Start MARCHING, Conservative America!
How many of you over the last few years have complained about muslims not marching in demonstrations against the muslim extremists in this country and abroad? I sure have. I've whined and hidden behind that as a safe place to be......."there, I've said it, what else can I do?" Because, really, what else can I do?
We all, I think, feel there are muslims living in this country who don't mean us harm. Obviously, there are varying degrees of 'harm'. Some of us feel most muslims don't wish us violent muslim-provoked death in our own beds. But then you ask yourself how they can believe in a Koran which reminds muslims (and it does, don't let anybody lie and tell you otherwise) to kill the infidel who won't buy their brand of 'faith'. A poster at Frontpagemag.com, Abdullah, a Texas born ex-navy vet who's a muslim convert, had posted there for about a year before finally admitting he thought Shari'a Law would be a great thing for this country, this country which had educated him, this country in which he supposedly has made a fine living as a financial counselor, this country into which he brought an Indonesian muslim wife and in which he's raising his children. He's raising them in muslim schools, can we not conclude they're being taught Shari'a Law is best for America? Is that not harming our country? Sure it is, as sure as the terror cells in Des Moines and San Diego are plotting against us.
A new blogger, Karma, asks WHY ARE WE CONSERVATIVE WOMEN NOT DOING ANYTHING? Code Pink is out there, unashamed and unfettered... Where are the Conservatives? She's right. Men, too.....you're not off the hook!!
How can we blame muslims for not talking against the extremists if we're not talking against our extremists in meaningful, effective ways? Isn't it extreme to want socialism in a country built on capitalism? Is it not extreme for a senator to tell children their president's a liar? Isn't it extreme to be educating our kids to embrace Marxist notions? Isn't it extremist for a Supreme Court to rule for terrorists and not our safety? Isn't it extremist of Code Pink to continuously insult our soldiers and the goal SO many of them are proud to endorse and fight for? Isn't it extremist to have a media as dishonest and biased as most of ours is? Isn't it extremist for Google and Yahoo search engines to suddenly not link to conservative blogs and other information sources (their own version of the Fairness Doctrine but they don't need a vote to pass it and implement it)? Isn't it extremist for Christianity to be so slammed in every way when the country's 80% Christian? Isn't Al Gore extremist in scaring our children to death with dooms day idiocy and extremist to sign a Kyoto Agreement which could cripple us in so many ways? I could go on and on....so could you.
Isn't it extremist of US, we who share the traditional values of our founding fathers, we who'd do about anything to save America, to sit back and DO NOTHING in the face of all of this?
But, even some of my relatives think I AM EXTREMIST because I'm a registered Republican. They think I only vote Republican, that I don't think, that I watch 'too much FOX' when I watch everything, left and right, and they ONLY watch CNN and MSNBC!, that talk radio hosts are indoctrinating the sheep. This is what we have to fight, but the foothold is SO strong, it's everywhere, that I'm afraid it isn't going to work...or at least that it isn't going to be easy. And can we really do something IN TIME??
It's time now, folks..... What can we do? Are we going to just keep typing our indignant fingers to the bone on blogs and watch ourselves lose our country or are we REALLY going to stand up and insist that things change, that fairness is reinstalled, that Americans wake up?
HOW??! I personally have to begin by not cowering, by standing up and proudly saying I'm a Conservative (which ain't easy in West Los Angeles, TRUST me). I have to get educated enough myself, with quick sound bytes to most of the liberal accusations against Bush. I have to remind them McCain isn't Bush. I have to pretend I like McCAIN! I have to fight to not get Obama elected. I'm even finally going to start taking those "political caller" calls on my phone's display again...and start giving money again. Obama's people are...TONS of it. I have to pray.
Well..maybe this post is to myself........if that's all it is, I think it helped me. I hope it does you, too. Let's all start doing better. Always On Watch has a radio show! Listen to it, tout it. She's REALLY doing something!! All of us bloggers are really DOING SOMETHING, don't get me wrong..............but we have to do more. and quickly. We can't rag on muslims if we're not speaking out, too, right? Start marching, even if that means chatting with your neighbor about your viewpoints.
End of sermon. SAY HALLELUJIAH and AMEN!! thanks for reading this far. You're a pal!
55 comments:
Hallelujah and Amen!
Now lets toast to 2008 with the official sacrimental whine...
Gooooo McCain! ;-)
Just kidding! Really! geeeeeesh!
FJ! That's geeeeeZ.., not geeesh! (haven't you learned that yet!? :-) )!!
as for my whine....it felt good. so there!
Condolences..from a liberal in extremely conservative Idaho! I can sympathize..when everyone else
has opposite views, we tend to think they are crazy.
But bb-idaho (thanks for coming by, by the way), in what ways do you want America to change so drastically? Do you think Obama will better protect us against terrorism or do you think terrorism is highly overrated?
Is it just disgust with the war, everyone not having free healthcare...? What makes you liberal? Because I do think you're crazy! As you do, me!!
very fair comment, by the way.
