The Country's Divide

If you watch television, listen to radio or read a newspaper you quickly understand that there are two polar opposite views of the direction this country is taking. It could be argued that this has been brewing since the 60's when as a country we decided that what was more important then the family is the individual. And actually that would be the individual that agreed with liberal view points and not the old fashioned non-progressive standard bearing person. I think that once the courts said a baby in the womb can have its skull punctured at the whim of the mother our nations nucleus began to fall apart.

Abortion is another topic but its interesting to look at today's problems and ask questions like what people are in jail and why? Why are our children's education behind other country's? Why are so many people in debt beyond reasonable? Why do 50% of American not pay taxes? I believe the answer lies in the family. Once we diminished the importance of a two parent mother and father family, blurring each ones roles and taking away the parents right to parent along with the self centered mandates handed down by legislatures we began the fast track to self destruction.
So where are we right now? I see two completely different teams that are currently choosing up sides. One I will call the revolutionists. The strategy for this team is to get back to basics such as downsizing homes, purchasing guns, growing gardens, homeschooling, anything that will make them less dependent on the government and more self sufficient.

The other team I will name the progressives. Their game plan is of an aggressive nature, to isolate each player of the opposing team by demonizing them either as greedy companies, religious extremists, or red necked mountain people who cling to their guns. Their intent is to make the other team provide for all their desires.

Each team will not allow for moderation. You cannot be a member of the revolutionists or the progressives without being fully committed to how the game will be played. And don't think you can sit this game out. Oh no, one thing each team can agree on is if you don't want to play ball your the first one who gets his ass kicked.

Are You Paying Attention?

Back when the possibility of Barak Obama becoming President was a strong possibility I noticed a change occurring among the friends and people I associate with on a regular basis. There has always been a strong commitment with my friends towards God, family, patriotism, freedom, personal reliance and the belief that our forefathers new what they were doing when they founded the greatest country in the world.

But I found that many were "getting back to their roots". Now, an outsider looking at these families may say they were already checked out of normal society. They would see families of 6, 7, 8 or more kids, they would see parents homeschooling their children, stay at home mom's, a high proportion of business owners, a commitment to their church and a lack of material items. But I sensed something more than that was going on around me. Then Barak Obama became President Obama and he immediately began tearing down fibers that I believe hold this Country together; funding for worldwide abortion, rescinding the ban on stem cell research, government control of banks and financial institutions and the banning of guns just to mention a few.

It just happened that I was invited to several men's functions all in a short period of time, poker evenings, cigar get together and a dad's night out and I discovered these men are all on the move. They were either in the process of planning or some stage of completing things like, growing their own garden, moving their family out to more land or stocking up on guns. These are not a bunch of fanatics, these are smart men with great families. A group of guys I was honored to be associated with, whose opinions I trust and give much thought to and they were voicing concerns about issues happening in this country and how to handle them.

My family is moving forward with many of the suggestions I heard during these get together's and one of them was getting firearms. Something I haven't had around the house since my first child was born but something I felt was needed now more than before. I went to a gun show to get reacquainted with the industry and the products available. The entire time I was there I felt welcomed and among people with similar concerns, ideas and values, these were my people. Just regular dad's, some with their sons and a few with their entire family. I also noticed it was packed, wall to wall people. This wasn't a surprise since I have read how gun permits were up 40%, gun producers are up to 8 months behind on orders and some types of ammunition are jumping off the shelf. So my wife and I decided to buy some guns and start a program to get our whole family to learn to hunt, and protect oneself.

While at a local gun store I ran into the same quality of persons I did at the gun show. One of them who was a retired police officer from the great state of Texas. I began telling him my story of why I am now purchasing a hand gun and the reason why I feel my family needs this protection. He then retold a story of where he was involved in trying to bring order to the Hurricane Katrina area. He reminded me of how easy it was for some people once they became hungry to turn to violence. That if you did not poses a firearm at that time you were at a high risk of a home invasion, being robbed or even raped. He said that even though people knew they were being rescued at some point still resorted to violence. He told me that under duress there will always be some sizable portion of people who would turn to violence for their own survival.

This was my wake up call. Our Country is in economic duress, certainly not by any measure as bad as the great Depression but you wouldn't know it listening to our President. President Obama is and continues to feed the message that we are in for a whole lot more hurting. What if he's right? What if more people start having a harder time feeding their families? What if people who don't have any skills to provide for themselves or moral character decide they will just take it from me? My family isn't going to wait for that time to come before we are prepared and neither should you.

