Gawfer

In Memory of William (Bill) Robert Godshalk

2011-09-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

This post is intended to Honor the memory of Bill, whose life was suddenly taken from us September 11, 2001

For Love of Wild Bill

James Bond Godshalk had five children and William R. Godshalk was the wildest. When Bill Godshalk was 10 and playing shortstop in Little League, he caught a ball only to drop it when the base runner hit his glove. Bill attacked the other player. James Godshalk walked on to the field and pulled his son back. "He needed me," Mr. Godshalk said. "And I needed him, I did so much.

"James Godshalk taught his son sports, and in the process taught him how to calm himself. But Bill Godshalk kept his wild and adventurous heart, even as a 35-year-old vice president at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods in the World Trade Center, said his fiancée, Aleese Hartmann. At a memorial service for his son, James Godshalk was reminded of a verse by James Whitcomb Riley:

Old man never had much to say -
'Ceptin to Jim, -
And Jim was the wildest boy he had,
And the old man jes' wrapped up in him!

When he recited the poem, he substituted "Bill" for the name Jim, and told the story of a wild boy and the father who loved him.

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on November 11, 2001

United in Memory has created a quit that honors all 2996 souls that were lost that day, and Bill's quilt can be viewed Here

We will never forget. I will never forget.

God Bless his Family and friends, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

You can view the entire list of 2,996 victims and their blog tributes Here.

http://terroristattack.com/messages.php?id=1088

http://www.9-11heroes.us/v/William_Robert_Godshalk.php

Pease be advised, this post will remain at the top of my blog for the month of September. Please scroll down for recent articles and posts. Thank you.

Gawfer Has Moved

2008-08-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

With the help of my fellow 'Bog Dwelling Racist Bigots' as we've been so fondly referred to, Gawfer has migrated to the next level of blogging. You can now find me at Gawfer.net

To avoid trolls of many kinds, you'll need to register and your comments will need to be approved the first time, so leave me a nugget of wisdom.

This site will remain for reference and sentimental reasons, but all future posts will be at the new site.

Thanks again Rob , for making this happen.

Comments are now closed.

By Whom Is Congress Employed?

2008-08-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

As a democratic republic, we the people elect Congressmen and Senators to represent us in government. Their salaries are paid by us, the constituents, and as such they are our employees indentured to us. They do not rule over us, but rule for us on our behalf. So when they vote to give themselves a vacation in spite of the serious and immediate energy crisis’, they are not fulfilling their commitments to their elected offices.

Recently, a few Republican Congressmen decided to stand fast and draw attention to the negligence of the current leadership, and have requested that the White House exercise its privilege to force Congress to hold an emergency session.

Bobby Eberle writes:
“…Congressmen sent letters to the president. GOPUSA activists did so as well. However, the White House has come back with a reply: No thanks. The administration rejected the calls from House Republicans and grassroots conservatives, saying it "won't make a difference." Sorry, but that is the wrong decision.
We finally have Republicans stepping forward and taking on the Democrats. We have grassroots activists rallying behind these leaders in support. And... we have the White House pouring water on the small flames that could've spread to a larger fire of energy and support leading up to Election Day. Great job!
As reported in The Hill, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said, "We don't have plans to call Congress into session -- it won't make a difference if Democratic leaders are unwilling to bring up a bill for an up-down vote."
Make no difference? Come on! The Hill notes that "while the president can declare that Congress must sit for an emergency session, he cannot set the agenda -- only the leadership of the majority party can do that." Wrong! President Bush can set the agenda in the minds of the American people. Who cares what Pelosi puts down on the congressional agenda. If President Bush would simply address the American people and tell them that he is bringing Congress back into session to address the country's energy problems, then Republicans and the American people win. Each day that passes without Pelosi focusing on the issue is another day where America can see what the Democrats are all about. And the White House says that it won't make a difference???...”

In spite of a 9% approval rating for congress, and a 72% positive opinion nationwide to lift the ban on off shore exploration and drilling, The White House has disobeyed the direction of its employer; we the people, subsequently allowing the Congress to be defiant toward their employers as well. Any business or corporation would have terminated the employment of these individuals months ago; yet the likes of the Pelosi House continues to thrive.

One might ask why the Democrats are so resolute in their defiance. Simply because they exist in the comfort of deep pockets of the ‘environmental terrorist left’; who ultimately want to keep the price of our natural resources high so as to discourage and limit use. After all, humans are bad.

They know that offshore drilling will directly impact the price of fuel. Heck, the mere mention of offshore drilling will immediately affect the price. Look no further than 3 weeks ago when President Bush announced his decision to lift the executive ban on offshore drilling: within a week, the price per barrel decreased from $147.00 to its current $121.00.

There are other opportunities to affect the energy crisis as well.

Nuclear Power is so far advanced now; it can be quickly implemented with no affects to the environment. The previous concern was the resulting waste. But with current technology, breeders can be built to rejuvenate the fuel for reuse, thereby all but eliminating nuclear waste. By the way, Nuclear power emits exactly 0% gases.
Solar energy is another source of energy that is becoming highly useful and very profitable. Solar fields are becoming common place in the high deserts of California, yet Congress has failed to offer any substantial incentives to potential owners/producers.
Windmills are another source of environmentally safe energy that produces no off-gasses and only the occasional dead bird that flies in the Propeller.
Hydro-electric generators are relatively easy to install and any waterway with minimal flow can produce usable quantities of energy with NO affect on the environment. Helical turbines run at 70% efficiency, meaning if the water flows at 20mph, the turbine spins at 14 mph which is more than enough to spin large generators.

These are simple solutions to a big problem that our employees have failed to address. It is time for Congress to step up and earn the money, free travel, health insurance, and retirement they are receiving from WE THE PEOPLE.

CONGRESS: Go back to work…NOW!

Do You Know Him?

2008-08-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

THE FROG THEORY

2008-08-02T11:39:00.001-07:00

I have been on vacation for the last week and though I've tried to keep abreast of the news, I haven't posted anything regarding politics. I received this email and thought it was point on so here's a cheap way to post something good without having to put a lot of thought into it.

If you drop a frog in boiling water he will leap right out. If you slowly heat the water he will be content until it’s too late to get out. That is exactly how history works. It moves slowly and we never really see any danger until it’s too late.

Remember how suppressed workers were before unions came along? The unions leveled the playing field. Unfortunately, over a long period of time the pendulum swung too far. Slowly, businesses and factories closed and jobs left the country. We were comfortable and didn’t see the change coming. We blamed everyone except ourselves for what happened. We weren't alert to how slow things change over time.

World War II, and the Korean War, demonstrated how powerful a united nation could be. Our nation and our families were united. The father was the head of the family and the President was the head of the nation. Both were highly respected. We were content and happy.

We were good at fighting a hot war but we were unprepared to fight a cold war with the communists in the 50’s. They knew they couldn’t change us but they didn’t care. Their philosophy was to wait it out and capture the minds of our children. They loaded our colleges with many of their professors and waited. It didn’t take long to see the results.

The 60’s ushered in the radicals, drug culture, student protesters, and the Vietnam War. The aim of the cold war was to divide and conquer. They divided our families and the nation. The secret to defeating a polite and respectful people is to scream. The louder and longer you scream the better your chance of winning. Radicals are masters at this form of attack. They know if you constantly scream and repeat a lie it will eventually become the truth.

The media, and Hollywood, hammered us with hate America themes and stories. Our service men, and women, were jeered, cursed, and spit on. Even the people, who later wanted to become their President, trashed them. We lost our first War in history. There was no hero’s homecoming for our fighting men and women.
The Reverend King, who was raised in the old school, peacefully changed the race issue and united the people. When he died the new breed of leaders like the Jesse Jacksons, Lewis Farrakhans Al Sharptons, and Rev. Wrights put a lid on his efforts and turned racism into a money making machine.

Corporations were green-mailed by threats of protests, product boycotts, or endless lawsuits. Every issue, large or small, became a race issue. The public recoiled in fear of being called a racist. Their voices were silenced because one word could cost you a career, get you fired, or get you sued.

Even politicians buckled under to the pressure. The Florida legislature issued a formal apology for having slavery 200 years ago. They were thanked by being asked for compensation. There is no end in sight for this kind of nonsense. America didn’t capture slaves and bring them to America. Their own people sold them to slave traders from several nations. This knowledge doesn’t stop the screamers. History is what it is and you can’t change it. There have been many tragic events in history. You acknowledge them and move on.

They divided our nation into two separate Americas. We now have Americans, and African-Americans, although Africa has nothing to do with being an American. You can be one or the other but not both. You are what you were born to be. You do not subordinate our country to any foreign nation. It’s equivalent to flying the African flag above the Stars and Stripes. If you hyphenate two countries America always comes first.

This election year could be the turning point in our history because the frog theory has come into play. It’s time to step back and look at how the country has slowly changed since the cold war started. Don’t get caught up in all the hype.

George McGovern was the first Presidential candidate to test the waters with college students. The Clintons played a big role in his campaign. It was the worst campaign ever run. He was crushed in the election.

Step two was to infiltrate all the information vehicles such as radio, newspapers, magazines, TV and movies. They were quite successful at that. Jimmy Carter was the first President to demonstrate the leadership skills of the far left. Weak military, high taxes, runaway inflation, 19% mortgage rates, and plain incompetence ended his career in Washington. Iran, a small country at the time, took American hostages and kicked sand in our face. By negotiating from weakness Carter could not get the hostages released.

The big benefit of the Carter years is that they were followed by the Reagan years. The nation got a clear look at the difference between a weak nation and a strong nation. Every student should know this difference. When Ronald Reagan took over the hostages were quickly released, taxes were lowered, inflation dropped, mortgage rates dropped, and the military was strengthened. Russia quickly waved the white flag and waited for another Democrat term.

Clinton took over Carter's uncompleted social programs. He weakened the military and tried to pass large government programs. An Intern derailed his Presidency. While he was tied up with his personal problems his lawyers ran the country. He passed up three [unverified] opportunities to take out Osama Bin Laden. This eventually cost us the loss of our Twin Towers, thousands of American lives, and got us involved in a war with Iraq.

By the end of his term the left had captured a large share of the media and it flexed its muscle in 2000. The hate Bush campaign got off to a roaring start. The brainwashing theory of repeating the same story over and over again was launched.

There were endless stories about our evil nation and it’s President. Top-secret plans were leaked to the press and printed for the entire world to see. Hollywood cranked out documentaries about the evil Bush administration and our evil military. They laid the groundwork for the next election. The ACLU flooded the courts with lawsuits and the Democrat party became a law firm. Almost every incumbent, or his or her spouse, is a lawyer.
They now have the perfect candidate because they can squash criticism by playing the race card. If you don’t like Obama, or criticize him, you are a racist. They can hide his inexperience and background by turning him into a rock star and singing change and hope. They don’t tell us what kind of change, or how it will
be done, only that you should hope for the best. By keeping the hype going they don’t have to put anything of substance on the table.

The only thing we really know about Obama is that his wife has never been proud to be an American. They want us to believe that his liberal college professors, Rev. Pfleger, his ties to radicals Bill Ayer and Lewis Farrakhan, and listening to the Rev. Wright’s hate talks for 20 years, had no influence on his thinking. If they didn’t, then who did? He hasn’t in business and didn’t see fit to serve his country. These people launched his political career and their organizations received earmarks in return for their campaign donations and political help. They must have had some influence. Rev. Wright’s church received over $15 million. That’s only one small local church. Think on a national scale.

The change being promoted is a change back to the Carter years. It started in 2006 when the lawyer party took over. There have been endless lawsuits and investigations in retaliation for the Clinton years. It keeps the lawyers busy but does nothing for the economy. The economy has been in a downward spiral since they took over.
Returning to the Carter years of high taxes, high inflation, and a weak military is not the change we are looking for. We cannot cower to a bunch of crazies whose only goal in life is to kill us.

The old sages (over 50) will have to play a big role in this election. The young people simply don’t know what the aged know. The advantage of aging is the knowledge you accumulated. You know what United States means. You know what the seldom-heard word respect means. You know how wonderful freedom and independence is. You know the difference between a strong and a weak nation; and you know what it takes to keep it strong. You know history because you have lived it.

Although the old guard is dying off, and getting too tired to fight, they have to muster one more charge. If they don’t, our children, and grandchildren, will never know the joy and freedom that is the bedrock of our country. The heat is slowly being turned up and the water is getting hot. The old frogs’ better start jumping before it’s too late.

This frog is awake! How about you?

The importance of free speech

2008-08-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have been accused of being a Bog Dwelling Racist Bigot because of my defense of a couple blogger’s right to free speech. Interestingly, the individual who is making the accusation is supposedly a team player. I made a comment a couple of weeks ago that seemed pretty clear to just about all who read it… except the individual it was directed at, so I’ll publish it here:

”…I fully agree with Voltaire's idea:

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

Though he did not actually write this, the phrase was invented by a later author as an epitome of his attitude. It appeared in The Friends of Voltaire (1906), written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall under the pseudonym S[tephen] G. Tallentyre.

My point now is the same as it has always been:

I don't need to agree or disagree with anybody's position; but I will defend to the death their right to say it. That was why I served: to protect this country against all enemies; both foreign and domestic. Interestingly, by attacking [one’s] free speech, you seem to be placing yourself in the latter column…”

Gawfer- Warou Ichiyusai Homepage 07.24.08 - 7:32 am #

Now, because I have defended Free Speech, I received an email earlier this week… while on vacation:
Gawfer:

You told me Robert was a good man, of good heart.

I seriously have to question those statements. He's gotten worse, and you've joined him, maybe not at this thread, but you're enabling that hatred…”

“…It's hard for me to understand, really. The best I can say is that you, Robert, Texas Fred, Cary, Jenn, Kris, and a few other random commenters form an evil community of hatred.

You all sit around and call people child pedophiles, while defending the most evil attacks on the nicest people like Amy Proctor…”

“…Jenn's the worse hypocrite. She attacked Sherry on the View but embraces Texas Fred, totally giving him a pass…”

First of all, the only disagreement with Amy Proctor was with ONE individual; not the collective so the author’s generality is a typical error of the left. Personally, I enjoy Amy’s website and frequently agree with her articles, commenting occasionally. But I digress.

The clear issue here is that because there are differing views about issues, the use of colorful and sometimes derogatory language, and because certain individuals believe their education gives them some sort of intellectual superiority, they feel they have the right; nay, the responsibility to become the moral police, publishing and berating the “offenders,” attempting to have their websites shut down.

News Flash: Frequently, people say derogatory things that are intended to be hurtful. Look no further than the daily kos or the Huffington post for examples (I won’t even bother to link those sites). But the thing about the first amendment is it doesn’t protect us from being offended. And the minute we begin to regulate free speech simply to protect the minority, we damage the core of that inalienable right and the heart of this nation.

Here are a couple of recent examples:

• 1962, Engel v. Vitale: Prayer is outlawed in the classrooms;

• 1985, Wallace v. Jaffree: Period of Silence banned;

• 1992, Lee v. Weisman: Clergy cannot deliver invocations, no matter how banal, at school functions. Establishes vital new constitutional right to “not feel uncomfortable.”

• Current: Atheists are endeavoring to remove “In God We Trust” from our currency and “Under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance.
(How to ruin the United States of America, Ben Stein and Phil DeMuth, New Beginnings Press, 2008).

When one attempts to quiet the American Voice in public forums such as the internet, one becomes the enemy who is destroying this Country from within.

With that being said, please understand, my website is NOT a public forum but a personal journal of opinions, and is completely regulated by me. The rules of engagement are simple: if I find your comments offensive or irrelevant, I reserve the right to edit them and or delete them. I will not hesitate to ban anyone who is too stupid to function. Free Speech Begins and ends with your own site; not mine.

Finally, as I said previously, “…I don't need to agree or disagree with anybody's position; but I will defend to the death their right to say it…”

And for the record, I play golf with friends and acquaintances; not back stabbing morons.

Lawmaker offers 'modest bill' for detainees

2008-07-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

One Congressman grows a set and stands up in the face of the Politics of Adolescents, and begins to behave as an adult.

