Cowgirl's Predictions for 2007

On this last day of the year, I just read a couple of polls Drudge linked to. One poll determined that Americans are optimistic about the upcoming year, although they were concerned about the war in Iraq. The other poll indicated that Americans think they personally are doing great, but that the new year will bring: another domestic terrorist attack, more global warming, and even worse natural disasters.

So, here is my take on this.

My family and I are doing fine. We are healthy, happy, and in fairly good shape financially. So is everyone we know. Even the people we know who live paycheck to paycheck are happy with their lives. This is because we are Americans, and we are self-confident, self-reliant, and hard-working by nature. It may be genetic.

Being optimistic about our lives does not mean that we live with our heads stuck in the sand. This world is very dangerous. Guess what? It always has been. As a child growing up a stone's throw from SAC HQ during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the threat of nuclear anniliation is simply something I have lived with all my life. I still grew up; I still achieved; I still looked forward to the future.

When I was in high school and college, we were told to expect another ice age. That didn't happen. Now, we are being told to expect all sorts of disasters due to global warming. Let me make this clear. Changing climates is a natural process. It has happened since the beginning of the world. We cannot stop it; we did not cause it. Having grown up in tornado alley and being somewhat accostumed to tornadic disasters, here's a tip. Make sure you have a storm shelter and insurance. If disaster strikes, you start over. You deal with it. You don't rely on anyone except yourself.

The difference today, is that we are in a global war. Some Americans do not believe we are at war. They are wrong. Having served on the border with the Minutemen, I have seen the bad guys sneaking into our country armed with their assault rifles, and the Lord only knows what was in their packs. It is well documented that satchel (suitcase) nukes have been brought into the country. At some point, there will be an attack here. Is there anything I can do to stop it? Probably not. But what I can do, and what we can all do, is demand that our government step up to the plate. By securing our borders and enforcing our laws, and by putting national security first and foremost on the agenda, the federal government could go a long way to mitigating the damage future attacks will cause. If you are reading this, you have internet access. If you have internet access, you can send emails. Compose a few good emails to encourage your congressmen, senators and the president to protect our country, gather the addresses of your elected representatives, and fire off those emails every time you think about it. That is about all we can do to effect a change at the national level.

However, at the personal level, there is much we can do as individuals. The Red Cross has disaster training courses. Take them. Take the First Aid classes as well. Make sure you have at least a week's worth of food, water, and medicine at all times. If you live in the city, work out an escape route. If you live in the country, plant a garden so you will have food no matter what happens. Buy guns and learn how to use them. These are areas in which we do have control over our destiny. Planning for a real threat is not pessimism, it is realism as well as optimism.

My personal opinion is that there will be no major attacks on US soil until after President Bush leaves office. He is viewed as a wild card by the bad guys, and they know there would be swift and awesome retribution for any attacks here during his watch. As to natural disasters, well, let's put emphasis on the word "natural." If they happen, we deal with it.

So, I am looking forward to 2007 as a year where I will live my life. I will enjoy each day. I will love my family and my friends. I will worship my God and give thanks continually that I was born in the only country in the world which is truly a Christian country. And, I will also be vigilant. If that makes me a vigilante, then, so be it.

UPDATE: Big Lizards has an excellent analysis of the "Perils of Pakistan." This post also has brilliant commentary by Cowgirl.