There were 18 people accused of being spies for Israel to pinpoint where Hizbollah was hiding by using phosphorescent paint to trace their tracks. They were executed a week ago. This is a normal, paranoid, reaction employed by terrorists all over the ME.
We see this happening in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, well, you get the point. You do not even have to be at war to be accused of helping Israel or harming 'national security'.
But Israel is the war criminal? Let us look into that, shall we? The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) wears uniforms. Hizbollah hides in the middle of women and children who are forced to stay when the IDF tells them to flee. Hizbollah fires indiscriminately into civillian crowds, while the IDF targets military sites.
You are so quick to call fall the Geneva Convention, do you know what it says about this behavior? Hizbollah, NOT Israel, is committing war crimes. I pray one day your eyes will be opened so you may be able to tell the difference between good and evil, right from wrong. God help us all if you do not.
H/T to Olivier Guitta from CounterTerrorism Blog.
Source: Art. 4. Persons protected by the Convention are those who, at a given moment and in any manner whatsoever, find themselves, in case of a conflict or occupation, in the hands of a Party to the conflict or Occupying Power of which they are not nationals.
Nationals of a State which is not bound by the Convention are not protected by it. Nationals of a neutral State who find themselves in the territory of a belligerent State, and nationals of a co-belligerent State, shall not be regarded as protected persons while the State of which they are nationals has normal diplomatic representation in the State in whose hands they are.
Category: Israel and Terrorism.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
"In God We Trust"
I have received an e-mail from Jay Sekulow of the ACLJ (NOT the ACLU!) which informs me that today is the 50th anniversary of our National Motto: "In God We Trust."
While the ACLJ is committed to preserving our Motto, you can bet the ACLU is dead set against it.
Read more about the history of our National Motto and the ACLJ's efforts to protect it.
Thank you, and have a good night.
Category: American News & Issues and Other.
While the ACLJ is committed to preserving our Motto, you can bet the ACLU is dead set against it.
Use of the slogan "In God We Trust" dates back to the War of 1812. Fearing for the fate of America while watching the British attack Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key penned the words to the Star Spangled Banner. One line in the final stanza says, "And this be our motto - In God is our trust."Happy 50th Anniversary to our National Motto!
On July 30, 1956 - 50 years ago today - Congress passed legislation making "In God We Trust" our National Motto ... to reaffirm America's unique history and to distinguish us from atheistic nations who recognize no authority higher than the State.
It is a wonderful tribute to the morals and principles upon which our nation was founded.
And yet, there are certainly those who would like to eliminate "In God We Trust" from our country's landscape.
Just recently, Michael Newdow challenged our National Motto in a federal district court in California.
With the help of ACLJ members across America, we responded immediately. We filed an amicus brief on behalf of 47 members of Congress ...
... and the case was dismissed, as it has been time and again over the years. The court ruled that our National Motto has nothing to do with the establishment of religion.
Read more about the history of our National Motto and the ACLJ's efforts to protect it.
Thank you, and have a good night.
Category: American News & Issues and Other.
'Best of the Blogs' and Matt, John, Gregg, and Kevin
Tonight is going to hot, and I am not talking about the weather! Kevin and Gregg of Pundit Review Radio have a line up to die for. In the first hour, they are going to have their "Best of the Blogs" interviews and calls. In the second hour, they are having TBD. I would think that would mean To Be Announced, but I just can't get past that D! lol. If anyone knows that means, please inform me.
In third hour, my favorite, Matt will be on with his "Someone You Should Know." He always brings us a patriot that brings me to tears. Tears of pride, and tears of shame. Shame that I am not doing my best that I know I can do for our Soldiers.
After Matt, we will be hearing from John Noonan who has been our eyes and ears over in the ME. He is an active duty Air Force man, so his insights are useful. You don't have to agree with them, but he closer to the ground than Murtha is!
He also is co-founder and author of the Military blog Op-For. They wrote an excellent Boston Globe article on milblogs, and he has been published by the National Review.
Here is schedule and the streamline:
Pundit Review Radio
Sunday 7-10pm est
Streaming Live on WRKO.
7pm EST: Week in Review;
Best of the blogs
8pm: TBD9pm: Blackfive’s Someone You Should Know and John Noonan from the Milblog: Op-For.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “Groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
PS. I did want to bragg, so I am going to. Has anyone noticed, beside me, that they have been promoted from one hour to two hour hours to three hours?! Great job, guys! Don't forget to buy your book, written by Gregg Jackson, while they're still on the shelf. :)
Category: Radio Shows.
In third hour, my favorite, Matt will be on with his "Someone You Should Know." He always brings us a patriot that brings me to tears. Tears of pride, and tears of shame. Shame that I am not doing my best that I know I can do for our Soldiers.
After Matt, we will be hearing from John Noonan who has been our eyes and ears over in the ME. He is an active duty Air Force man, so his insights are useful. You don't have to agree with them, but he closer to the ground than Murtha is!
He also is co-founder and author of the Military blog Op-For. They wrote an excellent Boston Globe article on milblogs, and he has been published by the National Review.
Here is schedule and the streamline:
Pundit Review Radio
Sunday 7-10pm est
Streaming Live on WRKO.
7pm EST: Week in Review;
Best of the blogs
8pm: TBD9pm: Blackfive’s Someone You Should Know and John Noonan from the Milblog: Op-For.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “Groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
PS. I did want to bragg, so I am going to. Has anyone noticed, beside me, that they have been promoted from one hour to two hour hours to three hours?! Great job, guys! Don't forget to buy your book, written by Gregg Jackson, while they're still on the shelf. :)
Category: Radio Shows.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Breaking News: Batebi Re-Arrested in Iran
Kianoosh Sanjari: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi. This afternoon Ahmad Batebi, was arrested in front of his home in Tehran by plain clothes secret service agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran.Ahmad Batebi was orginally arrested in 1999 during the massive student uprising in Tehran. He was arrested because of the humiliation the regime felt after this young man's photo appears on the cover of the Economist and has become a symbol of the Iranian student movement. This photo appeared all over the world but sadly the western media failed to condemn the Iranian government for arresting this yougn man. Dr. Iman Foroutan also confirmed the report of his rearrest. We need to spread the word on this arrest so the Iranian government will know the world is watching his fate.
At 5 pm on Saturday evening, as Batebi and his wife Somaya, exited their apartment building they were accosted by several agents, forcing Batebi and Somaya back inside for interrogation and inspection of their home.
Somaya Batebi said that the agents spent 3 hours inspecting their apartment and finally gathered and confiscated Batebi’s personal property, including his computer, cellular phone, CD’s, several files and family photo albums.
In a phone call, Ahmad Batebi’s father expressed fear and concern for his son’s safety and wellbeing; Batebi’s father said that if his son’s situation is not clarified by tomorrow, Sunday, July 30th, he and other members of the Batebi will start a hunger strike.
Batebi’s father also stated that Ahmad himself had communicated that should he be illegally re-arrested, he would go on hunger strike during the initial hours of his detention.
It appears that after interrogation that Ahmad Batebi would have been transferred to detention center 209 of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
This is the news I just received from Doctor Zin. I am very upset, before this young man has spent much time in prison being tortured, and it was all in the cause of freedom. What have you done lately in freedom's cause? Then you could reprint this article, and help us distribute it all over the world.
We must let the Iranian people know that we stand with their pro-demacracy stand. We must also let their government know that we are watching their every move. One wrong step...
Category: Iran and Political Prisoners.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Phoenix Sniper update 7/28/2006
Phoenix police continue their efforts to inform the public about a pair of serial predators in metropolitan Phoenix. Phoenix police are looking for at least two serial killers, the "Baseline Killer" has been linked to a series of sexual assaults, robberies and six killings. The "Serial Shooter" has been definitively connected to four incidents - the Dec. 29 wounding of a man and the shootings of several dogs and a horse. But, the shooter is believed responsible for five killings and 17 shootings targeting people, including a nonfatal Saturday shooting of a Mesa, Arizona man riding his bicycle to work.
Phoenix police have compiled a list of sniper related shootings on their department website:
The lead homicide detective at Phoenix Police Department has advised on this case that as this investigation on a series of possibly related shootings continues, incidents have been added to this list, making it a total of 34 possibly related incidents.
Anyone with information is asked to call Phoenix Police at 602-262-6141 or Silent Witness.