I like a fair and civil liberal....you're in the minority! (Smile)
I am sorry Z, you are sincere, but sincerely wrong.
Muslims do mean us harm. I know not only from having once been married to a "not all muslims mean us harm mantality" such as yours - to an "ex- muslim husband turned radical because Islam is the only true religion." All Muslims believe that, I know because I lived it and was abused for not accepting it. I have physical scars to prove it.
I lived in Egypt and Saudi Arabia and visited Oman, Jordan. I worked in Egypt for a year, and while in Saudi Arabia had to live under male dominance and oppression.
I took years of physical abuse in hopes of keeping my children out of that horrid marriage together. But in the end my children chose to be Muslim and remain with their father - while it took me a year to find them after he threatened to have me killed. And all his Muslim friends both male and female agreed with him.
I do not consider bloggers whining and that they should do more than just writing on their blog. Do you really believe just because you get out there and tell a neighbor or anyone else for that matter that they would not view you as whining or maybe even nutz? What makes you so sure they would listen to you? Or anyone else? BUT most Do and WILL read BLOGS.
Let me tell you the safest and fastest way to make a change, create a change, effect a change is via blogging.
Just ask Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs or Michelle Malkin. Every media mogal, E.D. Hill for example, has a blog. Salena Zito of the PittsburgLive has a blog - I would say that this is because they know this brings about changes. NOT WHINING Z.
Words bring change. Getting out and doing more is great, but at the end of the day it is the blogs, and the media that actually affect change in D.C. policies most times.
I write what I believe in and what I believe is wrong. If anyone views that as whining they can read elsewhere because I write to provoke change, I write not because I hate, but to educate.
Layla, I would never say all blogging is whining and hoped that was clear.
But, typing and hoping liberals will read conservative blogs is something I'm not sure is worth the hoping. Are you?
My point is we're singing to the choir here..as good as it is, as informative as we hope we are.
I could NEVER begin to understand the muslim thing as well as you do...and, as I said, the Koran DOES instruct to kill the unbelieving infidel, but I know there are people who are born muslim but don't take it to heart. Sadly, there are many Christians and Jews who are also like that towards their religion.
In the case of the muslim non-adherent, that's a very GOOD thing, of course. At this time in America's history, it's the wrong thing for Christians and Jews to be doing.
Thanks for your opinion, I value it, but I do think we need to start small....our blogs are a start (or I wouldn't be DOING this!) and talking to a neighbor, a friend, a relative...that's a great start, too.
Stop hiding our light under the proverbial bushel. That's my point, Layla.
thanks. z
Well, I'm not registered in any party (I stay off as many lists as I can).
I've just studied history and contemporary politics enough to have found that there's never been a rational reason to vote for a Democrat. For any office. Even if they're unopposed.
I tend to vote Republican or Libertarian, depending on the office.
Voting Republican at the top of the ticket would be easier if we were running a Republican.
Thank God the Democrats are running a leftist.
McCain wouldn't have a chance otherwise.
I can sympathize with bb-idaho:
My immediate family and friends are all conservative Bush lovers. I suspect it's because he declared himself saved, and in a couple of cases because of his hawkish nature. I've had to stand up for myself in the midst of opposition.
Z, you're right. Short of a million conservative person march on Washington, we have to do what we can.
Letters to the editor, e-mailing, and calling our representatives on every issue that could impact our freedoms, writing opinions online as we do here, contributing money to our candidates, and lastly, put those bumper stickers on your cars. I tape them inside my rear window.
You can go to your local Republican headquarters, and get the paraphenalia you need, and while there leave a donation to pay for them. If you can, sign up to make phone calls or to distribute brochures.
I'm sure you all know all this already, but, just in case.....
Layla, reading your story affirms what I've believed since I saw muslims the world over, dancing in the streets after 9-11.
They weren't all terrorists, but celebrated the devastation their group visited upon us that day none the less.
Your message is important, and I hope you continue to write about it. I hope today your wounds both physical and emotional are mending. Thank you for sharing your story. All the best to you.
Pris
Here’s the problem
1. MUSLIM extremists attacked the United States of America on 11 September 2001 and MURDERED 3,000 innocent people.
2. At the same time President Bush announced his war on terror, he told the American people to go back to sleep, and continue to live their lives as they always had. So the generation of gutless, lazy, stupid, and materialistic people did exactly that. Hey, it wasn’t THEIR war on terror – it was Bush’s.
3. Since then, the only people who have been asked to sacrifice anything in the cause of freedom are the men and women who serve in uniform, and their families who suffer their loss. It is the supreme disconnect – and nothing like the UNITY we experienced after the Japanese attack in 1941.
4. Bush’s failure to UNITE the American people has allowed leftists to split this nation apart even further. They are, therefore, dangerous snakes who took a horrible incident, and plied it into political advantages. Should I mention, this is the party of OBAMA, who if not a Black Muslim, is an outright Marxist – which amounts to the same thing.
