There are some people in this country who believe we are on the cusp of a civil war or violent revolution. It's not that they favor this kind of outcome, they simply believe the writing is on the wall. There are others, however, who actively promote the concept. They aren't all right wingers either; there are several lefties who believe it's the only way to bring about the changes they crave.
I often think that, in their vision of a glorious revolution, it will play out like a scene from America's wild west. It will look like all those gunfights we watched in the classic movies. The guys in the white hats (your side) shooting it out with the black hats (the other side).
To be sure, in this overly-armed America, I have no doubt there would be some gun battles between two or more fairly evenly matched sides. However, I truly believe that a good deal of this sort of macabre revolution would look more like Tuscon, Arizona, Virginia Tech University and Columbine High School -- innocent bystanders maimed and slaughtered.
This is what generally occurs during riots. The group mentality sweeps up members of the horde and their social consciousness goes out the nearest window. They grab a hold of anyone who even looks like the chosen enemy and then vent their rage on folks who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As we've witnessed the national grief for the victims and their families in Arizona this past weekend, we should remind ourselves that such scenes would play out daily or even hourly in a warring America. This picture should motivate each of us, who oppose violence as a means of "settling" disagreements, to endeavor to insure that this solution does not find the fertile ground to be carried out in our homeland.
I often think that, in their vision of a glorious revolution, it will play out like a scene from America's wild west. It will look like all those gunfights we watched in the classic movies. The guys in the white hats (your side) shooting it out with the black hats (the other side).
To be sure, in this overly-armed America, I have no doubt there would be some gun battles between two or more fairly evenly matched sides. However, I truly believe that a good deal of this sort of macabre revolution would look more like Tuscon, Arizona, Virginia Tech University and Columbine High School -- innocent bystanders maimed and slaughtered.
This is what generally occurs during riots. The group mentality sweeps up members of the horde and their social consciousness goes out the nearest window. They grab a hold of anyone who even looks like the chosen enemy and then vent their rage on folks who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As we've witnessed the national grief for the victims and their families in Arizona this past weekend, we should remind ourselves that such scenes would play out daily or even hourly in a warring America. This picture should motivate each of us, who oppose violence as a means of "settling" disagreements, to endeavor to insure that this solution does not find the fertile ground to be carried out in our homeland.
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