Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Why the Gulf is NOT Being Cleaned Up

There are many strategies being used, but the eventual result is the same.

Obama doesn't want the Gulf cleared of oil.  He WANTS the oil there, so he can capitalize on the disaster.

  • He was slow in the initial response
  • His agencies (with his approval) have hindered efforts
    • Making ships in process of working stop for unneeded inspections of safety equipment
    • Refusing to meet with BP management & issuing unconstitutional orders to confiscate their money - in advance of a court judgement
    • Refusing to accept offered assistance from other countries
    • Forbidding Gov. Jindal to keep the oil from reaching the shores of LA by nixing all his proposals
    • Using EPA regulations to slow the clean-up
  • Appearing at the sites only for photo ops - he left before any meeting with company or local government could occur.  Is he afraid he will learn that the crisis could be managed, IF he wanted it to be?
The only explanation that makes any kind of sense is that Obama doesn't want the US to have oil resources.  As long as he keeps business from benefiting from the abundant oil resources in the US, his Mideast friends will make money.  Further, he can use the "crisis" to pass Cap & Trade (Cap & Tax), and other laws/regulations to keep a stranglehold on the American economy.

In short, a prosperous and secure America is NOT on his agenda.


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Saturday, June 26, 2010

No Blankets for Illegals?

Well, THAT'S a relief.

Or, it WOULD be, IF it were true.

DHS (Department of Homeland Security) has announced that "blanket amnesty" is not being considered.  However, what IS being considered (assuming that it's not already in the works):
The concern is that DHS, in a bid to bypass Congress, would extend what is known as deferred action or parole -- actions usually taken on a case-by-case basis -- to millions of illegal immigrants at once. 
The department statement, however, did not address the possibility of giving a selective reprieve to the segment of the population holding expired visas -- as opposed to those who crossed illegally. This is something that a former Bush administration official told FoxNews.com could be an option. 
But the statement said the reprieves would not be drastically expanded. The department, while affirming its authority to grant the extensions "on the merits of cases," said they are applied on a "case-by-case" basis. 
"DHS does not grant deferred action without a review of relevant facts," the statement said. "To be clear, DHS will not grant deferred action to the nation's entire illegal immigrant population." 
So, we're supposed to be excited that the DHS won't give a stay to EVERY illegal, just the ones that meet its case standards.

Which would be - what?  A promise to register Democratic for the next election?

I know, I know - there has NEVER been a proven case of illegal voting.

Except that there has.
One of the most extensively documented cases of illegal voting was in California in 1996. Loretta Sanchez, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Robert Dornan by 984 votes. Dornan called for an investigation of alleged illegal voting by noncitizens. According to Congressional Quarterly, a Washington, DC newspaper that focuses on developments in Congress, "Task force Chairman [U.S. Representative] Vernon J. Ehlers, R-Mich., said investigators had found concrete evidence of 748 illegal votes by noncitizens, not enough to throw Sanchez's victory into doubt."
That's noncitizen voting, not all invalid voting.  If you added in that, I think it's clear that Dornan was robbed.

Guys, these are the crimes that ACORN was proven guilty of, back in 2000 and 2004.  If we don't hold the line, we may never again have a President that is elected by the people, for the people, and of the people.

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More on the Internet Kill Switch

At Michelle Malkin, there's an update on the proposed Internet Kill Switch.

Just writing those words makes me nervous.

For those who feel like I do, you might want to find out where the nearest Ham Radio gathering place is.  Today is ARRL - Amateur Radio Relay League Field Day.

Hams from all over will be gathering to compete in specific categories, as well as socialize, demonstrate their skills, and let the public see what it is they do.  Ham radio is critical in emergency situations, such as the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.  When the landlines and the cell towers are down, amateur radio may be the only means of communication available.

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Shot Teenage Boy An Alien Smuggler

Not only had he been caught at least 3 times, but he was throwing rocks.  His mother was interviewed:
Hernandez's mother, Maria Guadalupe Huereca, said she didn't believe her son had ever been arrested.
She said it couldn't be true because her son had never spent a night away from home and questioned whether police would have repeatedly released suspected smuggler after just a few hours.
"It's a lie," she said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "And if it were true, it wouldn't give them the right to kill him."
No, it didn't give them the right to kill him.  Hernandez gave them that right, when he decided to compound his crimes with throwing rocks.  We're not talking pebbles, we're talking weighty projectiles, intended to inflict serious harm, possibly death.  He continued throwing even after being warned that the targets were government agents.