As Zee has pointed out in this essay, it is past time for true patriots to get off their butts and do something about what is happening in this country. Speak out, write to members of congress, call them, and send letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Stand up to the teachers and principles who bar veterans from speaking to students, who deny military recruiters the opportunity to speak to student bodies. Demand to know why school officials deny patriots access to classrooms, while Muslim propagandists have a standing invitation.
This is OUR country . . . and as a people, we’d better start acting like we value it. If we don’t have the courage to do that, then you know what? We don’t deserve such a wonderful country. I’m old now . . . so I won’t be here in another 20 years – but it galls me to think that this nation so many brave men and women have died for will fall into the hands of communists or Muslim extremists, or illegal aliens, simply because WE refused to confront the enemy at home. Vote for a socialist like Barak Obama, or Ted Kennedy, or John Kerry, or Nancy Pelosi, or that idiot Jack Murtha? Not on your life. And I’ll conclude by saying if WE give up our country to the likes of these miserable cretins, shame on all of us.
Mustang, Beautifully said. We must resist in every way, or all is lost.
Pris
Z, it's called a rant...very healthy, every once in a while. I've even been known to do it.
Don't ever be ashamed of being right, even when others tell you in excrutiating detail how wrong you are.
Because you ARE right!
tmw
sue, for a W. L.A. girl, it's refreshing to hear about conservatives out there! SOMEWHERE!
A LITTLE insulting to suggest it's because Bush says he's 'saved' or 'hawkish', but I swallowed hard and got thru it, girl!! You know, REALLY REALLY bright people are on Bush's side on a LOT more than 'hawkish' and I'd venture a guess some are atheists..i know tons are Jews, I know a lot of those 'unsaveds' myself!
Well..I love sparring with you (and hope to more with bb, too...) because I like civil disagreement.....
so I can beat you down and finally make you cry "I LOVE REPUBLICANS!" (smile!)
TMW...thanks...we all have to do it from time to time...yes.
Priscilla..all good suggestions and yes, Layla's REALLY gone thru it and her story is something all need to read and heed. Click on her blog, you'll be glad you did.
Mustang....I believe it's partly Bush's fault about not unifying this country but I'd love to know what suddenly changed everybody from post-9/11 flag wavers (i didn't live in this country during 9/11 and missed all the great patriotism I hear happened) to the hateful, unpatriotics they are now.
Didn't the left REALIZE that the world was hearing them? BinLaden was hearing them? ALl terrorists are rejoicing? Isn't there SOME substance to that argument? Maybe you want to SHUT UP when you're slamming your own country at a time of terrorism?
I guess the first answer to why they hate him is that Bush attacked Iraq...but I don't know if that's all it is.
I'm not sure when I heard this, we moved back from Paris in Dec 2002, so I don't know what this was, but Donohue and Brokaw were talking on TV one day (maybe I saw it on CNN International in Europe?) and lamenting how ridiculous people are who wear flag lapel pins as if that "makes them better patriots"...it was SO discouraging to hear, SO demeaning, the SMUGNESS, that PHil Donohue smirk and Brokaw slurring through how silly the flag pin is........it disheartened me in a way I hadn't realized possible. I didn't recognize this country! It made me see how ugly some Americans can be. And how powerful. The 'greats' of American journalists, huh? So, that has a LOT to do with the disunity, too. THEY are the ones lamenting "why doesn't Europe LOVE us!?" and blaming it on BUSH! It's laughable.
Let me add that PATRIOT isn't the word it used to be now....now it seems to stand for UNTHINKING, SILLY, OVERLY RELIGIOUS, HAWKISH and NAIVE. This is a huge problem. "Thanks, Professors.."
I'll quit now. I just thank you all for your comments. z
Enjoyed the post, Z.
I think it is crucial in the election year, in particular, that everyone truly interested must be involved, even if the effort put forth is small in their own mind. Everything builds up and amounts to an outcome.
For years I've been more interested in politics on the national level, not so much the state and local levels. Now, it's very important to me to keep my state Red, so I'm doing whatever I can for the re-election of one of our Senators and my Congressman.
And, working on the state and local levels insures stronger national candidates.
What I recall about the great flag pin controversy was that some media twits (the American haters) were discussing how inappropriate it is for journalists to display the American flag on their lapel, or for those embedded with troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, to wear a flag patch on their clothing. I recall this discussion because at the time, my son was in college earning a degree in journalism. And the supposition put forth by media twits is that when someone becomes a journalist, he is foremost a citizen of the world, with no allegiance to any country or political ideology. Of course, such a proposition is piffle. I didn’t realize (then) that one day, a black man would announce his candidacy for the presidency and refuse to wear a lapel pin, or cross his heart during the National Anthem (signs of respect), or that such a person would be married to a 47-year-old woman who could only be proud of America after her husband became a presidential candidate. Silly me.
