short-stroke gas-piston system was finding its way into rifles by the 1930s, and the use of forged alloys to make major firearm components was rendered mainstream by ArmaLite in the 1950s. Where designs like the MCX excel is in the combination of many proven technological features assembled into one, user-friendly platform.

bolt carrier group comparison gun parts metal objects on whiteMany “peak rifles” are based on the design of the AR-18. A SIG MCX-SPEAR LT bolt and recoil spring assembly (l.), compared to a CZ Bren 2 (center) and an original ArmaLite AR-180 (r.).

As with most “peak rifles,” Eugene Stoner’s handiwork lies right under the surface of the MCX, a rifle that is basically an AR-18 wrapped in AR-15 clothing. A multi-lug, rotating bolt is cammed in and out of its locked position by the action of the bolt carrier, which is operated by a short-stroke gas-piston system. The MCX-SPEAR LT uses a two-position gas regulator. The first position is for “normal” firing. The second is for “adverse” firing conditions, such as extreme cold temperatures or a very dirty firearm. The regulator can be adjusted through a port in each side of the handguard.

closeup of sig sauer rifle part adjustment fingers brass ammo setting adjustment demonstrationThe SIG MCX-SPEAR LT uses a two-position gas regulator that can be adjusted through a port in the handguard.

The result of using these tried-and-true design features is a firearm that is totally reliable. The MCX has been extensively tested by military and law-enforcement agencies around the world, including adoption by the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the British Special Air Service (SAS), so it could almost go without saying that sample rifle should function at 100 percent during the following test.

bearded man outdoors shooting sig sauer mcx spear ltA proven and thoroughly tested design, the SIG MCX-SPEAR LT was 100 percent reliable in our testing.

Enhanced Aiming Device Ready
M1913 Picatinny rails have been around for decades now as a method of mounting accessories, but where “peak rifles” have taken rails to the next level is by enhancing the system for reliable optics mounting. Large scopes or laser-aiming devices may not fit on the short rail section that is machined into the top of most rifle receivers. Moving aiming devices to a handguard can cause problems if the handguard does not stay in perfect alignment to the receiver in which the barrel is mounted. The SPEAR LT attacks this in two ways. First, the top of the receiver is extended, giving more space to mount an optic on the portion of the rail that is made into the receiver itself. On the MCX this rail is 11.5” long, versus the 6” rail section of a typical AR-15 receiver.

sig sauer mcx spear lt right side disassembledThe upper receiver of the SIG MCX-SPEAR LT features an extended rail section that allows for the forward mounting of optics.

Second, the handguard mounts to the receiver in a way that minimizes “deflection” or movement of the handguard relative to the barrel. The SPEAR LT’s unit does this in several ways. The handguard slides into grooves in the receiver. It also has a “link” that slides into the front takedown pin slot on the receiver, meaning the front receiver takedown pin is also helping hold the handguard in place. Finally, the handguard is secured in place by two tension screws. This means that secondary aiming devices that are mounted on the handguard, such as aiming lasers, can be kept in more consistent alignment, even if the handguard is taken off and put back on.

sig sauer mcx spear lt closeup parts interface arrows demonstativeIn order to minimize deflection when using an aiming device mounted on the handguard, the SIG MCX-SPEAR LT handguard is secured to the upper receiver with a “link” (r.) that slides into a slot onto the upper receiver (l.) and is secured by the front takedown pin.

The ability to utilize optics effectively also extends to the buttstock. As modern rifles are nearly always used with electronic or magnified optics, the stock design has had to evolve as well. A clip-on cheekpiece on the SPEAR LT’s minimalist stock raises the shooter’s line of sight for use with optics. Additionally, the stock is attached to a section of M1913 rail on the end of the receiver, meaning it can be changed out for different designs that have more adjustability, if necessary.

buttstock for sig sauer mcx spear lt carbineThe SIG MCX-SPEAR LT folding stock is a minimalist design with a detachable cheekpiece to aid in the use of optics.

