Save the Planet? Gore Just Says No!

On March 21, 2007, Dr. Al Gore testified before the House and Senate Joint Environment and Public Works Committee about Global Warming (GW). Dr. Gore testified:

***(begin quote)***

I want to testify today about what I believe is a planetary emergency—a crisis that threatens the survival of our civilization and the habitability of the Earth. Just six weeks ago, the scientific community, in its strongest statement to date, confirmed that the evidence of warming is “unequivocal.” Global warming is real and human activity is the main cause. The consequences are mainly negative and headed toward catastrophic, unless we act. However, the good news is that we can meet this challenge. It is not too late, and we have everything we need to get started.

***(end quote)***

He calls upon Congress to implement laws that will address the “crises” he describes. If enacted, the laws and policies he calls for will devastate national and global economies on an unprecedented scale. They are little more than a means for the establishment of a one world government.

During the hearing, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla) presented Dr. Gore a personal ethics pledge that, if accepted, would indicate Dr. Gore’s personal sincerity to achieve the steps necessary to reduce the human component of “greenhouse gas” emissions. In a move typical of elitist egalitarianism, Dr. Gore refused to take the pledge. Arrogant hypocrisy from the one who is alarmed about the devastation that global warming brings? You make the call...

***(begin quote)***
GORE REFUSES TO TAKE PERSONAL PLEDGE

WASHINGTON, DC – …Senator Inhofe then presented Vice President Gore with the following "Personal Energy Ethics Pledge:" As a believer:

· that human-caused global warming is a moral, ethical, and spiritual issue affecting our survival;

· that home energy use is a key component of overall energy use;

· that reducing my fossil fuel-based home energy usage will lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions; and

· that leaders on moral issues should lead by example; I pledge to consume no more energy for use in my residence than the average American household by March 21, 2008.”

Gore refused to take the pledge.

***(end quote)***

Additionally, Dr. Gore testified, "First of all, there is no longer any serious debate over the basic points that make up the consensus on global warming."

If you are concerned that questioning Dr. Gore places you in the company of fringe kooks who are not real scientists, you may be interested in knowing that there really is still serious debate going on among the science community.

***(begin quote)***
Global Warming Petition Project

During the past 2 years, more than 17,100 basic and applied American scientists, two-thirds with advanced degrees, have signed the Global Warming Petition. Signers of this petition so far include 2,660 physicists, geophysicists, climatologists, meteorologists, oceanographers, and environmental scientists (select this link for a listing of these individuals) who are especially well qualified to evaluate the effects of carbon dioxide on the Earth's atmosphere and climate. Signers of this petition also include 5,017 scientists whose fields of specialization in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, and other life sciences (select this link for a listing of these individuals) make them especially well qualified to evaluate the effects of carbon dioxide upon the Earth's plant and animal life.

Global Warming Petition

We urge the United States government to reject the global warming agreement that was written in Kyoto, Japan in December, 1997, and any other similar proposals. The proposed limits on greenhouse gases would harm the environment, hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage the health and welfare of mankind.

There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gasses is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.

(More at http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p36.htm#Top)
***(end quote)***

Just a few of the inconvenient truths for the Gore hypocrites.

(photo: Al Gore testifies at House and Senate Joint Environment and Public Works Committee hearing)

Will AU Investigate?

On March 4, 2007, Democrat Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) addressed the congregation of the Brown Chapel AME Church from the pulpit and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) addressed the congregation of the First Baptist Church, Selma, from the pulpit. During the course of their speeches, each provided reasons why the Democrat Party in general and they in particular as Presidential candidates are the right political party and person to represent African-American voters. Were these speeches by Democrat Presidential candidates partisan politics and, therefore, a violation of their respective 501(c)(3) non-profit organization tax exempt status?

During political campaign “seasons,” Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU) aggressively pursues the identification and reporting of violations of partisan political support by 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. The AU’s particular targets of opportunity are conservative, evangelical churches and religious organizations that promote “partisan support” for conservative candidates. It is not unusual for the AU to accuse non-profit religious organizations that provide issue-oriented voter guides to churches of violating the tax law forbidding partisan electioneering.

