US Ambassador to Egypt Vows to Apply Pressure to Support Muslim Brotherhood

by Dean Garrison 

There are always two stories in America. There is the one that comes from Obama’s mouth and then there is the truth. The truth of the matter is that this administration was “all in” on a Muslim Brotherhood controlled Egypt. You can’t trust a word they say now that Morsi has been overthrown. Although I have little doubt that Obama would gladly throw Morsi, or anyone else, under the bus for his own benefit, we should not be so sure that this administration is done with The Muslim Brotherhood. There are reports coming from a very respected journalist in the Arab world that Anne Patterson is turning up the heat and vowing to apply pressure:

Evidence that the Obama administration is unhappy with the Egyptian people’s liberation from Muslim Brotherhood rule continues to emerge.  As reported today by Youm 7, according to Muhammad Heikal — “the Arab world’s most respected political commentator” and for some 50 years a political insider — soon after the overthrow of Morsi, U.S. ambassador Anne Patterson assured Hisham Qandil, who hours ago was Egypt’s Prime Minister, that “there are many forms of pressure, and America holds the keys to the Gulf.”
Such blatantly pro-Muslim Brotherhood assurances by Patterson are consistent with many of her other actions in Egypt, which have led most Egyptians, including politicians and activists, to refer to her as a Brotherhood stooge.  Among other things, in the days leading to June 30, she called on Egyptians not to protest — including by meeting with the Coptic Pope and asking him to urge the nation’s Christian minority not to oppose the Brotherhood, even though Christians have naturally been the most to suffer under Morsi, especially in the context of “blasphemy” accusations.
Thus, and once again, the Obama administration makes indubitably clear that its primary interest in Egypt is to see the Muslim Brotherhood stay in power, the Egyptian people’s will — the will of tens of millions of secularists, liberals, moderates, and Christians — be damned.

News from the Arab world last week was that Anne Patterson was accused of being part of a Muslim Brotherhood “sleeper cell.” Regardless of the veracity of that accusation, which was made by a former member of Egyptian Parliament, we have to realize how much effort this administration had put into supporting Morsi and the brotherhood.
So what do you think? Are we done? Or is this administration just putting its money on a new horse from the same stable?
That is the fear of many. If you see Obama start to strongly support a new leader in Egypt you might be looking at another potential terror-loving-tyrant. Let’s not forget that there is strong evidence that Morsi is responsible for Benghazi and Obama was his accomplice. 
It’s a very convenient time for Morsi to go I would think. The evidence was starting to mount and now he is gone.
Egypt is not our ally. Morsi was Obama’s ally but he was not America’s ally. The people of Egypt generally hate us and so do their political leaders. It’s great that we had the chance to send jets, tanks and 1.5 billion dollars into this mess. I would have hated to think that the chaos was not properly armed.

Police chief killed with rifle lost in ATF gun-tracking program

By Richard A. Serrano 

WASHINGTON—A high-powered rifle lost in the ATF’s Fast and Furious controversy was used to kill a Mexican police chief in the state of Jalisco earlier this year, according to internal Department of Justice records, suggesting that weapons from the failed gun-tracking operation have now made it into the hands of violent drug cartels deep inside Mexico.

Luis Lucio Rosales Astorga, the police chief in the city of Hostotipaquillo, was shot to death Jan. 29 when gunmen intercepted his patrol car and opened fire. Also killed was one of his bodyguards. His wife and a second bodyguard were wounded.

Local authorities said eight suspects in their 20s and 30s were arrested after police seized them nearby with a cache of weapons — rifles, grenades, handguns, helmets, bulletproof vests, uniforms and special communications equipment. The area is a hot zone for rival drug gangs, with members of three cartels fighting over turf in the region.

A semi-automatic WASR rifle, the firearm that killed the chief, was traced back to the Lone Wolf Trading Company, a gun store in Glendale, Ariz. The notation on the Department of Justice trace records said the WASR was used in a “HOMICIDE – WILLFUL – KILL –PUB OFF –GUN” –ATF code for “Homicide, Willful Killing of a Public Official, Gun.” 

Hundreds of firearms were lost in the Fast and Furious operation. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowed illegal purchasers to buy the firearms at the Lone Wolf store in the Phoenix suburb and other gun shops in hopes of tracing them to Mexican cartel leaders.

The WASR used in Jalisco was purchased on Feb. 22, 2010, about three months into the Fast and Furious operation, by 26-year-old Jacob A. Montelongo of Phoenix. He later pleaded guilty to conspiracy, making false statements and smuggling goods from the United States and was sentenced to 41 months in prison.