[Relatively] Lightweight And Compact
The original M16 weighed just 6 lbs. loaded and ready for the field. Over the years, the addition of features and accessories have caused the weight of tactical rifles to climb to more than 10 lbs. in some cases.

With the MCX-SPEAR LT, “lite” refers not only to being more compact and lighter than the XM7, but also slimmer than previous generations of the MCX. Improvements to the Gen 2 MCX added weight. With the SPEAR LT, SIG sought to keep all of the updates and lose the extra weight. Without an optic, the 16”-barreled rifle comes in at 7 lbs., 7 ozs., about half a pound less than the second-generation MCX Virtus.

This weight cut comes mainly from a lightened handguard, a thinner barrel profile and subtle “lightening cuts” in the receiver surface. The SPEAR LT’s barrel profile is what would be considered a “medium” weight in the AR-15 world and splits the difference from the original MCX and the Virtus. Despite its enhanced features and short-stroke gas piston operating system, the MCX- SPEAR LT weighs nearly the same as the M4A1.

sig sauer mcx spear lt barrel assemblyThe MCX-SPEAR LT used a barrel profile that is heavier than the original MCX, but lighter than the second-generation MCX Virtus. It approximates what would be called a “medium” profile in the AR-15 world.

The confined spaces of urban environments and working in and around vehicles and aircraft require a compact firearm. Unlike AR-15 designs, which require a fixed receiver extension to house the buffer and recoil spring, a design like the MCX that follows the AR-18 pattern contains its recoil springs within the receiver, allowing for a stock that folds to minimize a firearm’s overall length. The SPEAR LT stock, which is similar to the “Minimalist Plus” design offered on the MCX Rattler with a rubber cheek piece and recoil pad, unlatches with a push-button knuckle similar to what SIG uses on its Cross rifle. While the stock lacks the adjustable length-of-pull of an M4-style telescoping stock, the design is compact, simple and lightweight. It folds with the push of a button and snaps back into the deployed and locked position. When folded, the SPEAR LT is a compact package, with an overall length of only 26.25” and can be fired with the stock folded.

two guns comparison top bottom sig sauer mcx spear lt rifle carbine brown color gun left side view on whiteThe design of the MCX allows for a folding stock. The 5.56 MCX-SPEAR LT rifle is 34.50″ with the stock extended (bottom) and 26.25″ with the stock folded (top). Photo courtesy of SIG Sauer.

The length of pull of the SPEAR LT, at 12.5”, is designed for use with a tactical vest or body armor, as is the steep angle of the pistol grip. For those to whom this is a problem, the Virtus telescoping and folding stock will work along with other adjustable stocks that mount to a Picatinny rail interface.

Adaptable And Modular
Both the military and civilians value a firearm that can be adapted to a variety of circumstances, accessories and user sizes. On the MCX, the pistol grip, which uses the standard AR mount, and stock can easily be swapped out. The M1913 Picatinny rail on top of the receiver and handguard, along with generous M-Lok slots on the sides and the bottom of the handguard, offer plenty of real estate to attach accessories.

With the MCX, this adaptability extends to the barrel, meaning the chambering and the length of barrel can be changed by the user. The barrel is held in place by a clamp that is secured with two torque bolts. Though SIG is not currently offering spare barrels or caliber conversion kits, we assume the company will eventually.

sig sauer mcx spear lt white table hand screwdriver adjustment barrel retension screw detailThe barrel of the MCX SPEAR-LT is held in place by a clamp secured by two torque bolts. This allows for barrel length and chambering conversions that can be accomplished by the end user.

Fully Ambidextrous
We have finally acknowledged that 10 percent of the world’s population is left-handed and that in many tactical shooting situations, the user needs to be able to switch firing hands and still have full functionality of their firearm’s controls. To that end, guns are now being manufactured with all controls fully mirrored on each side.