Will the AU demand investigations alleging violations of partisan politics by 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations in the case of the Brown Chapel AME Church and First Baptist Church, Selma? I don’t know. Let’s find out. Write a letter to AU and ask them. If you want to use it as a guide (or just copy and paste), the text of my letter follows:

“Were the church services and political rallies in which Sen. Obama (Brown Chapel AME Church) and Sen. Clinton (First Baptist Church, Selma) participated on March 4, 2007, violations of the tax law concerning 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations engaging in partisan political campaigning? Should the churches hosting these Presidential candidates be investigated for possible violation of this tax code? Why or why not? Thank you for your assistance.”

Address your inquiries to:
Americans United for Separation of Church & State
518 C Street NE
Washington, DC 20002

(photos: (left) Sen. Clinton speaks at First Baptist Church, Selma; (right) Sen. Obama speaks at Brown Chapel AME Church, 3/4/2007)

Anti-War & Pro-Choice

Upon some self-reflection, I have come to the realization that I am anti-war and pro-choice. Yes, it’s true! Unbelievable, isn’t it?

I am anti-war. I do not like what war brings. I do not like the devastation and depravation and destruction and deaths. I do not like to see lives forever ruined by war. I do not like the atrocities committed during war. I had to confront myself honestly – I am anti-war!

This is why I so much detest the tyrants and their armies who constantly oppress their people, create instability, and seek to increase their territory through armed aggression. This is why I believe that they need to be constantly and consistently opposed by people who are free and who seek freedom for everyone. Not every confrontation has to lead to armed conflict, but every tyrant everywhere should know that their behavior and their evil intentions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated by free people everywhere. I detest war, and I detest even more those who bring war.

This leads me to my second self-realization: I am pro-choice! I believe that free people everywhere should have the choice to decide to oppose tyranny and to defend their liberties. And if the choice is made for defense of freedom and opposition to tyrants, then free people everywhere should support such a just cause. As one of the never-used verses of our National Anthem reminds us, may we always stand for true liberty and justice:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation,
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Iwo Jima

Thank you, both war veterans & Americans supporting them on the home front, for your sacrifices!

(photos: Marines raise the American flag on Mt. Suribachi February 23, 1945)

Democrat Party & Religion

It appears that the Democrat Party has finally found religion and prayers they can embrace. Since Democrat leadership and the left have a habit of creating heroes out of any group they perceive as oppressed according to their convoluted logic, the Democrat National Committee (DNC) has discovered religion. On February 2, 2007, the DNC reveled in the invocation at their Annual Winter Meeting in Washington given by Husham Al-Husainy, Imam of the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, a Shi'ite mosque in Dearborn, Michigan:

“In the name of God the most merciful, the most compassionate. We thank you,
God, to bless us among your creations. We thank you, God, to make us as a great
nation. We thank you God, to send us your messages through our father Abraham
and Moses and Jesus and Mohammed. Through you, God, we unite. So guide us to the right path. The path of the people you bless, not the path of the people you doom. Help us, God, to liberate and fill this earth with justice and peace and love and equality. And help us to stop the war and violence, and oppression and occupation. Amen.”

Robert Spencer of the “Jihad Watch” for Human Events writes:

“What’s more, if a Christian priest or minister had prayed at a DNC meeting that those attending be guided away from the path of those doomed by God, the outcry would have been swift and shrill. Those whom God dooms? Hardly a concept that fits comfortably into today's culture of non-accountability, but evidently it was acceptable to the Democrats when coming from a Muslim.”

