Lt. Col. Allen West: the enemy we face.

During a panel discussion sponsored by the Hudson Institute last January, retired Army Lt. Colonel Allen West, who did combat duty in Iraq, responded to a Marine who asked the question, how do you answer people who say that terrorists are following a "warped" version of Islam?

The panel consisted of a number of former military personnel, who fumbled around trying to answer the question. Col. West finally stepped forward answered the question directly and truthfully. Listen to the words of a former military man who understands the nature of the enemy we face:



Notice again Col. West's straightforward assessment: "This is not a perversion. They are doing exactly what this book [i.e., the Qur'an] says."

Lt. Col. West was elected to Congress in November, to represent Florida's 22nd congressional district. He will be the first African-American Republican congressman to represent Florida since 1870.

~~

Go WEST!

~~~

We The People: American Exceptionalism

Wonderful video; worth the look:



Did I tell you? Great.

~~~

Furious NC Parent Blasts Senator Over Health Care

Remember the phrase 'Must see TV'?

This time it's "MUST view Youtube"??

NC Freshman Senator Kay Hagan made a stop in Kernersville for "Conversations with Kay" about issues that affect Seniors. The following 'Confrontation with Kay' was taped & aired (edited, of course) on our local 6:00 news. Here's the unedited exchange for your enjoyment:

(In case the video doesn't play, click the 'watch on youtube' link, or click here.)

I'm so PROUD of this mother!

I'm proud to say she's from my County (would go hug her if I knew who/where she was); proud of her tenacity, her courage, her 'verve'. And then there's this clash w/ Kay Hagan...

THIS is what heroes are made of: parents taking care of their children, doing whatever it takes to do the right thing, standing up to Big Government, getting their voices heard, & letting them know (in very certain terms) that they will NOT have our vote - ever!

Did I say we need more heroes?? Yes, & we need more like her.

God bless America!

~~~

"Generation Zero" : a MUST see film

In history, there are 4 turnings:

The first is The Crisis,

Next comes The High,

Then, The Awakening,

Finally, The Unraveling

History Repeats itself...

...the trailer...

...and commentary (1st 3 min. most impactful)

Let us learn from history.

We must be people of courage, people of conviction.
We must have leadership willing to make excruciating financial decisions;

Leadership that refuses to run from strenuous, austere, unpopular choices.

The time for a turning of heroes is now.

We need heroes.

Are you one?

~~~

How They See Us, & Who are their heroes?

Sent to me through email this morning, Sandy brings us a chilling look at ourselves from across the pond. While we may not (or may) agree with this assessment of ourselves, the article gives us at least a flickering glimpse as to the pressure that will be brought to bear as we try to bring our country back from the brink. But - bring it back, we must.

Please, read on:

from Sandy: I found this in the London Times - not some closeted, underground, extremist site. THE major newspaper in the largest city of our closest European ally.

This is scary stuff.

This is the real Barack Obama. England is Socialist enough that they can actually print garbage like this with a straight face - of course, the New York Times is not much better. But this is an outright call by a bold faced Socialist for the downfall of the capitalist system in America.

And who is his hero? BHO, of course.

I think this article gives a direct insight into what Obama really wants. I think he [BHO] thinks just like this guy [Kaletsky] - he just can't quite say it - yet.

We are still on the precipice of an outright disaster. I heard a clip this morning where Gibbs [insistently] said yesterday that they are only one vote away from the House passing the Senate health care bill and they were going to do it. Maybe this week. I truly think that they know that could incite a potential rebellion and they don't care. They welcome it. They want it. God help us.

Sus: I have seen a lot of you out there say things like 'we must keep the pressure on,' especially since the Scott Brown victory. Or, "We're not out of the woods yet." Or "We've got a lot of work to do."

Kids, 'The One' has international cheerleaders, like this cat Kaletsky. They're chanting down the most profitable, successful, wealth producing economic system that has ever thrived - American Capitalism. They think they can pick over us like buzzards over a decapitated carcass after that.

Stand up, kids. They cheer on the perceived executioner, & as they see it, Barack Hussein Obama holds the axe.

