Christians Persecuted in India

Hopegivers International, a religious charitable group based in Georgia, cares for more than 20,000 orphaned and abandoned children throughout India and Africa. One of the group's officials, Samuel Thomas, was arrested near New Delhi by a dozen men claiming to be police officers from the provincial capital of Kota, Rajasthan. His current status is unknown.

This situation seems to be a Hindu version of what is going on in much of the Middle East. A group of religious zealots wants to end India’s secular government and make it a Hindu state. Sound familiar? Evidently part of their plan is to remove all Christian influence in the area, including the Emmanuel Hope Home for Orphans in Kota. Rajasthan newspapers have repeatedly quoted terrorist leaders offering a reward of $26,000 to paramilitary groups who will capture and behead the Christian leaders.

And when asked what should happen to the 2,500 children at the Christian orphanage, Rajasthan’s government along with other militant groups have taken the position to simply let them go back to the streets they where they came from. Hopegivers has offered to bus the orphans to some of their other 86 orphanages throughout India, but local government and police have refused to provide security.

I don't understand a religion that places anything above the welfare of innocent children. This is definitely a matter for prayer... prayer for the kids, for Samuel Thomas and his associates, and for the country that is letting this happen.

While President Bush promotes new ties and a closer relationship to India, maybe he should encourage the government to stand up to the religious radicals and protect the lives of American missionaries. And if the mainstream media weren't so preoccupied counting the American dead in Iraq, maybe they could cover this story.
http://www.persecution.com/news/index.cfm?action=fullstory&newsID=383

It Begins

Oh sure, it just looks like dirt to you, but soon the miracle of birth and growth will pervade this tiny plot. Soon the earth's warm, moist, and fertile loins will cause seeds to swell and tubers to venture out seeking the earth's soft, supple, and nourishing breast.

I've lost my train of thought.

Soon pinpoints of bright green will form rows in the dark rich soil. Hearty young onion plants will follow. But then the weeds will come, and the backbreaking bending over to pull them. And the hoe. Oh, the hoe. The rabbits will come and chew off the tops of tomato plants. The rabbits must die! Then the neighbors will come and scoff at my crooked rows. They will laugh behind my back at my skinny legs as I sweat in the sun. The neighbors must die!

But the sun and the rain will bless the garden and its harvest will be abundant. Too abundant. Too much food to deal with. Wasting, rotten vegetables. Guilt! Must can! Must freeze! No time!

It begins.

V for Vacuous

Don Feder writes for Front Page Mag:
"V for Vendetta," which opened on Friday, combines all of the celluloid left’s paranoid fantasies – Christian conservatives in charge of a brutal regime, the war-on-terrorism as an excuse for the suppression of civil liberties, homosexuals harassed and killed by conservative Christians, a pedophile priest (who works miter-in-had with the regime) and an attack blamed on terrorists that’s really a right-wing conspiracy.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21715

And the DaVinci Code comes out in May? I think I see a pattern here. I think a blind man could see a pattern here.

"V for Vendetta" is distinguished by envelope-pushing, combined with an unapologetic glorification of terrorism.

Perfect. But I guess the fact that Liberals would make a movie that glorifies terrorism should surprise no one. They have been encouraging terrorists for three years now.

The bloodless Civil War in this country continues... good against evil.

Barry Lynn vs. Pat Robertson

(Thanks once again Jancan. You are my favorite anti-jihad blogger.)

So what is a cool guy (like me) to do when he finds himself agreeing with Pat Robertson? On the 700 Club Robertson said that radical Islamists were demonic and bent on world domination.

World domination? What? Just because they say so? ...Demonic? Just because they cut off heads and blow up children?

Reverend Barry Lynn, spokesman for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, said: “At a time when inter-religious tensions around the world are at an all-time high, Robertson seems determined to throw gasoline on the fire. His comments are grossly irresponsible. Robertson seems to be wrestling with demons of his own, namely intolerance and bigotry."

Thanks Barry. We can always count on you to come out with your guns pointed at Christians.

So who has a better grasp of reality? Barry Lynn, who I suspect is a direct descendant of Neville Chamberlain, or Pat Robertson, foot-in-mouth bungler extraordinaire?

If our freedom's enemy was a government, everything would be so much simpler. But unfortunately the enemy is ubiquitous in its geography, fanatical in its reasoning, and based on a Holy Book whose verses lend themselves to an interpretation that justifies any means that leads to its ends.

Whether or not the rioters and terrorists that Robertson sees on his TV screen are dominated by actual demons is not the issue. The issue is that they are as lethal and as much our enemy as were the Nazis of World War II. And peaceful Muslims living among them will pay the same price that was paid by German civilians who sat back and let the Third Reich happen.

Here I insert a question:
A madman charges you with a knife and you shoot him. His brother holds a knife, threatens you, and slowly approaches. At what point do you act? You can argue with yourself and wring your hands, but he is coming. You can look the other way and hope for the best, but he is coming. You can try to understand his rage and debate your best response, but he is still coming.

Barry, you limp-wristed liberal, you can rail against the people you hate, but sooner or later you'll have to deal with the terrorists that hate you.

And Barry, a tip from your Uncle Chris: Go light on your next "Americans United" stationary order from Staples. If you and your ilk win the day, you may be changing your header to read: Americans United for the Separation of Mosque and State.

He is coming, Barry.

Condi and Conservatives

Right-Wing Nut has a great post about Condoleeza Rice and her chances if she decided to run.
http://jerseynut.blogspot.com/2006/03/saturday-morning-racism.html

I wish she would run. There are so many of us conservatives that are just itching to show that we would vote for a black, and a woman... one who shares our values and deserves our support.

It would be devastating for Democrats because Black America would see the glaring discrepancy between past meager white-Democrat support for Jesse Jackson, and the overwhelming support that Rice would garner from all us supposed conservative white racists.

Internet Connection Trouble

I'm at work blogging on the company's time. I don't know how they feel about that and neither do I care. I'm a much too important tooth in the cog in the wheel that runs this place for them to raise it as an issue... (he said, right before he was shown the door).

Back at home I could not get connected to the internet. So once at work, I went to AOL.com and began exchanging messages with a technical support person named Shelly. Shelly is a demure, leggy little beauty (I could just tell) who was very helpful.

According to Shelly, my AOL isn't getting along with my Norton. But if Shelly's instructions work, I'll be back online by tonight. If not... any suggestions on replacing my AOL?

Religious Intolerance... Among Christians?

The amazingly insightful SkyePuppy left a link that explores the attitudes among mainstream Christians concerning the Mormon faith. Evidently the post is written by a Mormon who is amazed that anyone would hold Mitt Romney's religious beliefs against him.

I personally am leery of criticizing or belittling anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus. I don't think that's my job here. In fact, when you get beyond merely stating what you believe (and why) and go so far as to judge others, or maybe... call their religion a cult?... I think you put on the pharisee's robes. And I think that is very dangerous.

A person's religion can be a reason not to vote for someone. I wouldn't vote for a Muslim. But if Mitt Romney convinces me that he will lead and govern in a way that I approve, I'll have no problem voting for the man.

Anyway, here is the link to the post:
http://hedgehogcentral.blogspot.com/2006/03/mitt-romney-update.html

Lonely Russ

What if you threw a party and no one came?

"Democrats run and hide" when the administration invokes the war on terrorism, Feingold told reporters. "I'm amazed at Democrats ... cowering with this president's numbers so low,"
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/3/14/213305.shtml?s=ic

Don't cry for Senator Russ Feingold. His resolution to censure President Bush over the terrorist wiretaps may not have the support of fellow senators, but his stunt is getting plenty of positive play among the lunatic-lefties.

My Favorite Mormon

Lunging to the right on two red hot social issues, Gov. Mitt Romney said he would sign a bill outlawing abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, and agreed to meet with the state’s Roman Catholic bishops to discuss their bid to exempt Catholic Charities from gay adoptions.
On abortion, Romney spokeswoman Julie Teer said the governor would back a state ban on abortion if, as occurred in South Dakota, lawmakers passed such a measure.
“If Gov. Romney were the governor of South Dakota he would sign it,” Teer told political newsletter The Hotline yesterday. “The governor believes that states should have the right to be pro-life if that is the will of the people.”
http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolitics/view.bg?articleid=128548

This is happening in Massachusetts? It's one thing to put the welfare of children above the supposed rights of gay couples, but to actually say that you would sign a bill outlawing abortion... in the land of the Kennedys?

Mulling a run for the presidency, the governor previously supported legalized abortion. He has said on several recent occasions that his position has “evolved” and that he now opposes legal abortion.