Information shared about Imam Al-Husainy by Debbie
Schlussel demonstrates what passes for “moderate, peaceful, orthodox” Islam by the DNC and the left:

“But make no mistake. Imam Al-Husainy is no moderate. He was an advisor to the late Mohammed Bakr Al-Hakim, leader of the Iran-backed Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution. He's allied with the mainstream of Iraq's Shia Islam, which is terrorizing and driving out the few Christians left there… This past summer, Al-Husainy seemed very happy leading almost-daily protests of thousands of Hezbollah supporters on the streets of Dearborn and Detroit, swarming with swastikas and anti-Semitic, anti-American signs.”

I still cannot comprehend what drives Democrat leadership and their supporters from the left to embrace the philosophy and theology of America’s enemies during this time of war. Does it never occur to them that they will be among the first to go if Islam establishes the world theocracy that their practitioners seek?

Historic Football Game

Much is being said of the history being made at the February 4th meeting of the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. This is the first time that an African American head coach is leading a team in the Super Bowl® - and, the head coach of both teams is African American. It marks an historic event.

This pales, however, alongside the truly historic perspective of this event. Each head coach, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, are brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They love their faith; they speak their faith; they live their faith. Each man, in his own way, makes clear in his many press meetings and press releases the meaning that Jesus Christ has in his life. In an age when rampant secularism is particularly vicious to those who express a personal love for and devotion to Jesus, this is a truly remarkable and historic event. I will let the records speak for these coaches and their players.

“MIAMI - The skin color of the two Super Bowl head coaches has been a prominent subject this week and justifiably so. Tony Dungy of the Colts and Lovie Smith of the Bears are the first African-Americans to bring teams to the game, and the importance of that should not be ignored. But neither should it overshadow the content of their character, or the message that their understated, reasoned approaches to coaching sends: That it's possible to be a successful coach without being a raving, self-absorbed lunatic… ‘I respect the way they coach,’ Colts center Jeff Saturday said. ‘You're not going to be cussed at. You're not going to be yelled at. The reality is, he (Dungy) is going to be the same guy, win or lose. I have a lot of respect for who he is as a man, and more importantly, as a Christian mentor.’ Both Dungy and Smith are quick to credit their religious faith for their success. Dungy's faith has helped sustain him since his son, James, committed suicide in December 2005. Both view themselves as more than just football coaches. They are examples to their players that
religion and family are important, too.” –
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/0202supercoaches0202.html

“For all the hoopla about Smith and Dungy being the first African-American head coaches to reach the Super Bowl, there's also a common bond in the friends' spirituality. ‘What makes it even better is that they are both men of humility, they are both men of God,’ said U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. ‘They never trash-talk. They are not yellers and screamers. ... They are just a couple of class individuals.’ While other coaches berate players
or curse within earshot of fans or reporters, these two have led their teams to the NFL's biggest game with no more than a few euphemisms. –
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/faithvalues/2003554384_religionsuperbowl03.html

“The Colts have a quality that makes them different from most NFL teams: They're OK with being vulnerable. They show little bravado and see no need to hide themselves. They're naked. The world can see it, and perhaps it can sympathize… One tragedy unified this team the most. Thirteen months ago, Tony Dungy and his team received the shocking news that the coach's son, James, had committed suicide. The Colts immediately went from Super Bowl favorites to a team locked in prayer. But Dungy handled his despair in a way that will forever be admired. He spoke of his faith, of his Christian beliefs, and how it would carry him through. Even if you didn't agree with his religion, you were impressed with how strong and stately he appeared in public. ‘A lot of guys on this team find inspiration from what he went through with James and in other parts of his life,’ linebacker Rob Morris said… Athletes want to appeal to a broad base of fans, so many keep personal things, such as spirituality, quiet. Not these players. The Colts have spent Super Bowl week expressing their beliefs. They're not preaching, not aiming to convert people, but they aren't shying from who they are. ‘You can't get any higher than the Super Bowl, but it doesn't define who we are as men,’ center Jeff Saturday said. ‘The faith in Christ is what defines us and our attitudes on the field; off the field, how we treat our families and our wives are the things that are most important to us. And that is the greatest part - that we have this stage, this platform, to speak about our faith.’ –
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/16615548.htm

“MIAMI (BP)--Lovie Smith had a limited amount of time during his Super Bowl XLI media session Monday, but the Chicago Bears head coach said he could spend hours talking about his star players and their efforts to get the team to their first Super Bowl berth in 21 years. But Smith also wanted to spend part of his allotted time talking about what was most important in his life, his faith in Jesus Christ. ‘God is the center of my life. It controls all that I do. I hope I don’t have to spend my time telling my players I’m a Christian. I hope they see it in my life every day,’ Smith said.” –
http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5533

Praise the Lord!

