it's beginning to look like a Walmart-free Christmas

I don't like crowds so I don't take the children to events like parades (except in Maine, there doesn't seem to be such a thing as a crowd there) or amusement parks. We certainly avoid going anywhere that sells retail on the day after Thanksgiving. Perhaps it is because I'm getting older or the fact that Walmart contributes 8% to our trade deficit with China, but I just don't have any desire to even look for a parking spot in front of America's largest retailer. Now I have an even bigger reason after reading the headlines on Drudge:

WASHINGTON -- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the expansion of the Department’s national “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign to hundreds of Walmart stores across the country—launching a new partnership between DHS and Walmart to help the American public play an active role in ensuring the safety and security of our nation.


While we were living just outside of DC I always had the feeling that Big Brother was constantly watching due to the preponderance of police, multiple cameras watching our every move, and nanny-state types ready to call the cops if the children play in the front yard unsupervised seems to be spreading across our country. Big Sis wants us to spy on our neighbors and report any "suspicious activity" to the authorities. I keep thinking that one day the American people are going to realize that our government has crossed the line and put a stop to this sort of intrusiveness in our lives, but it hasn't happened yet. Instead of figuring out who the bad guys are by profiling, the Obama regime wants to treat all citizens like criminals who need to have a close eye on them.