Merry Christmas

Democrat Party Supporters

Our American Constitution grants us a remarkable liberty: “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Amendment I) Because of this provision, America has maintained the most open society in world history to date. Certainly, any American individual or organization has the Constitutional right to comment on the conduct of our Federal government and elected officials.

However, when armed militant enemies of the United States endorse the campaign promises of one of America’s major political policies, don’t you think it might be time for that political party to review and reconsider their message?

Mideast terror leaders to U.S.: Vote Democrat
Withdrawal from Iraq would
embolden jihadists to destroy Israel,
America
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted:
November 2, 2006
9:27 a.m. Eastern
By Aaron Klein
© 2006
WorldNetDaily.com


JERUSALEM – Everybody has an opinion about next Tuesday's midterm congressional election in the U.S. – including senior terrorist leaders interviewed by WND who say they hope Americans sweep the Democrats into power because of the party's position on withdrawing from Iraq, a move, as they see it, that ensures victory for the worldwide Islamic resistance.

The terrorists told WorldNetDaily an electoral win for the Democrats would prove to them Americans are "tired."

They rejected statements from some prominent Democrats in the U.S. that a withdrawal from Iraq would end the insurgency, explaining an evacuation would prove resistance works and would compel jihadists to continue fighting until America is destroyed.

They said a withdrawal would also embolden their own terror groups to enhance "resistance" against Israel.

"Of course Americans should vote Democrat," Jihad Jaara, a senior member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group and the infamous leader of the 2002 siege of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, told WND.

"This is why American Muslims will support the Democrats, because there is an atmosphere in America that encourages those who want to withdraw from Iraq. It is time that the American people support those who want to take them out of this Iraqi mud," said Jaara, speaking to WND from exile in Ireland, where he was sent as part of an internationally brokered deal that ended the church siege.

Read the entire article at
www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52747

Democrat Leadership: MIA

With the 2006 election a mere three days away, the final push by candidates near and far is being felt. Ad after ad highlight last minute issues, and the media reports some of the more closely watched races. I have seen reports of President and Mrs. Bush, Vice-President and Mrs. Cheney, and other high-profile Republicans on the campaign trail.

Notably missing from the high profile campaigns are the minority leaders of the House and Senate. Not a whole lot of Democrat leaders are showing up on the campaign trail for their fellow Democrat candidates. Even Sen. Kerry (D-MA) canceled planned campaign stops following his “botched joke.” Democrat leadership is MIA (missing in action).

No one can tell me that these liberal Democrats are not proud of their political stances. No one can tell me that they are not proud of their voting records. They verbalize their hostility toward the Bush administration and Congressional conservatives all the time. They sit and respond with cat-calls to proposals about stimulating the economy through tax cuts and partial social security privatization; reversing partial-birth abortion bills; prosecuting the liberation of Iraq successfully. Take a look at Rep. Pelosi’s (D-CA) voting record as recently reported in the Washington Times (http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20061102-090358-9812r.htm):

“A Roman Catholic who has repeatedly voted to uphold partial-birth abortion, who has voted against parental notification when minor children seek abortion and who has shown no concern for the rights of the innocent unborn, Mrs. Pelosi has consistently opposed the death penalty. Over the years, Mrs. Pelosi has consistently voted against welfare reform, including the 1996 bill signed by President Clinton and its re-authorization. In 1998, she opposed a constitutional amendment to permit school prayer in the classroom. In 1999, she opposed allowing state and local governments to display the Ten Commandments on public property, including schools. She has voted against education IRAs. In 2003, she opposed a $10 million program for school vouchers in the District of Columbia. That same year she voted against the 10-year $400 billion Medicare prescription-drug bill because she preferred one that was twice as expensive. Mrs. Pelosi has repeatedly voted for tax increases and opposed tax cuts, even the 2001 bill that doubled the child tax credit to $1,000, among other cuts. As the United States has become increasingly dependent on foreign sources for oil, Mrs. Pelosi has always opposed drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In recent years, she has become protectionist -- leading the opposition in 2000 against then-President Clinton's successful effort to establish permanent normal trade relations with China. She also opposed giving Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush trade-promotion authority; and in 2005 she voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement. In 2004, she voted to end Radio Marti broadcasts to Cuba. She voted to reduce funds for the B-2 intercontinental bomber, which performed superbly in the 1999 Kosovo War, in 2001 in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Mrs. Pelosi has repeatedly opposed anti-missile defense, even as a nuclear-armed North Korea has tested ballistic missiles.”

This is the voting record of Rep. Pelosi (D-CA), the potential House Majority Leader should Democrats gain the majority this election, and other liberal Democrats in both the House and Senate. But where are they when it is time to put their beliefs and issues before the American public? Why would they choose the campaign season before this important 2006 election to be MIA?

If I were a liberal, I would be furious. Not furious enough to vote Republican, mind you, but furious nonetheless. I would let these Democrat leaders know this through letters to legislators and to papers, e-mails, phone calls, and other means. I would be getting my liberal message out, since my Democrat leadership fails to show the courage to do so. This is not the time to recoil from duty.

Well, in the spirit of bi-partisanship, ChuckChants is helping fill the gap when Democrat leadership goes MIA. Don’t delay; spread the liberal’s message today!

Botched Joke or Continuing Philosophy?

Sen. Kerry tells us that his comment that has caused such a stir is a "botched joke:" "...you know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't you get stuck in Iraq."

Now the Senator is apologizing to those who "misundertand" the joke. Don't we all feel the love now?

In 1972, Sen. Kerry expressed his philosophy about the American Armed Forces that was not meant to be a joke - botched or otherwise...

Kerry's '72 Army comments mirror latest
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/elections/15908705.htm

WASHINGTON - During a Vietnam-era run for Congress three decades ago, John Kerry said he opposed a volunteer Army because it would be dominated by the underprivileged, be less accountable and be more prone to "the perpetuation of war crimes."

...In 1972, as he ran for the House, he was less apologetic in his comments about the merits of a volunteer army. He declared in the questionnaire that he opposed the draft but considered a volunteer army "a greater anathema."

"I am convinced a volunteer army would be an army of the poor and the black and the brown," Kerry wrote. "We must not repeat the travesty of the inequities present during Vietnam. I also fear having a professional army that views the perpetuation of war crimes as simply 'doing its job.'

"Equally as important, a volunteer army with our present constitutional crisis takes accountability away from the president and put the people further from control over military activities," he wrote.

If Sen. Kerry opposed the draft and held the position that a volunteer Army would be an even "greater anathema," what conclusion are we supposed to draw concerning his stance about an American military force and American national security?

These are the politicians Americans will place in majority leadership positions if Democrats are returned to the majority in Congress. America does not deserve this liberal leadership. Vote on November 7th!

Values of the Left

Included below is an excerpt from a Religious Freedom Coalition e-mail update. There is a reference to the Virginia Senate Democrat candidate Jim Webb and the novels he has authored. A link is included that takes you to a story about them.

In short, his novels contain some graphic and demeaning caricatures of other people and cultures, especially women, African-Americans, and South-East Asians. They include some descriptions of acts of pedophilia.

As you have no doubt noticed, there is no media uproar, as there was with the issue surrounding (now former) Sen. Foley (R-Fla) and messages to Congressional pages. And, of course, academic liberals are defending Mr. Webb's literary "rights."

Perhaps exposing excerpts from a Congressional candidate's novel written years prior to a campaign is not pertinent to the issues today. Each individual can make that determination. What I consider the irony of this, though, is the certainty of a media frenzy had the novelist been the Republican candidate. It most certainly would have made headlines as an election values issue.

What does this tell me about Democrat values? Whereas the controversy surrounding former Sen. Foley (R-Fla) resulted in sharp criticism from Republican politicians and constituents and in his resignation, values such as pornography, homosexuality, and even references to pedophilia are embraced by the Democrat Party. These are their values; therefore, it is not a news event when a Democrat candidate expresses them.

