Caution. Mother lode of rant.
First of all, I'd like to point out that I'm not the resident expert on politics, forms of government, arms, or anything much else that I'm about to mention. Most of it is opinions and bits I've picked up, so If I'm wrong, feel free to set me straight...
But as a few have said (read up to about page six) the world isn't a nice place. I spent my near year in camp bucca iraq, and certainly didn't get anything particularly "exciting" during that time period. But having been stationed in kadena Okinawa, and spent that brief stint in the sandbox, it's rather amazing how widely my horizons have been opened.
But then again, I joined when I was 17 (graduated BMT on my 18th, hellofa birthday present) so it's been quite the bit of transition.
The world is largely a shitty place. People are ruthless and uncaring, also vastly deluded about how much society has "evolved". Really, things haven't changed that much. Sure, we went from horses to cars and scimitars and bows to AK-47's and RPG-7's, but in terms of society, there are still peasants, serfs, nobles, and royalty. Nobles (politicians) and royalty (those in high places of government and business) still consider themselves vastly above the peasants and serfs.Brigands and raiders are always in style, and the common man is always ready to prey upon his unwary fellow.
No nation was ever founded and empire forged by nice, caring, empathetic people. Another irrefutable fact is that all empires fall. America will one day, and either that's through outside intervention, or a cancer within our system of government..well...that's still up in the air, it seems.
Though last time I checked, America was a democratic republic, with it's (common) people protected through the constitutional rights and the various amendments. But do you ever hear, from the news media, or politicians, or TV in general (I stopped watchin years ago) about our constitution or democratic republic?
Not from what I've seen or heard. All you ever hear is "Democracy". Maybe it's to work people into thinking that our system of government is something that it's not so when it becomes something else entirely, people wont realize it. Maybe it has something to do with the way that our amendments are being violated without recourse (to my knowledge, the fifth amendment states that the government cannot seize anything without proper and complete compensation (A fragment of the amendment). To my knowledge, when the government "bought" 60% of GM's stocks, no one got paid, or recompensed.
I'm sure there are other instances, but naturally, it's not something they would be playing on the pro-obama/messiah news media. Though regardless, I digress, the second amendment.
Many people in America have never had to pick up their arms and defend themselves, much less have actually held a weapon or have a decent understanding and respect for them. Most of these people happen to be liberals in my experience, though none the less, would people indeed, fight for their rights were the government to violate our constitutional amendment?
I'm sure some would be dissuaded by the violence or fear of breaking the law, or doing something against the will of big brother, thinking it un-patriotic. Though in a nation, founded by people who questioned the legitimacy,fairness and equality of their government, I would think some might remember how people had fought for their rights before, against impossible odds, and yet, prevailed.
Now, this might not be an exact quote, but to my knowledge, Benjamin Franklin had once said "A man who is willing to give up his freedoms, for security, deserves neither freedom nor security.". I'm sure there's plenty of other good quotes regarding such a situation, but in the end, I guess it comes down to the willingness of the police and military to carry out such a violation, just as much as the people.
We are all Americans, after all. The employees of government agencies and police are not faceless creatures of inexplicable will and plotting, despite the mask that society puts on them, and that they are encouraged to enact.
So in closing of my rant, I can't say whither I would fight or not, because I've never been in that kind of situation. I will however, say that while I may not be john rambo, I am no coward, and would be willing to protect my countrymen and their rights, as well as my own.
