Islam 101 – Geert Wilders

Islam 101

Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, chairman Party for Freedom, in the Netherlands, speaking at the Four Seasons, New York, while introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the “Facing Jihad Conference” in Jerusalem. The speech was sponsored by the Hudson Institute on September 25, 2008.

Allow me to give you a brief Islam 101.  The first thing you need to know about Islam is the importance of the book of the Quran.  The Quran is Allah’s personal word, revealed by an angel to Mohammed, the prophet.  This is where the trouble starts.  Every word in the Quran is Allah’s word and therefore not open to discussion or interpretation.  It is valid for every Muslim and for all times.   Therefore, there is no such a thing as moderate Islam.

Sure, there are a lot of moderate Muslims.  But a moderate Islam is non-existent.  The Quran calls for hatred, violence, submission, murder, and terrorism.  The Quran calls for Muslims to kill non-Muslims, to terrorize non-Muslims and to fulfil their duty to wage war: violent jihad. Jihad is a duty for every Muslim,  Islam is to rule the world – by the sword.  The Quran is clearly anti-Semitic, describing Jews as monkeys and pigs.

The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet.  His behaviour is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized.  Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one,  there would be no problem.  But Mohammed was a warlord,  a mass murderer,  a pedophile,  and had several marriages – at the same time.

Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles,  how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed.  Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza.  He advised on matters of slavery, but never advised to liberate slaves.  Islam has no other morality than the advancement of Islam.  If it is good for Islam, it is good.   If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.  There is no gray area or other side.

The Quran, as Allah’s own word and Mohammed, as the perfect man, are the two most important facets of Islam.  Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion.  Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins.  But in its essence Islam is a political ideology.  It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person.  Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means ’submission’.   Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia.  If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.

This is what you need to know about Islam, in order to understand what is going on in Europe. For millions of Muslims the Quran and the life of Mohammed are not 14 centuries old, but are an everyday reality, an ideal that guides every aspect of their lives.

This full speech is on the archieves at Jihad Watch

Geert Wilder’s speech given in Jerusalem “The Jihad against Israel is the Jihad against the West.”.  on Andrew Bostom’s blog.

Geert Wilder’s courageous  speech before the Dutch Parliment can be read on The Navy Seals site.

Anyone who wants to argue or debate what is really going on in Europe, needs to heed Mr. Wilders words.

In the interest of presenting both sides of the argument,  I am putting up the YouTube that commenter, Mr Khan posted.  It does present it in a very well done way.  Thank you Mr. Khan.

Update: For the UK point of view one should read Centurean2 – Taking a Stand

Pakistan’s Swat Valley becomes “Valley of Fear”

For those who may wonder about what is happening in Pakistan, this story will help you understand why so many Afghans were glad to see the utterly insane Taliban run out of their country.  Read through these excerpts and read the whole article here, and think about how much fun it would be to live under Sharia Law or die, because that is the goal of Islamic extremists.  Keep in mind that these terrorists are killing and terrorizing other muslims simply because they want to obey the laws of their government.

Scenic Pakistani valley falls to Taliban militants

(excerpts from full article follow)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Taliban militants are beheading and burning their way through Pakistan’s picturesque Swat Valley, and residents say the insurgents now control most of the mountainous region outside the lawless tribal areas where jihadists thrive.

“You can’t imagine how bad it is,” said Muzaffar ul-Mulk, a federal lawmaker whose home
in Swat was attacked by bomb-toting assailants in mid-December, weeks after he left.
“It’s worse day by day.

A suicide blast killed 40 people Sunday at a polling station in Buner, an area bordering
Swat that had been relatively peaceful. The attack underscored fears that even so-called
“settled” regions presumptively under government control are increasingly unsafe.

Swat’s militants are led by Maulana Fazlullah, a cleric who rose to prominence through
radio broadcasts demanding the imposition of a harsh brand of Islamic law. His appeal
tapped into widespread frustration with the area’s inefficient judicial system.Most of the insurgents are easy to spot with long hair, beards, rifles, camouflage vests
and running shoes. They number at most 2,000, according to people who were interviewed.

In some places, just a handful of insurgents can control a village. They rule by fear:
beheading government sympathizers, blowing up bridges and demanding women wear
all-encompassing burqas.

In mid-December, Taliban fighters killed a young member of a Sufi-influenced Muslim
group who had tried to raise a militia against them. The militants later dug up Pir
Samiullah’s corpse and hung it for two days in a village square — partly to prove to
his followers that he was not a superhuman saint, a security official said on condition
of anonymity.

A lawmaker and the senior Swat government official said business and landowners had been
told to give two-thirds of their income to the militants. Some local media reported last
week that the militants have pronounced a ban on female education effective in mid-January.

Several people interviewed said the regional government made a mistake in May when it struck a peace deal with the militants. The agreement fell apart within two months but let the
insurgents regroup.

“The terrorists’ aim in Mumbai was precisely this — to get the Pakistani army to withdraw from
the western border and mount operations on the east,” said Ahmed Rashid, a journalist and author who has written extensively about militancy in the region.”The terrorists are not going to be sitting still. They are not going to be adhering to any sort
of cease-fire while the army takes on the Indian threat. They are going to occupy the vacuum the army will create.

A Swat militant boasted that “we are doing our activities wherever we want, and the army is confined to their living places.”

“They cannot move independently like us,” said the man, who was reached over the phone and gave his name as Muzaffarul Haq. He claimed the Swat militants had no al-Qaida or foreign connections, but that they supported all groups that shared the goal of imposing Islamic law.”With the grace of Allah, there is no dearth of funds, weapons or rations,” he said. “Our women are providing cooked food for those who are struggling in Allah’s path. Our children are getting prepared for jihad“

Misplaced outrage.

The same time that Israel decides to strike back at the Hamas supported terrorists, who have been  indiscriminately firing rockets into Israeli cities and towns for months now,  Islamic people all over the Middle East have been expressing outrage over an attack that should have happened when the first rocket was fired into Israel.  In the meantime, they all conveniently ignore the real outrage.

US: 14 Afghan children killed in suicide bomb attack near school

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber tried to attack a meeting of tribal elders and blew himself up near an Afghan primary school on Sunday, killing 14 children and wounding 58 people, the U.S. military said.The suicide blast went off near the entrance to a police and army post, said Yacoub Khan, the deputy police chief of the eastern province of Khost. U.S. troops are also stationed inside the outpost, but no troops were wounded or killed in the attack.The U.S. military said that 16 people were killed, including 14 students, an Afghan soldier and another person, who was likely an Afghan security guard that Afghan officials said was killed.  Dr. Abdul Rahman, a doctor at a hospital near the blast, said the children were aged 8 to 10.