That action is what gave them the right.

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Put Women First!

The US may not back efforts to improve maternal and child health at the G8 Summit, because abortion is not in the forefront of those efforts.

These women need access to MEDICAL care, not abortions.  They need clean water, and sufficient food, NOT abortions.  To hold up health services because of a dogmatic insistence on abortion being part of the mix, is nuts.

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Friday, June 25, 2010

I Just Love Frank!

Some of his gems:
If you told me as a child than in 2010 people would stand hours in line to buy a phone, I would have thought the Soviets had won. 
So is the federal government strategy for the oil leak still to just wait for BP to figure something out?
And this one:

Apparently, Tansocean — the largest offshore drilling contractor — bans its employees from having knives. This nearly killed some people on the BP rig because they weren’t able to cut the rope to a life boat.
Let’s analyze this like like we’re not morons for a minute. You have employees that you don’t trust around sharp objects because you’re afraid they’ll randomly stab each other, but you do trust them to be in charge of equipment that if damages can cause one of the greatest ecological disasters in human history?

Are there really people out there who think that complete psychopaths can function normally in society as long as we keep dangerous objects out of arm’s reach? 
Oh, and, please, PLEASE, read this.

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Scalia's Address to Graduates

 Found via Betsy's Page:
“Indeed, never compromise your principles. Unless, of course, your principles are Adolf Hitler’s. In which case, you would be well advised to compromise your principles, as much as you can. 
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/advice_for_new_grad_weXZe5ZSzYVP0eTDs35xuM#ixzz0ruVD9f8i
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Because It's the LAW!

The United States was founded because its inhabitants wanted the rule of law, not the arbitrary decisions of a despot (like, say, King George III).  From 1776, we have always supported changed, PROVIDED it's change that is based on that rule.

That's out.  SO retro.  Thanks to the "Hope and Change" President, we have rule by fiat.

Obama declared that ALL oil rigs should shut down.  And, like Captain Luc Picard, his minions leaped to "make it so".

Until a judge, who firmly believed in that rule of law, said no, you can't do that.  And, when the President again imposed the shutdown, reinforced his ruling.

Checkmate.  Or, as was originally said:
The word checkmate in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat" which means: 'the king is dead.'



NO, I am NOT making a threat against Obama, merely declaring that the judge declared his usurpation of kingly powers is a no-go.


Victor David Hanson has more on this royalist power grab.

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Our Borders Have Been Breached

Mexican gangs have established lookout posts in OUR country, in AZ.  You know, I kinda wondered WHY Obama ordered so many agents to the border.
In these areas, which are south and west of Tucson, sources said there are “cartel scouts galore” watching the movements of federal, state and local law enforcement, from the border all the way up to Interstate 8.      
“Every night we’re getting beaten like a pinata at a birthday party by drug, alien smugglers," a second federal agent told Fox News by e-mail. "The danger is out there, with all the weapons being found coming northbound…. someone needs to know about this!” 
The agents blame part of their plight on new policies from Washington, claiming it has put a majority of the U.S. agents on the border itself. One agent compared it to a short-yardage defense in football, explaining that once the smugglers and drug-runners break through the front line, they're home free.    
“We are unable to work any traffic, because they have us forward deployed," the agent said. "We are unable to work the traffic coming out of the mountains. That traffic usually carries weapons and dope, too, again always using stolen vehicles.” 
The Department of Homeland Security denies it has ordered any major change in operations or any sort of change in forward deployment.
I'll be keeping an eye on this situation.  I have family in AZ.

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Monday, June 21, 2010

More on the Ground Zero Mosque

Additional information about the proposed Ground Zero Mosque:
These politicians, intelligent and canny men, chose to ignore certain, shall we say, troublesome signs: the deliberately provocative opening date of September 11, 2011. The refusal of Shari El-Gamal, who paid $4.85 million in cash for the site, to disclose investors. The testimony of the 9/11 families that El-Gamal showed them architectural renderings of a fifteen-story building with a mosque on the top floor, providing worshipers with a commanding view of Ground Zero -- despite public assurances that he's building a thirteen-story community center, not a mosque. And most glaring of all, the two-faced, double-talking, shariah-lovin' characters at the front of the operation, Imam Rauf and his wife, Daisy Khan.