Incidents:
1.Phoenix - 700 W Camelback Rd...............05-24-05, 0030hrs - Homicide2.Phoenix - 1610 N 83rd Ave......................06-26-05, 0108hrs - Criminal Damage Shooting
3.Tolleson - 1500 N 83rd Ave.....................06-29-05, 0332hrs - Homicide
4.Tolleson - 504 N Georgia Way.................06-29-05, 0850hrs - Animal Shooting
5.Tolleson - 204 W Alzora Way...................07-19-05, 1800-0530hrs - Animal Shooting
6.Phoenix - 3002 n 87th Ave.......................07-20-05, 0008hrs - Animal Shooting
7.Avondale - 2311 N 107th Ave...................07-25-05, 1900-0140hrs - Animal Shooting
8.Tolleson - 907 N Alzora Way....................07-25-05, unk time - Animal Shooting
9.Tolleson - 901 N Lizanne Way.................08-05-05, unk time - Animal Shooting
10.Phoenix - 6828 W Heatherbrae Dr.......08-06-05, 1234hrs - Animal Shooting
11.Glendale - 5001 N 61st Dr......................11-11-05, 2145hrs - Animal Shooting
12.Glendale - 5102 N 65th Ave...................11-11-05, 2148hrs - Animal Shooting
13.Phoenix - 3029 E Glenrosa Ave.............12-29-05, 2223hrs - Animal Shooting
14.Phoenix - 900 W Woodland Ave............12-29-05, 2339hrs - Shooting
15.Phoenix - 200 N 10th Ave......................12-29-05, 2339hrs - Homicide
16.Phoenix - 100 S 10th Ave.......................12-29-05, 2339hrs - Homicide
17.Phoenix - 3401 E Granada Rd................12-30-05, 0010hrs - Animal Shooting
18.Phoenix - 3400 E Van Buren St.............12-30-05, 0015hrs - Shooting
19.Phoenix - 2802 N 34th St.......................12-30-05, unk time - Animal Shooting
20.Phoenix - 4000 W Camelback Rd.........03-10-06, 0130hrs - Shooting
21.Phoenix - 427 N 44th St..........................05-02-06, 2205hrs - Shooting
22.Scottsdale - 6100 E Thomas Rd.............05-02-06, 2200hrs - Homicide
23.Phoenix - 4820 N 89th Ave....................05-30-06, 2305hrs - Shooting
24.Phoenix - 7002 W Indian School Rd......05-31-05, 0137hrs - Shooting
25.Phoenix - 8600 W Camelback Rd..........05-31-06, 0146hrs - Shooting
26.Phoenix - 7800 W Indian School Rd......06-08-06, 2332hrs - Shooting
27.Phoenix - 10100 W Camelback Rd........06-11-06, 2225hrs - Shooting
28.Phoenix - 901 E Indian School Rd.........06-20-06, 0158hrs - Shooting
29.Phoenix - 4403 E Van Buren St.............06-20-06, 0221hrs - Shooting
30.Phoenix - 2515 E Van Buren St.............07-01-06, 0123hrs - Shooting
31.Phoenix - 1600 E Oak St.........................07-01-06, 0153hrs - Shooting
32.Phoenix - 2535 E Indian School Rd.......07-03-06, 0312hrs - Shooting
33.Phoenix - 4200 N 44th St.......................07-08-06, 0240hrs - Shooting
34.Phoenix - 5012 E Van Buren St.............07-08-06, 0303hrs - Shooting
Serial Crimes News Conference
The police news conference was held on Tuesday, July 11, 2006, that covered the serial crime spree and can be viewed at this link. Watch the News Conference Video
Safety Tips - Consejos de Seguridad
Additional information:
The Phoenix Snipers now have made the Washington Post. With no suspects or motives the police appear to have little to go on. It was not until mid-July 2006, that authorities finally held a news conference to discuss the troubling crime wave.
Phoenix in terror as serial killers compete for notoriety The desert city of Phoenix, the fastest-growing metropolis in the United States, is being terrorized by two serial killers .....
Snipers grip Phoenix in fear - Yahoo! News A series of sniper-style murders, rapes and robberies has paralyzed the southwestern desert city of ... LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A series of sniper-style murders, rapes and robberies has paralyzed the ...
Snipers Grip City of Phoenix in Fear????? A series of sniper-style murders, rapes and robberies has paralyzed the southwestern desert city of Phoenix, Arizona in fear as police remain unable to find clues.....
Phoenix Snipers Update The Phoenix Sniper story was regionalized for a time. “Do you think it is crime or domestic terrorism? How do we differentiate between the two?” When the DC Snipers started their reign of terror, they started small by experimenting on how to kill and worked up the nerve to go big time.....
Technorati Tags: Phoenix … Sniper … Armed … Violent Crime … Arizona … Domestic Terrorism … Scottsdale … Tolleson … Serial Killers … Phoenix Crime spree
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Shenandoah to adopt Hazelton Immigration Reform Ordinance
Re-posted with permission from the Standard Speaker newspaper, serving Luzerne Carbon, Schuylkill, Columbia, and Monroe counties.
by MIA LIGHT, shenandoah@standardspeaker.com
Shenandoah Borough Council Monday approved advertisement of its Illegal Immigration Relief Act, the controversial legislation that would penalize landlords and business owners who knowingly rent housing to or employ illegal immigrants. The Shenandoah ordinance is patterned after similar legislation that was recently adopted in Hazelton.
Prior to last month’s borough council meeting, Solicitor Michael O’Pake acquired a printed copy of the Hazleton ordinance, which council directed its attorney to use as a guideline in drafting for the borough a similar ordinance in time for this week’s regular council meeting.
Monday, O’Pake presented council with the prepared document, which was unanimously approved for advertisement. Its formal adoption as law is anticipated next month.
According to Hazleton Mayor Louis Barletta, while the city ordinance drew criticism from opponents to the legislation, the number of favorable comments his office received greatly outnumbered the objections.
Similarly in Shenandoah, the ordinance was approved for advertisement before an audience of about a dozen citizens, with just one person speaking against the proposed legislation, terming it as possibly unconstitutional.
“Is this actually constitutional to do this?” asked Flor Gomez, owner of La Casita de Familia, a Mexican-style restaurant located at 8 E. Centre St. in the borough.
Gomez urged council to “think twice” and consider all possible ramifications of the law before approving it.
She said that many Hispanics, including legal immigrants and U.S. citizens, are currently being “picked on” and discriminated against. She said she fears the proposed law would add fuel to the fire.
She said she hopes that enforcement of the ordinance, should it pass into law, would pertain to undocumented immigrants of all nationalities, not just Latino immigrants.
Council President Leo Pietkiewicz assured Gomez that the law would target all illegal immigrants, not just those of the Hispanic population.
“If you’re Greek and you’re here illegally, this ordinance targets you. If you’re an illegal Polish immigrant, same thing,” Pietkiewicz said.
Gomez said the legislation would also place landlords in a no-win situation in which they may be sued by a prospective tenant who is denied occupancy after failing to prove his citizenship or legal immigration status.
However, O’Pake said that a landlord who obeys the law is protected from such a lawsuit. A landlord who obeys the law cannot be sued for denying housing to an immigrant who cannot prove his legal status because the action taken by the landlord was taken in an effort to obey the law, O’Pake said.
Gomez, a U.S. citizen who was born in Texas and has lived in Shenandoah for approximately six years, implored council to realize that most of the Latino people in Shenandoah obey the law and many contribute to the community by paying taxes.
At least four Latino families are business owners in the community, Gomez said, and two additional Latino families are interested in opening new businesses in the community.
Pietkiewicz assured Gomez that law-abiding citizens are welcome to live and work in Shenandoah.
O’Pake concurred: “This ordinance, like all ordinances, is designed to curtail illegal activity. An illegal person, someone who is here illegally, is in violation of the law. Law abiding citizens are not the target of this legislation.”
Borough Mayor Thomas O’Neill said, “This is a quality-of-life issue. What this ordinance will do is zero in on absentee landlords who don’t monitor the people who move into their properties. In my estimation, that’s what this is all about. It’s about quality of life in Shenandoah.”
The Shenandoah ordinance is expected to include in its ordinance similar language to the Hazleton ordinance, which declares: “That illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates, contributes to overcrowded classrooms and failing schools, subjects our hospitals to fiscal hardship and legal residents to substandard quality of care and destroys out neighborhoods and diminishes our overall quality of life.”
Bosun's comments: When the federal government and state government fail to act on immigrations matters it is left the the counties, cities, and boroughs to act. Shenandoah Borough has joined the City of Hazleton, and, one can expect the civil liberties groups, immigrant interest groups and other liberal organizations to join with activist groups who oppose immigration reform in in the City of Hazleton.