As reported on Politico:
By REP. LOUIE GOHMERT
After reading through Boumediene v. Bush, I cannot help but feel that it is simply about the judiciary expanding its own power by usurping the clearly defined constitutional powers of Congress and the president. In essence, the Supreme Court ruled in this case that when Congress and the president followed the decisions the court itself made in crafting law regarding enemy combatants, they did not act within the bounds of our Constitution.

As Chief Justice Roberts noted in his dissent, “The DTA [Detainee Treatment Act] system of military tribunal hearings followed by Article III review looks a lot like the procedure Hamdi blessed. If nothing else, it is plain from the design of the DTA that Congress, the president and this nation’s military leaders have made a good faith effort to follow our precedent. The court, however, will not take ‘yes’ for an answer.”

When the Supreme Court makes a ruling, America listens. Congress believed that the Supreme Court would follow its own rulings and the precedents it set when it ruled in the 2004 Hamdi case, the 2006 Hamdan case, and the 1950 Eisentrager case.

In his dissent in Boumediene, Justice Antonin Scalia said the court's decision means the "[handling of] enemy prisoners in this war will ultimately lie with the branch that knows least about the national security concerns." If the high court is going to exceed its jurisdiction and endanger the American people, at least we can help it do a better job by seeing that it has a little skin in the game with some hands-on experience.

The Supreme Court clearly is exercising self-appointed war powers in order to micromanage the handling of international terrorists. By transporting all of the detainees to the court's grounds, my bill, H.R. 6615 — "To provide for the transport of the enemy combatants detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Washington, D.C., where the United States Supreme Court will be able to more effectively micromanage the detainees by holding them on the Supreme Court grounds, and for other purposes" — will give the justices plenty of opportunities to interact with these terrorists and therefore do a better job of supervision.

It is especially important for the court to closely observe the effects of its ruling, as Scalia pointed out in his dissent: “During the 1995 prosecution of Omar Abdel Rahman, federal prosecutors gave the names of 200 unindicted co-conspirators to the Blind Sheik’s defense lawyers; that information was in the hands of Osama bin Laden within two weeks. … In another case, trial testimony revealed to the enemy that the United States had been monitoring their cellular network, whereupon they promptly stopped using it, enabling more of them to evade capture and continue their atrocities.” Scalia surmised that, “The game of bait-and-switch that today’s opinion plays upon the nation’s commander in chief will make war harder on us. It will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed. That consequence would be tolerable if necessary to preserve a time-honored legal principle vital to our constitutional republic. But it is this court’s blatant abandonment of such a principle that produces the decision today.”

What a sad day it was for the rule of law when such important constitutional precedent was discarded. And what a sad day it is when Americans cannot rely on their Supreme Court to be consistent in upholding the rules it makes. As a former judge, I have a deep understanding of the role of precedent in creating certainty, stability and order. The purpose of my bill is simply to hold our high court responsible for its decisions, so that we may rely on some degree of certainty as we go forth in conducting the work of our nation. The court needs to understand that it does not make such inconsistent rulings in a harmless vacuum.

Rep. Louie Gohmert is a U.S. representative for Texas (R-Texas).

There was a time when most of our elected officials actually behaved as adults, and as a result built on what our framers started rather than destroying it. But somewhere along the way, selfish desires and an apatite for power corrupted the lot of them and even the perception of career politicians who are owned by lobbyists and special interest groups. Now, when an individual stands up and says something with meaning, we applaud them as being extraordinary. What a shame.

Congress Screwing America

2008-07-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at the individuals who take Boxer and Feinstein seriously when the bash the Bush Administration. He doesn't legislate our government, the congress does, and in the last yeay and a half, Congress has earned a whopping 14% overal approval rating thanks to the idiot speaker of the house.

Pelosi Blocks Gas Price Relief
By Henry Lamb
July 29, 2008

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN that she would block any vote to allow offshore drilling. This remarkable stance comes in the face of the latest poll that says 73 percent of Americans favor offshore drilling, while only 27 percent oppose it. Nancy Pelosi again displays her contempt for her employer, the American people. Her arrogance and wrong-headed philosophy have led Congress to an approval rating of a staggering 14 percent, the lowest ever.

And imagine if the democrats secure the whitehouse as well as a fillibuster proof congress. You think its bad now?

Gawfer, at a wise 17 years

2008-07-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

While stationed at NATTC Memphis for A school, a photo was taken and a portrait painted.

For posterity's sake and subsequent entertainment.

(Thanks for the correction, Chief)

Gawfer's Opnion on the 2nd Amendment

2008-07-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Click on the Pic to buy this Tee Shirt and many others.

The Surge was only Marginally Successful Says Obama

2008-07-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

Once again, we see the audacity of stupidity present itself in the form of stubborn arrogance.

Good Lord, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that violence is down 80% thanks mostly to the efforts of our Military and General Patraeus. Even Katie tried to point that out; only to be patronized by Obama. Clearly, Liberalism is the politics of adolescents. And democrats are those politicians who never grew up.

Obama Love Affair

2008-07-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hat tip: Kelly found it.

By the way, this is on the McCain site, LOL!.

Iran Wants to Control Islam

2008-07-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Iran's Aggressive Proselytizing Campaign
By OLIVIER GUITTA (Middle East Times)Published: July 21, 2008

"While Iran is flexing its muscles and looking to expand throughout the whole Middle East by way of military force, it is also orchestrating an insidious campaign to control the region's religion. In fact, Iran is spending money, energy and time to proselytize local populations and de facto trying to take over Islam.

The success of this Iranian-sponsored operation has pushed Sunni states to react. Of all the Sunni countries, Saudi Arabia is the one feeling the most threatened by this new wave of Shiite proselytizing. "If it's not to export the revolution like in the time of the Khomeini regime, Shiism exportation – as we see it today – is still unacceptable," noted Saudi Social Affairs Minister Abdel Mohsen al-Hakas..."

OK, I am currently in the middle of Tom Clancy's novel Executive Orders in which Iran attempts to gain complete control of the Middle East by way of coordinated terrorist attacks against its neighbors and the United States.

But I digress.
Iran has put itself into an aggressive position against a foe it cannot defeat; however, by default, it will be the victim if attacked by Israel or the US, and will likely garner the sympathy of its neighbors which will provide the path of influence it seeks. Therefore, an attack on its nuclear program alone will not be sufficient to stop the insidious regime. The head of the snake must be cut off as well, or it will gain the power it seeks. We cannot make the same mistake ‘41’ made with Saddam Hussein.

New York Times Loves Obama; Hates McCain

2008-07-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

I guess we know what Middle East country is running the NYT:

NYT REJECTS MCCAIN'S EDITORIAL; SHOULD 'MIRROR' OBAMA
Mon Jul 21 2008 12:00:25 ET

An editorial written by Republican presidential hopeful McCain has been rejected by the NEW YORK TIMES -- less than a week after the paper published an essay written by Obama, the Drudge has learned.

FOX News reports:
“I’d be very eager to publish the senator on the op-ed page. However, I’m not going to be able to accept this piece as currently written. I’d be pleased, though, to look at another draft. Let me suggest an approach,” Times op-ed editor David Shipley wrote the campaign via an e-mail later distributed by McCain’s team.

Also Posting:
LGF
Gina Cobb

Here's McCain's Op Ed in full:

In January 2007, when General David Petraeus took command in Iraq, he called the situation “hard” but not “hopeless.” Today, 18 months later, violence has fallen by up to 80% to the lowest levels in four years, and Sunni and Shiite terrorists are reeling from a string of defeats. The situation now is full of hope, but considerable hard work remains to consolidate our fragile gains.

Progress has been due primarily to an increase in the number of troops and a change in their strategy. I was an early advocate of the surge at a time when it had few supporters in Washington. Senator Barack Obama was an equally vocal opponent. "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there,” he said on January 10, 2007. “In fact, I think it will do the reverse."

Now Senator Obama has been forced to acknowledge that “our troops have performed brilliantly in lowering the level of violence.” But he still denies that any political progress has resulted.

Perhaps he is unaware that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has recently certified that, as one news article put it, “Iraq has met all but three of 18 original benchmarks set by Congress last year to measure security, political and economic progress.” Even more heartening has been progress that’s not measured by the benchmarks. More than 90,000 Iraqis, many of them Sunnis who once fought against the government, have signed up as Sons of Iraq to fight against the terrorists. Nor do they measure Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki’s new-found willingness to crack down on Shiite extremists in Basra and Sadr City—actions that have done much to dispel suspicions of sectarianism.

The success of the surge has not changed Senator Obama’s determination to pull out all of our combat troops. All that has changed is his rationale. In a New York Times op-ed and a speech this week, he offered his “plan for Iraq” in advance of his first “fact finding” trip to that country in more than three years. It consisted of the same old proposal to pull all of our troops out within 16 months. In 2007 he wanted to withdraw because he thought the war was lost. If we had taken his advice, it would have been. Now he wants to withdraw because he thinks Iraqis no longer need our assistance.

To make this point, he mangles the evidence. He makes it sound as if Prime Minister Maliki has endorsed the Obama timetable, when all he has said is that he would like a plan for the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops at some unspecified point in the future.

Senator Obama is also misleading on the Iraqi military's readiness. The Iraqi Army will be equipped and trained by the middle of next year, but this does not, as Senator Obama suggests, mean that they will then be ready to secure their country without a good deal of help. The Iraqi Air Force, for one, still lags behind, and no modern army can operate without air cover. The Iraqis are also still learning how to conduct planning, logistics, command and control, communications, and other complicated functions needed to support frontline troops.

No one favors a permanent U.S. presence, as Senator Obama charges. A partial withdrawal has already occurred with the departure of five “surge” brigades, and more withdrawals can take place as the security situation improves. As we draw down in Iraq, we can beef up our presence on other battlefields, such as Afghanistan, without fear of leaving a failed state behind. I have said that I expect to welcome home most of our troops from Iraq by the end of my first term in office, in 2013.

But I have also said that any draw-downs must be based on a realistic assessment of conditions on the ground, not on an artificial timetable crafted for domestic political reasons. This is the crux of my disagreement with Senator Obama.

Senator Obama has said that he would consult our commanders on the ground and Iraqi leaders, but he did no such thing before releasing his “plan for Iraq.” Perhaps that’s because he doesn’t want to hear what they have to say. During the course of eight visits to Iraq, I have heard many times from our troops what Major General Jeffrey Hammond, commander of coalition forces in Baghdad, recently said: that leaving based on a timetable would be “very dangerous.”

The danger is that extremists supported by Al Qaeda and Iran could stage a comeback, as they have in the past when we’ve had too few troops in Iraq. Senator Obama seems to have learned nothing from recent history. I find it ironic that he is emulating the worst mistake of the Bush administration by waving the “Mission Accomplished” banner prematurely.

I am also dismayed that he never talks about winning the war—only of ending it. But if we don’t win the war, our enemies will. A triumph for the terrorists would be a disaster for us. That is something I will not allow to happen as president. Instead I will continue implementing a proven counterinsurgency strategy not only in Iraq but also in Afghanistan with the goal of creating stable, secure, self-sustaining democratic allies.

Gina Cobb has also included McCain's Speech from last year's Congressional 'Slumber Party'. It doesn't sound a lot different from this Op Ed.

Don't Tread on Me, Obama

2008-07-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

What can I do to secure the future? Pray, and post.

H/T: SGT H

Great JibJab Video

2008-07-16T08:14:00.001-07:00

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

I found this on Kate's Site.

Clear as Mud? Lemme Help

2008-07-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

Why?

Then who?

Are Democrats and Obama Good for our Economy?

2008-07-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

I received this email this morning from a friend, and found it quite ‘enlightening’. Though it came in 3 parts, most of the links in part three were dead or unverifiable, so I omitted it from this post. Be sure to look at the tax link.

Part 1

"In just one year. Remember the election in 2006?
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) The unemployment rate was 4.5%.

Since voting in a Democratic Congress in 2006 we have seen:
1) Consumer confidence plummet;
2) The cost of regular gasoline soar to over $[4.50] a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to [5.5%] (a [12.5%] increase);
4) American households have seen $2.[5] trillion in equity value evaporate
(stock and mutual fund losses);
5) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $1.[5] trillion dollars;
6) 2% of American homes are in foreclosure.

America voted for change in 2006, and we got it! Remember, it's Congress that makes law, not the President. He has to work with what's handed to him.

_________________________________________________
Part 2:

Taxes...Whether Democrat or a Republican you will find these verified statistics enlightening and amazing.

Taxes under Clinton 1999 Taxes under Bush 2008

__________Clinton_________ __________ Bush__________
Single making 30K --- tax $8,400 Single making 30K --- tax $4,500
Single making 50K --- tax $14,000 Single making 50K --- tax $12,500

Single making 75K --- tax $23,250 Single making 75K --- tax $18,750

Married making 60K - tax $16,800 Married making 60K - tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $21,000 Married making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 125K- tax $38,750 Married making 125K- tax $31,250

It is amazing how many people that fall into the categories above think Bush is screwing them and Bill Clinton was the greatest President ever. If Obama is elected, he says he will repeal the Bush tax cuts and a good portion of the people that fall into the categories above can't wait for it to happen. This is like the movie The Sting with Paul Newman; you scam somebody out of some money and they don't even know what happened. "

It really is time to stop bashing McCain as he is what stands between you and a whole lot of discomfort and a fundamental loss of freedom.

Friday Party Wit' Santana & 'Nabesata'

2008-07-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Friday Party!

Days of old...

Iran Tests 9 Medium- and Long-Range Missiles

2008-07-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

FOX News reports:

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran test-fired nine long- and medium-range missiles Wednesday during war games that officials said aimed to show the country can retaliate against any U.S. or Israeli attack, state television reported.

The exercise was being conducted at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which about 40 percent of the world's oil passes. Iran has threatened to shut down traffic in the strait if attacked.

Oil prices jumped on news of the missile tests, rising $1.80 to $137.84 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by afternoon in Europe.

Gen. Hossein Salami, the air force commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, said the exercise would "demonstrate our resolve and might against enemies who in recent weeks have threatened Iran with harsh language," the TV report said.

On April 17, 2006, Gen. Abdorrahim Musavi very clearly stated on Iranian TV his intentions.

As a side note, Barack Obama believes that more diligent and unconditional negotiations with Iran is the answer. What on earth does this arrogant individual think he can say to convince Iran to stand down enrichment and reprocessing of Uranium that hasn't already been said?

Iran has been a hostile adversary since 1979 when they took the American Embassy hostage. They were behind the 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, and have financed and backed continuous hostilities for the last 3 decades. Sanctions have been imposed, and lifted throughout the duration with no significant affect on their single mindedness.

Time is running out, and if our present administration passes without acting, the Middle East will indeed become a radioactive barren land.

Also Posting:

Texasfred

Tuesday Respite

2008-07-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

This cat influenced my early walk as a Christian. Friends, meet Phil Keaggy.

2010 Was Not A Good Year To Be President

2008-07-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

this is an email I received this morning, and thought it interesting and insightful.

A look into the future looking back.

Introduction:

Welcome to Toastmasters, June 13, 2033. That's right: 2033.

Today Rick Campbell, one of our senior members at age 87, is here to reminisce a bit and give us a history lesson. He says he is so old that he learned to drive an internal combustion engine car (remember those) with a manual transmission. He once owned a typewriter. He remembers when bicycles had one speed, phones had two-party lines, and cameras had something called film. As incredible as this may seem, he says that when he was young, it was common for people to smoke in restaurants and public places. He is from a different time; almost a different world.

I'm sure all of us are far too familiar with the tragic events of 2010, so Rick is not going to plow that fertile field again. Instead, he is going to give us a personal look back at the conditions which led up to that fateful year, in a speech titled "2010 Was Not A Good Year To Be President."

"2010 Was Not A Good Year To Be President"

Yes, 2010 was long ago and far away.

As we look back on history, it appears that some Presidents had an easy ride- times of growth and stability. Teddy Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding, Dwight Eisenhower, Bill Clinton comes to mind. Those were good years to be President.