Read the rest of this story here.

And from the Mumbai Mirror we are reminded how truly evil those who commit acts of terror on innocent people truly are.

Terrorists sexually Humiliated guests before killing them

By Santosh Mishra

Foreign nationals at the Taj were particular targets of barbaric terrorists who first forced some of the guests to strip, then killed them.

Disturbing photographs made available to this newspapers by police sources indicate that several of the guests at the Taj MahalHotel during the siege November 26 were sexually humiliated by the terrorists and then shot dead.Police sources confirm that even as the terrorists were engaged in a fierce combat with NSG commandos, they were humiliating their hostages before ending their terrifying ordeal.
Foreign guests were their particular target. Eight of the 31 killed at the Taj were foreign nationals.Photographs taken by a police forensic team after the hotel was sanitised yield a gruesome picture of some of the guests in the nude.  These bodies were found away from the hotel’s swimming pool which makes it clear that they were not those guests who were taken hostage from the poolside.”Even the Rabbi and his wife at Nariman House were sexually assaulted and their genitalia mutilated,” said a senior officer of the investigating team, not wishing to be quoted.“We have CCTV footage which reveals how these terrorists forced some of the guests who were holed up in restuarants to strip, but there is not evidence of rape,” he added.  These pictures, most of which we have refrained from printing, are in the records of the police and are now part of the investigation.

SC&A at Sigmund, Carl and Alfred has a post that blew me away on this travesty of human deciency, Called  “A Special Place in Hell”

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For those who reference those who commit cowardly acts of terror on civilians and children, “freedom fighters” permit me to present some information on what constitutes someone “fighting for freedom and survival” and the difference from the above examples.

Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Jan Nowak-Jezioranski

May 3, 1952   Polish Wartime Hero Dies at 91

By Monika Scislowska, Associated Press Writer

WARSAW, Poland – Jan Nowak-Jezioranski, a wartime courier for the Polish anti-Nazi resistance and the director of Radio Free Europe’s Polish service during the Cold War, has died, Polish officials said Friday. He was 91. Nowak-Jezioranski died Thursday in a Warsaw hospital. The cause of death was not immediately given.

A great Pole, a hero and a great authority has gone,” Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Poland’s first democratic prime minister after communism’s end, said on state radio.

Nowak-Jezioranski fought in the brief 1939 campaign after Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland. After Poland’s defeat and occupation, he joined the resistance movement and fought in the 1944 Warsaw uprising against the Nazis.  He risked his life as a courier between the Polish government-in-exile in London and the Polish underground resistance in German-occupied Poland, completing five trips — including risky parachute jumps.

The uprising began Aug. 1, 1944, and lasted 63 days, leaving about 200,000 insurgents and civilians dead.  Nowak-Jezioranski sneaked back out of Nazi-occupied Poland after the uprising failed, carrying intelligence material and film showing the struggle.

In London, Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office praised Nowak-Jezioranski’s courage in a statement Friday.

“Throughout his life, Nowak-Jezioranski was one of Europe’s most determined and heroic fighters for truth and freedom and a true Polish patriot,” Downing Street said.

Read the remainder of this article here.

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Another example of a partisan movement is Belarus.  During the 1930s, mass executions carried out under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, as well as political persecution, caused many Belarus citizens to eagerly welcome the Wehrmacht (German army) during Operation Barbarossa in 1941.  At that time a wide collaborative movement had emerged in Belarus. An estimated 120,000 Belarusians had sided with the Nazis.  By summer 1942, however, the sentiments in the Belarusian population had turned strongly anti-Nazi, and serious partisan and underground resistance fighting flourished in the occupied territory in Belarus.  By 1943, there were 448  Belarusian partisan detachments and 64 diversion groups, numbering approximately 58,000 partisan fighters.

In this example, please note that these people were fighting to be free first of a oppressive, paranoid dictator (Josef Stalin) who murdered millions in his own country, and then fought to survive the Nazi conquerors.  It is called fighting to survive those who wish to destroy you.  Also one might note, this situation greatly mirrors what happened with the tribal leaders in Iraq, switching allegiance prior to the surge after realizing that the foreign imported AQI terrorists in their midst were as apt to kill their own people as they were the US military.  This is why so many came over to the side of our military… check out Michael Yon’s dispatches during this time frame (link on blogroll).

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From the World Association of International Studies, Stanford University, CA website:

From a comment on the article site:

Istvan Simon writes:   Mr. Sistani seems to be a moderate and helpful voice in Iraq, and he is the supreme Shiite Islamic leader there.  Yet, I have heard not a word from Mr. Sistani speaking out clearly and unambiguously condemning the barbarity of the murderers of innocent people like the 12 Nepalese unarmed men, or the barbarous murder of  Mr. Berg,  or to declare that such barbarity, is in fact, against Islam, and hurts Islam, and finally to order his followers to stop the murderers.  The absence of such clear and unambiguous words from a leader of the stature of Mr. Sistani,  whom millions in Iraq respect and follow as their spiritual leader,  is unforgivable, and makes Mr. Sistani partially responsible for these outrageous murders.  Islam is followed by a billion people or so in the World, but even a billion people is a small minority in the World’s population. The rest of the World will not sit idle while these imbeciles, who want to live in the 6th century, murder people in the name of religion and do their outrageous deeds.  The moderate voices within Islam had better wake up, and wake up soon, and do their part to stop these outrages.

RH: My question as to whether there is a connection between Iraqi terrorists and the old Assassins was misunderstood. It referred not to the mass of Iraqi terrorists but specifically to the small group which bas been beheading people and about which little seems to be known.

RH is Robert Hilton of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.Mr Simon asks yet another question and makes some good points and Professor Hilton’s response is equally compelling.

IstvanSimon writes:   I partly agree with David Krieger. On the one hand, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were examples of terrorism on a massive scale. But it should be also pointed out, that the concepts of today cannot be applied fairly to the decisions of yesterday, and that president Truman took the fateful decision believing that by so doing he would be saving lives, as the alternative was a long and extremely bloody war witha determined Japan. I completely disagree with Mr. Krieger on collateral damage. Collateral damage is absolutely regrettable, but it is not terrorism. In collateral damage unarmed civilians are neither targeted nor killed on purpose.It happens because war is a terrible business and once started the deaths of innocents are unavoidable as they are caught in the fighting. Collateral damage is unavoidable, but modern weapons try and do successfully minimize it. The number of deaths caused by collateral damage in the Iraq war was no doubt large, but probably smaller than the number of deaths suffered on a single day of fighting on the beaches of Normandy, and much much smaller than the number of deaths caused by the conventional bombing of German cities in World War II.

1. Comment: IstvanSimon called for: a new military force which would have the mission of going after terrorists to physically eliminate them, or arrest them, anywhere that they may be in the World. Such a force, acting when possible in concert with the constituted authorities abroad, and when that is not possible,or practical, acting on their own, in spite of such authority, is needed in the fight against terrorism. PP: Israel already does this, and has for many years. While the rate of bombings in Israel would probably be worse without this policy, let’s just say that it hasn’t prevented young men and now, women, from strapping on bombs, entering populated places, and blowing themselves up. (response from Ronald Hilton).

More articles and discussions can be found here.

The entire response with hypothetical situations are here.  It makes for some enlightening reading.   To me, there is a great difference between what any terrorist does, be it Islamic or not, and what someone who has been subjected to the wholesale slaughter of people in their communities by a conquering force, and what they do to save their people from annihilation.  As long as the Islamic world cannot become as outraged by acts of terror on the innocents in the name of their God,  like they do over a country defending itself from terrorist attacks, there will be a sad disparity and ongoing problems in this world.  As far as I’m concerned, radical Islam is a threat to any freedom loving people.

A Baby’s Hug

I know this has made the rounds a few times, but I think it serves as a reminder to leave judgement to God and defines why the scriptures say we must be “as little children” to enter Heaven.

~ A Baby’s Hug ~

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, ‘Hi.’ He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.

Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed.  We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. 

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. ‘Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,’ I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s ‘pick-me-up’ position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.

Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder. The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby’s bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.

I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, ‘You take care of this baby. ‘ Somehow I managed, ‘I will,’ from a throat that contained a stone.  He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly as though he were in pain.  I received my baby, and the man said,  ’God bless you, ma’am, you’ve given me my Christmas gift.’  I said nothing more than a muttered thanks.

With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car.  My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding  Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, ‘My God, my God, forgive me.’

I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.  I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not.  I felt it was God asking, ‘Are you willing to share your son for a moment?’; when He shared His for all eternity. How did God feel when he put his baby in our arms 2000 years ago.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, ‘To enter the Kingdom of God , we must become as little children.’

If this has blessed you, please bless others by sharing it. Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all;  it is how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.

‘It is better to be liked for the true you, than to be loved for who people think you are…….’

The 12 Days of Global Warming

hat tip to Hot Air, Jawa Report , and Dan Cleary

God’s Daily Word

Off The Throne

After the birth of Jesus, Magi (wise men) came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). When King Herod heard about this he became greatly disturbed. Herod had been appointed King of the Jews by the Roman government; but he was only partially Jewish and not well accepted by the people.

King Herod knew of the Jewish scriptures and how the people were waiting for the Messiah; “The government will be on His shoulders” (Isaiah 9:6).  He heard the words of the prophet which told where the new ruler would be born; “Out of you {Bethlehem} will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel” (Micah 5:2).  Herod viewed the news of this new ruler as a great threat.  How would this affect his right to be king? Would he lose power? prestige? control? …comfort!?

The potential harm was unbearable so Herod decided to take action.

Matthew 2:16
“He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under.”

Many people today are not much different than Herod.  Even when we recognize Jesus and clearly see our need, we fear the loss of our ability to direct our own path.  We may not actually take steps to destroy Christ, but the thought of releasing control seems unbearable.  Somehow, we’ve been taught that submission equates to failure. But the reality is that true “success” is only found in Christ, and true comfort is only obtained by being set free from the power of sin and the entanglement of this world.

Jesus was, and always will be, very threatening to those who insist on sitting on a throne.  It’s foolishness to think Jesus will accept the position of Co-King.  Those who attempt to enter a relationship with Jesus while trying to maintain their “right to rule” will never really know Him, and certainly never experience His peace.

Jesus will give Himself to “whoever believes in Him” (John 3:13).  But in return, He asks for our total devotion: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).  We give Him proper worship – the worship He deserves – only as we submit and exalt Him above all else; “He must become greater, I must become less” (John 3:30).

During this season of celebration, let’s ensure our relationship with Jesus is aligned with God’s plan. He is the rightful Ruler and King – the Savior and Lord! Let’s trust and worship Him with all our heart, and refuse to be threatened by His right to lead.  Let’s decide once and for all to relinquish control and get our pride-filled self off the throne.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Verses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/verses

Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Donors to the Presidential Inaugural Committee

My friend Bob sent me this link this morning with the following comment:

“You’d think these liberals would rather use all this money for the homeless, hungry, and ailing rather than for a party. But maybe it’s more important to TALK about helping people than actually doing it.”

Donors to the Presidential Inaugural Committee

With so many American citizens facing job loss and the rape of their retirement dreams with the economic issues, Bob’s comment poses a valid question.  Was the liberal agenda to help those who have the least in our society for real?  With all the talk about Hope and Change, what ever happened to setting an example first in the White House?  Just a logical question seeing that these organiztions and benefactors aren’t contributing these excessive dollars to green energy research or charities.  There seems to be a problem with what they claim to be the number one priority and what the agenda truly is.

New Years Angel!

To all my readers and friends:

I hope this New Year’s Angel will watch over and guide you throughout the New Year. May she bless and point you in all the right directions…May God bless your life in the coming year and crown you with success and happiness.

God Bless All Throughout the New Year!

A little enjoyment on Christmas Day!

Who doesn’t remember hearing this one as a child?  In fact one Christmas I wore out a 45 on my little record player.  My parents were overjoyed, I’m sure, when it was OVER!  LOL!!!

And for the contempory touch:

Those who know me well… the Johnny Depp photos in the selection did influence my choice!

From Andie’s Isle: “The First Christmas Gift”

Carnival of Christmas on CatHouse Chat

Kat over at CatHouse Chat has put together the 2008 Carnival of Christmas on her blog, and I must say, if you haven’t been there before, it is simply amazing.  She provides the best of the best in Holiday Spirit and Heart from all over the conservative blogsphere, and it is a must read, mull over and enjoy piece.  Kat has managed to put a lot of work and time into finding delightful Christmas posts from all over the blogsphere, so it is worth scooting on over and checking out.  Thanks to Kat for honoring me with the the Pride of place this year along with Gayle at Dragon Lady’s Den.