Imam Rauf knows how to sling the peace and harmony mumbo-jumbo that makes the multicultural crowd go weak in the knees. He writes, "We believe that people of good faith can use the common core of their religions to find solutions to problems that will let them live together." Sweet, isn't it? But according to Debra Burlingame, co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America, "Imam Rauf is a Muslim cleric who, immediately after 9/11, blamed the attacks on U.S. treatment of Muslims, asserting that Osama Bin Ladin [sic] was 'made in the U.S.A.'" His wife, Daisy Khan, showed her touching sensitivity to the sacredness of the Ground Zero site by testifying at the community board meeting that Cordoba House would provide "much needed party space." Who wouldn't want to party overlooking the site where 20,000 body parts were recovered? She also gave a PowerPoint presentation promising Cordoba House "would help non-Muslims to integrate" -- help some of us non-Muslims can do without.
The iman of the proposed center is interviewed on TV, in conjunction with one of the first responders to the 9/11 attack.  The iman doesn't answer the questions.  He avoids making clear statements about the intent of the center, as well as about its financing.



Why would it be called Cordoba House?

Because Muslims still consider Spain to rightly belong to them, and Cordoba is the epicenter of that fight.  Here's a link to a news report about Muslims loudly praying in a Catholic Church, and their violent response when directed to stop.  Which church was it?
Graham Keeley of the Times recounted the history of the historical building: "The Great Mosque of Cordoba was converted into a Christian church in 1236 after King Ferdinand III of Castile recaptured the city from the Moors. The building later became the modern-day Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption....The Roman Catholic Church cited archaeological reports that said before the Mosque was built in the 8th century remains of an earlier Christian temple had stood on the same spot."
In other words, Christians owned it FIRST, the Muslims took it over, then, under the Reconquest, we took it back.  Doesn't sound like they have a claim to me.


Here's the input of The American Thinker.

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Saturday, June 19, 2010

Why the Ground Zero Mosque Must NOT be Built

This is why:

But what Houari Boumedienne predicted at the U.N. in 1974 and what Muammar Qaddafy predicted in 1996, and what many other Muslims (you can find them online, at YouTube) talk and write openly about, that is, the demographic conquest of Europe -- which, as Qaddafy said, "does not belong to Europeans" but, by rights, to those who are the true masters of the world, the "best of peoples," the Muslims - is aided both practically and symbolically by the construction of mosques. And Muslims have a penchant for mega-mosques. Indeed, they have tried to build several recently in London, and only through great efforts by protesters have those projects been halted.
Why, you may ask? Why the huge mosque complexes? The reason is that Islam is a collectivist faith, and the spectacle of thousands of people prostrating themselves in unison is understood to be a kind of impressive sight. It is impressive, that is, to the Believers themselves who enjoy the crowd psychology of it all, the enrolling of themselves in a Nuremberg-rally mass, in which they lose whatever hint of individuality they might have had. Western man prays differently. He prays individually even if in a church with others, not as a mass that, in trained unison, bows to a Creator whose ways and decisions are never to be subject to moral debate, and whose rules, that is, the Total Islamic Regulation of Life, must never be questioned either. For to question one part of Islam is to potentially call into question the whole brittle mental and emotional framework of Islam, which cannot stand and will not tolerate free and skeptical inquiry.
The mosques of Rome and Grenada are not centers of "tolerance." There is no mosque on record either in the vast Muslim world, or among the thousands upon thousands of mosques that have been built all over the West, of a single one of these mosques being a force to encourage "tolerance" among its worshippers, or to "serve as a center of tolerance." Mosques have been used, as we all know, as places from which fire has been rained down on Americans and other Infidels in Iraq. And in the West, mosques have been raided in many different countries and by many different police forces. They have been found to contain false ceilings, where explosives, guns, false papers including false passports, and other suspect or dangerous items, have been found. Just ask any of the anti-terrorism heads or magistrates - ask, for example, Jean-Louis Bruguiere of France, now a consultant, thank god, in Washington (where one hopes his sober and no-nonsense views, based on years of successful activity, will find a receptive audience).
Don't listen to those who impute their own morality to others - actually read and listen to the Islamicists themselves - they are out for Conquest.  Individual Muslims may live peacefully in our country, and other Western countries.  But, the radicals do not, will not EVER.  Any concessions they make are intended to be a temporary measure, before they return to assault our civilization again and again.

