The Conservative Edge

I recently found the results of a poll that was conducted by Harris Interactive between March 1 and March 8. The poll attempted to reveal how Americans view President Barack Obama. The responses break down as follows:

* 38 percent say he wants to take away Americans’ right to own guns.
* 32 percent say he is a Muslim.
* 29 percent think he wants to turn over the sovereignty of the United States to a one world government.
* 29 percent think he has done many things that are unconstitutional.
* 27 percent say he resents America’s heritage.
* 27 percent say he does what Wall Street and the bankers tell him to do.
* 25 percent say he was not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president.
* 25 percent say he is a domestic enemy that the U.S. Constitution speaks of.
* 23 percent say he is a racist.
* 23 percent say he is anti-American.
* 23 percent say he wants to use an economic collapse or terrorist attack as an excuse to take dictatorial powers.
* 20 percent say he is doing many of the things that Hitler did.

While some of those views may seem radical to many, there are some grains of truth to be found. The most obvious: he is an ardent liberal who is likely to be a proponent of gun control. I’m surprised only 38 percent of those polled could say so. The least significant response: Obama is not a natural-born citizen. It really doesn’t matter whether he was born here or not. His actions are making him unfit for office.

Here is another interesting statistic: 14 percent of Americans say President Barack Obama may be the AntiChrist. When split by political party, 24 percent of Republicans and 6 percent of Democrats viewed the nation’s leader in this way. Again, there is a grain of truth. The Biblical description of a deceiver, whether he be in our generation or not, is consistent. He must be a skilled speaker, able to move his followers with style, but no substance. Meanwhile, the real power is exerted in other subtle, unseen ways, until it’s too late for anyone to stop. Then, power is ruthlessly and decisively exerted over the people.

But the Bible speaks of a multiple of AntiChrists. It is a naive and shallow interpretation of Biblical writings that would have so many people believe that there can only be one AntiChrist to rule the world. Believers are warned that it is the appearance of “many antichrists” that might indicate the arrival of the last (end) time. Just look at the liberal side of American government. There, a whole nest of AntiChrist personalities can be found.

Not too long ago, I posted some commentary about the possibility of another Waco-style tragedy occurring sometime soon. As I stated, I have been wondering about what set of circumstances would be needed to set off another confrontation between gun owners and the federal government. I am now seeing what those circumstances could be.

This past week, news reports revealed the frustration some law-abiding gun owners are feeling as they see the government expanding its control over the American people. Gun-rights advocates openly expressed their rights to bear arms under the Second Amendment, and protested at President Obama’s public appearance on August 17. The Associated Press reported on the event, saying, “About a dozen people carrying guns, including one with a military-style rifle, milled among protesters outside the convention center where President Barack Obama was giving a speech Monday — the latest incident in which protesters have openly displayed firearms near the president.”

A few days before, other protesters gathered at a different location where the President was speaking. It was reported that, “Last week, during Obama’s health care town hall in Portsmouth, N.H., a man carrying a sign reading ‘It is time to water the tree of liberty’ stood outside with a pistol strapped to his leg. ‘It’s a political statement,’ he told The Boston Globe. ‘If you don’t use your rights, then you lose your rights.’”

These kinds of open protests against the Obama administration might be enough to start a battle; just consider how many of the “town hall” style of meetings have given opportunity for angry Americans to voice their displeasure with the government. The liberals won’t tolerate average people sassing them for very long. Indeed, some of the ranking Democrats have already been expressing their real views of the American people, especially those who dare to disagree with their glib lies.

Nancy Pelosi, for example, has labeled critics of this Democratic administration as “un-American.” Harry Reid has called the town hall protesters “evil-mongers” (I guess he would be an expert in identifying evil). Even Obama himself has said that “the time for talking is over” when it comes to the health care issue. These people don’t want any disagreement or debate about anything they do. They do want us to accept their smooth speeches and evil deeds with complete deference and submission.

