That's Not Who We Are

By William L. Garvin

Lately we've been lectured by the president, pundits and politicos of all stripes that "that's not who we are" and "those are not our values."  For the moment, let's put aside the condescending dismissal of opposing viewpoints and the arrogant, self-appointed status they've assumed as the ultimate arbiter of who "we" are.  Let's look at how far we've come with this "fundamental transformation" of the United States.  Remember when the president declared that we are no longer a Christian nation?  Now prayer is being eradicated from schools along with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Students have been told they can't read the Holy Bible during free time and to cover up their crucifixes.  Notre Dame covered up its cross when the president spoke at its university.  Other universities do not fly the Stars and Stripes for fear that it might offend foreign students.  The Ten Commandments is being removed from public squares along with nativity scenes.  A Christian high school football coach has been suspended for praying on the field after a game while a Virginia geography teacher circulates the Koran and has her students copy the "shahada "which translated means "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."  Some Tennessee schools have removed the Ten Commandments but the "5 Pillars of Islam" remains posted.  Where is the Freedom From Religion Foundation and their ubiquitous lawsuits against these practices or does its "separation of church and state" vendetta only apply to Christians and Jews?

Gone are the days of the "shining city on the hill" when the world's foremost beacon of freedom beamed brightly.  Gone are the days when one would "ask not what the country could do for you but what you could do for your country".  Gone are the days where politicians represented the will of "we the people" as well as real choice and loyal opposition.    Gone are the days when allies could trust us and enemies would respect us.  Today this is a country of feckless foreign policy, disappearing red lines and broken promises.  Today we not only negotiate with terrorists but we actively fund the world's number one sponsor of state terrorism.  On the home front, police officers are guilty until proven innocent and their cities will burn either way.  Here to stay is the establishment of one-party rule-the fiscally irresponsible, self-perpetuating, elitist political class.  With malice of forethought, Congress passed and the president signed another trillion dollar spending bill adding to the astronomical $18.8 trillion national debt.  Addicted to gargantuan government and illiterate economic and national security policies, our leaders are willing to forego domestic peace and prosperity in favor of "charitable" giving to nations that hate us and continually oppose our best interests.  Buried in over two thousand pages of budget chicanery is another $1.8 billion to resettle illegal aliens in addition to full funding for Planned Parenthood's continued war on the unborn and for sanctuary cities harboring of foreign felons.  Senators Sessions and Cruz warned in advance:  "Congress is days away from consideration of an omnibus year-end funding bill that would set the U.S. on an autopilot path to approve green cards, asylum, and refugee status to approximately 170,000 migrants from Muslim countries during the next fiscal year. In addition to that tens of thousands of temporary visas for entry and employment, and the entire sum is added to the rest of the annual autopilot green card, asylum, refugee, and foreign worker flow."  Leftists ignore the unique political components of Islam (dhimmitude, jizyah, taqiyya, and Al-hijra) and that Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain all refuse any refugees because of "security concerns." Islamapoligists ignore Islamic State warnings that they will imbed terrorists among the refugees.  They also ignore warnings from the FBI and Homeland Security that there is simply no way to properly vet these people.  And of course, they also ignore the simple laws of supply and demand and fail to acknowledge how a continual influx of poorly educated and unskilled labor, both legal and illegal, depresses minimum wage increases.    

Leftists also claim that they can prevent terrorist attacks by passing more laws restricting law abiding citizens' ability to protect themselves and their families by purchasing weapons.  Newsflash for liberals: criminals don't obey laws!  Attacks on the Second Amendment are unrelenting and a sad portend for the future is Yale students happily signing a petition to eliminate the First Amendment because the entire country should be a "safe space."  If these are our best and brightest and the leaders of tomorrow, God help us all!  If this is who we now are, then cultural suicide is our new American value!

Sit Down and Shut Up!

By William L. Garvin

The “never let a crisis go to waste” leftist playbook was employed instantaneously in San Bernardino.  The terrorist carnage was barely contained before progressive politicos began shilling for more gun control and more speech control.  CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) ignored its own terrorist connections and blamed USA foreign policies for the incident.  Leftists large and small began speaking not of the dangers of radical Islam, homegrown terrorists and jihad but of an anticipated anti-Muslim backlash.

One can easily recall the president solemnly intoning that “The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”  But to him, Benghazi was “a bump in the road”; Paris was a “setback”; the targeting of Jews in a kosher deli was “random”; and the Fort Hood slaughter was “workplace violence.”  He even fantasizes that going to an unrelated meeting is a “powerful rebuke” to terrorists!  Following suit, his Attorney General Loretta Lynch goes to the Muslim Advocates to commiserate and share her greatest fear: that anti-Muslim sentiment will lead to attacks on Muslims.  In light of beheadings, murders, 9/11, Ft. Hood, etc., one could easily postulate that America has been remarkably restrained and tolerant in its response.  Has there been a single Muslim beheaded or a single mosque burned or bombed in this country?  No there hasn’t but the AG fired a preemptive nuke declaring that “anti-Muslim rhetoric” that “edges toward violence” and “actions predicated on violent talk” will be prosecuted.”  This is just another patented pandering ploy that is lockstep with the president’s inability to recognize or oppose the danger of radical Islam.

The president said that the radical element in Islam is only a “tiny fraction” of the Muslim population as a whole.  How does he know that?  There is nothing new in radical Islam.  Aggression, terror, and conquest have been part of the Islamic history for 1400 years.  While he was quick to change the focus to the crusades, he conveniently ignored the 400 years of Muslim jihad and savagery that precipitated the retaliation.  If one is to criticize jihad, dhimmitude, or Sharia law, if one is to criticize the violent history of Islam or violent sections of the Koran, is that “anti-Muslim rhetoric” that “edges toward violence”?  We already know that cartoons will push some radical Muslims over the edge?  Some leftists have said the male terrorist in San Bernardino was justified because someone made fun of his beard.  An Al-Jazeera America producer said it was disrespectful for the face of the female terrorist to be shown without her burqa.  Given the proliferation of micro-aggressions, trigger warnings, “safe space” needs, and the hypersensitivity with which many greet each day, everyone gets to be a victim.  On some campuses black students feel “oppressed’ by even having to share the same class or space with “white privilege.”  Offensive language is quickly becoming anything anyone says that does not fit the leftist model.  Is that where Ms. Lynch is going?  We already know that Lois Lerner and her IRS cohorts will bring the full force of government to bear on those who hold opposing political views. 

In light of all this, what will the AG choose to ignore and what will she choose to prosecute?  Will she prosecute those who shout “What do we want?  DEAD COPS!  When do we want it?  NOW!”? Will she prosecute “Pigs in a blanket, fry ‘em like bacon!”  Will she show equal zeal for Louis Farrakhan saying that Judaism is a “gutter religion” and that “white people are potential humans--they haven’t evolved yet” and says that his greatest enemy is the white man?  Eric Holder didn’t prosecute the New Black Panther Party when they put out a bounty on George Zimmerman; would she?  If she continues the partisan prosecution preferred by her predecessor, she might soon hear cries of “no justice, no peace” from an entirely different American constituency.  We will continue to proudly (not bitterly!) cling to our God, our country, and our guns.  We won’t be giving up our first and second amendment rights.  We won’t be sitting down and we won’t be shutting up.