Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our family to yours. I hope everyone has a good holiday. Even if you believe in global warming, I hope Santa brings you something nice this year!

Book Review: The Case for a Creator

Lee Strobel was an award winning journalist with the Chicago Tribune. Both he and his wife were atheist. That changed when his wife announced that she had accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savoir. Strobel set out to examine the evidence and prove she was wrong. He found out that the evidence actually pointed towards Christianity, and Strobel himself became a Christian. His experiences trying to prove Christianity wrong were set down in his first book, The Case for Christ. This book is his third in the series. In it, he examines the latest scientific evidence to see if science supports the theory of a personal Creator, or rejects it in favor of other theories such as the one purposed by Charles Darwin.

The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God is broken into a series of interviews with an assortment experts in various scientific fields. I am constantly challenged to discuss my positions on global warming with scientist and academics. Mr. Strobel has done just that with this book. He examines some of the latest discoveries in biochemistry, DNA, astronomy, cosmology, physics, and the consciousness. His discussions are with current professors and research scientist in each of the fields. At the end of each chapter, Mr. Strobel includes a list of other works if the reader wishes to dig deeper.

Two of the arguments I was most impressed with in this book involve fossils and cellular biology. When Darwin purposed his original theory of evolution, he knew that the fossil record didn’t support his argument. He was aware of the explosion of life recorded through fossils during the Cambrian period. Darwin believed that discoveries made in later years would reveal fossils that showed intermediate stages leading up to this period. Instead, discoveries made since Darwin have shown there was a much greater explosion of life than Darwin thought, and the intermediate stages he predicted have still not been discovered. If the theory of evolution is correct, we should have seen a progressive series of fossils leading up to the Cambrian period. Instead, a wide range of life simply appears with no prior fossil record.

Darwin also provided his own test that would refute his theory. Darwin stated, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” Unfortunately for Darwin and his present day supporters, that is exactly what has happened. In his book, Mr. Strobel discusses this with Dr. Michael J. Behe. Dr. Behe shows that microscopic entities such as the moving cilium and the bacterial flagellum cannot possibly be formed from, “…numerous, successive, slight modifications.”

If Darwin’s theory of evolution can’t account for life on Earth today, then what can? After reading The Case for a Creator, the latest scientific evidence points towards a unique, timeless, personal Creator. Far from faith and science clashing in our society today, they actually complement each other.

I would recommend this book to all of my readers who believe there is no God in the Universe. While faith can never be scientifically proven, it can’t be disproven either. And if we are to practice legitimate science, we have to look for conclusions that fit all of the scientific evidence. In today’s scientific world, that evidence fits the Creator.

Quick Notes, Issue Two

Welcome back to another issue of the critically acclaimed Quick Notes. Once again, here are a few bullet points for your general information, enjoyment, and to spur your mind:

Approval Ratings – Bush 34.3 %, Congress 25.0 %.

Waterboarding—A retired CIA agent has spoken publically about the waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah. Zubaydah was the first “high level” Al – Qaeda terrorist captured after September 11^th. During the interrogation, the CIA decided that Abu Zubaydah was not going to cooperate with conventional interrogation methods. The interrogators asked and received permission to waterboard him. According to the retired agent, Mr. Kiriakou, Abu Zubaydah broke in about 35 seconds. From that moment on he was described as cooperative. Mr. Kiriakou said that the intelligence gained from this terrorist directly lead to the saving of American lives.

This is as close as we (hopefully) get to a real world example of the “ticking time bomb scenario”. In this case, I think the CIA did the right thing. And while we are speaking of waterboarding…

What did she know, and when? It turns out that Democratic and Republican law makers were briefed in 2002 on waterboarding. The list of those present include current Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Washington Post article that broke this story said that the reaction of Mrs. Pelosi was not recorded. However, the reaction of those briefed ranged from muted acceptance to encouragement to go further. This sounds like a far cry from the indignant outrage the Speaker uses in today’s world to discuss this same topic.

Omaha. The shooter who killed eight last week before killing himself said he was going to be famous. To date, it seems the media is willing to go along with his plans. Just as the Virginia Tech shooter wanted fame, so to did this disturbed individual. The media needs to stop releasing the names and photos of these people. While it may not stop all of them, taking the “famous” incentive away from these murders seems an easy step to take.

"Our Nations Symphony of Faith"

Having just introduced everyone to a new format future post, I am going right back to the original format for this post. Mitt Romney gave a speech last week that I feel is worth devoting an entire post to. There has been a lot of coverage in the media regarding Gov. Romney’s faith. Last week, Gov. Romney decided to answer some of those concerns with this speech. Much of the coverage surrounding this speech has compared Mitt Romney to John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy gave a similar speech to a group of Protestant Preachers the month before the election that would see him become the nation’s first Catholic President. Many in the media compared Gov. Romney’s speech to that speech even before the speech was delivered.

The speech itself is one of the best speeches I have heard in a long time. Michael Medved called it the best speech of this election cycle. I would encourage everyone to read this speech not just to examine Gov. Romney as a Presidential candidate, but also because it argues religion’s place in today’s America. I think Gov. Romney’s argument is entirely correct. Gov. Romney’s speech is currently called “Faith in America”, but I think future classes will study it as the “Symphony of Faith” speech.

Early in the Speech, Gov. Romney says the following:

Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

This is a statement that has evidence in today’s world, and a warning for future generations. The United States is the symbol of freedom to the rest of the world. As such, we allow our citizens to worship as they choose. If we start to exercise religion from our country, then we start down the path the Soviet Union took generations ago. Gov. Romney also makes the point that many people of faith have tried to make regarding the First Amendment:

No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from public domain any acknowledgment of God…as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism.

And also:

The founders…did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square.

Today’s society has taken the separation of Church and State and turned it into something our Founding Fathers would never have recognized. The founders knew that faith was an important part of society. Far from trying to ban it, they wanted to encourage every citizen to practice their own beliefs as they saw fit, without meddling from the government.

To me, the most powerful part of this speech is towards the very end. In this last section, Gov. Romney stresses that we should be thankful and take strength from the diversity of religions in our country. I can think of no more fitting way to end this post than with the paragraph that I believe will later rename this speech.

In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this: Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion – rather, we welcome our nation’s symphony of faith.

Quick Notes, Issue One

Here are a few items I have wanted to post on, but haven’t had time to write my normal length post on each. I hope to make more of these types of posts. So as a reader advised (thanks Jayne), I am going to, “…go where my instinct takes me.” Here are some thoughts to discuss with your friends.

1) Iran. Much has been made about the new intelligence that Iran may have stopped its nuclear program a few years ago. I certainly hope this is true. Few things scare me as much as a fanatic who believes he can bring about a divine apocalypse and who might have a nuclear weapon. That is a very bad combination. While I hope the National Intelligence Estimate is correct, I have a few concerns. Many people on both sides of the aisle have questioned our intelligence capability in the Middle East. This is a valid question. The NIE says Iran may not have a nuclear warhead for a few years. Ahmadinejad has said he is willing to use a nuclear weapon against Israel. I say, “When in doubt, take the mad man at his word.” We should continue to act as if Ahmadinejad is pursuing a nuclear weapon. Until the people of Iran force a regime change or Ahmadinejad truly stops pursuing nuclear weapons that is the only safe course for our country.

2) Mike Huckabee. If you are following the 2008 election news at all, by now you know that Huckabee has had a surge in the polling. Many people are trying to figure out why. Some have suggested it is because he is running as a conservative. Some have suggested it is a media conspiracy to get the easiest Republican candidate to beat. Others have suggested that these supporters were always there, just waiting until the right moment to strike. I have a different take. While I disagree with Huckabee on a few key points (such as illegal immigration), he is running on a pro Fair Tax platform. I am a huge supporter of the Fair Tax. There are a lot of Republicans and Libertarians who are as well. I think his surge in numbers is coming from that. Time will tell, but the next time you hear Huckabee or see him at a campaign stop, look for a Fair Tax reference.

3) “Global Warming Kooks”. Last week, Drudge had a link to a British paper that ran an article about women in the UK who were getting sterilized to stop global warming. These women thought having children was the worst thing anyone could do to the environment. If I remember correctly, one was 29 years old and the other was 32. If you follow the global warming argument to its conclusion, this is where you end up. Time will tell how many people are willing to subscribe to this idea. There are a lot of groups who have been preaching this openly for some time. There are other groups who believe it, but are concealing that fact. Just a point to keep in mind the next time someone screams about global warming and starts talking about “solutions”.

I hope you enjoyed this column. Look for more of this type of post in the weeks to come. As always, I welcome civil comments and discussion on these topics, or any others.

A Note to My Readers and a New Direction

As my regular readers probably noticed, I haven't posted on here in some time. My work responsibilities have been increasing lately, and are likely to continue to do so in the immediate future. My wife and I have also been doing some much needed remodeling in our home that has taken a large amount of my personal time. And let's not forget that the holiday's are coming up.

To that end, I am thinking of changing some of the format around here. The two things I enjoy the most about this site are posting researched essays (no matter what my global warming readers think) and debating these issues. I want to keep those two elements alive. However, that may require me to post less, or also post more "ramblings" type posts. So I am in the process of deciding how to go forward. Look for some changes, and a little bit of a different posting schedule in the weeks to come. As always, you are welcome to drop your two cents in here. I like to have my readers as involved in this site as possible.

American Troops Video

Mr. President sent me an email with a link to this video. He thought this video was a good tribute to the men and women serving overseas who won't be able to see their families over the holidays this year. Please remember them in your hearts and your prayers.

President Washington's Thanksgiving

I was going to save this post for Thanksgiving Day. However, I thought my readers might enjoy reflecting on this over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Reprinted below is the first national Thanksgiving Day proclamation under our U.S. Constitution as written by President George Washington. The transcript below is from the national archives. I think we forget that the reason we celebrate this day (besides the football) is to give thanks and prayer for the blessings we have received. This week, take some time and thank whatever creator you believe in for the gifts and blessings you have received, and I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.

City of New York, October 3, 1789

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly implore his protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26^th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Another Global Warming Study

This is just a quick post to point out an article on Newsbusters. I am keeping this post short in hopes that my regular man-made global warming readers will go check this article out. NASA and a team of university scientist have just completed a study on the Arctic climate. However, the results may not be what you would expect. As reported from Newsbusters' Noel Sheppard:

"A team of NASA and university scientists has detected an ongoing reversal in Arctic Ocean circulation triggered by atmospheric circulation changes that vary on decade-long time scales. The results suggest not all the large changes seen in Arctic climate in recent years are a result of long-term trends associated with global warming."


The article goes on to say that many of the changes in the Arctic climate that have been attributed to man-made global warming may in fact be natural cycles. It would appear that the Arctic climate has around a 10 year natural cycle that causes it to undergo its own fluctuations regardless of how much CO2 we are putting in the atmosphere.

The Greatest Scam in History!

Here is a hypothetical question: If a founder of the Weather Channel released a public statement calling the theory of Man-Made Global Warming the “greatest scam in history,” would the media cover it? Well, we can move this to the realm of actual questions because that is exactly what happened on November 7th. John Coleman, meteorologist and founder of the Weather Channel released a statement on his personal blog saying just that.


On Global Warming, Mr. Coleman also says he is,”…amazed, appalled and highly offended…,” by it. Mr. Coleman says he does not oppose environmentalism. This is a position I share. He goes on to say that:


“However, Global Warming, i.e. Climate Change, is not about environmentalism or politics. It is not a religion. It is not something you “believe in.” It is science; the science of meteorology. This is my field of life-long expertise. And I am telling you Global Warming is a non-event, a manufactured crisis and a total scam.”


This should be a pretty big strike against those who would have us hand over our energy policies to the United Nations. If Global Warming is a non-event as Mr. Coleman believes, then while we can continue to study global climate change, the focus should shift away from the realm of politics and back into the realm of science. Of course, this assumes that Mr. Coleman’s statements get out to the public.