The Apathetic American

I love this country and all that it stands for. I still get goose bumps during the national anthem and I thank those that served on Veterans Day. I do however have contempt for the majority of people that make up this country due to their lack of consistency and general apathy to what goes on in the world around them…unless it impacts them directly.

Take a trip back in time roughly 7 years ago to one of our countries darkest moments. 9/11 is embedded in our memories much like that of the Kennedy assassination and the bombing of Pearl Harbor…people remember all of the details of the time and place where they were when they heard the news etc. Moments like these are etched in our memories forever…time invariably stands still…at least for a little while.

This is where my angst comes in. For a short period of time following 9/11, I was inspired by the unity that the event of that day brought to this country. People banded together with a single purpose and goal to stand up for this great land much like our ancestors did some 60 years earlier. Race wasn’t an issue. Little things did not matter anymore. People were friendly to one another. The core values of being happy to be alive and having friends and loved ones meant so much to everyone. Why is it that good things never seem to last.

One could argue that this Nationalist sentiment and Patriotism has endured to this day but that would be wishful thinking at best. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Living in the New York area I was shocked at how quickly the tarnish formed on the Patriotism in the region. Once things stabilized and people realized that the world was not going to end...things got back to normal and people went back to their “old ways”. People in this country only care when something DIRECTLY impacts them...short of that Apathy reigns supreme.

If you were to doubt this assumption, fast forward to the events of the last 6 months. Up until last summer things were pretty quiet on the National Front. Sure there were fights to be had and issues to argue but nothing widespread enough to knock the National Apathy off its perch. Not until the stock market took its historic plunge. Sure people would complain about Bush, they would lament at the housing crisis, mock the war on terror…all over cocktails before dinner. Still, it didn’t really effect that many…not to where there was outrage. You want to incent the public in the United States…hit ‘em where it hurts…in their 401(k).

Call me old fashioned but I wish I lived in the 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. Sure life was hard back then but more importantly, people in this country cared about this country. People worked hard and believed in the American dream. People knew that if they put forth the effort they could succeed and make a better life for themselves. They came from all walks of life and cared for their families, their neighborhood and their country. They took pride in their right to vote and used it wisely to elect those that they believed would serve them best. People took pride in themselves and the way they dressed…it was a more formal time but I feel a more dignified one as well. People cared…apathy was reserved for those that were truly oppressed.So how about it America? How about a little consistency? Why don’t we all just make an effort to read, listen, learn and talk more about what is going on in this world instead of only when it hurts?

Annie, Get your gun!

Are you an advocate of owning a gun? You may have heard plenty about the dangers of owning a hand gun and the news is full of examples of guns that end up in the hands of criminals, drug addicts, mentally ill or even young children with horrific results. But the truth is that owning a gun is not just a right that we have as a citizen but perhaps an important requirement to responsible citizenship.

Recently, there was a terrible shooting spree in Samson Alabama. The town is very small with only a 5 person police force. They were overwhelmed by the attack. The story might have just ended there with another example of how guns in the wrong hands are dangerous.

However there is more to the story with much broader implications. That small town was surprised to receive some quick assistance from 22 military police soldiers from Fort Rucker, Ala., along with the provost marshal. Statements since say that the soldiers, were directing traffic, securing the crime scenes and otherwise assisting the police of Samson where needed. What is not known is who called for their help- nor why they responded.

CNSNews.com says "Wrongful use of federal troops inside U.S. borders is a violation of several federal laws, including one known as the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, Title 18, Section 1385 of the U.S. Code. “Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both,” the law states."

Silly law? I think not! The President or the Alabama Governor still have the ability to call for the military to aid in civilian difficulties in extreme circumstances under the law, but neither party admits to calling for that aid. It was helpful in this instance but what if the military was not to be trusted and came in using their weapons and numbers to enforce whatever they saw fit at the time? Worse yet, what if, as some gun opponents wish, ONLY the military are allowed guns and civilians are completely unarmed? Then what happens in the situation where an armed military presence comes into town UNINVITED, to assist with something that they "deem" needs assistance?

The early Americans would have had no trouble recognizing the threat this poses. They were used to being bullied by a tyrannical government that used force to control the citizens, and the government thought that what it was doing was in the best interest of everyone. This understanding is the underlying reason for why the 2nd amendment exists. The right to bear arms was considered an integral part of keeping the goverment at a healthy distance.

It is never a bad thing to be prepared. Don't neglect the lessons learned by our founding fathers.
Get your guns and be vigilant. You may never need them ... but even if you don't you might hear what Ronald Reagan called the 9 most dangerous words in the English language, " I'm from the government and I'm here to help..."