Others were elected just when the Republic was facing terrible crises: Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and George W. Bush. They rose to the occasion, even though they were controversial and widely hated while in office. Not such good years to be President.

Just a few years prior, in 2008, the country began foundering. We were in the sixth year of the Iraqi Occupation, and the economy was flat. The mainstream press clearly wanted a Democrat elected.

Although we didn't know it until some years later, oil producing nations had colluded to secretly buy their own oil on the open market, driving oil prices to shocking levels above the true demand price- reaching a high of $162 a barrel in October, 2008, just before the general elections.

Their purpose was simple: to effect regime change in the United States.

And of course, the U.S. economy was already in a real estate slump and also suffering the curse of stagflation; slow growth and high inflation.

There were a million home foreclosures.

Independent truckers went under by the thousands.

Airlines failed. Airlines with names now long-forgotten: United, Delta, Northwestern, American. All now merged, of course, into the one lone U.S. carrier we love so much: Southwest.

Against this backdrop of weariness of the war on terror, and economic distress, the American people were ripe for a demagogue, and they certainly got one in Barack Hussein Obama.

He and his running mate Kathleen Sibelius inspired them with vague notions of hope and change; of a world in which diplomacy settled all international problems, of free universal health care, of abundant alternative energy, of peace and love.

It was a vision too good to resist.

The Republican nominee, a name you probably haven't heard in years anyone? Yes, it was John McCain, an obscure Senator from Arizona had no clue how to run a national campaign, and a platform nearly as liberal as Obama's.

The selection of Condoleeza Rice as his running mate looked brilliant at first. Unfortunately, black voters viewed her as white, and women voters viewed her as one of the guys.

Even so, the McCain/Rice ticket would have won the election if it weren't for the fact that 16 percent of conservative Republicans voted for anyone remember? That's right, Bob Barr, another name that's a footnote in history.

After Obama's narrow win, thanks to recounts in Broward County, Florida, the country was positively giddy. A Democrat House, Senate, and President. At last an end to gridlock in Washington. Camelot!

When Congress convened in January, 2009, the 44th President of the United States did something unique in history: he made good on his campaign promises.

Certainly most Americans never really thought he was serious during the campaign. But whether because of inexperience, idealism, or simply incompetence, he followed through.

In Obama's first One Hundred Days, the Congress passed his initiatives, and he signed them into law as he said he would.

He repealed the Bush tax cuts, and increased capital gains taxes.

He enacted a windfall profits tax, and instituted price controls on gasoline and diesel fuel.

He passed universal health care, which added an additional 10 percent tax increase on all working Americans, and he signed the Immigrant Amnesty bill which created 12 million new citizens instantly, each with entitlements.

He closed the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, and summarily released all the detainees.

He repealed the Patriot Act, and cut funding for espionage, and eliminated all terrorist listening and wiretaps.

Most important, he began the complete and immediate withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq.

He ignored the advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who wanted to retain bases in Kuwait and Qatar. Instead, he went with the recommendation of Secretary of Defense Dennis Kucinich, and ordered all troops back to U.S. soil.

Viola! In One Hundred Days, by May of 2009, it was all done, and the vision was complete. He did exactly what he said he would do.

And so it was in the summer of 2009 that things began to unravel for Obama.

Of course, the economy needed a tax cut, not an increase, and unemployment quickly rose to 12 percent. Even attorneys and economists were put in the bread lines. Hard times.

Price controls on gasoline immediately led to shortages and gas lines.

The global cooling trend we have seen for the past 25 years first became obvious in 2009, exposing the CO2 global warming fraud. People were justifiably angry.

Federal deficits increased massively because thousands of baby boomers, facing job loss and much higher taxes, simply gave up and took social security.

Although the superb U.S. health care system was thrown into disarray, the bright spot was the creation of the Federal Department of Health care, and the immediate hiring of 250,000 administrators, inspectors and auditors, the only job growth in any economic sector in 2009.

By February 2010, the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq was complete. It was a very expensive undertaking.

And then in March, the gradual Shiite insurgencies from Iran turned into a true Iraqi civil war. In May, Iranian tanks crossed the border and quickly took Baghdad. Although the exact number is not know, at least 230,000 Sunni Iraqis died as we stood by.

Iran also quickly moved into undefended Kuwait.

President Obama did exactly what he said he would. He sent Secretary of State Maria Cantwell to Tehran to meet with Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

After two weeks of high level talks, the United States agreed to allow Iran to retain Iraq and Kuwait to create stability in the Middle East, with the understanding that Israel would not be disturbed.

Cantwell returned to Washington, and explained the agreement in her famous speech, in which she proudly noted that the Obama administration had finally achieved "peace in our time" in the Middle East.

So there was some surprise at the rocket attacks on Tel Aviv on August
14th.

President Obama said, "This is not the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad I knew."

The Obama administration decided it would be de-stabilizing to take sides in the conflict, and approximately 29,000 Israeli civilians died during the summer and fall.

American Jews were appalled at the inaction. Yes, in 2 010 most American Jews were Democrats, but because of 2010, they are solid Republicans today.

As awkward as it was, everything might have turned out all right for the Obama administration going into the fall mid-term elections of 2010, if it hadn't been for the dirty bomb in the Port of Long Beach.

The administration had cut funding for the inspection of containers, because they felt it showed a "lack of trust" in the international trading community.

It wasn't really a very big bomb, and thank goodness, not a real nuclear device, but nonetheless it contaminated some expensive real estate- Newport Beach, Palos Verdes Estates- and ultimately caused the death of
14,000 Americans. People were especially annoyed that Disneyland had to be closed for decontamination.

And so, in the midterm elections, Republicans regained control of both the House and Senate, and the rest is history.

The impeachment proceedings against President Obama for "failure to protect and defend" were swift and nearly unanimous. Vice President Sibelius resigned. Newly-elected Speaker of the House, J.C. Watts, became the 45th President of the United States.

But you know the rest of the story well.

Republicans finished the war on Islamic fundamentalists, largely by aiming ICBM's at Mecca and Medina.

No Democrat has been elected President since.

Republicans have held both Houses of Congress.

History of Western Civilization and Economics are now taught in all public schools; and in English only.

Marriage is defined as one man and one woman.

And there are border fences, north and south.

We old codgers remember the ancient Confucian curse: "May you live in interesting times."

Well, 2010 was an interesting year, but it was not a good year to be President."

The Powerful Source of our Law

2008-07-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

After debating about the recent rulings from the SCOTUS, some things have become clearer regarding the source of authority. Our constitution was written in secret and vigorously debated over several months, and even some of the participants refused to sign the final draft. They contended that in its form, there was either too much specificity or too much ambiguity. But the final effort provided a document that was able to be amended if needed, and provided a solid framework for our laws today. It is clear that our Constitution was based on the fundamentals of Divine law as shown here:

A. [O]ur citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is the Bible, particularly the New Testament, or the Christian religion.
From:
Noah Webster, History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1832), p. 6.

B. All [laws], however, may be arranged in two different classes. 1) Divine. 2) Human. . . . But it should always be remembered that this law, natural or revealed, made for men or for nations, flows from the same Divine source: it is the law of God. . . . Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. James Wilson, Signer of the Constitution; U. S. Supreme Court Justice
From:
James Wilson, The Works of the Honorable James Wilson, Bird Wilson, editor (Philadelphia: Lorenzo Press, 1804), Vol. I, pp. 103-105, "Of the General Principles of Law and Obligation."

C. [T]he law . . . dictated by God Himself is, of course, superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at all times. No human laws are of any validity if contrary to this. Alexander Hamilton, Signer of the Constitution
From:
Alexander Hamilton, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Harold C. Syrett, editor (New York: Columbia University Press, 1961), Vol. I, p. 87, February 23, 1775, quoting William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (Philadelphia: Robert Bell, 1771), Vol. I, p. 41.

D. [T]he . . . law established by the Creator . . . extends over the whole globe, is everywhere and at all times binding upon mankind. . . . [This] is the law of God by which he makes his way known to man and is paramount to all human control. Rufus King, Signer of the Constitution
From:
Rufus King, The Life and Correspondence of Rufus King, Charles R. King, editor (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1900), Vol. VI, p. 276, to C. Gore on February 17, 1820.

Now, even though my position is that our Constitution was based either directly or indirectly upon biblical principles of right and wrong; specifically, the divine law of God as illustrated and sourced above, my esteemed and learned opponent’s position was: ‘Though the framers were influenced by biblical teachings, they more directly relied on the laws and philosophies from England.’ This is an interesting and seemingly feasible argument, so, after further research, my findings are such:

The root of English Law was also the bible.

Samuel Rutherford states in the question of ‘Whether government Be Warranted by a Divine Law’:
“The power of government in general must be from God, I make good:
1st because (Romans 13:1) “There is no power but of God; the powers that are ordained of God.”
2nd, God commands obedience, and so subjection of conscience to powers; Romans 15:5, wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, (or civil punishment) but also for conscience sake;” 1 Peter 2:13, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord’s sake, whether it be to the king as supreme,” etc. now God only by a divine law can lay a band of subjection on the conscience, tying men to guilt and punishment if they transgress.”

Conclusion: “All civil power is immediately from God in its root; in that,
1st, God has made man a social creature, and one who inclines to be governed by man, then certainly he must have put this power in man’s nature; so are we, by good reason, taught by Aristotle.
2nd, God and nature intends the policy of peace of mankind, then must God and nature have given to mankind a power to compass this end; and this must be a power of government…”
http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/rutherford/ruth-01.htm

In the THEOKRATIA, OR THE Divine Government of Nations CONSIDERED and IMPROVED, by Robert Fleming, V.D.M., Mr. Fleming writes: “…There is hardly any principle of argumentation, from whence purity of life, and reformation of manners may not be urged and enforced. For whether we consider natural or revealed religion; whether we think of God, ourselves, or others; whether we reflect on man apart, or in relation to society, as to their peace here, or happiness hereafter; still we may by an easy inference find our thoughts terminate on reformation and piety, as a thing excellent in itself, and beneficial to men; the very naming of which is enough to ravish the souls of good men, and to serve convictions on the consciences of the wicked…”
http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/misc/1699-dgn.htm

Whether the founders followed the Christian faith or not, they understood that Biblical values formed the basis for not only of the republic, but for English Law as well, and that the republic would be destroyed if the people's knowledge of those values should ever be lost.

This brings me to the head of the spear, so to speak. Understanding that our constitution is man’s interpretation of God’s divine law, one must assume that at times the constitution will fall short of providing adequate solutions to humanistic transgressions. When this occurs, such as the recent ruling against capital punishment extending beyond murder, and the California Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn the vote of the people regarding gay marriage, the solution is not to interject one’s opinion or to seek a populous consensus as was done in both cases, but to go to the source of our constitution; divine law.

Because secularism has pervaded our society and our nation has become mostly agnostic, our appointed judges are ruling based on a popular opinion rather than using fundamental principles of interpretation. It is very clear that in both cases, the decisions would have been exactly opposite had they adhered to the basic truths and applied biblical principles to each case. Thankfully, we are still ‘One Nation, Under God’; but that is slowly slipping away.

Happy 4th of July, 2008

2008-07-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

From the Declaration of Independence:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

A couple of statements to consider:
"...appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world..."
"...with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence..."

Gawfer and family wishes you all a happy 4th of July, and hopes that each of my readers will continue to enjoy the blessings of the God that was referred to thoughout the beginning of our Country; whether you acknowledge Him or not.

Peace.

The 2nd Amendment for Real.

2008-07-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Man Cleared for Killing Neighbor's Burglars

A Texas man who shot and killed two men he believed to be burglarizing his neighbor's home won't be going to trial. A grand jury today failed to indict Joe Horn, a 61-year-old computer technician who lives in an affluent subdivision in Pasadena, Texas.

"Move and your dead!" is clearly heard on his 911 call right before the two buglars... uh... moved. Why has home invasion, buglary and robbery become so widespread? Perhaps because there hasn't been an abundance of folks willing to do what Mr. Horn did.

Though, it's not likely that criminals read this blog, read the news paper, or even take the time to watch the news on TV, this may trickle down far enough to inspire folks to regain their intestinal fortitude and begin defending their lives and property. The way I see it, if a man is willing to risk his life to threaten my family and property, I'm willing to take his life defending my family and property. Remember, when seconds count, the police are just minutes away.

H/T Danny the Moonbat

Obamaphiles becoming mor cult like?

2008-06-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this to me, and it kinda creeped me out a bit. What do you think? I figured I run the risk of having this site killed by blogger, but opinion is just that... opinion.

Border Violence... in Phoenix?!

2008-06-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

OK, this morning while making my Saturday morning rounds through the blogosphere, Brother Dave at My Point Radio had a sound clip posted from the Glenn Beck show yesterday. Unfortunately, Glenn isn't on any radio stations in the LA area; at least that I know of, so I completely missed this.

For anyone who has been privy to the recent little blog war in which some Redneck bloggers were accused of being racist bigots because they suggested setting a .50 cal sniper's rifle on the border and issuing punitive blows to illegal border crossers, perhaps this small and seemingly meaningless piece of information may change the way you see the current situation. It now appears the Mexican Army is showing some angst toward the United States:

Glenn Beck: More Violence on the Border
June 27, 2008 - 3:00 ET

GLENN: Let's go to Phoenix and Darrell Ankarlo who is at our sister station or our affiliate, KTAR in Phoenix, Arizona, and he's doing a lot on the border. You got a new book out that really shows the border unlike anything, anything else I've ever read, Darrell.

ANKARLO: Thank you for that. By the way, hope you're feeling better, hope you don't snap and I hope I'm somewhat intelligent on the Closed Line Friday.

GLENN: Not really. Okay. So Darrell, tell me what happened because I'm reading these reports that Mexican military invaded a home in Phoenix, Arizona. True or false?

ANKARLO: Shaky details. Let me tell you what happened. On last Sunday night about 11:00, seven or eight guys burst into a home almost like Scarface. If you remember the end of that movie, it was like a Scarface kind of a scene. Seven or eight guys with fully automatic weapons, just blow the place to smithereens. Inside the house happens to be, you know, a guy who sells drugs. I mean, one of our upstanding members of society. It was a drug house and it was a place where they would routinely sell the marijuana. Apparently drug fight breaks out, they blow this guy to smithereens. The cops are saying 100 bullets. An inside cop source that I talked to last night said it was double that. So then they take off because the cops arrive. Three of these guys go into an alley, Glenn, and they get out of their vehicle because the cops now have helicopters and vehicles surrounding the place and they put down their weapons and as they're being arrested, one of the arresting officers to talked to me yesterday on this personally said as he was arresting the guy he said, you know, what is your background. You know, debriefing him. And the guy says, well, I have a military background. Now, some in town are suggesting that it was Mexican military background but what I'm understanding is the cops are still trying to figure it out.

Here's what we know. The three who were arrested, two of them definitely illegal immigrants. The third said that he was a U.S. citizen but now as of last night I was told he, too, was illegal. All three have been arrested here. All three have had major criminal problems in America. All three were deported, so they come back. But here's the kicker. As the arresting officer is putting the cuffs on him, the guy whispers. He says, you're lucky we didn't have the ammo, or something to that effect. And the cop says, well, what are you talking about. He said, our goal was to ambush you in this alley. Our goal was to kill you in this alley. And the cop says, and why would you do that? And he said, because this is our country and we want you to know we're taking it back. All happened in this town.

Here's the problem. Remember I said it was seven or eight guys who broke in. The other guys took off in another vehicle. We have no idea where they are. All we know is according to officers they had enough ammo to wipe out a small town. Where they are --

GLENN: Wait, wait.

ANKARLO: -- we don't know.