As I intimated above, Bush opened the door to disunity in this country when he failed to rally our country behind the war on terror – and I think it was stupid on his part. On the other hand, who could imagine that socialist democrats would throw that door wide open for their own anti-American purposes? And you know, what the Democrats have done to this country is why long time Zell Miller supported Bush in his bid for reelection. Miller claimed that he never left his party; his party left him. I regard Miller a true hero because he put COUNTRY above political party. He is the exception to the rule.
You (and Mr. Zee) are making a difference – and I hope you’ll continue writing. All of us can do more. All of us should. All of us MUST.
Semper Fi
Without meaning disrespect to layla, who I'm familiar with as a commenter on Gayle's blog at Dragon Lady's Den, and understanding she has a fairly unique perspective, I must disagree with those fellow conservatives who think that anyone who doesn't recognize Islam as "evil" is towing the PC-line of "Islam is a religion of peace", and behaving as an apologist and enabler for Islamic terror, by defending the good Muslims who are out there. I've posted quite a bit on this topic in the last year, breaking lances with other conservatives.
If we are going to win the long war, it will be achieved by having Muslim allies who recognize we face a common threat
Otherwise, what the hell are we doing helping Muslims in Iraq? Muslims who are being slaughtered by al Qaeda in Iraq?
Blogging CAN make a difference. The huge bloggers are an exception, however. And even some of those whom we consider the big bloggers don't reach far enough. Case in point: One time Pamela Geller phoned into Rush Limbaugh's show; he didn't even know who she was and had never heard of Atlas Shrugs. Not that Limbaugh is the whole ball of wax, of course.
Most of us who blog have a limited readership and, therefore, end up preaching to the choir.
Now, preaching to the choir is good for supporting one another and for boosting morale. But we need to go beyond that blogging. Those additional steps vary from person to person, as some commenters here have indicated.
IMO, the necessary key is effective political leadership, particularly in the political realm. That kind of leadership is sorely lacking.
Obama knows that the blogosphere can interfere with his ability to get elected. And he and his surrogates are working very hard in the blogosphere. Well funded, too, I suppose. I don't see conservatives similarly united.
All that said, I can tell you from personal experience that fighting to "get our country back" is exhausting work. I'm suffering from burn-out these days.
Z,I think they hated Bush from the moment he won the 2000 election. I also think they decided to destroy his credibility any way they could. In their minds it was Al Gore's to lose. And he did.
It didn't matter what he did, it would have been the wrong thing.
The fact that the Iraq war didn't go better sooner, helped them. However not enough to affect his re-election in '04. In fact at that point the war probably was a factor in his re-election. Also, Kerry was a weak candidate.
Anyway, that's how I see it.
Pris
Hey Z, thanks for coming to my blog and leaving a comment! My blog is all about the rant and that is where people connect. Emotion and passion speak loudly even in disagreement. Nicely done! I am a Bush fan. Not because he is saved, but because he is not swayed by polls. He hasn't unified our country because I believe communication is difficult for him and he is losing a propaganda war stacked against him by the media. 2000 was a roadblock for many of dems and they can't see through hurt feelings and perceptions of that episode. History will be kind to Bush as I see the Iraq war as an important part of the war on terror...thanks again for the great read and for commentin on my blog! I am blogrolling you...would love to be on yours! :)N
This isn’t my blog, but I would like to address Wordsmith, who I believe makes an important observation about the situation we find ourselves in . . .
First, we need to understand that the United States Government did not initiate an invasion of Iraq to rescue Muslims from their despot. The invasion was predicated upon actionable intelligence suggesting that the government of Iraq was a facilitator for global terrorism, and the mission was to remove Saddam Hussein from power. That mission achieved, subsequent “nation building” in Iraq did involve conflict involving a known terrorist network (Al-Qaeda) and sectarian violence associated with religious elements. In a nation that consists of 98% Muslim inhabitants, civil war must involve Muslims killing Muslims. But we are not there to save Muslims; we are there to guarantee the re-constitution of a government. On a personal level, I have little confidence that 20 years from now, another petty dictator will raise his head and return Iraq to what seems to be its “natural state.” Should that happen, we can only conclude our young warriors will have died for nothing.
Second, most of realize that there are “kooks” associated with any religion. A number of idiots like Jim Jones and David Koresh plague us from time to time. However, there is nothing in the Christian Bible that demands abhorrent behaviors, and indeed most of those behaviors were cultish rather than formed to a formal belief system. Islam, on the other hand, even recognizing sectarian differences, does appear to direct violence upon non-believers, demands secretive relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, sanctions the abuse of women (according to western standards), and demands loyalty to Shari’ah Law forsaking all other legal systems and standards. Moreover, Mosques in the United States (and all across Western Europe) (most of which are funded and directed by Wahabbists clerics in Saudi Arabia) are engaged in radical/extremist activities ranging from serious to plain scary.
