MuD & PHuD

Kevin over at The Smallest Minority has a great (and very long) post in which he seems to be looking for a way to define the opposing sides of what some see as the developing conflict within the US. The whole thing is quite involved so I won't try to summarize it further than that.

The point I want to bring up here is that I believe not only is there a developing conflict but that we are, at the very least, in the thick of the opening phase. As I mentioned in the comments, Thomas Jefferson recognized that societies have the tendency, if not the surety, to eventually fall from the Grace that is freedom and civil government when he said:

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

The biggest fear I have regarding the current conflict is that it is far more subversive than previous ones. In the past, fascism arose in Germany, Italy and Japan...which lead to WWII and the resulting 'peace'. Of course, that peace only lead the strange bedfellows that were the Allies into the Cold War, which was far hotter than our current situation. At least then there was an enemy, and he was outside our borders. (Of course, this is an oversimplification. The Cold War was hardly a time of unity against a commonly defined enemy.)

Today, we face the rise of Islamofascism and multiculturalism. The former movement knows no boundaries and does not seek natural resources or even land (unlike opponents of the post such as Nazis, Communists, etc.). Islamofascism seeks no less than the absolute destruction of all who oppose it, and total world domination. If you don't see this or actively disagree I suggest paying more attention.

You might argue that at least there is a definable enemy, and you'd be right to a certain extent. The real problem arises when the (largely) external threat of Islamofascism is combined with the internal rot of multiculturalism in this country and around the world. We've seen the results in France, Australia and elsewhere. A serious problem arises when multiculturalists convince enough of their countrymen that we must 'respect' the 'other' to the point that absolutely no criticism is allowed, and there is no expectation that immigrants integrate into the host society. This leads to separate societies within societies, with different customs, languages, etc. and no plans for peaceful integration. This creates tension that cannot be resolved with civil words, and so a spark is enough to ignite an inferno.

The situation in the US is, IMHO, somewhat different. While we certainly have minority groups that live largely confined in sections of cities and isolated from mainstream American society, it seems to be less drastic than overseas. The risk, I think, is that we might become more like the French or Australians and end up in their shoes.

Going to the extreme, that would results in a "hot death" of the country. While this would officially fall into the "Not Good" category, it would at least be up in our faces and we might, therefore, be able to handle it and avert serious disaster. The alternative, which I fear more than the "hot death", is "cold death". In other words, death by a thousand small cuts. I see it happening around me everyday. There are only two prerequisites to the "cold death":

1) The majority of people become unthinking, uncritical automatons who live from day to day, even paycheck to paycheck, caring for (and interested in) nothing more today and perhaps tomorrow, and
2) The minority of "good people" do nothing.

I look around in my daily life and I see both conditions all too often. However, rather than focus on the negative, I will point out three examples of people doing the right thing and standing up for what the believe.

First, the one with which I am most familiar: Kelo.

At stake in the battles being waged over eminent domain in New London, CT is no less than the very foundation of our country. While there are many things one could point to that distinguish America from the despotic regimes of the past and present (think Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia, Castro's Cuba, etc.) is that We The People of the United States of America, each and every one of us, has the God-Given Right to be secure in our Life, Liberty and Property. If we lose any of those three, we lose the soul of our country. It is for this that our countrymen have fought (and continue to fight) so long and hard from the coast of CT to the Halls of the Supreme Court of the United States of America. If you are a 'good person' and wish to do something other than 'nothing', go visit the Castle Coalition and help out.

Second, there is a battle being waged by our brethren to the north against the brutal, suffocating, socialist and otherwise idiotic monster that is the Canadian Universal Healthcare System. The story of Dr. Jacques Chaoulli should be an inspiration to us all. His future success, or ultimate failure, could have serious implications in the US. I don't currently have any information as to how we can support him directly, so if you do please send it along and I'd be more than happy to share it.

Third, and finally, there is a fledgling effort being undertaken by my favorite gun bloggers and all 'round patriots, Kim and Connie du Toit. The Nation of Volunteers (actual site here, still under construction) is their new effort to, in their own words:

We have launched a new website and a new company, The Nation of Volunteers Foundation. Unlike previous business endeavors, however, this is not a for-profit company. The purpose of this company is to continually raise enough money to fund salaries and endeavors that we believe will make America a better place. We will be calling on Americans to do all sorts of volunteer activities (without compensation), from helping new shooters to sharing their books, information and expertise with home educators. (Details below the fold.) The purpose of the Nation of Volunteers Foundation is to allow us to manage these activities full time.

Read the rest of the post to get up to speed if you've missed any of the story. The bottom line is that, despite serious financial woes, Kim and Connie are going to devote a significant amount of time to the distinctly American ideals of volunteerism and individual responsibility/accountability. Please help them get their effort off the ground in whatever way you feel appropriate.

This turned out to be quite a bit longer than I had originally planned, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it. I guess the take home message is that as Americans we have a responsibility to take our heads out of the dirt, look around and actually think. We The People is more than just a pithy turn of phrase, it is the result of a vow taken by men who put their lives, fortunes and sacred honor on the line. Had they lost, they would have surely hanged as traitors against the British Crown. But they did not. Instead they repeatedly snached victory form the jaws of defeat and bestowed upon their heirs the worst form of government ever conceived...except all the other ones.

Given all that has been sacrificed by our forbearers that we might live in freedom, it is incumbent upon us to do the same for our own heirs. We are obligated to pass on not only the same freedom of which we are the beneficiaries, but we must bequeath to our children the same love for freedom that lives in our own souls. That love for freedom is the only thing that will ensure the America remains a warm, safe home for the liberty we so cherish.

I will close with a brief exchange from one the all time greatest movies, Open Range:

Mack: Shame what this town's come to.
Charley Waite: You could do something about it.
Mack: What? We're freighters. Ralph here's a shopkeeper.
Charley Waite: You're men, ain't you?
Mack: I didn't raise my boys just to see 'em killed.
Charley Waite: Well you may not know this, but there's things that gnaw at a man worse than dying.

We must all remember that it is each of us, individually, who is responsible for our Life, Liberty and Property.
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