I have been trying to watch for stories on the major networks talking about Mr. Coleman. Rush Limbaugh has covered it, as have Newsbusters and a website on climate change called ICECAP, and one NBC station in Augusta, GA. However, I haven’t been able to find coverage of Mr. Coleman on any of the other major news networks.


Here is an expert in the field of climatology who doesn’t believe in global warming. Without Mr. Coleman, one could argue that the Weather Channel may not have come into existence. Without the Weather Channel, where would the climatologist and weathermen employed by the Weather Channel be? Often when an expert disagrees with global warming, the “true-believers” attack the expert’s credentials, and not his or her statement. Surely we can skip that step this time and simply look at what Mr. Coleman said. If we question Mr. Coleman’s credentials, then I would argue there are no climatologist who should be believed or listened to on this topic.


We have an expert, a founder of the Weather Channel, who believes Global Warming is a scam and a hoax. Follow my link above and read his statement for yourself. Can we finally dispense with the “consensus” label and put man-made global warming back into the “scientific theory” category?

Book Review: My Grandfather's Son

I, like most Americans, know very little about the current Supreme Court Justices. While I try to follow their decisions, I don’t really know a lot about the people who make up the highest court in our nation. When My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir by Justice Clarence Thomas was released, I thought I might change that. After I heard an interview by Rush Limbaugh with Justice Thomas, I decided I had to read his book. If you aren’t familiar with Rush’s show, he rarely interviews people for his program. However, he aired a one and a half hour interview with Justice Thomas on his show (a record length for an interview on the Rush Limbaugh Show). After hearing the first part of the interview, I thought Justice Thomas sounded like a fascinating person, and his book reinforced that position.

My Grandfather’s Son is an autobiography of Justice Thomas that follows his life from birth in 1950’s Georgia to his confirmation on the Supreme Court during the senior George Bush’s administration. Clarence Thomas wouldn’t meet his biological dad until he was nine years old, and would only see him twice in his youth. His mother did the best she could to raise him, but by the time he was seven, she realized she couldn’t do it on her own. She sent him and his brother to live with their grandparents. They lived a few blocks down from his grandparents and Clarence Thomas describes walking down the street to move in with them. Both he and his brother carried a grocery sack that contained all of their possessions.

From that point on, Justice Thomas would always think of his Grandfather as his “Daddy”. His grandmother was called Aunt Tina (pronounced “Teenie”). These two would be the parents Justice Thomas would know the rest of his life. His Daddy was hard on him. He wouldn’t allow the two boys to join after school activities, and moved them to a family farm during the summer every year to work. He tried to instill in the boys a strong work ethic. Even though the college age Clarence Thomas would rebel against his Daddy, those lessons his Grandfather instilled in him stuck. Years later, when Clarence Thomas’s life was at its lowest point, he promised to dedicate the rest of it to his grandparents.

I was unaware how much race and racism factored into Clarence Thomas’ life. Through hard work, and his Daddy’s lessons, he was able to go to Holy Cross and then Yale Law School. However, upon graduating, the future Supreme Court Justice found out the true worth of his Yale Law degree. Employers assumed that he only got into Yale, and only graduated, because of race quotas. Because of that, no one wanted to hire him. Justice Thomas recounts taking a 15 cent price tag off a box of cigars and putting it on his diploma to remind him exactly how much the diploma was worth to him.

There has been a lot of discussion in interviews with the Justice regarding the brutal honesty he puts in his book. Even knowing that, I was surprised how much of the misfortune in his life he lays squarely at his own feet. His troubled adult relationship with “the only real father he ever knew”, a failed marriage, heavy drinking, and radical years in college he all blames on himself. Some of his failures could have probably been omitted from the book. However, Justice Thomas believes that he had to be honest so that others reading this book can see how low he sunk and perhaps give that reader hope. His discussion of the “Anita Hill scandal” is heartbreaking. I could feel his pain, and the pain his family and friends went through in the pages of this book.

My Grandfather’s Son is a page turning autobiography. The racism Justice Thomas faced (from southerners and liberals alike) is very much alive in the pages of this book. After reading this book, I found myself revolted by some figures that are still in D.C., and respecting others I hadn’t cared for before. I am old enough to just vaguely remember the conformation process Justice Thomas went through. Reading his recount of how it affected him and his family left me with tremendous respect for Justice Thomas. I recommend this book to anyone who is slightly interested in politics, or who likes a good biography. I can only hope there is a future Justice who reads this book and takes some lessons away from it.

Book Review: Power to the People

When I wrote my “Love America” post a week ago, it was inspired by Power to the People by Laura Ingraham. That post generated a lot of comments , and I hope people are as interested in the book that inspired the post.

In Power to the People, Mrs. Ingraham talks about some of the things that she feels have gone wrong in today’s society. Each chapter ends with a way everyday people can get more involved with the political process and thereby take power from the government. Ms. Ingraham argues that real power belongs to the people and not to Washington. Amendment X of the U.S. Constitution states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people”{emphasis mine}. We need to remind our elected representatives of that important amendment.

The book is also semi-biographical. Each chapter talks about Ms. Ingraham’s life in some degree. Laura Ingraham discusses her own battle with cancer in a few portions of the book. However, Power to the People is not a biography. The focus of the book is not the author, but instead the reader.

Each chapter focuses on a single problem. Some of the chapters include “Power to the Family”, “Judging the Judges”, “Protecting the People”, and “School’s Out…of Control”. There were two chapters that I think may have stuck with me more than the others: Saving Our Pornified Culture and Taking the Real Power Trip. In “Saving our Pornified Culture, Ms. Ingraham talks about how our culture and entertainment standards now seem to revolve around sex and violence. When Fox News and CNN cover Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton as if they are world leaders, she may be onto something. I have already caught myself watching TV in an entirely new light.

In “Taking the Real Power Trip”, Ms. Ingraham discusses Christianity in her own life. This is a very powerful chapter. She talks about how her faith, and the outpouring of faith around her, got her throw some of her toughest times. When she wasn’t sure she could make it through the cancer treatments, her faith gave her the strength she needed. This chapter alone gave me a new respect for Laura Ingraham that I don’t think I would have gotten from simply hearing her on the radio, or seeing her on TV.

