I think this is a very interesting thread. But I also think that we are all screwed into a "lesser of two evils" kind of situation at this time.
I think there are sheeple on both sides... going along with any 'party line' platform whole-hog is just being lazy.

I think there are both positive and negative elements and philosophies on both sides of the fence. Our political system is totally flawed structurally. Nothing can get done when our country is basically split along a near 50-50 line. Legislation gets so watered down so it's palatable to both sides that it has no teeth, no real power, it's a big waste of time and OUR money.

I love getting things right. I hate being wrong. But more than anything it is downright dangerous to get nothing done. Lethargy is killing us all. We have little access to un-edited, and un-flavored news - I mean the REAL intel.

I am as avid a 2nd Amendment supporter as can be. But I also strongly believe in (some) socially progressive programs. There ARE people who need help, a free lunch, a helping hand, charity. Our education system is virtually in ruins and our kids get a fraction of the education they need - the least educated 6th grader in most of Europe and Asia knows more than most current US college graduates. SHAME ON US. Our health care system is also in ruins, controlled by special interest groups who frankly don't give a damn about us. How much do YOU pay for drugs when you need them? Do you know anyone who doesn't get the health care coverage they need because it's too expensive, or their HMO said 'no' to something they need? Our health care system DOES need fixing - not the way the current bill is written of course, but how can we expect anything to get better when all we know and think is what we are told in the media - which is most often less than a fraction of the real info.

We vote what we believe, and what we believe is being influenced by corrupt media, ranting lunatics on both sides, and politically controlled agendas. No wonder so many people vote for idiots – they really don’t believe they are idiots because they only know what they’ve been told.
Our government is corrupt at all levels, and our citizens are more apathetic than not. Nixon got impeached for a simple breaking-and-entering job in a hotel room. Today we're lucky if some really horrible act by a president gets more than a few days coverage in the press. Have we all gotten so lazy? Have we become so much less personally engaged and active that we need and rely on others to do our dirty work for us?

Unfortunately for many of us the answer is yes.

And because of that, organizations like NRA serve a critically important function in today's society. I read all the NRA alerts, and I agree with MOST of their positions, but I do disagree with some. I don't just go along with anyone's position or opinion, I actually take time to read the bills, and to think about what is being proposed.
If more people spent the time it really takes to become informed, we'd all be better off.

When was the last time you actually spoke with your congressman or woman? When the front page headline on Yahoo is about what dress some bimbo wore at the Golden Globes it’s a sign folks.

Sorry for the long rant, but it is a GOOD thing to question what's going on. I'll give one more example:

Generally I think our president is ineffectual. I don't care if he's white, black or purple. I don't care if his middle name is Hussein or Houdini. All I care about is this country being safe, my family having the services and support we need, and living my life the way I want with as little interference as possible. But I also travel internationally quite a lot, and I can tell you from direct experience, that during the Bush era, a lot of the rest of the world thought we were laughable. The general opinion of a lot of the educated world was "Sarah Palin? Are you guys kidding? She has less knowledge of international affairs than does a 6th grade student in most of Europe and Asia." And unfortunately they are right. Just because someone is a conservative does not mean they are equipped to lead us forward in this world.

If we want less government intrusion in our lives, if we want to protect ourselves and our families, if we want to enjoy the freedoms our troops are dying to protect for us, we need to take a deep breath, stop being party-line sheeple, search out the real facts behind media coverage and events, and make our own decisions.

Most of all we need to SPEAK UP, but we need to speak up with ACCURACY based on facts.

WE NEED TO DO THAT OURSELVES! And this is the whole point of defending our rights and our liberties. I can assure you that our Founding Fathers did not simply go along with what anyone else told them.

As I said at the outset of this rant, I think the real problem is that we don't have a lot of very smart choices for leading our country, so we are forced to choose between the lesser of two evils - we choose the one whose position supports what each of us thinks is most important to us - and that imposes on us all the other positions of that person whether we believe in them or not, whether they are good for us or not.

Selfishness is what is destroying our society.

A very funny thing to think about. If you read Rawles on survival, he proposes - and I think he is dead right! - that one family going it alone won't work - find yourself a group of families and share responsibilities for surviving together - divide the tasks and conquer - like a collective of people all working for the greater good of the whole group - hmmmm. On a micro scale, this is textbook definition of a socialist group. But we demonize the word when it suits political purposes.

Folks, if we all don't stick together - on gun rights and a whole bunch of other issues - we are going to wake up sooner or later to WTSHTF.

Can’t you already smell it coming? I know I can, and I don't like it one bit. I keep my guns well maintained and sharp. But I do that with my mind as well. They both take time, and they are both well worth the effort.

+1 for this forum for the op to speak out. OK, now you can throw tomatoes at me if you like.