GLENN: So how reliable is your source that the guy said that to the police officer? Because that's pretty --

ANKARLO: He was one of the arresting officers. We vetted him before we put him on the air and we backed this up with another source within the police department. The guy is who -- you know, my source, Glenn, is who he claimed to be on the show yesterday. And I had the head of the police union on the show for an hour and a half yesterday. I mean, this turned into a major war on the air on the show because the police trying to downplay this and I said, you know what, here's the deal. Let's take Mexican out of it, Mexican military out of it. Let's remove that completely. Let's just all agree, and everybody agreed this was the drug cartel that you've been talking about for months on your show, but instead of Yuma, Arizona or instead of a Texas border town, this is in Phoenix, Arizona, the fifth largest city in the United States of America. And according to the police department they have seen much more of this kind of violence, these kinds of fights in the last five months than they've ever seen. And, of course, they're saying it won't be tolerated, we're going to stop it. The issue is the drug cartel is now moving up to the big cities and are pulling out the big guns and it's like, screw you, we can kill at will in Mexico, we'll do the same thing in America; what are you going to do to us.

GLENN: So Darrell, what is happening? What is the police, what are they protecting? Why are they keeping this down? Why is this not again playing all across the country?

ANKARLO: Yeah.

GLENN: Because I don't see this everywhere, and every time -- there's a story that I have, and we're still checking it out and you know what, I don't even feel comfortable enough. It looks like it's accurate, but I'm not sure yet. So I don't even want to carry it on the air. But there is a possibility that someone who is very high ranking in the United States government with Homeland Security has had a family member kidnapped down on the border and they're sending messages. Now, if this indeed turns out to be true -- first of all, why isn't that story everywhere? Why aren't the stories of the 70 missing Americans or the heads, the actual heads that are being put on fence posts just across our border, why aren't those stories getting out there?

ANKARLO: By the way, Glenn, the heads that you're talking about, I saw some of those on your website. When my son, Adam, came home from Fallujah, and this was the big fight, this was the major fight, he brought pictures back that equaled what you show on your website except that was in a time of war in Fallujah, Iraq. The stuff you show on your website comes from dog gone Mexico, two hours from where I live. But here's the answer. If you've got a city and you need convention business and you need businesses to move to town and you need commerce to grow, the last thing in the world you can afford is to have people know that you've got drug cartels running crazy and/or Mexican military out of control. So you are going to quell it.

Let me give you another stat. The number one kidnapping capital in the United States of America according to law enforcement is a little town that you've lived in called Phoenix, Arizona. Nobody talked about that, either. And let's go back to Mexico for a minute, Glenn. What goes on in Mexico on a daily basis literally. I need 5,000 bucks, I kidnap you, I call the family, they say okay, we'll give you the money and they drop me off at a corner sometime that night. They are bringing this crap to our country, and you are right. They are trying to keep this stuff down.

Let me hit you, and I know you're running, you know, real late today, but black boots, black BDUs, that's your tactical gear, they had Phoenix police raid shirts. Nobody knows where these guys got those. Handguns, AR-15s, aim point sights. Those are the sights my son, a sniper in Fallujah used. Body armor, ballistic helmets, thigh holsters. These are what these guys were wearing when they went into this house. I mean, these guys were military, they were commando, if anything they were drug cartel, and the details get buried. And you are right, nobody wants to talk about it. And when I do, I'm a hater and I'm a racist and how dare you bring this up at the forefront.

GLENN: I know. Darrell, I have to commend you on what you have done already. You've got a book out. It's called Another Man's Sombrero and it details your trip across the border, how easy it is, stuff that I have never read any place else. It's in the book, Another Man's Sombrero and it is in bookstores everywhere. Now, Darrell, we'll talk to you again, my friend. Stay safe in Phoenix, Arizona.

ANKARLO: Hope you feel better, man.

GLENN: Thanks. By the way, we will have the blog on this. Darrell has outlined this whole thing. You'll be able to read about it in great detail. We'll include it in our free e-mail newsletter today at GlennBeck.com. You can sign up for it. It's on the upper right-hand corner of GlennBeck.com. Sign up for the free newsletter and you will get all of these details plus this audio and so much more in today's free e-mail newsletter at GlennBeck.com.

Extreme Home Makeover, Iraq Edition

2008-06-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

I have enjoyed my Sunday evenings watching Ty and his crew positively affect the life af an American family. Well, the show has gone international with this latest offering of Extreme Home Makeover, Iraq Edition. Special Thanks to our Navy and Marines who filled the role of contractor.

Enjoy!

Extreme Home Makeover: Iraq Edition

McCain, Obama and the American Dream

2008-06-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

It has been a few days since my last post; simply because I haven't been inspired to post anything. With the Media's attention focused on the candidate that can't make up his mind if he's evangelical or Muslim, for open talks with terrorists or against them, Black, White, or Arab, my attention has waned with disinterest. I’ve become bored with Michelle O’ making an appearance on the view, and every other bad news bear that has aligned themselves with Barack only to be thrown under the bus (Pay attention allies of the US).

That is until a few minutes ago when I watched this video at My Point radio. Many of us have become disillusioned with our candidate McCain who is so close to liberals, it's sometimes hard to distinguish between him and Harry Reid. We look very closely at him hoping to catch a glimpse of some latent conservative value and when we see something, we ride the wave all the way to the beach because we know the next wave won't come soon.

If you are like me, you love this Country for who she is; Her windfall successes and tragic failures, all. The American people have shown themselves to be resilient and tenacious, and can withstand the attack of terrorists striking the most precious resource we have: our people.

But I am concerned for our future. I am one who fears an Obama Administration. Not because the man is black, or white, or Arab, or whatever, but because I lived and served in the Military during the Carter Administration. The very administration that caused more harm to this country in four years, than the entire preceding 200 years combined, and Obama's ideas are even further to the left than Carter’s were. A lack of Experience and understanding of simple Economics is common traite in both Carter and Obama.

I saw first hand the negative impact Carter had on our military. The general moral was at an all time low with drug abuse rampant. And after returning to civilian life, I realized there would be no way I could ever afford to buy a house or a new car for that matter. Only the extremely wealthy could qualify for loans and then pay off the standard 18% interest; which coincidentally drips of irony because who claims to be for the poor? That’s right, Obama.

Anyway, this video inspired me to write a bit of what has been going through my mind lately, and it reminded me that we are still the United States of America, and our hope is not in one man, but in those things that set us apart from every other nation in the world: God and the American dream . Watch the video, and remember, it’s when we don’t act, that we’ll be doomed to failure.

Speaking Democrat

2008-06-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

To my dear friends (and not so dear friends) on the left, through this instructional video, I finally understand your philosophy.

H/T to Jenn via Darwin the Great. I have been enlightened.

DEMOCRATS URGE PRESIDENT TO WAR IN IRAQ

2008-06-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

OK Liberals and democrats, here's your chance to stand and shout that ever popular mantra, BUSH LIED, PEOPLE DIED!

We're waiting...

huh? oh, still waiting...

hat tip to Jenny

Off Shore Drilling? 'bout time

2008-06-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

McCain urges end to ban on offshore drilling
By DAVID ESPO
Associated Press
June 17, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) -- Sen. John McCain said Monday the federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling should be lifted, and individual states given the right to pursue energy exploration in waters near their coasts.

With gasoline prices rising and the United States chronically dependent on foreign oil, the Republican presidential contender said his proposal would ''be very helpful in the short term resolving our energy crisis.''

McCain also suggested giving the states incentives, including a greater share of royalties paid by companies that drill for oil, as an incentive to permit exploration.

Well, this is a step (baby step) in the right direction. As we begin to move closer to the general election, clarity of positions will be paramount. We must be able to see the difference between John McCain and Barack Obama to make logical decisions based on fact, not emotion. In this case, the mere implication of lifting the ban on offshore drilling will directly affect the oil futures, and as quickly as we've seen prices rise at the pump, we will see a decline. The problem is a democratic congress led by the most incompetent Speaker of the House to ever darken the doorway. Her statement last week once again implicated President Bush for the price hikes. What she failed to mention however, is gas prices didn't begin to climb until the Democrats took congress in 2006.

Now to all you disenfranchised republicans that wanted to teach our representatives a lesson in 2006, I hope you're all driving hybrids.

Congratulations Tiger!

2008-06-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Tiger Woods on winning the best professional golf tournament I've ever witnessed; the 2008 U.S. Open.

And a special High Five to Rocco Mediate for an incredible performance... you go, old dude! (I can say that because I'm a little older). You guys are truly awesome!

500th Post and the US Open

2008-06-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

This entry marks my 500th post as a blogger, so I thought I'd share a special day with you. No, this in not a typical day at the office. One of my vendors was kind enough to think of me when a couple practice round passes came across his desk. Thanks Don... a bunch.

Entrance to the 108th US Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course

Stuart Appleby chipping on the first hole

Trevor Immelman and David Ledbetter discussing shot selection

Big Par 5

DL III on the Tee

DL III working on some sand extrication

Lee Jansen heading to No 2

Michael Campbell sharing the love

Thanks to all who have read and commented, making blogging fun.

Hope and Change

2008-06-10T11:24:00.001-07:00

For those of you who haven't caught the fever yet:

Why Global Warming?

2008-06-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

First, there was the fear that our careless use of natural resources was effecting the environment in a profound and irreparable manner that would lead us to the brink of destruction. A movie was made, followed by a Nobel Peace Prize and an Academy Award that underscored the accuracy of the claim. However, most, if not all of the supporting data has been proven to be either inaccurate or just plain false. In fact, historical data has shown the world has been in a temperature decline over the last ten years, with this last winter being the coldest in 54 years, and one of the top ten coldest since records were kept.

So, the question that begs to be asked is if global warming is basically a hoax, what would be the driving factor behind the perpetuation of such a falsehood? Enter this month’s edition of Golf Digest. A full 3 page add by IBM spills the beans. This is the add and context of the advertisement:

“104 Billion Dollars …Amount U.S. Consumers are expected to spend on Green Goods and Services in 2008.

Going green is not only good for the environment, it’s good for the bottom line. We met one on one with 1130 CEOs and business leaders from around the world to get their unique perspectives on the environment, the population explosion and other challenges and opportunities facing their organizations.”

For all of you lemmings who fell for this rouse hook, line, and sinker, know that the dollars you spent supporting the initial hysteria will greatly profit those companies who capitalize on hysteria, and the many who invest in Green Companies. And I’m sure at some point, it will again be Bush’s fault for not telling the truth.

FREE HEALTH CARE, Expectations

2008-06-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

I Stole this from My Point. You think your waiting room stay is long now, wait until we get socialized medicine.

Bela Fleck in a different realm

2008-06-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

Best Banjo, Best Bass, Gawfer's favorite music

Thursday respite

Marcus Latrell, Lone Survivor, Hero

2008-06-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

NAVY SEAL Lone Survivor

Hillary Hunting for VP Spot?

2008-06-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose we saw this coming, but one would think after all the damage the Clintonistas have done to the Dali-bama, he'd kick her to the curb. Ya gotta think Michelle Obama is tied in a pretzel at this thought as well.

I can see the MSM teasers now:
Cat fight in the Whitehouse! News at 6- HA!

WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton told colleagues Tuesday she would consider joining Barack Obama as his running mate, and advisers said she was withholding a formal departure from the race partly to use her remaining leverage to press for a spot on the ticket.
On a conference call with other New York lawmakers, Clinton, a New York senator, said she was willing to become Obama's vice presidential nominee if it would help Democrats win the White House, according to a participant who spoke on condition of anonymity because this person was not authorized to speak for Clinton.
Clinton's remarks came in response to a question from Democratic Rep. Nydia Velazquez, who said she believed the best way for Obama to win key voting blocs, including Hispanics, would be for him to choose Clinton as his running mate.
"I am open to it," Clinton replied, if it would help the party's prospects in November.

UPDATE:
We just can't make this stuff up-

Obama, Pfleger, Wright and Farrakhan

2008-06-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

So, what exactly is the common link these four men have and who exactly is this Catholic ‘Preacher’ that has caused such a ruckus and the Obama’s subsequent withdrawal from trinity Church? I’ll toggle between Pfleger, Farrakhan, Wright and Obama, hopefully creating a picture of what is driving this aspect of the presumptive democrat nominee.

This is interesting indeed. We all have an idea that the Nation of Islam (NOI) is not a happy place for most white people, but how many of us can explain why?

Firstly, Muslims do not want to be confused with the NOI:
The main belief of The Nation of Islam and its followers is that there is no God but Allah. However, they redefine "Allah" by saying "who came in the person of W. D. Fard." Fard founded the Nation of Islam and subsequently installed Elijah Muhammad as the organization's leader. Their teachings are heretical by traditional Islamic standards which abhor the deification of any person, or the anthropomorphization of God.

Secondly, the NOI believes all races are not equal; rather all races follow the black race:
"The Blackman is the original man. From him came all brown, yellow, red, and white people. By using a special method of birth control law, the Blackman was able to produce the white race. This method of birth control was developed by a Black scientist known as Yakub, who envisioned making and teaching a nation of people who would be diametrically opposed to the Original People. A Race of people who would one day rule the original people and the earth for a period of 6,000 years. Yakub promised his followers that he would graft a nation from his own people, and he would teach them how to rule his people, through a system of tricks and lies whereby they use deceit to divide and conquer, and break the unity of the darker people, put one brother against another, and then act as mediators and rule both sides."

Elijah MuhammadMessage to the Blackman in America, Muhammad's Temple No. 2, 1965 & Dorothy Blake Fardan, Yakub and the Origins of White Supremacy, Lushena Books, 2001

Now to Pfleger. We’ve all heard what he said recently at trinity, but what else has Pfleger said:
SAF WANTS MINISTER INVESTIGATED FOR THREATS AGAINST GUN DEALER
For Immediate Release: 5/29/2007
BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate a Chicago priest for threatening to “snuff” suburban Riverdale firearms retailer John Riggio during an anti-gun protest rally Saturday, May 26, near Chuck’s Gun Shop.
MP3 sound track:
SAF founder Alan Gottlieb is sending a letter to Assistant U.S. Attorney General Wan Kim, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, asking that the agency also investigate the Rev. Michael Pfleger for essentially encouraging a crowd of about 200 protesters to drive Riggio out of business. The gun shop has been in business for more than 30 years, and Riggio is the second-generation owner.
In a stunning audio recording of Pfleger’s remarks, the pastor of St. Sabina’s Church can clearly be heard stating, “John Riggio…we’re going to find you and snuff you out.” Moments later, Pfleger added, “We’re going to snuff out John Riggio, we’re going to snuff out legislators that are voting…against our gun laws and we’re coming for you because we are not going to sit idly.”

Then we have Jeremiah Wright honoring Farrakhan with his ‘Sweetness and Light’ lifetime achievement award:

Of course, Michelle Malkin was way ahead of this curve:

So then, what is the connection between Obama and Pfleger? Besides being one of Obama’s spiritual advisors (see Michelle Malkin’s site for a snap shot of his endorsement which is no longer on the Obama site), Can you say Benjamins?

But other grants reflected politics. In 2001, for example, Obama steered $75,000 to a South Side charity called FORUM Inc., which promised to help churches and community groups get wired to the Internet. Records show five FORUM employees, including one who had declared bankruptcy, had donated $1,000 apiece to Obama's state Senate campaign.

As the grant dollars were being disbursed to FORUM, the Illinois attorney general filed a civil lawsuit accusing the charity's founder of engaging in an unrelated kickback scheme. Just days after the suit was filed, Obama quietly returned the $5,000 in donations. "I didn't want to be associated with money that potentially might have been tainted," he said.

So, to sum this article up, Obama as Illinois State Senator directed several thousand dollars to Pfleger’s church while attending Trinity. Pfleger speaks at an anti gun rally with Jesse Jackson and threatens to “snuff” the gun shop owner and supporting politicians, and is in love with Farrakhan. Farrakhan believes all races are not equal (fundamental teaching of the NOI). Wright, Obama’s Pastor also love’s Farrakhan and shower’s him with awards and accolades. Pfleger preaches at trinity and bashes Hillary for being white.
And I didn’t even bring up Bill Ayers and the Weathermen or the following post where Former Professor Kamao Kambon states “…We have to exterminate white people off the face of the planet…”

But the Obama campain is NOT about race.

Exterminate White People

2008-05-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

So, who else remembers the late 60's-early 70's and the Black Panthers?