The simple fact that this Republican, a Mormon for crying out loud, was elected as governor of the most liberal state in the union suggests that he has the political talent and gravitas to be a serious candidate for president. And after his second place showing in the Tennessee straw poll, I'm thinking this could be the guy. So it's time for conservatives to start nailing his feet to the floor on the issues of Supreme Court nominations, preemptive defense, government spending... conservative stuff like that.

Feingold Seeks Dean's Maniacs

Russ Feingold stood in front of the Senate yesterday stating his case for the censuring of President Bush over the wiretapping of foreign terrorists and their sympathizers in this country. Hearing him speak one would have thought that there simply was no argument over whether or not this was legal or illegal, and that everyone in the Senate, the House of Representatives, the White House, and the Supreme Court were simply biding their time until the president's punishment or means of execution had been determined.

Following Feingold's "one-man-show" Senator Lieberman stood before the cameras and said he didn't know of anyone in the Senate who wasn't in favor of this wiretapping, saying that it was necessary for our security. Even Harry Reid chose not to get on board with Feingold expressing only his admiration for the man.

In fact, none of the Senate Democrats seem to want this to come to a vote. How odd. They have been talking about this for weeks and now when they have the chance to publicly and officially express their outrage... they cave. So maybe it's easy to daily lob criticism at the president, but when it comes to putting their names down as being against a security program that a majority of Americans feel is keeping them safe... they back down. Hmm, maybe it's just politics?

But let's cut to the chase where Russ Feingold is concerned. He is running for president and yesterday was his moment in the sun. He wants to run to the Left of Hillary Clinton (He was the only U.S. Senator to vote against the Patriot Act) and pick up the Howard Dean left-wing America-last maniacs. He is a calmer Dean and a smoother version of John Kerry and he may be successful. But to get the nomination he will have to travel so far left that he will be unpalatable to mainstream America. And to overcome that will take more than a political stunt ...like the one he delivered yesterday.

The Enemy Within

The war goes well. The war goes badly. Oddly, the defenders of America struggle simply to establish that the war "is." Oddly, in the midst of beheadings, murder, misogynistic atrocities, riots, and the threat of nuclear proliferation among madmen, the defenders of America must waste their energy arguing that we really are the good guys. And this argument is with fellow Americans.

With some of the most visible and vocal among us championing the Palestinians over Israel, we are left wondering if this country no longer has the ability to discern good from evil. Values and allegiances once taken for granted are suddenly open for debate. If the national discussion is still deliberating on the atrocities in the middle east and in, what has become, Eurabia, then perhaps no outrageous event or set of circumstances can unite us.

Sen. Russ Feingold said Sunday that Congress needs to censure President Bush as a possible first step towards impeachment for authorizing the wiretapping of terrorists based in America, adding that Bush's alleged lawbreaking was "much more serious, clearly, than anything Bill Clinton ever did."
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/3/12/120437.shtml?s=ic

He is flat wrong. He is dead wrong," (Senator Bill) Frist fumed on ABC's "This Week," minutes after Feingold announced his censure plan on the same show.
The top Republican complained: "As I was listening to it, I was hoping deep inside that the leadership in Iran and other people who really have the U.S. not in their best interests, were not listening because of the terrible, terrible signal it sends."
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/3/12/133111.shtml?s=ic

This is Bizzaro America. This is a respected Senator suggesting that America is best served by censuring and possibly impeaching its president in a time of war... over a legal argument. Feingold's motivation is revealed when he compares the wiretaps to Clinton's misdeeds. The Senator from Wisconsin fails to realize that payback time in a time of war is bad timing.

When the so-called loyal opposition places politics above the war effort and national security, and when they have an excellent chance of gaining control of Congress this fall... our nation faces extraordinary danger.

The same political philosophy, this same liberal ideology that rules the Democrat Party, orchestrated and facilitated the formation of Eurabia. Hopefully America will wake up before this fall... before we begin our descent to Amerabia.

A Unique Opportunity

(CBS) CHICAGO Crowds marched through the city on Friday to rally against HR 4437 – The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005.
Supporters of the bill before Congress say it beefs up border protection. But thousands of people in Chicago's Latino community call the pending bill a blatant violation of rights.
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_069125525.html

I just hope the FBI, Homeland Security, and the INS had the sense to be out taking pictures.

Women and Children First

Peter Heck brought up a fascinating story about a lawsuit involving women's and men's so-called reproductive rights. A man named Matt Dubay fathered a child with a woman who claimed she was unable to conceive, and now he really doesn't want to be financially destroyed (who would?) just because the mother "chose" to give birth and raise the child. I suppose his legal argument will be that if abortion and adoption are legitimate options, why should her choice ruin his future?
http://peterheck.com/betasite/fullBlog.php?entry=114

The short version of the law in this country is that a woman can invite any man to her bed, become pregnant, give birth, and then extract an exorbitant quantity of money from the man's paycheck, and the man has no "choice" in the matter... beyond not having sex in the first place, of course.

In this country the woman has two choices that will solve the man's problem: 1) have an abortion 2) give up the child for adoption. But again, these are strictly the woman's options. If after conception men had the options of marriage or adoption... women would be more chaste or much more careful.

Men's "rights" are not much better when the child is born in wedlock. In the distant past it was the man who was much more likely to be unfaithful to his vows, but today... how many married women find someone else, or simply decide they don't love their husband anymore and want out?

And that's not all they want. They want the house. They want the child. They want the money. The man must then pay for an apartment and pay child support... basically be financially ruined, and is expected to be a "stand-up-guy" as another man comes along and raises his child and sleeps in his bed... all because his wife was unhappy and didn't want to keep her promise.

In many cases men get exactly what they deserve... But my point is, in some cases they don't.

For men there are no good answers to these problems... at least not after the fact. The lifeboat, that is our law, protects the weakest of us and the old adage "women and children first" is the guiding principle. And it's the best principle for a bad situation.

So my advice for a young man would be:
1) Show a great deal of caution when you choose a mate. She may be the weaker sex, but the law gives her a great deal of power over your future.
2) Women in bars are looking for easy, quick fulfillment, and a good time. After they are married and have kids, they will be looking for easy, quick fulfillment, and a good time.
3) Do yourself a big favor and find a woman that prays... not just one that goes to church... but a woman that prays and has a stubborn faith... a woman that is going to pray for you, your children, and your marriage... even when you're clueless clumsy, and stupid... which you will be.
4) And remember, if you're not in love with a woman's character, you're not in love.

And take heart young man, because if you choose wisely... after the birth of a couple kids, after 20 years, after 20 pounds... respect and admiration are powerful aphrodisiacs.

Bachelor Tip for March

Yes, I've decided that as a public service I will give one tip to young bachelors each month. (Who better than I?) After all I've been on my own for a long long time and I've learned the ropes, mostly through trial and error. So here is my tip for March, sure to improve a bachelor's life and chances for survival into old age:

Install Funeral Lighting

Question: Is there anything more vain than a woman?
Answer: No, there is not.

Have you ever noticed how wonderful people look at a funeral home? Even the corpse looks like he is having a good day. This is done with lighting.

And here's the tip: Change all the light bulbs in your bathrooms (and any other room that has a mirror) with Sylvania Soft Pink bulbs. Women will love coming to your home... and not even realize why. They will go to the bathroom more often, too. These bulbs will take ten years off any face so they are even more effective on mature women.
And remember, you'll look better to her, too!

Test the tip: Place a new mirror in your living room along with the funeral lighting and see if you don't catch your girlfriend checking her hair more often and stealing looks at herself.

Benefit: You'll save money. Note this typical conversation...
You say, "Honey, would you like to go out for dinner and maybe a movie?"
She says, "Oh, why don't we just rent a movie and watch it at your place, and maybe order in pizza?"
Trust me. It really really works.

Will the funeral lighting make my date more confident and more likely to wear skimpy outfits when she visits me at my home?
Yes. Oh yes. But you must remember to use this bachelor tip only for good!

Bonus tip: If you have a swimsuit calendar (or worse) in your home, remove it before your lady-friend visits. This is also important if you have young boys, because you don't want them growing up thinking that women are objects. They need to find that out on their own.

Gays, Bloodborne Disease, and Compassion

Washington D.C. College students, having given up on the FDA directly, are pressuring the American Red Cross, which collects most of the nation's blood, to change it's policy banning gay men from being donors. Activists say that if they can get the Red Cross to change its stance, the FDA will follow.
http://www.queerday.com

Why? Why are they doing this? If I participated in acts that made my blood suspect, the last thing I would want to do is endanger the inventory that people depend upon. The last thing I would want to do is effect healthcare decisions or effect the confidence or treatment of sick people. People have to be very ill before they get blood, and they have enough worries without adding the fear of bloodborne disease.

Because of AIDS and hepatitis patients now receive blood only as a last resort. Because of all the deaths and infections produced in hemophiliacs and others, the confidence in our blood supply is still in a state of recovery. The tests we use to screen donor units are better than they used to be, but the tests and the system aren't perfect.