The MCX’s charging handle is the familiar AR-15 T-handle design, but with extended latches on both sides. This not only allows for the rifle to be charged with either hand, but also allows for easy charging of the rifle with a larger scope, such as a low-power variable optic (LPVO), mounted.

sig sauer mcx charging handle detail closeup gun rifle parts how toThe extended charging handle with dual latches allows the MCX-SPEAR LT to be charged with either hand and allows for working the action with a magnified optic in place.

The bolt release on the SPEAR LT is a design first used on SIG’s M400 Switchback rifle. This not only allows left-handed shooters to release the bolt with their non-trigger hand, but allows righties to lock the bolt open with the trigger finger of their shooting handle while working the charging handle with their support hand, an important feature for clearing malfunctions. The right-side magazine release is in the standard AR position, but enlarged. With the SPEAR LT, the left-side magazine release has been repositioned and is shielded. The A2-style case deflector means that empty brass is ejected in a direction that is safe for firing from the right or left shoulder.

sig sauer mcx spear lt lower receiver in hand demonstration detail parts gun rifle carbineA new feature for the MCX line, the SPEAR LT has a right and left side bolt catch lever, a design adopted from the SIG M400 Switchback.

sig rifles receiver comparison two gunsThe layout of the SIG MCX-SPEAR LT receiver and controls (bottom) is very similar to the M16/AR-15 family (top).

sig sauer mcx spear lt left side controls finger demonstrationControls on the SIG MCX-SPEAR LT are mirrored on both sides, with a magazine release, safety and bolt catch lever on each side of the rifle.

sig sauer mcx spear lt controls rifle detail how to finger placement demonstration gun rifle carbine right side safetyThe MCX-SPEAR LT adds a bolt catch lever to the ride side of the rifle (l.). This allows the right-handed trigger finger to manipulate the bolt catch.

Suppressor Ready
The use of suppressors is becoming more common in both civilian and military worlds, with the Army’s next-generation rifle and squad automatic weapon both designed to be used with a suppressor in most situations. For a rifle to be used with a suppressor, it needs both a method of attachment and an action designed in such a way that it functions reliably when using the suppressor. The SPEAR LT is suppressor-ready right out of the box. It can be fired suppressed or unsuppressed with the gas regulator in the “normal” position. As a suppressor generates more back pressure into a firearm’s action, the SPEAR LT’s use of a short-stroke gas piston operating system keeps more debris and hot gases out of the action when using a suppressor than the simpler direct gas impingement design of the AR-15.

The SPEAR LT’s muzzle is threaded 1/2×28 TPI for use with common AR-style 5.55 mm muzzle devices and comes with a SIG “Rocksett” QD suppressor-ready flash hider installed. The simple three-prong design is not the most effective muzzle device, but this rifle is intended to be used with a suppressor installed.

muzzle device and barrel assembly of sig sauer mcx spear lt rifle carbine gun parts closeup detailThe SIG MCX-SPEAR LT comes equipped with a SIG “Rocksett” QD suppressor-ready flash hider. The muzzle of the barrel is threaded 1/2 x 28 TPI.

Low Maintenance/Extended Service Life
Field-stripping the MCX, with its two takedown pins that hold upper and lower receivers together, will come easy to anyone familiar with the AR-15/M16 family. The process is nearly identical until you get to the bolt assembly. Here you will notice some improvements. The firing pin retaining pin is captured. The extractor is held in place with a standard machine pin that is captured when the bolt is inserted in the carrier, instead of a roll pin, making cleaning and extractor spring maintenance a breeze.

sig mcx spear lt right side parts exploded view disassembled gun rifle carbineThe SIG MCX-SPEAR LT disassembled for cleaning and maintenance.

sig sauer mcx spear lt bolt disassembled view parts gun rifle carbineThe disassembled SIG MCX-SPEAR LT bolt, carrier and recoil spring assembly. The design uses a captured firing pin retaining pin and a simple machine pin that holds in the extractor for ease of maintenance.