The New [and improved] Black Panther Party is once again making waves...as they paddle with broken oars- “Yo pOlice is ’sterminatin’ black peopo”…

Former Professor Kamao Kambon: “…We have to exterminate white people off the face of the planet…”

Hannity: "Do you support this statement"?

Minister Hashim Nzinga "I'm gonna study it"

Nation of Islam (NOI)

Afrocentric organization founded in 1930 by Wallace Dodd Fard
Early leader Elijah Muhammad taught that the white race was created 6,000 years ago by a renegade black scientist named Yakub
Current leader Louis Farrakhan has spoken out against "white devils" and Jewish "bloodsuckers"

There are many more interesting tidbits of information regarding the NOI, none of which make the 'white man' feel loved.

Frznagn got me headed in this direction.

Guest Speaker at Barack's church

2008-05-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Can you say 'Dirty Laundry'?
Democrats eating their own?
Barack's church lifting its skirt?

Gratuitously taken from My Point

McCain on the War and Obama

2008-05-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

If McCain is going to stand a chance against the Obama Love-Bots, he needs to drive this point like a nail.

"...Obama is willing to meet with ahmadinejad who just days ago called Israel a stinking corpse, but refuses to meet with General Patraeus and Ambassador Crocker to fully understand OIF..." (paraphrased by author)

Michael Yon has a decidedly different take than Obama does:

Who is Barack Obama?

2008-05-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent recap of the apparent Democrat nominee for President, Barack Obama. For months, the question has been to substance; a question that Obama and company has continually evaded. So this video has been assembled to answer on behalf of the Obama camp, and the answer in my opinion is quite disturbing.

Thanks to my friend Jake for sending the link.

You can find the video here.

Others posting and linking:
Cary Cartter
American and Proud
Political Pistachio

Memorial Day Honors

2008-05-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day, 2008

Honoring those who gave the full Measure for so many. Thank you.

Patraeus/Odierno=Eisenhower/Patton

2008-05-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

We've seen many heros over the last five years; mostly those who have given their lives for their brothers. Here are 2 more who have positively impacted the outcome of the battle in Iraq and have been compared to other great leaders.

Gratuitously stolen from Amy Proctor.

I am thankful these two men are now leading our forces in the war on terror.

Bad American

2008-05-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you Cary who got it from Fred.

I Am Your Worst Nightmare. I am a BAD American.

I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some mid level governmental functionary, be it Democratic or Republican, [and it's up to me to decide who needs my help]!

I believe that owning a gun doesn’t make you a killer, I believe it makes you a smart American.

I believe that being a minority does not make you noble or victimized, and does not entitle you to anything.

I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac, do it in English.

I believe everyone has a right to pray to his or her God when and where they want to.

My heroes are John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers, and whoever canceled Jerry Springer.

I don’t hate the rich. I don’t pity the poor.

I know wrestling is fake and I don’t waste my time watching or arguing about it.

I’ve never owned a slave, or was a slave, and I WILL NOT pay reparations for something that I didn’t do.

I haven’t burned any witches or been persecuted by the Turks and neither have you! So, shut up already.

This is AMERICA, I believe if you don’t like the way things are here, go back to where you came from and change your own country!

I want to know which church it is exactly, where the Reverend Jesse Jackson preaches, where he gets his money, and why he is always part of the problem and not the solution. Can I get an AMEN on that one?

I think the cops have every right to shoot your sorry ass if you’re running from them, because if you’re not guilty, WHY are you running?

I also think the cops have the right to pull you over if you’re breaking the law, regardless of what color you are, that’s the job we’re paying them to do.

And, no, I don’t mind having my face shown on my drivers license. I think it’s good, it lets you know it’s really me.

I’m proud that the word ’God’ is written on my money.

I believe that if you are too stupid to know how a ballot works,[or read what it says in english] I don’t want you deciding who should be running the most powerful nation in the world for the next four years.

I dislike those people standing in the intersections trying to sell me stuff or trying to guilt me into making ‘donations’ to their cause.

I believe that it doesn’t take a village to raise a child, it takes two parents [of the opposite sex, Honor your father and Mother, get it?]

I believe ‘illegal’ is illegal no matter what the law makers think.

I believe the American flag should be the only one allowed to fly over American soil! If you want to fly the flag of YOUR nation at the top of a flag pole, by all means, do so, IN YOUR OWN NATION! And if the American flag is NOT your flag, then this is NOT your nation!

If this makes me a BAD American or causes you to classify me as a racist, then yes, I’m a BAD American and a racist.

If you’re a BAD American, if you share the same feelings and beliefs that I do, please, copy and post this on your web site for everyone to see.

We want our country back! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

AMEN.

Happy Mother's day

2008-05-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

Wishing all my friends and readers a Happy Mother's day

Turning a Blind Eye Toward Islam

2008-05-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

This morning while reading my regular blogs, Mr. Burwell referred to a recent article in the Huffington Post written by Sam Harris. As I began to read, I was impressed by his understanding and clarity of an ongoing problem: the western world continues to turn a blind eye toward the silence of Islam, and the Main Stream Media is paralyzed to act for fear of offending the offenders.

Before reading , my intent was to only post a sentence or two, or maybe a paragraph to tease the article, but the more I read, the more outstanding the comments became. Below are just a few of his remarks that I feel are note worthy. Follow the link and read his entire article.

(Please note that I typically avoid the rants and misgivings of this site, but am willing to give credit when credit is due.)

Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks
Sam Harris
Posted May 5, 2008

“…The controversy over Fitna, like all such controversies, renders one fact about our world especially salient: Muslims appear to be far more concerned about perceived slights to their religion than about the atrocities committed daily in its name. Our accommodation of this psychopathic skewing of priorities has, more and more, taken the form of craven and blinkered acquiescence…”

“…There is an uncanny irony here that many have noticed. The position of the Muslim community in the face of all provocations seems to be: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn't, we will kill you. Of course, the truth is often more nuanced, but this is about as nuanced as it ever gets: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn't, we peaceful Muslims cannot be held responsible for what our less peaceful brothers and sisters do. When they burn your embassies or kidnap and slaughter your journalists, know that we will hold you primarily responsible and will spend the bulk of our energies criticizing you for "racism" and "Islamophobia."…”

“…While it remains taboo to criticize religious faith in general, it is considered especially unwise to criticize Islam. Only Muslims hound and hunt and murder their apostates, infidels, and critics in the 21st century. There are, to be sure, reasons why this is so. Some of these reasons have to do with accidents of history and geopolitics, but others can be directly traced to doctrines sanctifying violence which are unique to Islam.

The problem, however, is that the credo of the Muslim Brotherhood actually happens to be "Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."…”

“…And if anyone in this debate can be credibly accused of racism, it is the western apologists and "multiculturalists" who deem Arabs and Muslims too immature to shoulder the responsibilities of civil discourse. As Ayaan Hirsi Ali has pointed out, there is a calamitous form of "affirmative action" at work, especially in western Europe, where Muslim immigrants are systematically exempted from western standards of moral order in the name of paying "respect" to the glaring pathologies in their culture. Hirsi Ali has also observed that there is a quasi-racist double-think on display whenever western powers trumpet that "Islam is peace," all the while taking heroic measures to guard against the next occasion when the barbarians run amok in response to a film, cartoon, opera, novel, beauty pageant--or the mere naming of a teddy bear…”

“…It is perverse for the western media to lament the lack of an Islamic reformation and willfully ignore works such as Wilders' film, Fitna. How do they think reformation will come about if not with criticism? There is no such right as 'the right not to be offended; indeed, I am deeply offended by the contents of the Koran, with its overt hatred of Christians, Jews, apostates, non-believers, homosexuals but cannot demand its suppression…”

“…It is time we recognized that those who claim the "right not to be offended" have also announced their hatred of civil society".

I cannot agree more with this statement.

McCain is right on the War...

2008-05-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

In spite of my frustration on the border issue, I'll support John McCain because he's got it right about the war on terror.

For those of you needing a reminder of who, what and why we are fighting this war on terror, I submit this video.

Warning:
This is extremely graphic, as all wars are.

counting bodies like sheep to the rythm of a war drum

John McCain Courts Mexicans... great

2008-05-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

McCain courts Hispanic voters
By Stephen Dinan
May 6, 2008

Using a Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo, as a launching point, Mr. McCain's presidential campaign announced a Spanish-language Web site (www.johnmccain.com/ espanol), and said the senator from Arizona will speak to this year's National Council of La Raza convention in San Diego in July to try to court Hispanic voters.

"I believe the majority of the Hispanics share our view that the border must be secured, and the border must be secured first. But they also want us to have an attitude, which I think most Americans do, that these are God's children, and they must be taken care of, and the issue must be addressed in a humane and compassionate fashion," Mr. McCain told reporters at an Arizona news conference yesterday.

Well, here's my humble take:

God hold's each one of us accountable for ourselves and those whose charge we've been given. It is wrong to assume that we are required or even encouraged to take care of someone outside of our responsibility because we short ourselves and enable them to be dependent rather than independent. Of course Mexicans and South Americans continue to come because we have our pockets open and are giving away the store! They have no reason to make their governments work because they can come across the border and take what is not theirs with much less effort.

McCain needs to work on securing his constituency base before attempting to woo small interest groups that claim to be 'THE RACE'. He only received 73% of the GOP vote last night in North Carolina, while Huckabee got 12%, and Ron Paul got 7%. 4% went to 'No Preference'.

Get it right John, or I'm writing in Ron Paul!

Obama and the Flag

2008-05-06T13:48:00.001-07:00

You don't think Barack hates this country?

Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, and Ruth Harkin during our National Anthem. This guy wants to be president of the United States. Why? What kind of change can we expect?

Kinda makes the following post a little clearer, doesn't it?

OK, the following is a comment I posted earlier this evening on a different thread that clarify's what I'm implying:

Read the subsequent post, reflect on why he evaded answering the question "Why don't you wear a flag on your label", attempt to figure just what exactly he wants to change about this country, (i.e. the nature of politics, the office furniture, the air in his tires, What?)

You see, there are no specific answers, only emotional rants about how hard it is for a pimp (song title) and messy little innuendos that have no substance or meaning. I spent the last two days listening to Michelle Obama complain about how bad this country is and how "THEY" always raise the "BAR" (whoever they are and whatever the bar is) and it becomes very easy to think that yes, Barack Obama does hate this Country.

I heard Michelle say "Barack has seen it all"... Really? He has never seen the inside of a military uniform, or heard the cadence call of a drill instructor. He's never tasted battle or endured the sorrow of loosing men who were closer than brothers. He's never sat foot in a Prisoner of War camp much less be held hostage for 5 1/2 years. Yet she has the audacity to say He's seen it all?

"Barack's mom dared to believe she could be something in spite of coming from a small town in Kansas" M.O. said on Friday, and they're not elitists?

They both despise this Country for the bad and the good (the good because it's inconvenient to their argument), and seek to change its core values, uprooting the very freedom you (assuming you're Army) and I served and fought for.

No, I won't back off my assessment of Barack at all.

BTW, it took us 43 years to beat Army, and we'll do it again this year. Go Navy! Beat Army!
Gawfer- Jahulun-Thajun-Chikla | Homepage | 05.06.08 - 5:05 pm | #

Baracks Buddies

2008-05-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

SO who does ‘Barack the Changer’ hang with when he’s not on the campaign trail?

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2001/No-Regrets/
This—violence, death, and white-hot rhetoric—is his past and Ayers insists he has no regrets. "I acted appropriately in the context of those times," he says.

OK, so it’s not Reverend Wright, but still curious just the same that a man who would be president of the United States would ‘Partee’ with one who still professes hatred for the United States, don’t you think?

War In Iraq and Afghanistan

2008-05-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Why?

As we work toward completion, we gotta close the deal, and prepare for the next attempt on our freedom. We don't need to go out a pick fights; the bully's come to us and attack our way of life. Let's be ready the next time.

Earn the Right To be an American

2008-04-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Who deserves the right to become a United States Citizen? How about the men and women currently serving in our military forces who were born in countries other than the United States?

NEW AMERICANS ALL - Two hundred fifty-nine foreign-born US Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen serving throughout Iraq become American citizens at Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, in the largest U.S. naturalization ceremony to date in-country.
- US Army photo by SGT Jasmine Chopra

Welcome, and thank you for your service!

A Lesson For Life

2008-04-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

The story is true.

The text of the eRumor is taken from a speech given by former Arkansas governor and potential presidential candidate Mike Huckabee at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 2, 2007. It describes events in Cothren's Military History class in 2005.

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she took all of the desks out of the classroom.

The kids came into first period, they walked in, there were no desks. They obviously looked around and said, "Ms. Cothren, where's our desk?" And she said, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn them."

They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades."

"No," she said. "Maybe it's our behavior."

And she told them, "No, it's not even your behavior."

And so they came and went in the first period, still no desks in the classroom. Second period, same thing. Third period. By early afternoon television news crews had gathered in Ms. Cothren's class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom.

The last period of the day, Martha Cothren gathered her class. They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room. And she says, "Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily." She said, "Now I'm going to tell you."

Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it, and as she did 27 U.S. veterans , wearing their uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. And by the time they had finished placing those desks, those kids for the first time I think perhaps in their lives understood how they earned those desks.

Martha said, "You don't have to earn those desks. These guys did it for you. They put them out there for you, but it's up to you to sit here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens, because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don't ever forget it."

The Veterans of Foreign Wars chose Cothren as a Teacher of the Year in Arkansas for 2005-2006.

Special Thanks to my friends Art and Debbie. Art is a retired U.S. Air Force Flight Engineer, and Debbie is a middle school teacher.

Cowboys and Iranians anyone?

2008-04-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

Navy-Contracted Vessel Fires Warning Shots on Iranian Boats
Friday, April 25, 2008

A vessel contracted by the Navy in the Persian Gulf fired warning shots Thursday on two Iranian fast boats, FOX News has learned.

The Westward Venture, a ship contracted by the U.S. Military Sealift Command to carry military cargo to Kuwait, fired upon the boats Thursday after attempts to get Iranian boats' attention failed.

A Navy security team, armed with M16 rifles and .50-caliber machine guns, was onboard at the time the warning shots were fired.

The ship was about 50 miles off the coast of Iran when the fast boats approached. The Westward Venture attempted to make bridge-to-bridge contact to warn the fast boats that they were too close.

The Military Sealift Command vessel then blew its whistle and fired flares before finally firing warning shots with the machine gun when the boats came within 100 yards of the vessel.

Bridge-to-bridge communication was established after the shots were fired, with someone claiming to be the Iranian Coast Guard contacting the Westward Venture.

RelatedStories
Navy Releases Video of Strait of Hormuz Incident; Bush Calls Iranian Action 'Provocative' The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is suspected of being involved in this incident, officials told FOX News.

Defense officials said that typically the guard behaves in a very unprofessional and aggressive manner, using unmarked boats and uniforms, unlike the Iranian Navy.

Evidently, the Iranians are unaware of the results the last time we played Cowboys and Indians. Their tenacity (stupidity) is becoming more evident as the days go by, and challenging a US Naval Vessel (contract or otherwise) is probably not the most health conducive behavior individuals can engage in. Noticeably, with each engagement, the level of intensity has increased and our responses havealso increased. I believe it is safe to assume the next engagement will result in a new reef being established by the broken hull of the submerged Iranian gunboat, and the carcasses of the crew feeding the fishes.

My only question is do they really believe they can mount a formidable challenge to the U.S. Fleet??? Wait until we fire a real Tomahawk into their Tee-Pee. They’d better hope we didn’t ‘Hot-tip’ it with a ‘glow in the dark’ warhead.

Peace Demonstrators Attack Iraqi War Veteran and Family

2008-04-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

Iraq War Veteran and Family Assaulted!

April 22, 2008

Peace Fascists, College Professors and Hillary Supporters assault Iraqi War Veteran and Family while citizens do nothing to intervene.
Edinboro, PA, Apr. 22

For the second time in as many weeks, an Iraq War Veteran and his family held a Support the Troops rally across the street from the weekly “peace” protest in this college town. This week the true nature of the ‘peace’ activists was revealed for all to see. When the veteran’s 14 year old son crossed the street to videotape the protesters and their signs, the protesters became agitated and began harassing the boy. The right to record video in any public venue is long established in law and any attempt to interfere with that right is a violation of civil rights.

