Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Blonde Ambition


Good Morning, Folks! I'd like you to run, don’t walk, on over to Fox News and check out their video "Hillary Sit-in". The story has me hopping mad. The follow-up interview with Rae Abileah of Code Pink, one of the arrested protestors is rather entertaining as she sits there looking like Ugly Betty with her pink pin and pink scarf spouting her desire to “support the first woman candidate for President” if she only were a “strong peace candidate”. Huh? I have to take major issue with a group that votes purely on the gender of a candidate, or any other asthetic charcteristic for that matter. I take issue with those who are hoping to vote for Obama because of his skin color, those who want to vote for McCain because he was a "war hero" and etc. These chacteristics have absolutely nothing to do with their ability to govern the most powerful and influential nation on the planet. Folks, I can assure you, that is NOT what the Founding Fathers had in mind.

First, let’s look at what has me hot under the collar. The video shows US Capitol Police arresting 6 to 8 protestors who were sitting-in in front of Hillary’s Russell Senate Office Building suite chanting, “Senator Clinton we’re blocking your door until you stop funding war.” Now before you read any further, make sure you go over to Fox News and watch the footage, these ladies are all dressed in pink, with pink boas, the whole nine yards. You really need the visual imagery to grasp the scene.

Yes, isn’t that fabulous? The US Capitol Police finally arrested someone this week? Impressive, isn’t it? They can arrest a few women in the hallowed halls of the Senate Offices but can’t arrest Saturday’s anti-war protestors as they deface and vandalize The Capitol Building. Do you think these officers had to call in to the Chief to ask of they could arrest these ladies? After all the cameras were rolling! On a side note, I wonder if the Chief has found time in his schedule to meet with Colorado Sen. Allard, the only US Congressman to request an tete-a-tete with the Chief over the rationale for allowing the law to be broken and ordering the officers on site to back down and not arrest any of the protestors.

Secondly, you have to love Sean Hannity. When he had his turn with the Code Pink representative he got her so tongue tied that by the end of the segment he had her outwardly admitting what we all knew already, Hillary has waffled on the war and made decisions based on her presidential ambitions rather than her principles, values or her constituents. According to Abileah, Senator Clinton has said that if she had known then what she knows now about the war, she never would have supported it. Yet, she has recently gone to Iraq (On whose dime? “I Love NY!”), taking the guided tour, and comes home to say that things aren’t going well, we need a change, but not what the President suggests. But she was for sending more troops back when it was the “in thing”. For now though, she says she isn’t going to vote for defunding (I know this isn’t a word but that is the lingo they are using) the war. For now anyway ....

It should be interesting to see how McCain fares with this topic, as it will surely become a central presidential campaign issue in the months ahead.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Why "A Proud Infidel"?

Interesting thing happened on my way to writing this entry. I first went searching for a definition of infidel and found that, although it is an English word, we rarely use the word "infidel" in American English, only as the root of the noun "infidelity". In American English we use other words like "non-believer", "gentile",or possibly even "heathen". But the word "infidel" isn't commonly heard or used in American English.

According to www.dictionary.com, "infidel" can be defined as:infidel

Ok, so now that I have shown off my linguistic prowess, let's get to the heart of it all. The only time we hear the word "infidel" in America is when it is used in the context of a Muslim making reference to a Christian. It is, for all extensive purposes, to put it delicately, a derogatory term. Now, believe it or not, I can understand, but not accept, why someone may hold another's faith against him. I honestly can. But, for all extensive purposes, it would appear that Islam is, simply a religion against Christianity. They get "extra credit" for killing us and some major kudos in their version of Heaven for dying in the act of killing one of us. Now, I don't know about you, but I am starting to get a complex.

For more on this, I recommend, Muslim Paradise

With that said, the above makes me sick to my stomach that all of this, all of the attacks, 9/11, the War on Terror, is all based on the fact that they don't like what we believe or our way of life. Plain and simple, you can add all the layers to this that you want but that is the heart of it all.

Here is the interesting part of my brief research on this topic. As I went about trying to discover how many times the word "infidel" appears in the Koran, I went from on-line search of the Koran to another, literally I went to at least six of them and do you know what results I had? None! That's right every single on-line search of the Koran, gave me either an error message or a "no results" found response. If anyone can find an online search of the Koran that gives you a numerical response to the number of times the word "infidel" appears in the Koran, please pass it along.

Otherwise, I have to wonder why online Koran searches would not want to let us know how many times the word "infidel" is mentioned in their Book. Now, the word "unbeliever",according to one site, appears 120 times. As a way of comparison, in the New International Version of the Bible it appears a whopping seven times. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Growing up, when Mom would try to convince me of something and we would have multiple exchanges on the issue, she would inevitably throw her arms up in the air and say, "You are just like your father!"; to which I would reply, "I consider that a compliment". So, taking that thought to the next level;

I may be an "infidel" but, I am a damn proud one!