The upper and lower receivers are of forged alloy with steel inserts in critical high-wear areas, such as the case deflector/forward assist assembly, the cam-pin track for the bolt carrier, feed ramps and the locking points for the charging handle, meaning these pieces can be swapped out to extend the life of the receiver. Steel inserts are also used the in the quick detach sling swivel sockets.

sig sauer mcx spear lt upper receiver underside parts closeup detail viewThe SIG MCX-SPEAR LT uses a forged alloy upper receiver with replaceable steel inserts in critical high wear areas, such as the forward assist/case deflector, cam-pin track, and feed ramps to extend the life of the receiver.

How Is The SPEAR LT Different Than Previous Generations Of The MCX?
SIG introduced the MCX series in 2015, and the SPEAR LT represents the third “generation” of the MCX family, following the original model and the second -eneration Virtus models introduced in 2018.

Along with the fully ambidextrous controls, the SPEAR LT introduces the SIG Flat Blade two-stage match trigger to the MCX design. While much nicer than “mil-spec,” the trigger was somewhat lacking in crispness before breaking at 3 lbs., 8 ozs. If the stock trigger is not to your liking, the SPEAR LT is compatible with most AR-15 and previous-generation MCX trigger systems.

sig sauer mcx spear lt lower receiver in hand right side shownThe SIG MCX-SPEAR LT is provided with a flat-blade, two-stage match trigger that breaks at 3 lbs. 8 ozs.

With the SPEAR LT, for the first time, a firearm in the MCX family is available in 7.62×39 mm. SIG emphasizes that the MCX-SPEAR LT is not an AR-15 system adapted to 7.62×39 mm, but a system designed from the ground up to handle the 7.62 mm Russian cartridge. The design has been optimized specifically to overcome feed problems common to AR-15-style rifles that chamber the Russian round and also has an improved hammer spring to deal with the hard primers associated with imported ammo.

right side view of sig sauer mcx spear lt without rear buttstockIn another first for the MCX line, SIG is offering the MCX-SPEAR LT in 7.62×39 mm in rifle, SBR and pistol form. The 11.5″-barrel pistol version pictured. Photo courtesy of SIG Sauer.

SIG claims “improved accuracy” for the SPEAR LT. In our 2018 evaluation of the MCX Virtus Patrol, accuracy averaged just over 2.5”. In testing the SPEAR LT, average accuracy was just over 2” for five shot groups at 100 yards, with SIG’s Elite Performance ammunition producing groups that averaged 1.67″.

sig sauer rifle mcx spear lt with ammunition optic and targetSIG claims improved accuracy with the MCX-SPEAR LT. Our test rifle averaged five-shot groups of just over 2″ at 100 yards, with SIG’s own Elite Performance ammunition producing groups of just over 1.5″.

accuracy ballistics table ammunition rifle test

The MCX-SPEAR LT is offered in rifle, short-barreled rifle (SBR) and pistol configurations. Rifles have 16” barrels and are offered in 5.56 NATO and 7.62×39 mm. Pistols and SBRs are available in 5.56 NATO and 7.62×39 mm with an 11.5” barrel and .300 Blackout with a 9” barrel. SBRs come equipped with the same stock as the rifle (all NFA rules apply). All MCX-SPEAR LT models, including the pistols, have a section of Picatinny rail on the rear of the receiver for attaching accessories. The entire SPEAR LT lineup is available only with a coyote-brown anodized finish with black anodized accents.

five sig sauer mcx guns comparison stack row rifles carbines sbr black backgroundThe SIG MCX-SPEAR LT lineup will include pistols (not shown), short-barreled rifles (SBRs) and rifles in 5.56 NATO, 7.62×39 mm and .300 Blackout. Photo courtesy of SIG Sauer.