Is there anything more selfish and self-centered than the action of these activists? Couldn't they for a moment just poke their heads outside their self-absorbed, sick little world and think of the men, women, and children they are effecting?

Impeachment in '07?

Both well-connected GOP'er, Bill Kristol, and New York Times in-house-conservative, David Brooks, predicted on Sunday's talk shows that Democrats would pick up enough seats to control the House.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/3/8/102930.shtml?s=ic

That would put flame thrower and general nut-job John Conyers of Michigan running the House Judiciary Committee. Hearings would begin immediately and with enough pressure from Move-On.Org (And there is always enough pressure there...) an impeachment vote would eventually follow.

Any predictions?

Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

A high school social studies teacher who was put on leave after comparing President Bush's State of the Union address to speeches made by Adolf Hitler defended his lecture on Tuesday, saying he was trying to encourage students to think.
"My job as a teacher is to challenge students to think critically about issues that are affecting our world and our society," Jay Bennish said on NBC's "Today" show.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/3/7/125421.shtml?s=ic

I am not a teacher, but after graduating college I went back to take a semester of teacher's training... for two reasons: 1) I had absolutely no idea what to do next... and, 2) there was a girl that was still at my college who had become a habit of mine. She was a lovely girl from Wheaton, Maryland who claimed to have had the highest kick on her high school pom pom squad... which she demonstrated and I can tell you it was amazing. Her legs and that kick were the things stalkers are made of, but I digress.

After having studied Chemistry and Biology, the Education classes that I took were a complete joke... and every useful thing I learned that semester could have been related to me over a lunch at Burger King. The worst teachers I ever had were the ones who taught me how to teach.
As I recall, the goal of the classes was to train me how to take a group of kids and educate them in a particular subject. Thinking back on that semester I'm almost positive that Political Indoctrination 101 was not on my class schedule.

His politics aside, Mr Bennish was caught wasting everyone's time and money.

Public Schools have a great many problems, not the least of which is the fact that the extracurricular has become the curriculum. What Bennish was spewing is a kind of extracurricular activity because very few of his sudents will go on to make a living at being left-wing activists and Marxists. It's like the teaching of young men to be football players... Only a few of the very best will make a career of it in the NFL. Same with pom pom girls... Only a few of the very best will become strippers and showgirls.

I'm sure teachers get bored and prefer to talk about things that interest them, voice their opinions about these matters, and pontificate in general. But that's not what we taxpayers have hired them to do. One hundred years ago when the public schools produced a better product, the emphasis was on the three R's. Today public education is more sophisticated and much less effective.

Hey Hollywood! No One Cares

I remember back in the 60's when even I, ...a kid, watched the Oscars and had favorites. How things have changed. But Hollywood is so self-absorbed and narcissistic that I'm sure they are quite comfortable fading into their own little microcosm.

Judge Napolitano's Hair

This just isn't right.

It's the kind of thing that keeps me up at night.

Andrew Napolitano (right) only has half a forehead. Does this bother anyone else besides me? Is there a medical condition associated with having only half a forehead? Did he have half of his forehead surgically removed? Would bangs make his picture look better? What if he wore caps? He definitely had more forehead as a child actor when he played on the Munsters, but since then his hair seems to be taking over his forehead.

They never talk about this on Fox and Friends. Judge Napolitano's hair is the elephant in the living room at Fox and Friends and yet they never discuss it. Maybe E.D. and Steve and Brian are just too polite to mention it.

It bothers me.

Tippy Toes and Eggshells

Jancan has an interesting take (link at bottom) on the Muslim cartoons and I agree. I'm just not comfortable in a country where I can't express myself, even if that means being a complete jerk. It's just my way. It's always been my way. Eggshells were made to be stomped on.

This is America. It's not Amerika. It's not the Estados Unidos de América... not on my street. In my town we have no colonies of people who hate this country. We don't want them. I know a Chinese family that we've embraced... their English is getting better... sort of. There is a family from India that's trying hard to fit in, though the parents are concerned that their children are becoming a little too American. We have a lady who has been here a long long time, though she is originally from Mexico (pronounced me'-hee-ko). Her English abilities peaked long ago but her grandson (the one who is fighting for his country) speaks quite well and can help her. My favorite is a Philippina, although she is a bit prejudiced... against people who don't want to work.

I had a point here somewhere.

Maybe we need more cartoons. Maybe our national personality should express itself as an irritant to all who are humorless. Maybe we should make this country into a place that is uncomfortable for all those who don't wish to embrace our culture and become patriotic, flag waving Americans. This land and its freedoms are not for everyone, so it follows that everyone should not be setting up shop here. It's being a little more exclusive than we're used to, but I don't think any other policy for immigration works.

I don't tip-toe. I stomp on eggshells. While inside our borders I personally reserve the right to be politically incorrect, loud, and offensive. I'm an American.

http://19jancan66.blogspot.com/2006/03/msu-publishes-mohammad-cartoons.html

Muslim Terrorist Strikes at UNC

Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, a University of North Carolina student from Iran is being charged with nine counts of attempted murder after he drove through a popular campus gathering spot in an attempt to avenge Muslim deaths.

I'll have to remember to ask if this kind of thing happened during World War II. Maybe the Japanese and German students who attended our colleges and universities back then were screened more strictly or watched more closely. We also might benefit from studying how our country handled immigration from Japan and Germany during that war. Retrieving clues from our past can sometimes be helpful.

Fair and Balanced

Logic Lifeline has a great story about cable news ratings. You've got to see this. It demonstrates beautifully how people are hungry for fairness and common sense.
You'll find it here:
http://logiclifeline.blogspot.com/2006/03/fox-almost-makes-you-feel-sorry-for.html

AU Trash Talk

There is an organization based in Washington called Americans United for the Separation of Church and State which is made up mostly of atheists and people who call themselves Christians because they believe Jesus was a nice man. Reverend Barry Lynn, a United Church of Christ Minister and ACLU Attorney, is Americans United's chief spokesperson. Don't let the "minister" part fool you... it doesn't take much investigation to learn that Lynn's so-called "ministry" is nothing about salvation through Jesus. Lynn, like his liberal (and dying) Church, is about nothing but liberal social issues including anti-war, anti-Church, anti-military, anti-God... anti-anything good causes.

Anyway, when the confirmation of Justice Sam Alito turned particularly ugly, James Dobson organized a letter writing campaign to encourage and show support for the embattled nominee. Recently Alito wrote to Dobson and thanked him for the support and the letters:

“This is just a short note to express my heartfelt thanks to you and the entire staff of Focus on the Family for your help and support during the past few challenging months. I would also greatly appreciate it if you would convey my appreciation to the good people from all parts of the country who wrote to tell me that they were praying for me and for my family during this period.”

Wasn't that nice... and an indication of good manners? Well, not according to Barry Lynn who wrote:

“Justice Alito should follow the commands of the Constitution, not the orders of Dobson and the Religious Right. This note strongly suggests that Alito is carrying out a right-wing agenda instead of being a justice for all."

Yes. Barry Lynn is confused.

The very definition of a Strict Constructionist, which Alito appears to be, is a justice who follows the Constitution... which is exactly the opposite of what Barry Lynn really wants. Lynn wants justices who will follow the commands of Americans United, and other left-wing organizations. He wants justices who will discover things in the constitution that aren't really there... justices who will legislate from the bench and circumvent the will of the people.

Truth be told, what bothers me most about Lynn is the "Reverend" in front of his name. When Barry Lynn writes, he speaks of the religious right as if it was his enemy... as if we were an evil bunch of wild-eyed fanatics. And attacking a man of faith, such as James Dobson, pinpoints exactly where Lynn's heart lies.

When a man of the cloth loses his faith and no longer believes, he usually clings to his own little sense of good and justice, no longer seeking the will of his Creator. This is what I call "Vestigial Christianity." It always ends up embracing Humanism and in no way resembles worship. People like Barry Lynn love the "idea" of Jesus but just can't bring themselves to believe in the Christ.

Liberal clergy tend to create God in their own image, and once you've reduced the life of Jesus to a morality play, absolute truth is just any man's opinion.

Ted Still Paying

Senator Kennedy was probably just sitting down with a scotch and soda back on February 12th. He was probably just minding his own business, wondering how he might stick-it to some conservative or some Republican sometime, somewhere... and then Cheney goes and has a hunting accident.

Ted's liberal pals do what liberals do when they think there is Republican blood in the water... they pounce on the Vice President. Ted smiles. Ted feels good.

But hold on Ted. As Roy Hobbs said in The Natural, "I guess there's some mistakes that we never stop paying for."