So, as the town hall meetings get nastier; as Obama’s approval ratings continue to fall; as government tightens its grip on our lives; and, as more gun owners openly express their rights, you can be sure that the government will exercise its power at the expense of someone’s life. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to read about an American citizen killed somewhere because he protested against the government by carrying a gun. Liberals can only take resistance for so long.

I used to get excited about the 4th of July. When I was a kid, July 4th was the summer’s equivalent of December 25th. I remember certain years in which we had so many fireworks to shoot off, that it took several hours to light them. We would start in late afternoon with the firecrackers, then move to the bottle rockets in early evening. When it became dark, we would light the fountains, spinners, and Roman candles. What a delight! When the explosions were all over, a fog of burned gunpowder hung in the air, resembling a battlefield. The day after, we tended to sore thumbs and ringing ears, but that was a small price to pay for the thrill of setting off those wonderful fireworks.

All these years later, I still enjoy watching a fireworks display at a city park, or some other venue. But I also treasure the sight of the American flag waving in the wind. And, I must confess that I get choked up when I hear “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It may be a challenging song to sing, but when someone gets it right, it’s beautiful to hear.

This year, I’ve been thinking about this holiday’s future. Independence Day has become increasingly more associated with fireworks and cookouts, and I fear that the true meaning has become obscured. I suppose that’s another way that July 4th resembles Christmas. Both holidays seem more oriented to consuming, rather than giving. I hope that Americans will take more time to reflect on the true meaning of the struggle for national independence that our forefathers undertook generations ago. And, with equal importance, we should think ahead to a new struggle that may necessarily arise as American citizens grapple with the growing centralzation of power assumed by our federal government.

I can certainly envision a time in which Americans, out of desperation, physically demonstrate displeasure with local, state, and federal governments. As innovation, industry, prosperity, and opportunity disappear from our land, people will be forced to realize that the government was responsible for the dismantling of the American dream. While that scenario may seem farfetched to some, we must realize that Independence Day commemorates the actions of American colonists against a tyrannical government. That potential for action is why the liberals work so hard to remove the right of the American people to keep and bear arms. An armed populace is the most serious of threats, and the surest of safeguards, against tyranny and control. But if our rights to obtain wealth, to dissent, and to bear arms are removed or negated, then the government will have means to control us at its will.

So I wonder if there will be a new Independence Day celebrated by Americans in another generation or so. We can’t go on much longer at the current rate at which we are losing our freedoms. Maybe there will be a time at which a new revolution of sorts spreads like wildfire across our nation. And perhaps the revolution will not bring a new form of government, but a restoration of what we once had. Then, we will be able to celebrate a different kind of 4th of July holiday.

I’ve been reading the horror stories coming from communities all across America. People are losing their minds. It seems that either domestic trouble, or the stress of financial problems, are causing many individuals to lose the ability to deal with reality. When these persons snap, they do so in a drastic and violent manner.

Just today, I have read about the man in Graham, Washington who killed his five children and then committed suicide. He apparently was upset that his wife was leaving him, and took out his frustrations on his children and himself. Also, I found a story from Pittsburgh, about a woman and her son who argued over a dog that was urinating in their house. When the mother called police to help her evict her son, the 23-year-old man killed the two officers who responded to the call. He also shot a third policeman who was arriving on the scene as backup.

In addition, there has been a murder/suicide take place here in the Dayton area. A woman killed her estranged husband, and then drove to a gas station and ended up killing herself while she sat in her vehicle. The couple had a history of domestic violence. The woman had a civil protection order in effect since November.

Why are people choosing to resolve their problems this way? To me, the use of guns is almost of secondary importance. The real issue is trying to comprehend what makes a person so angry or desperate that he or she would consider murdering another human being. The weapon of choice can be a gun, a knife, a chainsaw, or an axe. There simply has to be some kind of stress that acts as the pressure to make someone go off.