Seeing the escalating tension across the street, the veteran and his wife crossed over, leaving their three youngest children on the other side for safety while they went to retrieve their eldest son. Two of the female ‘peace’ protesters then attacked the veteran’s wife. When the veteran pulled one of those attackers off his wife he was jumped by four or five of the ‘peace’ people and knocked to the ground where they held him while beating him and smashing his eyeglasses.

The son pulled the remaining attacker off his mother, but the attacker managed to get in one last kick to his mother’s head with her boot. She then punched the son in his face while his mother called the police.

So, what we have here is the liberal left, who has mostly gone unchecked for the last few decades spouting their anti-American communist hatred, retaliate with physical violence when called into question. Why doesn't this ever happen when I'm around?!

Tip-o-the-hat to my dear friend Wit, the Typical White Person.

Bill Clinton- Obama did/Didn't Play the race Card?

2008-04-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

LOL! not another lie from the Clintons-

H/T to Crush Liberalism for this find... I'm just a day late.

Happy Anniversary

2008-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Today, my wife and I celebrate 18 years of marriage.

Our marriage has not always been peaches and cream, but because we put our faith in God, I believe He has blessed us far beyond anything our finite minds can comprehend. As typical, selfish temptations will continue to distract us, but a disciplined prayer life from our parents, godly advice from good friends, and a personal relationship with the Creator has kept us from harm's way.

To the wife of my youth:

I love you.

G

Military Abuse-Freedom Abuse

2008-04-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

A second disgrace in as many days!

BusinessMedia

Once again, I am deeply offended by the insensitivity of a generation who has lost all respect for our military, and the freedom we enjoy.

Global Warming is a hoax, and the men who died on the island of Iwo Jima as well as every active duty and Veteran of the armed forces have been insulted by a major publication. Time Magazine should be held accountable for their jack-ass implications.

Shame on Time Magazine and the morons who proliferate their adgenda of hate!

Flag Abuse, Freedom Abuse

2008-04-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

The First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or 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.

ART- produced as an artistic effort or for decorative purposes

This is neither. This is adolescent and childish behavior run amuck. A complete disrespect for the Men and Women of our military who served and fought for the freedom this symbol holds, and everyone who holds the flag close to our hearts.

I'd like to take this opportunity to direct your attention on the adjacent link in my side bar called The Greatest Play in Baseball. Watch it and be filled with pride.

SEAL Falls on Grenade to Save Comrades

2008-04-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

2nd UPDATE: 4 APR 2008

Congressional Medal of Honor

The President of the United States, in the name of the Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor, posthumously, to Master At Arms Second Class, Sea, Air and Land, Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006.

As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army sniper overwatch element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent-held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

UPDATE:

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor to posthumously receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Navy SEAL to Receive Medal of Honor
Stars and Stripes Jeff Schogol March 19, 2008

A Navy SEAL who died smothering a grenade with his body to save other servicemembers will be given the Medal of Honor, congressional staffers said Tuesday.

The Navy Times first reported Monday that Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, who has already received the Silver Star for his service in Iraq, would also be awarded the nation's highest military honor.

(Originally posted October 13, 2006)
You won't hear about this in the MSM.
MyWay.com
CORONADO, Calif. (AP) - A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret.

"He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it," said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day. "He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs' lives, and we owe him."

Monsoor, a 25-year-old gunner, was killed in the explosion in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. He was only the second SEAL to die in Iraq since the war began. Finish the article Here.

There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

On this the 231st birthday of the United States Navy, we celebrate the Honor, Integrity and Esprit de Corps displayed by Petty Officer Monsoor. He is an example of what our Military is all about. My Prayers go out to his family and friends.

Westboro Baptist Church on the Ropes

2008-04-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

A federal judge in Maryland on Thursday ordered liens on the Westboro Baptist Church building and the Phelps-Chartered Law office.

Mike Burley / The Capital-Journal
Westboro Baptist Church could be sold to satisfy a $5 million court judgment. A lien has been ordered on it.

If the case presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett is upheld by an appeals court, the church, at 3701 S.W. 12th, and the office building, at 1414 S.W. Topeka Blvd., could be obtained by the court and sold, with the proceeds being applied toward $5 million in damages Bennett imposed on church members for picketing a military funeral.

In February, a judge ordered Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebekah Phelps-Davis to produce information to determine what assets that could be used to pay toward a $5 million penalty against them for picketing the funeral of a Marine. He issued Thursday's ruling after reviewing:

• A certified financial statement prepared by an independent accountant reflecting all assets and liabilities.

• Bank statements.

• Copies of deeds for real estate.

• A list of all of the shareholders of the church corporation.

• Personal tax returns for Pastor Fred W. Phelps Sr., Phelps-Roper and Phelps-Davis.
A lien is a legal hold on property, making it collateral against money owed to a person or entity. It can keep the owner from selling the property or transferring title to the property.

The $5 million penalty is the result of a lawsuit filed against three of the church's principals by Albert Snyder, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, whose funeral was picketed by church members.

I feel very strongly about this topic. As an American and veteran, I chose to affiliate and ride with the Patriot Guard because of these lunatics. Personally, I hope they are bankrupted, and thrown in jail for their personal attacks on the families of our fallen heros, but that's just my opinion.

The Alabama Judge

2008-04-04T07:13:00.001-07:00

I received an email this morning from a dear friend that was interesing enough to post. Have a look:

Some of you may be wondering what Judge Roy Moore has been doing since he was removed from the bench for refusing to remove the Ten Commandments from his courtroom wall. Please read the poem he wrote. It's below his picture.

The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore from Alabama. Judge Moore was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom foyer. He has been stripped of his judgeship and now they are trying to strip his right to practice law in Alabama! The judge's poem sums it up quite well.

America the beautiful,
or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride;
I'm glad they'll never see.

Babies piled in dumpsters,
Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty;
your house is on the sand.

Our children wander aimlessly
poisoned by cocaine
choosing to indulge their lusts,
when God has said abstain

From sea to shining sea,
our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God's love
and a need to always pray

We've kept God in our
temples, how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool,
and Heaven is His throne.

We've voted in a government
that's rotting at the core, Appointing Godless Judges;
who throw reason out the door,

Too soft to place a killer
in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby
before he leaves the womb.

You think that God's not
angry, that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait
before His judgment comes?

How are we to face our God,
from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do,
but stem this evil tide?

If we who are His children,
will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face
and mend our evil way:

Then God will hear from Heaven;
and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land
and those who live within.

But, America the Beautiful,
If you don't - then you will see,
A sad but Holy God
withdraw His hand from Thee.
~~Judge Roy Moore~~

Jon Stewart and Code Pink

2008-04-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

I swiped this from Amy. This garners the same type of attention that a car or train wreck would. You know it's a bad thing, but you just can't stop looking.

A Note from Gathering of Eagles

2008-03-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

The following is a note on the "Gathering of Eagles" as found in SEALS/SPECOPS INK

A number of you might remember that thousands of patriotic Americans confronted Cindy Sheehan during her March on the Pentagon in March of last year. What you probably don't know is that one of our SEAL brothers, Larry Bailey, organized that rally, called "Gathering of Eagles."

That rally was so successful in confronting Sheehan's people (they only put 12,000 or so on the Mall compared to GOE's estimated 30,000) that the rally became the movement of the same name--"Gathering of Eagles," or GOE. Since that first event, GOE has been in the face of the such demonstrators as Code Pink, A.N.S.W.E.R., the Communist Party USA, United for Peace and Justice, among many others--on dozens of occasions.

To date, GOE's protests have been pretty much local events with little or no coordination from the top. Now, though, Larry says that they are ready to "go national" in the sense that the group needs to hire a full-time Executive Director and launch a national advertising program. Up to now, it's been an all-volunteer effort, except for hiring a webmaster for their website http://gatheringofeagles.org.

Larry asked me to pass the word to my mailing list and to ask that you SEALs (and others!) get involved. I'm glad to do that. These guys are doing the work and doing it well. Last year, for example, they organized "Recruiter Appreciation Day," and some 500 recruiting offices across the country were treated to coffee and pastries by Eagles. And just last week they confronted the anti-war types in front of the recruiting offices in Charlotte, NC, and Pittsburgh, PA, and they absolutely routed them. In Pittsburgh, when the "moonbats" saw how many Eagles were standing in opposition, they simply turned around and left!

Check out the GOE website, and if you like what you see, sent them a few bucks.

FITNA, by Geert Wilders

2008-03-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

UPDATE:
(3-29-08)

Most know by now Live Leak succumbed to the death threats against staff members, consequently removing the movie. Click on the link below to read the explanation. Braden happened to have a You tube version, so I'll post it until You Tube rolls over:

Here's another source for the film:

How contrite. I imagine at some point this blog may come under attack for also publishing verses from the Qur’an, But allow me to post a bible verse that will help explain the obvious. Pay close attention to vs 19-21.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

(Original Post: 3-28-08)
I have decided to post this video because I recognize the real threat we as Americans, more specifically non-Muslims face in the world today. In the comments of one of my recent posts, I debated an individual claiming to be a ‘moderate Muslim’. There are two problems with that:

• First of all, his holy book advises him to deceive the infidels for the sake of Allah which clearly precludes any comments made by him;

• Secondly, if he really is as he claims, a moderate, then his holy book declares him apostate, and he runs the same risk of loosing his head as the rest of us infidels.

I have posted my own findings in context below the video link. If there was any question in your mind of who our enemy is, perhaps this post will eliminate all doubt.

The Qur'an commands Muslims not to befriend Jews or Christians:
"O ye who believe (Muslims) take not the Jews or the Christians for your friends and protectors. They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he among you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them." (Surat Al-Maidah 5:51)

It commands Muslims to fight Jews and Christians:
"Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (Mohammed) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." (Surah At-Taubah 9:29)
(Jizyah BTW, is a special high tax to be paid only by Jews or Christians who do not want to renounce their religion and convert to Islam (this Qur'anic Law is still practiced today in much of the Muslim world)).

The Qur'an commands Muslims to convert non-Muslims to Islam by force:
"Kill the Mushrikun (polytheists, Christians and non-Muslims), wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush. But, if they repent and perform As-salat (public prayer with Muslims) and give Zakat (Islamic alms), then leave their way free. Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful." (Surat At-Taubah 9:5)

The Qur'an commands Muslims to terrorize and torture and kill anyone who disobeys Allah and the prophet Mohammed:
"(Remember) when your Lord revealed to the angels, "Verily I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks and smite over all their fingers and toes. This is because they defied and disobeyed Allah and His Messenger (Mohammed). And whoever defies and disobeys Allah and His Messenger, them verily, Allah is Severe in punishment. This is (the torment), so taste it; and surely, for the disbelievers is the torment of the Fire." (Surat Al-Anfal 8:12-14)
"The recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger (Mohammed) and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter." (Surat Al-Maidah 5:33)

So, what we see is a 'holy book' teaching hate filled principles and instructing Muslims to go kill innocent, non-combatants because they are non-Muslim and won't convert.

And on top of all this warm and fuzzy teaching, we see that Islam is a prison with no way out. Once a person enters that prison, he cannot leave it alive:
"Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties about the apostates? Allah has cast them back (to disbelief) because of what they have earned. Do you want to guide him whom Allah has made to go astray? And he whom Allah has made to go astray, you will never find for him any way (of guidance). They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith), and thus that you all become equal (like one another). So take not Aouliya (protectors or friends) from them, till they emigrate in the Way of Allah (to Mohammed). But if they turn back (from Islam), take (hold of) them and kill them wherever you find them, and take neither Aouliya (protectors or friends) nor helpers from them." (Surat An-Nisa 4:88,89)

Furthermore, it is worth noting here that the words 'fight' and 'kill' appear more frequently in the Qur'an than the word 'pray.' That is certainly curious for a ‘holy book’.

Obama, Wright, and Slave Trade in Africa

2008-03-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

I find it interesting that a man who grew up in a fairly affluent neighborhood with well educated parents, enjoying the fruits of their labor and attending a nice High School like Jeremiah Wright, one who would criticize this country for the history of slavery that once existed but is now a blemish in the rearview mirror of our past, would swear his allegiance to Africa; a place where slavery is not only still present but thriving.

I also find it interesting that Barack Obama, the man who would no more disown Jeremiah Wright than his own 'white' grandmother, would also play on the past injustices of slavery yet call on his African heritage as reason for his electability.

These folks are absolutely playing the race card by making it a talking point, screaming of the injustices done to the 'po black folk' all the while claiming pride in their African lineage, and raising their fists in the symbol of Black Power we came to recognize in the '60s.

http://billyoblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/obama-uniter.html

Anyone who now supports Obama for president is either a hypocrite or a weak minded sheep being lead to the slaughter.

two points from MD:

1) Slave ships were outlawed in the easrly 1800's 1802 I think. The US Govt sought to stop smugglers.
2) In africa many times it was BLACKS selling BLACKS. Doesn't make slavey right, but it wasn't exclusive to whites....that adds to your point about slavery in Africa NOW.

I typically don't use Wiki as a source, but in this short amount of time, it provided me with many sub sources.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_modern_Africa

Slavery in Africa continues today. Slavery existed in Africa before the arrival of Europeans - as did a slave trade that exported millions of sub-Saharan Africans to North Africa, the Middle East, and the Persian Gulf. However, slavery and bondage are still African realities. Hundreds of thousands of Africans still suffer in silence in slave-like situations of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation from which they cannot free themselves. Modern-day enslavers also exploit lack of political will at the highest levels of some African governments to effectively tackle trafficking and its root causes. Weak interagency co-ordination and low funding levels for ministries tasked with prosecuting traffickers, preventing trafficking and protecting victims also enable traffickers to continue their operations. The transnational criminal nature of trafficking also overwhelms many countries’ law enforcement agencies, which are not equipped to fight organised criminal gangs that operate across national boundaries with impunity.

For All The Moonbats Out There...

2008-03-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

This hurts my side!!!!!

From the grey matter of Billy, comes this hilarious advertisement:

Due to incredible demand, I have aquired a quantity of Obama's bathwater. Just a few drops added to your favorite beverage will give you the knowledge and power to transform yourself into a world class statesman. The unique chemistry is so powerfull, anything you say will go unchallenged and turn your audience into eager lemmings determined to help you carry out your every demand. Used Topically in either a handy spray bottle or ultra convenient Travel Tube Lotion Kit ,the saintly serum will have audience members passing out at your feet. One ounce of this powerfull elixor can be yours today for just three easy payments of $39.95

But wait there's more !!!!!...... If you act now you'll recieve, absolutely free, Five (5) used Michelle Obama Wet Naps to give to your friends. These sweat soaked swabs will have your posse chanting "Yes We Can" while waving their clenched fists in the air.

Still need more? The first 1,000 orders will also recieve a copy of my new instructional Book and Video "The Audacity of Hype" This intuitive guide will walk you through the steps you need to take to make bulls*@$ work for you. Fast becoming a New York Times best seller, this book has recieved the coveted endorsements of well respected Icons from every corner of society:

Ted Kennedy...."I wish I would have read this book before Chapaquiddick"

Reverend Jeremiah Wright...."Finally, a free book that isn't only available to RICH. WHITE. PEOPLE".

The New Black Panther Party...."Dis is da shiznet um talkin bout"

Operators are standing by. Hurry while supplies last.
(Not available in Michigan, Florida, Ohio, or Pennsylvania. Limit 5 orders per HUD household. Sorry, no personal checks)

Obama Missed the Mark with this Speech.

2008-03-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union."

Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.

It was delivered with great eloquence and candor, but he neglected to address the very point that was motivating it: the divide between conservatives and liberals. It was the perfect opportunity to speak to the conservative black leaders such as Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas and Michael Steel who have been called 'uncle toms' by the black democrats, and to address the great divide within the black community. Instead, it was nothing more that elegant damage control.