When the press and the Dems started questioning how long it took Cheney to report the accident, Ted surely lost his smile. Surely at that point Ted saw it coming.

It has to be that way, Ted. You get drunk and drive a young woman off a bridge... You step on her, freeing yourself from the sedan... you know you're too drunk to get her out... but instead of going to the nearby house (the one with the porch light on) to get a sober person to help you, you think of yourself (as you've done all your life) and you start walking the other way... you go back to your room and start trying to figure out how in the world you're going to get out of this one.

The next day you're cleaned up, sobered up, and in your sailing outfit... having a conversation with some of the locals... and you still haven't called the police.

In the meantime, the car has been found. The young woman is found with her head arched upwards into a pocket of air in one of the sedan's footwells. How long did it take her to suffocate, Ted? If you had gone to the house for help would she have survived?

Well... You didn't go to jail. You didn't even lose your Senate seat. But you'll be paying as long as you have breath. It has to be that way, Ted.

My Apology to the Dems

Daniel Henninger comments in the WSJ Opinion Journal:

"CIA leak prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald argued . . . that as far as the perjury charges against former Cheney chief of staff Lewis Libby are concerned, it does not matter whether or not Valerie Wilson was a covert CIA agent. . . . 'We're trying a perjury case', Fitzgerald told Judge Reggie Walton. Even if Plame had never worked for the CIA at all, Fitzgerald continued--even if she had been simply mistaken for a CIA agent--the charges against Libby would still stand. In addition, Fitzgerald said, he does not intend to offer 'any proof of actual damage' caused by the disclosure of Wilson's identity." No damage?
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/dhenninger/?id=110008042

This is, of course, outrageous. This is a special prosecutor going after a crime that wasn't... and justifying his pay by producing a crime based only on his investigation.

But my outrage is based upon my value system. I value this White House because they are protecting my way of life in a time of war. Why go after the people I respect over something that is meaningless?

So here comes my apology: Democrats, I am humbly sorry for being so angry and vindictive over the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky mess. I now understand a little how you must have felt when Bill Clinton was impeached. Based on your value system, what you worship, what was the big deal?

I value decency and a country where children can respect the moral values of its leaders. You Dems consider decency to be the welfare state, giving my money to poor people and... well all that other liberal stuff that I despise.

But Bill's impeachment must have seemed outrageous to you. It must have hurt you very much.

By my values, a good man would have accepted responsibility and resigned. But we will never agree because we've based our lives on different things.

As one of your fellow travellers, Bill Mahr, said recently on Scarborough Country, "Well, you can never reason with any religious people. And that‘s any religion. That‘s our religions, too, Joe, because religion isn‘t reasonable."

So, Democrats, I won't try to reason with your (and Bill Mahr's) religion. (...and that would be Humanism) It's pointless. But I will apologize for not being more understanding when your hero fell.

The ACLU and Your Money

Peter Heck, whose web site I highly recommend you bookmark, has a great post that points to the true mission of the ACLU... and it's not the defending of civil liberties. It's great reading and you can find it here:
http://peterheck.com/betasite/fullBlog.php?entry=104

I heard this morning on Moody Radio that the ACLU is now going after the Gideons for giving Bibles to fifth graders. (As Mr Heck writes, "No good program goes unsued.") Condoms would be OK, but Bibles...

I keep telling you folks, everything in this world comes down to good and evil... and choosing your side. It's as simple as that.

Europe Slowly Catches On

I found this through Right-Wing Nut:

The world has long looked upon the Dutch as the very model of a modern, multicultural society.
How different things look today. Dutch borders have been virtually shut. New immigration is down to a trickle. The great cosmopolitan port city of Rotterdam just published a code of conduct requiring Dutch be spoken in public. Parliament recently legislated a countrywide ban on wearing the burqa in public. And listen to a prominent Dutch establishment figure describe the new Dutch Way with immigrants. "We demand a new social contract," says Jan Wolter Wabeke, High Court Judge in The Hague. "We no longer accept that people don't learn our language, we require that they send their daughters to school, and we demand they stop bringing in young brides from the desert and locking them up in third-floor apartments."
...the Dutch are once again at the forefront of changes in Europe. This time, the Dutch model for Europe is one of multiculturalism besieged, if not plain defunct.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11569485/site/newsweek/

Well it's a good start. If they can bind and gag the bleeding heart liberals maybe Europe still has a chance.

UPDATE: Skyepuppy in discussing the same article asks:
What I want to know is how long it's going to take the multicultural elites in America to catch on and follow the lead of their beloved Europe. How long before we hear "Mr. UN" John Kerry calling for English-only education? How long before we hear about college professors teaching the benefits and necessity of a unified American culture?
http://skyepuppy.blogspot.com/2006/02/cartoon-backlash-in-europe.html

Answer: It would take riots on American streets to nudge moderates into action on these issues. And liberals would quietly bide their time looking for another opportunity to inject their never-changing worldview into the mix.

Ignored Realities

Jancan has this story from the heart of Islam:

This moving human interest story, airing on palestinian authority TV, highlighted one mothers sadness at her daughters FAILED suicide bombing. The 21 year old girl was en-route to Be'er Sheva's Soroka Hospital outpatient clinic were she had been receiving treatment for burns to 40% of her body. This pathetic wretch was arrested at a border crossing wearing a 20 pound bomb under her clothes. She later told Israeli television she hoped to kill 30 to 50 Israelis including children. Had she succeeded, she may have murdered the very doctor that saved her live. If that's not bad enough, her mother was upset because she was caught and couldn't complete her martyrdom attack. Is there any doubt that this is a sick and twisted set of beliefs? Do you think they want to live in peace and harmony with Israel? I think not........

Oh hey... it sounds like the civilized world may be at war!
We may have an enemy and we may have to kill them before they kill us.
Somebody alert the media!

Thanks for the story, Jancan. Sad to say there are some mental pathologies that can't be cured or rehabilitated. There are simply no pretty solutions.

A Judgement Day Tip: Don't Stand Too Close to Dan Brown

There is bad news and then there is really bad news. Today I heard some terrible news on Moody Radio. A man was commenting that people who were outside the Church and that had read The DaVinci Code were now less open to the Gospel. He said a Muslim friend who had read the book told him, "It affirmed my worst suspicions about Christianity."

I think its effect on lukewarm Christians and those weak in their faith may prove to be a lifelong impediment that leads to destruction. And... its coming out in a more effective form soon... when it reaches theaters. "The Passover Plot" and "The Last Temptation of Christ" were just blips on the radar screen, but Hollywood may have really "split the atom" with this one.

Having lead people astray is a particularly damning epitaph. It's an evil that ventures beyond the realm of suicide bombers and riots and plants itself right next to child molestors and torture. Eternal damage is damage indeed.

To the author of the DaVinci Code I say, "Dan, you're in a bad spot, boy. And Opie, Tom... what were you thinking?" Mel Gibson and James Caviezel will be known through eternity as makers of a movie that quickened faith. Ron Howard and Tom Hanks will be known as spiritual pornographers.

Abortion and Mental Health

Big news from the world of psychiatry: When you kill your child you are likely to become bummed out, or depressed as we say in Greentown.

A study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry has found that women who have abortions are more likely to suffer psychological problems than those who don't.
"Those having an abortion had elevated rates of subsequent mental health problems including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviors and substance use disorders," reports David Fergusson, a scientist at New Zealand's Christchurch School of Medicine & Health Science.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/2/26/151524.shtml?s=ic

See, to me this is like a study that would find that when people have a leg amputated... they walk with a limp.

Oh really!

Some would place this malady at the feet of pro-lifers whose efforts to save fetuses might cause these women pause. But I thinnk it goes back to something as basic as say... maternal instinct? The guilt these ladies feel is born of a conscience that often rears its head when we commit an ugly act.

For me a more interesting study would be follow these same women and see if the ones who subsequently have a religious experience, repent and reject this form of birth control... see if they have better mental health.

The Second Amendment is Not for Sportsmen

Justice Antonin Scalia spoke at the National Wild Turkey Foundation annual convention and said:
"The attitude of people associating guns with nothing but crime, that is what has to be changed," Scalia told the audience of about 2,000.
"I grew up at a time when people were not afraid of people with firearms," said Scalia, noting that as a youth in New York City he was part of a rifle team at the military school he attended.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/2/26/164213.shtml?s=ic

That's fine Judge, but you might have mentioned that the founding fathers were not all that interested in shooting for sport. They understood that a well-armed society was a free society... free from tyrants both foreign and domestic.

We don't talk about it much in this country, but there may come a day when our freedom will depend upon another American Revolution. The founding fathers understood this better than we do today.

The Federal Government has, step by step, taken from the states the powers guaranteed to them by the 10th amendment. The Judicial Branch, the Congress, and the Executive Branch have all shown an incredible hunger for power and centralized authority.

