Hostile Holidays

Do you feel like it's Christmastime yet? I don't. Rather than the quiet peace and joy that usually finds its way into our hearts when we are looking forward to the holidays, there's a tangible malevolence in the air. I listen to Mark Levine on the way home from work, and though I understand it's a show, the anger there seems deeper and more real than anything Rush ever doled out at the height of his powers. People on my side of the political fence are fearful and frustrated and angry. And folks on the other side don't seem particularly happy either - I wonder if it's because they realize that there is no way the "One" can live up to his own hype. Maybe they are figuring out that they hired a law professor with no actual experience practicing law to represent the United States.

People often attribute the surge in gun sales this year to the fear that Obama has designs to take away their gun rights. I see it differently. I think people are grasping the reality that in the end, you are responsible for your safety and protecting what is most precious and valuable in your life. While we hope we won't be faced with that eventuality, it's not necessarily a bad thing for America to relearn the lessons that led to its birth.