Get to know the issues and show your support.
Technorati tags: America … Immigration … Borders … Language … Culture … English … Border Control … Illegal Immigration … Politically Correct … Hazelton, Pennsylvania … ACLU … Liberalism … Illegals ... Shenandoah Borough
Child Custody Protection Act; Parental Notification
Many of you know that I support the right of child to be born. After this time, they grow-up. Before they are allowed to vote, get surgery, sign a binding contract, etc.; they are often told it is simple and easy to just discard the child they are carrying. This is not so.
Some states have decided it would be in the best interest of the child to at least let their parents be aware that they are pregnant and/or want an abortion. This is reasonable. It does not say the child may not move forward with the procedure. It only states that you must let them know your intentions.
After all, your parents are the ones who raised you, not the government or the abortionists. Well, the Child Custody Protection Act is designed to do just this. After all, 80% of the American support parental notification.
The Democrats, however, are burdened by their pro-abortion constituents (big money). While these people do not represent any people in a large number on this topic, they pull the purse strings. So what can you do?
Category: American News & Issues and Politics/Debate.
Some states have decided it would be in the best interest of the child to at least let their parents be aware that they are pregnant and/or want an abortion. This is reasonable. It does not say the child may not move forward with the procedure. It only states that you must let them know your intentions.
After all, your parents are the ones who raised you, not the government or the abortionists. Well, the Child Custody Protection Act is designed to do just this. After all, 80% of the American support parental notification.
The Democrats, however, are burdened by their pro-abortion constituents (big money). While these people do not represent any people in a large number on this topic, they pull the purse strings. So what can you do?
- 1) Contact Your Senators about how they voted on the Child Custody Protection Act Tuesday night.
This Child Custody Protection Act will make it a federal offense to transport a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion, in order to avoid a law in her home state requiring parental involvement prior to an abortion.
The Child Custody Protection Act finally passed the Senate Tuesday night by a vote of 65 to 34!
Click Here to thank your Senator for voting YES on the Child Custody Protection Act or tell your Senator you are disappointed that they voted NO on the bill. You do not have to know how they voted; just Click Here and the appropriate letters will come up based on their vote.
Take time now to thank your Senators or to tell them you are disappointed in their vote. They must know how their constituents feel.
2) Contact Democrat Leadership and demand that they stop trying to obstruct the Child Custody Protection Act from becoming law and from obstructing the will of the American people.
Last night after passage, assistant Democrat leader, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Il), objected to allowing the bill to move to the Conference Committee, a standard procedure where differences in the House and Senate bill settled.
This is the next critical step before the bill can become the law of the land.
3) Contact your State Democrat Senator(s) and tell them to lobby the Democrat Leadership office to stop obstructing the Child Custody Protection Act from becoming law.
We must ensure that this bill gets passed on to Conference Committee so that we can send it to President Bush’s desk so that it will finally be signed into law.
To keep posted on the progress of the Child Custody Protection Act visit our website. We will keep you posted on the progress and let you know when this commonsense bill is FINALLY signed into law.
Thank you for fighting to protect women, unborn babies, and young girls.
Category: American News & Issues and Politics/Debate.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Sudan's Lie Uncovered
It is the usual belief that if you have nothing to hide, you don't mind if others see what is happening in your part of the world. So when the president of Sudan rejected the UN's peacekeepers from coming into his country, one must question why?
The president of Sudan's militia run government had this to say:
The UN is run by a group of thugs, if you have not noticed. Anyone in America who demands permission from that body should exam their motives and the results of that unsupervised body of thieves and rapists.
Category: Sudan and The UN.
The president of Sudan's militia run government had this to say:
The UN wants to send a beefed-up peacekeeping force to replace a 7,000-strong African Union force in Darfur that has largely been unable to stop the violence there.I could have and did tell them this 2 years ago! So what are we going to do? Not a damn thing, because this is an Islamic stronghold. This is a travesty of justice. May God strike all those who are directly involved and guilty of genocide dead. May their graves rot with a smell that not even a beast of burden would be able to tolerate.
"This shall never take place," Mr al-Bashir said at a press conference alongside the South African president, Thabo Mbeki. [continue reading]
The UN is run by a group of thugs, if you have not noticed. Anyone in America who demands permission from that body should exam their motives and the results of that unsupervised body of thieves and rapists.
Category: Sudan and The UN.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Germany to unseal Nazi archives to researchers
This is a great step forward for the world. Up until last year, Germany was resistent to the pressures by several groups to release the archives of what truly happened during the Nazi era. For history's cause, it is very important to understand the who, what, when, where, why, and how of it all.
It does not mean that this is the Germany of today. Certainly not! Maybe this was their fear? Whatever the case, the 11-nation governing body of the International Tracing Service will formally sign the agreement Wednesday, July 26, 2006. This agreement was reached back April 2006. The archives will remain sealed until all 11 nations have their own state's vote to okay the agreement.
The Holocaust survivors have had access to these archives, while the public has not. This was in order for them to find out what happened to their family, relatives, and things they owned. It was only for the survivors, though, because Germany was trying to protect the right of privacy for her citizens and those affected. This is their claim, and I will not question it. Not now.
What is important is that the world may finally learn what really happened, how it happened, and we should learn-not condemn-from this history. After all, would you like to be held accountable for something that someone you never knew did? No, you would not. Neither should the German people, except those of the Nazi party that are still living.
We must make sure this never happens again, like it is happening today in Darfur, Somalia, Zimbabawe, Iraq, Afghanistan, China, North Korea, Kasmir, Pakistan, etc. The world is asleep while people are being slaughtered by terrorists as though they were chattle. Why?
Maybe, just maybe, we will find some of those answers in these archives. Then, we must pay attention, stand up and scream at the top of our lungs "NO!", and do all that we possibly can to prevent it from happening again.
Source: Germany to sign protocol opening Nazi files to researchers.
Category: Germany and News.
It does not mean that this is the Germany of today. Certainly not! Maybe this was their fear? Whatever the case, the 11-nation governing body of the International Tracing Service will formally sign the agreement Wednesday, July 26, 2006. This agreement was reached back April 2006. The archives will remain sealed until all 11 nations have their own state's vote to okay the agreement.
The Holocaust survivors have had access to these archives, while the public has not. This was in order for them to find out what happened to their family, relatives, and things they owned. It was only for the survivors, though, because Germany was trying to protect the right of privacy for her citizens and those affected. This is their claim, and I will not question it. Not now.
What is important is that the world may finally learn what really happened, how it happened, and we should learn-not condemn-from this history. After all, would you like to be held accountable for something that someone you never knew did? No, you would not. Neither should the German people, except those of the Nazi party that are still living.
We must make sure this never happens again, like it is happening today in Darfur, Somalia, Zimbabawe, Iraq, Afghanistan, China, North Korea, Kasmir, Pakistan, etc. The world is asleep while people are being slaughtered by terrorists as though they were chattle. Why?
Maybe, just maybe, we will find some of those answers in these archives. Then, we must pay attention, stand up and scream at the top of our lungs "NO!", and do all that we possibly can to prevent it from happening again.
Source: Germany to sign protocol opening Nazi files to researchers.
Category: Germany and News.
No Peace for Lebanon due to Hizbollah
The next time you wish to blame Israel for the war between Hizbollah and the sovereign country of Lebanon, please remember this: Ha'aretz.
This is a war not of Lebanon and Israel, but of Iran and Syria against the world. You can be certain of this.
Source: Ha'artz and The Washington Times (registration may be required, but it is free).
Category: (Military) News, Middle East and News.
It turns out that even the mumbling of George Bush, in between bites, that Syria must be told to cut "that shit" out, is not exactly practical. Syria will be willing to negotiate if the boycott and threat on the nation is lifted, and the international investigation into the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is called off and all plans to bring the accused before an international tribunal are scrapped. Some of these conditions, especially canceling the international tribunal, is the precondition with which Hezbollah confronted Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora in return for its cooperation in government and peace along the border with Israel.This is a non-starter, and it comes from inside Lebanon. Please tell me, what does Israel have to do with Syria and the murder of Hariri?
This is a war not of Lebanon and Israel, but of Iran and Syria against the world. You can be certain of this.
Source: Ha'artz and The Washington Times (registration may be required, but it is free).
Category: (Military) News, Middle East and News.
Monday, July 24, 2006
We did not give them the right...
As I listened to a recording of a very moving phone call received by Mr. Pollard, Kevin and Gregg, the tears came easily. That is not so unusual these days. Then again, it is.