I wonder if something else could be at work, another kind of invisible stress or pressure. It might even be described as a type of fear. It may, in part, stem from the despair of losing a job, a home, and a lifestyle. But I think there exists an unspoken fear of what may be creeping into American society. For instance, the young man in Pittsburgh who shot those police officers was being overcome with fears and concerns. His mother stated in the police affidavit that her son “believed that as a result of economic collapse, the police were no longer able to protect society.” His friends revealed that he was concerned about his weapons being seized at some point in Barack Obama’s administration.

This is a growing concern. However, if you are thinking that the government might confiscate your guns, it wouldn’t be too smart to start shooting policemen. All that does is give the anti-gun zealots good cause to pursue restrictions on gun ownership. On the other hand, there are lots of people who believe that this is the time where government finally takes away the right to bear arms. This fear is mixed with other feelings and suspicions many Americans have about the government. Many people sense that the freedoms and rights they have long enjoyed are being taken away. And as they witness their rights to wealth, expression, and self-defense disappear, the frustration will grow. History tells us that in colonial times, King George became so oppressive with taxes and military intimidation that the people had no choice but to revolt. I wonder if there is another revolution awaiting in 21st-century America.

I noticed a small news item this weekend that hinted of a big change in the near future. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told some law students in Boston, Massachusetts that there could soon be an opening on the Supreme Court. The nine justices have their picture taken together only when a new member is added. “We haven’t had any of those for some time, but surely we will soon,” she said.

Justice Ginsberg has dealt with some health issues recently. It is unclear whether she meant that she would be retiring, or whether another judge would step down. It was assumed during the presidential election that the new President would likely be appointing one or more new judges to the Supreme Court if any current judges retired. But this statement by Justice Ginsberg indicates that there may be a new person on the Supreme Court sooner than anticipated.

Indeed, there have been many things happening at an accelerated rate since January. I have noticed changes in attitudes, editorials, and news reporting here in Ohio. Let me briefly give a few examples. First, our newspaper has ran several articles calling for increased numbers of women in Ohio politics, as well as greater numbers of women for high school girls’ basketball coaching positions. Our paper has been featuring liberal and feminist columnists from The New York Times almost exclusively. One of those writers made the absurd assertion that men were to blame for the stock market crash; it had something to do with high levels of testosterone. (See my post about “Feminism and Nadya Sulemon.”) Our paper also featured the results—on the front page, mind you—of a new poll that revealed a growing number of Americans who no longer claim association with a particular religion. The editors must have been giddy to imply that Americans are becoming less religious. If you look closely, you will notice similar changes in your community.

Let me go further in stating that I believe there is a strong undercurrent of power that is now working in America. It is the effort of a beast-like power and authority that wants to strip the remaining freedoms we have from American society. We are seeing things take shape: the building of a community-based urban organization that will implement and enforce social programs; the illegal assumption of the administration of the 2010 Census by the White House; the obvious attempt to discredit conservative media programs and target them for future termination; the growing media consensus that America is no more a religious country; and soon, perhaps, a remake of the Supreme Court that will result in liberal and socialist interpretations of American laws, and the Constitution itself.

In the final weeks of the Bush administration, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 majority that Americans did indeed have the right to own guns for self-defense. The Obama administration has already reversed many of Bush’s policies, such as the stem cell research issue. But if Obama and the liberals can get the Supreme Court shifted to the left, they will surely review the court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment. And if the court decides that Americans can’t have a legal means of self-defense, then the government will have free reign to do what it wants. The two things that any dictatorial power wants to take away from the people are wealth and self defense. The Obama administration is already working on stripping away the right to personal wealth. If they take away our right to bear arms, they could then do as they please.

Can’t you feel the power growing? It’s a dark and evil kind of power. It reminds me of the Star Wars movies, where Senator Palpatine slowly and surely sets himself up for the ultimate power grab. I just hope that the American people wise up before it’s too late.