Pride of place this year goes to Hoosier Army Mom, who reminds us of the men and women in our armed forces. These brave and unselfish citizens volunteered to serve our country in a time of war, and many are far away from home and family. Please remember them in your prayers, and go over to buy them some phone cards at the Online Military Exchange.Our second pride of place entry goes to Gayle, who writes of Christmas Lost and Found. Truly, this is a wonderful post about how God can – and does! – turn mourning into dancing, and works all things together for good to His called. Gayle is a perfect example of this year’s REJOICE! theme!

Thanks to Kat for a wonderful presentation on the theme Rejoice!

To everyone, have a wonderful, safe and memorable Christmas and joyous New Year.

Democrapper Moonbats Will Love This

How much longer until we get a REAL President

Cutting your teeth in battle – then getting them kicked out at home.

Not to long ago, my son asked me a question. It got me thinking about every conversation I ever had with a Viet Nam Veteran over the years, in as much detail as I could remember. He wanted to know why so many of the Viet Nam era vets were so angry and frustrated, so son, I am dedicating this post to you.

My first experience with a Nam vet was my former brother-in-law, and the father of my nieces. He never spoke of any of his experiences, but I instinctively knew they were difficult, as his emotional lockdown in life truly bore the evidence. He mostly talked about his bitter hatred for Jane Fonda and the way the government had ignored the needs of the vets, after they returned home again.

Then at nineteen, when I married my first husband and my first neighbor turned out to be a drafted, Army vet, who spoke some, but only about the better aspects, such as his friendships with others who shared the experience. Dave was a wonderful friend, but over the years I saw him descend into drug and alcohol abuse, the symptoms of what has happened to so many who were never given the help dealing with the mindset and memories of an ugly war.

Dave was a good man, he did his “duty”, did not shirk from it, and he returned to a society that was not only ungrateful, but totally unprecedented in its expression of hatred and loathing for those who served.  I have heard many a veteran talk about returning home to strangers and even people they knew well, and being spit on at airports and being called “baby killers”.

Our government many times left the “wounded vets”, who were physically and mentally scarred, to their own devices to  recover on their own.  The numbers of vets returning that were allowed to “self destruct” is a statistic we will never know exactly and mostly because of all the ways and means that the destruction of their lives occurred.   But I know of two cases where one vet died running his motorcycle into an embankment and it was called an accident, and another who broke his wife’s neck while sleeping (he had a nightmare / flashback) and ended up dying in a prison/ mental hospital, probably from a broken heart and spirit.  Those are the casualties of war that are never reported as such.

One thing I do know is that many of these vets were left alone to deal with the post-traumatic stress disorder, the severe depression, and the ordeal of constantly living with the physical pain from their wounds, without any rehabilitative aide available for their minds and bodies. We were the “mental health and therapy for awareness” generation, and yet, we could not see that these vets were struggling, just to get back into being able to live and work normally?  I think their struggles were infinitely more important than someone coming to grips with their “inner child, dysfunctional upbringing or sexuality”.

And thus, the “Me and I Generation” marched on over the bleeding souls of our vets, in my humble opinion.

While spending time with many of these vets, during my time with the PGR, I came to understand that many have found their own healing in making sure our military today knows that they are supported and honored here at home. The largest amount of support organizations for troops today have come from and been inspired by, our very same socially shamed, Viet Nam Veterans, as well as the family members of those currently serving and families of fallen troops in the War on Terror. The mantra I hear and see acted upon by my honored Nam Vet friends is “Never Again”.

Overall, there has been a great healing brought on by these hero’s of old by seeing to it that no returning vet today will feel what they felt or be treated the way they were treated, just because they answered their country’s call to duty and served selflessly and with honor. To these troops of the past, I salute you and vow to honor you and your service to my dying breath. Thank you all and Welcome Home to every soldier, sailor, marine and airman who ever served this country!

In the coming months, you will probably see a swing in my blog posts. It is all well and fine to debate politics, but for the most part, there are plenty of good reads on the web, done by people who know their facts and present them intelligently, and in some cases, on the extreme level. This is not where my heart is leading me.

One of my dear blog friends, GM Roper has served, is from a military family, and has also been involved with psychiatry and counselling  for most of his adult life.   He has brought to my attention a service organization that is trying to fill in the gaps in mental health care for returning vets, by lining up professional volunteers to help,  by donating one hour a month to veterans returning today, and I want to get involved.

The Wounded Warriors Project, as well as,  other troop support organizations, have long been near and dear to my heart.  The only “Real Change” comes from work and dedication, not from arguing, insulting, and whining about things you are not empowered to alter. I will continue to honor my Savior here as well, since all I do and all that I’m capable of accomplishing in this life, I owe to Him, who gives me the resolve to get it done.

Coming from an environment where service to your country is honored and if one disagrees with a war, the blame is firmly placed where it belongs, with our leaders, not our troops, I’m sure my son had a hard time understanding this part of our history. I hope this post answers that question for him and many who were born after all this happened.

God bless this country and unite us all in peace and freedom always.

Saturday Open Fun Thread…

Since I’ve be incredibly sick this week and things have been a little over the top on the blog, I decided it might be fun to have an open thread to just have fun with.  Laughter is great medicine and my good friends, Tailgunner and Miss Kitty in Stone Mountain,  Georgia had a holiday surprise that was way too annoying for words the other night.  A large oak tree decided to fall down on their deck and take out some supports and the stairs going up.  I am most grateful that it missed both of them!

As you can see, it really came close to getting more, so I am most grateful it was only the deck, though a house built on a hill needs the steps to get up to the deck and can therefore be verrrrry annoying!

If  TG and Miss Kitty lived in Brighton City, MI, they could probably have the offending oak tree arrested!  Why you say?  Because they have a city ordinance in place making it ILLEGAL to be ANNOYING!  That’s right folks!  If I lived there, I have friends who can testify to the fact that I would be doing a great deal of jail time on that one!  No “in-law” would be safe!  And those annoying drivers who talk on cell phones and ignore speed limits and other drivers who park like idiots, cockeyed in a parking space… Off With Their Heads!  LOL!!!  And what about that ex hubby, wife or girl/boyfriend, maybe a stiff fine and 10 years would be reasonable?  I about fell out of my chair when I heard this on the news.

Soooo…. lots of interesting questions are possible, as well as comic relief and discussion.  My first question is:  What do you consider annoying, what should be the penalty for being annoying, and should they divide it up into degrees of annoyance?  Like the defendant is guilty of annoyance in the second degree, punishable by 10 years in prison and a $20,000.00 fine.???  I may not get any responses, but this looked like an invitation to have some fun!

The danger of taking things out of context.