The left and/or the Democrat Party have attempted to raise the bar on values issues in this campaign. So, let's take stock of a few of the values of the left and/or Democrat Party:

(1) As already noted, they embrace the homosexual agenda and other groups committed to sexual debauchery including even adult-child sexual relationships. The San Francisco "Gay Pride" parade, in which Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) proudly marches, allows the inclusion of open proponents for the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA).

(2) They value punishing the successful and rewarding the slothful through their tax policies and redistribution of wealth; ie, the welfare state.

(3) They value illegal immigration.

(4) They value abortion from conception to the time of birth.

(5) They value unelected judges who write, not interpret, law from the bench.

(6) They value the removal of Judeo-Christian ethics and moral principles, the foundational cornerstone of the American Constitution, from public life.

These are just a few of the values of the left and/or the Democrat Party. We all know that there have been some significant moral failures and disappointments handed conservatives by Republican leaders, but they are newsworthy and noteworthy because they violate the moral values of their constituents!

I will certainly be voting my values in the 2006 election.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COALITION

Subject: Week Ending October 27, 2006 - Washington, DC

THE GAY AND PORNO FACTOR

"A couple of cards have been dealt to the Democrats that could change a lot of things in the last few days before the election. The New Jersey Supreme Court ordered that state's legislature to give "gay couples equal rights" by issuing either marriage licenses or something like them to homosexuals. Traditional marriage amendments are on the ballot in eleven states including Virginia and this last minute decision out of New Jersey is going to drive social conservatives to the polls who had otherwise given up on Republicans.

And in Virginia the details of Senate candidate Jim Webb's novels are just coming out of, shall we say, the closet. Turns out his novels including Fields of Fire and Lost Soldiers are pornographic in nature, depicting wholesale debauchery including sex with children. He depicts blacks and Asians as less than human and his treatment of female characters is horrifying. In other words, his works are typical reading materials for the average liberal who hates God's Word and views sex as the ultimate expression of intellect. (Click here for Webb book story)"

This publication is a service of the Religious Freedom Coalition (RFC). Links to political and other sites are for informational purposes and do not constitute endorsement. No statement is intended to assist or defeat any candidate running for public office.

Wedgies

My apology for not posting in quite awhile. I use the tired excuse that I have been busy. There, that’s out of the way. (One of my activities was being afforded the honor of serving as guest host on The Peter Heck radio talk show – WIOU 1350, Kokomo – a couple of days in early October. Even though a nervous venture, I had a blast!)

The Democrat Party (henceforth the DNC) has been giving conservative Christians and the Republican Party (RNC) a wedgie; to wit, they have been trying to put a wedge in between conservative Christians and the RNC on the basis of the Foley scandal. In summation, the DNC wedgie declares that the RNC is hypocritical and no longer the political party that reflects the values of the conservative Christians.

Foley’s actions are a reprehensible scandal. They certainly do not reflect the values of the conservative Christian voters who elected him or any Republican to office. But this does not, by any stretch of the imagination, make the DNC the default values political party for conservative Christians.

Conservative Christians know a thing or two about hypocrisy. When we face our relationship with God with genuine honesty, we know that we fall far short of His glory. We also know that God’s initiative, and His alone, has provided the way to forgiveness and reconciliation. God’s way is confessional belief in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Even though he should face the appropriate judicial action through the American legal system, Mark Foley can be forgiven by His Lord if he sincerely seeks forgiveness and reconciliation available to any penitent believer.

So let’s investigate further the acts of hypocrisy being committed in the DNC wedgie. L. Brent Bozell III has an illuminating article titled “Democrats on Sex and Children.” He writes, “Let's get to the point: Since when have Democrats like Nancy Pelosi cared, really cared, about men seeking out boys for sex? There's an organized lobby for this perversion: the National Man-Boy Love Association. In 1997, NAMBLA made national headlines when a 10-year-old Massachusetts boy named Jeffrey Curley was abducted by two men, choked on a gasoline-soaked rag when he wouldn't consent to sex, murdered and then sexually assaulted. Curley's parents sued NAMBLA, since one of the killers said he was discouraged from following his fiendish desires until the organization encouraged him. The Curleys' lawyer explained how the group instructed perverts on how to lure children into sex, citing a NAMBLA publication… "The Survival Manual: The Man's Guide to Staying Alive in Man-Boy Sexual Relationships." What does this have to do with the Democrats and Nancy Pelosi [D-CA, House Minority leader]? …NAMBLA easily found lawyers to defend them against the parents of the murdered boy -- the American Civil Liberties Union. Democrats like Pelosi are demanding that every Republican return any dirty Foley contributions they received, but do you think a single one of them has ever returned a dime generated for their coffers by the ACLU? The American Spectator reported that in a 2001 "gay pride" parade in San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi was just three spots in the parade from radical gay advocate Harry Hay, who avidly spoke in favor of sex with teens and fiercely advocated for NAMBLA's inclusion in gay-pride parades. Did Pelosi ever protest NAMBLA's presence in parades?”

Mr. Bozell continues that the left has been quietly attempting to reclassify teenage girls as women so that their “right” to abortion can remain a private part of their “women’s medical records.” Pointing out the obvious, he also asks that “…if liberal Democrats think sex between adults and children is gravely wrong, why are they accepting massive donations from Hollywood?” It certainly comes as no surprise that the entertainment industry portrays sexual activity among teenagers in a more than positive light. One plot pushed by the unfortunately popular “Desperate Housewives” included the very theme that the DNC is now decrying: “Bree, the red-headed Desperate Housewife, started seeing a man who was not only a drunk, but a sex addict. Bree's children then started trying to seduce him, and ultimately their mother came home to find her gay teenage son, Andrew, in the bedroom with her new beau. For ABC, this was all a delicious plot twist, a naughty giggle. No one was outraged. No Democrat returned contributions from Disney.”

The DNC the values party of choice for conservative Christians? I think not. No wedgie for this conservative Christian!

Don’t forget to vote on November 7th!

Hope Unlimited for Children

In many arenas, such as blogs, e-forums, letters, and speeches, Christian beliefs are questioned, challenged, and even mocked. This is especially true of the beliefs and practices of evangelical conservative Christians in America. According to some, conservative Christians are no different than fascists or Taliban. See, for instance, Rosie O’Donnell’s characterization of Christians as “radical” and as dangerous as “radical Islam.”

Comments such as these are not true and are based on either mischaracterizations or outright bias-filled deceptions. I would very much be surprised to find any organizations in America that have contributed more to the well-being of humanity than Christians, conservative or not, responding to this hurting world with the compassion of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Motivated by no more than to follow the example of the Jesus, the Son of God, Christian men and women have given selflessly of themselves and their resources throughout the history of America.

One case in point is this year’s special project of the American Baptist Women (ABW) (a mission support society) of the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky (ABC/IN-KY). Their highlight this year is HOPE UNLIMITED for CHILDREN. The following info is taken from their website:

Life on the Street:
* The numbers, alone, tell us there is a problem: In Brazil, there are from 7-8 million children between the ages of 5 and 18 living on the streets, and by all standards, in extreme poverty.
* Both girls and boys face the same challenges for survival – begging: sleeping under cardboard, sheets of tin or bridges; using their wits to escape the assaults of the police and others on the streets. They exhibit extraordinary amounts of fear, distrust and an inability to relate to others.
* Children of the street are involved in robberies, drug sales, petty theft, prostitution, and gang activity. Young street girls commonly use prostitution as a way of supporting themselves.
* Life ends early for children on the streets. One respected study indicated that up to 62% of girls living on the street commit suicide or are brutally murdered. Few live to age 25 if they stay on the streets more than 10 years.
* Almost all street youth use drugs, mostly solvents and inhalants. Resultant brain damage and mental problems further complicate their lives. One teen mother was observed sharing her glue soaked sleeve with her crying infant.
* AIDS is now a ticking time bomb, making its rounds among the children. Many street children have reported incidents of rape. Most are sexually active and almost half are forced to have sex. Almost 60% of kids between the ages of 7 to 12 are forced to have anal intercourse.
* Youngsters who were once looked upon as deserving of compassion and sympathy are now viewed at best as a nuisance, and at worst, as a danger to public safety -- future criminals who ought to be locked up.
* In the early 1990s, because of their drug use, predatory crimes, and general unacceptability, street children were the targets of local vigilante groups, drug gangs, and police "death squads." Thousands of street children were systematically rounded up and murdered.
* All of this tragically violates everything God intended for these children. Only initiatives like that offered by Hope Unlimited can provide comprehensive solutions.