Power to the People is a very enjoyable and quick read. It is different from any other political-type book I have read. Most books talk about political philosophy and grand directions that nations need to follow. In Power to the People, Laura Ingraham lays out the direction our nation needs to go, and how we can get it there. Everyone who reads this book should be able to find a new way to get power away from Washington, and back into our hands.

New York to Issue Driver's License to Illeagl Aliens

This is the first line from a CNN article covering New York’s plan to give illegal aliens valid drivers license: The Bush administration and New York cut a deal Saturday to create a new generation of super-secure driver’s licenses for U. S. citizens, but also allow illegal immigrants to get a version. My first response: What?!

It seems what my high school Drivers Education teacher, and my license examiner told me is incorrect. Both of them informed me many times that driving was a privilege and not a right. However, the Governor of New York and his administration have argued that in New York it is the other way around, people (both citizens and illegal aliens) have the right to drive. Governor Spitzer is wrong. Driving is a privilege that is earned, not something that is freely given out. In many states, certain traffic violations can remove that privilege. However, the Governor believes that if you break the law to get into our country, you should be given a license.

I have read numerous articles on this subject over the last few days, and almost all say the same thing. The new id’s that New York wants to give away are suppose to be more secure, and these ID’s should make it harder for terrorist and those who want to harm us to travel in the United States. However, New York wants to give these new super secure driver’s licenses away to law breakers.

The new super secure driver’s licenses could allow illegal aliens to get jobs, get social services, get an education, and vote. Wait, you may not have caught that last item. These new illegal alien driver’s licenses would allow illegal aliens to vote. While these new ID’s will have a special “not a valid federal id” note, the New York Board of Elections says it will be more difficult to combat voter fraud under the Governor’s plan. The Board says it is unusual for the polling officials to check immigration status if the voter shows up with a valid driver’s license. Could this be the real reason the Governor is behind this issue?

If you happen to be searching for an issue that Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on, this is one. Many of the top Republican candidates have criticized this plan, some more harshly than others. However, according to the L.A. Times coverage of the Democratic debate, “…five of the seven candidates indicated they would support states issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.” Mrs. Clinton has flipped back and forth over the course of the debate as to whether she would support illegal alien driver’s licenses or not.

Driving is a privilege, ask any State Trooper. The Governor of New York wants to give a secure form of identification to someone who broke the law entering the United States. The Governor of New York is risking providing criminals with identification, encouraging voter fraud, and allowing terrorist easier movement in the United States under this clearly boneheaded idea.

"Love America"

“The more I see of our country, the more I love it.”

--Laura Ingraham in

Power to the People

This is the first line in Chapter 5 of Power to the People. I am really excited by this book and look forward to sharing it with everyone on here. When Laura talks about seeing more of the country, she isn’t talking about the landmarks or shopping malls, she is talking about the people she gets to meet outside of D.C. Laura and others have often remarked that our greatest resource is the people of this nation.

Laura also talks about making a “Love America” group. This would be to combat the “Blame America First” crowd out there. I think it may have been a passing comment in her book, but I have decided to take this idea and run with it. To that end, I am announcing that I am creating a “Love America” club starting right here.

This club is to be patriotic, and to remember our great heritage. We won’t forget the mistakes we have made as a nation (like forgetting what Amendment X of the U. S. Constitution is). Whereas people in the “blame America first” groups tend to see us as the problem, in “Love America” we will assume that the United States is probably the solution. We will promise to take the side of America first, until evidence proves that we have been wrong. We will assume that the United Nations doesn’t have America’s best interest at heart. We acknowledge that while a European Union my work for some of our allies, we aren’t part of that Union and aren’t bound by its agreements. In “Love America” we will strive to protect our nation from treaties that wish the United States to grant foreign bodies power over us.

I welcome comments as to what should be included in this club. If you want to join, feel free. Membership costs no money, but won’t be free. Many will consider this group backwards and perhaps even a bit barbaric. However, pride in ones country is nothing to be ashamed of. I am proud to live in the United States and to be an American.

Private Citizen Boycotted by NAACP

There was a time when Freedom of Speech was protected in this country, especially on private property. Sadly, that no longer appears to be the case. While newspaper organizations claim they can print national secrets under their guaranteed first amendment rights, the NAACP has decided that it gets to decide how people decorate their houses for Halloween.

In LaGrange, Georgia, the McCann family decorated their house for Halloween. The decorations included a display with three scarecrow-like figures: one was white, one was a space alien, and one was some sort of monster. Mrs. McCann likes to decorate for the holidays. During Christmas, she says you can see her decorations from miles away. However, this year, because her Halloween decorations include a noose, the local NAACP has picketed her home, and is trying to boycott her business.

Mrs. McCann has a display on her private property. This isn’t at her business, at town hall, or at the local school. She has a Halloween display that includes a noose, so the NAACP is bent out of shape. Her display doesn’t include hanging any minorities (unless you include “space alien” in that category). Mrs. McCann’s display might be offensive to certain people, but Christmas decorations are offensive to some, as are too many American Flags in a given place (like in Spiderman 3). Boycotts like this one by the NAACP are used primarily to extort money from businesses and attempt to grab any media attention the organization can get. These boycotts have little to do with the people they are boycotting or any attempt to improve society.

The McCann family is expressing their celebration of the holiday and exercising their First Amendment rights. The McCann’s have said they aren’t going to take the display down; they feel like they are within their rights to have it up. I agree. Just because a noose is involved in a display doesn’t make it offensive, no matter what the NAACP may claim to believe. The McCann’s are trying to celebrate a time of year they find exciting. I think they should be allowed to do that without having to worry about boycotts and pickets.