All things being fair, I am going to explain why these people, in accordance with the Bible, are simply wrong.  This is from my perspective and I will go through the story and add my little notes and then comment at the end.  Forgive the color coding, but you are dealing with an ADHD blogger.  It’s the only way I could “disect” the story.  And note this is my humble opinion, and I’m open to other thoughts on the subject.

Woman Says Church Threatening To Make Sins Public

POSTED: Monday, December 15, 2008 – Source:  Jacksonville News

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A divorced Jacksonville woman said her former church has threatened to “go public with her sins” and tell the congregation about her sexual relationship with her new boyfriend.

Let’s look at Matthew 18:12

12″What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  14  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

How happy do you think Jesus would be about a church “persecuting the lamb that wandered off” rather than doing something to help her see the light and return restored?

Rebecca Hancock said harassment from Grace Community Church in Mandarin over her sex life caused her to leave, but she said that didn’t put an end to the problem. She said she received a letter from the church’s elders telling her the church plans to make her personal life very public.  ”I’m basically run out.  I’m the church harlot,”  Hancock said.

1 Corinthians 5:11
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

1 Corinthians 7:2
But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

Ephesians 5:3
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

These scriptures, and there are many more, refer to what Christ taught about how Christians are supposed to behave sexually.  God’s design is that sex should be part of marriage.  If you are having sex, even with someone you love, you are sinning.  Suck it up Rebecca, you are acting as a harlot and not a Christian when you engage in sex with a man who is not your husband.  But, I believe your sin is between you and God.

The 49-year-old said she has been dating a man for a while and she said members of the congregation at Grace Community Church haven’t been happy about the relationship.  ”Because I have a boyfriend that I’m involved with … to not be married to that person is a sin,” Hancock said.

She said the issue caused her to leave the church. However, she said the church has not let go of her.  The letter Hancock received from the church states that because she has refused to end her sexual relationship with her boyfriend, “you leave us with no other choice but to carry out the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ” … “In accordance with Matthew 18:17 we intend to ‘tell it to the church.’”

“On January 4, my sins will be told to the church, publicly, with my children sitting in the church and my friends,” Hancock said.  The pastor of Grace Community Church, Dr. T. Scott Christmas, told Channel 4 he had no comment.

Pastors with whom Channel 4 spoke on Monday said announcing a sin to a congregation is not abnormal. They said it’s written in the Bible to punish sinners who continue to sin.  The difference in Hancock’s case is that she has left the church, and the pastors said that’s is usually where punishment ends.

Despite the church’s letter stating its biblical backing, Hancock said she has backed out of the church and they should leave her alone because she is no longer a member.  ”I am a Christian, and that will never change.  My relationship with Jesus has to do with me and Jesus, and he knows my heart,”  Hancock said.

Yes Rebecca, he knows your heart, but you are engaging in sin.  You can’t be “Christlike” (Please note, I’m not saying a Christ clone, I am saying Christlike, which is what a Christian should strive for)  and break the fundamental rules of the God.  To Rebecca’s credit, she left the church in question and this is where I have issue with what this Church is doing.

The book of Matthew does have three steps that the church talked about in taking action against a member who is in sin.  Hancock said she is now attending a different church, and said she is planning to send a letter to Grace Community Church to make sure it’s understood that she no longer a member.

This is the passage in question:

A Brother Who Sins Against You

15″If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[c] 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.18″I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be[d]bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.19″Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

Please note that is says “if a brother sins against you”.  This is important, because it is not saying “if a member of the church sins against God”.  The entire passage is about public sin that hurts the body of Christ (members of the Church).  If she was having sex with a  man in the church who was married to someone else, that would be a public sin that would hurt the entire church once it was known.  Or members that engage in gossip about one another would be committing a public sin.  Those sort of sins are the petty bickering  and immoral behaviors that can destroy a church.  In this passage, Matthew is trying to give Christ’s instruction on how to defuse these situations so healing and forgiveness can take place or the offending sinner can be called out.  When this woman left the church, she is no longer a member, but more importantly, the nature of her sin is between her and God.  What she does in her own home is not a “sin against any person but herself”.  By not following God’s  plan and the laws he has given us through Christ, she drives a wedge between her and God.

The people in this church are taking this passage out of context to justify abusing a lost soul.  If she remained in the church, was participating in active roles and refused to repent and turn away from her sin, they would have the right to call her out on it, but that is not the case.  This is the kind of fundamentalism I have never cared for.  Having been a Christian in a state of sin for many years myself, I know how long it takes sometimes, for a some people to “get it”.  Running them out of the assembly is not the way to enlighten them and help them grow in faith.  This kind of treatment of people, even if they are “weak brothers/sisters”, is not part of the love our Savior exemplified.  We don’t become all knowing or mature in our faith within 24 hours of the commitment to the Lord, it takes time to grow in faith and mistakes sometimes have to be made to bring us where the Lord wants us. This is my personal opinion and I welcome any comment or thoughts on this.  God Bless.

Congratulations Grandpa George!

The world is a better place due to the arrival of Cullen Gabriel Roper.  The much loved first grandchild of our dear friend and fellow blogger, GM Roper of GM’s Place arrived on December 13, 2008 at 9:14 pm in Austin, TX to a packed house!  May your grandson and you have many happy hours teaching each other all kinds of cool stuff.  Congratulations to GM and his entire family on their wonderful little blessing.

AIG – doing business Sharia style.

When they aren’t throwing extravant parties under the guess of smoozing clients, they are making deals that put money in the till for terrorist organizations.  Fortunately, some are acting on the outrage and hopefully will pull the plug on the taxpayer funding making it possible for AIG to put greed ahead of our Country.

From a newsletter from Act for America:

As you may recall, over the past two weeks we have sent out several emails exposing AIG’s promotion of Shariah-compliant insurance products. Many of you have contacted AIG to express your disapproval, and one of our members received an email response from AIG, which we distributed late last week.

Today we are excited to report (see press release below) that our respected friends David Yerushalmi and the Thomas More Law Center have filed a federal lawsuit against U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and the Federal Reserve Board to stop bailout funds from going to AIG. The lawsuit charges that tax dollars that are being used to bail out AIG are in fact being used in violation of the Constitution and are “promoting and financing the destruction of America.”

This is an explosive new development that is sure to raise government, media and public awareness of the danger inherent in U.S. businesses entangling themselves in Shariah-compliant finance. As we noted last week, “Shariah-compliant” finance means just that – compliance with Shariah law, which, among other things, oppresses women and calls for Jihad against infidels.