Islam is not transparent, as with other religions. There is no question that Islam poses a bona fide threat to western society; I believe this is “by design” akin to psychological operations. My belief in the existence of a real and present danger was affirmed by former CIA Director James Woolsey (several years ago), and more recently in an article written by Marc Sageman (Homegrown Jihad). We may assume that most Muslims are “moderate,” but it may be a dangerous assumption. A moderate Muslim is, by definition, apostate. Finally, the idea of covert operations is to remain undetected. You cannot blame Americans for being wary of those whose oath is predicated on non-western ideology. And now, my apology to Zee for taking up so much space.
nikki... guess we could say "misery likes company!?" (ha!) So much misery these days in politics! thanks! I'd be happy to blogroll you and thanks for doing the same, I appreciate that.
Mustang, you could never say too much here...I hope you are wrong and SOME muslims (a tiny minority at least?) can be trusted...muslims who couldn't care less about their 'religion'? i think so. Born to islam, but living here......I am SURE there are muslims who don't want our death. I am NOT sure we can ask for any muslim's allegiance, as Wordsmith hopes, I just don't see how they can PROVE they're loyal!! How can we KNOW? What if we trust them with information ..and....... not a good deal.
I'm sorry I gave a wrong representation of my feelings about islam as there IS nobody more disdainful and anxious about islam, believe me...I can't say that enough, I guess!?
Mustang, you describe the Iraq war, etc., well...I certainly hope that Iraq isn't returned to it's 'natural state'.....ever.
We MUST BEAT THE MEDIA. THAT's the only way we can win anything.
They talked America out of this war, IMAGINE the strength that gives the terrorist! We've all seen how Iran uses OUR weaknesses, playing to our Left..it's almost laughable if it weren't so dangerous. Quoting our lefty journalists, threatening that "if you don't LEAVE, there will be MORE trouble" (Where does the Left think they get THAT from!!?!? They're DNC talking points!) They talked America into Obama. There's some joker at FPM insisting the MEDIA supports McCain...THIS is how left OUR left can be!
We have to hold the media's feet to the fire but we're NOT. pure and simple. How much traction do you think the Chris Dodd lower mortgage rate from Countrywide is going to get? ANY? He saved $75K on his mortgage WHILE investing Countrywide, his OWN mortgage holder!!!!!!!!
Republicans are too kind, not shell shocked ENOUGH to do anything that would show Americans we ARE the party to help America..no, we just keep doing things the left is supposed to approve of, trying to garner favor, yet never learning they HATE US...GIVE IT UP! It's like the definition of INSANITY: Keep doing what you've been doing but somehow expecting adifferent outcome from all those other times!!
AOW...I mentioned your radio show at the end of my piece, you ARE doing things, BIG things, to fight for us....we need to step up, too. The small bloggers are incestuous and prop each other up, which I REALLY appreciate...but it's not getting to the MASSES...
we need to work. GET GOING, everyone!!
Even a "million man conservative march" on the Capital would just get ignored by the dinosaur media. We're just going to have to defeat them the way we always do, on election day.
Z,
Blogging is a good thing, we did not really have blogging in pre 9-11 days.( not to the degree it is now)
And even right after 9-11 went down, it was not quite to the point it is now,but now....Listen,
call me silly and foolish, but I see it as another theatre of war.
Most battles are fought in the mind, Z..never forget that.
Yes, the masses sit in front of the televisions sucking up their marching orders, but not everyone, and the numbers who blog or read blogs is growing.
The mind has to be right and prepared, Z , then the battle can be won.
If you don't believe me, think back to WWII or VietNam, Tokyo Rose, Saigon Sally...
Stand tall, scream it out loud and proud.
I love AMERICA and I do not want to see it turn into an OBAMANATION.
Obama is all red, all the time.
By the way, just read he is moving his headquarters to Chicago.
WVDOTTR
WV Dotter...REALLY? Obama headquarters to CHICACO...Al Caponeville. perfect.
Obama has been groomed by SOMEONE: even with his own incredible and very obvious ambitions to take over he couldn't have swung things THIS much in his direction all by his lonesome. I think it's Soros, but that might be a cheap and easy shot. It's obvious that he worked the Chicago machine by milking Wright, Pleger, Rezko, Ayers, etc.. The most duplicitous, egotistical, misrepresenting Marxist around and we're looking at a chance to have him as OUR PRESIDENT. Imagine?
But, oh..do NOT criticize the wife..THAT, suddenly (according to the 'messiah') is SO off limits.
He SURE does call the shots, huh? Him and his pseudo egotistical new obama presidential SEAL?
grrrr
you are right about Rush Limbaugh not being the whole ball of wax - he is really just a ball of hot air
Sue, I don't listen to him too much, but that hot air's usually dead on.
You should give it a go. I let his hot air get in the way for a long time, but once I listened I was grateful to get ANY other side than OUR MEDIA's......
I mean, we're living in a world where thousands of people descended on Bali for a conference on Global warming and nobody with a dissenting opinion was invited! This is what our world's shaping up to! That's not HOT AIR??!!!
