Lawlessness comes to your life

            Let's face it, words mean things.  And so do laws, passed by our legislatures, administered by our executives who do take required oaths, and overseen by our judicial.  Pretty much checks and balances I would say. And all this system has built up over time, including the idea of a constitution.  Said another way, it is not automatic, like a God given right that just happens. Our ancestors worked at it.

             I was bothered by our President getting us involved with Europe on the attack into Libya that got rid of dictator Kaddafi, and did so by simply ignoring the federal law requiring him to consult with Congress within 90 days. And our Congress went along, in my mind, and it was a popular decision. But, the law was ignored, and that is what bothered me. And not just the President, but the Congress, seemed to ignore the law.

            Now it seems to get worse with the federal executive telling Lockheed Martin to ignore the law about layoff notices, and even promising tax payer money to cover the expenses of the obvious lawsuits coming.

            All this is reminiscent of what I have been taught about how a country, really a culture, can break down to a more lawless state. Now such conditions exist in many places, but not in the USA in the recent half century. But it sure looks like it is coming back.

            And no matter what happens in this coming election cycle in 2012 in the USA, it appears things are going to get bad, to include more lawlessness. In other words, our culture is more fragile than I thought, and the process is already underway, no matter what the election cycle brings. That idea suggests the outcome will be advanced or retarded depending on what we do, but for sure lawlessness is going to come to our neighborhood. And it will probably be ugly in some places.

            Now I have the advantage of having lived in places more lawless than things may become in the USA. But how about just now where we live today?

            For example, the round trip airline ticket from Atlanta, USA, to Managua, Nicaragua a while back was $710.  Well a thrifty fellow chose to drive, and paid $600 in gas and $900 in bribes.

            Now I have been through road blocks in Kuwait City, and visited blown out villages after a typhoon in the Philippines, and was glad I had a pistol. It was not a fun experience. I was willing to shoot somebody if I had to.  Later in the Philippines the first time I got shot at had a round go by my head with the usual crack of sound, and I thought that SOB is trying to kill me. A few days later four Navy officers were murdered in the same area.  In both cases, I think it was banditos. These stories form my definition of lawlessness.  I have other stories, too.

            So if this kind of thing comes to where I live in east Tennessee, this is probably gonna happen because of what is going on today. Really it has already started. So don't come knocking at my door asking for food; invade me and kill me if you will (I will fight back, so good luck, and I can be tricky, too). And good luck with your lawless future.

            There was a time in our USA past when often every adult male pretty much went armed. What a sad state of affairs if we citizens think that is their best course of action in the beginning of this 21st century.  We're better than that, and our ancestors worked to make lawful conduct happen, like enacting laws and enforcing the laws.  Now it is our turn.