1.) DParker - 03/22/2013

While I doubt anyone remembers, I know that I mentioned a time or two on BC the fact that I worked (for the past 11 years) with a Syrian ex-pat who came here to escape the Asaad regime. I brought that up in the context of a discussion of educating people on the history and contemporary importance of Amendment II, as he became interested in the shooting sports as a result of all of my in-office blathering about it and 2A issues. When the civil war really took off in Syria he became an even stauncher 2A supporter than most natural-born Americans, having an even greater personal understanding of the importance of the ability to resist a tyrannical government as he watched the coverage of protesters and outright rebels being killed by the thousands on the nightly news.

About three months ago he took an extended leave of absence in order to go to Turkey and, from an area near the border with Syria, work on getting as many family members (mother, brothers, et al) out of the country and into refugee settlements in Turkey. As time passed we heard less and less from him, and only heard rumors that he'd taken a position with the humanitarian relief efforts there. Then, this past Monday (03/18) morning, as I walk into work a co-worker motions me into his office and gestures wildly at his PC monitor, which is displaying a variety of news items in different windows....all of which were different versions of this:

[URL]http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/18/174690046/syrian-opposition-picks-interim-prime-minister[/URL]

For the past 11 years the guy in the center of that photo has had an office just down the hall from mine, and my son and I have taken he and his sons to the local shooting range. That was a very interesting day at work.

I now await the black helicopters. Or at least a few questions from some State Dept. bureaucrat.

2.) Swamp Fox - 03/22/2013

Well, I hope he survives.

Would you rather be tapping on a keyboard from a limb on a corporate organizational tree, or a rebel leader in the Middle East with no U.S. support?

I guess it depends on the day you ask.

:wink
:tu:
:pray:

3.) DParker - 03/22/2013

All things considered....I wouldn't have taken that job for all the back-ordered .223 at Midway USA, and would have stuck to handing out blankets and bottled water on the Turkish side.

4.) Leighton - 03/22/2013

Any other famous friends we should know about ?

5.) Swamp Fox - 03/22/2013

Well, Turkey's no picnic either. It just goes to prove that sometimes we native-born take our rights and our blessings for granted.

6.) DParker - 03/22/2013

[QUOTE=Leighton;3339]Any other famous friends we should know about ?[/QUOTE]

Not that I can think of. I'm just trying to figure out how to milk this one for some sort of personal benefit. It's not like I can use it to impress chicks or anything. :p

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;3341]Well, Turkey's no picnic either. It just goes to prove that sometimes we native-born take our rights and our blessings for granted.[/QUOTE]

True 'dat. Though Turkey's a paradise compared with Syria at the moment.