Operation: American Spring - A Different Take

In recent weeks there has been talk about something called "Operation: American Spring". If this is something you are unfamiliar with allow me to shed some light. Currently it serves as one more demonstration with the intent to descend on Washington DC and hold the politicians accountable for the state of our nation. The Facebook event to Operation American Spring gives a great description of it as follows:

"Restoration of Constitutionally limited government by RESTORING our Ninth and Tenth Amendment laws to full force and affect upon Both Houses of Congress and the Executive branch, OUR Bill of Rights, OUR Declaration of Independence, and the balance of Our Constitutional laws upon our elected Republican and Democrat servants, freedom, liberty “of the people, for the people, by the people” from despotic and tyrannical federal leadership."

Now that you've had the chance to read over the description and check out the Operation American Spring event on Facebook it's time for me to cause some butthurt. Please feel free to share your thoughts because once again I believe this, like many other events, was not well thought out.

First, I have a problem with the name "American Spring". Yeah, because we all know how well that "Arab Spring" worked out. Words have meaning and that mean carries more power then we realize. The more I write the more I see the truth in this. To take up the moniker or name of an essentially failed event seems to set one of the path of failure from the get-go. 

Second, by and larger I support the idea of what this concept is about. I strongly believe that there are people on both sides of the aisle that need to step down, be held accountable, and represent the American people (we can debate whether that is the Will of the People or the People voting for the politician to represent based on said politicians beliefs later). The problem here is this: Let us assume that we do get these people to step down. Let us also assume that some will be held accountable. How do you propose this be do? Some Kangaroo Court that already has verdicts set up without the Rule of Law? 

Using this same premise of assuming the politicians would step down, then what? What will be used in place? It has been quoted and rephrased many times over that government is a necessary evil so I ask you what brand of evil shall you replace the current one with? I fully expect responses to everything from personal attacks to restoring the Constitutional Republic that this nation was intended to however you have to think is that possible?

Third, again I have to restate that I do agree with the overall concept of this idea. This next problem I have is with what I like to call your CoD (Call of Duty) Patriots.You train on FTX's? That's great. You have a group of 5 to 10 people you run with? Wonderful! You just got yourself a new AR with all kinds of mods? I'm envious. Really I am. You don't want to wait and you think action needs to be taken now? *insert slamming of the brakes noise* Hold that thought because we have just lost cabin pressure.

The issue here is that hot heads or CoD Patriots are getting to get people incarcerated, hurt, or killed because of a belief the need to do something now. Think this through: You have 10 people you may train with periodically. That is great. But how well do you really think you are going to fair against a trained, professional SWAT team, a squad of battle tested infantry soldiers, or anything else to that effect. Newsflash: This is not some video game where you get to respawn once you've been taken out.

Now before anyone starts saying that I am a traitor to the cause or I am advocating the laying down of your arms or just rolling over and taking whatever comes nothing could be further from the truth. I simply have no interest in entering in to a fight that cannot be won conventionally. I believe all the passion in the world that we have does nothing if we are locked up, immobilized, or worse yet dead. I know that in any of those three situations I am of no value to the service and protection of my family.

As Frontiersmen, many of us joined out of concern for our families. We have growing concerns for the state of affairs of our Republic as well and rightfully so. The oath that we have taken before God and each other to be our Brother's Keeper means to be there in times of need not to go on some suicide mission. Contrary to popular belief there is no glory in death.

Undoubtedly, I have upset, dare I say pissed off, a good number of people at this point. Now allow me to provide an alternative solution. Something that will require more work and dedication then any other endeavor you have taken short of being a half way decent parent:

Start at home.

All politics are local. Yes, Washington controls so much of what goes on through legislative actions, regulations, and executive actions/orders. Yes, we know the names and quotes from the players in DC. But do you know you local mayor? Common council? School board? If you do, do you know what their platforms are? When was the last time you went to a town hall meeting about your own town? Do you even know your own neighbors?

The change the we all want to see has to start at home. This is the nexus point to which all other things spring forth from. From there it spreads to our neighborhoods then to our towns/cities then to our districts and so on and so forth. The battles to be fought are not in Washington but rather must happen at our home fronts through action in the arenas we have all but forgotten about.

Will there every come a time when hostilities may take place? Yes. No. Maybe. I have no idea. My crystal ball does not give me the foresight to glean that path. But until such time happens each of us have an opportunity to effect change on a local level that has the potential to spread to the national level. 

Let us be wise about how we choose to fight least there be none of us left to fight should the time come.