He presented an emotional argument with nothing substantial, which is exactly what his campaign has been. Emotions without substance. Most adults will agree, when one bases ones decisions on feelings rather than logic, the outcome is almost always disastrous, yet that is exactly what Barack Obama is asking us to do; choose him based on how we 'feel'. Sorry, I need a little more than a warm and fuzzy to vote for the next leader of my Country.

And as a non-sequitur, I am sick to death of hearing the terms ‘African-American’ and Hispanic-American’. It is time for all to recognize the fact that if one resides in the United States, and is a Citizen of the United States, they should be Americans first. Then if they choose to acknowledge their heritage, they can hyphenate American-African and American-Hispanic. If not, go back to the Country in which their allegiance lies.

I didn’t serve the United States of Mexico or the United States of Africa; I served the United States of America.

Anti War Protesters Anonymous

2008-03-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

If find it quite amusing to read about how devastating Operation Iraqi freedom has been, and how much blood is on the hands of our military and government which makes one ask what or who is driving the ‘we support the troops but not the mission’ mantra of the liberal left?

“This March 19 hundreds of cities across the U.S. will hold events to mark the anniversary of the war in Iraq and remember the tragic toll the world has and continues to pay; nearly 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed, 30,000 wounded, at least 100,000 Iraqis killed, four million displaced, and nearly a trillion dollars squandered."

Really? Let’s compare operation Iraqi freedom to past military engagements, shall we?

Korean War: 3 years, 1950-1953, 33,000 to 54,246 KIA
Approximately 18,000 US troops killed each year;

Vietnam War: 8 years, 1965-1973, approximately 58,000 KIA
Approximately 7,250 US troops killed each year;
Source

Operation Iraqi Freedom: 5 years, from March, 2003 to present, 3,977 KIA
Approximately 795 US troops killed each year.
Source

I believe these folks are driven to an emotional frenzy by a group of professional protestors that travel around the country, and are supported by certain liberal backers for the sake of creating divisiveness within the general populous. I can think of no other reason simply because their claims of horrific battle outcomes are so easily discounted based on historical evidence.

Here is my take:

People are driven to behave based on one of two motivations:
1. Emotions which we are all born with, or
2. Knowledge and understanding which comes from living and learning.

It is perfectly clear the protests attended by young people are predominantly driven by an emotional element simply because there has not been enough living in those young lives to have developed a baseline of knowledge.

What I find interesting is that in general, the groups like the one referenced above recruit high school students to join their cause simply because they understand high schoolers are learning they have a voice, but are exceedingly vulnerable to emotional motivations, yet have no life experiences to stand on. That is why their protests are frequently vociferous, emotional and occasionally violent.

Conversely, conservative counter protesters are generally older and carry a great deal of knowledge and experience, allowing them to behave rationally and intentionally. They are far less likely to engage in conflict unless they have direct personal experience with the loss of a family member or friend, and spend their energy supporting those who are standing for their freedoms.

How Christian is Barack Obama?

2008-03-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

UPDATE:
You Tube, in its infinite wisdom has elected to remove this video, hindering our ability to aquire information regarding a potential presidential candidate from the democratic party, and making it more difficult to make an informed decision in November 2008. Thank you You Tube for your commitment to patriotism and free speech... NOT!

So Barack Obama claims to be Christian. Here is an example of the "Christian Teaching" he has sat under for 20 years:

“We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye, the chickens have come home to roost.” Rev. Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001.

Now most of you know I am an Evangelical Christian. I grew up (questionable) attending church every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening. I wandered away for some ten years in my early 30’s, attempting to live my life on my terms, only to discover that when one lives life for oneself, one becomes narcissistic and ultimately miserable.

Church has played a significant role in my personal development, and listening to men and women speak from an authoritative position has influenced my life both directly and indirectly. To assume that Mr. Obama could listen to this anti-ameriKKKan rhetoric on a weekly basis and not be affected by it is absurd and foolhardy.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright is a hater. He exudes and perpetuates hatred toward America for the sake of his own narcissism, and has in a Jim Jones style, convinced his congregation that hatred is the normal way to live one’s life. Never in my 46+ years of living did I ever sit in and listen to such anti-Christian comments at any church or Christian event I attended, from Tennessee to Okinawa, JA., as this is not the Christianity proclaimed in the bible, but another man made version of a broken philosophy.

And we don’t think his back ground will affect his executive decision making? God help us if he’s elected POTUS.

Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan Clashes with Egyptian Islamist Tal'at Rmeih

2008-03-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

The following are excerpts from a debate between Arab-American psychiatrist Wafa Sultan and Egytian Islamist Tal'at Rmeih, which aired on Al-Jazeera on March 4, 2008.

Egyptian Islamist Tal'at Rmeih: "The West only understands the language of force. Contacts with the West which are not based on real force are futile. One day, America declared that the North Korean nuclear dossier would be referred to the U.N. Security Council. North Korea issued a one-line declaration: 'Korea will consider this to be a hostile act of war.' The Americans bit their tongues, and that was it. The West understands nothing but the language of force, and attacks nobody but the weak. Therefore, our nation – with all its people, and organizations, institutions, rulers, and subjects – is required to adopt a resolute stand of resistance and confrontation in the face of these criminal and hostile acts. The West, in this confrontation, which is not divorced from the massacres that are taking place in Palestine and Iraq…The embassies of Denmark, Holland, France, and the U.S. are not more precious to us than Iraq, which has been destroyed, or than Palestine, which is experiencing a real – not fabricated – holocaust. These countries are subject to a holocaust and a massacre. How can we confront this? By Allah, if we issued a communiqué, signed by all the Arab and Islamic organizations and institutions, the West would bite its tongue and stop all this. By Allah, if the Arab summit decided to boycott Denmark, they would all be disgraced. By Allah, if the masses of the nation would gather for one hour only around the embassies of Denmark, those despicable lowlifes would be in a position of retreat, not attack."

[…]

Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan: "All religions and faiths, throughout the history of humanity, have been subject to criticism and affronts. With time, this has helped in their reform and development. Any belief that chops off the heads of its critics is doomed to turn into terrorism and tyranny. This has been the condition of Islam, from its inception to this day. Islam has sentenced [its critics] to prison, and whoever crosses the threshold of that prison meets his death. The Danish cartoons have managed to break down the first brick in the wall of that prison, and to open up a window, through which the sunrays enter, after a lengthy darkness. The Danish newspaper exercised its freedom of speech. Liberties are the holiest thing in the West, and nothing is more important. But if Islam were not the way it is, those cartoons would never have appeared. They did not appear out of the blue, and the cartoonist did not dig them out of his imagination. Rather, they are a reflection of his knowledge. Westerners who read the words of the Prophet Muhammad 'Allah has given me sustenance under the shadow of my sword' cannot imagine Muhammad's turban in the shape of a dove of peace rather than in the shape of a bomb. The Muslims must learn how to listen to the criticism of others, and maybe then they will reexamine their terrorist teachings. When they manage to do so, the world will view them in a better light, and consequently, it will draw them in a better light. The reactions of the Muslims, which were characterized by savageness, barbarism, and backwardness, only increased the value of these cartoons, and gave them more importance than they merited, simply because they proved that these cartoons were true, and that the message they were conveying was true. The Muslim is an irrational creature ruled by instincts. Those teachings have deprived him of his mind, incited his emotions, and reduced him to the level of an inferior creature that cannot control himself or react to events rationally." You can find the transcript excerpts here.

This is an excellent debate with a woman who completely frustrates her opponents. Follow the link to MEMRI and take the twelve minutes or so to watch the entire clip. It's quite engaging.

Man Butcher's nephew in Syria

2008-03-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

And yet another fine example of the religion of peace.

Man Butchers 15-Month-Old Nephew in Jeddah Supermarket
Samir Al-Saadi, Arab News

JEDDAH, 3 March 2008 — Early morning shoppers at a supermarket in Jeddah were left reeling yesterday, with some falling unconscious, after a well-built Syrian man clinched a knife and decapitated his 15-month-old nephew in front of his mother in the store’s fruit and vegetable section.

In a brutal murder that has shocked the city, the 25-year-old man beheaded the boy, who was out shopping with his mother — in full glare of shoppers and staff at Al-Marhaba supermarket on Sari Street around 9.30 a.m. The man, who is the boy’s maternal uncle, apparently killed the boy following a dispute with his sister and brother-in-law.

Eyewitnesses said that the man picked up a knife from inside the store and severed the boy’s head. The mother and a shopper standing close by fainted, while several other stood in shock and disbelief over what had happened.

A police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Arab News, “The murderer was in a dispute with the boy’s mother and her husband. He chopped off the boy’s head in front of the mother to get back at her.” He added that the mother has been left traumatized and is in hospital. The boy’s father was at work at the time of the incident.

Lucky for us, Speaker Pelosi is friends with this fella's kin...

Our National Anthem

2008-03-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

(Sticky Post, see below for current posts)

As an American and Veteran of the USN, I am sometimes moved by things I hear regarding the Icons of our Country. This explanation of our National Anthem is one of those things that all should appreciate.
One phase that caught my attention was a quote from George Washington: "The thing that sets the American Christian apart from all other people in the world is he will die on his feet before he'll live on his knees."

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Why Barack should not be President

2008-02-28T19:43:00.000-08:00

The question has been continually asked: What can we expect from Barack Obama? Fellow blogger VIOLENCE WORKER provided this link:

recap-

I will cut investments in unproven missile defense systems.

VW points out that flight was mostly unproven before WWI, and had the Military not seen the potential, where would we be today?

I will not weaponize space

Too late, China already has

I will slow development of future combat systems

Our entire military is around 1.5 million men and women; China for instance is 200 million. If we don't maintain our technological advantage, we are sitting ducks.

I will set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons and to seek that goal, I will not develop nuclear weapons...

He wants to eliminate Nukes? I suppose then we can assume North Korea won't produce any more, China will cease, India and Pakistan will hand over their arsenal and technology, France will acquiesce, Russia will comply, and any other country that I neglected to list will fall in line as well.

In other words, he will hand us over to our enemies within 1 year. Oh yeah, that is inspirational.

Sunday Morning Tunes for the Soul

2008-02-24T07:36:00.000-08:00

Keith Jarrett took a fundamental favorite to a new level in Tokyo, 1986. Let me treat you to about 8 minutes of shear genius before trudging back into reality; it’s on me.

This next clip is Antoine Dufour - Song for Stephen, and will surely bring some light into your day... Enjoy.

Obama- Under-equiped Troops

2008-02-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

As many of you know (and I use the term 'many' loosely), I have been working in the desert of Southern California for the last seven months, and have been more or less isolated from current news. So, with that being said, I missed this story completely.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A missile from a U.S. Predator drone struck a suspected terrorist safehouse in Pakistan and killed a top Al Qaeda commander believed responsible for a brazen bomb attack during a visit last year by Vice President Dick Cheney to Afghanistan, a U.S. official said Thursday.

Last evening (and even now), while in a fierce debate with moonbats attacking Amy Proctor, this link was provided. The debate was centered around Barack Obama's recent comments of ill-equiped and undermanned military units, and as usual there were many non-sequiturs in the thread. Senator McCain was hammered by one guano maker for criticizing Obama's comments from last year saying that Obama wanted to bomb Pakistan.

My defense of McCain was taken as non support of the Bush Administration in light of the recent attack on Al Qaida in Northern Pakistan. Here is my position:

It occurred to me this morning that if I were the leader of a small country whose government was weak, had a large portion of my constituency supporting seventh century politics, had known terrorists occupying land within my borders, had a weak army, and was relying on financial and arms support from a country whom I’d consider a friend, that said terrorists were fighting against, I would most likely make a strong public statement condemning the actions of my friend who crossed my border and attacked said terrorists to calm the angst of my people. But it isn’t a far stretch to imagine alliances, agreements and even the distribution of exact locations of those terrorists to my friend, nor is it a stretch to imagine that I would privately thank my friend for helping me with a problem that I was unable to solve with my politically divided country and weak army.

This is pure speculation of course, but knowing that Pakistan is well suited to be the country I described, and the United States having the ability to assist with Pakistan’s problems, I think it is a reasonable explanation for our recent actions. I believe however, Mr. Obama’s comments indicate he did not take this scenario into account, and was making an emotional response to an accusation of inadequacy and inexperience of foreign affairs.

Mr. Obama’s recent comments regarding ill-equipped and undermanned military are simply another example of him making emotionally charged statements to draw attention away from his own inexperience as a leader. In other words, he is attempting to make himself look better by making his opponent look worse. Taking that thought to the next level, we see the democratic argument following the same course of thought; make our policies and ideas look better by making the republican president look worse.

I believe that thought process is learned in the fourth grade, and then corrected by the seventh grade; for most…

The biggest (and only) argument I have heard in support of Barack Obama for President is "he is inspring"... the problem is there is no substance or experience in his ability to lead which brings me to another observation: Neither does Hillary have any substance or experience in leadership, which sadly brings me to the conclusion that McCain is the only other choice who does have a history of leadership.

Wednesday Hero- Navy Seal Nathan H. Hardy

2008-02-22T06:17:00.000-08:00

COVERS OFF and HEADS BOWED-

Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Nathan H. Hardy
29 years old from Durham, New Hampshire
East Coast-based SEAL team
February 4, 2008

It was Hardy's fourth deployment in Iraq, according to his father, Stephen Hardy, a professor of kinesiology a the University of New Hampshire. His mother, Donna Hardy, is an administrative assistant in UNH's psychology department.

Nathan Hardy grew up in Durham and was a 1997 graduate of Oyster River High School. He joined the Navy after graduation.

Other family members include his wife, Mindy, and their 7-month-old son, Parker; and a brother, Ben, of Middlebury, Vt.

Another brother, Josh, died in 1993 while a senior at Oyster River High School.

"Our hearts go out to Steve and Donna Hardy, and their son, Ben, at this incredibly difficult time," UNH President Mark Huddleston said in a statement. "We know it was Nate's dream to become a U.S. Navy SEAL when he graduated from high school, and he pursued that dream and excelled at it. His death has stunned all who knew him, and all who know his parents, who both are so much a part of the UNH community."

Navy SEAL Nathan Hardy died Feb. 4 after being wounded by small-arms fire during combat operations in Iraq.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Where in the World is Cindy Sheehan These Days?

2008-02-16T05:41:00.000-08:00

So after her statement of retirement last year, the old cow seems to have wandered off the farm. It appears since she failed on the National level, she's trying her hand at the International level, sticking her nose into Egyptian Politics... Sounds a lot like San Fran sicko Nan, doesn't it?

To: Egypt"s First Lady Susan Mubarak

Dear Mrs, Suzanne Murbarak,
My name is Cindy Sheehan, I am a human rights and
peace activist from the U.S. In April of 2004 my
oldest son Casey was killed in Iraq, while serving in
the U.S. army he was sent to fight the illegal and
immoral U.S. occupation of Iraq and was murdered in a
battle in Sadr City. Since his death I have worked
hard seeking justice for the victims of the
occupation, both American and Iraqi, because I believe
that they have all died for lies of the American
government.

Through my work on this issue I have become an
advocate for human rights violations all over the
world. I am sad to say that my first visit to your
beautiful country of Egypt brings me here under this
guise to appeal for fair and just treatment for the
forty members of the Muslim Brotherhood, all civilian,
who are being tried through a military tribunal. As I
understand it this process is illegal both under
Egyptian law and International law and since the
defendants have all been found innocent on four
different occasions in civilian courts, I can only
conclude that the Egyptian government is trying them
in a military tribunal as a last resort to guarantee a
guilty verdict.

In addition to this being an unfair practice to the
defendants, it is also unfair to their families and
places a great burden on them. I have spent time
during my visit getting to know some of the wives and
children of detainees and have heard heart breakings
stories of how they have been tormented because of
this matter; many of them have been deprived of
personal funds and possessions and it has been very
difficult for them to support their basic needs. The
children have been deeply traumatized by seeing their
fathers violently arrested without cause or
provocation. The detainees have suffered a great deal
while in jail, some have been denied access to proper
health care causing serious medical conditions.

You can read the rest of her letter here.