"We are still on the precipice of an outright disaster." Indeed.

~~~

In Memory of a Hero

I’ve done some talking about heroes here & there , about our human need for them & our craving of them. Both drive us to conjure them even if the material is weak, & defenses against idiocy are thin. One doesn’t have to look far past the current White House, or the PGA tour for proof that our conjecture sadly disappoints. Yet we long for heroes. We need heroes.

In December, I attended a worship service celebrating the life of a rare, true hero. He was the father of one of my best friends. He died suddenly & unexpectedly.

We had been suitemates in college (several of us), & had made a pact to stay in each other’s lives; and stay we have. We’ve lived through jobs, weddings, babies, parenting, & times when life brings troubles that blindside us: illness, relationship strain, & now death. These are my life’s friends, & J. is one of them. I am grateful for her Dad because without him, there would have been no J. Without him, she wouldn’t have become the savvy, smart, determined woman of integrity & strength that she is.

We knew him as Rog, because that’s what he wanted to be called. He was fun & energetic, a gifted host, & always wanted to know how he could help us be more comfortable or have more fun. He loved God, his classy & spunky wife, his precious J., & the rest of his family. But you didn’t know Rog without knowing how much he loved his country.

He was “Rog” to us, but others knew him as Colonel Roger S., expertly skilled fighter pilot, recipient of the Silver Star & a host of other distinguished medals & ribbons.

Those who were so privileged to be at his funeral knew we were in the presence of something, someone special. Rog’s love for his country spilled throughout the elements of that service from beginning to end. It flowed from the tips of his sister’s fingers at the piano. It fell into the stories that came from the mouths of his “Colonel” & “Major General” eulogists. It revealed itself in the Military Honors that were presented, the hymns sung, the scripture read, & even the elements of the bulletins distributed for worship.

During this service, as is often the case, we learned things that we didn’t know about the one lost. I learned things that impressed me deeply, that had I known earlier, may have caused me to be more serious, more stoic in his presence. But I had no need to be reserved, because he made sure that none of us was distracted by the accolades of a calling he loved. His life & manner was not ‘all about him.’ It was about displaying his love for others through generosity, his ability to put people at ease, even at the sacrifice of his personal comfort. It’s what made him such a good host, this “love language” of service. It’s what also made him a hero.

See, God created Rog with a heart to show affection through acts of service. He accepted the gift with thanks, & set out applying God’s best for him to the best of his ability. It was, in part at least, what compelled him to devote his life to displaying the affection for his country through a career in military ‘service.’

He was generous with his talent, skill, time, his constancy; all certainly at great sacrifice of his personal comfort. Even in retirement, while running a successful civilian company, Rog was willing, eager to make the sacrifice. J. told me shortly after 9-11, that her dad was “ready to go.” She clarified, “He wants to get back in the cockpit & go to Afghanistan. He would go right now, if they’d let him.” Chronic back pain (from years of tumbling through space in a hot steel cylinder) & aging limbs that defied the will of his spirit notwithstanding, he would have gone. I have no doubt that it’s true, because he was a hero. It’s just what they do.

It’s no wonder that our culture of self-involvement & self-aggrandizement craves heroes so desperately. As rare as they are, our need for them simply cannot be met. However, when you’ve been in one’s presence it’s an experience worth savoring. It’s a gift worth honoring. And especially in this case, it’s an experience worth marking with words. Because see, this hero leaves behind a legacy. It’s a legacy that lives, breathes & walks in the shoes of my friend J. And it’s a legacy that will continue through her children, as they remember & someday re-learn who their Grandfather was to his family, to the people who knew him, & to his country.

I write today to honor one who loved my country more than I will ever know how, & to add to the body of memory that his grandchildren will one day sift, sort & cull in search of who he was, & who they are.

And oh! May they find, with joy, that they come from the stuff of heroes! May they discover that they, too, have gifts from God to be cultivated, honored & used to the best of their ability.

~~

One more question, upon reflection… What is the legacy of my sweet J’s Dad for me? It’s a hope that we citizens of this great nation will learn to sift, sort & cull the body of memory that is our history, in search of who America is, & who we are in her. And, oh! May we joyfully rediscover that we have been gifted as such for the use here & now, and that we, too, come from the stuff of heroes.

God bless my dear America.

~~~

Docker's GETS IT!!

I. Love. This. Ad campaign.

Congratulations, Docker's ~ You DO get it! We need Heroes.

Once you 'get' what the problem is, you're well on your way to solving it. I, for one, am terribly gratified. (And all my men are getting Docker's for Christmas.)

Since their website wouldn't let me copy the pic. (see link above), here's the message:

