BRASSO Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) Except for the fact that I am not a liberal and that this post was made more than 5 years ago. Which tells me that after " 5 years " worth, then maybe now its time "for this thread to go " instead of for "rifles to go " ? The 5 years worth of poll results are in, and basically 9 out of 10 DCP'ers are ok with the imitation wooden rifles. As such, perhaps its time now after 5 long years to ( pardon the pun ) shoot this thread to smithereens and put it out of its future redundancies and miseries. Edited February 12, 2013 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 It is not so much a world, but a country and a culture... I'm in America now, for the first time in quite a long time. It is a bit surprising in the few glances of the tv I have seen flipping through the channels on the tv in a hotel room or flight.... just how much violence there is. Not only entertainment, but also the news. It really does stand out if you are not used to it. Anyway, this point that I was making originally, is not really about politics... not really about guns... not about violence.. but more about programatic sensibility and how someone unfamiliar with the activity might understand it absent of the context of tradition. I just think there is simply quite a lot of room for more exploration of equipment that might make a bit more sense programatically. I think most people who arent familiar with the activity have asking about rifles way down on their list of questions 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Which tells me that after " 5 years " worth, then maybe now its time "for this thread to go " instead of for "rifles to go " ? The 5 years worth of poll results are in, and basically 9 out of 10 DCP'ers are ok with the imitation wooden rifles. As such, perhaps its time now after 5 long years to ( pardon the pun ) shoot this thread to smithereens and put it out of its future redundancies and miseries. Because God knows we never talk about redundant topics on DCP. Let's go ahead and close one we *are* talking about? And for what it's worth, I happen to think rifles and sabres are... well... kind of odd out there too. Not because I don't understand their heritage, but because ... they're throwing rifles and swords in the air. Sorry, Fred, Brasso and bmjfelts1988. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I'm OK with your view, Mike. And because I have found danielray to have been consistent in his belief for so long, he gets a pass, too! But, Mike, please don't tell me you are anti-majorette! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 But, Mike, please don't tell me you are anti-majorette! Hah! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deftguy Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Oh PLEASE.....wah wah wah.... I live so far a way. We've got (and had) members from Wisconsin, New York, Texas, Florida, Colorado, Georgia. Pick up a horn/drum/flag and get the heck out here. ^0^ We'll even let ya spin a comma....but then we'd have to blame that on kids' poor punctuation usage in their term papers these days. Lisa Lisa, after all these years you still make me laugh my butt off. I got to thank you for encouraging me to join the Renegades. It was the most fun I have had since aging out. Good to see you still have your edginess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnZ Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I think most people who arent familiar with the activity have asking about rifles way down on their list of questions I have to agree. I'm always bringing non-drum corps people to shows and I've never been asked about the role of rifles. A school in Maine that is hoping to begin a music program after many years of not offering one filled a bus with kids and took them to East Coast Classic in 2011 and they sat near me. They asked the people sitting in the vicinity all kinds of questions. Many of the questions had to do with judging, but the most frequent question was about what fascinated more than a few: Why do they need tractors to bring equipment on to the field? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcm_alum Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 (edited) Here is my synopsis on Rifles (and I mean the actual people as much as I mean the equipment). Having NOT read any of the previous comments (political or not), I just want to say Rifles (the people) are the greatest risk takers in the activity. They are the Flying Wallendas of the gridiron. On any given night, the greatest equipment handler can be reduced to the most worthless schlub on the field with (sometimes only) one error. Ask any rifle or flag who dropped, and whose corps lost by 1/10th of a point in the tic era. They will tell you the shame. The color guard is simultaneously the least respected, least rehearsed, and most important part of the big picture. The rifle line is the ultimate measure of their precision. A critical drop in a big show is just unforgivable. To explain it any more clearly would force me to be crass. As a brass player, I can say that while I was good (very good), there were always moments I could rest, or under deliver, very briefly, if I needed to. The folks in the color guard though, and especially those who dared to throw the rifle so high, and catch it as if it were nothing, (like it's return were as guaranteed as a blink is with a sneeze!) always had to be at the top of their game. They were (and are) the highwire heroes of our activity. While a screaming soprano will take your breath away, a huge toss, or catch, will stop your heart. To wonder if rifles should be pushed out is to wonder, if horns (bugles) or drums should be mothballed as well. We are all playing military signaling devices, and tossing armaments and nationalistic emblems (flags) about for the sheer purposes of entertainment and competition. In the end, I think we all need to relax and realize that no matter what the symbols are in this activity, they stand for some core values (creativity, strong work ethic, excellence) that truly transcend the more simple pieces of equipment we use to express ourselves. We are DCI. Edited February 14, 2013 by dcm_alum 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Keep rifle lines. They're intense and visually closer to a drum line than any other section. Kudos to South Shore Drill Team with a rifle and flag line at the Inaugural! Kudos to you too Boston Crusaders : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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