Saint Crispin's Day

Today is Saint Crispin’s Day. Saint Crispin’s Day was immortalized in Henry V by William Shakespeare. When I first heard the Saint Crispin’s Day speech, it really struck a cord with me. It expresses exactly what one should strive to be when the chips are really down. At the end of this I have quoted the Saint Crispin’s Day speech. In my opinion the qualities that are praised in this speech are shown by a real life hero: Lt. Michael P. “Murph” Murphy.

Navy Seal Michael Murphy was deployed in Afghanistan. He wore a New York Firehouse patch on his uniform. In June of 2005 he and three other seals were surrounded by Taliban fighters. They were outgunned and running out of ammo. They couldn’t transmit on their radio because they were in the bottom of a ravine. Lt. Murphy calmly took his cell phone to a clearing, exposing himself to fire but calling in help for his fellow soldiers. While he was calling, he was shot in the back. He picked his phone back up, and continued to make the call.

Only one of Murhpy’s teammates survived. However, the bravery Murphy showed earned him the Medal of Honor. Words can’t express the admiration I have for Lt. Murphy. It is because of the bravery of men and women like Lt. Michael “Murph” Murphy that my daughter can grow up in a free country. So, when you think of St. Crispin day, remember Shakespeare’s Speech from Henry V, I think “Murph” would have approved:

Westmoreland: O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men England
That do no work to-day!

KING: What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Can We Question Patriotism?

Is it fair to question an individual’s patriotism? In today’s political arena, it is common to hear the phrase, “How dare you question my patriotism…”, or, “I don’t question his patriotism, but…” I have wondered for some time now when this became such a big taboo.

What is Patriotism? Is it simply a love of country? Or is it more complex? Perhaps patriotism is the desire to see your country be the greatest on the planet. If so, then sometimes a patriot is required to question the direction his or her countries leaders are taking the country. Questioning leadership doesn't detract from patriotism. What of those in the United States and Europe who believe their particular country should be part of a larger, “trans-national” organization. Does that factor into Patriotism? If you actively believe your country should take a backseat to decisions made by the European Union or by the United Nations, are you still wanting the best for your country?

This is a topic with no easy answers. I believe there are examples of people who were obviously lacking patriotism. Someone who commits treason should definitely have their patriotism questioned. Other emotions and feelings can be difficult to evaluate, but we can all point to examples of someone lacking that quality. Does a husband who beats his wife really love her? Does it matter what he says?

However, if patriotism can’t be questioned, that must mean that everyone is a patriot. If that is true, surely some of the logical patriotic acts should be encouraged by people from both sides of the aisle. Perhaps as a first suggestion I might offer a patriotic history class in public schools. Not one that would whitewash our mistakes as both individuals and as a nation, but one that would teach our mistakes and also celebrate our successes as a nation.

I believe there are people in the United States who will blame the United States as a knee jerk reaction to many of the problems in today’s world. While some of this comes from at least a somewhat “questionable” notion of patriotism, I think much of it comes from a lack of knowledge of our country. I think the more one studies the history of the United States, the more one sees the incredible good our country has also produced throughout its still relatively young lifespan. Have we made mistakes? Sure, but they are few and far between compared to the good things we have done.

If Patriotism is something that shouldn't be questioned, then let’s start teaching patriotism in our schools. Let’s show our children why they should be proud to be Americans, and why they should aspire to be patriots themselves.

Turkey Guilty (100 years ago)!

The Democratic leadership in the House is trying its best to disrupt our supply lines to Iraq and to alienate our largest Muslim alley in the Middle East. Why you may ask? They are doing it under the cover of addressing atrocities that are almost 100 years old.

In the early 1900’s Turkey (and much of the Middle East) was part of the Ottoman Empire. Prior to and during World War I, there was a systematic attempt to exterminate Christian Armenians by the Muslim government. Depending on the source, estimates range from 300,000 to 2 million Armenians brutally killed during this time period. Many scholars seem to take 1.5 million as the agreed upon figure. Many consider this genocide second only to the Holocaust. From 1919 to 1920, there were a series of military tribunals that sentenced many of the leaders responsible for the atrocities against the Armenians to death. Most of these sentences were reached while the defendant was in hiding and unreachable.

Currently Democrats, with some Republican help, have been trying to pass a resolution in the House condemning this activity and labeling it “Genocide”. The current government in Turkey has acknowledged that crimes were committed, but has refused to label it as genocide. Their arguments seem to be regarding the precise definition of “genocide”. Speaker Pelosi is trying to bring a House resolution to the floor for a full vote that would condemn Turkey for something that happened almost 100 years ago. Turkey has found this insulting and has recalled its’ ambassador to the United States.

While I agree that the genocide of the Armenians was terrible, and is something we should study to learn from, I question the motives behind the Democrats who want to bring this to the floor. Condoleezza Rice and eight other former Secretaries of State have sent a letter to the House asking for members to vote against this resolution. The Bush administration believes that Turkey may have two reactions to a condemnation by us, their ally. These reactions are in addition to the Democrats insulting our largest Muslim alley if the resolution were to pass. First, Turkey may begin sending troops into the Kurdish area of Iraq. The Bush administration has been actively working with Turkey to keep them from entering into Iraq. If Turkey were to send troops into Northern Iraq, it could hurt the success we have had in that area.

Secondly, and I think the real reason Democrats are behind this measure, Turkey may stop allowing our military to use their airspace and country as a supply route for our troops in Iraq. The Pentagon is already working on logistics in the event that happens. We currently have major supplies (including new, more heavily armed transports) coming to our troops through Turkey. If that supply route is disrupted, it wouldn’t be good for our soldiers, and for our war effort.

I can’t imagine a reason that House Democrats are pushing this issue at this time, other than to intentionally hurt our war effort. Many Republicans and Democrats have decided to vote against this issue after hearing about the repercussions. However, Speaker Pelosi and House Leader Steny Hoyer still intend to have a full vote on the measure by the end of the year. If the Democratic Leadership of the House is so committed to having this vote, are they also committed to doing whatever they can to hurt our war effort in Iraq? Do they really despise the President so much they would sacrifice our soldiers, and our nation, to simply spite the President?