Thank goodness we have people who tell another side...there IS one, ya know. it's hidden by the media, but it's there.
Here are a few bumper stickers for your consideration:
McCAIN MUST REIGN!
AVOID PAIN. VOTE McCAIN!
VOTE BARACK and WIND UP in a SHACK!
SEND OBAMA BACK to his MAMA!
DON'T ABSTAIN. VOTE McCAIN!
Mustang said, We may assume that most Muslims are “moderate,” but it may be a dangerous assumption. A moderate Muslim is, by definition, apostate.
Therein lies the problem with and the threat of Islam.
Many Moslems are nominal when it comes to Islam. They are not a threat as long as they remain nominal. But what happens when a nominal Moslem experiences a revival?
One of the biggest problems with Islam is that the more recent verses of the Koran abrogate (cancel) the earlier verses. The recent verses are the marching orders -- what is commonly referred to as "militant Islam" or "Islamism." In sum, the Koran codifies militant jihad and the support thereof. This is an uncomfortable fact that I've come to accept.
Some Moslems, including Dr. Tawfik Hamid, are working to reform Islam. Some other like him are trying as well. And what is the upshot of their efforts? They have to live in Secure Undisclosed Locationville, even here in the United States.
Can there be a successful reformation of Islam? Ali Sina of Faith Freedom doesn't think so. From this source on June 19, 2008:
"The only way to reform Islam is to throw away the Koran; 90 percent of it should be thrown away. You also have to throw away the history of Islam, and you have to completely disregard the Sira" - the Arabic term used for the various traditional Muslim biographies of Muhammad, from which most historical information about his life and the early period of Islam is derived.
For this reason, Sina says, Western suggestions that extremism in Islam can be eradicated if certain imams are quieted, or if Muslims are encouraged to embrace the universalist elements of their faith - but without addressing the extremism inherent in the religion's texts - are based on a mistaken comparison of Islam to Christianity.
Certainly, Ali Sina has very strong views.
Here's something else to be aware of: Differing Definitions. I wrote about that topic a while back. See this.
Some Moslems today are condemning the violence of AQ. Good! But that condemnation doesn't mean that these same Moslems want to act and live as Westerners and embrace our ideals of freedom. The Koran clearly creates two classes of people: Moslems and others.
We also have the matter of the caliphate. From this January 2006 article in the Washington Post:
"[T]he caliphate is also esteemed by many ordinary Muslims....Muslims regard themselves as members of the umma, or community of believers, that forms the heart of Islam. And as earthly head of that community, the caliph is cherished both as memory and ideal, interviews indicate."
I blogged that article and added additional sources and information. See this.
Finally, we infidels can wish all we want for Islam to change its tenets. All that wishing in the world won't change the reality. And it is also useful to remember this Arab proverb (paraphrase): "It's me and my brother against our cousin. And when we finish our cousin off, it's me and my brother against each other."
Oh, and lest we think that militant Islam is a relatively new phenomenon, read what John Adams and Washington Irving had to say centuries ago. And look at the history of the expansion of Islam -- by the sword.
"I have to get educated enough myself, with quick sound bytes to most of the liberal accusations against Bush."
Go for it Z, may i suggest some good reading material. Conservative comebacks to liberal lies by Gregg Jackson. It's got a lot in there, point by scarifying point.
AOW....so what do we do? I'm TOTALLY on your side on this subject (I never thought of that revival type of thing here and that could happen with nominal muslims, tho I personally doubt it would get more traction than the Christian revival most people would like t0o see happen here!)...
What do you propose? Send all muslims back to their countries? What do we do with those born here, send them somewhere?
Ban Islam?
I"m honestly curious because I believe we DO need something like this!
Have you read any do-able proposals? Have you any of your own? Can America spend the future worrying and chastising and trying to fight CAIR, etc.?
MK....we ALL need to get that book. I'm going to order it today.
WE NEED TO BE ARMED with what to SAY, especially for this election.
thanks. z
EVERYONE....To augment our discussion here, and to help us with those talking points I and so many of you believe we need to fight back against the constant obama mischaracterizations, please go to Heidianne's blog (on my blogroll under BigGirlPants) and see a terrific piece answering Obama's video about HOW good he'll be for our military and other ridiculous statements........excellent stuff there.
Thanks, Heidianne!