Coach Tony Dungy Lives What He Believes

As the Indianapolis Colts finish their preparations for this year’s Super Bowl game, Indiana (& other) Colts fans are enjoying the privilege of being AFC & potential Super Bowl XLI Champions. What should not be lost in the typical Super Bowl hoopla is the amazing manner in which Coach Tony Dungy, Colts head coach, lives his faith.

Thirteen months ago, Tony and his family suffered the terrible tragedy of the death of James Dungy, his son. How does one respond to such an event? Coach Dungy responded from the foundation of the Christian belief in which he places his faith. In an address to the Athletes in Action breakfast prior to last year’s Super Bowl, he spoke about his son’s death. But it was not a message of despair. It was a message of incredible hope. Given at a time that could have been filled with personal darkness, Coach Dungy testified that through his son’s death, others were given an opportunity to see the light of Christ. His address at that breakfast was a phenomenal testimony of Christian faith. After reading it myself, I swore to make it the first entry in my blog site. I did on May 16, 2006.

I also promised to revisit this testimony, and this seems to be the appropriate time to do so, especially since the Colts Head Coach continues to conduct himself as a true, living ambassador for Jesus Christ. Simply put, the man expresses total, humble gratitude to God for the opportunities he has been given. Following the Colts AFC Championship win, both the Colts owner (Jim Irsay) and Coach Dungy verbally thanked and praised God when receiving the trophy, as did some other players. In the two weeks between the AFC Championship game and the Super Bowl game, Coach Dungy has remained as peaceful, calm, and unflappable as ever. He is genuinely filled with Christian joy. I am certain that Coach Dungy wants to win the Super Bowl game more than almost anything else right now. I am fairly certain that if the Colts do not win, that the Coach’s mild, humble demeanor will be criticized. But what cannot be criticized is his approach to life as a devoted man of God. It shows in every way.

In an Associated Press story printed in the Kokomo Tribune on 1/29/07, Coach Dungy’s remarkable legacy was once again highlighted. In Jackson, Michigan, his hometown, he participated in an event at Frost School honoring his mother. The article concludes:

Dungy’s deceased parents were both popular educators, his father at Jackson Community College and his mother at Jackson High School. With two ministers in the family – Dungy’s grandfather and uncle – and a deeply devoted mother, attending services at United People’s Church was part of the routine, as well as simply treating people well. ‘Our dad wasn’t a man of many words, but he made it clear that getting an education and working hard were important,’ [Sherrilyn] Sims said. ‘My mother was more outspoken, and she would always say, ‘Love is the most important thing.’ She didn’t just say that. She lived it and made sure we did likewise.’ Dungy returned the love last summer when he went to a Jackson Community College dinner and auction to raise funds for the Dr. Wilbur Dungy Endowed Chair, honoring his father. He brought along two former assistants – Bears coach [Lovie] Smith and Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli – then made time the next day for kids at a football camp. In June, Dungy is expected back in Jackson for the camp. ‘It may sound Cinderella-ish, but Tony Dingy is only too good to be true if you don’t know him,’ Russell [Davis] said. ‘In Jackson, we’re lucky enough we know him.’

Thank you, Coach Dungy, for living your faith.

Must They Sound So Much Alike?

It comes as no surprise to me that America’s enemies would not take kindly to our latest strategic move against them: numerical military build-up in Iraq. One would expect the type of bravado from al-Qaeda leadership. Indeed, it has been issued by Ayman al-Zawahiri, the so-called “second-in-command.” Says al-Zawahiri, “Why send 20,000 only, why not send 50 or 100 thousand? Aren't you aware that the dogs of Iraq are pining for your troops' dead bodies?”