Through Christian compassion and response, this issue is being addressed. Similarly, thousands of other Christian ministries have been established worldwide to share the salvation from God through the sacrifice of Jesus, to address the plights of those in poverty, and to bring hope to a sin-plagued world. This, indeed, is Christianity in its most “radical” application. Do not be misled or deterred by those who seek to do harm to the reality of the meaning and mission of followers of the Lamb of God. For more information about the specific ministry of Hope Unlimited, follow the link to their website.

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:35 (NIV)

Reflections on 9/11

As expected, watching the video replays and viewing the photos of the 9/11/2001 attacks brought back the conglomeration of emotions of that day. Seeing the pictures and hearing the details of the horror at each point of attack brings alive once more the eerie feelings of disbelief, horror over the brutal mass murders, and the overwhelming sadness of the thousands of lives forever changed. The most chilling images of that day for me remain the falling bodies of those who chose to throw themselves to their death from the top floors of the WTC towers. I do not show those in any remembrance services, but I have them in my personal collection. These overpowering images define to me the brutality of our enemy who made themselves clearly known to all Americans that day.

Reflections of 9/11 also remind me of the intense sense of the display of the American spirit on that day and the days to follow. Americans were as close to being one as is humanly possible. I never felt any personal fear on the 11th or any following day; I felt great grief over the sense of loss of life and great pride in the spirit that pulled us together to both recover from the brutal attacks and to resolve to face our enemy head on. As many Americans expressed, parallels of the Pearl Harbor attack came to mind. In fact, I remember clearly who I heard first declare that “America is at war.” The declaration came not from Congress nor from the President; it came from news anchor Tom Brokaw as he reported throughout our second “day of infamy.” Indeed, “America is at war.”

Outside of the loss of life and suffering brought by the attacks themselves, and the subsequent American lives lost in the Global War on Terror, I am most distressed and saddened by the resurgence of disunity among a people who need to be focused single-mindedly on the defeat of a treacherous, dangerous enemy. This is an enemy who seeks solely to destroy the liberties enjoyed by Americans.

Instead of “united we stand,” though, we now endure assaults from sectors of Americans who seek not to debate war policy, but to frustrate every action our President takes to prosecute this war. For them, defeating a brutal enemy is secondary to politically defeating President Bush and the Republican Party. Consider the many points that they use to sow seeds of distrust and hatred: electronic surveillance and data collection of contacts with terrorists is “spying” on innocent Americans; American presence in Iraq creates more terrorists; “Bush lied;” the Administration has embarked upon “cowboy diplomacy.” You can easily add to the list. Instead of setting aside divisive agendas for the sake of national unity and security, special interests continue to pursue selfish desires in times on national crisis. In a time when Americans wrote “God bless America” across this land over the weeks following 9/11, organizations like the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State relentlessly pursue their agenda to drive expressions of belief in Deity out of the public arena. Does that really make a lot of sense in a time when Americans need to be uplifted in belief? On and on it goes.

My reflections on 9/11 drive me to outright confusion. I do not comprehend how, when facing such a fiercely determined enemy, so many of my fellow citizens fail to comprehend the importance of the unity and purpose needed to defeat this dangerous foe. Standing under the shadow of the history of other militant totalitarians that attacked freedom throughout the world, I fail to comprehend how so many of my fellow citizens would rather see this enemy win as long as it means defeat for our Commander-in-Chief. It does not make sense.

Once more, I have gone on far too long for a blog. These things are supposed to be brief so that readers do not lose interest. If you have made it this far, I thank you. As Mr. Brokaw declared, “America is at war.”

9/11 Memorial Service & Military Support Rally

A 9/11 Memorial Service & Military Personnel Support Rally is being held on Monday, September 11th, 7:00 PM at the Maconaquah High School Auditorium, 256 E 800 S (Miami County, Indiana). This community service will feature music led by Ms. Heidi Folley & Maconaquah Choir members, color guard, and keynote speaker Major Scott Willis, USMC (a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq). For further information, contact Chuck Layne at 765-689-7987 or bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com.

If you would like to assist with this promotion by posting flyers, please contact me at the e-mail address above. I will forward a poster in MS Word format.

Snake on a Plane

I attended a presentation tonight (8/23/06) at the Grissom Air Museum by World War II veteran Harry Tharp. He was an aviation technician in the Army Air Corps and served in fighter squadrons in the South Pacific. He was terrific! What a memory!

When shipped out, his squadron first trained in some Australian outback. They had to literally level the anthills to make a runway. Besides ants, there were some trapdoor spiders and a type of python ranging in length from 10-14 feet. In addition to the interloping pilots and aircraft maintenance crews, those were the residents of that desolate area.

Mr. Tharp told of one pilot returning from a training mission talking about the snake that crawled from the engine into the cockpit after takeoff. “What’d you do?” he asked. I could imagine all kinds of screaming and potential hysterics. Instead, he told us that the pilot exclaimed, “There was only room for one of us, so I flipped the plane over and threw it out!”

I suppose that wouldn’t provide even the most creative director enough material for a feature length film.

(photo: P39 trainer/fighter)

Where Are They?

One of the most notable elements of the United Nation Security Council Resolution 1701 calling for a multi-national, U.N.-led peacekeeping force to occupy southern Lebanon is that very few member nations are in a hurry to provide the necessary personnel. What’s going on? This is the U.N., the international problem-solver that everyone is supposed to bow to! They have ridden to the rescue once again and solved another world crisis! So, where are they?

Perhaps they forgot to plan to win the peace. To hear the ranting from the left, Democrats, and European elites, that seems to be a common malady these days.

The bad news is that there are still clashes occurring. The good news is that they have been decreasing in frequency. The potentially disastrous news is that if they delay too long, the larger scale conflict will once again erupt.

It just strikes me as odd that U.N. leadership failed to secure commitments for a peacekeeping team while negotiating a cease-fire. OK… it really doesn’t strike me as odd; but it is certainly a sad testimony of what this organization is capable of doing. It would appear that they have created failure.

Well, no matter where they come from, do not neglect to pray for God to bless the multi-national peacekeepers. They will no doubt need all the help they can get.

Fifth-Columnists Strike Again

Federal Judge Halts America's War Efforts...

As I wrote in my last post, I believe all Americans should note carefully who has hampered American efforts to prosecute and win the war against terrorists. After just participating in international efforts that successfully thwarted the plot to blow commercial airliners to smithereens on flights between England and America, U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor has ruled that the National Security Agency collection of data must be halted as a result of a lawsuit filed by the aclu.

“Saying that the President of the United States violated the First and Fourth amendments to the U.S. Constitution in illegally spying on American citizens, a federal judge ordered the U.S. government to end its warrantless wiretapping program immediately. U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, whose court is in the eastern district of Michigan, made her ruling in a case filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and others against the National Security Agency, the agency that ran the terrorist surveillance program that started in 2002.” Click here for the entire article.

On the basis of one judge’s ruling, this proven tool in America’s war campaign can be immediately removed from our defense arsenal? Why do these people want America to lose this war? Oh yeah, because they are fifth-columnists; I forgot for a minute. So what excuses will the Honorable Taylor and the aclu be giving the American people when we wake up one day to the news that more of our fellow citizens have been inhumanely blown to smithereens? If they are honest, they will be cheering.

Whooop!