Court records show Montelongo personally obtained at least 109 firearms during Fast and Furious. How the WASR ended up in the state of Jalisco, which is deep in central Mexico and includes the country’s second-largest metropolis, Guadalajara, remained unclear.

After the shooting in Jalisco, local officials said some of the suspects confessed to two other shootouts in the area, including one that left seven people dead, all part of the continuing feud by rival cartel members.

The ATF declined to discuss the matter; officials said they are still compiling an inventory of all the lost firearms for a complete account of the Fast and Furious operation. 

Instead of being tracked, almost all the weapons were lost as they flooded across the border into Mexico. In all, some 211 people were killed or wounded by Fast and Furious weapons in Mexico, according to Mexican authorities. And on this side of the border, a Fast and Furious weapon was found at the Arizona  scene where U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was slain in 2010.

Terry’s slaying set off a number of investigations in Washington into Fast and Furious. It led to the firing or demotion of many ATF officials, including the agency’s acting director, who stepped down. It ultimately prompted the GOP-controlled House to vote Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over a number of Fast and Furious records sought by the House Oversight Committee.

Egyptian campers watch events unfold from afar

oped: This is a great idea...hopefully the youth can return home and teach their elders manners,social skills and tolerance:)


by: DAVID SHARP 

OTISFIELD, Maine (AP) — Nearly two-dozen Egyptians who arrived in Maine last month at a special camp aimed at helping Israeli and Arab teens overcome their differences will return home to a country that ousted its leader following the largest demonstrations seen in their homeland.
From more than 5,000 miles away, Egyptians at the Seeds of Peace camp have been trying to stay abreast of the latest developments, including Friday's clashes that killed 30.
Many campers participated in the Arab Spring demonstrations two years ago, but were left to watch as Egyptians took to the streets again last week, leading to the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi.

On Friday, Morsi loyalists fought back, leading to the bloody clashes.
Counselor Mostafa Ismail, 22, from Cairo, said people were unhappy with the presidential ballot choices after the Arab Spring demonstrations led to the election of Morsi. He said the country now needs to take a deep breath to ensure history doesn't repeat.

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Laila, from Cairo, Egypt, bats during a softball game at the Seeds of Peace camp in Otisfield, Maine …

"Egypt is still a baby and the best way to succeed is to take it slow — baby steps. Because if you try to rush it, it will fall," Ismail said during a break.
Nestled in the Maine woods, Seeds of Peace is now in its 21st year of bringing together teens from countries that are enemies. There are currently more than 200 campers including Egyptians, Jordanians, Israelis, Palestinians, Pakistanis, Afghans and Americans.
The camp founded by foreign news correspondent John Wallach, who died in 2002, is always held against a backdrop of some sort of events unfolding in the Middle East.

But this session marked the first real-time change in leadership in the 16 years that Executive Director Leslie Lewin has been attending the lakeside retreat.
"I don't think we've ever had a change of leadership while the kids were here, and certainly not in the manner we saw in Egypt over the past couple of days," she said.

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A camper cheers during a softball game at the Seeds of Peace camp in Otisfield, Maine, Friday, July  …

Banned from using computers or smartphones, campers awake every day and rush to the camp telephones to check on relatives and to read news stories posted by counselors.
Laila, a 17-year-old returning camper from Cairo, said her parents, brother and sister participated in the protests that led to Morsi's departure.
"It is frustrating to be here while everything is happening in Egypt. I really love being here and wanted to come back for such a long time. But I would also have liked to be with my family," she said.

Sixteen-year-old Habeeba, another returning camper, said the Arab Spring fueled an ongoing push for change in her home country. "It's one big ongoing revolution. We're trying to change things," she said.
Seeds of Peace allows teenage campers to speak to the media and to be photographed. But it doesn't allow their full names to be released to help to protect their identities to allow them to speak freely without the fear of reprisals in their home countries.

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Campers cheer before taking the field for a softball game at the Seeds of Peace camp in Otisfield, M …

Protected by state troopers, they spend three weeks swimming and canoeing, playing sports and engaging in intense dialogue about war and peace with bunkmates from countries they have been taught to regard as the enemy. A ropes course and other activities teach teens to trust each other.
On Friday, boisterous campers played softball and soccer with teams from a nearby camp. In between innings, the Seeds of Peace campers belted out a rendition of "Sweet Caroline," a tradition at Boston Red Sox games.

