The Great Divide

Today we'll find out the President's proposals for the gun violence problem that we've been hearing so much about.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  Either we go after criminals, or we criminalize law-abiding citizens.  One approach makes sense, the other makes no sense whatever.

The President has before him a chance to heal the widening rift that grows in America. He has an opportunity to effect real change, but he will have to eschew feel-good legislation in order to do so.  If he succumbs to the feel-good crowd, he will simply further alienate the rest of us who logically exercise common sense.

I've noticed that there has been an ongoing polarization in this country.  It seems the Liberals have gotten more so, as have the Conservatives.  There is more polarization between the givers and the takers, too.  There are hard feelings from those who now, more than ever, feel they are being used to fund the "entitlements" of others.  

This polarization is evidenced by the wide swings in party politics and elections, whereby the pendulum swings wide to either side, and never settles anywhere near the middle.  This continued polarization will continue unabated until a more centrist approach can be found.

If the President chooses to attack the Second Amendment, he risks a further, deeper rift that this country has not seen since the 19th Century.  If he chooses to criminalize the lawful activities of law-abiding citizens, he is making a critical mistake.  If he chooses to try to fix societal problems by going after guns, he is making a critical mistake.  

What he needs to do is to enforce and strengthen the existing laws.  He needs to prosecute criminals.  He needs to recognize that criminals don't care about laws, and leave the law-abiding citizens of this country alone.  He needs to recognize that personal responsibility for self-protection is the natural order of things, and  that trying to prevent us from protecting ourselves serves no good purpose.

It'll be an interesting and revealing day, where we all find out what our President's true intentions really are.