Our media is amazing. A major, imminent plot to blow commercial airliners between Britain and America to smithereens foiled; thousands of lives saved; intelligence techniques implemented since 9/11 successfully employed to uncover these plans, and what makes front page news? The personal trauma of those who must endure the sudden new restrictions on air travel. The delays caused by heightened security. The frustration of airline travelers over the delays and the sudden ban of carrying common products onto the plane.

Yes, media is reporting facts about the case as they become known. We can acknowledge that. But why this secondary fixation on air travelers moaning over having to dispose of personal items, particularly liquids? (“A senior congressional source said it is believed the plotters planned to mix a British sports drink with a gel-like substance to make a potent explosive that could be ignited with an MP3 player or cell phone.” -- amazing) How many reports have there been about disgust over these new “silly” security requirements?

Normal citizens might well wonder where the reports are that commend these successful intelligence efforts. Where is the acknowledgement that those serious about the reality of this war have just saved thousands of innocent lives? Does anyone imagine that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D – New York), vacationing in England and other European nations, will acknowledge that the steps taken by the Bush administration to fight this war might have saved the lives of his wife and him?

Well, chuckschants and friends tip our hats and say “THANK YOU” to the intelligence, police, and military forces of America and allies. We especially say “THANK YOU” to the British forces who saved literally thousands of lives. Or, reverting to an earlier period in my life, issuing a Texas Aggie “WHOOP!” as I listened to the stories of this plot unfold.

My Take: Enemies Foreign and Domestic

The good news – no, great news – is that British authorities foiled terrorist plots to blow up domestic air flights from Great Britain to the United States. Our British allies in the war against Islamic terrorism and totalitarianism are diligently doing their jobs. We owe them a great deal of gratitude.

The bad news is that we still have enemies. Unfortunately, not all of our enemies are foreign. We have an unusually high number of anti-war organizations conducting fifth-column style actions aimed at impeding America’s ability to prosecute this war and defeat our enemies. A Newsmax article reporting on this British victory states, “While the British arrests were made by Scotland Yard, disruption of terrorist plots usually entails at least some international cooperation. Since 9/11, intelligence and law enforcement agencies throughout the world have integrated their operations and largely abandoned territorial concerns in the effort to hunt down terrorists. Nowhere is that better illustrated than at the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which President Bush established to bring together all terrorist-related information in a single secure building in northern Virginia… They have access to the raw intelligence reports of the CIA and the FBI. The initial lead in a case such as the one in Great Britain could have come from a National Security Agency (NSA) intercept of a conversation by an al-Qaida operative, from tracking of international banking transactions, from an informant developed by Britain's MI6 counterterrorism agency or the CIA, from police monitoring of secure chat rooms, or from a walk-in looking for money.”

Yet in America, media such as the New York Times reveals classified techniques being used to track terrorist financial deals even though they were implored to not release the story. The ACLU is initiating a lawsuit against the NSA. The ACLU says that Constitutional privacy rights are being violated. I say that is every American’s right to be able to get to work, go on vacation, or do anything on any given day without being blown to smithereens. Other nations engaged in the war against Islamic terrorism do not have a problem with this type of data surveillance. Whether intentional or unintentional, the actions of these American organizations hurt America’s ability to win this war and provide useful information to our enemies. They are fifth-columnists.

I have long decided that if America is once again attacked on a scale similar to 9/11, I will hold those fifth-columnists personally responsible for their part. I doubt that they care much about what goes on at chuckschants, but I think that every American, especially every new victim created by another attack, should hold all of these organizations and individuals responsible for refusing to support America’s efforts to defeat these dangerous, fanatic, and deadly enemies of the free world. This latest plot could have been that attack. Over and over we have heard from these organizations, including elected politicians of the Democratic Party, protest about being called unpatriotic because of their opposition to this war. When their opposition impedes America’s ability to win and provides sensitive information to our enemies, then, yes, they are unpatriotic. Their actions speak louder than their words.

My Take: Paths to Peace

The current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has prompted nations and world organizations to call for peace. While certainly the desired objective, the methods for achieving peace should be carefully weighed.

If peace is defined as merely the absence of war or any level of armed conflict, then the solution is rather simple and straightforward: (1) accept Islamic totalitarianism espoused by leaders in Iran, Syria, and elsewhere; and (2) dismantle Israel as a Jewish state. These two actions will accomplish the stated objectives of Hezbollah, Hamas, al-Qaeda, and other Islamic jihad terrorist organizations. Once such objectives are accomplished, their war with Israel and Western civilization will end, and we will enjoy peace.

Now we know that this is a silly notion. Even though armed conflict could have been avoided had Europe accepted the totalitarianism of Hitler's Nazism and Asia/Pacific accepted the totalitarianism of Japan's Imperialism, we would hardly regard that as peace. In spite of this historical reality, there remain those today who believe that peace comes through appeasement with Islamic jihad militants. Liberals initially went ga-ga over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's May 9th letter to President Bush. "He is extending an opportunity to dialogue. We can't pass up this opportunity to achieve peace," many declared. Actually reading the letter, though, indicates President Ahmadinejad's requirements for peace. His letter concludes, "Liberalism and Western-style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the Liberal democratic systems. We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point -- that is the Almighty God. Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teachings of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems. My question for you is: 'Do you not want to join them?' Mr. President, Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things."
(www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/09/AR2006050900878.html)

Accept the enemy's terms, and we will have peace. Yes, a ridiculous notion, but one that is being forwarded in effect by all those who would call for a "cease-fire" in this latest escalation of military action. Israel had not sent bomb-laden terrorists to conduct suicide attacks against civilian targets. Israel had not launched rockets indiscriminately against populated cities. Israel had not called for the destruction and dismantling of any Middle East nation or indigenous population. In fact, Israel recently turned over some of their settlement land to Palestinians. In turn, terrorist actions were increased against Israel.

"Cease-fire" in the Middle East has done nothing but perpetuate the continuation of war (see my previous article). Another "cease-fire" between Israel and its enemies will not result in peace. It will result only in more opportunity for Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist armies to rebuild and re-arm. It will result only in the perpetuation of unprovoked attacks upon Israel and its allies, both real and imagined. It will result, ultimately, only in the escalation of conflict around the world as Islamic holy-warriors continue to probe and find new ways to impose their totalitarian rule upon peaceful people and nations.

The path to peace must be victory. Israel is making that clear today. The Allied forces of World War 2 sought no "cease-fire" in the middle of that war. To have done so would have only provided the enemies then time to regroup and re-arm and continue their murderous aggression. Instead, our leaders then pursued the objective of unconditional surrender from Italy, Germany, and Japan. As a result of that policy, and wise post-war reconstruction policies, we have not had to re-fight those wars once fought. To believe that anything else except victory - both militarily and diplomatically - in our current conflict will lead to peace is irrational. Without the resolve to dismantle our enemies' power to do harm to Israel, America, or any other nation seeking peaceful existence, this war will be fought for a long time to come.

(Photo: Hezbollah Army parade July 14, 2006)

My Take: Israeli-Arab Conflict

Even though Israeli-Arab relationships merit in-depth studies and analyses, the current conflict is not too difficult to understand. The reality of the nature of contemporary Israeli and Arab relationships is war. There is always a declared war, even though there may be periods of "cease fire," which means mainly that Israel refrains from taking military action against acts of terrorist aggression within its borders. The reasons that war is continual between Israel and the Arab world is two-fold: (1) The Arab nations that have attacked Israel in the past have never been successful. (2) Israel has never been allowed complete its military operations against the Arab world which would secure victory and establish peace. This is the framework from which to understand the current conflict.

To bring about another "cease fire" in the long history of this war, one of two demands must be met. The Israeli demands are the return of their kidnapped soldiers and the immediate end of rocket attacks on Israeli territory. The Arab (re: Palestinian, Hamas, Hezbollah, et al) demands are the withdrawal of all Jews from Israel or, preferably (according to them), the eradication of all Jews. Which demand should we consider the
most reasonable and simplest to accomplish?

