It looks and feels to me as if America is beset on all sides by its enemies. They are foreign, they are domestic, they are official, they are unofficial, they are citizens, they are illegals, they are blacks, they are whites, they are hispanics, they are muslims, they are atheists, they are homosexuals, they are …. well, if I've left anyone out, I apologize. My listing enemies like this will cause many of these people to label me "a hater," a term that has come into vogue of late. But I'm not a hater in the way they mean. I do not hate people for any invidious reasons. I only hate the ones who are enemies of America.
Every country has a national character and identity. There is no country that is like "this" one day, like "that" the next day, and like "something else" the day after that. Countries either retain their national character and identity, or they change by revolution and violent upheaval. In fact that is how America was born, by revolution.
America's character and identity is defined by its Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Without those documents America as a nation would simply not exist. The land and buildings and people might still be here. But the country would be "something else," not America. So it's easy for me to identify America's enemies. They are those who violate, disregard, and seek to destroy the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. And I hate those people.
Allow me to briefly explain my meaning by way of a few examples.
The Declaration of Independence says we are "endowed" by our "Creator" with "certain unalienable rights" and that governments are instituted among men "to secure these rights." The enemies of America deny the existence of the Creator, deny the divine endowment of rights to men, and insist that the government itself is the sole originator, arbiter, and dispenser of all rights.
The Constitution, Article V, prescribes the exact and only procedures by which the Constitution may be amended. The enemies of America ignore and violate Article V of the Constitution by assuming, enacting, and declaring powers on behalf of the federal government that are entirely new and different from those set forth in the Constitution. And they do so without obtaining any amendment of the Constitution allowing for those new and different powers.
The Constitution, Amendment X, provides that "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." America's enemies choose to ignore and routinely violate Amendment X of the Constitution by assuming, enacting, and declaring powers on behalf of the federal government which are not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, and denying the same to the States and the people.
The Constitution, Amendment I, secures to the people (as per the Declaration of Independence) the unalienable God given rights of freedom of religion, speech, the press, peaceful assembly, and petition for a redress of grievances. The enemies of America continually seek to usurp and nullify the rights set forth in Amendment I of the Constitution. They seek to deny free exercise of religion in schools and other public places. They seek to suppress speech and writings on issues with which they disagree. They seek to prevent the peaceful gatherings of others who oppose their views. And, they seek to limit access to effective means for redress of grievances. In each instance they want to pass a law, obtain a court decision, adopt an administrative regulation, or enact a tax that will prevent others from the free exercise of their rights.
The Constitution, Amendment II, secures to the people (as per the Declaration of Independence), the unalienable God given right to keep and bear arms. The enemies of America continually seek to deny that right through gun ban legislation, registration and licensing of firearms, and various laws and regulations that interfere with the manufacture and sale of guns and ammunition.
The enemies of America think that their opinions and preferences are more important than the rights guaranteed to all of us by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They choose to regard those rights as if they were mere planks in the campaign platform of an opposing political party. They act as if they are entitled to simply vote down the Constitution, or as if their elected candidates are entitled to simply ignore the Constitution because they ran in opposition to it. I must tell them such is not the case. America is not a country of mob rule. I don't care how many votes they got in the last election. Neither the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence can be voted out. Our Constitutionally secured God given rights are inviolable, unalienable and permanent.
So, back to the original question. Who do I shoot if the balloon goes up? The answer is clear in my mind. I will shoot the enemies of America, those who stand in opposition to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. I will not peaceably surrender my God given rights. And I warn everyone that they will have to decide which side they are on. There will be no bystanders or observers on the sidelines. The political forces antithetical to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution have been relentlessly working toward the destruction of America. Like the forces generating a great earthquake, they have been increasing their efforts steadily as tension rises. America has not been so divided and angry since the period immediately preceding the Civil War. On one side are the millions of patriotic Americans like me who intend to defend the Declaration of Independence and Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. On the other side are the millions of people in this country who are eager to sacrifice the Declaration of Independence and Constitution in exchange for government promises to provide"free" benefits. The two positions are irreconcilable. We are at the breaking point.
It is impossible to predict exactly what the "balloon" or triggering event will be. History has the unsettling habit of repeating itself so it may give us some guidance. The American Civil War started when the federal government invaded the State of Virginia to force its will on that State in violation of Amendment X of the Constitution. World War One started when a political leader was assassinated. World War Two started when Germans crossed their neighbor's borders to claim their land. The French Revolution started when mobs were incited to riot and the rioting spread. And the American Revolution started when the British government attempted to confiscate the colonists' firearms. You only need ask yourself if any of those conditions or events are likely to occur today. The answer is an obvious "Yes."
If the balloon goes up and the shooting starts, there is going to be a massive realignment of parties and interests. It's hard to tell who will wind up on which side. The conflict will be nationwide, the States will be divided, and I suspect the departments of the federal government will be divided as well. There is only one certainty. The millions fighting to defend the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will be fighting to restore the constitutionally based republic that America was intended to be. They will not be fighting for or against any race, creed, or ethnicity. They will not be fighting for any political party or leader. They will be fighting to restore the unalienable God given rights secured to all Americans under the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States of America. And I will be proud to be among them.