Hurricane Forecaster Disputes Man Made Global Warming

Today is “blog action day”. The website sponsoring this event is trying to encourage as many bloggers to post about the environment today as possible. I hadn’t planned on posting today, but the combination of this historic event and one particular news story that has been bouncing around my head lately simply won’t let me pass it up.

By now, everyone has heard that Al Gore and the IPCC are co-winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. While they join such humanitarians as Yasser Arafat and Anwar Sadat, I am guessing many of my colleagues will be posting about Al Gore and the Nobel Prize, so I can skip it. Besides, every major news agency in the world covered this, so you probably have heard all the details anyway.

What you may not have heard is the lecture that one Dr. William Gray gave at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Gray freely admits (as do I) that humans, “…might have caused a very slight amount of [global warming].” However, Dr. Gray also says, “…this warming trend is not going to keep on going. My belief is that three, four years from now, the globe will start to cool again, as it did from the middle ‘40s to the middle ‘70’s.” At the lecture in North Carolina, Dr. Gray said, “We’ll look back on all of this in 10 or 15 years and realize how foolish it was…”

This isn’t good news if you are a believer in man-made global warming. I am often challenged on this site to find someone in a local college that agrees with my viewpoint. Here is an academic who does. It turns out Dr. Gray is called “one of the worlds foremost meteorologists” (The Sydney Morning Herald) or “a pioneer in the science of forecasting hurricanes” (Wikipedia). Dr. Gray’s hurricane forecast are used by insurance companies when figuring how likely hurricanes are to hit a particular area. If that isn’t a good enough resume to make you take note of his comments, how about his diplomas. Dr. Gray received a BS in Geography from George Washington University. He received a MS in Meteorology and a PhD in Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago. If that resume doesn’t qualify him to comment on global warming, I don’t believe there is anyone alive capable of talking about global warming.

If this sounds vastly different from what you believe academics should be saying, Dr. Gray has an answer for that too. Dr. Gray has charged that many of his colleagues are intentionally lying about global warming because they need the grant money. If man-made global warming isn’t really an issue, then how does a scientist get funding to study it? Dr. Gray believes that humans simply have too small of an impact on the earth to cause a significant change in the global temperature of the planet.

There are those in the community who disagree with Dr. Gray. As I have said before, I don’t believe science fully understands how our planet works, so debate is necessary. However, the next time you hear about “consensus” in global warming, remember hurricane forecaster Dr. William Gray.

New Look for Political Friends

I am going to change a few things on here over the next few weeks. As you can see, I have already made a few big changes. The rest of the changes are probably going to be small, or at least less noticeable. I want to keep the site appealing to my readers, so let me know what you think.

An Inconvient Day in Court for Gore

If An Inconvenient Truth is scientific consensus at its best, then it should stand up to debate. If the science is settled beyond any reasonable shadow of a doubt, then Mr. Gore's documentary should have no trouble standing up in court. Unfortunately for those who worship at the alter of An Inconvenient Truth, that hasn't happened.


Recently the British government decided to all secondary schools in England. The Government was impressed by the message of Mr. Gore's movie. Unfortunately, its against the law in England to show a film in school that contains partisan politics without informing students that it is a political film. A school governor and a parent a student went to court to get the film banned from schools in England.


The court didn't ban the film. However, a judge ruled that there were nine errors or omissions that must be explained to students before it can be shown. First, students must be warned that An Inconvenient Truth is a political film and doesn't explain all sides of the arguments. Second, if the film is presented without addressing the nine omissions, teachers will be breaking the law. Third, the omissions pointed to by the judge must be specifically drawn out to the students.


Here is the list of errors and the judges finding:

1. An Inconvenient Truth claims that a sea-level rise of up to 20 feet would be caused by melting ice sheets. The Judge said, "This is distinctly alarmist," and would only occur after 1,000 years.
2. An Inconvenient Truth claims that Pacific Islands have, "...already been evacuated." There is no evidence that this has happened.
3. Mr. Gore claims that coral reefs are dying and bleaching because of Global Warming. The Judge in England stated that there are many factors that can destroy coral and separating out individual factors is very difficult.
4. Mr. Gore claims that polar bears were found that had drown swimming from melting ice bergs. Unfortunately for Mr. Gore's film, only four polar bears were found drown, and those drown due to a storm.
5. An Inconvenient Truth claims that the disappearance of snow on Mount Kilimanjaro (as shown by two photos in the movie) is due to Man-Made Global Warming. The judge ruled that it can't be shown that the recession of snows is related to Global Warming.
   
6. Similarly, An Inconvenient Truth claims Hurricane Katrina was caused by global warming. The judge stated that there wasn't enough evidence to prove Katrina was caused by Global Warming.
7. Like Kilimanjaro and Hurricane Katrina, An Inconvenient Truth claims that Lake Chad is drying up due to Global Warming. Again, there isn't enough evidence to establish Lake Chad is drying up because of Global Warming.
   
8. In a spectacular portion of the movie, Mr. Gore warns that the Gulf Stream will shut down. The judge stated this was "very unlikely".
9. Mr. Gore shows in his movie that a graph of CO2 rise and temperature rise over the same period are an exact fit. The judge ruled that while there was a connection between the two, the film is misleading. The judge noted that in some cases, the CO2 rises lagged by 800 to 2000 years.

By itself, this doesn't mean man-made global warming isn't happening. It does mean that man-made global warming is still a theory. Man still hasn't been able to prove it. Two individuals in England fought to keep this film out of British schools. They failed at that. However, the film will only be shown with disclaimers explaining what it truly is: A political propaganda movie.

The Dutch to Debate Free Speech

Is free speech worth protecting? What if free speech is used to criticize Islam? Newspapers have wavered back and forth on this issue in the past. Some newspapers believe it is worth protecting. Others have decided to censor themselves in order to avoid offending believers of the “Religion of Peace”. This week the Dutch government will debate if a prominent citizen of its country should be protected after criticizing Islam (and after the Dutch Government promised to protect her) or if it would be more convenient for the government to simply leave her to her own devices.