The force that Israel is using in retaliation to the kidnapping of their soldiers (clearly a demonstration of concern for their troops that American liberals forget to express for our kidnapped soldiers) and for the Hezbollah rocket attacks surprises some. However, remember that they have already been in a state of war and that the current conflict is merely another battle within that war.

What has been more surprising than the force Israel is now directing at their enemy has been their restraint for literally years. When Saddam directed SCUD missiles into Israel during the War to Liberate Kuwait, even though Israel was not a military participant in that conflict, Israel made no retaliation. Even though Israeli citizens have suffered devastating terrorist bombing attacks since then, they have made no significant military responses. Indeed, since then, Israel has withdrawn from settlements in the Gaza strip and other territory in order for Palestinians to occupy them and establish their own government. The principle requirement was that the Palestinian authority would actively pursue policies and actions to remove terrorist organizations from their borders. They subsequently failed to accomplish this primarily because they do not consider Arab terrorist organizations their enemy. Jewish Israel is their stated enemy! It stands to reason, then, that they would strengthen their allies and, at the same time, seek ways to disrupt the strength of their enemy.

Military response by Israel to these accumulating attacks is not an option. It is a survival necessity. They do not have the luxury to wait dozens of years for appeasement diplomacy. They do not have the luxury to sit idly by while their soldiers are kidnapped and tortured. They do not have the luxury to wring their hands over suicide Islamic jihadists while uttering platitudes that this is, after all, "something that Europeans have been enduring for years."

Israel believes in fixing the problem. Even though their solution - victory - will be condemned by those impotent world peacekeepers over at the United Nations, Israel will nevertheless do what they can to ensure their survivability among neighbor nations, some nearer than others, that make no secret of their goal to eliminate Israel as a Jewish state.

On December 4, 2001, then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stated, " … A war has been forced upon us. A war of terror. A war that claims innocent victims daily. A war of terror being conducted systematically, in an organized fashion, and with methodical direction. … We will pursue those responsible, the perpetrators of terrorism and the supporters. We will pursue them until we catch them, and they will pay a price." Once again, though, this current conflict will be halted far short of what it will take to establish victory, and hence peace, in that war torn region. Unfortunately, it will only be a matter of time before battles will be once again fought regardless of how long the new phony "cease fire" may last.

Making Sure the Liberal Message is Heard

Analysis from the last couple of Presidential elections have resulted both times in the Liberal's claim that they lost because... their message did not get out to Americans! Amazingly, they blame mainstream media sources for not helping them out here.

At any rate, I decided to try to help them out. Yes, let's get the liberal message out to Americans.

In order to facilitate this mission, I maintain an e-mail list that I send the occasional liberal message out to. I protect participants' e-mail addresses to the greatest extent possible and do not use them for any commercial purpose (as if I have a commercial purpose to use them for).

Anyway, if you want to be a recipient of my occasional "get the liberal message out" alerts, send me an e-mail to calayne1@juno.com. I'll add you. You won't be sorry. The best way I have found to thwart the liberal's agendas is to let 'em talk. So, let 'em be heard, I say.

Photo note: Photographer Sean Cafferky from the Seattle Anti-War Protest of 15 Feb 2003. There were too many to choose from. See for yourself at
http://www.lovethief.com/seattleantiwarprotest-feb2003/. (I may have to include this link in a "get the liberal message out" e-mail!)

American Revolution and Quagmire

From 1780 through 1782, General Nathanael Greene commanded the American colonial forces in the southern colonies. Under General Greene’s command, the American forces were never victorious in any major engagement against the British forces. Every time the two armies faced each other on the field of battle, the British took the ground, and the American forces withdrew after the battle, which was the definition of defeat. In spite of this, General Greene maneuvered the British Cornwallis into Yorktown where General Washington subsequently forced his surrender. In December, 1781, Greene forced the British to evacuate the south from Charleston, South Carolina, ending major campaigns in that sector of the conflict.

What a shame the modern American left was not there to inform Generals Greene and Washington, the Continental Congress, and all colonists fighting Britain of the hopeless quagmire in which they were mired. The outcome of this hopeless, futile venture would have been obvious to them. No other solution save withdrawal of forces from the Revolution would have been acceptable. Lives could have been saved had the colonial patriots relegated the great principles and spirit of freedom and liberty to the back seat of human despotism. Yes, indeed, what a shame that there was no political left movement in 1780 America.

Of course, I am expressing sarcasm at the philosophy of the contemporary American left. Their constant bombardment about "quagmire," and other defeatist philosophies, in Iraq and Afghanistan are dangerous. Their attempts to undermine American and allied success in this current war are dangerous. Their use of media to expose classified programs being used to prosecute this war is dangerous. Their use of the courts, even the Supreme Court, to hamstring the Commander-in-Chief's ability to wage a successful war is dangerous. They are dangerous because of the nature of this war. In Vietnam, which seems to be the limit of their knowledge of American involvement in war, Ho Chi Minh's objective was to take Saigon and subdue South Vietnam. In the scheme of Cold War threats, larger designs could be read into that war (i.e., the prevalent "domino theory" of that period), but the reality of the Vietnam situation was that the United States of America was under no direct threat from North Vietnam.

Not so in our current global war. Al-Qaeda and other similar enemies have directly targeted, unfortunately successfully, American assetts both abroad and at home. They continue to plan to do so. Their objective, stated plainly enough by them, is to cripple the United States of America and all of Western civilization. This is a significant difference between the Vietnam conflict and the current conflict. Although it resulted in great suffering and loss of life to the people of Vietnam and Cambodia, withdrawing from Vietnam did not directly afflict America with tragedy. To withdraw from the current war being fought on the Iraqi and Afghani fronts - and anywhere else the enemy operates - would be a major catastrophe for America and Western civilization. This is why the attempts of the American left to hamper America's war efforts are so dangerous, and why it really is a good thing that they were not present in 1780.

Who Is Your Most Respected Politician?

Who is your most respected politician? Around Independence Day, I would normally look to those amazing Founders of this great nation to answer that question, but not this year. The politician I most respect is a presidential candidate who was never elected to that highest office.

Prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, American intelligence agencies - still in their infancy stages of development - were able to begin deciphering the Japanese diplomatic code. They called this code “Magic.” Amazingly, the Japanese never changed their diplomatic code throughout the war; consequently, being able to decipher it was of immeasurable help to the Allied war effort. More than once during the course of the war, Allied use of Magic was almost compromised. One of those incidents occurred at the time of the Presidential election in which President Roosevelt was seeking his unprecedented fourth term. Here is where the story of a truly patriotic politician is found.

The Republican candidate, and my most respected politician, opposing President Roosevelt was Thomas E. Dewey. The Republicans running the Dewey campaign intended to use their knowledge of pre-war intelligence to attempt “to discredit Roosevelt and show that he must have known beforehand about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.” (Lee, p. 244). In other words, the Republicans accused the President of “rushing America to war” by not preventing the Japanese attack and providing the rationale for immersing America into the European conflict on the side of England. The Republicans had no accurate concept of the vital part that Magic was still playing in the war effort. So critical was the need to prevent Magic’s compromise that General George C. Marshall wrote to Dewey explaining its significance. Dewey rejected the letter without reading it completely. General Marshall wrote again on September 27, 1944, begging that Dewey “‘say nothing during the campaign’ about the fact that U.S. government authorities had been reading Japanese codes and ciphers before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Not only was the information true, Marshall tells Dewey, ‘but much more important were the facts that (1) the war was still in progress; (2) the Japanese were still using certain of the pre-Pearl Harbor cryptosystems; and (3) the U.S. government was still reading highly secret Japanese messages in those systems, as well as highly secret messages of other governments. Therefore, it was absolutely vital that Governor Dewey not use the top-secret information as political ammunition in his campaign.’” (Lee, p. 245)