How Is The SPEAR LT The Same/Different Than the XM7?
While the XM7 is based on a mid-size action to accommodate 7.62 NATO-class cartridges, the MCX-SPEAR LT uses a 5.56 NATO, AR-15-size action. So, besides its caliber and overall size, how does the SPEAR LT differ from its Army-issue big brother? The XM7 uses a 13” barrel and has a left-side, non-reciprocating charging handle, in addition to an ambidextrous AR-type charging handle. The SPEAR LT ditches the side-mounted charging handle and only has the ambidextrous rear charging handle.

sig sauer rifles comparisonThe SIG MCX-SPEAR LT (top) is derived from lessons SIG learned during the process of winning the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) competition with its MCX-SPEAR (bottom), adopted as the XM7.

While SIG has already offered a semi-automatic version of the XM7 as the “MCX-SPEAR,” its $8,000 price tag and NFA restrictions will keep it out of the hands of most. The MCX SPEAR-LT is more affordable, with the rifle version tested here having an MSRP of $2,729.

Conclusion
Is there room for improvement with self-loading rifles? Sure. We continue to experiment with innovations like caseless and case-telescoping ammunition, find new materials to incorporate into firearms designs and try to re-invent the semi-automatic rifle “wheel” to gain even the smallest performance advantage. There may even be a quantum leap in firearms technology on the way that isn’t on our radar yet. But until the Star Trek phaser becomes available in the real world, within the limits imposed by metallic-cased ammunition, firearms like the MCX- SPEAR LT represent a pinnacle where reliability, modularity and ease of use have been maximized.

spec box specifications for sig sauer mcx spear lt rifle carbine data

Categories
War

Dr. Dabbs – Genocide: The Etymology of Mass Murder

The media uses the term “genocide” quite frequently

Mass media frequently uses terms such as ‘genocide’ with considerable liberty. Admittedly, words have power, and incendiary terms like genocide, war crimes, and violations of international law pack a certain viscerally compelling gravitas. Recently, ‘genocide’ has been used to describe the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Genesis of Conflict and Genocide

The argument could be made that the current sordid state of affairs in the Middle East all started back in the 18th century BC. Abraham is considered the patriarch for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There were some fairly egregious domestic disagreements between Abe’s wife Sarah and his handmaiden Hagar over the respective half siblings Isaac and Ishmael that never really got fully resolved.

That admittedly oversimplifies the situation. However, fast forward 3,800 years and the fire that sparked so long ago still burns brightly even today. In case you haven’t noticed, Jews and Muslims don’t get along terribly well. For the most part, we Christians, at least after the Crusades ended in 1291, just seem to be along for the ride. It’s obviously more complicated than Abraham’s tawdry marital squabbles, but that really is kind of where it all began.

Roots and Ramifications

The Romans occupied the Levant for more than 600 years.

The Romans sacked Jerusalem in AD 70 and subsequently dispersed the Jews. Isaac’s progeny lived as a diaspora around the globe for nearly two millennia. Then Adolf Hitler murdered six million of them during World War 2, and the whole world seemed to collectively gasp. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, a great many Jews returned to the Holy Land and won a vicious war for independence in 1948. They have been fighting on and off ever since.

There have been countless examples of war carving up national borders in the past two centuries. Several such conflicts are simmering today. Generally, once the bullets stop flying things eventually kind of find their level. But not here.

The Lay of the Land

Today, the Palestinians are cooped up in Gaza and the West Bank (Obviously so named because this piece of land occupies the west bank of the Jordan River. The nation of Jordan is on the other side.) The Israelis hold some really prime real estate in between. The Palestinians are none too happy about that. Everyone and their grandmother has tried to broker a lasting peace deal over the past half-century to no avail. The place is still just a mess.

Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei serves as Iran’s supreme religious leader. This furry homicidal nutjob actively promotes terrorism around the globe. If you struggle to tell the good guys from the bad in this place I’m afraid I just can’t help you.