Below is the press release the Thomas More Law Center issued yesterday. There will likely be much more information to pass along to you in the days and weeks to come.

News release excerpts from Thomas More Law Center:

FEDERAL LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST TREASURY SECRETARY TO STOP AIG BAILOUT FINANCING OF TERRORIST ACTIVITIES:

The basis of the lawsuit is that AIG intentionally promotes Shariah-compliant businesses and insurance products, which by necessity must comply with the 1200 year old body of Islamic cannon law based on the Quran, which demands the conversion, subjugation, or destruction of the infidel West, including the United States. To help achieve these objectives and with the aid of federal tax dollars, AIG employs a three-person Shariah Advisory Board, with members from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Pakistan. According to AIG, the role of its Shariah authority “is to review [its] operations, supervise its development of Islamic products, and determine Shariah compliance of these products and [its] investments.”

And also of concern and that explains more in depth:

“It is clear,” said Thompson, “oil money is purchasing the sovereignty of the United States and whatever loyalty to America these greedy financial institutions, corporations, and universities have left. It’s up to the American people to take back their country from those who so easily betray its interests.”The federal lawsuit challenges that portion of the “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008″ that appropriated $40 billion in taxpayer money to fund and financially support the United States government’s majority ownership interest in AIG, which engages in Shariah-based Islamic religious activities that are anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, and anti-American.

According to the lawsuit, through the use of taxpayer funds, the U.S. government acquired a majority (79.9%) ownership interest in AIG, and as part of the bailout, Congress appropriated and expended an additional $40 billion of taxpayer money to fund and financially support AIG and its financial activities. AIG, which is now a government owned company, engages in Shariah-compliant financing, which subjects certain financial activities, including investments, to the dictates of Islamic law and the Islamic religion. This specifically includes any profits or interest obtained through such financial activities.

An important element of Shariah-compliant financing is a form of obligatory charitable contribution called zakat, which is a religious tax for assisting those that “struggle [jihad] for Allah.” The amount of this tax is between 2.5% and 20%, depending upon the source of the wealth. The zakat religious tax is used to financially support Islamic “charities,” some of which have ties to terrorist organizations that are hostile to the United States and all other “infidels,” which includes Christians and Jews.

You can read the entire press release outlining the lawsuit at the Thomas More Law Center link.  All Americans have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent to promote the distruction of our own country.

Post from across the pond.

My blog friend Charlie,  at Churchill’s Parrot,  has an excellent post on the American Bill of Rights up on his blog.  I had to link to it as it is a thought provoking and well written post.

Celebrating THE NEW Bill of Rights Day

“in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its (the Constitution’s) powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.”In other words, the Framers sought to further define the LIMITS of American governmental power so that free men might employ their individual creativity, industry, and sense of good will in pursuit of “beneficent ends” as they saw fit. This would, in the light of current political fashion, make them craven right-wing greed-crazed nut-monkeys.

Read on at Churchill’s Parrot.

Blue Star Mothers Ask Hoosiers to Help Support the Troops

I recently met a military mom, Denise Young from Kokomo, who handed me her business card. On the back it read, “We military moms share a special bond that can’t be explained. When it happens to one of us, it happens to us all.” After one meeting with Denise and two other chapter presidents of Indiana Blue Star Mothers, I began to understand this bond and the reasons why they need Hoosiers’ help to support our troops.

Blue Star Mothers is a non-profit national organization of mostly mothers whose sons and daughters are serving, or have served, in the military. They provide support to families and mothers, so that their sons and daughters serving in the military can focus on the task at hand. With five chapters in Indiana, they work hard to ensure that our troops and their families receive the support that they deserve by connecting them to other families and mothers going through similar circumstances. We all understand the toll it takes on families when loved ones are absent from their daily lives. It’s a toll that I’m familiar with. I’ve got an Army wife, a Navy officer, an Air Guard Reservist and the girlfriend of a National Guardsman on staff in my office, and they all tell me that the support of their fellow Hoosiers is needed and appreciated.

We have more reasons than ever before to support our Hoosier military mothers and families. I recently attended the largest deployment our state has seen since WWII. 3,400 Indiana National Guardsmen and women were deployed. This brings the total of Hoosiers serving on active duty to 4,515, and no state, including large states like California, is represented more than Indiana.

Blue Star Mothers encourages everyone to care for the troops on active duty by sending letters of encouragement and care packages. They need our help with these letters and packages. Postage to send these items, especially overseas, can be costly, and donations are appreciated. Indiana Blue Star Mothers are also asking for toys for the troops to pass out to Iraqi children, who in return point out improvised explosive devices or IEDs.

Blue Star Mothers also actively support the needs of military families and veterans. Monthly meetings and one-on-one meetings provide a support network for military families. They also visit injured soldiers in hospitals and educate soldiers and their families about the signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Blue Star Mothers assist in veterans programs and connect veterans to needed services or items.

If you are interested in donating or volunteering, or if you have a loved one serving in the military and would like the support of this organization, please visit the Blue Star Mothers Web site at http://bluestarmothers.org/in.php for chapters in Indiana.

Sincerely,

Naturally, being a Blue Star Mom, I feel compelled to get this message out to my fellow Hoosiers… HoosierArmyMom.

GM and Ford thrive south of the border. Wondering why?

A very interesting video shows a state of the art plant in rural Brazil.  Why, when America is the market where people can afford to buy GM and Ford cars, has all the money been spend to build money making plants in South America?  Now they want taxpayer money to keep them from going bust in this country.

http://info.detnews.com/video/index.cfm?id=1189

Lots of interesting articles in the Detroit Daily News:

South of the equator, Ford and GM prosper

Detroit News Auto Writer Bryce Hoffman and photographer John T. Greilick visited Brazil and Argentina to research this series on the South American auto boom and how it’s affecting lives in both hemispheres.

South America’s Auto Boom: Second of three parts
FORD’S TEST BED: Brazil’s Camaçari plant is model for the futureAt Ford Motor Co.’s factory here, a group of Visteon Corp. workers connect the wiring in a dashboard module for a Ford EcoSport. Next to them, Lear Corp. employees are building seats for the same vehicle. A few feet away, Ford’s Diede Silva dos Santos applies trim to a Fiesta subcompact. She’s mastered seven jobs at the plant and is working on an eighth. – 08/22/2007

South America’s Auto Boom: First of three parts

Brazil, Argentina buoy Detroit’s automakers

SÃO PAULO — Whoever says Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. can’t make money in the car business has never been to South America. – 08/21/2007

To read these and many other stories on the subject, go to this link:  Detroit News.