While it seems everyone is decrying their rights are being denied, what about Susan's rights? Does she not have the rights as each responsible human being? If so, why should she made to cry and fear in our great country?
Fear of her own neighbors and/or strangers? No one has the right to harass another, yet this atrocity continues, unabated, daily. When will stand up and collectively say, "Enough! No more!"
When we will take the fight to the ignoramus' who are egging for one?
Susan, God bless you. Do not worry. (Luke 12:22-34) We will be sure that your child will never be treated as in the days of yore.
For those of you who are not aware of whom and which I speak, please go listen to this phone call received yesterday on Pundit Review Review. Then you will understand. They have no right...
Category: Radio Shows.
While it seems everyone is decrying their rights are being denied, what about Susan's rights? Does she not have the rights as each responsible human being? If so, why should she made to cry and fear in our great country?
Fear of her own neighbors and/or strangers? No one has the right to harass another, yet this atrocity continues, unabated, daily. When will stand up and collectively say, "Enough! No more!"
When we will take the fight to the ignoramus' who are egging for one?
Susan, God bless you. Do not worry. (Luke 12:22-34) We will be sure that your child will never be treated as in the days of yore.
For those of you who are not aware of whom and which I speak, please go listen to this phone call received yesterday on Pundit Review Review. Then you will understand. They have no right...
Category: Radio Shows.
Hazelton, Pa., and Governor disagree over Immigration Ordinance
The plight of illegal immigration in the City of Hazelton has picked up over the weekend. It was reported that Governor Gov. Ed Rendell publicly expressed his disappointment over a new city ordinance that cracks down on illegal immigrants.
If you recall, The Bosun Locker ran web post regarding the Hazelton Immigration ordinance, Rights Group to Sue Hazelton, PA for Immigration Law. Here is the background of that web post: Hazelton passed a measure that will deny a business permit to anyone hiring illegal immigrants.
That illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates, contributes to overcrowded classrooms and failing schools, subjects our hospitals to fiscal hardship and legal residents to substandard quality of care, contributes to other burdens on public services, increasing their cost and diminishing their availability to lawful residents, and destroys our neighborhoods and diminishes our overall quality of life.
The ordinance imposes a $1,000 fine on any landlord who rents to illegal immigrants. and establishes English as the city’s official language. Source: ORDINANCE 2006-10, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION RELIEF ACT ORDINANCE
The Standard Speaker reported on Saturday that Rendell indicated:
the ordinance was drafted by “mean-spirited” politicians who “feed off hate and divisiveness." Additionally, two members of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, publicly called Hazelton a “Nazi city” and said that Latinos would never assimilate into American culture. Source: The Standard Speaker - Rendell: City law ‘feeds off’ hatred
Governor, who is mean spirited? If what is being reported in the Standard Speaker is true, it appears to this blogger that Governor Rendell is pandering to the immigrant vote and is running down the path of appeasement and amnesty. When are the politicians, liberals, and lefti going to understand that one does not reward illegal acts and criminal behavior? According to Mayor Barletta,
(illegal immigration) contributes to overcrowded classrooms and failing schools, subjects our hospitals to fiscal hardship and legal residents to substandard quality of care, and destroys our neighborhoods and diminishes our overall quality of life. Source: Mayor Barletta's open letter posted on the city website
It seems logical to this blogger that often times illegal immigration leads to higher crime rates and place a burden on social services programs. The city of Hazelton has 31,000 residents and does not have huge tax base with unlimited resources.
This blogger suggest that before you pass judgement, research this issue fully. Become familar with both sides of the issue. If you find yourself in support of the City of Hazelton as this blogger does, please send Mayor Barletta a note. If you disagree, let them know. Whether you support or disagree with the immigration ordinance, please click this link to email the City of Hazelton.
Technorati tags: America … Immigration … Borders … Language … Culture … English … Border Control … Illegal Immigration … Politically Correct … Hazelton, Pennsylvania … ACLU … Liberalism … Illegals
Israel and Lebanon: The News
There are several sides to this news article, so the facts shall speak for themselves. Israel left Lebanon after having a buffer for 18 years, only to allow Hizbollah to claim a victory due to terrorism and continue to recruit young, influential minds to become suicide bombers, murderers, and haters of Israel.
Many people in the south of Lebanon did not hate the Israelis, just as the Israelis do not the Lebanese. The problem, it appears, is Hizbollah. They do not want Israel to exist as they are puppets of Iran supported by Syria.
Does this mean Israel has always been right? In protecting herself, yes, in her policy, who knows? Unless we have been within the government or lived there, it is hard to say; but it is well known that no government is 100% right. That is just absurd!
It appears that the Arabs and other Muslims believe this to be an incursion by Israel, while Israel is the country that has lost 1500 people to terrorist attacks in the past few years. Some of the articles on the side with Hizbollah are Musharraf, Abdullah discuss Lebanon, Syria will step in if Lebanon invaded (as if they ever left), Aid stuck in transit to traumatised Lebanon and REGION: Iran tells Israel to ‘pack up and go’. These articles were found in The Daily Star and the The Daily Times (Pakistan).
On the Israeli side of the story, we have (Haaretz Daily Paper) Peretz: Hezbollah has fired 2,200 rockets at northern Israel so far, Report: Nasrallah says IDF incursions won't stop rocket fire, PM: Media biased, doesn't show 'murderous viciousness' of Hezbollah, (Jerusalem Prayer Team) Iran's Hizballah Ready to Attack Israel and U.S., A Strategic Assessment of the Hizballah War: Defeating the Iranian-Syrian Axis in Lebanon and Hizbollah is Here.
Reading these, one might be led to believe they were in the Twilight Zone. We hope when this matter is resolved, it is truly resolved. Until that time, we will be forced to write more fiction than is desired.
PS. Many of these articles are short in length. That is one of the reasons I chose them, so view a few. Thanks.
Category: Middle East.
Many people in the south of Lebanon did not hate the Israelis, just as the Israelis do not the Lebanese. The problem, it appears, is Hizbollah. They do not want Israel to exist as they are puppets of Iran supported by Syria.
Does this mean Israel has always been right? In protecting herself, yes, in her policy, who knows? Unless we have been within the government or lived there, it is hard to say; but it is well known that no government is 100% right. That is just absurd!
It appears that the Arabs and other Muslims believe this to be an incursion by Israel, while Israel is the country that has lost 1500 people to terrorist attacks in the past few years. Some of the articles on the side with Hizbollah are Musharraf, Abdullah discuss Lebanon, Syria will step in if Lebanon invaded (as if they ever left), Aid stuck in transit to traumatised Lebanon and REGION: Iran tells Israel to ‘pack up and go’. These articles were found in The Daily Star and the The Daily Times (Pakistan).
On the Israeli side of the story, we have (Haaretz Daily Paper) Peretz: Hezbollah has fired 2,200 rockets at northern Israel so far, Report: Nasrallah says IDF incursions won't stop rocket fire, PM: Media biased, doesn't show 'murderous viciousness' of Hezbollah, (Jerusalem Prayer Team) Iran's Hizballah Ready to Attack Israel and U.S., A Strategic Assessment of the Hizballah War: Defeating the Iranian-Syrian Axis in Lebanon and Hizbollah is Here.
Reading these, one might be led to believe they were in the Twilight Zone. We hope when this matter is resolved, it is truly resolved. Until that time, we will be forced to write more fiction than is desired.
PS. Many of these articles are short in length. That is one of the reasons I chose them, so view a few. Thanks.
Category: Middle East.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Dems will fight to prevent Bolton's UN appointment
As you may recall, President Bush bypassed the Senate last year and installed Bolton as US Ambassador to the United Nations when lawmakers were on recess. Bolton was given a one year appointment that will expire on January 1st, 2007.
Why are the Democrats mounting a campaign to oust him? Sounds to me that the Democrat hatred of President Bush is ahead of common sense and good judgment.
Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut on Sunday promised a bruising fight in the U.S. Senate against confirming John Bolton to be the country's ambassador to the United Nations. See: Dodd promised "Bruising Fight" over Bolton
The Democrats appear to have bought into Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi A. Annan's style of running of the United Nations hook, line, and sinker.
Bravo to US Ambassador John Bolton for telling it like it is and representing United States interests. Remember not long ago The Bosun Locker blogged about Bolton's criticism of Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, UN BLASTS US, and warned that Brown’s inappropriate comments could undermine United States support.
