By Gerard Valentino

Mankind pulled civilization out of the mud somewhere in the ancient past. In creating society, people agreed to a non-spoken compact that required everyone to look out for their neighbor. We aren't talking about a communist society where the government dictates that everyone work for the collective good, but instead an agreement between honest law-abiding people that made it reprehensible to leave your neighbor to die.

The same holds true, or used to hold true, when it came to stopping common crime, whether violent crime against a person, or a property crime. As the American government grew in power and influence in a citizen's life, it destroyed the agreement between honest people to care for each other.

Today in America many citizens won't step in to protect the personal safety of their neighbors because, over the years, everyone was brainwashed by the government to give up freedom for security.

The Lancaster Eagle-Gazette is reporting that the Fairfield County (OH) Sheriff's Office experienced a surge in concealed handgun licenses (CHLs) issued for the first four months of 2009, and that with nearly 700 new and renewal licenses issued this year, the county is well on its way to surpassing the number issued in 2004 - the first year the county issued licenses.