You see, the second amendment is not about sportsmen. It's not just about maintaining a militia because that could be accomplished without our right to keep and bear arms. To understand the thinking behind this amendment, all you have to do is ask the question, "Why would the government choose to make a law that infringes on a law abiding citizen's right to own a gun?" Hmm?

I believe the founding fathers knew that freedom was fragile and feared this very thing. Perhaps they thought their children or their children's children might one day have to talk a little treason in order to secure their liberty. Is it that hard to imagine? It was none other than Thomas Jefferson who suggested that an occasional revolution was good for democracy.

So the next time the Supreme Court strikes down a state law because they've invented another clause in their "living constitution..."

...the next time Congress raises your taxes so that they can purchase a few votes... support a foreign country that hates us... or fund the healthcare and education of illegal aliens...

...the next time the ATF assassinates an innocent women with her baby in her arms...

Remember that the spirit of King George is alive and well and now operates in Washington. So be a good citizen. Write to your congressman... and buy a gun. I suggest you do it before the Supreme Court invents a reason to outlaw them.

The Latest Immigration Legislation

McCain, considered a maverick Republican for opinions often differing from many GOP lawmakers, has just kicked off a national campaign promoting his new legislation co-authored with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
Their bi-partisan proposal would allow illegal aliens to stay in the U.S. legally as ''guest workers," having the opportunity to earn U.S. citizenship.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48982

Whenever I see a Republican cozying up to a national joke and embarrassment like Teddy Kennedy, the red flags appear instantly and I immediately wonder why anyone, let alone a Republican that seeks national office, would pursue such an association. I can only assume that McCain has spent a little too much time with Hollywood types who are old enough to remember when the Kennedy name still held its ridiculously unwarranted mystique. Poor clueless John.

Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado evidently failed to receive the memo which explained how our government had surrendered to Mexico (pronounced me-hee-ko) and wants to debate McCain on this issue. He states:

Your (McCain's and Teddy's) plan has its fans among big business. They want to continue reaping profits from cheap, low-skill labor while passing on social service costs of that labor to the taxpayer. They cloak their desire for open borders in their demand for one more amnesty, knowing full well that rewarding illegal behavior merely encourages more of the same.

Tancredo also has said:

It will not only encourage illegal immigration, but it will tell every single person who has done it the right way, who has waited in line, who has paid the fees, who has hired the lawyers, who has spent five or ten years trying to coming in, it's telling them they're nothing but suckers.
http://www.rightwingnews.com/interviews/tancredo.php

Well they are suckers, Tom. They've been reading too many books about America that were written back when we were a nation that respected laws.

As our country rapidly morphs into something very different from what we grew up in, and as our culture takes on an identity grounded in nothing, let's all give credit where credit is due... to those undaunted multiculturalist liberals and their leished fools like John McCain, who see nothing all that special about this country and recognize no advantage in preserving its unique character... that they never really liked anyway.

Reasonable Businesmen

From the CEO of Dubai Ports World:

"The reaction in the United States has occurred in no other country in the world," the company's chief operating officer, Ted Bilkey, said in a statement. "We need to understand the concerns of the people in the U.S. who are worried about this transaction and make sure that they are addressed to the benefit of all parties. Security is everybody's business."

Now this Arab, Ted Bilkey, evidently is not the kind of Arab you've seen on TV lately. Seriously, I can't imagine how this corporation could be more reasonable and understanding. They are giving us time to check them out, and if they are open and forthcoming this should allay the fears of all but those who are politically motivated.

My understanding is that their government has been an ally in the war on terror. Our naval vessels use their ports and our military aircraft use their airports. True, the government recognized the Taliban prior to 9/11 and two of the hijackers were from this country, but the UAE has since been one of the few friends that we have in the region.

Besides, we are not turning the job of security over to these people. That job will still be in the hands of the United States Government and the people working the docks will still be Americans.

Why spit in the eye of an ally unnecessarily? We shouldn't discriminate against good people just because their name is Achbar, Mahmoud, or Ted.

Update:
Thanks to AICS at The Logic Lifeline, I have this by Krauthammer to recommend:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-2_24_06_CK.html

Bachelor Tip for February

Yes, I've decided that as a public service I will give one tip to young bachelors each month. (Who better than I?) After all I've been on my own for a long long time and I've learned the ropes, mostly through trial and error. So here is my inaugural tip for bachelors, sure to improve their lives and chances for survival into old age:

Vacuum Quarterly.

Should I vacuum sooner if I can actually see dirt? Yes. But let's say you have Dorito crumbs in front of your La-Z-Boy. Don't vacuum, just pick them up.
You see, many people, mostly neurotic women, make the mistake of vacuuming once (or even twice) a month. My theory is that this only serves to wear out your carpeting... which is very very bad. Also vacuuming may be harmful to your lower back and over-vacuuming is just asking for back trouble... and no one wants that.

What if it's been three months and I still can't see the dirt? Use your best judgement. Vacuuming quarterly is just a handy guideline.

Well that's it! In March I'll have some practical tips on how often you really need to wash your clothes.

Douth Dakota's Abortion Ban

South Dakota's state senate voted on Wednesday for an abortion ban aimed at giving the conservative-tilting Supreme Court an opening to overturn rulings granting women the right to the procedure.
http://reuters.myway.com/article/20060223/2006-02-23T004814Z_01_N22531791_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-RIGHTS-ABORTION-DC.html

Fine. But barring a miracle worked on the heart of Justice Kennedy there are not enough votes on the Supreme Court to strike down Roe. While I believe abortion laws should me made by state legislatures and not by any branch of the federal government... timing is everything on this contentious issue.

Will this "going nowhere" law in South Dakota give ammunition to pro-abortion groups and reinvigorate them? Yes. Will it inspire the "pro-Roe" Justice Stevens to hold off on his retirement for a Democrat or a more liberal Republican president? Well, we can hope not. Scratch that. We can pray not. This is definitely a matter for prayer.

My personal belief is that, with the present members on the Court, an incremental step would have been much more effective and revealed more of the present member's leanings. My guess is that the law will be struck down by a lower federal court and the Supreme Court, at this time, will refuse to hear it.

I'm sure abortion is here to stay in the blue states. But without Roe, laws and attitudes... and hearts... are more free to be changed in the red states. I pray the Lord gives our side the wisdom necessary to get the job done.

Clinton's Wiretaps

Back in the 90's when terrorism reared its ugly head in New York with the World Trade Center bombing and the attempted bombing of the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, Bill Clinton was on the job collecting information about terrorists. This huge Clinton surveillance scheme was VAAPCON, the Violence Against Abortion Providers Task Force.

Front Page Mag has a story by Lowell Ponte that might strike fear in the hearts of those who shared personal problems or sins with Roman Catholic Cardinal of New York John O’Connor... because Bill was listening.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21387

According to the U.S. Justice Department, VAAPCON “was charged with determining whether there was a nationwide conspiracy to commit acts of violence against reproductive health care providers.” The more than 900 targets of all this surveillance included the Christian Coalition, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Women’s Coalition for Life, Feminists for Life, Americans United for Life, the 600,000-member Concerned Women for America, the National Rifle Association, the American Life League, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and even then-Roman Catholic Cardinal of New York John O’Connor.

VAAPCON was also designed to help enforce FACE, the Clintons’ 1994 law called the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. FACE is a peculiarly anti-First Amendment law that denies the right to free speech to certain groups but not others. Union protestors could legally block an abortion clinic access with a picket line while carrying signs that read: “Abortion Workers on Strike for Higher Wages! Local 69, AFL-CIO.” But those same protestors could be arrested and imprisoned if their signs read, “Mothers, think twice before aborting your baby.”

“To put VAAPCON in perspective,” wrote investigative reporter Jack Cashill, “imagine the Bush administration targeting the Sierra Club, Robert Kennedy Jr., and Al Gore to deal with the issue of the Unabomber or environmentalist violence in general.”

In fact, such Bush spying might be less outrageous. When the Unabomber was apprehended, authorities found Al Gore’s anti-capitalist book Earth In The Balance by his bedside, heavily underlined. Democratic Congressman Bob Filner of California in one radio interview was unable to distinguish quotes from the Unabomber Manifesto and Gore’s ideological writing.

The entire article is worth your time. Ponte ends by writing:
Until leftist leaders speak out against VAAPCON and the Clintons’ other government surveillance activities aimed mostly at Christian groups, it is hard to take seriously their alarmist statements about today’s purportedly excessive government monitoring of international telephone calls that include Islamofascist terrorists.