Yes, I can understand the enemy’s response; they are, after all, waging a war they want to convincingly win. But what motivates the American left and their political party of choice – the Democrats? “You can put a hundred thousand troops in, and you can up the casualties, up the stakes, increase the violence, and not get a resolution.” This was Sen. John Kerry’s (D-MA) answer to David Gregory’s (Today Show, 12/2006) question about sending additional American forces to Baghdad.

Must the American left/Democrat party sound so much like our enemy? ‘Nuff said.

(Photos: left, Ayman al-Zawahiri; right, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA))

How About We Concern Ourselves With Victory?

I am writing ahead of the 2007 State of the Union Address to be delivered by President Bush. Throughout the day, it has sounded as if the speech has already been given as analysts go back and forth about what is meant by what he will say. Good grief.

Without a doubt, the President will address the Global War on Terror (GWOT) and the war in Iraq (one and the same in my book). The topic of troop “surge” is unavoidable. Of course, our partisan mainstream media has been gloating over opposition to increasing troop strength there ever since President Bush made this proposal known. Never mind that one of the Democrat’s talking points for quite a long time has been the lack of additional military strength committed to the Iraq front.

I have one question. In spite of our freedom to disagree, don’t you think that it is time to concern ourselves with victory? There are some analysts and commentators whom I have a great deal of respect for who question this latest strategy. I’m not too sure what it is supposed to accomplish, especially if the additional troops are given no more freedom to prosecute this war than those who have gone before them. But what do I know? I’m no in-the-know military strategist. But I do think that it is a rather bad idea for Congress to oppose this effort to the point of debating “resolutions of disapproval!” Are they really so ignorant of what motivates and aids our enemies? Apparently not. From today’s hearing of Gen. Petraeus before Congress:

LIEBERMAN: “I want to ask you, what effect would Senate passage of a resolution of disapproval of this new way ahead that you embrace, what effect would it have on our enemies in Iraq?”

PETRAEUS: This is a test of wills at the end of the day, and in that regard, speaking purely as a military commander if confirmed, albeit, one who frankly does understand enormously and treasures the value of free and open debate, free speech, who has put himself in harm's way to protect those great features of our democracy, nonetheless, having said that, a commander in such an endeavor would obviously like the enemy to feel that there's no hope.

LIEBERMAN: And the resolution, Senate-passed resolution of disapproval for this new strategy in Iraq would give the enemy some encouragement, some feeling that -- that -- well, some clear expression that the American people were divided?

PETRAEUS: That's correct, sir.

I ask again: How about we just concern ourselves with victory? Is that too much to ask in this war?

(Photo: Lieutenant General Petraeus)

Thank You, Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah)

Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah) deserves a big THANK YOU from us all. He pushed for an amendment to the Senate version of the ethics and lobbying reform legislation that stripped the provision requiring reporting of “grass-roots” lobbying. What is so significant about this? Glad you asked!

This provision included in the House version of the bill is a direct assault on our First Amendment guarantee to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This provision included in the Rep. Pelosi (D-CA) version makes us all lobbyists and, therefore, in need of reform. “The legislation would make changes to the legal definition of “grassroots lobbying” and require any organization that encourages 500 or more members of the general public to contact their elected representatives to file a report with detailed information about their organization to the government on a quarterly basis.” (Amanda B. Carpenter, “Pelosi Targets Grassroots Freedom of Speech,” 12/18/2006) One can easily see how this is an unnecessary burden that limits our Constitutionally derived freedom to contact our elected representatives. Ironically, the reform bill contains provisions that exempts the organizations that really do employ lobbyists. Read the details in the article on the Human Events site. (See also “Pelosi's Liberal Ally Defends Ethics Bill Targeting Grassroots Communication” by Amanda Carpenter. Click here.)

