What Happened to My America?

In July, all four branches of our military will participate in a training exercise known as "Jade Helm 15.  Both public and private land (with permits) will be accessed in Texas, Utah and parts of California for the three-month long operation.  The military chose the locations after searching for areas where the terrain is most similar to foreign combat zones, sighting the obvious benefits of training where the topography is similar to that where our military is likely to be deployed. Though such exercises are not uncommon, the Army has acknowledged this one is larger in scope than usual. 

Earlier this week, 200 people in Texas' Bastrop County packed a meeting where U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria was confronted with the charge that the exercise was a ruse to cover the federal government's plan to confiscate guns and implement martial law.

Bastrop County, a rural area, is home to the largest National Guard base in Texas.  The exercise there will be so small that most people won't even notice it is going on.  There will be only 60 additional soldiers, 2 Humvees and a helicopter.

Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape said some of the people at the meeting had come as far as Houston and Dallas and that "conspiracy theorists" and "fear mongers" were in a frenzy.

Rather than follow the lead of Lt. Col. Lastoria who attempted to calm the atmosphere and explain the scope and purpose of the exercise, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) instead decided to fuel the ridiculous conspiracy theory by calling on the State Guard to monitor the military operation.

"It is important that Texans know their safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed.  By monitoring the Operation on a continual basis, the State Guard will facilitate communications between my office and the commanders of the Operation to ensure that adequate measures are in place to protect Texans."

Not to be left out of the excitement, Ted Cruz (R) weighed in by saying, "My office has reached out to the Pentagon to acquire (sic) about this exercise...I understand the reason for concern and uncertainty, because when the federal government has not demonstrated itself to be trustworthy in this administration, the natural consequence is that many citizens don't trust what it is saying."

AllNewsPipeline.com reported: "A newly launched Facebook group is recruiting patriots, members of militia groups and other interested Americans...who hope to turn the Jade Helm 15 exercises into something positive for freedom and America and to turn these martial law exercises on their head, something that is sorely needed as the Obama adminisrtation attempts to put their finishing touches on their master work of art, the total destruction of America..."

what eye thynk:  I blame the Republican Party.  For nearly six years they have promoted, encouraged and fueled a level of hatred toward the President of the United States previously unimaginable in this country.  The uneducated have eaten from the banquet of Republican disrespect to the point where they can no longer think further than their next course of Southern-fried anti-Obama.  

While conspiracy theorists have previously been fringe nutcases to be viewed with humor and/or pity, Republican leaders have proudly brought these outliers into America's mainstream and joined them in their delusional state. 

What happened to the days when a supporter of then-presidential candidate John McCain held a microphone and said "Obama is an Arab," and was told, kindly and politely by Mr. McCain, "No, ma'am.  He is a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on...issues"  

Today we have this:

And this: 

And there is no one on the right with the guts to stand up and say "No...enough...stop."  Instead we have governors calling out the State Guard against our military.  Instead we have presidential candidates who feed the fire by telling followers our government is not to be trusted.

Something has died in our political system.  Some of us have lost the ability to lose gracefully.  Some have lost the ability to listen to ideas, even those that are personally beneficial, because they didn't originate from within our own circle.  Some have chosen to demonize the President because they find his appearance disagreeable.  Everything must be faulted and the blame laid at the feet of this evil doer because he is not like "us."  
  
This is not my democracy.  This is not my America.