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How can this be happening and go on?!

Gun Control: Our future president in 2008 called for "a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded" as the military. Should the "bitter-clingers" be worried?

As Andrew Malcolm has noted on these pages, the Department of Homeland Security has been buying lots of ammo, enough by one calculation to fight the equivalent of a 24-year Iraqi War. Some have speculated about a link between the stockpiling between candidate Obama's off-prompter campaign remarks about a national security force and the stockpiling by DHS of more than 1.6 billion (with a 'b') bullets.

DHS has been buying more than bullets. As we noted in a recent editorial, DHS is seeking to acquire 7,000 5.56x45mm NATO "personal defense weapons" (PDW) — also known as "assault weapons" when owned by civilians. The request, issued on June 7, 2012, calls these AR-15 variants "select-fire" weapons, meaning they can be both semi-automatic and automatic.

Additionally, DHS is asking for 30 round magazines that "have a capacity to hold thirty (30) 5.56x45mm NATO rounds."

To what purpose is a civilian agency arming itself to the teeth at the same time the administration has been making war on the Second Amendment and pushing for stricter gun control measures such as universal background checks, while others, such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, hint at outright confiscation?

We are reminded of a report released in April 2009 by Janet Napolitano's Department of Homeland Security, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," saying conservatives and the unemployed represent a clear and present danger. "The economic downturn and the election of the first African American president present unique drivers for right-wing radicalization and recruitment," it warned.

On Page 2 it ominously warns of "rightwing extremism," which may include "groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."

So if you are pro-life, support secure borders and tough immigration laws, and believe the 10th amendment to the Constitution is being shredded, you are a threat, and will be lumped in with the genuine crazies. You are among the "bitter-clingers."