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Why We Must Stand With Israel

Here is the best reasoning that defends that decision.

Despite the anti-Semitic (you KNOW I mean anti-Jewish!) propaganda, Israel is the ONLY country in the Mid-East that provides equal rights to ALL citizens - regardless of religion.  It is the ONLY true democracy.  It is the only one that has full participation of all religions in their legislative body and the governing/administrative positions.

From Aish.com, in just the Science and Technology category (there are more at the link):
  • Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, 63% more than the U.S. It also has the most physicians and engineers per capita.10
  • Israel's scientific research institutions are ranked 3rd in the world.11
  • Israel is ranked 2nd in space sciences.12
  • Israel produces the 3rd most scientific papers per capita, and the most in stem cell science.13
  • More Israeli patents are registered in the United States than from Russia, India and China combined (combined population 2.5 billion). It leads the world in patents for medical equipment.11, 14, 15
  • Israeli companies invented the drip irrigation system, discovered the world’s most used drug for multiple sclerosis, designed the Pentium NMX Chip technology and the Pentium 4 and Centrium microprocessors, created Instant Messenger (ICQ), and Israeli cows produce more milk per cow than any other in the world!
All that science superiority stuff probably comes from the fact that the Israeli scientists are NOT spending their research time concentrating on how to kill other human beings in the most barbaric ways possible - unlike scientists from Muslim countries.

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Friday, June 18, 2010

Mom's Birthday

Today is the anniversary of my mother's birth.  She died in 1994, of an untreated stroke.

She was outgoing, always up for a good time, and the joy of my father's life.  He was a rather glum soul, given to long stretches of not talking or socializing.  Without her, he had so few social outlets, and simply pined away over time.

She was only a few years older than I am today - about 6 years.  Due to complications of rheumatoid arthritis, she had been in a wheelchair most of the last 15 years of her life.

I sometimes wonder whether Obamacare would have thought her life worth continuing.  If not, they would be wrong; she brought a lot of joy to everyone who knew her.

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Remembering the Anniversary

Doesn't this give you goosebumps?

What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."
Click here to listen to the audio.
 
To think that the poseur in the White House returned the bronze bust of that man! 


Oh, the horror!  I've mislaid my copy of "The Gathering Storm".

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Why Aren't the Feminists Screaming About This?

The story of the woman who recruited women suicide bombers - even going to the extreme of arranging for their rape, so they would feel compelled to kill themselves.

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Study of Sexual Abuse in the Muslum Culture

Disgusting, but I urge you to read it all the way through, to learn why Americans must resist this culture triumphing in the US.

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Why is the Islamic World Like They Are?

Several psychiatrists talk about the norms and expectations of their world.

The locus of control is a psychological term that describes whether an individual feels his or her life controlled by outer or inner factors. From a psychological point of view, it is clear that Muslims mainly feel their lives influenced by outer factors and that Westerners look inwardly when trying to understand their life and reactions. Our Western view is that our own point of view, our own feelings, thoughts, choices etc. define to a high degree the way we experience the world and our lives. We also believe in free will and thus see the ability to take responsibility for our own actions as an expression of human maturity, while blaming others for our own disturbing feelings or negative behavior is seen as less mature.
Western therapy and pedagogics are all aimed at making people aware of how they create their own lives and thus empowering children, clients and people in general to solve their problems and take responsibility for their own happiness. Our kiosks, book stores and libraries are full of magazines and books describing how to look inside to find peace, get control of our thoughts and emotions, make the right choices, etc. The Muslim world has none of these things – and the little they have is imported from the West. This is because people in the Muslim culture are mainly told to follow outer guidelines set by their Allah, the laws and regulations expounded by their prophet in the Quran and the Hadiths, imams preaching the correct Islamic relationship to everything from sexuality, integration, child raising and politics every Friday in their Mosques, etc. For a Muslim, the rules are clear and the consequences for breaking them are severe – both now and in the after life.
Muslim culture is extremely authoritative and the consequence is that the focus on self-reflection in Muslim upbringing is close to absent. Thus, it is no surprise at all that a devout Muslim girl such as Albahrij follows this pattern: She blames Horowitz for making her so angry that she loses her capability to hear and as a consequence she also blames Horowitz for her supporting genocide.
 There is a lot in this article about things I've noticed in the Islamic culture, but hadn't understood, including the unrelenting hatred of Jews, THEIR racism, and the shame culture of Muslims.