The action General Marshall took to implore Dewey not to use this information in his campaign was unprecedented. In his letter, he promised Dewey that only nine other people knew about the letter. President Roosevelt was not one of them. Marshall wrote, “I am persisting in the matter because the military hazards involved are so serious that I feel some action is necessary to protect the interests of our armed forces.” He explained that there was no reference to Japanese intentions toward Pearl Harbor until the last message, which did not reach the hands of the U.S. military until December 8. Marshall explained that the Allies were breaking both German and Japanese codes and emphasized: “Our main basis of information regarding Hitler’s intentions in Europe is obtained from Baron Oshima’s message reporting his interviews with Hitler and other officials to the Japanese government.” Marshall spelled out completely to Dewey how Magic won the battle of the Coral Sea, won the battle of Midway, and provided the sinking of Japanese merchant shipping by providing the sailing dates and routes of Japanese convoys. (Lee, pp. 245-246)

Dewey was the first person outside of Roosevelt and the high command to know the full story and importance of Magic. Because of Marshall’s letter, Dewey determined that “the Republicans cannot take the risk of losing American lives, or prolonging the war, by revealing the Magic secret.” Dewey returned to his campaign and never mentioned the subject. Many Republicans in Congress came to believe that Dewey’s sudden failure to make the pre-war intelligence about the Pearl Harbor attack a campaign issue cost them the election, and they determined to seek revenge. “As a result… just before congressional Pearl Harbor hearings open in November 1945, the Republicans on the committee blithely release the news that before and during the war the British and the Americans had broken both the German and Japanese codes. This breach of national security is done after Marshall begs the committee to keep the secret. The committee refuses, publishing Marshall’s correspondence with Dewey. Thus, our Congress gives our former enemies the first knowledge that their codes had been broken, to say nothing about breaching America’s diplomatic confidence with the British.” (Lee, pp. 246-247)

Thomas E. Dewey demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt true political patriotism and earns the distinction of being my most respected politician. Instead of attempting to redefine patriotism, he took so seriously the damage to the war effort and to the military personnel themselves that disclosing information about Magic would cause that he sacrificed a possible successful political campaign against Roosevelt. Given the current climate of political dissension and compromise by media of classified programs successfully tracking down high ranking terrorists, which contemporary politician or reporter can we imagine giving up a political advantage or reporting scoop for the sake of shortening the length of the war and protecting American lives? Given the current debate, I unfortunately have a difficult time imagining even a few, if any, accepting such a patriotic challenge. Sadly, our politicians and reporters today seem intent to follow the damaging self-interest blueprint of the 1945 Republicans in Congress.


Source cited:

Marching Orders: The Untold Story of World War II, Bruce Lee, New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1995. (This Bruce Lee is a historian, not a former martial arts star).

Where Is the Outrage?

The deaths of two American soldiers, PFC Kristian Menchaca and PFC Thomas Tucker, were barbaric. Captured by Islamic jihadists, these uniformed members of the American Armed Forces should have been treated as POWs in accordance with the Geneva Convention. Instead, they were tortured and mutilated so much that DNA samples were required for positive identification. Among other brutal acts carried out on them, their hearts were cut out. The jihadists claiming responsibility have said this is retaliation for the death of al-Zarqawi. Al-Zarqawi was killed in an attack on a known enemy headquarters during a war in which he was a leading enemy figure. Menchaca and Tucker were not merely killed; they were tortured in excruciating fashion. Their deaths were not the result of combat, but the result of barbaric treatment as captured POWs.

My thoughts here are not a call for revenge of any kind. They are a call for the expression of outrage that should be accompanying every report about these atrocities. Yet, American mainstream media and human rights organizations remain hauntingly silent about this brutality. At the same time, Americans are filled with the daily parade of accusations of "torture, war crimes, and various human rights violations" by Americans. This, too, should fill us with outrage.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called the Iraq war "illegal." Was it America that filled mass graves with hundreds of thousands of murdered Iraqi citizens?

In May, Human Rights Watch accused the U.S. of "brutalizing Muslim suspects in the name of the war on terror," How many Americans have strapped bombs to their chests and detonated themselves in crowds of civilians?

Amnesty International highlights America's use of "torture or other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment " against jihadist captives (POWs). How many prisoners have Americans brutally beheaded, mutilated, mangled, and tossed back on a deserted street?

Even though these brave soldiers' barbaric deaths came at the hands of brutal murderers, not combatants, this is again not a call for revenge. It is not even a call for these particular Islamo-fascist murderers (practioners of the "religion of peace") to be hunted down and "brought to justice." This is a war, not a police action.

My call, then, is two-fold: First, and most important, this is a call for victory. This is a call for our leadership, both political and military, to prosecute this war as necessary, and within the rules of engagement directing our forces on the ground, to achieve an overwhelming victory over those who have made themselves enemies of humanity. Documents captured from al-Zarqawi convincingly demonstrate that the Islamo-fascists in Iraq are deeply concerned about their ability to continue the battles there. Finish the task, then, by both enabling the Iraqis in their self-defense and by militarily defeating these inhumane enemies. Second, this is a call for equal treatment, at least, by our own media and by human rights organizations. In the absence of any "Ernie Pyles," at least report evenly to the American people about the atrocities perpetrated by the Islamo-fascists on American soldiers and Iraqi citizens. If this simple act of doing your job cannot be accomplished, then quit blowing smoke about your so-called "objective reporting." Quit labeling Americans as torturers when POWs in our care are given better care than many had as combatants, including the freedom to exercise their practice of the "religion of peace." Quit whining about being called unpatriotic when you provide free sources of propaganda for al-Jazeera and our enemies.

Message From the Front

One of America's brave soldiers sends his latest experiences from Iraq:

Hello everyone-
Man have I done some really interesting and exciting things since the last e-mail. My squad has picked up some new IP stations and we have been checking on things there. We are seeing how they stand on situations and other things. One of the places we go to is pretty close to the Tigris River. This is really crazy because a lot of the things around here have been here since the very first Bible was written from actual events. Well anyways, I have some beautiful pics of me and my battles right on the shore of the river with tress and the mountains and other things in the background. I even have a pic of me in a fisherman's little boat floating on the Tigris. While we were there there was a 15 year old teenager who had a horrible gash in his right heel. He should have seen a doctor as soon as it happened. But as always they don't really do that around here. He had a cotton ball stuffed in the gash with a piece of cloth tied around it. It was deep and about 3 inches long. You could see about almost an inch of tissue, both dead and alive. I cleaned up his wound with alcohol and removed his cotton cloth that had fused almost to the wound. He was a trooper. We explained it would hurt but he said he could handle it. I had to swipe out all the puss and dirt from the wound with the alcohol swabs. I wrapped it properly and told him not to walk on it because it will just split back open and not heal properly. I also gave him some Ibuprofen for the pain. He and the other 25 kids watching were amazed with what I was
doing and they kept saying "Doc" and stuff, I just laughed. It made me feel really good. The day before yesterday we went to Kurdistan. Technically its not a country but they feel that it is. Its like 97% Kurdish people, and they all hate Sadam and his evil cruel ways. They are very thankful for us helping them now and back in the early 90's. We were in a green zone so we were allowed to take our gear off and walk around the town of Dohuk. We walked through the market and people stopped us to get pictures with us and say thank you and hello. We ran into some people from Canada and Norway. Kinda funny. We sat down at a Kurdish restaraunt and had lunch. We had so much food to eat and it was only 6 bucks. I have tons of pictures and video of our trip. Well I am going to get off here for now. Thanks again for everything everyone... Love all you guys and God Bless. Maa elsalama, <----good-bye> -- Josh

Thank you, Josh and all in your unit, for defending America and bringing freedom to an oppressed people. God bless all of you!

Separation of the Church and the State

For some odd reason, I receive the publication Church and State published by Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU). Either someone believes that I need to receive this, or I am on their mailing list. Either way, I never complain about receiving such things at no cost to myself.

The back cover of some issues contains an unreferenced quote attributed to James Madison: “The number, the industry, and the morality of the Priesthood have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the Church from the State.” The organization’s pitch then follows: “James Madison and other founders of the United States strongly believed that church-state separation preserves the integrity and vitality of religion, ensures freedom of conscience for all people and prevents government meddling in matters of faith. So do we!”