Everybody hates everybody. Whenever they are not actively fighting, the combatant factions are stockpiling weapons in anticipation of the next inevitable opportunity to go all kinetic on each other. Throughout it all, the United States has traditionally backed Israel, while the religious fanatic psychopaths in Iran bankroll terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. These days Joe Biden’s mob seems a bit conflicted.

Current Affairs

The bloodthirsty maniacs who murdered more than 1,200 Israelis on Black Sabbath just aren’t wired the same way we are.

The Israelis call 7 October 2023, Black Sabbath. That’s when Hamas terrorists launched a coordinated attack against Israeli military and civilian targets around Gaza. The final toll included some 1,200 Israelis and unfortunate foreigners dead, with around 240 taken hostage.

Not satisfied to just machinegun unarmed civilians at a peace concert, Hamas operatives raped, pillaged, and tortured like it was the freaking Dark Ages. I’d give you some details, but I’d sooner not be responsible for putting those images into your mind. You can find all that ghastly stuff easily enough online. Suffice it to say, lots of bad people have been compared to Hitler. On 7 October, Hamas did things that would give the alpha Nazi Reinhard Heydrich pause.

Day of Terror

In the immediate aftermath, the Israel Defense Forces launched a coordinated air and ground assault against Hamas targets in Gaza. The rub is that Gaza is only twice the size of Washington DC. Packed into this tiny little space are more than two million Palestinians. Hamas themselves claim to have honeycombed this particularly congested real estate with some 311 miles of subterranean tunnels filled with weapons as well as extensive logistics and command and control facilities. The resulting fight has been untidy to say the least.

In taking the fight to Hamas, the Israelis have leveled large swaths of the Gaza Strip. Tragically, that happens when bloodthirsty terrorists intentionally hide among a large civilian population.

No sooner had the screaming stopped on 7 October did the Palestinians begin protesting the Israeli counterattack. Their political demonstrations have been well-organized and liberally distributed around the globe. They often involve burning stuff and destroying things.

Israel, not unreasonably, alleges a pro-Palestinian bias in such hallowed spaces as the United Nations and liberal American college campuses. A common refrain is that the Israelis are committing genocide in Gaza. I thought it might be a healthy exercise to explore what that word really means.

The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword

Words can indeed be quite powerful. Deftly wielded, they can precipitate some of the most egregious behavior.

Etymology, as defined by Wikipedia, is the scientific study of a word’s origin and the evolution of its meaning over time. Distilled to its essence, etymologists trace the foundational basis of words in the pursuit of pure, uncorrupted meaning. The time-tested definition of genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the purpose of exterminating that nation or group.

The war in Gaza is not genocide. The war in Gaza is just good old-fashioned war, albeit in a very congested space. That’s not meant to minimize the suffering. The normal sort is still plenty horrible, but we really need not embellish things with superfluous literary theater in an effort to make them seem worse than they already are.

There is just no way to make war in a heavily populated city easy, comfortable, or nice. Whether it is Nanking, Dresden, Hue, Mogadishu, Mosul, or Gaza, urban warfare is invariably horrible.

Still Not Genocide

War in a built-up area like Gaza is the targeted destruction of both military facilities and supporting infrastructure along with, according to Hamas, some thirty thousand dead Palestinians as of this writing. How many of those were civilians and how many were Hamas fighters is innately unfathomable, but everyone agrees that this astronomical figure includes an absolutely sickening number of children. However, this still does not meet the threshold of genocide.

Genocide in this case would be carpet bombing refugee camps and machinegunning the survivors. It would be poisoning the water and salting the fields. It would be sealing the borders with the intent of watching the inhabitants cannibalize each other and then starve. That’s not what is happening in Gaza, but we do have some relatively recent examples of the real deal.

The Rwandan Genocide: A Case Study

The Rwandan Genocide was unimaginably horrible.