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"Two-Tiered Feminism"

Why is it some crimes capture the attention of the American public, and others, equally horrifying, don't?

Is it that the public is being manipulated by the media?  You decide.


Read Mark Steyn's article about "honor killings".  It's being seriously suggested that the perps get reduced sentences since the killers are of a different culture.   The media coverage is skewed against the victims of these crimes.
These deaths are not the result of sudden outbreaks of violent anger, but the horrific final moments of years of abuse ended often with meticulous planning by the "family" and prolonged suffering by the victim. Yet the American media gave more coverage to Muzzammil Hassan when he launched an unwatched cable talk network in 2004 than when he sawed off his wife's head five years later.
Yesterday, I was chided by a commentator who thinks Nexis search terms are the bedrock of argument. Okay:
Number of stories in The New York Times referencing Matthew Shepard: 311
Number of stories in The New York Times referencing Aasiya Hassan: Just one.
There's an update on the differences between how media (and feminists) treat women of Muslim descent.
One reason why readers think we right-wing madmen are just making this stuff up is because of the shameful silence (and worse) of western feminists, who implicitly accept a two-tier sisterhood, in which some women get to lead the lives they choose while others, in the interests of "cultural sensitivity," get a literally rawer deal that begins with FGM and, if they're really unlucky, ends with "honor killing."
 Why do I use the term "women of Muslim descent" rather than "Muslim women"?  Because they have no choice in the matter.  If they leave their religion, too often, they're dead.

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

I Thought It Was a Photoshop

But, I've checked - it's apparently real.  These are Afghani women lining up to vote.  I hope they take the time to compare their ID pictures, to make sure that they are legal voters.


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Avoidance of the Needed Solution

I read FrontPage Magazine and NewsReal Blog regularly.  David Horowitz is a former far leftist who saw the light after a friend, who worked for the Black Panthers, was murdered, apparently to keep her from testifying about illegal activities the organization had been involved in.


The link is to a commentary about a 6 year old who shot another 6 year old, and what measures should, and should NOT, be taken in response.

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

What is a Muslim Country Like?

I found this multi-part story at The Autonomist.   It's riveting.  The sheer detail attest to the truthfulness.  The writer clearly has long experience with Islamic countries, and is able to explain the differences between them and the US.


Here's Part II.

There may not be other parts; when I checked, the blogger called Orangeducks had an RIP next to his name.

Update - I checked.  Orangeducks is, indeed, no longer on this Earth.  When you read these posts, remember him.

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

New Corel Ad

I will mention that I have a new advertiser, Corel - they're the people that make Corel Draw and Wordperfect.  I used to use WordPerfect back in the day.  Haven't upgraded in quite a while, but I'm planning to.  Even then, WordPerfect could make MS Office look lame.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they've done to it now.

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Why There SHOULD'T Be a Mosque at Ground Zero

Read John Hawkins; post on the subject.

I'll add my own reason - brother, if you DO build it, you'll need to remember the words of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto after Pearl Harbor:
"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."
Fear it, baby.  We may be generally peaceful (not looking for a fight), but y'all don't want to P!$$ us off.

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For Those Who Love Conspiracy Theories

 For those who aren't familiar with Tammy Bruce, she is a conservative lesbian feminist.  A lifelong Democrat, who, occasionally, with distaste, votes for a more conservative Republican.  A former president of NOW.

And, she carries a gun.

I like Tammy.  She's feisty, funny, and a good writer.  So, when she writes about Obama-backer George Soros, she has my attention.

Perhaps this is why drilling in Alaska is off the table–it would actually keep America safe and strong and won’t make Obama Boss George Soros even richer than he is now.
Interestingly, it seems the more trouble we have, the better it is for Soros. Last year, Soros noted he was “having a very good crisis” having bet against the United States and profiting from her economic downturn.
Now we learn Soros is set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Gulf oil catastrophe. With Obama’s ‘moratorium’ and the Obama Admin’s general hostility to drilling, it’s reported many oil companies have already looked into with Brazil regarding a move those shores. And what is Soros principally invested in right now? Petrobras, the Brazilian state oil company.
Read the rest here.