Research affirms that the quote attributed to Madison is from Madison. It is found in a letter to Robert Walsh dated March 2nd, 1819. Madison’s letter is in response to a February 15th letter from Walsh concerning “misrepresentations propagated abroad” about Negro slavery, moral character, religion, and education in Virginia. http://www.constitution.org/jm/18190302_walsh.htm

European governments historically supported an established Christian sect and clergy. As with other portions of the great American “experiment,” they believed that religion could not survive without this support. Madison replied that, instead of withering away, all [Christian] Sects in Virginia were making great gains.

Reading Madison’s quote in the full context of the letter makes the AU use of it suspect. The AU’s application of “the total separation of the Church from the State” cannot be found in the context of Madison’s letter or the context of volumes of other historical documents by the Founding Fathers. The separation referred to by Madison was that the federal government not favor any particular Christian sect. The separation referred to by AU is to remove from the public arena all references to the Christian faith and America’s Christian heritage. They especially oppose any policies promoted by the so-called “religious right,” whom they oppose with a particularly vicious fanaticism. I find it alarming that an organization that claims to stand on the truth of Constitutional rights attempts to be so deceptive with its use of the intentions of Founding Fathers like James Madison.

American Life League Petition

(The photo caption reads: "The greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion, which is war against the child" -- Mother Theresa)

The American Life League (ALL) has been running full page ads in major newspapers exposing the truths of Planned Parenthood. One of their ads, with the bold headline "TEEN SUICIDE," reads:

Planned Parenthood aborts over 240,000 babies every year. Nationally, 1 out of 6 abortions are performed on girls between 15 and 19 years old. All their lives, these girls have been told that a baby in the womb is a “choice,” not a child. Planned Parenthood’s clever lie leads girls to think that abortion is an easy and harmless way to end an unwanted pregnancy. But eventually all lies are exposed and when a teenaged mother finds out that her “choice” had arms, legs, eyes, fingers, feet and toes, the truth can hurt so bad, some girls will use any means to escape it—even suicide. The most recent studies show that girls between 15 and 18 who abort a baby are more than twice as likely to experience depression, chronic anxiety and suicidal thoughts than the average girl in the same age group. Every year, Planned Parenthood receives over $265 million in your tax dollars and the result is the death of over 240,000 young people in America. Some of them die when they’re still in the womb. Some of them when they’re still in high school. Americans should fight teen suicide. Not pay for it. Sign our petition today at: www.StopPlannedParenthoodTaxFunding.com

See the entire ad at http://www.all.org/pdf/ppad3.pdf

You can contact ALL at 1-540-659-4171 or www.ALL.org.

Memorial Day Message

"That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion." These unforgettable words delivered by President Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg embody the true meaning of Memorial Day: to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom.

Like those in uniform today, I took the oath to support and defend the Constitution. The unspoken part of that oath was, as it is today, the willingness to lay down one's life to protect our liberties. Our freedom is not free, and the sacrifices of service men and women throughout history stand as constant, powerful reminders of the price. President Lincoln said, "to truly honor these heroes, we must steadfastly resolve to continue their noble fight against all who would threaten our way of life."

I salute and offer eternal thanksgiving to those who gave their lives in service to our country. Additionally, I remain eternally grateful for the selfless sacrifice of those today who carry on the precious legacy of those who have gone before.

Send Our Troops Your Message

This Memorial Day weekend, send your own message of thanks and support to our brave military men and women who are putting so much on the line to defend America and to provide a better world for Iraqi citizens.

American military personnel have already crippled the terrorist organizations threatening America, overwhelmed and toppled a murderous tyrant, and continually push forward the restoration and rebuilding of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Their lives are still on the line, the dangers are real, and the operational environment is harsh. Still, they press on because they know the value of the mission.

Tell them that you value their mission, too. Do it at America Supports You. You'll be glad you did.

Not Going to be Defeated

Does this look like a defeated American soldier in Iraq?

I didn't think so, either. Yet, the American left continues to carry on about how demoralized our forces are; how demoralized the Iraqi people are; and how demoralized the American citizens are.

By all appearances, the only Americans defeated by al-Qaeda and other Islamo-terrorists are... the left!

Our forces in Iraq are working hard to achieve victory on the battlefield and with the rebuilding of Iraq. The Iraqi people bravely vote, withstand Islamo-terrorist attacks, rebuild their nation, and stand up a new government. Patriotic American citizens support the war efforts to defeat a deadly enemy and secure peace.

The next time you feel even a little bit demoralized by American left defeatism, or just want a good ol' solid dose of American pride, surf over to Lainey's Army Chic website. She documents the adventures of the 256th Brigade in Iraq and other locales. This is an award winning (in my opinion) website.

Ooooorah! Go there now!

www.armychic256bde.com

Here Comes The Da Vinci Code

“So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.’ Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” – John 8:28-32 (NIV)

Several years ago, I read an e-mail from a Christian about a new book entitled The Da Vinci Code. She mentioned that this novel contained some historical revelations that challenge fundamental tenets of the Bible and the Christian faith. I responded that the novel is a work of fiction and should be treated as such. I didn’t think much more of it at the time. Little did I suspect that years later such a significant controversy would still be swirling around this same novel. In fact, it has become more than a book: accompanied by typical Hollywood hype, the movie of the same name will debut this Friday, May 19. I expect it to be the top grossing movie during its inaugural weekend.

Normally, I have nothing against a mystery/action novel or movie. I would certainly have nothing against The Da Vinci Code except that: (1) author Dan Brown claims that his research, designed to create doubt about the New Testament Gospels, is factual; (2) the secular population has begun giving credence to this fiction novel; and (3) some Christians have begun replacing Biblical truth with claims made by Brown in his fiction novel. (It is the third observation that disturbs me the most).

Dan Brown makes some extremely bold claims about the historicity of his novel. On The Today Show, host Matt Lauer asked, “How much of this book is based on reality in terms of things that actually occurred?” Brown responded, “Absolutely all of it. Obviously Robert Langdon is fictional, but all of the art, architecture, secret rituals, secret societies – all of that is historical fact.” (NBC, 6/9/2003) In response, Sandra Miesel writes in Crisis magazine, “So error-laden is The Da Vinci Code that the educated reader actually applauds those rare occasions where Brown stumbles (despite himself) into the truth.” (Cited in Discussing the Da Vinci Code DVD Discussion Guide, Lee Strobel and Garry Poole, Zondervan, p. 21) Sandra Miesel holds master’s degrees in biochemistry and medieval history from the University of Illinois. Since 1983, she has written hundreds of articles for the Catholic press, chiefly on history, art, and hagiography (study of the lives of the saints).

In his claim that his research discredits the truth found in the Bible, Brown simply dismisses thousands of Biblical scholars, both living and dead, who have confirmed over and over again the validity of the Biblical record. Similarly, Brown discredits secular studies that validate key elements of the Biblical record. Dr. Scot McKnight, professor of religious studies at North Park University in Chicago, submits that whenever the same standards used to verify the historical accuracy of any work of antiquity is applied evenly to the Bible, the Bible has always been shown to be one of the most historical, provable records of all antiquity documents known to man. (Lee Strobel interview with Dr. Scot McKnight, Discussing the Da Vinci Code, DVD, 2006)

Lee Strobel writes, “Archaeology and ancient writings outside the bible tend to corroborate the accuracy of the Gospels. In his book The historical Jesus, Gary Habermas cites a total of thirty-nine ancient sources documenting the life of Jesus, from which he enumerates more than one hundred reported facts concerning Jesus’ life, teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection. None of the later and fanciful Gnostic gospels, which Brown credulously touts in The Da Vinci Code, come anywhere close to matching the credentials of the four biblical Gospels.” (Lee Strobel and Garry Poole, Exploring the Da Vinci Code, Zondervan, 2006, pp. 52-53)

Enumerating all of the differences between Dan Brown’s research claims and results of centuries of Biblical studies by scholars from remarkably diverse backgrounds is beyond the scope of a single blog entry. But the resources do exist and are easily available. The reader will find below links to just a few of the websites containing more comprehensive studies. If you want to learn more about this issue, more about the historical process of compiling Biblical documents, or more about the truth contained within the Bible, don’t hesitate to check out these additional resources. As Jesus promises, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”


Da Vinci Code studies:

http://go.family.org/davinci
www.thedavincidialogue.com
www.ignatius.com/books/davincihoax/pressroom/olsoninterview.asp
www.ignatius.com/books/davincihoax/pressroom/mieselinterview.asp

Coach Tony Dungy and the Christian Faith

Fans of the Indianapolis Colts were absolutely shocked when, during their greatest season, reports of the death of the son of head coach Tony Dungy began to break. Adding even more stunning shock was the revelation that he had committed suicide. It was impossible to know the terrible grief that the Dungy family experienced.

