We CAN Come Together

Of all the things that could unite this country against an over zealous government I wish it were something other than guns.  I also wish it hadn't taken another life altering tragedy for it to happen.

That being said, there is something to be learned both by the people and those who govern us.  It's that given the right motivation the people will forget party affiliation, color, creed and gender to band together to protect what they perceive is a violation of their rights.

Rallies occurred across the country yesterday in support of our second amendment rights. We here at home had 1000 people turn out in one location alone.  I'm not surprised.  This is gun country. But why the passion?  Hunting?  Okay.  Sport shooting?  Okay.  But it's more than that.

I've come to the conclusion that it's because guns are tangible.  You can touch them, hold them, admire the craftsmanship that goes into them.  You can't do that with budgets and debt ceilings and fiscal cliffs and repressive regulations.  You hear of them, in passing, and don't pay much attention until they hit your pocket book and you feel that hit. How easy was it to buy that house you couldn't afford?  It didn't hurt until you could no longer pay the mortgage.  By then it was too late.  But the gun.  It's yours, in your home and you own it outright.  Gun rights are collective.  Budgetary and regulatory concerns are one off. A home foreclosure.  A family trying to build on what the government deems is suddenly a wet land.  There is no ground swell of support for the aggrieved.

I understand that guns are near and dear to our hearts because of that.  As for all the other stuff that hits the fan with too much regularity but we ignore anyway, we've elected representatives to go to Washington and tend to it for us.  The fact that they don't escapes us because we're just too busy dealing with our lives to pay attention. Until it's too late.

If the Republicans were smart they'd figure out a way to make all governmental abuses and over regulation tangible. Another example is Hurricane Sandy.  It too brought the people together.  It too was a life altering tragedy.  It too generated the wrath of the people for the government's refusal to address the financial needs in a timely manner.  It hit collectively, not piece meal.  The problem is it was a regional problem.  Guns are everywhere.

We get hung up on too much of little consequence.  If the President is really a U.S. citizen.  That Romney is a Mormon.  That a football player is so dysfunctional he had an online relationship with a non-existent girl.

I lay the blame for a lot of our problems on us.  We need to pay far more attention than we do. As a whole we have all the power we need to keep our government in check.  But we have to pay attention.

But we don't and won't until the next time something tangible is threatened.  What might that be?  Something that will affect us across the board?  It could be gas or food prices.  It could be jobs.  It could be, heaven forbid, another terrorist attack on the continental U.S.

Should that happen, we may well be glad we have an affinity for guns and the ability along with the right to protect ourselves.