For the Egyptian campers, however, the homeland was never far from their mind. For them, they'll be returning home to seek a peaceful political change in addition to trying to facilitate peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Monica Baky, 21, another counselor from Cairo, said peace will come as Egypt solves its internal problems, including restoring faith in government and improving the economy.
"I don't think you can make peace with anyone around you, unless you make peace with yourself," she said, repeating a lesson learned at camp. "Before you make peace with people, you have to go to war with yourself. Once that's settled, then the concept of peace and having a peaceful relationship with everyone else, it's just a ripple effect. It's inevitable that it happens."

'Gay' threats of violence turn into attack

http://youtu.be/utyiN7g0TkE


by: Bob Unruh 

The violence that has been threatened for years by homosexuals who are intolerant of those who espouse an opposing world view turned real at a “gay pride” event recently in Seattle, where authorities arrested two men for attacking a preacher.
According to the Twitchy site, the two men arrested included Jason Qeuree, who reportedly has been arrested more than two dozen times since 1995.

A video from KOMO Television in Seattle reveals that the preachers were carrying signs stating, “Repent or else” and “Jesus saves from Sin.”
The free expression was too much for the homosexual event’s crowd. A group of girls tried to grab one preacher’s sign away from him. Then he is slammed from behind, allegedly by Qeuree, and repeatedly punched.

Police said they made two arrests.
Threats of such attacks – and much worse – have been reported up and down the West Coast since 2008 when voters in California adopted a one-man-one-woman definition of marriage for their state constitution.
A homosexual judge later overturned that.
About the same time, in Washington state there was a citizens initiative to overturn the legislature’s creation of a same-sex “marriage.”
The vote eventually failed.
But out of both scenarios came a long list of documented incidents of hate-filled threats against those who oppose promoting homosexuality:

Those included

• “I’m going to kill the pastor.”
• “If I had a gun I would have gunned you down along with each and every other supporter…”
• “We’re going to kill you.”
• “You’re dead. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon … you’re dead.”
• “I’m a gay guy who owns guns, and he’s my next target.”
• “I warn you, I know how to kill, I’m an ex-special forces person.”
• “Get ready for retribution all you bigots.”
• Burn their f—ing churches to the ground, and then tax the charred timbers.”

Also, churches were marred by graffiti, swastikas on lawns and walls, bricks thrown through windows and doors, adhesive poured into locks, and suspicious packages of white powder sent in the mail, reports confirmed.

In the Washington case, a federal judge ruled that radical homosexual activists must be given the names of those who signed to put the issue of same-sex “marriage” before voters.
Pro-homosexual activists said they wanted to post the names online so that homosexuals could create “uncomfortable conversations” with the signers, and according to court records, eventually death threats resulted.
One woman told how she was targeted in a YouTube video, which included the statement: “This woman is so f—ing stupid. Why doesn’t someone just shoot her in the head again and again. And again.”

Cops sued for invading home, assaulting resident

by: Bob Unruh 

A lawsuit has been filed against the Henderson, Nev., police department over an incident in which its officers allegedly demanded to use a private home as a lookout for an investigation, then arrested the resident when he refused.
It raises the unusual claim that the police violated the Third Amendment, which prohibits the “quartering of soldiers” in private homes in peacetime without the owner’s consent.
“Whatever the ultimate outcome of this case, it is clear that lawyers and legal scholars should start taking the Third Amendment more seriously,” commented legal scholar Eugene Volohk. “Contrary to conventional wisdom, there is in fact a history of violations of the Third Amendment, such as the military’s brutal treatment of Alaska’s Aleutian Islanders during World War II.”

In the new case, filed just days ago, plaintiff Anthony Mitchell is suing Henderson, North Las Vegas and a long list of police officials and officers including Jutta Chambers, Garret Poiner, Ronald Feola, Ramona Walls, Angela Walker, Joseph Chronister and Christopher Worley.
Joining as plaintiffs are his parents, Michael and Linda Mitchell, who live nearby and also allegedly were physically rousted by police from their home.
They allege on July 20, 2011, Henderson officers responded to a domestic violence call at a neighbor’s residence.
According to the complaint, “At 10:45 a.m. defendant Officer Christopher Worley (HPD) contacted plaintiff Anthony Mitchell via his telephone. Worley told plaintiff that police needed to occupy his home in order to gain a ‘tactical advantage’ against the occupant of the neighboring house. Anthony Mitchell told the officer that he did not want to become involved and that he did not want police to enter his residence. Although Worley continued to insist that plaintiff should leave his residence, plaintiff clearly explained that he did not intend to leave his home or to allow police to occupy his home. Worley then ended the phone call.”