Some one Stands up ... Finally

Colorado Senator Wants Some Answers from US Capitol Police Chief (link)

Please take a look at an article from Colorado's Daily Sentinal in which their Sen. Wayne Allard (R) step forward demanding a meeting with the US Capitol Police Chief, Phillip Morse, to get some answers as to why Saturday's protestors were allowed to deface government buildings. It has been reported in other news outlets that this was done at the urging of the Chief in which officers begrudginlgy followed his order in which he stated that no protestors were to be arrested or stopped.

This guy may be worth listening to. He goes on to say that remarks made by recently approved Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus asking for an end to "symbolic votes" against Bush's troops surge plan, should be heeded.

I don't know much about this guy, but I am liking him already!


************ UPDATE~ 31 Janurary, 2007 2:15 PM ***********

Just got this in from a reader, this is a C and P of an e-mail from a Vietnamese national now living in the US in support of Senator Allard's call for answers. This was sent to three of the Senator's staffers. Pay close attention to his words as he knows better than any of us. (Note: I am excluding this man's name until I have permission to use it)

Thank you for fighting for law and order in the US Capitol. Please express my appreciation to Senator Allard for standing up for America.

These anti-war protesters are the main reason why we lost Vietnam in 1975. Millions of lives were drowned or raped on the open sea. Millions more died in reeducation camps. Untold numbers of broken families as young Vietnamese girls are currently being sold as sex slaves in China, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, and other countries, etc.

We came to USA in search of freedom and liberty. Not to see these "Losers" (anti-war protesters).


Enough said.

Day One - Who I am

Well, Folks, it's official. I am starting my blog. I have spent the past few years reading, listening and forming my opinions. But first, it is probably appropriate to tell you a little about my background.

I guess I was raised in the American Dream. My father was a child on a small Mediterranean island off the coast of Sicily when the Allied Forces invaded during WW II. Growing up I heard stories about his childhood, it seemed like an almost fictitious, fantasy world which I was finally fortunate enough to visit with him when I was in my early 20s. Meeting relatives I never knew and seeing where my roots were had an everlasting affect on me. Dad came to the US in 1958 and began a life here that would make any man proud. The thing that stood out among all of his stories and memories was the image of my grandfather. He was well known on the island as a very stubborn, hardheaded man. I have been told, and it was confirmed upon my visit there, that my grandfather was thrown in the town jail on no less than four occasions for making pro-American statements in public , something that Don Benito, I am sure, did not approve of. If it weren't for my grandmother's cousin who was a circuit court judge, Grandpa would most like have been executed.

Instead, once the war ended, my grandfather saw to it that each and every one of his children made their way (legally I might add) to the US. Then he, along with my grandmother, came to America and Grandpa's dream was fulfilled; his family was in America and he would die here. In June of 1966 he did just that, buried just a few short miles from my childhood home and a place where I would go as a child and still today as an adult, to talk with both him and my grandmother ~ One of the greatest men I never knew.

Thankfully, my maternal grandfather was a significant part of my life and I was blessed with him for some 26 years. He too was of Italian decent, first generation as a matter of fact and just as patriotic as my paternal grandfather. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Grandpa, like many Americans, left his wife and five children and joined the US Navy. He was a kind, warm, gentle man and would take any opportunity to laugh. He was extremely proud of two things, his family and his service in the Navy. The walls of the family bakery were filled with family photos and photos from Grandpa's time in the Navy. One of my favorite stories is the one told by my mom and her siblings. In late 1945 after victory was declared, they all crowded around one of those floor model old-fashion radios listening as the naval ships gradually returned to dock in Norfolk. For days they sat there wondering if the boat was still afloat as news was not as instantaneous as it is today and the concept of military security actually existed back then. Still today, some 62 years later, not one of his children can tell the story without crying as they tell of the yelling and screaming and tears of joy that flowed the moment they heard that the USS Estes had been identified on the horizon and was steaming its way into port.

Just a few years ago, through the marvel of the Internet, I found a man who served with Grandpa and remembered him well. Aside from the wonderfully kind memories he had of my grandfather, he told us that he was on deck with my grandfather as they watched the Marines raise the flag on Mt. Suribachi. Something that I never knew. But I am sure that Grandpa stood their proudly and with tears in his eyes as that flag was raised, proud to be an American.

So, with that brief introduction, you can imagine which way the wind is blowing on this blog. Here is just a quick list of random thoughts that you can expect to see expounded on here.

The War on Terror

Immigration

Hillary Clinton

John McCain

John Kerry

The lack of real Americans in Congress

The issues with the Press trying to mold opinion instead of reporting the news

The sacrifice and pride of our fighting men and women in harm's way

Why we should fear Nancy Pelosi

... and lots of other wicked stuff that will come out of Washington over the weeks and months ahead

So, sit back, get some Joe or your beverage of choice and blog with the Proud Infidel! My next entry will attempt to explain why I have named my blog as such.

Until then, remember ....
"Only two people have ever willingly given their lives for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier".