During the Presidential campaign of 2008 I listened with interest and growing concern to the speeches given by, and various interviews of,  Barack Obama.  As a recent retiree, I was aware that some of his stated positions, especially concerning the cost of energy, could have a very detrimental effect on those in this country with fixed incomes, such as Social Security payments or pensions.  Remember his statement: “If my plan for cap and trade is implemented, energy rates will necessarily skyrocket”?  In point of fact, the price of energy, whether it be electrical or fossil fuel, affects the price of EVERYTHING.  From the cost of heating or cooling your home, to filling your gas tank, to the food you purchase at the grocery store, when the cost of energy goes up, virtually everything else follows that trend.

He then stated that he felt that we needed a “domestic force, equal in strength to our military”!  What?  The only thing I could think of that was comparable to that was the “Sturmabteilung” or “Brown Shirts” who were the paramilitary wing of the Nazi party, and whose strong arm tactics helped cow German dissenters and bring Hitler into power in 1933.  Now, before the outcry of “You’re calling Obama Hitler” goes up, I’m doing no such thing.  I’m just pointing out a statement by the man which made no sense to me.  After all, we already pretty much have such a force.  It’s called The National Guard, and is under the direct control of the Governors of the individual states.

Since President Obama took office, and as part of his “Fundamental Transformation of America”, he has indeed armed, with tens of thousands of automatic weapons, federal agencies which would seem to have no need of such firepower.  They include the FDA, EPA, FEMA, USDA, USDI and many others.  The cost of acquiring these weapons and the ammunition they require is staggering.  Again, Mr. President, why is this necessary?

We now have another political candidate for our highest office who seems to feel that laws, rules and regulations are for the “little people”, not the politically powerful.  If elected, she will have the newly armed “civilian force” described above at her command.  I have been closely listening to her.   But this time, other than the boilerplate political platitudes, all I hear is silence.  Are we quietly creating our own version of “The Brown Shirts”?  For the sake of our country and it’s dearly won freedoms, I hope not, but I continue to listen………………