The complaint then explains that members of the police departments “conspired among themselves to force Anthony Mitchell out of his residence and to occupy his home for their own use.”
According to a report in Court News, “Defendant Officer David Cawthorn outlined the defendants’ plan in his official report: ‘It was determined to move to 367 Evening Side and attempt to contact Mitchell. If Mitchell answered the door he would be asked to leave. If he refused to leave he would be arrested for Obstructing a Police Officer. If Mitchell refused to answer the door, force entry would be made and Mitchell would be arrested.’”
The lawsuit explains at least five police officers banged on Anthony Mitchell’s front door and demanded he leave, then broke down the door and pointed their guns at him.

“As plaintiff Anthony Mitchell stood in shock, the officers aimed their weapons at Anthony Mitchell and shouted obscenities at him and ordered him to lie down on the floor. Fearing for his life, plaintiff Anthony Mitchell dropped his phone and prostrated himself onto the floor of his living room, covering his face and hands.”
His parents were lured out of their home and arrested, the lawsuit alleges.
According to the complaint, “Plaintiffs Anthony Mitchell and Michael Mitchell were subsequently transported to Henderson Detention Center and were booked on charges of Obstructing an Officer. Both Anthony and Michael Mitchell were detained for at least nine hours and were required to pay a bond to secure their release from custody.
“A criminal complaint was subsequently filed by the Henderson city attorney’s office … charging them with counts of Obstructing an Officer. All criminal charges against plaintiffs were ultimately dismissed with prejudice.”
The cities are named because they “developed and maintained policies and/or customs exhibiting deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of United States citizens, which caused the violations of plaintiff’s rights.”

The legal action alleges assault, battery, false arrest and imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, conspiracy, defamation, abuse, malicious prosecution, and negligence, and it claims the plaintiffs are due compensation for each offense.
Volokh noted that one question that would have to be resolved for damages to be due under the Third Amendment, one of several standards under which claims are being made, is whether “police … qualify as ‘solders.’”
“On the other hand, as Radley Balko describes in his excellent new book ‘The Rise of the Warrior Cop,’ many police departments are increasingly using military-style tactics and equipment, often including the aggressive use of force against innocent people who get in the way of their plans.
“In jurisdictions where the police have become increasingly militarized, perhaps the courts should treat them as ‘soldiers’ for Third Amendment purposes.”
The claim also seeks damages under the Fourth and 14th Amendments and under state law.
Police could not be reached over the holiday period for a comment.

Salafis and the Muslim Brotherhood: what is the difference?

For western lay people, it can be hard to distinguish one radical Muslim from another.  What is the difference between Salafis and the Muslim Brotherhood?  Are they really all that different?  And why do Western governments seem to favour and even partner with Brotherhood-backed groups, but denigrate Salafis?

The 2011 People’s Assembly elections in Egypt focused the world’s attention on the Salafis when they proved to be the ‘dark horse’ of that poll, winning 25% of the seats.  This, together with the Muslim Brotherhood’s 47%, gave Islamists  almost three quarters of the seats in the Assembly. How do these two powerful Islamic groups compare?

Today the Brotherhood and Salafis also figure prominently in reports from Syria.  Both brands of Islamists field rebel forces in Syria, and Brotherhood leaders dominate the Syrian National Council, which has been recognized by the Arab League and some UN states as the legitimate representative of Syria.
Often the past Western politicians have made the mistake of dismissing the Salafis as marginal extremists, while being all too willing to lap up the Brotherhood’s propaganda about their democratic credentials.  A good example was David Cameron’s statement in Parliament this past weekconcerning the Syrian National Council, as he sought to downplay any suggestion  that the conflict in Syria had a religious basis:

“When I see the official Syrian opposition I do not see purely a religious grouping; I see a group of people who have declared that they are in favour of democracy, human rights and a future for minorities, including Christians, in Syria. That is the fact of the matter.”

As troubling as Cameron’s ignorance about Brotherhood ideology appears to be, even more disturbing is his intent to forward military support to rebel groups, at the very time that a report has come from Syrian refugees of genocidal measures being enacted by Islamist rebels against the Syrian Christian minority.
This past week evidence has also emerged that among the insurgents who attacked the American Embassy in Benghazi in September 2012 were Egyptians, captured on video saying that ‘Dr Morsi sent us’.  Yet Dr Morsi, the Brotherhood President of Egypt, is claimed by the US as an ally, and Brotherhood operatives have had long-standing high-level access to and support from the US Government.