The issue is whether or not Ayaan Hirsi Ali deserves to have government provided security. Ms. Ali has been in hiding since the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gough. Mr. Van Gough was killed because he had produced an 11 minute film critical of how women are treated in Islam. Ms. Ali wrote the script for that movie. A man stepped from the shadows and attacked Van Gough on his way to work one morning. Van Gough’s attacker shot him and almost cut his head off before stabbing a five page letter to his chest addressed to Hirsi Ali. She has been in protective custody since that time. The man who killed Van Gough was acting on a fatwa that had been issued against Van Gough. Many Muslims also want Ali killed for her part in the making of the film.

If you aren’t familiar with Ms. Ali, I have a short review of her latest book, Infidel. In her book, Ms. Ali describes what life was like growing up as a Muslim in Africa and the Middle East. After suffering an assortment of abuses (including female genital mutilation) she fled to the Netherlands and adopted that country as her new home. Hirsi Ali became a critic of Islam and how women are treated in its name. She has stated she no longer believes in God. This alone earns a death sentence under Islamic law. However, she has taken great pains to shine a light on the injustices done to women in the name of Islam. That has earned her a life of bodyguards and 24 hour a day protection. Protection that was promised to her when government officials asked her to enter politics.

However, some in the Netherlands still believe that fanatical Muslims can be appeased. These individuals believe that if they withdraw their protection of Hirsi Ali, then maybe fanatical Muslims will leave their nation alone. There are people in the Netherlands and Europe who have clamored to have her protection removed. There are also those who have tried to get to her before, and those who hope someone gets her. Her critics say she is too critical of Islam. If she has to have 24 hour a day protection, I would ask if she is being as critical as she could be. Some have said she has brought these troubles on herself. Individuals such as Ms. Ali should be able to say what they wish in a Western nation without fear of being stabbed in the streets.

Many on the left in our country wish our laws were as liberal as those in the Netherlands. The Dutch government is trying to hide it’s cowardice behind the financial cost imposed on them by protecting Ali. I find it hard to believe that the cost to protect her is more expensive than the cost free speech and open debate will suffer in the West if some harm should come to her because the Dutch government is worried about offending some of the people within their country. The Dutch are often shown as the model of a free, liberal, Western Government. They now have the opportunity to show they know how to do the right thing when a courageous womans life may will hang in the balance.

If I Had to Live one Day Over and Over

This is a going to be a different post. I am part of a mystery blog challenge. We were given a topic to write about and everyone has to post on Oct. 6^th. Here is my contribution to the challenge. If you are looking for something political today, go check some of my links, or read my book review on Why We Fight. If you are willing to read something I have written that has nothing to do with politics, then sit back and take a look at this one. Let me know what you think. You can also read the other submissions, and vote for the best one here.

The last winner of this challenge picked an unusual topic. We are to write on, “"If your life were like Bill Murray's in Groundhog Day (where he lives one day over and over), which day would you want to re-live forever, and why?"

I have been thinking over this topic for the last couple of weeks. It would be a pretty difficult choice to make. I started thinking, “What day or event would I like to relive?” My daughter’s birth sounded like an interesting choice, but I am sure my wife wouldn’t want to live that day over and over and over. My wedding day was another one that jumped to mind, but the day leading up to the ceremony was actually pretty normal.

Maybe I should relive a specific birthday or Christmas. That sounded interesting, but besides getting the same presents every day, I thought it might get boring pretty fast. I could imagine a scene where by the 100^th time I had opened the same present, I just started crying. That wouldn’t go over well with the giver of said present.

So I started thinking along a different line. What day would I like to relive something I did, or something I did with someone? As sappy as it sounds, I really enjoy being around my wife. Any day I have to relive over and over has got to include her in it. “So,” my thinking went, “what day have I spent with my wife that I would want to live over and over?”

And then it hit me. When we got married, we were living in Georgia. None of our family or close friends lived in Georgia. We decided to get married where my wife grew up, and our high school friends flew in for the wedding. The day after our wedding, instead of going away on a honeymoon (which we would do a few months later), we got up, and drove back to town to be with our friends. We spent the entire day surrounded by people we love who we never get to see.

Looking back, I don’t remember many of the things we did that day. However, I can recite the entire list of people who were with us. I think back on that day, and I remember how happy both my wife and I were. To be able to spend a day with our closest friends was an incredible joy for us. Now the choice seems easy.

If I have to pick a day to spend the rest of my life reliving, a day with my wife and my friends sounds perfect.

Check out some of the other posts on the Mystery Topic Challenge. If you want to vote for one of the posts, you can comment here and cast your vote.

Political Friends: Readp Post
Ghostworks: Read Post
Zybron: Read Post
lifeasme66: Read Post
SomeGoSoftly: Read Post
Mr President: Read Post
jml918 (jean): Read Post
jayne d'Arcy: Read Post


After reading all the entries, please vote for your favorite: HERE. Please note: You do not have to sign up at the MTC forum to vote. You can post a comment there or here to vote. Voting closes on Oct. 8th at midnight PST.

I hope you enjoy all the posts!

Book Review: Why We Fight

I posted the dedication fromWhy We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism a few days ago. I thought the opening dedication was very moving, and was equally impressed with the rest of the book. I just finished the book and immediately sat down to write this review. It is a short book (less than 200 pages in the paperback edition), however many of the points are very powerful and are very powerfully made.

This is not a book for someone who believes America is no better or worse than any other nation on the planet, and doesn't want to hear anything to the contrary. Dr. Bennett writes of patriotism, right and wrong, and the undeniable truth that some things really are worth fighting for.

The original edition of this book was released in 2002. The paperback edition that I stumbled across at a used bookstore is an updated version. It includes a new introduction entitled “Blaming America First”. Dr. Bennett explains why this mentality is so deadly to our country. The original introduction (“A Moment of Clarity”) is also included in the paperback edition.

I thought many of Dr. Bennett's arguments were well laid out and hard to counter. Dr. Bennett uses this book to discuss patriotism and the anti-America movement since September 11^th. He examines the pacifist movement. This book is also interesting because it makes a case for our action in Afghanistan and Iraq before we entered Iraq. Don't open this book expecting to see a lot of talk about WMD's. Many forget there were other reasons to go into Iraq. The epilogue should be required reading. Dr. Bennett uses it to lay out the case for removal of Saddam Hussein.

