When we gave up the draft and went with an all volunteer force (read that mercenary force), one of tht unintended consequences (or intended if you were rich or had social status) was that a broad cross section of the population would not be represented in uniform. That has come to pass. As Nicholson said in A FEW GOOD MEN, people don't want to know who or what it takes to make them safe AND KEEP THEM FREE. That movie was dead on about that. The founding fathers mistrusted a large standing army and specifically called for the the "raising of a national army" in time of national crisis from wihtout and never intended them garrisoned on this soil any longer then to take care of the problem at hand. Up until the cold war, that was the norm. Otherwise they believed it best left it to the local militias to provide for protection during local crises. As we learned from Vietnam and the resistance in the streets, it is mighty hard to shoot the people in the streets lined up against you, when they are your sons, daughters, cousins, brothers and sisters and friends. That was the beginning of the end, not something Cronkite said about TET. Now we have a national police force(FBI and other Federal agencies) and segments of the police forces that more closely resemble and operate as military forces. We have a whole generation of disillusioned ex-military folks walking the streets (remember OK City)facing gunho mercenary military and paramilitary organizations (Waco and Ruby Ridge) facing off with each other each claiming the moral high ground, presided over by an Executive branch and Congress that is increasingly elitist and detached from the plight of the common man; with less and less understanding as to when and where to apply proper military and police force, because they were never on the short stick and had to take responsiblities for those decisions themselves; just read opinion polls (way to many recent examples to list here). My goodness they practically made gods of the two capital hills policemen that were shot (a terrible tragedy) and killed protecting there butts, with very little reflection as to why this guy was trying to get to them. Couldn't have been anything they had done. He was just a deranged gunman. Right? Is there any wonder why we are having the problems we are having? No knock entries, confiscation of private property without due process, the confiscation of large sums of moneys as drug related without proof or reasonable suspicion (I trust you all saw the yellow journalism piece that demonstrated 80% of our money supply is physically tainted by cocaine, so naturally the drug dogs key on to it), some or all of which is used to finance these departments and agencies. If we can not tax you to get what we want, then will take your property and sell it prior to the proper determination in a court of law- and the Judical system supports these basic violations of liberty, because they sit in their ivory towers situated on the moral high ground surrounded by their praetorian guards (and legally carried firearms). Just read a few opinions and read some of the questions these judges ask and you will see how far out of touch they are. When the lines form and you look across the otherside, whose face will be there? Will it be someone you know and love, or, well you know what the alternative is. Ok, I'm off my high horse. Just needed to vent a little. May God in his wisdom protect and defend this great land and shine his blessings upon us.