Naturally, one of the questions quickly raised by the sport reporting community was, "When would Coach Dungy return to his coaching responsibilities?" Many commentators expressed their belief that Coach Dungy would miss several weeks. I mentally disagreed. I know that the grief was real and sharp and deep, but I also thought, "NFL coaches are some of the most driven type-A personalities in the world. I cannot imagine Coach Dungy sitting idly by, no matter how much pain he felt from this loss, watching the final weeks of the NFL season unfold." I was surprised by how much surpise sports commentators expressed when Coach Dungy was back on the sideline after missing only one game.

I knew that Coach Tony Dungy was known as a man of Christian faith. I also know that the believer's walk with Christ can see us through many a storm in life. But one never knows how that faith will ultimately manifest itself. I sat in utter amazement when I first heard on The Peter Heck Show the application of Coach Dungy's faith to this situation. I found the source myself and decided then and there that when I established my first blog site that Coach Dungy's expression of faith, hope, and Christian love in response to this personal tragedy would be my first posting. And, I intend to refresh it from time to time during the life of my blog site.

Even though I do not have my site very polished at all yet, I decided that it was past time to follow through on my decision.

Saturday, February 4, 2006SPREADING HIS MESSAGE
By John
Oehser
www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=3577
Dungy
Makes Super Bowl Stop to Speak at Athletes in Action Breakfast

DETROIT, Mich. – They were there for breakfast, and they were there to cheer New York Jets running back Curtis Martin. And it was Martin who received the Athletes in Action Bart Starr Award Saturday morning, but the hundreds who gathered in fourth-floor ballroom at the Marriott Renaissance in Detroit, Mich., on the morning before Super Bowl XL were clearly touched by the featured speaker.

That speaker was Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy.

Two hours into the breakfast, emcee Brent Jones introduced Dungy, who was welcomed with a lengthy standing ovation. Dungy thanked the crowd, shared an anecdote about Martin, then told the crowd he was going to speak for about 15 minutes.

“It’s great to be here,” Dungy told the crowd, then adding with a laugh, “I just wish I wasn’t here in this capacity so many times of being just that close to being in the game and just being an invited speaker.

“My goal is to have our team here one day and have a couple of tables with all of our guys here. Because we have a special group of young men, a great group of Christian guys. It’d be wonderful to have them here so you could see their hearts and what they’re all about.

“It hasn’t quite happened yet, but we’re still hoping one day it will.”

He told them he was going to talk about lessons he had learned from his three sons. The crowd fell silent. Then Dungy spoke.

And although this was a breakfast – and although at many such events speakers speak over the clinking of glasses and murmurs from semi-interested listeners – for most of the 15 minutes the room was silent except for Dungy’s voice.

He spoke of his middle son, Eric, who he said shares his competitiveness and who is focused on sports “to where it’s almost a problem.”

He spoke of his youngest son, Jordan, who has a rare congenital condition which causes him not to feel pain. “He feels things, but he doesn’t get the sensation of pain,” Dungy said.

The lessons learned from Jordan, Tony Dungy said, are many.

“That sounds like it’s good at the beginning, but I promise you it’s not,” Dungy said. “We’ve learned a lot about pain in the last five years we’ve had Jordan. We’ve learned some hurts are really necessary for kids. Pain is necessary for kids to find out the difference between what’s good and what’s harmful.”

Jordan, Dungy said, loves cookies.

“Cookies are good,” Dungy said, “but in Jordan’s mind, if they’re good out on the plate, they’re even better in the oven. He will go right in the oven when my wife’s not looking, reach in, take the rack out, take the pan out, burn his hands and eat the cookies and burn his tongue and never feel it. He doesn’t know that’s bad for him.”
Jordan, Dungy said, “has no fear of anything, so we constantly have to watch him.”

The lesson learned, Dungy said, is simple.

“You get the question all the time, ‘Why does the Lord allow pain in your life? Why do bad things happen to good people? If God is a God of love, why does he allow these hurtful things to happen?’’’ Dungy said. “We’ve learned that a lot of times because of that pain, that little temporary pain, you learn what’s harmful. You learn to fear the right things.

“Pain sometimes lets us know we have a condition that needs to be healed. Pain inside sometimes lets us know that spiritually we’re not quite right and we need to be healed and that God will send that healing agent right to the spot.

“Sometimes, pain is the only way that will turn us as kids back to the Father.”

Finally, he spoke of James.

James Dungy, Tony Dungy’s oldest son, died three days before Christmas. As he did while delivering James’ eulogy in December, Dungy on Saturday spoke of him eloquently and steadily, speaking of lessons learned and of the positives taken from
experience.

“It was tough, and it was very, very painful, but as painful as it was, there were some good things that came out of it,” Dungy said.

Dungy spoke at the funeral of regretting not hugging James the last time
he saw him, on Thanksgiving of last year. “I met a guy the next day
after the funeral,” Dungy said. “He said, ‘I was there. I heard you talking. I
took off work today. I called my son. I told him I was taking him to the movies.
We’re going to spend some time and go to dinner.’ That was a real, real blessing
to me.”

Dungy said he has gotten many letters since James’ death relaying similar messages.
“People heard what I said and said, ‘Hey, you brought me a little closer to my son,’ or, ‘You brought me a little closer to my daughter,’’’ Dungy said. “That is a tremendous blessing.”

Dungy also said some of James’ organs were donated through donors programs.

“We got a letter back two weeks ago that two people had received his corneas, and now they can see,’’ Dungy said. “That’s been a tremendous blessing.”

Dungy also said he received a letter from a girl from the family’s church in Tampa. She had known James for many years, Dungy said. She went to the funeral because
she knew James.

“When I saw what happened at funeral, and your family and the celebration and how it was handled, that was the first time I realized there had to be a God,” Dungy said the girl wrote. “I accepted Christ into my life and my life’s been different since that day.”

Added Dungy, “That was an awesome blessing, so all of those things kind of made me realize what God’s love is all about.”

Dungy also said he was asked often how he was able to return to the Colts so quickly after James’ death. James died on December 22, and Dungy returned to the team one week later. Dungy said the answer was simple.

“People asked me, ‘How did you recover so quickly?”’ Dungy said. “I’m not totally recovered. I don’t know that I ever will be. It’s still very, very painful, but I was able to come back because of something one of my good Christian friends said to me after the funeral. “He said, ‘You know James accepted Christ into his heart, so you know he’s in heaven, right?’ I said, ‘Right, I know that.’ He said, ‘So, with all you know about heaven, if you had the power to bring him back now, would you?’ When I thought about it, I said, ‘No, I wouldn’t. I would not want him back with what I know about heaven.’

“That’s what helped me through the grieving process. Because of Christ’s spirit in me, I had that confidence that James is there, at peace with the Lord, and I have the peace of mind in the midst of something that’s very, very painful.

“That’s my prayer today, that everyone in this room would know the same thing.”

I stand in absolute awe of the public Christian witness and testimony of Coach Tony Dungy. In the face of a tragedy that would leave most of us expressing doubts about, and sometimes anger at, God, Coach Dungy lived out the words of Paul from Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."