"To have the deputy secretary-general criticize the United States in such a manner can only do grave harm to the United Nations ,,,, Even though the target of the speech was the United States, the victim, I fear, will be the United Nations," Bolton said. Source: Fox News
Bolton appears to be one of the few ambassadors willing to provide honest feedback to the United Nations organization. And to think that the Dems, liberals, and leftists on the other side of the aisle are going to make it difficult for Bolton’s official appointment. It does not make any sense to this blogger.
They (Democrats, liberals and leftists) continue to have conniptions about Bolton's blunt honesty. They claim that Bolton is loose cannon and is somehow irrational and inappropriate, something that this blogger has not seen.
It seems to me that during his brief tenure as the US Ambassador, Bolton has brought reality to the appeaser - apologizer - enabler organization, the United Nations. I can only hope that Bolton will be able to clean up the UN before his term runs out.
However, if it is up to Dodds and other liberal pundits, cleanup of the United Nations is not going to happen. For what??? The Democrats hatred of President Bush outweigh their common sense. The Democrat pundits will throw up whatever roadblock is necessary to block Bolton's appointed.
Ambassador Bolton reminds me of a true “Rough Rider;” when the going gets tough, the tough get going. He is a good man and an asset to have in the United Nations. It appears to me that the Democrats are becoming the enemies of truth, justice and freedom. As usual, they stand in the way of reform and will find themselves on the wrong side of history.
Technorati Tags: Liberalism ... Politically Correct ... Cut and run ... Democrat ... Diplomacy ... Freedom ... Politics ... Multilateral Engagement ... Détente ... Containment ... UN ... appeasers ... eUnuch Nations ...
President Bush's Weekly Radio Address 7/22/2006
President's Radio Address 7/22/2006
In Focus: The Road Map to Peace
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week I returned from Russia, where I met with world leaders at the G8 summit. The summit was an opportunity for important talks with these nations, and it brought progress on key issues. We had wide-ranging discussions on the global economy. We agreed on new steps to strengthen our collective security, including a United Nations Security Council resolution on North Korea. This resolution condemned North Korea's recent missile launches and it urged the North Korean regime to abandon its nuclear programs and return to the six-party talks.
Much of our time at the summit was spent discussing the situation in the Middle East, especially the recent violence in Israel and Lebanon. The recent crisis in the region was triggered by the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by the terrorist group Hezbollah and the launch of rockets against Israeli cities. I believe sovereign nations have the right to defend their people from terrorist attack, and to take the necessary action to prevent those attacks.
We're also mindful of the cost to innocent civilians in Lebanon and in Israel, and we have called on Israel to continue to exercise the greatest possible care to protect innocent lives. Throughout this crisis I have spoken to leaders in the Middle East and around the world. Our efforts to resolve this dangerous situation are guided by an international framework that is already in place.
In 2004, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1559, which recognizes the sovereignty of Lebanon, calls for all foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon, and calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all militias. Hezbollah defied the world's just demands by maintaining armed units in the southern region of Lebanon and attacking Israel in defiance of the democratically elected Lebanese government.
I've directed Secretary of State Rice to travel to the Middle East in the coming days to discuss the best ways to resolve this crisis with leaders in the region. Secretary Rice will make it clear that resolving the crisis demands confronting the terrorist group that launched the attacks and the nations that support it.
For many years, Syria has been a primary sponsor of Hezbollah and it has helped provide Hezbollah with shipments of Iranian made weapons. Iran's regime has also repeatedly defied the international community with its ambition for nuclear weapons and aid to terrorist groups. Their actions threaten the entire Middle East and stand in the way of resolving the current crisis and bringing lasting peace to this troubled region.
We're also concerned about the impact the current conflict is having on Lebanon's young democracy. This is a difficult and trying time for the people of Lebanon. Hezbollah's practice of hiding rockets in civilian neighborhoods, and its efforts to undermine the democratically elected government have shown it to be no friend of Lebanon. By its actions, Hezbollah has jeopardized Lebanon's tremendous advances and betrayed the Lebanese people.
Over the past week, nations like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have stepped forward to offer humanitarian aid and assistance to the Lebanese government. America and our allies will join these efforts. We're also working to help American citizens who wish to leave Lebanon. American military personnel and embassy officials are working hard to ensure this operation proceeds smoothly and safely. We continue to pray for the safety of all people in Lebanon -- Americans, Lebanese, and citizens of other countries.
America remains committed to lasting peace in the Middle East. The United States and our partners will continue to seek a return to the road map for peace in the Middle East, which sets out the pathway to establishing a viable democratic Palestinian state that will live in peace with Israel. We will continue to support moderate leaders, like Palestinian Authority President Abbas. We will continue to call on Hamas to end its acts of terror. And now, more than ever, the Palestinians need leaders who are not compromised by terror and who will help the Palestinian people provide a future for their children based on regional peace and security.
In the long-term, this peace will come only by defeating the terrorist ideology of hatred and fear. The world's best hope for lasting security and stability across the Middle East is the establishment of free and just societies. America and our allies will act decisively because we know our security is at stake in this struggle and we know the cause of freedom will prevail.
Thank you for listening.
END
Return to this article at: President Bush's weekly radio address at Whitehouse.gov
Technorati Tags: President Bush ... United States ... Terrorism ... Hezbollah ... Iran ... Freedom ... Patriots ... America ... Middle East ... Politics ... White House ... Terrorists ... National SecuritySaturday, July 22, 2006
Homicide Bombing 101...and..um...other interesting stuff
Hat tip: Grouchy Old Cripple
City Troll left a link at Mike's America to some protest pictures out of London today, that have to be seen. There are some really effed up people in this world, living among us, twisting reality into something hideously evil, and calling it "good".
Photo shamelessly stolen from Gayle's blog.
Phoenix Sniper update 7/22/2006
The Phoenix Snipers now have made the Washington Post. With no suspects or motives the police appear to have little to go on. It was not until mid-July 2006, that authorities finally held a news conference to discuss the troubling crime wave.
Investigators said that the Baseline Killer, named for his initial crimes along Baseline Road here, launched his crime binge last August. Since then, police said he has killed five women and one man, and committed seven rapes and eight robberies. Descriptions of him vary, leading detectives to theorize he may wear disguises. They said he occasionally engages victims in conversation before abducting them at night from places such as car washes and bus stops. And Phoenix is on edge, not just because of that killer, but also because of another one known as the Serial Shooter. Together, the two have killed at least 11 people in the past year, police said..... Source: Washington Post
Additional information:
Phoenix in terror as serial killers compete for notoriety The desert city of Phoenix, the fastest-growing metropolis in the United States, is being terrorized by two serial killers .....
Snipers grip Phoenix in fear - Yahoo! News A series of sniper-style murders, rapes and robberies has paralyzed the southwestern desert city of ... LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A series of sniper-style murders, rapes and robberies has paralyzed the ...
Snipers Grip City of Phoenix in Fear????? A series of sniper-style murders, rapes and robberies has paralyzed the southwestern desert city of Phoenix, Arizona in fear as police remain unable to find clues.....
Phoenix Snipers Update The Phoenix Sniper story was regionalized for a time. “Do you think it is crime or domestic terrorism? How do we differentiate between the two?” When the DC Snipers started their reign of terror, they started small by experimenting on how to kill and worked up the nerve to go big time.....
Technorati Tags: Phoenix … Sniper … Armed … Violent Crime … Arizona … Guardian Angel … Domestic Terrorism
Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies
This fabulous book has just been released this week, and we would like to get it on the papers #1 list. I need your help. I was not asked to promote it for that purpose, but I know the author from Pundit Review. Gregg is a remarkable person, and a very special man.Now about the book. You may take a peak at some of issues that he covers by clicking on the picture. I believe he did a magnificant job laying out the facts in an easy-to-read style. Many thousands of hours of research, sleepness nights, and many cups of coffee went into the creation of this book.
He will be on a book tour starting in August. He has plans to do interviews on both TV and radio. If you would like an interview, their is a place for you to make an appointment right there on his site.
Why don't we surprise him by buying more than one book? You could always buy one as a gift for a liberal friend or as a birthday gift. Please help me spread the word. Write about his book if you have a site.
You don't know him? Listen every Sunday night from 8-10 EST on WRKO. You may also read some of his postings at Pundit Review. This will give you a sense of the man. He is a good man. Let us help him in this race to the top. Thank you.
Category: Politics/Debate.
saturday morning cartoon, Hamas-style
I posted on this back in November of 2005: Iranian children's cartoon, about a boy whose family is murdered by Israeli soldiers, and grows up to become a homicide bomber.