Ask yourself:  why does the US have to stop all off-shore drilling?  Won't other countries just move into the gap (they will)?  And, most importantly, who the *&^%$#@ does Obama work for anyway?  Us, or George Soros?

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Islam and Slavery

We in the US are often taken to task for our previous involvement in slavery.  For those critical of the US, it is of no importance that about 1/2 of the nation was willing to go to war with our own countrymen to stop the practice.

Islamic countries, on the other hand, get a pass for even more egregious practices towards slaves.

Bill Warner, in a FrontPage Magazine interview, argues that Islam is based on slavery, and still is tolerant of slavery - of kafirs, or infidels.
 Both a black African and a black slave have the same name, abd. The historical reason for this is that African slavery was so important to Islamic economics. Language reflects history. Islamic legal history is filled with the complaints by African Muslim jurists about how Arabic Muslim slave traders captured African Muslims and sold them on the auction block.
History records around 11,000,000 Africans being sent to the Americas and about 13,000,000 being sent to Islamic countries for a total of 24,000,000 African slaves. To get one slave, many others have to be killed for the tribe to surrender to enslavement. The old, sick and children are left behind to starve. These collateral deaths are conservatively estimated to about 5 to 1. So that implies that over 1400 years, 120,000,000 million Africans have been killed to furnish Islam with its profits.
The accepted history of race in the U.S. is that white men captured Africans, brought them to the U.S. and sold them as slaves. This is wrong. When the white slavers showed up on the west coast of Africa, they didn’t capture Africans. They looked them over in the pens, gave the Muslim slave traders their money, took their bills of sale, and loaded their purchases into their boats.
The Muslims had been plying the trade of war, capture, enslavement, and sale for a thousand years. Mohammed was a slave trader. Long after the white slave traders quit, the Muslims continued their African slave trade. It still exists today.
 My bolding.  Aside from sanctioning slavery, Islam also condones rape.

Yes.  Rape of non-Islamic women.  A modern Egyptian lawyer has gone public with her urging for Arabs to rape Israeli women.  And, as the article points out:
Since Sharia law allows for marriage of underage girls it’s safe to say that young children won’t be spared from this new form of “resistance.”
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More on the Burqa

I decided to follow the more common spelling of burqa, rather than burka (which I had always used), when I noticed that Google was correcting me - they seem to be up on the way of international spelling.


Frontpage Magazine has more on the subject of burqas.

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Monday, June 14, 2010

Humanity at its Finest

I found this story about a remarkable man, who labors to save the desperate.

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Jimmy Carter's Other Project - NOT As Harmless As It Might Seem

I find myself sighing a lot lately.  I try to look for the good in people, even those whose past has shown them to be easily duped by evil.

I had believed that his project to eradicate the Guinea worm was a harmless one - after all, getting rid of disease is good, right?

I may have been too quick to hold him harmless.  Check out the full story about his worm project.

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Saturday, June 12, 2010

Funny Video with a Good Point

I found this video at Curmudgeonly & Skeptical.   It's a great source of funny political commentary, and a nice round-up of visual funny.



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Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Why Israel is Facing Such Universal Hatred

The hatred Israel evokes seems, to sane people, irrational and unfathomable.  John Hawkins explains it as both an artifact, and more, in his Seven Reasons Why Israel Will Never Get a Fair Shake.

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Tuesday, June 08, 2010

How Christianity Influenced the Enlightenment

In Western societies, secularism is the default ideal in the public arena.  For that reason, most Americans accept the "wall between church and state" in public schools.  Few protest when prayer is discouraged at public functions.  Any public gathering that begins with an invocation is careful to make that speech as bland and void of references to a Creator or specific Beings, and any connection to Christianity is avoided.

Why?

Because those opposed to Christianity truly believe that they will be able to craft a system of morality that is unconnected to any religious (particularly Christian) attributes.  They believe that they will be able to tap into some innate core of "goodness", which exists separately from and religion.