Secular and Religious Fascism

On 9/11 the civilized, educated Muslim world sat silent, probably enjoying just a bit the West being hit so brutally. But now they are the ones under the gun in the Middle East where government by mob is becoming the law of the day and the list of extremist Muslim restrictions on free speech increases each day. Journalists are facing trial in a time where holding a second opinion might lead to their death. Any influence reasonable Muslims had in this region is quickly being ceded to those who will gladly embrace a religious police-state.

Our country has watched this kind of thing before and delayed acting until the cost of action was tragically high. The secular Fascism of Hitler grew out of control and was the cause of enormous death and suffering. In the Middle East the juggernaut of Religious Fascism threatens to do the same.

Just as during the Cold War, today Liberals love to dream that evil can be thwarted with the right words and that mankind can rise above its darker, ugly side with just the right coaxing. But it's the hawkish, conservative leaders that lead us through the storms... and all those brave young men... and women.

The United Arab Emirates and Our Security

So globalization has surfaced in the form of Dubai Ports World which is buying the British company (Peninsular and Oriental) which runs many big US ports. DPW has been described as a state-owned (U.A.E.) firm run like a private corporation. From what I've read this private transaction between DPW and P&O would leave Americans and Brits working and managing the ports in question with the American government in charge of security.

More importantly for me, with George Bush's record on fighting terrorism I trust his administration to make the right call here.

But...

Politically this transaction is a loser for whoever supports it. You could explain and reassure till you're blue in the face and it is still going to be used as a political football. As soon as I heard the Democrats climb onto this so-called "security issue" I knew the games had begun. The Dems are aching to look tough on a security issue... any security issue... and since reality is not an important element of their rhetoric this port situation will do just fine. Republicans in Congress have seen the writing on the wall and are following suit.

So stick a fork in it.

My Favorite Presidents on President's Day

I'm not a historian, (or an historian as we'd say in Greentown) but these are my FAVORITES:

1) George Washington... He had bad teeth which is probably why he never smiled in his pictures. Great leader... a man of prayer... Just what we needed at the time.

2) Ronald Reagan... Best president of the 20th century. Saved us from a second term with Jimmy Carter... made the word "Conservative" respectable again and forever linked it with common sense and a strong defense... saved the economy with his tax cuts... and he won the Cold War.

3) Andrew Jackson... He married Susan Hayward in "The President's Lady" and teamed up with Yul Brynner in "The Buccaneer" (and he looked a lot like Moses who coincidentally also starred with Yul Brynner in the Ten Commandments)
The real Jackson was a warrior and a man's man... and he stood up to the Supreme Court when he said, "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it!" (Dang! I love this guy!)

Abraham Lincoln... He freed the slaves and led the nation through its darkest hours... and was so kind when he shared his apple with Shirley Temple in "The Littlest Rebel."

5) Theodore Roosevelt... He was a great leader and a great and colorful (and hugely popular) 20th century president... though I always thought he looked Japanese in those glasses in the old news reels. But whenever I hear his name I think of "Arsenic and Old Lace." Charge!

HONORABLE MENTION:

George "W" Bush... Not a true conservative, but he does seem to get the big issues right. And he defeated, and thus saved us from, two of the poorest war-time candidates for the presidency that have ever stood behind a lectern.

MOST OVERRATED:

Franklin Delano Roosevelt... Father of the welfare state. At Yalta he gave away half of Europe to Stalin, which paved the way for so much suffering. He is mistakenly given credit for leading us out of the Great Depression when actually that was accomplished by pilots from Japan.

John Kennedy... Twiddled his fingers as the Berlin Wall went up... ("Ich bin ein Berliner..." Yeah right)... Failed to support the freedom fighters in "The Bay of Pigs" slaughter... Then when his past weakness precipitated the missile crisis... and his spine finally stiffened...he almost stumbled into World War III.

WORST:

James Earl Carter... America didn't know what malaise was until Carter. Panama Canal give-away... Hostages in Iran... Double-digit interest rates and double-digit inflation... High taxes... and not a clue... Gloom. I'm sure there is more but I've no doubt blocked it out.

Bill Clinton... And just where do you begin with this national embarrassment?

Note: All the movies listed above are great movies which you must see... my favorite being "The President's Lady."

Iran's Threat and the Americas

Peter Heck, whose web site I highly recommend you bookmark, has an interesting piece that discusses the threat that a nuclear Iran poses for our hemisphere, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons into Venezuela and Cuba, pronounced "koo' ba." You can find Mr Heck's post here:
http://peterheck.com/betasite/fullBlog.php?entry=94

And, if you check out the featured audio you can listen to his radio show. Enjoy!

Muslim Sensitivities

Yes the Muslims are a sensitive lot. Much has been said recently about how the press wishes to avoid hurt feelings by not publishing the infamous cartoons that caused the "cartoon riots," and that precipitated the death threats made by these poor sensitive Muslims. These are the same simple, sensitive folk that celebrated 9/11 and then bought videos of the event so they could re-live that day. Yes, this magic, colorful religion of suicide bombings, gang rapes, and beheadings has produced some of the most sensitive people on the planet.

But when these meek, gentle people possess nuclear weapons and turn Tel Aviv into a cinder, will it hurt their feelings if we retaliate? If we level Tehran will it cast a gloom over the Muslim world? Have we sufficient stockpiles of anti-depressants and mood elevators to treat so many sensitive people who are culturally prone to hurt feelings and being downcast?

Some would say that loving your neighbor and blessing those that persecute you... and turning the other cheek... is meant to be applied on a personal level and has no bearing on the actions of governments in their self-defense. But was Jesus aware of how sensitive these people are?

The Boy From Ipanema

Liberals, Famous Muslim Comedic Legends, and Free Speech

...then Abou says to Mahmoud, "So how many virgins does it take to have a respectable Jihad?"

Yes, who hasn't had a good belly-laugh at this classic punch line. But Islam isn't just light-hearted fun. No, lately it has shined a light on the inconsistencies of the liberal's notion of free speech.

Liberals love free speech. Well, they love the free speech that they love. They love it when it involves the hate-filled demonstrations against the Bush Administration, but not when it is what they call hate-speech on a college campus. They loved the "P_ss Christ," but they don't publish the Danish Mohammed cartoons, even though a major news story of the day revolves around these drawings.

That shy and demure little wisp of a woman, Ann Coulter has a new article which the Left would no doubt call hate speech. She calls the enemies of the civilized world derogatory names. For Ann this is an uncharacteristic departure into the land of sarcasm and political incorrectness. Perhaps it was something she ate.

Nonetheless, I will not be a party to the publicizing or circulating of this ribald, vulgar, and insensitive piece. You can find it here: http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/anncoulter/2006/02/15/186732.html

The Altar of Multiculturalism

I may die of old age before my small town sees its first mosque. Forgive me, but that would suit me just fine. I'm already ticked off that my bank machine requires an extra keystroke to choose between English and Spanish. I put money into a tax system that pays billions in healthcare and education costs for illegal aliens so that I can save 15 cents on the piece of fruit I buy at the grocery.

And I've got a snippet of reality for my congressman... There are groups of individuals that are coming to this country not to immigrate, but rather to colonize this land. There are cultures colonizing our country that are incompatible with our culture. Do you think maybe we should apply the brakes to immigration until we figure out where Europe went wrong?

My questionaire for immigrants...
1) Can you speak English?
2) Is your religion historically peaceful?
3) Do you have a college degree or a marketable skill?

That's a start... and by the way the answer to all the above would have to be in the affirmative to qualify for immigration. If a person comes to this country they should have something to offer this country. Something positive.

This is important because thousands of cars have been torched in France and Australia. It's important because in Sweden and Norway, once peaceful societies, there is an epidemic of savage rapes and violence commited by third world youths whose only contributions are births and a drain on the welfare system. It's important because Europeans are fleeing European cities.

In Detroit hundreds of thousands of Muslim immigrants refuse to speak English... nor do they embrace America’s culture and separate from their former countries and cultures. In the southwest millions of legal and illegal immigrants refuse to learn and speak English, expecting every tranactional experience to be translated into their language.

There is not even selective immigration allowed in China, Russia, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and most other countries for that matter. Are they suffering race riots, car burnings, a language crisis, and other such problems? No, these problems are reserved for the sophisticated, liberal countries of the West.

People who come to America should come because they want to be Americans. We speak and conduct business in English. We love our country and our culture.

I've got nephews and nieces. I want them to be able to raise their children in the same culture that I was raised in. I don't want their future sacrificed on the altar of multiculturalism.

Look at Europe. Look around America. Multiculturalism doesn't work. It's time to deal with that fact.

Al Gore Makes Friends

Last Sunday Al Gore traveled to a foreign – and hostile – country to denounce his commander-in-chief who is fighting a War on Terror initiated by citizens and expatriates of that nation, Saudi Arabia. In a surprise moment of solidarity the former Vice President announced that he would be legally changing his name to Al Jazeera Gore in honor of the Arabic language television network, and terrorist sympathizing, Al Jazeera. Mr Gore stated, "I've never met Al Jazeera, but he and I obviously have a lot in common."

