This entire argument really is a mute point. Having read the posts here I am proud that we have so many civilized people on this board who can debate their very different opinions in a civilized fashion, the way it was intended.
But I'm afraid it really is too late. Redworm said, "What happens if that way of thinking becomes so accepted that those who understand freedom and responsibility end up a small minority?"
We ARE the minority now. Those of us on this site and other like sites, in the NRA, and the precious other few who are informed enough to know something is wrong, are the only ones who, and this is the key word,
CARE.
You think 99% of kids in college give a flying fart about personnel freedoms and personal responsibility? Hell no. Our kids today are only concerned about the convenient locations of starbucks, and which new Xbox is going to come out. Granted those are generalizations and only two examples but nonetheless they are true. Kids today, are this countries' future. And what have we taught our future? That it is ok to commit crimes because, if it's your first offense, or your rich, or the courts are too bogged down with civil suits, nothing bad will really happen to you. I see bumper stickers that say, "Love your kids." I say we love them too much. We shield them from any possible negative event in their lives that we can, and then wonder why they act like morons when they get out on their own.
We here, are the last of a breed who truly and passionately care about issues that effect this country. Our kids, are of a breed that truly and passionately care about what Paris Hilton thinks is "hot", and how many text messages they can send in a 24 hour period. I'm only 24 years old, but I believe I'm of my father's generation at heart.
People say that our freedoms have been steadily declining in the past 50 years. I say they have dropped like a frickin safe from a 10th story roof in the past 10. Granted things weren't perfect ten or even twenty years ago. But back then some of you older guys here, were the younger generation. Do you think twenty years ago you guys had your heads up your butts as far as kids these days do?
I say while this thread and debate, distracting and entertaining though it might be, is mute. It is already too late. Soon the generation-Xer's, will graduate from college. (God knows how most of them will do it. What with mardi gras and spring break being the only reasons they were there in the first place.) And they will go out into the work force like a tainted flow of laborers. And the work ethics, and moral fiber of this country will plummet when these kids bail at the first sign of difficulty. Heading straight back to mommy and daddy wanting them to make it all better.
I forsee in the near future, the number of recruits and volunteers for our armed forces steadily shrinking to a trickle as more and more yuppie pacifists fill the gene pools. Fighting for what you believe in, and resistance in general to any established norm, will become taboo. And when we are at our weakest, when there is noone left in the next two generation of kids who are willing to do anything to help anyone, or to defend this nation. Our enemies will see that this country is ripe for the picking.
Do you think I'm just being paranoid? That I'm wrong about even half of our youth today? I have never personally seen or heard of a gathering of students, or student march or rally to "Support our troops". And do not confuse this with marches or rallies that say, "Bring our troops home". Did they not have the same kind of marches during the Vietnam War, that preached the same message, "Bring our troops home"? And what did they do when those troops got home? They spit on them, and decried them as baby killers. Just because someone says, "Bring them home", does not mean that they love those troops or what the troops themselves are fighting for. (The troops' ideals I mean. Freeing Iraq.) "So what about those ribbons and other things that say 'support our troops'?", you ask? (Hope I got the punctuation on that right.) That just means that someone thought it would be a good idea to print a message people care about on a magnet and sell it. They make, "I love Jesus", and "I love Satan", and "I love sandwhiches", magnets too. A magnet, or banner, or whatever, doesn't mean that there is present, a passionate person who cares about the symbolized issue. If you want to support the troops, send them cards, send them letters, send them care packages, send them porn for crying out loud. Write your congressman/woman and tell them you want them home. Or that you want them to finish the job and then come home. But I don't see or hear of alot of today's youth doing such things.
It's already started. People care so much for the rights of the poor, oppresed detainees in Guantanimo, that the military is now capitulating and saying, "Well we want to close the prison, we just need to make sure the prisoners will be coddled wherever they wind up".
People don't care about the potential terror that these prisoners could carryout. They don't care about defending this country or about potential victims. They only care about how the rest of the world 'feels' about us.
Are these pessimistic views or defeatist notions? Your damn right they are. Because if we are not prepared to deal with the worst possible outcome, we are in for a rude awakening. Pacifism and the abolishment of all that is violent and ugly, (guns, war, soldiers,) while pretty in appearance, and good hearted in nature, won't stop a plane from ripping a tower to shreds.