FROM HEIDIANNE:
wow - so many emotions running through my body as i read your original post, z, and then all of the follow-ups.
everyone has valid points but i have to agree with layla - i don't believe that there is a single muslim who doesn't want our country to fail so that they can take over. paranoid? maybe, but just because i'm paranoid, doesn't mean their not out to get me.
it does make me struggle with what will happen with the people of iraq and afghanistan - maybe by allying with them and teaching them that we're not out to destroy their "religion" they will side with us with the time comes to stand up against their radical leaers? i just don't know.
remember that prior to rounding up of all the jews in germany (and then repeated in several other countries) the jews didn't believe that all nazis meant harm to them. maybe not, but they valued their membership in the nazi party more than their membership in the human race and in the end they did what they were told to do. as will the muslims.
also important to remember that the "radical" muslims don't view the moerate (or lukewarm) among them as true muslims. if they on't get on board with the radicals at somepoint, they will be murdered along with the infidels.
on to mustang, to be fair kind sir, bush didn't really stand a chance in hell of uniting the country for the long hall after 9/11. nearly immediately the msm started castigating the u.s. and demonizing those who were flying the flag. when the ONLY press bush could get was bad press how was he supposed to unite the entire country?
following pearl harbor, the press AND hollywood jumped into the fray to [mostly] support the united states, the allies and the war effort in general. sure there were dissenters, but for the most part flag waving was the number one pasttime for both the msm and hollywood. a number of actors, sports figures, musicians, comediens, and singers even joined the war effort - whether it was in battle or wholehearted support through the uso.
a partial list was:
ronald reagan, clark gable, jimmy stewart, bob hope, joe dimaggio, eddie albert, noel coward, ian fleming, david niven, desi arnez, glenn miller, bob barker. from the journalists there were david brinkley, andy rooney, and harry reasoner. many of the people in the limelight are still alive and are now against the u.s. war effort. what happens to people to make them so eager to embrace what they fought against in their younger days?
aow, is right on target with her comments on needing to go farther. but what does "farther" look like? i call, i write, i harass but does it help? i sure hope so... barack is well funded - and his reach into the powers of google and yahoo and their summary disconnect from conservative bloggers is very telling. where is the aclu fighting for OUR rights as conservatives to be heard???
she's also dead-on accurate (per usual) with her observations on whether or not islam can be reformed. i have read the cources she cites and have to agree with her conclusions - as said as i am to state that.
but what to do about it all? i've long advocated for an ammendment to our constitution defining religion. we have to be certain that we have a definition of religion that excludes any religion that places it's rules and laws above the rules and laws of the state(s).
islam surely does that and should not be recognized - the same fate should be afforded to any other "religion" who thinks itself more important than caeser... but whom will be the brave soul to introduce it to the u.s. congress? and once introduced would it stand a snowball's chance in hell of surviving to the ratification phase? i have confidence that the majority of americans would happily ratify it, but i don't think we will be given a chance.
i certainly don't have any answer, z, but i keep fighting and pryaing and talking and typing. not sure what else i can do. i, too, am feeling a trifle tired, aow...
z, i was having some problems posting my comment - not sure why it has the double spacing between paragraphs - sorry! can you fix it?
Heidianne, I didn't know others are noticing the Google Yahoo thing...I just tried to Google about MOnckton's disagreement with Gore on global change and all those pieces are GONE....you have to REALLY dig to find the pro Monckton stuff and it was THERE before, when it was happening..GONE, HEidianne..GONE.
I understand Frontpagemag is also losing their people because of this...one could get directed there for conservative thought/opinion. About 4 months ago, FPM started losing commenters and they're now down to approx 1/4 of their normal amount of comments, after 7 years of really high volume I've witnessed.
THIS should be commented on, but IT IS NOT, or only in conservative blogs...WHAT good is that?
And this is the kind of thing we could show FACTUALLY..."THIS ISN"T THERE ANYMORE..WHY NOT?" But, no..Conservaitves are not reacting big enough.
I'll be back later...have at it, folks! z
Heidianne...I should have fixed it, but just published it..no problem.
You're welcome here with or without perfect paragraph spacing!!
Z wrote:
"Stop hiding our light under the proverbial bushel. That's my point, Layla."
*******
Your point is well taken but perhaps a word of advise here from a journalism major - no offense, but it is best when one writes they speak for themselves and not for the majority or lump "all" under the proverbial bushel that perhaps you view yourself under.
I see myself as a positive, progressive, educated writer that as I said before - educates.
I am not saying we should not be doing other things, but I do not have to sing my own accomplishments for others to know I am not just singing to the choir.
But if you want a list of what I do outside of and aside from blogging politically meet me at the Hill.
You know, the real HILL, The Capitol Hill - I'll introduce you to the rest of us that know we are not "hiding our light under the proverbial bushel."
No offense Z it is just I find your remarks not only offensive, but assuming and it is these sorts of blog posts that belittle the cause of people like me that do not toot our horns so people like you know we are "really out there" doing something to affect a change.
Layla
Layla, you've drawn quite some conclusions from what I wrote!
If you're doing more than most of us, I applaud you, why anything else!?!!
Good luck to you, Layla. And take care.
And, by the way, the piece wasn't written directed at you, Layla...The line about the bushel certainly applies to most of us...not you, apparently! I think it's fair to encourage all of us to do more, whatever it can be.
thanks.z
Layla, Perhaps because of your jounalistic background, you see things more as a reporter, but, here, as on most blogs, it is a given that what is presented by almost all posters, is commentary.