Are we supposed to show cultural tolerance and understanding? Or can we go ahead and condemn this as evil and wrong?
Are we supposed to show cultural tolerance and understanding? Or can we go ahead and condemn this as evil and wrong?
Thursday, July 20, 2006
"Moral Equivalence"...."Moral Relativity"..."Disproportionate Force"..."Proportionate Response"...?!?
There are a couple of buzz phrases that are currently being kicked around: One is "Proportionate response/disproportionate force". The other is "cycle of violence".
This is due to the Israeli military response 8 days ago, to the Hezbollah incursion across the southern Lebanese border and the capture of two Israeli soldiers.
The EU is basically calling the Israeli response, "disproportionate".
So what do they expect the proper response to have been? The hostage taking of 2 Hezbollah terrorists to counterbalance the abduction of 2 Israeli soldiers?
Patriot at A Soldier's Perspective writes:
Exactly right. This isn't a game, where you fight with "fair play" in mind. In warfare, your objective is to overwhelm the enemy with superior and sustained firepower, in the hopes of bringing the conflict to a quick and decisive resolution, with minimal casualties to your side.
I've heard some ridiculous charges by some people who call the U.S. a cowardly bully for attacking a "weak" foe like Saddam's regime, and not go after a North Korea or China who have a "fighting chance" against our military might. These same people wonder why we're allowed to have nuclear weapons while others are not. I can only look for the nearest brick wall to hammer my head against, to relieve the pain of dealing with such idiocy. Warfare and global politics is not a sport. Can you imagine someone criticizing law enforcement officers as cowards, because whenever possible, they do not act alone to bring down a suspect? But might tackle and take him down by virtue of superior numbers? This is for the suspect's safety as much as for the safety of the officers'. In a prizefight, unless you like punishment, you don't stand there toe to toe, exchanging blow for blow; you go for the win and avoid as much as possible, any damage to yourself in kind. But because it is a spectator sport, the whole nature of the rules- such as having weight divisions- is to maximize and equalize the potential for punishment to be received by both combatants.
Old Soldier writes the following, in regards to "Proportional response":
I think it was last week, that I listened to Dennis Prager make mention of the morally absent phrase, "cycle of violence".
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, and suddenly we are "caught up in a cycle of violence". Why? Why must the ones who started the violence, be absolved of blame and the ones defending themselves, be held responsible for perpetuating the "cycle of violence"?
One of the interesting antidotes by Prager, was in relating how even as a child, he was bothered by the moral relativity inherent in how many adults solve disputes between kids. Rather than try and discover who was at fault, the parent will often punish both kids as being equally at fault. One kid hits another kid first, who then proceeds to defend himself. The adult comes along and what happens? Rather than seeking to meet out justice, the adult simply wants to "make the problem go away". As I wrote in Old Soldier's comment section, "[Prager] found it morally lazy and immoral that the adult would not care to find out" who was in the right and who was in the wrong.
Thomas Sowell puts things into perspective this way:
Dennis Prager outlines some of the reasons why Israel is the one who has consistently traveled the moral high ground throughout their conflicts with the Arab world:
Israel wages war by weighing into consideration, civilian casualties. Their aim is in taking out Hezbollah safehouses and military targets. The aim of Hezbollah and Islamic terrorists is to maximize civilian casualties on both sides. So where is the moral equivalence? It should be clear which side yearns for peace and which side rages to wage destruction.
Hat tip: The Dennis Prager Show
Also blogging the Prager mention of "Cycle of Violence": Green Pieces
More at Mike's America
This is due to the Israeli military response 8 days ago, to the Hezbollah incursion across the southern Lebanese border and the capture of two Israeli soldiers.
The EU is basically calling the Israeli response, "disproportionate".
So what do they expect the proper response to have been? The hostage taking of 2 Hezbollah terrorists to counterbalance the abduction of 2 Israeli soldiers?
Patriot at A Soldier's Perspective writes:
those same types of terrorists “only” collapsed a few buildings in New York City in 2003 and our country destroyed Afghanistan. There is no such thing as “disproportionate force” when fighting a war. Actually, it’s something you want. Wars aren’t won when each side counts what the other has and organized his force to ensure everything is equal. The reason America is the greatest military power on earth is because of our disproportionate force.
Exactly right. This isn't a game, where you fight with "fair play" in mind. In warfare, your objective is to overwhelm the enemy with superior and sustained firepower, in the hopes of bringing the conflict to a quick and decisive resolution, with minimal casualties to your side.
I've heard some ridiculous charges by some people who call the U.S. a cowardly bully for attacking a "weak" foe like Saddam's regime, and not go after a North Korea or China who have a "fighting chance" against our military might. These same people wonder why we're allowed to have nuclear weapons while others are not. I can only look for the nearest brick wall to hammer my head against, to relieve the pain of dealing with such idiocy. Warfare and global politics is not a sport. Can you imagine someone criticizing law enforcement officers as cowards, because whenever possible, they do not act alone to bring down a suspect? But might tackle and take him down by virtue of superior numbers? This is for the suspect's safety as much as for the safety of the officers'. In a prizefight, unless you like punishment, you don't stand there toe to toe, exchanging blow for blow; you go for the win and avoid as much as possible, any damage to yourself in kind. But because it is a spectator sport, the whole nature of the rules- such as having weight divisions- is to maximize and equalize the potential for punishment to be received by both combatants.
Old Soldier writes the following, in regards to "Proportional response":
War is the resultant associated with the breakdown of humanity. War is the final solution when diplomacy (read appeasement) fails. The military objective of each battle specifically and war in general is to soundly defeat the enemy. That is not done via 'proportional responses'. It is a complex task designed to remove the ability of the enemy to continue to wage war. It can be achieved by destroying the enemy's war making capabilities – like bombing the industrial complexes of Germany during WWII. Or it can break the will of the enemy to continue to wage war – like Nagasaki and Hiroshima did to the Japanese. Had we engaged our enemies of WWII with 'proportional responses', we would still be at war with Germany and Japan today and millions upon millions more people would be in graves because of it.
I think it was last week, that I listened to Dennis Prager make mention of the morally absent phrase, "cycle of violence".
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, and suddenly we are "caught up in a cycle of violence". Why? Why must the ones who started the violence, be absolved of blame and the ones defending themselves, be held responsible for perpetuating the "cycle of violence"?
One of the interesting antidotes by Prager, was in relating how even as a child, he was bothered by the moral relativity inherent in how many adults solve disputes between kids. Rather than try and discover who was at fault, the parent will often punish both kids as being equally at fault. One kid hits another kid first, who then proceeds to defend himself. The adult comes along and what happens? Rather than seeking to meet out justice, the adult simply wants to "make the problem go away". As I wrote in Old Soldier's comment section, "[Prager] found it morally lazy and immoral that the adult would not care to find out" who was in the right and who was in the wrong.
Thomas Sowell puts things into perspective this way:
Of all the Western democracies, only two have no choice but to depend on their own military forces for their survival -- the United States and Israel. The rest have for more than half a century had the luxury of depending on American military forces in general and the American nuclear deterrent in particular.
People who have long been sheltered from mortal dangers can indulge themselves in the belief that there are no mortal dangers. Nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran or North Korea -- and, through them, in the hands of hate-filled terrorists -- may be all that will finally wake up such people. But that may be tragically too late.
Those who keep calling for an end to the "cycle of violence" are what make such violence more likely. "World opinion" in general and the United Nations in particular can always be counted on to counsel "restraint" in response to attacks and "negotiations" in response to lethal threats.
What that means is that those who start trouble will have a lower price to pay than if those they attacked were free to go all out in their counter-attack. Lowering the price to be paid by aggressors virtually guarantees more aggression.
People who have long been sheltered from mortal dangers can indulge themselves in the belief that there are no mortal dangers. Nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran or North Korea -- and, through them, in the hands of hate-filled terrorists -- may be all that will finally wake up such people. But that may be tragically too late.
Those who keep calling for an end to the "cycle of violence" are what make such violence more likely. "World opinion" in general and the United Nations in particular can always be counted on to counsel "restraint" in response to attacks and "negotiations" in response to lethal threats.
What that means is that those who start trouble will have a lower price to pay than if those they attacked were free to go all out in their counter-attack. Lowering the price to be paid by aggressors virtually guarantees more aggression.