The Leftist Democrat's Democrat

In every organization there is a person who speaks and conducts himself as most everyone in that organization would... if only they were honest or had the guts. I think for the Democrat Base that man is former Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

Clark served in the Justice Department for the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations and was national president of the Federal Bar Association in 1964–65.

Clark is the Loony Left personified. His latest client, Saddam Hussein, is currently benefiting from Clark's legal skills. By serving America's enemies Clark embodies the spirit of the Left... that spirit that scoffs at honor and allegiance... that spirit that treats this country as a suspect... that spirit that sees nothing all that special about the United States.

You're a loon, Ramsey. But you do not engage in subterfuge... so you're an honest loon. You're more honest than Oily-Al Gore who trashes America in the homeland of the 9-11 terrorists. You're more honest than the New York Times who publishes its country's counter-terrorism tools, making them less effective and us less safe. You're more honest than all those who say they support the troops, while encouraging their enemies.

Kennedy Critical of Cheney for Not Reporting Hunting Accident

Senator Ted Kennedy expressed outrage that Vice President Dick Cheney waited 24 hours before reporting the hunting accident which injured Austin Lawyer Harry Whittington.

The Massachusetts Senator, speaking from his home on Sunday, suggested that the Vice President was trying to avoid taking responsibility for the shooting. He added, "Cheney will probably sober up on Monday, put on a neck brace, and claim that he was in shock."

Take My Wives... please!

In case you missed it, The Weekly Standard had an article about a Dutch man named De Bruijn and his bisexual wife who were part of a wedding ceremony which brought another bisexual woman into their marriage.

Stanley Kurtz writes in the WS:
More important, the De Bruijn wedding reveals a heretofore hidden dimension of the gay marriage phenomenon. The De Bruijns' triple marriage is a bisexual marriage. And, increasingly, bisexuality is emerging as a reason why legalized gay marriage is likely to result in legalized group marriage. If every sexual orientation has a right to construct its own form of marriage, then more changes are surely due. For what gay marriage is to homosexuality, group marriage is to bisexuality. The De Bruijn trio is the tip-off to the fact that a connection between bisexuality and the drive for multipartner marriage has been developing for some time.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/494pqobc.asp

Peter Heck's web site (which I highly recommend you bookmark) was the first site I saw that explored the highly bizarre possibilities that could arise from adjusting the traditional meaning of marriage. What I first thought was simply Mr Heck's hyperbole may instead prove to be prophetic.

The problem with a slippery slope is not the fall, but the momentum that quickly gathers.

Jimmy Carter's Selective Memory

Poor old Jimmy. After the nasty little spectacle he made at Mrs King's funeral, the Washinton Times turned up evidence that he practiced domestic surveillance himself.

Former President Jimmy Carter, who publicly rebuked President Bush's warrantless eavesdropping program this week during the funeral of Coretta Scott King and at a campaign event, used similar surveillance against suspected spies.
...in 1977, Mr. Carter and his attorney general, Griffin B. Bell, authorized warrantless electronic surveillance used in the conviction of two men for spying on behalf of Vietnam. The men, Truong Dinh Hung and Ronald Louis Humphrey, challenged their espionage convictions to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, which unanimously ruled that the warrantless searches did not violate the men's rights.
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060210-110722-2189r.htm

Mr Carter, who has suffered with chronic malaise since the 70's should not... I repeat, should not be confronted by the mainstream media with this inconsistency.

Women's Groups and Sharia

Jancan tells a story about a 17 year-old girl in Iran who, while defending herself and her niece from rapists, inadvertently killed one of the attackers. The girl is to be hanged for defending herself.

Jancan writes:
I have emailed the details to Code Pink and NOW among other woman's groups concerned with woman's rights. But it seems the only rights they're worried about is the right to murder a child in the womb and bringing about the collapse of our society by supporting terrorist rights in this country.
...This is what happens everyday in the muslim world according to islamic law a woman's testimony is only worth half that of a mans. This is sharia and what we'll all be ruled by if the islamic community has their way. Why aren't women everywhere speaking out for this victim of true oppression?

Most scary to me is that this travesty is not the work of some rogue terrorist group, but rather by a court in a supposed civilized country. These evil people need to be watched and exposed.

The liberal women's groups reveal their true nature and sentiments when they fail to support every effort to keep the misogynistic Islamic world in check.

Full story here: http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5184

Howard Dean... The Man... The Mouth

Thursday on Good Morning America, Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean attacked the President saying, "All we ask is that we not turn into a country like Iran where the President can do anything he wants."

My impression is that Mr Bush is monitoring overseas phone calls from terrorists because he is determined to keep us from turning into a country like Iran. And as long as we keep a conservative butt-kicking Republican in the White House, as opposed to an appeasing cut-and-run Wussocrat, we will remain safe and free.

Howard Dean is perhaps the finest thing that has ever happened to the Republican Party.

Dirty Harry

We've heard so much lately about the Republican's Culture of Corruption, but it turns out that the Democrat leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, has been paid off on occasion by none other than lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Over a three year period Harry received $68,000 in donations from Jack and his clients and the payments came in concert with actions by Harry that were helpful and beneficial to... Jack and his clients. Read the story here: http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/09/D8FLR3380.html

The Dems just can't catch a break.

Bread

What you see here took me about 3 hours to produce, but involved less than 30 minutes actual hands-on work. There is a reason why people have been baking bread for centuries... it's easy, it's practically fool proof, and its smells even better than it tastes.

That said, not many men bake bread... and brings us to the major reason why I never married. Yes, it's my cooking. The women I dated were always intimidated by my cooking... my potato salad, my lima beans in cheese sauce, my various hot dishes and sides. Why, even my green beans made many feel inadequate. I took no pleasure in shaming these women. But I had to be me.

Oh sure, I'm proud of my cooking. But late at night you can't cuddle up to a casserole.

The Dem's "Big Tent" Shelters Reverend Phelps

Symmetry is such good entertainment. It seems the homosexual-hating Reverend Fred Phelps from Kansas who demonstrates at funerals... is a Democrat.

He supported the 1988 presidential bid of Al Gore, whose campaign used Phelps’ family office space. Son Fred Phelps Jr., who had hosted a fundraiser for Gore, attended the 1993 Clinton-Gore inaugural. In 1990, 1994, and 1998 Phelps ran for the Democratic nomination for governor of Kansas, getting 15 percent of the primary vote in his last try. In 1992, he ran for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, getting nearly 31 percent of the primary vote. He also ran for mayor of Topeka in 1997.
He... has been appreciative to Fidel Castro.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21229

So any of you who thought the political demonstrations at the Wellstone and King funerals was an anomaly... think again. Among Democrats funerals are political. It's tradition.

Democrat Leaders Most Dangerous When Dead

Coretta Scott King was just a sick old woman a week ago, but now that she is dead she has become a weapon in the hands of the Leftists and the Democrats. Reminiscent of Senator Paul Wellstone's funeral, when this relatively unknown dead Minnesota Senator was used to attack Republicans, Mrs. King's funeral proved to be a vehicle to embarrass and chide President Bush who had come to pay his respects to the dead woman and her family.

Former President Jimmy Carter, practically dead, used the funeral of the dead Civil Rights widow to scold the President about the NSA wiretaps and all those dead black people in New Orleans.

Reverend Joseph Lowery, certainly no stiff, but still very effective, blasted the president for the dead killed by "smart bombs" and the fact that no WMD were found.

With so many left-wing leaders growing old, Republicans must despair wondering which dead Democrat will be the next to rise up and attack them.

Whether it's on the Judiciary Committee or at funerals, it's the Democrats who best reflect the manners and polite sophistication of this country's "Jerry Springer" culture.

The Ice Age Cometh

A Russian Astronomer from St Petersberg (Russia, not Florida) is predicting a mini Ice Age to occur in the middle of this century. (Does Al know?) Khabibullo Abdusamatov, pronounced Khabibullo Abdusamatov, says that the coldest period will occur 15 to 20 years after a major solar output decline between 2035 and 2045... so there's plenty of time to pick up those cross-country skis.

Dramatic changes in the earth's surface temperatures are an ordinary phenomenon, not an anomaly, he said, and result from variations in the sun's energy output and ultraviolet radiation... well, it's caused by that and your SUV.

By the way, this story is from UPI... (evidently someone didn't get the memo.)

It goes on:
The Northern Hemisphere's most recent cool-down period occurred between 1645 and 1705. The resulting period, known as the Little Ice Age, left canals in the Netherlands frozen solid and forced people in Greenland to abandon their houses to glaciers, the scientist said.
http://upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060207-041447-2345r

It sounds as if the Canadians may be coming here and we'll be putting them up in our spare rooms. (I'll take Anne Murray... she can sing me a love song... and rock me in her arms... etc.)

