Can you Red Dawn it?

** Disclaimer, I am not a survivalist or a NRA fanatic. I simply was drawn down this thought path after reading about the situation in Israel & the Gaza Strip, which I found interesting and enlightening as to the blessings of my American life.

Driving to work the other day, after I posted the information on the Gaza Strip, I was stuck in traffic. Watching the crews work on the intersection in downtown Woodinville. People waiting for their light to change, getting their coffee, gas, dropping cars off at the repair shop. We've got it pretty good here in America. Matt & I had just had a conversation about our marriage "Love Dare" class the night before, about how we get all caught up in the differences of men & women and fixing our lives, relationships, selves (not that this is a bad thing), that if a disaster occurred in our life, it would make it all so insignificant and quickly put what was really important in to perspective.

As I ponder other countries that live in constant states of war, where death, chaos & simple survival are the concern of the moment, I shake my head as I imagine the devastation if a bomb were to hit one of our towns. If we were attacked. Hard to imagine. A situation we are so unprepared for as US citizens. We have no idea how lucky we are. We have become soft. As I drive home, I hear a talk show host talking about OBama's view on guns. Apparently (and no I don't know this to be true) OBama does not support gun ownership to some extent. I think about what this country was founded on. Freedom from tyranny. Freedom of choice, democracy, from the crown, government. Men were raised to protect their families, homes, land - gun ownership, fighting, survival, protection - it was part of life skills. Now, my 7 year old son who gets called to the principals office for using "gun hands" on the playground when he plays Star Wars with the other boys. We've swung way too far to the .. what is it? Right? Left? Who knows. but how do we raise these kids to not use "gun hands" in their play but then ask them at 17 to turn their lives to our military & go fight someone else's war? At some point we may need them to fight our own war, here on our own soil and what will they do? What will we do?

One great movie that came out when I was in high school was Red Dawn. Patrick Swayze and a bunch of teenagers run to the hills when I think the Russians drop in for a friendly invasion & swoop up all the towns people. It was survival and these teens, being raised in Red Neck America knew what needed to be done. Even the girls. It always struck me that I wanted to be a survivor. I want my children to be survivors. I'm afraid we wouldn't make it too far. I can't even tie a knot in the fishing line.