Monthly Archives: January 2014

Obamacare, Politics, Religion

Islam’s Contribution To America

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Had an engaging conversation today on my Facebook page over a letter floating around which I posted that warned that Obamacare was about to force closure of many faith-based (Catholic) organizations, or shift the financial burden to taxpayers to make up for the loss. It was also very insensitive to Islam. Insensitive in the respect that it drew comparisons between what the faith-based organizations do, compared to those that Islam do, or don’t do. And the comparisons were blatantly stark.

It also made references to President Obama’s statements that the U.S.A. is not a Christian nation. The exact quote was “not just a Christian nation.” There’s a difference in meaning between what the letter had and what Obama said. That said, it didn’t take away from the comparisons. It also posed this question: “Have you ever seen a Muslim do anything that contributes positively to the American way of life?” That’s when things got interesting.

I suppose that was a reference to Obama’s statement at the Ramadan dinner in The White House when he mentioned Muslim contributions in America.

In this year’s greeting, Mr. Obama said the rituals of Ramadan “remind us of the principles that we hold in common and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings. Ramadan is a celebration of a faith known for great diversity and racial equality. And here in the United States, Ramadan is a reminder that Islam has always been part of America and that American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country.”

That Islam has had a major role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings may come as a surprise to Muslim women. Young Afghan girls who are having acid thrown in their faces on the way to school might want to offer their perspectives. That Islam is “known” for diversity and racial equality is also a bit of a reach. This certainly does not refer to religious diversity, which is nonexistent in many Muslim-majority states. This is a plaudit better reserved for a speech at the opening of a synagogue in Mecca. 

Most puzzling is the president’s claim that “Islam has always been part of America.” Islam had no influence on the origins and development of the United States. It contributed nothing to early American political culture, art, literature, music or any other aspect of the early nation.

Maybe the President was thinking of convenience store and gas station operators, but I was thinking in terms of the founding of our country and its development. I mean, when he goes out of his way to diminish the role of Christianity in the founding of the country to a Muslim audience, the question begs an answer.

I know of only ONE thing that Muslim’s are responsible for that contributed to “the American way of life.” The founding of the Marines in November 1775 during the times of the Second Continental Congress. Before George Washington became our first President. Their contribution was their pirating merchant ships, stealing the cargo and killing the crews in the Mediterranean Sea. As the Marine anthem goes “From the Halls of Montezuma To the Shores of Tripoli…” They were formed to protect shipping from pirates at first. Then grew into a force that can protect our country. That’s what I see as their contribution to America and our way of life. Your mileage may vary. If so, please use the comment section to add your two cents.

I welcome any local Imam to respond on what he (I don’t think they have female Imams) sees as their contribution. Not Fethullah Gulen, exiled in the Poconos, who runs schools to indoctrinate Muslim Brotherhood acolytes. They have nothing to do with the American way of life. Well, other than using the freedom of religion here to avoid jail in Turkey.

Example of Islam tolerance, “remind us of the principles that we hold in common and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings; Catholic Pakistani Mother Jailed for Blasphemy Thanks Pope for His Prayers, Says Only God Can Free Her . And from President Obama? Crickets.

Link: Barbary Pirates Demanded Tribute, Thomas Jefferson Chose to Fight

 

Politics

2013, Political Year In Review

Americans saw an administration that campaigned on being the most transparent in history and has proved to be anything but. Not only that, but they have used the power and instruments of the government to target, and punish whoever it deems to be a political opponent. All while limiting our personal and economic freedom by taking over sixteen percent of the private sector economy.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Obama administration believes it can do anything by saying anything. If they give a good enough speech, then that should be it. When he assigns someone to handle something, like Vice President Joe Biden, or a special committee to investigate something, then it’s done. Problem solved. Then when they actually have to do something, they come up totally and terminally incompetent. They go about manufacturing the news, suppressing the truth, ridiculing those who speak the truth, marginalizing and demonizing those who challenge their facts. 

We saw a willingness to lie to the American people, and create their own “facts” for purely political purposes as in Benghazi. And the President said “We Will Not Waver In Our Commitment To See That Justice Is Done For This Terrible Act. And Make No Mistake, Justice Will Be Done.”

The broad NSA data collection that President Obama says is not abused. That our government does not intercept personal emails or phone calls. Really? Ask General Petraeus or Chief Justice Roberts about that. They systematically go about robbing the American people of privacy and therefor liberty.

Then there’s this new NSA revelation . . .

A German magazine lifted the lid on the operations of the National Security Agency’s hacking unit Sunday, reporting that American spies intercept computer deliveries, exploit hardware vulnerabilities, and even hijack Microsoft Corp.’s internal reporting system to spy on their targets. Der Spiegel’s revelations relate to a division of the NSA known as Tailored Access Operations, or TAO, which is painted as an elite team of hackers specializing in stealing data from the toughest of targets. And a lot more.

Now of course you would expect the Obama administration to say that is only for foreign intelligence gathering. That it would never be used to spy on Americans. Wouldn’t you?

The Department of Justice wiretaps news media reporters. In the case of James Rosen, they wiretapped his parents too! And the President says that was wrong.  

The IRS targeting conservative groups for audits and, for delaying tax exempt applications for years and claiming that it was just the actions of a few “rogue” employees in the agency’s Cincinnati office. And the President says that was wrong.

New news that the personal e-mail account of a State Department whis­tle­­blower was hacked, and four years worth of messages — some detailing alleged wrongdoing at the agency — were deleted. But the President said that we would never hack into the email account of an American citizen.

And it’s all politics. And what it means is that for 2013, the Constitution of this country and the liberty with it, evaporated.

H/T Roger Hedgecock