Commentary . . . . . . . . . Frayed around the edges.

frayed: unraveled or worn at the edge

It’s interesting to see who takes my training classes – it covers the whole range of ages, interests and political positions. They have been male and female, 21 to early 70s, conservative and moderate, somewhat gun savvy to having never touched a weapon.

And yet, they do seem to have one thing in common – they believe our society and our country are becoming “frayed around the edges”. There is disquiet in their heart. A discomfort in their soul. A feeling, as the hair on the back of their neck begins to stand, that something is wrong and sliding sideways, out of control quickly.

As a nation, we know this. Our headlines scream stories of unemployment, jobs that have been so lost, they are no longer even are part of our labor statistics. “Home owners’, so underwater they are perfectly willing to blame the banks for “tricking” them into buying expensive homes that they feel justified in simply walking away. College grads with huge loans that now turn to society and expect them to be paid. “99-weekers” that should cause us to hang our head in shame. Daily, we hear our president (small “p” intended) hammer on the “rich” and the need for them to pay their “fair share” while the top 10% pay over 70% of all taxes collected and the bottom 50% pay nearly nothing. We have gone from the days presented by “Pan Am” to elderly women in wheel chairs being strip searched. We have gone from “pay as you go” government finance to simply “you pay”. And pay. And pay. And pay.

I read a post last night by HH revolving around president Obama’s insistence on the Catholic church paying for contraception drugs and “morning after” medication (abortive drugs) and the strong had being applied. (BTW – please read her, she is a skilled writer with great insights that I enjoy very much) And I posted the following: 

I wonder if those in Washington realize how close to the razor's edge we are walking. Did the members of the Reichstag realize the danger their country was in? Were they aware, in their heart, of what was to come? Every day I pray for a change, wish for the path to diverge. Yet, on it goes. Dangerous times HH, dangerous times. 

OOOOoooooo – compare America today with 1939 Germany? How could you!!! Well let’s see: massive unemployment, declining manufacturing base, dependence on foreign oil and goods / services, a charismatic national leader blaming our woes on “the rich”, encroachments on personal liberty in the name of national security, massive national debt as far as the eye can see, and a federal legislature seemingly unable to get the government under control. Any similarities that you see?
It is the disquiet that arises from the casual observation of our society today that is bringing students to weapons classes. A lingering suspicion that they may well need to defend themselves from those willing to simply take what they want from whom ever has it, including our “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”. The feeling that help is not coming and that they are on their own. These are reasons that in the first 11 months of 2011, Iowan’s requested 95,000 carry permits. 95,000. And what ultimately is moving the average citizen to decide to become an armed American.

Dangerous times folks, dangerous times.