I Swore an Oath To Protect the Constitution

When I enlisted in the US Navy, I swore an oath to protect the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I was drilled on my responsibility to defend the Constitution against those who would overthrow our government.

The most notable foreign enemy was Russia and its form of government, Communism. We were told that the most dangerous domestic enemies were American Communists. They were considered to be traitors. We were told that they purchased guns and would go into the woods to practice in preparation to fight the American military.

I find it disturbing that there are Americans who go out in to the woods to practice in preparation to fight the American military. I would call these people traitors. They are no less traitors than the American Communists that I was warned about when I was in the Navy.
Why do these gun toting Americans feel so threatened by their own government that they are preparing to war against it. Should they not be addressing their concerns the way good citizens do? Are they writing to their congressman? Are they going to city council meetings, town hall meetings and other governmental forums? Are they participating in their local governments? Did they skip government classes in school? Why are they choosing to prepare for war against our/their government?

This disturbs me. This has me worried. My fellow citizens are preparing to take over the government, if things don’t go their way? How is that not being a traitor?

What is feeding their fear so badly that they are willing to take up arms and prepare for war against America? Has the NRA convinced them that they need to buy automatic weapons to protect themselves against their own government? Have they been duped into believing that the only part of the Constitution that matters is the second amendment?

Many of these people claim that they are Christians. Do they not believe the words of Jesus, He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword?
I have faith in our Constitution. I have faith in my fellow citizens. Things don’t always go the way I would prefer. People who I do not vote for do get elected. Running our government is messy and slow, but it works. Yes, it needs improvement. But if you look at our history, it has continued to improve over the years. Sometimes we slid back, but ultimately we have moved forward. We live in a great country. That is why I worry about the people who practice preparing for war against it.

Navy Issue Colt 45 Pistol

When I was trained to use a gun in the Navy, the drill instructor said.
"The only purpose a gun has is to kill.
Never pull it out of your holster unless you intend to kill.
It is not to be used to threaten, or wound.
It is only to be used for killing."

I carried one of these Colt 45 pistols everyday when I was in the Navy in Viet Nam.
I knew its lethal purpose.