Again, thank you, Sen. Bennett. Now we need to ensure that it is removed from the final bill.

Guilty As They Prove Innocence

The case of criminal rape charges against the Duke Lacrosse players has been troubling. I am troubled by two elements: First, the situation from which the case stems. Second, the reaction from Duke faculty members.

The grounds for this case stems clearly from an event in which all participants had no need to be involved. That is, of course, a raucous party in which strippers were employed. Had all participants chosen to avoid this act of immorality in the first place, there would have been no occasion for any of the alleged acts to have taken place. Normally, many who identify themselves as liberals embrace the type of “parties” where participants are free to “express” themselves without inhibition. In their routine, convoluted ways, they decry any attempts to label such socially poor behavior immoral as violations of Constitutionally guaranteed rights of free expression. Normally. However, in this case, it became the celebrated liberal cause of protecting the “helpless innocent” from the power and corruption of the privileged white male.

Thus enters some of the great defenders of the poor and downtrodden – Duke University professors. On the basis of nothing but allegations of rape, and even in the face of a continuing body of evidence that favors the alleged perpetrators, 88 members of the Duke faculty fanned flames of needless hysteria by writing and/or signing a letter declaring that they were “listening” to students “who knew themselves to the objects of racism and sexism.” (The link is to another blog which contains the content of the letter – the only location I found in my quick search for it. Interestingly, the blogger notes that it was removed from the Duke University site where it was originally posted). These are University professors who would normally jump at the chance to defend anyone accused of a crime being heralded as guilty without a trial, except that in this instance the alleged perpetrators represent to them the “privileged” and the “powerful” who must be stopped.

Defending her signing of the “listening” letter, Duke English Prof. Cathy Davidson writes that she remains “dismayed by the glaring social disparities implicit in what we know happened on March 13.” The incident, she states, “underscores the appalling power dynamics of the situation.” As the evidence of the case has been collected, though, the “dynamics of the situation” has proved to be made up. By all the indications given, the defendants in this case will be forever guilty to some of the Duke faculty’s "best and brightest" no matter how innocent they prove to be.

(photo: Collin Finnerty, one of the Duke University lacrosse players charged with rape in Durham, N.C., in connection with an off campus party held by lacrosse team members)

Peter Heck Show Website

Good news! The new and improved Peter Heck Show website is now up and running. I invite any reader here to give it a try. At the very least, you are treated to very snazzy photos of Peter (used here with absolutely no permission). Of great benefit is the ability to listen to and download the radio programs. Most excellent! Looking forward to more good things.

If you have not tried it, give the Peter Heck Show website a whirl…

http://www.peterheck.com/

Al Qaeda Sends a Message to Democrats

I don’t understand why this is so difficult for Democrats and the left to comprehend. Our enemies are making it clear: they believe that the proposals concerning the prosecution of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) by the Democrat Party benefit them. And, like the liberal organizations that backed the Democrat Party in the mid-term elections, they believe that they should have a say in the implementation of those Democrat Party proposals.

As I have asked before, 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?

December 22, 2006 2:28 PM
Brian Ross and Hoda Osman Report:
Al Qaeda has sent a message to leaders of the Democratic party that credit for the defeat of congressional Republicans belongs to the terrorists.
In a portion of the tape from al Qaeda No. 2 man, Ayman al Zawahri, made available only today, Zawahri says he has two messages for American Democrats.
"The first is that you aren't the ones who won the midterm elections, nor are the Republicans the ones who lost. Rather, the Mujahideen -- the Muslim Ummah's vanguard in Afghanistan and Iraq -- are the ones who won, and the American forces and their Crusader allies are the ones who lost," Zawahri said, according to a full transcript obtained by ABC News.
Zawahri calls on the Democrats to negotiate with him and Osama bin Laden, not others in the Islamic world who Zawahri says cannot help.
"And if you don't refrain from the foolish American policy of backing Israel, occupying the lands of Islam and stealing the treasures of the Muslims, then await the same fate," he said.

Happy New Year

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.