On a larger scale, Why We Fight seeks to shine a light on the anti-America movement that has been in this country since the 1930’s. It also argues why Patriotism is something we should be instilling in our children along with a fundamental understating of what it means to be an American. How can we hope to survive when reports look at our government with suspicion, but take petty dictators and tyrants at their word? Dr. Bennett makes the case for Israel and our continued support of that nation.

This book should be required reading for high school students, and for anyone who thinks patriotism is something to be avoided. For those of us who believe being a patriot is a good thing, this book is a welcome reinforcement of that belief.

Senate Reaches New Low

The actions by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, John Kerry, Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama, and other Democratic Senators over the last 24 hours have reached a new low point for American politics. These 40 Democratic Senators, who suddenly develop outrage whenever their patriotism is questioned, have attacked Rush Limbaughs “unpatriotic and indefensible comments”. On the Senate floor, they disparaged Rush, and impugned his reputation. Remember, Rush Limbaugh is a private citizen. He is not an elected official. Rush would not be able to say the same thing about these Senators in Senate chambers as they said about him.

Agree with Rush Limbaugh or disagree with him, if you don’t like what he says, don’t listen. I disagree with the New York Times for running the Moveon.org ad. Therefore, I have no intention of buying the New York Times. Rush is a citizen of the United States. The U.S. Constitution, Amendment number One, which most liberals claim to cherish, guarantees Rush the ability to say whatever he wants on his own radio station. People can choose to listen to what he says or not.

As I said in a previous post, no one who objectively listens to the segment that Rush has been miss-quoted from can possibly come away with the impression that he was talking about soldiers who served in Iraq. There were stories about phony soldiers in other news outlets leading up to Rush’s comments. Senator Reid, Senator Clinton, and the other signatories of the letter to Mark Mays of Clear Channel or either not doing their homework, or are intentionally misleading the public. Either way, they have now publically embarrassed themselves and the U.S. Senate.

If we wish to be charitable and grant they haven’t done their homework, then all 40 members who signed this letter should resign from office in disgrace. To think that a U.S. Senator would ask a media agency to, “…publicly repudiate these comments…,” without doing his or her homework is beyond belief. This action comes very close to censoring a media outlet. Surely a Senator would do his homework before embarking on such a course. If he or she hasn’t, the Senator should be asked to leave office.

If, as is more likely, these 40 Democratic Senators are intentionally misleading the public, we should still demand they resign. A U.S. Senator is a public servant. Many Senators (both Republican and Democratic) have forgotten that. If they are going to go to the floor of the U.S. Senate and intentionally lie as a matter of cheap theatrics, we don’t need them in office. Surely intelligent adults from both sides of the political spectrum can agree that this debate was a colossal waste of time and public money. Do the Democrats who control the Senate believe this is the most pressing issue of the day?

Either these 40 Senators are too lazy to seek the truth in this matter, or they prefer to intentionally mislead the public with regards to Rush. These Senators owe Rush a formal apology from the floor of the Senate. Of course, that would require these Senators have some sort of honor. I seriously question that after seeing this letter.

I Support Rush!

I wasn’t planning on writing about the “Rush Scandal”. In case you haven’t been following this, some media outlets and uniformed bloggers are attacking Rush Limbaugh for calling soldiers who oppose the war “phony soldiers”. However, I have already received one comment on it from a reader, so I thought I would comment where everyone can see my response. The comment was posted in one of the older links, so you might not have seen it. The Anonymous comment I received asked:

“So, Andy, will you denounce Rush, now that he's publicly called soldiers--including some who have been killed in action--'phony soldiers'? Or is it actually OK to trash the patriotism of soldiers you don't agree with?”

My response is beyond a shadow of a doubt, and in no uncertain terms, “No”. Why you ask? Because this story is being manipulated and Rush’s words are being reported out of context. I am a Rush fan, and as such, I am also a 24 hour subscriber to his site. One of the advantages I have as a subscriber is complete access to his library of shows. On the particular day in question, Rush wasn’t referring to a soldier who disagreed with the war. He was instead referring to people who claim to be soldiers, or who claim to have been decorated soldiers, but who are not.

In Rush’s case, he was referring to “corporal” Jesse MacBeth. As Rush has pointed out on his show, “corporal” MacBeth became a hero to many anti-war groups. In a scene reminiscent of John Kerry during Vietnam, MacBeth told the press about the abuses and travesties he and other U.S. soldiers did in Iraq. He claimed to have witnessed soldiers killing hundreds of men, women, and children. As Rush said on his show, “In one gruesome account, translated into Arabic and spread widely across the Internet, Army Ranger Jesse MacBeth describes the horrors this way: ‘We would burn their bodies. We would hang their bodies from the rafters in the mosque.’”

The problem with “corporal” MacBeth is that it was all made up. Jesse MacBeth was sentenced to five months in jail and three years probation for falsifying a Veterans Affairs claim and his Army discharge record. Turns out he washed out of boot camp. No service. No corporal.

Rush isn’t the only one who has reported on these phony soldiers. The Weekly Standard has been reporting on Scott Thomas Beauchamp. He is an actual soldier. However, he also made up stories about atrocities committed in Iraq that were never committed. His stories have been reported by the New Republic, only to have Mr. Beauchamp say he no longer stands by his stories. ABC News has even done stories covering the rash of people claiming to be soldiers who weren’t. On the coverage, Charles Gibson even used the phrase “phony soldiers”. To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Gibson isn’t facing the kind of hatred Rush is facing right now.

What this story is really about is left wing political groups who are trying to take comments out of context to generate bad press for Rush and other conservatives. They hope no one will do their home work to see what Rush actually said. Many on the left have bought these stories hook line and sinker. There are many issues you may disagree with Rush on. However, if you are going to disagree with him, at least get your facts straight and disagree with something he said, and not something someone wants you to think he said.