A lyrically bloody subset of the protracted Rwandan Civil War unfolded for 100 days between 7 April and 15 July 1994. A Tutsi rebel group called the Rwandan Patriotic Front invaded northern Rwanda from bases in Uganda in 1990. Majority Hutus ran the government. The minority Tutsis didn’t care for that.

The Hutu president Juvenal Habyarimana subsequently died in a plane crash under suspicious circumstances, and his followers went absolutely berserk. Over the next three months, Hutu militias systematically murdered at least 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. That simply breathtaking bloodletting actually met the textbook definition of genocide.

In Perspective

Let’s put this in perspective. My thriving little community of Oxford, Mississippi, has a population of around 26,000 people. The Rwandan genocide would be like murdering every man, woman, and child in Oxford thirty times over…in 100 days. That’s some 8,000 fresh corpses per day. A further 200,000 Hutus died when the surviving Tutsis finally gained the upper hand and chased them into Zaire and the Congo.

To make this event even more incomprehensible, a shocking lot of the killing was done with machetes. It has also been estimated that as many as half a million women were raped. I would characterize the event as inhuman, but, sadly, it was actually quite very human. It is just that we humans suck, like a lot.

I’ve done a fair amount of reading on the subject, and I can’t find anything separating the Rwandan Hutus from the Tutsis that might justify any serious acrimony, much less unfettered slaughter.

This is Really And Truly Genocide

Here’s the truly heartrending part. Tutsis and Hutus are all drawn from essentially the same stock. They speak the same language. They attend the same churches. Historically, Tutsis have been herders, while Hutus have raised crops. However, there is more money to be made in livestock, so the minority Tutsis are typically the more affluent of the two groups. The Hutus are generally poorer, but there are more of them. Their society, politicians, and media inflamed passions between the two groups right up until somebody grabbed a machete. Methinks there might be a cautionary tale buried in there someplace for modern-day Americans as well.

The slaughter in Rwanda was indeed genocide. Six million Jews rounded up and gassed before being burned in crematoria, that’s genocide. What is happening in Gaza is just run-of-the-mill war. It is uniformly horrible, but it really isn’t all that special when viewed through the blood-sotted lens of human history.

Ruminations on Conflict and Killing

This is German-Israeli tattoo artist Shani Louk. Hamas terrorists murdered her on October 7th and then drove around Gaza with her naked corpse in the back of a pickup truck like some kind of deer.
As near as I could tell, nobody ran out to try to help this poor woman as Hamas paraded her naked body through the streets of Gaza.

Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to make the distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian people. He rightly states that their war is with the terrorists, not the Gazans as a whole. However, the animals who perpetrated Black Sabbath filmed most everything. One of the more compelling images was that of a naked German-Israeli woman named Shani Louk paraded through the Gazan streets in the back of an open pickup truck. Rank and file Palestinians did not rush to her aid or try to stop the macabre spectacle. They chased after the truck by the hundreds spitting on the poor woman’s cooling corpse. Shani Louk wasn’t a soldier or a politician. She was just some kid at a rock concert.

Folks have been fighting over this hallowed piece of dirt since the dawn of time.

Concluding Thoughts

It really all turns on your particular perspective. The Israelis state they are avenging mass murder. The Palestinians claim Black Sabbath was little more than a prison break. Right, wrong, or otherwise, both groups assert a claim on the land that spans millennia.

A substantial fraction of the planet is currently verklempt over the death and destruction the Israelis have wrought in Gaza. However, It seems to me that every one of those dead Palestinian civilians would still be alive today had Hamas not stormed across the border on October 7 and murdered 1,200 Israelis. It also seems like releasing the remaining hostages might be a great place to start putting a bow on this thing. Amidst all the hand-wringing in the mass media about the legitimate horror in Gaza I hear precious little about that.

There is a spiritual and moral rot in that place that now spans generations. I am at a loss as to how to remedy that. The hatred runs so deep and has reigned supreme for so long that it would now take literal generations to mitigate. Peace could still break out in that wounded part of the world, but that would take a legitimate miracle.

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