Gates: More brigades to Afghanistan by Summer

 I got a call from my soldier this morning… he didn’t want me to be surprised, but he has been reassigned from being with the XVIII Airborne Corps (his original unit) to being assigned as an auxillary to the 82nd Airborne.  What this means is the chances are pretty high he will be deployed as part of the 20,000 troops.  I asked him long ago about what “parachute riggers” do when on deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan?  Convoy Security… they man the guns on trucks and armored vehicles.  I am as proud of him as I can be, but that is not to say I won’t be sending up some serious prayers along with sending out care packages when and if he deploys.  Time to prepare myself mentally for this one.  And my youngest son is talking Air Force… there really is never any comfort zone for a Mom. 

 

Gen. McKiernan sits in his office at ISAF headquarters in Kabul. "I don't like to use the word 'surge' here because if we put these additional forces in here, it's going to be for the next few years," he said. "It's not a temporary increase of combat strength."

Commander sees ‘tough fight’ in Afghan war

 

By Tom Vanden Brook USATODAY

KABUL — The top commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan said Sunday that 2009 will be a “tough fight” in Afghanistan and the United States will need nearly twice as many troops for up to four years to stabilize the country.

 

In an interview with USA TODAY at the International Security Assistance Force headquarters, Gen. David McKiernan said increasing U.S. troop levels from about 32,000 to 55,000 or 60,000 is “needed until we get to this tipping point where the Afghan army and the Afghan police have both the capacity and capability to provide security for their people.”  “That is at least three or four more years away,” he added.  The Afghan army has 78,000 troops and is building to 134,000.

McKiernan said he has asked the Pentagon for more than 20,000 soldiers, Marines and airmen. He also called on NATO nations to increase their commitment of troops to Afghanistan and to remove restrictions on how and when they can fight. There are about 31,000 troops from other nations in Afghanistan.

 

U.S. troop levels probably will need to remain at elevated levels for “several years at a minimum,” depending on the stability of the Afghan government, the training of its troops, and cooperation from tribal leaders and neighboring Pakistan, according to Andrew Krepinevich, president of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

 

McKiernan said his request for more troops differs from the escalation in Iraq last year. The addition of more than 30,000 troops there, combined with a new strategy, helped improve security.

“I don’t like to use the word ’surge’ here because if we put these additional forces in here, it’s going to be for the next few years,” he said. “It’s not a temporary increase of combat strength.”

McKiernan declined to say whether he expected next year to be more deadly for U.S. troops. Through October, 129 U.S. servicemembers were killed in Afghanistan this year, compared with 83 combat deaths in all of 2007.

 

He acknowledged the Pentagon’s ability to field more troops depends on reducing its forces in Iraq. There are 148,000 U.S. troops there. “There’s certainly a linkage,” he said. “The availability of the forces that we’ve asked for here — that’s directly connected to force flow in Iraq.”

 

Despite the challenges, McKiernan said he remained optimistic.

 

“I believe that over time, with the support of the international community, Afghan institutions will grow and develop and this insurgency will be contained and defeated,” he said. “I am firmly of the belief that the vast majority of the people in Afghanistan … don’t support the Taliban. They don’t support the other radical insurgent groups.”

Let’s get real for Ramos and Compean.

Thanks to President Bush for finally doing the right thing for these men!!!

I would like to thank the former President for pardoning these two Border Patrol Agents.  Thank God!

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Ramos and Compean are the border security agents that were put in prison for defending themselves from drug smugglers who were “shooting at them” on the border.  They fired back and happened to kill the scum that was trying to put more deadly drugs on our streets.  President Bush has pardoned some real criminals but have left Ramos and Compean to rot in prison for doing their job.  This is not right and these men need our help.  Please sign the petition that Grassfire.org is putting together for President Bush to free these two men by going to the link below, and God Bless you for doing so.

12/8/2008

Two U.S. Border Patrol Agents are serving decade long
prison terms for attempting to apprehend a known drug
smuggler for illegally crossing our border with more than
700lbs. of drugs!

Almost as outrageous is that the illegal alien drug
smuggler, who was given free medical care, and immunity
for testifying against the agents is now suing the U.S. for
$5 million–claiming his civil rights were violated!

I have just signed a petition calling for the President
to pardon these two Border Agents and I’m asking you to
join with me by clicking here for the full story and the petition:

http://www.grassfire.org/142/petition.asp?PID=12886086&NID=1

Thanks!

Farmer’s don’t deserve this!

As the moonbattery marches on, we now learn the moonbat loons on Capitol Hill, are trying to find a way to promote more hardship on the small American farmers who didn’t lose everything in the 80’s and 90’s when “Corporate Farming” threatened and drove out of business, a majority of family operations.  In doing so, this is my take on it, from listening to a moonbat argue the Global Warming Myth this morning on the news.  Man made Global Warming does not exist.  Climate change has occurred for thousands of years and has more to do with Our Sun and it’s changes and volcanic activity, than the fictional “greenhouse gas”.  Since God saw fit to inhabit the earth with farting animals and people, where do these morons  get the idea, that somehow a substance (methane) that has been in our atmosphere since the dawn of time, is contributing to the problem they have made up in their minds?  Now they propose taxing each animal because they emit a gas that contributes to the big ole “carbon footprint”, which is scientifically unsupported.  But the moonbat this morning,  at the end of his “fact free spiel” gave his agenda away… they want to drive the meat industry and restaurant trade out of business so we can all be forced to be vegans!  (Isn’t the first step in “brainwashing” ? The denial of protein in the diet?)  This is all simply ridiculous of course!  Read the story to find out all the details about moonbattery’s next “Change” you can believe in, whether you want to or not!  In the words of my good friend in NC, Ogre… “Oh, how I long for FREEDOM”!!!!

Proposed fee on smelly cows, hogs angers farmers

By BOB JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Bob Johnson, Associated Press Writer – Fri Dec 5, 4:43 am ET

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – For farmers, this stinks: Belching and gaseous cows and hogs could start costing them money if a federal proposal to charge fees for air-polluting animals becomes law.

Farmers so far are turning their noses up at the notion, which is one of several put forward by the Environmental Protection Agency after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that greenhouse gases emitted by belching and flatulence amounts to air pollution.

“This is one of the most ridiculous things the federal government has tried to do,” said Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, an outspoken opponent of the proposal.

It would require farms or ranches with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs to pay an annual fee of about $175 for each dairy cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and $20 for each hog.