"ONCE UPON A TIME, MEN WORE THE PANTS, AND WORE THEM WELL. WOMEN RARELY HAD TO OPEN DOORS AND LITTLE OLD LADIES NEVER CROSSED THE STREET ALONE. MEN TOOK CHARGE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DID. BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, THE WORLD DECIDED IT NO LONGER NEEDED MEN. DISCO BY DISCO, LATTE BY FOAMY NON-FAT LATTE, MEN WERE STRIPPED OF THEIR KHAKIS AND LEFT STRANDED ON THE ROAD BETWEEN BOYHOOD AND ANDROGYNY. BUT TODAY, THERE ARE QUESTIONS OUR GENDERLESS SOCIETY HAS TO ANSWER FOR. THE WORLD SITS IDLY BY AS CITIES CRUMBLE, CHILDREN MISBEHAVE AND THOSE LITTLE OLD LADIES REMAIN ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BAD GUYS, WE NEED HEROES. WE NEED GROWN-UPS. WE NEED MEN TO PUT DOWN THE PLASTIC FORK, STEP AWAY FROM THE SALAD BAR AND UNTIE THE WORLD FROM THE TRACKS OF COMPLACENCY. IT'S TIME TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY. IT'S TIME TO ANSWER THE CALL OF MANHOOD. IT'S TIME TO WEAR THE PANTS."

~~~

Sharia Law: Coming soon to a country near you.

Have you wondered what our friends the Brits have gotten themselves into by allowing Sharia Law into their legal system ? Ever wondered what the implications for women would be if it were to be allowed in the US? I was inspired into a little research by USA_Admiral .

Do the research yourself & find that Muslims in Britain have pushed for decades to get Sharia law infused into the legal system. They finally wore down ‘the establishment’. In an apathetic climate, I dare say it’s an easy slide to a rise in theocratic ‘power’. And where does it go after that?

Ladies, especially you who value the power that our society affords you, I beg you to ask yourself if political correctness & pacifism is worth this: CAUTION-disturbing video

If Mr. Obama (& even Pres. Bush) still wish to insist that Islam is a religion of peace, then where is the OUTRAGE in the 'peaceful' Muslim community? Where is the United Nations resolution demanding that terrorist groups & Islamo-fascists cease this perversion of their faith? Where are the moderate, clear-thinking clerics? The American Feminists?? Listen. Carefully. Do you hear it? I don't either. Silence...

Nobody’s willing to say it; & if they do, they’re afraid of becoming a Benazir Bhutto. With this threat seething in terrorist-phile nations & slinking through modern Western societies, we desperately need heroes – people willing to publicly challenge Islamic theocrats who stoke, plot & finance terrorism. Our own Presidents have, & still are, denying the threat.

Benazir Bhutto was a hero, a martyr (if you will) for civilized society.
Here’s another one. She gets precious little news coverage (or none @ all), but her voice is strong & unequivocal ~~ Zohreh Arshadi: Ms Arshadi was a practicing lawyer in Iran prior to her forced exile to Europe. She is currently an advocate in France and is active in human rights and especially of the rights of women. She has been especially active in
defense of the rights of women in Iran.

In the excerpts from her article “Islamic Republic of Iran and Penal Codes”, she articulates Islamic Penal codes (i.e., Sharia Law). The Islamic Revolution of the 1970’s caused the “Restructuring [of] society on the basis of violence and sexual apartheid…What the clerics ruling Iran call an Islamic society and government denotes an underlying model that in two decades has brought about huge upheavals in the political, cultural, legal and ideological structures of Iranian society. This model can best be described by its two principal features: An administration based on naked repression and violence, and a society based on inequalities of gender, religion, politics and reinforced by a steadily widening class divide.

The theoretical foundation of the Islamic Penal Codes is a social model based on sexual apartheid….a belief that women are deficient in their natural and “innate” potentials and abilities, including their psychological-makeup and intellectual capacity. Second, a belief in a social and family order where men must be guardians over women, and women must submit. Third, a belief in an unequal system of rights…The Islamic Penal Codes are based on violence in its most primitive forms. These not only authorise organised state violence, but encourage male violence against women within the family and in society.”

Ms. Arshadi itemizes the legal Codes (Books, Chapters, Articles) which “give legal shelter to sexual apartheid”: We have…had women removed from the courts as legal specialists. Their absence in legal procedures and criminal courts means that misogynist and biased views of the law are put into practice with greater severity and force, and occasionally even added to, by male attorneys and judges most of whom are also priests. The Islamic punishments have encouraged a culture of violence against women, especially within the family and has spilled into violence against children…The fact that men receive a lighter punishment if they commit a violence against women undoubtedly encourages such violence. We saw how women could be killed with impunity...Stoning to death for adultery, although technically admissible for both sexes, has also been carried out mainly against women. Newspapers are full of accounts of wives, sisters, daughters, and children murdered...The family has become an institution of violence.

These are laws which in their entirety are more in keeping with a society still in the age of barbarism. At a time when most countries are banning the death penalty to have punishments such as cutting of hands, and feet, stoning to death, cutting off of tongues and gouging out eyes on the statutes is totally unacceptable.”

We need more heroes. This woman, living in exile from her own country, knowing the danger she brings upon herself, is willing to speak. We need more of her.

We. Need. More. Heroes.

Research. Think. Speak.

Be one.

~~~