Mine
There's a Blackadder sketch where Blackadder and George are talking about mines. Every minewarfare lesson I've ever had has had this sketch as an introduction. The script goes something along the lines of:
George: If we do happen to step on a mine, Sir, what do we do ?
Blackadder: Normal procedure, Lieutenant, is to jump 200 feet in the air and scatter oneself over a wide area.
This is very funny (no trust me it is) and I always laugh. Patrolling around a small Bosnian town and seeing 5 year old child missing both legs below the knee puts a different spin on things.
There is a particularly nasty mine in the Balkans known as the PROM-2. If you were unfortunate enough to sit through Behind Enemy Lines then this is the mine that the hero manages to outrun. He is the only person ever to outrun a PROM-2.
The mine has 6 tripwires running from its centre and is very sensitive. If you set it off a small explosive charge pops it out of the ground to about waist height before the main charge spreads shrapnel over a wide area. If you are lucky, and you are an adult, then all that will happen is that you will lose both legs. Of course if you are child then it will take your head off.
There are still thousands of mines buried in the Balkans. I think about that sometimes when I'm going for a walk in the countryside in the UK.
fired down the range by DC at 3:37 pm
7 Comments:
being a geek, there is more info here http://www.itf-fund.si/dokumenti/dokument.asp?id=57
One nasty little piece of work. I often think of similier things watching the kinder run through fields.
I love Blackadder! I was thinking more along the lines of the seagulls from finding nemo though.
Jesus. And we call ourselves civilised and we make shit like that. This planet has thousands and thousands of life forms. We aren't one of 'em. We're a virus spreadin' over the globe.
We are indeed, very fortunate to have the freedom to roam our countryside and to let our kids explore local woods without fear of potential mines.
Here we worry about danger from lurking dangerous humans instead.
I wonder if the people who make them ever think of the consequences.
Given the cunning that goes into the design of these things, I rather suspect they do.
Many truths were spoke for the mouth of Blackadder, and you have to laugh. Its that or cry.
Mines have to be one of the most insiduous inventions of mankind due to their way of surviving for decades and hurting mostly the innocent.
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