The Oregon Ordeal

The gathering in Oregon of a citizen militia to protest the imprisonment of some ranchers strikes me as rather interesting, and I say that regardless of the merits of the underlying dispute. For one, it demonstrates that there remain at least some Americans who are prepared to think and act against what they perceive as government injustice, which is encouraging. For another, though, it demonstrates that most Americans are mindless sheep -- the widespread scorn and ridicule directed at the protesters dwarfs any such criticism of government when it illegally invades sovereign nations, murders civilians, gropes and spies on us, pushes the country toward economic ruin, robs from Peter to pay Paul, or engages in any number of other outrages. When freedom is stolen, it can be recaptured. When it is voluntarily surrendered, it is gone for good.