Those who deny this and ascribe the conflict to other reasons, such as "Israeli occupation," "Jewish settlements," a "cycle of violence," "the Zionist lobby" and the like, do so despite the fact that Israel's enemies regularly announce the reason for the conflict. The Iranian regime, Hizbollah, Hamas and the Palestinians — in their public opinion polls, in their anti-Semitic school curricula and media, in their election of Hamas, in their support for terror against Israeli civilians in pre-1967 borders — as well as their Muslim supporters around the world, all want the Jewish state annihilated.
In 1947-48, the Arab states tried to destroy the tiny Jewish state formed by the United Nations partition plan. In 1967, Egypt, Syria and Jordan tried to destroy Israel in what became known as the Six-Day War. All of this took place before Israel occupied one millimeter of Palestinian land and before there was a single Jewish settler in the West Bank.
Two months after the Six-Day War of June 5-10, 1967, the Arab countries convened in Khartoum, Sudan, and announced on Sept. 1, 1967, their famous "Three NOs" to Israel: "No peace, No recognition, No negotiations."
Six years later, in 1973, Egypt invaded the Israeli-held Sinai Peninsula, a war that ended in a boost in Egyptian morale from its initially successful surprise attack. Though nearly all of the Sinai remained in Israel's hands, the boost in Egyptian self-confidence enabled Egypt's visionary president, Anwar Sadat, four years later (November 1977), to do the unimaginable for an Arab leader: He visited Israel and addressed its parliament in Jerusalem. As a result, in 1978, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in return for which Israel gave all of the oil-rich Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt.
Three years later, in 1981, Sadat was assassinated by Egyptian Muslims, a killing welcomed by most Arabs, including the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). Why welcomed? Because Sadat had done the unforgivable — recognized Israel and made peace with it.
The lesson that Palestinians should have learned from the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement was that if you make peace with Israel, you will not only get peace in return, you will also get all or nearly all of your land back. That is how much Israelis ache for peace.
As a lifelong liberal critic of Israeli policies, the New York Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman wrote just two weeks ago: "The Palestinians could have a state on the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem tomorrow, if they and the Arab League clearly recognized Israel, normalized relations and renounced violence. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't know Israel today."
Give Israel peace, and Israel will give you land.
Which is exactly what Israel agreed to do in the last year of the Clinton administration. It offered PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat about 97 percent of the West Bank and three percent of Israel's land in exchange for peace. Instead, Israel got its men, women and children routinely blown up and maimed by Palestinian terrorists after the Palestinians rejected the Israeli offer at Camp David. Even President Clinton, desirous of being the honest broker and yearning to be history's Middle East peacemaker, blamed the ensuing violence entirely on the Palestinians.
Israel's Camp David offer of a Palestinian state for Palestinian peace was rejected because most Palestinians and their Arab and Muslim supporters don't want a second state. They want Israel destroyed. They admit it. Only those who wish Israel's demise and the willfully naive do not.
In 1947-48, the Arab states tried to destroy the tiny Jewish state formed by the United Nations partition plan. In 1967, Egypt, Syria and Jordan tried to destroy Israel in what became known as the Six-Day War. All of this took place before Israel occupied one millimeter of Palestinian land and before there was a single Jewish settler in the West Bank.
Two months after the Six-Day War of June 5-10, 1967, the Arab countries convened in Khartoum, Sudan, and announced on Sept. 1, 1967, their famous "Three NOs" to Israel: "No peace, No recognition, No negotiations."
Six years later, in 1973, Egypt invaded the Israeli-held Sinai Peninsula, a war that ended in a boost in Egyptian morale from its initially successful surprise attack. Though nearly all of the Sinai remained in Israel's hands, the boost in Egyptian self-confidence enabled Egypt's visionary president, Anwar Sadat, four years later (November 1977), to do the unimaginable for an Arab leader: He visited Israel and addressed its parliament in Jerusalem. As a result, in 1978, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in return for which Israel gave all of the oil-rich Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt.
Three years later, in 1981, Sadat was assassinated by Egyptian Muslims, a killing welcomed by most Arabs, including the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). Why welcomed? Because Sadat had done the unforgivable — recognized Israel and made peace with it.
The lesson that Palestinians should have learned from the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement was that if you make peace with Israel, you will not only get peace in return, you will also get all or nearly all of your land back. That is how much Israelis ache for peace.
As a lifelong liberal critic of Israeli policies, the New York Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman wrote just two weeks ago: "The Palestinians could have a state on the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem tomorrow, if they and the Arab League clearly recognized Israel, normalized relations and renounced violence. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't know Israel today."
Give Israel peace, and Israel will give you land.
Which is exactly what Israel agreed to do in the last year of the Clinton administration. It offered PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat about 97 percent of the West Bank and three percent of Israel's land in exchange for peace. Instead, Israel got its men, women and children routinely blown up and maimed by Palestinian terrorists after the Palestinians rejected the Israeli offer at Camp David. Even President Clinton, desirous of being the honest broker and yearning to be history's Middle East peacemaker, blamed the ensuing violence entirely on the Palestinians.
Israel's Camp David offer of a Palestinian state for Palestinian peace was rejected because most Palestinians and their Arab and Muslim supporters don't want a second state. They want Israel destroyed. They admit it. Only those who wish Israel's demise and the willfully naive do not.
Israel wages war by weighing into consideration, civilian casualties. Their aim is in taking out Hezbollah safehouses and military targets. The aim of Hezbollah and Islamic terrorists is to maximize civilian casualties on both sides. So where is the moral equivalence? It should be clear which side yearns for peace and which side rages to wage destruction.
Hat tip: The Dennis Prager Show
Also blogging the Prager mention of "Cycle of Violence": Green Pieces
More at Mike's America
Thomas Moore Law Center Press Release: Mt Soleda Cross
Courtesy of Jay at Stop the ACLU: Battle Over Mt. Soledad Memorial Cross Heats Up
As Jay reported earlier about the House voting for a bill that seeks to acquire the land where Mt. Soledad Cross stands and keep the war memorial in place. Now the Thomas More Law Center has put out their press release with a lot more details including some of the ACLU’s deceptive actions. Here is excerpt of that news release via Thomas More Law Center
President Bush, on the day of the vote, issued a “Statement of Administration Policy” that “strongly” supported H.R. 5683. The Statement read, in part, “In the face of legal action threatening the continued existence of the current Memorial, the people of San Diego have clearly expressed their desire to keep the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in its present form. Judicial activism should not stand in the way of the people, and the Administration commends Rep. Hunter for his efforts in introducing this bill.”
Over the past two years, the Law Center has provided thousands of attorney hours without charge to preserve the memorial cross from destruction by the ACLU-backed atheist Paulson. Charles LiMandri, the west coast director of the Thomas More Law Center, commented, “This case is one that should concern all Americans. It is a direct attack on our national heritage, and it is an attack that is occurring on our own soil. The ACLU and its minions, with the help of activist judges, seek to destroy what our Founding Fathers created—One Nation Under God.”
U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) on Tuesday, introduced legislation in the Senate identical to H. R. 5683.
The ACLU officially opposed H.R. 5683 in a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives. However, the ACLU misstated important facts and misrepresented the law. For example, the ACLU claimed that “service members are unable to choose their symbols when, as in Mt. Soledad, the government erects a 43-foot Latin cross upon public property.” In fact, the memorial cross was erected by a private organization and many family members, friends, and comrades of our fallen veterans have chosen to honor their fallen heroes by placing nearly 2,000 memorial plaques at the foot of the cross. Many of the plaques contain the Star of David, honoring fallen Jewish veterans.
Moreover, the ACLU also made the specious claim that “Chief Justice Rehnquist, Justice Scalia, and Justice White joined Justice Kennedy in noting that Latin crosses on government property violate the Constitution.” In support of this prevarication, the ACLU cited dicta from a dissent written by Justice Kennedy in which he hypothetically claimed that the Establishment Clause would forbid “a city to permit the permanent erection of a large Latin cross on the roof of city hall.” The ACLU failed to mention that Justice Kennedy was dissenting from a decision in which liberal members of the Court held that it was unconstitutional for the government to display a Nativity scene at a county courthouse. In his dissent, Justice Kennedy stated that the ACLU-backed decision to remove the Nativity “reflects an unjustified hostility toward religion, a hostility inconsistent with our history and our precedents.” Furthermore, it was Justice Kennedy who recently issued the stay to prevent the removal of the memorial cross until all of the legal appeals had been exhausted.
