Second Civil War

I don't want my kids to grow up in a war zone.

I don't want them to deal with the fear, the poverty, the chaos that would bring.

In my ideal, my great grandchildren will literally touch the stars, moving out from this solar system to find new worlds, to expand the Human race, evolve beyond that which we presently are.

That is already lost, the world lacks the courage to conquer the void outside our atmosphere.

If not that, then perhaps they can at least live in relative peace, making some small advances in human quality of life.

Current events suggest otherwise.

The Liberals and Conservatives - Sunni and Shia of America are becoming increasingly divided. The leaders of these groups make no effort to find practical compromise, instead they play with the letter of the law, using subterfuge and propaganda to get their way.

No matter what.

"You go through the gate. If the gate's closed, you go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we'll pole vault in. If that doesn't work, we'll parachute in. But we're going to get health care reform passed for the American people."
        -Nancy Pelosi

I'm not especially opposed to socialized healthcare, I think we should have something in place that at the very least covers all children, regardless of their parents' economic standing, or lack of intelligence, or selfishness. I don't think anyone should have to worry about costs resulting from being injured by someone with no money or insurance. But the way this bill was done... the ego-lectual attitude is just... disturbing.

More frightening though are the recent headlines, the efforts to take down fundamental constitutional freedoms, and disarm the citizens of the united states.

The next logical step after "assault weapons" and high capacity magazines, will be handguns, rifles. Citizens will be left with the choice to revolt, or submit. But if they submit to disarmament, further tyranny is inevitable - there are always those who believe they are more righteous, more wise, more capable than all others, and that they are therefore destined to rule over those weaker, foolish masses, "for the greater good". Then the masses will face the prospect of further submission, or an unarmed revolt, against an entrenched dictator.

Don't think it will happen here? That our military would never turn against "we the people"?

Consider this story for a moment.

Or consider Colorado Bill SB13-013, which grants "Limited peace officer authority to the secret service" in Colorado (a way to 'deal with Sheriffs that refuse to uphold gun control measures. This is not so different from the rise to power of Hitler's SS)

Now consider the results of the Stanford Prisoner Experiment  (a good summary article here)


Remember in Rwanda  neighbors killed neighbors - friends, because an authoritative voice commanded it. Some of the worst atrocities were committed at the direction of a woman.

Also remember the perpetrators of horrors at Abu Ghraib were US soldiers. Good US soldiers with good records, "normal" psych evaluations.

So yes, I have real fears for the world my grandchildren will grow up in. I sure hope we can find our way back from the irrationality we seem to be resolutely marching toward in double-time.