I disagree.  And this Front Page link explains why:
...the core Enlightenment values are inextricably tied to Christian values. This view has been put forward most forcefully on the Continent in recent years by Marcello Pera (former President of the Italian Senate, and an agnostic) and by Benedict XVI (not an agnostic). They have argued that the Enlightenment grew out of Christianity organically, as a tree grows from its roots. Cut off from its roots the tree dies.
In this view the rights of man are based on a belief in the importance of man. The belief that ordinary individuals have a value and dignity of their own apart from their membership in a tribe or a society has its origin in the Judeo-Christian declaration that man is made in the image of God. Thus, if you take away God, you take away the foundation of human importance. As Thomas Jefferson undoubtedly discovered while composing the Declaration of Independence, it’s a bit difficult to establish the case for human rights without reference to the Creator.  Purely secular societies can only assume human dignity and human rights as a given. We tend to forget that these concepts are now a given because they were given to the world by Christians. Before Christianity, the idea that all human beings are endowed with intrinsic value was not considered “self-evident,” it was considered ludicrous. Espousing human equality was a good way to get yourself laughed out of polite pagan society. Human dignity may seem self-evident to us now, but that is because the Christian moral view became internalized over the centuries. Gladiatorial combats and slavery didn’t go out of fashion because societies evolved but because people began to see one another in the light of the Christian revelation.
 [my bolding]

This confirms something I've noticed.  I have known several atheists.  They were generous, humane, and thoroughly decent people.  But, I am under no illusion that their goodness sprung from a void.  They lived in Christian communities, and were influenced by Christian values.

Think of some recent societies that were actively ANTI-Christian:
  • Nazi Germany
  • China
  • USSR
  • Most Islamic countries
  • Japan during WWII
Do they strike you as being human societies?  Have they distinguished themselves by reverencing the essential value of human life?  Have they safeguarded religious citizens from barbarities and persecution?

No.

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Islamicist Strategy in a Nutshell

Y'all need to read this TODAY.

The public perceptions of the current Islamicist "struggle", and the Western response to it need to be understood, to avoid falling into the trap of giving up.

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Sunday, June 06, 2010

Is the Push Against the Gaza Blockade Based on Humanitarian Needs?

As Eva Gabor used to say on Green Acres "Don't be ridiculous".

They are refusing to let the goods that were searched by the Israelis be released.
Yes, the newspaper reporting this IS the Jerusalem Post, but they are, in fact, a respected publication, not a branch of the government.

Why?


They are teaming up with Iran to run the blockade.

Yes, war, once again, seems imminent.  Spare a moment to pray that the innocent are protected.

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Why the Bans on Hijabs?

In Europe, this is a huge issue.  In France, Spain, and the coastal countries, legislators have begun to make laws to ban the hijab in the public arena, making it illegal to wear in courts, government offices, and schools.

Why?  Is the hijab, which, after all, is similar to the veil or babushka traditionally worn in pre-WWII Europe by many woman, so offensive to the modern-day European?

This touches on several factors:
  • In some countries, due to the Enlightenment rejection of clericalism, all religious symbols were banned in official offices.  This was done to limit or eliminate the influence of Catholic clergy in governmental affairs.
  • France is most involved in the school ban; every French child wears a uniform to school.  It is considered VERY important to have every child in a uniform, and no deviations are permitted.  This is a long-standing cultural issue; adherence to this policy is one of the ways that France has integrated its ethnics into the French culture.  In France, in every location, the curriculum is absolutely rigid; every 3rd grade student will be on the same page of the same book on the same day.  Likewise, all aspects of school are regimented, and the dress code is one of those aspects.
  • There have been robberies and terrorist attacks by men wearing the hijab or burka.  Because of that, the momentum for banning the distinctive dress has grown.  However, the native uneasiness with the clothing preceded the illegal activities.
  • In some European countries (notably France, Sweden, and Norway), any woman NOT covering up is considered fair game for rape.  The sharp increase in rapes in those countries is almost all due to attacks by Muslims on uncovered women.
None of these issues have been a major problem in the US.  The use of hijab has become more common in many cities, but is spotty.  As a teacher, I've seen girls wearing hijab, but also wearing regular teen clothing, as well.

Burka has been resisted in schools and courts.  In schools, teachers have been told not to wear it, due to difficulty communicating while veiled (one of them was a teacher whose job was to teach the children English - her speech was muffled while veiled).  In courts, our tradition of facing our accusers was the stopping point.  If veiled, verifying identity is a problem.

Most normal activities are hard to perform while heavily veiled.  Driving can be dangerous.  Even walking has its hazards, as sights and sounds of approaching cars can be limited.

In hot weather, the burka would be nearly intolerable, and, for those nearby, the odor of a sweaty women would be unpleasant.  Getting sufficient vitamin D while veiled requires supplementing; deficiencies are common in veiled women.