Robert Muise, a trial attorney for the Law Center working on this case, commented, “Any first-year law student knows that dicta is not the law, particularly dicta from a dissenting opinion that does not directly address the legal issue at stake. The ACLU’s misrepresentations may work on activist judges, but they are not fooling the American public or Congress. This case is plainly exposing the ACLU’s anti-Christian agenda.” For the complete release and additional information regarding this battle to keep Mt. Soedad Cross, please visit Thomas Moore Law Center.
This article is filed at Stop the ACLU website under ACLU, Church And State, 1st Amendment, News
Technorati Tags: Christians … Congressional Bill … Liberalism … Politically Correct … Evangelical … San Diego … Supreme Court … Mt. Soledad cross … California … Constitutional law … Freedom … Religion … Politics ... Stop the ACLU … ACLU … Religious Freedom … Politics
LOUIS SAHAGUN of the L.A. Times article, Christians laying groundwork for Armageddon
Courtesy of NewsBusters, Exposing and Combating Bias in the Media. DISCLAIMER: The different points of views NewsBusters or their contributors are not supported nor do they reflect the views and beliefs of the Bosun Locker or any entity affiliated with the Bosun. Re-posted with permission through NewsBusters Terms of Use.
Louis Sahagun of the L.A. Times - Christians 'Laying the Groundwork for Armageddon'
Posted at NewsBusters by Warner Todd Huston, July 19, 2006
In a misleading expose on the various "end times" religious concepts that are increasingly in the news today, the L.A. Times' Louis Sahagun; conflates Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's violent 12th Imam ravings with several different Christian and Jewish end times concepts as if the ideas are one and the same when, in reality, they aren't even comparable.
Ignoring clear Biblical claims that no man shall know when the end times are near, (Matthew 24:35-36) Sahagun focuses on the minority of Christian leaders who claim that despite that Biblical injunction it must be near. But if it isn't they want to attempt to bring it about. Sahagun warns us...
"Their end game is to speed the promised arrival of a messiah."
After briefly mentioning Christian, Jewish and Ahmadinejad's concepts, Sahagun attempts to loosely link them all together.
"Linking these efforts is a belief that modern technologies and global communications have made it possible to induce completion of God's plan within this generation."
After this line, though, one would imagine the piece would inform us about all these "modern technologies" and how similarly they are being used to advance the end times, but the piece is oddly re-directed to further highlight the apocalyptic visions of a minority of today's Christianity and the "modern technologies" aspect is dropped for the more sensational.
After going on paragraph after paragraph about these end of times concepts Sahagun's focus on these plans makes it seem as if the entire Christian community is coalesced on creating the conditions for the end times and he fails to highlight the material differences between the various concepts. With the most egregious example, Sahagun fails to delineate the difference between the Christian ideas and that of Ahmadinijad. The 12th Imam theory is one of violence, where all nations will be conquered and forced to convert to Islam, whereas the Christian claim is of merely waiting for prophecy to be fulfilled with Christians but informing the world of what is to come -- no force, no oppression, no violence on their part.
Sahagun also perpetuates the canard that Christians think all Jews must be destroyed, too.
"But when asked to comment on the fate of non-Christians upon the Second Coming of Jesus, he said, 'That's a very embarrassing question. What can I tell you? That's a very terrible Christian idea. What kind of religion is it that expects another religion will be destroyed?'"
Unfortunately for the reader's clarity, Sahagun neglects to mention that no Christian theology claims that it will be Christians doing this destroying, but that it is God's will, not theirs be done. Unlike that of Islam that says the Muslims should take a direct hand in such violence, Christians take a more pacifistic view of preparing for the end times than do Muslims.
Close to the end of the piece, Sahagun does finally hint that not all Christians are as far out as most he describes in his article.
"So, are all of these efforts to hasten the end of the world a bit like, well, playing God? Some Christians, such as Roman Catholics and some Protestant denominations, believe in the Second Coming but don't try to advance it. It's important to be ready for the Second Coming, they say, although its timetable cannot be manipulated."
Unfortunately he uses words like "some" when describing the less driven Christians but eschews such exculpatory language when describing those he obviously feels are nuts in the rest of the piece, causing the reader to imagine those Sahagun thinks are sane are farther and fewer between than the more agitated variety of Christian end times theorist he highlights.
In a final indignity, quoting Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, vice president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership in New York, Sahagun attempts to paint Christians as racists.
"Trouble is, there are many people who want to bring a messiah who looks just like them. For me, that kind of messianism is spiritual narcissism."
Are we to expect that Rabbi Hirschfield imagines his Messiah, the one that Judaism is still expecting to come, might arrive from Harlem, rapping his way to the rebuilt Temple Mount, or perhaps he might be a kindly Buddhist from Japan in a nice orange robe? No, likely the good Rabbi imagines that his expected Messiah will be a Jew, someone who is just like Hirschfield.
All in all this is a barely disguised hit piece on Christianity where Sahagun highlights some wild-eyed, end times theories and leads the reader to imagine that every Christian is a racist, Jew hater that wants to bring about Armageddon.
Funny, though, how Ahmadinejad's Armageddon, the one where the sword of Allah will cleanse the world of non-believers, is only described with no judgmental language attached, whereas Christian's version is called "a very terrible Christian idea".
External links to NewsBusters: Warner Todd Huston's blog Categories: Los Angeles Times Religion
Technorati Tags: Christians ... Ahmadinejad ... Liberalism ... Politically Correct ... Bias ... LA Times ... Jewish ... 12th Imam ... California ... Religion ... Freedom ... Leftist ... Politics ... Iran ... Israel ... US ... journalists ... Opinion
One Step Closer to Victory for Mt Soledad Cross
Courtesy of Jay at Stop the ACLU:
'One Step Closer To Victory For Mt. Soledad Cross'
The House voted by an overwhelming majority for a bill that seeks to acquire the land where Mt. Soledad Cross stands and keep the war memorial in place. The final vote was 349 to 74. All 74 nay votes were from democrats. The bill will now go to the Senate and will be introduced by Rep. Jeff Sessions.
While the current court cases trying to bring the cross down will continue, from Jay's understanding this legislation could make them moot. The current cases are being argued on the state constitution and if the federal government steps in and acquires the land it would override any verdict on the current argument. Of course we expect this isn’t near the end of the road. Jay is sure the ACLU will file a suit to challenge the constitutionality of the legislation if it passes.
It’s unfortunate that the symbol of the Christian faith, a symbol of peace, sacrifice, and love, has been the center point of such a nasty and vigorous campaign by a few individuals who hate the sight of it, but in the end I believe the cross will continue to stand right where it is now. The people of San Diego made their voices heard and now Congress has too.
Thomas Moore Law Center has not put out an official press release yet. Jay at Stop the ACLU will be posting it at his website and I will post the official press release on our site.
Filed at Stop the ACLU website under ACLU, Church And State, 1st Amendment, News
Technorati Tags: Christians ... Congressional Bill ... Liberalism ... Politically Correct ... Evangelical ... San Diego ... Supreme Court ... Mt. Soledad cross ... California ... Constitutional law ... Freedom ... Religion ... Politics
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Ann Coulter - Liberals: Born to Run
In Ann Coulter's latest column, 'Liberals: Born to Run,' posted at WorldNetDaily (WND), the take-no-prisoners commentator hammers DNC Chairman Howard Dean and his liberal party.DISCLAIMER: The different points of views Ann Coulter are not supported nor do they reflect the views and beliefs of the Bosun Locker or any entity affiliated with the Bosun Locker.
Coulter says that the Democrats consistently run from a fight. There are only two choices with savages: fight or run.
Democrats always want to run, but they dress it up in meaningless catch-phrases like 'diplomacy,' 'detente,' 'engagement,' 'multilateral engagement,'Coulter also weighs in on the Mideast situation, writing:
'multilateral diplomacy,' 'containment' and 'going to the U.N.'
"Some have argued that Israel's response is disproportionate, which is actually correct: It wasn't nearly strong enough. I know this because there are parts ofCoulter has something to say about North Korea, too:
South Lebanon still standing."
Clinton gave the North Koreans $4 billion to construct nuclear reactors in return for the savages promising not to use the reactors to build bombs. But oddly, despite this masterful triumph of "diplomacy," the savages did not respond with good behavior.Read Coulter's latest now, 'Liberals; Born to Run' at WorldNetDaily (WND)!
Technorati Tags: Liberalism ... Politically Correct ... armed forces ... Ann Coulter ... Military ... Israel ... Hezbollah ... Cut and run ... Democrat ... Diplomacy ... Freedom ... Politics ... Multilateral Engagement ... Détente ... Containment ... UN ... North Korea ... appeasers ... eUnuch Nations ... South Lebanon
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