The executive vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, Ken Hamilton, estimated the fee would cost owners of a modest-sized cattle ranch $30,000 to $40,000 a year. He said he has talked to a number of livestock owners about the proposals, and “all have said if the fees were carried out, it would bankrupt them.”

Sparks said Wednesday he’s worried the fee could be extended to chickens and other farm animals and cause more meat to be imported.

“We’ll let other countries put food on our tables like they are putting gas in our cars. Other countries don’t have the health standards we have,” Sparks said.

EPA spokesman Nick Butterfield said the fee was proposed for farms with livestock operations that emit more than 100 tons of carbon emissions in a year and fall under federal Clean Air Act provisions.

Butterfield said the EPA has not taken a position on any of the proposals. But farmers from across the country have expressed outrage over the idea, both on Internet sites and in opinions sent to EPA during a public comment period that ended last week.

“It’s something that really has a very big potential adverse impact for the livestock industry,” said Rick Krause, the senior director of congressional relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The fee would cover the cost of a permit for the livestock operations. While farmers say it would drive them out of business, an organization supporting the proposal hopes it forces the farms and ranches to switch to healthier crops.

I think the keyword above is “FORCES”… say goodbye to the freedom to chose your own path and destiny in life, as the moonbats have other ideas!  Who is this organization that wants to tell me what is “healthier” for me?  Next they will be taxing all meat loving,  Carneverous Conservatives!  Click the link above to read the rest of the story.

As Al Gore dismisses the truth and refuses to admit that the facts point to his theory being FALSE:

The cows ask WHY?

Hat tip to Van Helsing at Moonbattery for the video!

Found a blog with a good post.

The NC Volunteer has a post about God’s Faithfulness that made a nice read.

I have been inside most of the day, watching the snow come down and appreciating the fact that I had nothing pressing to force me out into the bitter cold day.  God has blessed me greatly of late.   I have been through trying an challenging times in my work, personal life, health, and spiritual path.  We seem to all learn so much in all areas of life when we open up to God’s wisdom and trust him fully.  In order to explain much of this, I will talk about my mother’s death.

My mother was a wonderful, christian woman whom I wish I had inherited more from.  She took very good care of herself all her life.  I thought that since her family seemed to live to a very old age,  she would be with me till she was 80 or 90.  But that was not in God’s plan.  She developed Chronic lyphocytic leukemia in her early 60’s and shortly after she was told in January 1997 at age 68 that she was in remission, by June she was diagnosed with “B cell type non-Hodgkins Lymphoma”.  To make a long story short, she passed away mid-October 1997 at the age of 69.

Since that time I have had a hysterectomy in the nic of time (the pathology report showed cancer cells developing and a small tumor in one of my ovaries that was starting to spread out).  I felt quite blessed.  Then my aunt, Mom’s sister has battled breast cancer.  Needless to say, I have developed a good deal of paranoia.  My faith has grown from the experiences, but not quite as much as when I had a bad mammogram in May of this year.  This was my second issue with the same breast and lead to my second surgery after the needle biopsy showed “a precancerous condition”… not cancer, but needed to be eliminated.  I have had the surgery, and yet another scar to add to my collection and a new line to use with friends (“wanna compare scars”???), but once again I feel God intervened and pushed me toward the doctor’s office.

The funny thing is that it was my vanity and a weight gain that would not go away that led me to it.  I found out I was in the early stages of Type II diabetes and have done a great job at learning to control it and be mindful of my health and habits (and I was thinking thyroid issues!).  And then there was the nurse who “shamed me into getting the mammogram”!!!  Next time I go in I will be sure to tell her she probably saved me the nightmare of chemo and my life as well.  It just shows us all how we can become insturments of God even just doing our daily work.  Having lost my mother and seeing my aunt go through what she did has indeed made me more suseptable to depression and fear when I deal with potential for cancer.  But this time around, I felt I had no one who really cared.  I turned to God, studied his word and finally, put all my trust in Him and His Will.  My prayer’s felt different, and I felt his “communication in my mind” via the Holy Spirit for the first time in my life.  He healed more than my body, he healed my mind and spirit.  I changed patterns and habits and some of my negative thinking.  For the first time in my life, I felt Him move in my life and saw so many positive changes.  My fear subsided, I knew when my job is done here, there will be a place for me in eternity and that all His promises are good.  I know I look forward to great happiness and joy as long as I acknowledge that without Him, I can do nothing and with Him, I can rise to the challenges he presents me with.

Now we come to my feelings about The Season upon us.  It seems to me that all the hoopla about atheist’s putting up signs along side nativity scenes is just a statement of how insecure most without faith in anything higher must feel. Christmas is celebrated by most because of Christ’s birth, but there are those of us that believe Christ’s birth, death and the hope He gave us for salvation should be lived and celebrated everyday!  What they are doing is quite laughable since they are like children, chosing to be offended by people celebrating a man made religious holiday.  No one knows the exact date Jesus was born, so why not just give thanks every day that He WAS BORN and our hope was born with him, and celebrate every day?  Am I offended by people who don’t have faith in a loving God and a personal Savior?  With all the blessings I have recieved and the love I have for my Lord, the answer is no.  I won’t be blogging on “How dare they” , because I pity them.  As the philosopher, Blaise Paschal stated, a person who chooses not to believe in a God, stands a 50% chance of being right, and one who believes in a God is taking no chance at all since if they are right they earn a reward in heaven and eternal life, and if they are wrong, consider the improvement in one’s life when they follow the example of Jesus.  Living an honest life of love, doing the right things and speaking the truth when it needs to be spoken pretty much leads to a good life.  Nothing lost.  So I choose to feel sorry for the foolish people who push their Godless agendas and pray for them.

Hebrews 13:18
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we confidence toward God.

John 13:14-15
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

The Lord provides us with the right answers and right blessings, at the right time.  God bless you during this holiday season.

About your 72 Virgins…

Your prophet lied…

No Hard Feelings

No Hard Feelings … to the DEMOCRATS …

The election day is over,

The talking points are done.

My party lost, your party won.

So let us be friends,

Let arguments pass.

I’ll hug my elephant,

You kiss your a$$.

disclaimer to all liberal trolls… this is a JOKE!  So don’t leave a comment demonstrating that you need to “grow a sense of humor”, OK.

What the 2nd Amendment is really about.

Suzanna Gratia-Hupp gives testimony about what happened to her and her parents at Luby’s Cafeteria, in Killeen, Texas on October 16, 1991.  For those of you who don’t remember the rampage that left 24 people dead within 15 minutes you can read the story here.  I commend Ms. Gratia Hupp on a job well done in light of her horriffic loss on that day, it could not of been that easy.