There have been legal challenges in the US to have access to public swimming pools during specified times "women-only".   This limits the freedoms of our non-veiled citizens to pools they paid for.

Girls participating in sports have sued to keep wearing the hijab, despite the potential for injury during contact.

I'm on the side of banning the burka.  It's an unnecessary limitation on women's freedom, and the potential for using it during the commission of a crime is not solely theoretical.  Additionally, it makes it easy to cover up domestic violence under the bag.

In sports, I'm in favor of letting the leagues set their own rules for dress, as they currently do.  In schools, the hijab causes no problems (so far), but authorities should be on the lookout for students experiencing discrimination or bullying due to NOT veiling.  I see no problem with schools altering their dress code to allow a single color and style for hijabs, if desired.

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Saturday, June 05, 2010

This May Just Be the Next President

Telling the straight truth to the government employee unions.

Look, I work for public schools.  My pension is tied up in the public pension system.

But, I'm realistic.  We, the taxpayers, can't afford all that previous, wimpy, no-guts legislators and state executives have promised those employees.  They already out-earn the average taxpayer of a similar job type.  Their pensions, if allowed to stand, will send the state governments into bankruptcy.

Who wins then?

Not us, not the retiree.



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Roll Call Unconstitutional in SC?

So, WHY is Nikki Haley so unpopular with other legislators in SC?  She wants to hold them accountable.



One of the "esteemed legislators" - Jake Knotts - he of the slur "raghead" - is shown on the video below.



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Friday, June 04, 2010

Why The Proposed Mosque at Ground Zero Should NOT Be Built

Robert Spencer explains it so much better than I could.  But, one often noticed piece of theater should be recognized for what it is:
Muslims are already praying at the projected site of the massive Islamic Center, an old Burlington Coat Factory outlet that was damaged by a piece of one of the hijacked airplanes fell through the roof on 9/11. (A Muslim real estate company paid $4.85 million in cash for the building. Where that cash came from has not been explained).
That building doesn’t appear to be overflowing, although Muslims are reportedly holding prayers on the sidewalk outside another lower Manhattan mosque, apparently in order to give the impression that they’re in dire need of more space. This is, however, more for show than for necessity.
 Let's face it - that mosque could have been built ANYWHERE.  The ONLY purpose for it to occupy that space is to rub the infidels' noses in their proclaimed superiority.
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Thursday, June 03, 2010

It's NOT the Humanitarian Aid, It's the Principle

Y'all remember that humanitarian aid that those bad, nasty Israelis refused to let go directly to the port?  That aid that was SO desperately needed by Gaza?  The aid that was the ONLY thing standing between them and death?

Eh, not so much.

It turned out to be NOT-SO needed, after all.  Go to the link, and find out why.

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Wednesday, June 02, 2010

The Coming Arab-Israeli War

If you want to read a fair accounting of the conflicts between Arabs (I refuse to call them Palestinians, that's a phony name) and Israelis, go to Jihad Watch.  You won't find out the truth in the mainstream news.
The ongoing interrogation of passengers who were aboard the Marmara - the Gaza aid flotilla's flagship - revealed that the majority of those who attacked the Israeli Naval Commandos boarding the ship have direct and indirect Global Jihad ties. Israel's investigation has revealed some 100 people infiltrated the peace and humanitarian aid activists making their way to Gaza, with the explicit design to attack Israeli soldiers using cold arms.
A more balanced perspective than you'll find in the nightly news:


From the Jerusalem Post (I know, I know - but who would have better access to news sources?).


On YouTube, a video of the passengers attacking the IDF soldiers.  Think you're getting a balanced view of the incident?  Ask yourself, have I seen this video on the nightly news?  Probably not.

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Cracks in the Solidarity Thing

Over at Cynthia Yockey, A Conservative Lesbian, there is a post about the LGBT acronym.  It seems that not all of that coalition are cozy with each other.  Cynthia agrees with me that the T's are self-mutiliating - I'm not talking about those with ambiguous genitalia or chromosomes, I'm talking about those who really are definitely another sex, like Chastisy Bono.  The law may classify them as a different sex after surgery, but nature still doesn't.

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Lies of the Left

This COULD be a lengthy post. But, I'll try to winnow it down to a reasonable length. The CA Parent Bribery 'Scandal' - the 1...