Commentary, I believe is understood as opinion. Usually the opinion of the poster. I don't think any here believe it's necessary to state we're speaking for ourselves. I believe that's obvious.
There may be a bit of free-wheeling now and then, but, that just makes it more interesting and sometimes, even fun.
Fun is allowed, even on blogs. My background involves no formal education in jounalism, yet we laymen enjoy the privilege of comparing notes, and ideas on a venue such as this, and yes a place to vent when the mood strikes. A pleasure that, before the internet, we didn't have.
I thank Z for the opportunity, and her excellent work with GEEEZ!, which allows us all to be ourselves.
Pris
As they down here in the south, "talk to me Z!"
Outstanding sermon!
Personally I've been VERY active with the Americans For Prosperity. The FL director, Dan Quiggle lives next door, and they just flew one of their global warming "Hot Ait Tour" baloons over Algore's estate in Nashville. He told me they had a bitch of a time with permitting for that overflight, BUT THEY DID IT!
Conservatism may be in exile with McCain in charge of the party, but we just might have to drag his liberal ass along!@
Keep the great sermons coming!
Morgan
Priscilla, thanks so much. I read my piece over and it still seems to me I was telling HOW I FEEL and knowing others must feel similar, but knowing, too, that others are in a position where they can do far more than all of us can do. I applaud those with the opportunity and implore ALL of us, including ME, to do much more!
Morgan, thanks for doing that in YOUR community!
Talking about Al Gore, I just saw Hannity's show and some Republican politician from CA (yes, we still DO have them!!) named Nunez said he traveled up to ANWR and flew overhead expecting to see the pristene beauty and roving caribou which the left says should prohibit us from that nasty, dirty drilling, only to see 19 MILLION MILES of TUNDRA.....cold, ice......there's a town called DEAD HORSE and he said "That's where your horse dies".......Did you see it? they showed the PINPIONT of where the Republicans have wanted to drill there and you'd burst out laughing it's such an infinitesimal pinpoint on the map! 100 MILLION gallons a DAY we'd be getting, but nooooooooooooo, the Liberals can't have THAT. America DOESN'T DESERVE it!!
Morgan, thanks for working as hard as you do for the cause..
Priscilla.......thanks for your words.
bless you. z
we should call ourselves "code mink" and wear davy crockett coonskin hats to all occasions...
hey, it's a thought!
why not get ALL the people pist at u.s. at once?!?
bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahaha!
*80
p.s. you were meant to blog - i've never seen a site take off this well in the past two years - my commendation! and thankx for visiting gaubatz; he'll be a very good ally in the war on idiots.
nanc, thank you SO much. That's just great to hear! You know Elbro talked me into this and I'm SO glad he did.
This whole thing wouldn't have done at all well had it not been for 'our group', you know that...your support's been aces. Thanks a million.
I appreciate everyone who comes here so much. Mink hats and all!!
xxx
I don't have anything to add, but . . .
I just wanted Zee's comments to . . .
TOP the 50 mark on this one.
Semper Fi
HOOOOWAAA, Mustang! You crack me UP!
Do you know I had something like 120 comments on the Mormon pedophile thing when it was happening?
I hear tell Brooke had over a THOUSAND on an article and she had something like 500 last week...i think nanc had 400 a few weeks ago, too.
Amazing! It is fun, isn't it...it's just so great to have smart people sharing thoughts...
no doubt about it!
Layla, you've drawn quite some conclusions from what I wrote!
If you're doing more than most of us, I applaud you, why anything else!?!!
Good luck to you, Layla. And take care.
Thanks, we can all use good luck, but being blessed is a whole lot better.
I only drew conclusions because of what you wrote. You must take responsibility for that. Do not put it on me. I take responsibility for all I write on my blog and realize that others will draw their own conclusions irregardless whether I agree with them or not.
So I am ask you, why more?
That is what journalism, reporting and blogging is about - do not take is so personally.
I always try to grow from what is interjected in my comment section unless of course it is vile, which I get a lot of dhimmis who write horrid things none of us should be subject to.
Beyond that, this was my take from the way I viewed your essay - if you liked it or not. It was my opinion, not a personal attack on you - so please do not take it that way.
I am heady - spirited - fiesty - opinionated and a citizen journalist that speaks her mind.
You either love me or hate. Its your choice. I really don't care either way. That's who I am - no time for pettiness and playing around with or mincing words.
G-d bless you and I am praying you understand what I am saying and not twist it otherwise.
Thanks! Best to you always Z!
Layla
Layla...thanks for your additional comment...take good care! z
Z,
(I never thought of that revival type of thing here and that could happen with nominal muslims, tho I personally doubt it would get more traction than the Christian revival most people would like t0o see happen here!)...
There are several documented cases, but I don't have any links to share right now.
Young Moslems and middle-aged Moslems, the latter group concerned about facing their Maker, are those most often "revived."
and AOW... you must have ideas about how you'd like to see this scourage handled...what do you think? PC and NON PC......
Post a Comment