Two Navy SEALs Killed in Iraq

2008-02-13T12:22:00.000-08:00

Virginian-Pilot | By Louis Hansen and Jim Washington | February 06, 2008

Two SEALs, both decorated chief petty officers with deep military ties, were killed during combat Monday in Iraq.

Nathan Hardy and Michael E. Koch, both 29, were slain by small- arms fire during anti-insurgent operations, the Navy announced Tuesday.

Hardy, originally from Durham, N.H., is the grandson of two World War II veterans, according to his father, Steve Hardy. One grandfather served aboard PT-109 with John F. Kennedy, the young officer who would become president.

Koch, whose family is in State College, Pa., has a brother serving in Iraq, and both of his parents have worked as contractors in the Middle East.

Sixteen locally based SEALs have been killed during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002, according to data compiled by The Virginian-Pilot.

Nathan Hardy wanted to be a SEAL since he was in sixth grade, his father said Tuesday night in an interview at Hardy's Virginia Beach home. He heard stories about his grandfather being rescued by Kennedy from the sinking patrol boat and set his sights on a Navy career.

"Nate was very proud of his Navy heritage," Hardy said.

He was also a talented, aggressive soccer and lacrosse player at Oyster River High School, his father recalled.

"He probably got too many fouls," Hardy said, and smiled. "As a midfielder, he was a good Navy SEAL."

Hardy enlisted after high school, in November 1997 and, after boot camp, completed SEAL basic training in Coronado, Calif. He served his entire special warfare career on the East Coast. Hardy was awarded the Bronze Star and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. He was making his fourth deployment to Iraq.

The small high school attended by the three Hardy sons held a moment of silence on Tuesday, said principal Laura Rogers. Even though he graduated 10 years ago, she said, "people remember him. They are feeling the loss."

Hardy was the youngest of three boys. The oldest, Josh, died of cancer when Nathan was in eighth grade. But Steve Hardy said he did not worry about his son's dangerous job.

"We had lost one son. Our philosophy has been you live life to the fullest," he said.

Hardy is survived by his wife, Mindy, and a 7-month-old son, Parker.

Koch leaves behind his parents, a brother, a sister, and a fiancee.

He also spent his entire special warfare career on the East Coast. He enlisted in July 1998 and entered SEAL training in January 1999. During his career, he received the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Dee Brown, Koch's aunt who lives in Williamsport, Pa., said the SEAL came from a family where military values run deep.

He and his sister were born on an Air Force base in Omaha, Neb., and his brother, Matthew, was born on another base in New Mexico.

Their mother, Jean, was on her way back from Afghanistan on Tuesday night, where she has an accounting job with a U.S. contractor. Their father, Donald, a 20-year Air Force veteran, returned from his job in Iraq about six weeks ago.

They had seen each other just a few weeks ago for Christmas.

"We were so fortunate that we were all able to be together," Brown said.

The family is close, she said, so much so that while Koch was going through his SEAL training in 1999 his father camped out in the woods, trying to put himself through some of the same experiences his son was having.

Family outings might include jumping out of airplanes or going scuba diving, Brown said.

Koch didn't like to talk about his military experiences, according to Brown, though she said it was obvious he loved what he was doing.

"He was humble," she said. "He would prefer that we didn't talk about it. He would just say, 'It's my job.'

Matthew Koch also is in the military serving in Iraq. He will accompany his brother's body home.

Vets for Freedom condemns the actions of the Berkeley City Council

2008-02-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you've already heard about the Town of Berkeley, CA condeming the Marine Corps last week:

"I believe in the Code Pink cause. The Marines don't belong here, they shouldn't have come here, and they should leave," said Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates.

My friend Jenn has been diligent to keep this up front in the blogger world.

Well, I just received an email from Vets for Freedom indicating that they too are condemning the actions of Berkeley City Concil

More Info

Vets for Freedom stands by the comments and actions of Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) regarding the recent actions by the City Council of Berkeley, California. Earlier this week, elected officials in Berkley voted to have a recruiting station of the United States Marine Corps removed from city property, calling the Marines "uninvited and unwelcome intruders." Vets for Freedom welcomes Senator DeMint's proposed legislation that would rescind any federal money recently appropriated for the City of Berkley.

"The man or woman who puts on the uniform of a United States Marine, Soldier, Sailor or Airman swears an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," said Executive Director of Vets for Freedom, Pete Hegseth. "Clearly, the elected officials of Berkley, California see the Constitution as a mere roadblock in their radical left-wing agenda. What these fanatics fail to realize is that the fantasy world that they live in exists under the very cloak of freedom provided by the sacrifices of the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces."

He continued "The Constitution is not conditional. The blatant favoring of one group's freedoms over another's because of political partisanship is exactly the type of divisive politics that is endangering the success of the missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Global War on Terror. The progress being made would not be possible without the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that serve in our armed forces. Recruitment is essential to success in the war on terror."

Vets for Freedom is a nonpartisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its mission is to educate the American public about the importance of achieving success in these conflicts by applying our first-hand knowledge to issues of American military strategy.

For more information, please visit Vets for Freedom

It really is time for folks who understand freedom of speech requires responsibility to step up and condemn this type of behavior from America hating Liberals.

More Evidence of Global Warming

2008-01-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

OK, here we go again. Clearly, Southern California is producing extremely high amounts of CO2... and the following photos are certainly proof. Thanks Al for the head's up on Global Warming, your credibility has been restored. By the way, the bottom two photos are taken 60 miles north of L.A., while the top photo is Northeast of Claremont by AP.

Democratic Odacity?

2008-01-26T05:44:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent comment by Mitt Thursday night during the GOP debate.

Thanks to my pal over at Bottom Line Up Front for providing this clip.

Circle Flies

2008-01-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

A Republican cowboy from Texas attends a social function which Hillary Clinton is attending and trying to gather more support for her nomination. Once she discovers the cowboy is a Republican, she starts to belittle him by talking in a southern drawl and single syllable words.

As she was doing that, she kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around her head. The cowboy says, "Y'all havin' some problem with them "circle flies?"

She stopped talking and said, "Well yes, if that's what they're called. But I've never heard of "circle flies."

"Well ma'am," the cowboy replies, "circle flies" hang around ranches. They're called "circle flies" because they're almost always found circling around the back end of a horse."

"Oh," Hillary replies as she goes back to rambling. But, a moment later she stops and bluntly asks, "Are you calling me a horse's ass?"

"No, ma'am," the cowboy replies, "I have too much respect for citizens of New York to call their Senator a horse's ass."

"That's a good thing," she responds and begins rambling on once more.

After pausing to take a breath, the cowboy, in his best Texas drawl adds, "Hard to fool them flies though."

Borders getting tougher?

2008-01-18T07:12:00.000-08:00

Chertoff: Tougher ID Rules for Borders
By EILEEN SULLIVAN and DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press
January 18, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) -- New border-crossing rules that take effect in two weeks will mean longer lines and stiffer demands for ID, including for returning Americans, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday.

A driver's license won't be good enough to get Americans past a checkpoint at the Canadian or Mexican border, Chertoff said. That will be a surprise to many people who routinely cross the border with Canada, but Chertoff bristled at criticism that such extra security would be inconvenient. More than 800,000 people enter the U.S. through land and sea ports each day.

''It's time to grow up and recognize that if we're serious about this threat, we've got to take reasonable, measured but nevertheless determined steps to getting better security,'' he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Thousands of people enter the U.S. through land crossings every day. The biggest effect of the change will be at the Canadian border since it applies to both Canadians and Americans. Non-Americans coming in through Mexico already need extra documentation.

Congressional critics representing Northern border states were anything but impressed with Chertoff's rhetoric.

His department has proved incapable of implementing a 2004 law on border security, and Chertoff ''frankly has as much credibility on telling people to 'grow up' as Geoffrey the Giraffe,'' said Rep. Tom Reynolds, a Buffalo-area Republican.

As those who know my current work assignment, you know that I pass a border check point on a daily basis. Over the last couple of weeks, I've noticed an increase of BP personnel including canine officers thoroughly questioning all comers and inspecting all vehicles. Though this creates a bit of an inconvenience for the daily commuters like me, I welcome the diligence these men and women show while doing their jobs. At some point, I hope it gets even tougher.

By the way, every time I pass through the check point I thank each one for their service as I feel the job they do is just as important as our military.

To the border patrol, thank you for your service!

Help Support the destruction of America

2008-01-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

On the way home yesterday, I was listening to mainstream news from the Bay Area, and was quite entertained by one of the advertisers. The company is called CREDO MOBILE and here is a bit of what was said:

Your principles, our mission.
What do you believe in? Justice? Equality? A cleaner, greener environment? A woman’s right to choose? Elections where every vote counts?

We believe the same. We’re CREDO Mobile. And your beliefs are at the heart of our company.
We’re dedicated to making it easy for you to support the causes that are important to you. Every time you make a call with us, 1% of your charges automatically go to groups like Planned Parenthood, Rainforest Action Network, Human Rights Watch, the ACLU and more.
Turning ordinary action into extraordinary change.
Since 1985, our parent company, Working Assets, has been in the business of giving members the utmost in long distance, credit card and mobile services.

We’re also in the business of giving back. Through our donation-linked products, we’ve donated $56 million to progressive nonprofits — at no extra cost to our customers.

So let me get this straight; if I sign up for this mobile cell service, I can support efforts to defeat our current way of life by funding the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Greenpeace, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and many other wonderful organizations that provide Americans the opportunity to behave a certain way, and then avoid accountability for that behavior.

This country is in a constant battle against moral decline… God help us.

A tribute to the Patriot Guard

2008-01-13T06:01:00.000-08:00

Remember, when seconds count, police are only minutes away.

2008-01-12T06:03:00.000-08:00

I found this at Bushwhack's:

Be advised: this is intense...

New Quarterback for the Packers...

2008-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

I received an email from a bud in Sacratomato and thought I'd share it:

In a news conference Deanna Favre announced she will be the starting QB for the Packers this coming Sunday. Deanna asserts that she is qualified to be starting QB because she has spent the past 16 years married to Brett while he played QB for the Packers. During this period of time she became familiar with the definition of a corner blitz, and is now completely comfortable with other terminology of the Packers offense. A survey of Packers fans shows that 50% of those polled supported the move.

Does this sounds idiotic and unbelievable to you? Well, Hillary Clinton makes the same claims as to why she is qualified to be President and 50% of democrats polled agreed. She has never run a City, County, or State. When told Hillary Clinton has experience because she has 8 years in the white house, Dick Morris stated "so has the pastry chef".

What I got for Christmas!

2007-12-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T06:13:00.000-08:00

Swiped this from Professor Douglas.

Merry Christmas to all my friends!

NORAD publishes Classified Link used to track the Big Guy

2007-12-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

My pal Craig alerted me to this:

Once again, Classified information has become public knoweledge. When will folks realize there are certain things we should NOT know about. Since the link is now public, I too, will provide it for you review.

This time of year always stimulates doubt in the minds of our youth, so perhaps faith will be restored in the things we struggle to understand after exploring the link.

Merry Christmas!

UFC Training pays off for Santa

2007-12-20T05:22:00.000-08:00

Santa Catches Shoplifter

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Is Illegal Immigration a Serious Problem?

2007-12-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

The latest telephone poll taken by the Governor's office in Florida, Texas, and California asked whether people who live in their state think illegal immigration is a serious problem:

29% of respondents answered: "Yes, it is a serious problem."

71% of respondents answered: "No es una problema seriosa."

Hmmm. Me thinks a bias response is represented...

Gawfer's Christmas Wish

2007-12-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

We're fast approaching Christmas; a time of giving and sharing with loved ones. But it is so easy to get caught up in the commercial excitement and lose site of what the spirit of Christmas is really all about.

There will be many arrows pointing us back to the true meaning, and we may or may not notice them. Here is one such arrow that was given to me. Below the video is a quick description of who these folks are and what the call was all about.

We have had a lot of requests to replay the phone call that Pastor Mike shared during our church service on Sunday, Nov. 11th, 2007.

Here you'll find the video clip that was created just for you. We've placed the video on YouTube so that you can watch it and share with family and friends.

Logan is a 13 year-old boy who lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. Logan listens to Christian Radio station 89.3FM KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX. Logan called the radio station distraught because he had to take down a calf . His words have wisdom beyond his years.

Since airing the audio of the phone call and now the making of the video clip, it has taken on a life of its own. People are forwarding it all over the world. We encourage you to share the love of Christ with anyone you can.

From the bottom of my heart to all my friends, I wish you a very merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year.

What are you doing Protect your Children

2007-11-23T04:10:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine and her brother started a website called 'Warriors for Innocence' last year. But unlike the undisciplined sort that throw their hat into a ring, then walk away of interest wanes, Sues has worked diligently to develop a network of good folks and a rapport with local law enforcement officials to help combat the onslaught of child predators that we face today.

No longer can parents safely let their children play all day without worries; that time has past. But Sues has provided another very useful tool to inform and instruct parents of the dangers our children face, and how to best shield them from the animals disguised as friends.

You can hear her in this phone interview that recently aired on KCOY channel 12 from Santa Barbara, CA, and you can visit the website by clicking on the Warriors for Innocence link above.
Thank you Sues, for working so hard to make a difference in our communities.

Veteran's Day Honors

2007-11-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

Meet First Lieutenant Walter Jackson - someone you should know. So should your kids.

From the Army News Service:

First Lt. Walter Bryan Jackson is the seventh Soldier to receive the Distinguished Service Cross since 1975. He is flanked by Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and his former commander, Lt. Col. Thomas C. Graves. Photo by J.D. Leipold (ARNEWS)

Nov. 2, 2007: First Lt. Walter B. Jackson [Oak Harbor, Washington] became the seventh Soldier since the Vietnam War ended in 1975 to receive the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in action.

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren presented the DSC, which is second in precedence to only the Medal of Honor for valor in battle, at a ceremony held in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes this afternoon.

A second lieutenant at the time of his heroic action on Sept. 27, 2006, Lt. Jackson was cited for selfless courage under extreme enemy fire while serving as a company fire support officer with company A, Task Force 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

Lt. Jackson was engaged in combat operations with his unit against insurgents and while he attempted to recover a disabled vehicle, his unit came under heavy machine gun fire, which resulted in several Soldiers being wounded. As he applied first aid to a severely wounded comrade, he too was shot in the thigh.

Lt. Jackson’s citation in part reads: “Upon regaining consciousness after being shot, second lieutenant alternated between returning fire and administering first aid to the Soldier. Second Lt. Jackson was hit again with machine gun fire as he helped carry his wounded comrade to safety, but he never faltered in his aid. Although his own severe wounds required immediate evacuation and surgical care, 2nd Lt. Jackson refused medical assistance until his wounded comrade could be treated. Second Lt. Jackson’s selfless courage under extreme enemy fire was essential to saving another Soldier’s life and is in keeping with the finest traditions of military service…”

Before the presentation, Lt. Col. Thomas C. Graves, former Task Force commander, recounted part of that September 2006 day when he arrived at the medical aid station to see his wounded Soldiers and the first words to come from 2nd Lt. Jackson were of concern for the wounded captain he’d rescued.

“All the leadership schools, classes and years of experience never really prepare you for that moment in time when you are standing among heroes who have given their all, where their first concerns still remain with their fellow Soldiers,” he said. “It reinforces duty and commitment unlike any other experience.”

After Secretary Geren made the award presentation, 1st Lt. Jackson spoke to the packed room, humbly thanking his family, his West Point classmates and the Soldiers he’s served with in his short two-year career and saying simply, “I believe I just had to do what I had to do in that situation… I think many Soldiers would have done the same thing.”

1st Lt. Jackson has been recovering from his wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, having undergone more than a dozen surgeries. While recovering at WRAMC, he volunteered as an intern with the Judge Advocate General’s office. He is awaiting orders to take over a multiple launch rocket system platoon in Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division Fires Brigade.

Our men and women of the armed forces never cease to amaze. The character that is exemplified by their actions and behavior must be respected; even by our enemies. This young man deserves to be recognized as a true hero, and I honor him on this Veteran's day.