I know this is just one man's opinion, but to me it makes more since to me than Al Gore and all the other nuts that hate Capitalism.

Why No Muslim Outrage?

While reading The Logic Lifeline I found this by Neil Boortz:

1) Muslims fly commercial airliners into buildings in New York City. No Muslim outrage.
2) Muslim officials block the exit where school girls are trying to escape a burning building because their faces were exposed. No Muslim outrage.
3) Muslims cut off the heads of three teenaged girls on their way to school in Indonesia. A Christian school. No Muslim outrage.
4) Muslims murder teachers trying to teach Muslim children in Iraq. No Muslim outrage.
5) Muslims murder over 80 tourists with car bombs outside cafes and hotels in Egypt. No Muslim outrage.
6) A Muslim attacks a missionary children's school in India. Kills six. No Muslim outrage.
7) Muslims slaughter hundreds of children and teachers in Beslan, Russia. Muslims shoot children in the back. No Muslim outrage.
8) Let's go way back. Muslims kidnap and kill athletes at the Munich Summer Olympics. No Muslim outrage.
9) Muslims fire rocket-propelled grenades into schools full of children in Israel. No Muslim outrage.
10) Muslims murder more than 50 commuters in attacks on London subways and busses. Over 700 are injured. No Muslim outrage.
11) Muslims massacre dozens of innocents at a Passover Seder. No Muslim outrage.
12) Muslims murder innocent vacationers in Bali. No Muslim outrage.
13) Muslim newspapers publish anti-Semitic cartoons. No Muslim outrage
14) Muslims are involved, on one side or the other, in almost every one of the 125+ shooting wars around the world. No Muslim outrage.
15)Muslims beat the charred bodies of Western civilians with their shoes, then hang them from a bridge. No Muslim outrage.

...Newspapers in Denmark and Norway publish cartoons depicting Mohammed. Muslims are outraged.
http://boortz.com/nuze/200602/02032006.html#outrage

It sort of leaves you scratching your head until you remember a basic tenet of this religious group. There is an underlying justification for all 15 items mentioned above. We are infidels, we are little more than animals (see anti-Semitic cartoons)... why should there be outrage? A sense of fairness is wasted on anyone outside the Muslim Community. We are beneath their consideration. Do Muslims feel that expressing outrage would be to deny their superiority and be unfaithful to their teachings? I don't know, but sadly, it's a legitimate question.

It's like the worst of racism... only it's religionism.

I personally see no benefit from producing cartoons that insult people. It seems rude. But I also feel that placating and attempting to appease radical Muslims will only embolden them.

Frist on Iran

Speaking at the Missouri GOP's annual Lincoln Days conference, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said:
"We cannot allow Iran to become a nuclear nation. We need to use diplomatic sanctions. If that doesn't work, economic sanctions, and if that doesn't work, the potential for military use has to be on the table."

When he was asked whether Congress had the political "will" to use military force against Iran if necessary, he said, "The answer is yes, absolutely."

That's good to hear. I don't buy it, but it's good to hear.

The Muslim Legacy

For most Americans my age the Muslim world came into focus in the 1970's when oil-rich nations were thrust into the spotlight because of oil shortages. Before then they were just another group of the world's backward people whose dress and customs made them little more than an interesting story in the National Geographic.

Money and leverage certainly changes things.

Today this throw-back culture threatens what Americans would call the modern civilized world with terrorism, economic blackmail, and an expanding population that may swallow up the "Old World" European cultures in our lifetimes.

Much of the Arab and Persian, Sunni and Shiite complaints about the West revolve around Israel and the Arab population that thrived and grew when Jews began settling in the region in the 1880's, purchasing land from wealthy Muslims of the Ottoman Empire. These "Palestinians", little more than serfs at the time, benefitted agronomically and economically from Jewish immigration, but tragically have since elevated themselves only to the status of political pawns in the region. The Palestinians were offered self-rule and peace along-side Israel in 1936, 1947, 1949, 1967, 1979, 1981, 1993, 2000, and since. But a jealous and covetous hatred for Israel, along with interference from other Muslim states, seems to be stronger motivation than peace and self government. Only the Arabs that have assimilated into Israeli society have thrived.

But the Palestinians are like many of the Muslims in the Middle East in that they suffer from centuries of poor leadership. Modern telecommunications lay out before them the fact that they are powerless and have little compared to much of the world, and so they throw tantrums for the TV cameras. Having nothing, some choose to throw away everything. They will not be placated and they will not be ignored.

Many of the leaders in the region are throwing the same tantrum, and throwing away opportunities for their children and their children's children. With all those billions of oil dollars coming in, where is the richness... where is the greatness to show for it?

I'm no expert on Islam, but it doesn't take a historian or an anthropologist to see the waste and suffering that these oil-rich people have needlessly borne because of their intolerant religion and their self-serving leaders.

When I was young I heard stories about World War II and how the Germans and the Japanese sought to take over the world. At that time the Soviet Union was doing its best to export Communism to poor nations in Asia and Cental America. I remember the euphoria of the 90's when the Cold War ended, but it was short lived.

Now the world faces a new threat which is more insidious and just as ominous as those in its past. Its proponents use a new kind of warfare and display patience in their incremental progress. Europe is awakening to this fact... perhaps too late. These once proud European nations are like a faultering Rome under the onslaught of barbarian hordes... hordes with money to buy modern technology and weaponry.

I believe there will one day be peace between Islam and the West, but that peace will come when one culture is assimilated into the other. We should all hope and pray that our lazy, politically split culture develops the resolve to be the one left standing at the end of the day.

The Justice Ginsberg Record

Rising conservative talk show host, Peter Heck, has a great post about the double standard for Supreme Court nominees. About half way through he discusses some of Ruth Bader Ginsberg's views. It gives the reader some idea of what is "mainstream" to the Democrat leadership.
http://peterheck.com/betasite/fullBlog.php?entry=83

You might want to bookmark www.peterheck.com ... there is something new and worth reading every Monday through Friday.

Rudy's Promise

I believe Rudy Guliani is at this time the strongest Republican candidate for the presidency in 2008... at least among moderate Republicans and Independents. I don't know that he's running, but I'm sure he would receive more votes than any of the candidates that the Democrats might choose to run... at least more votes among moderate Republicans and Independents.

"But Christopher!" you say, "What about the Conservative Christian Right? Guliani is pro-choice, and the Republicans can't win if the CCR stays home."

True. But the Conservative Christian Right will come out to vote for Rudy if he makes a simple promise. All he has to do is stand up and say, "Its my belief that the current Supreme Court has made it its policy to usurp the constitutional authority of the state and federal legislatures. If elected I promise I will nominate to the Court judges like Rehnquist, Scalia, and Roberts who interpret the constitution, not establish their personal preference as law." If the CCR balked he could start naming names or simply provide a pool of judges he would nominate.

Would he keep his promise or would he go moderate? That might depend upon whether or not he wanted a second term.

I've often said that you don't need to be pro-life to know that Roe is a power grab by the Supreme Court. You don't have to be a conservative to see the advantage of nominating a strict constructionist to the court. Guliani knows that striking down Roe wouldn't outlaw abortion and I have no reason to believe that he doesn't believe that laws should be made only by elected representatives.

Guliani isn't my first choice... or even my fifth choice. But so much rides on this next election that I believe the Republican Party needs to consider who might be the strongest candidate. And if Rudy makes "the promise" ... he's the man.

A State of the Art Address

I'm sure the mainstream media will try to make the arrest of the mentally troubled Cindy Sheehan the story, but in case you missed it, the president gave a great speech.

He addressed the hate-filled tone of Washington this way:

In a system of two parties, two chambers, and two elected branches, there will always be differences and debate. But even tough debates can be conducted in a civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to harden into anger.

One of my favorite parts was when he commented on the anti-war (anti-Bush) blather from the Dems in Congress:

Yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure. Hindsight alone is not wisdom. And second-guessing is not a strategy.

Of the NSA electronic surveillance program he commented:

If there are people inside our country who are talking with al-Qaida, we want to know about it — because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again.

And there was this simple statement for those American who still haven't figured it out:

And I will continue to nominate men and women [to the courts] who understand that judges must be servants of the law, and not legislate from the bench.

The antics of the Democrats, Cindy and others, are a kind of window into the character of the Left. It wins them no victories but rather clears the waters. One group, one party... moves ahead with courage, honor, and a serious dedication to our future and its challenges. The other group disrupts, acts out, criticizes, and points its finger. Adults can tell who the adults are. Honest folk can discern leadership from the worst of politics.