*NOTE*

The Muslim Brotherhood

The Muslim Brotherhood has stated on its own website that it is a Salafi movement. Although this self-description would not be accepted by others, like the Salafis themselves, the Brotherhood is also a reform movement, which shares the agenda of strict adherence to the example and teaching of Muhammad.

This agenda is reflected in a speech given by President Morsi of Egypt where he emphasizes that

“the Koran is our constitution, the Prophet Muhammad is our leader, jihad is our path, and death for the sake of Allah is our most lofty aspiration...sharia, sharia, and then finally sharia.  This nation will enjoy blessing and revival only through the Islamic sharia.”

Read more

It is Time Again to Say, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.”

by Lori Wallach Boxer
Many will post this day, America’s 237th birthday, about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence—both sacred documents indeed, and both in need of continuous reading, appreciation and reverence. I would like to do something different today.
To avoid interference from Lieutenant-Governor Dunmore and his Royal Marines, the Second Virginia Convention met on March 20, 1775 inland at Richmond—in what is now called St. John’s Church—instead of the Capitol in Williamsburg. Delegate Patrick Henry presented resolutions to raise a militia, and to put Virginia in a posture of defense. Henry’s opponents urged caution and patience until the crown replied to Congress’ latest petition for reconciliation.
On the 23rd, Henry presented a proposal to organize a volunteer company of cavalry or infantry in every Virginia county. By custom, Henry addressed himself to the Convention’s president, Peyton Randolph of Williamsburg. I consider this to be one of the most stirring, emotional speeches EVER to be uttered on Freedom, on the determination to rid oneself of the boot-on-neck tyranny of iron rule … and TO BE FREE.

Please … on this day of all days … and in this time of all times … I urge you to sit back for a couple of minutes and take the time to let the following powerful words sink in. Whether you’ve read these words in the past, either whole or in part, or you’re about to read them for the first time … this is my Independence Day gift to you all, thousands of my fellow friends and patriots all over this great and glorious land—we of different faiths, colors, genders, ethnicities, drawn together by our common bonds of unbridled love of Freedom and Liberty, the emotion stirred in our hearts when we hear our National Anthem and see the beauty of our flag, and the understanding of what it truly means to be AN AMERICAN.
May God continue to bless you and your families … and may He continue to bless America.
***************

Patrick Henry
St. John’s Church
Richmond, Virginia
March 23, 1775
MR. PRESIDENT: No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do, opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely, and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfil the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves, and the House? Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these war-like preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled, that force must be called in to win back our love?  

Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask, gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done, to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. 

Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free, if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending, if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!  

They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable, and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.  

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, “Peace, Peace” but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

Warning Graphic: Beheadings for Allah…More Barbaric, Cold Blooded Murder By Followers of Islam

by Jan Morgan
Though I am disgusted and outraged by the actions of these muslims, I am even more incensed by Americans who consistently defend this “religion” and its bloody trail through history. These recent beheadings in Syria as the muslims chant “allah akbar” is not uncommon for this violent religion… It is the norm.
In the 1400 year history of Islam, muslims have murdered over 270 million people…
Since 9/11, muslims have committed over 21 thousand deadly terror attacks worldwide.
While many Americans excuse this barbaric continued violence by blaming it on “extremists” or “radical” followers of Islam… I contend that these murderers are not “radicals” or “extremists”.
They are “devout” followers of a god and documented mass murderer/ pedophile prophet who are clearly, and concisely following the 109 dictates in their Quran commanding hate, murder, and terror against all human beings to refuse to submit or convert to Islam.
Don’t take my word for it….

Read the verses from their holy book in “this link“..
Watch the video if you have the stomach, but please understand, it contains actual beheadings by Syrian rebels…
This video shows Syrian rebels slaughtering three people in the countryside of Edlib, including the Metropolitan “François Murad”, who was patron of Sumaan al-Amoudi Monastery, under the charge of dealing with the government and the Syrian Army;the video shows people who speak Arabic with a broken accent, saying that through this act, they are applying the law of God.
I ask you…. what does it say about the muslims of the world who chose to follow a ‘god’ who orders the beheadings of people who simply follow other religions? What kind of human beings follow a ‘god’ thats holy book and accompanying sharia law condone the genital mutilation of little girls, the stoning to death of women accused of sexual indescretions, hanging of gay men and honor killing of children who embarrass their parents?
I have asked those questions of many muslims… I have asked them to condemn those 109 verses in the quran that command hate and violence against non muslims… None will answer truthfully nor will they condemn those verses.

Read more at liveleak.com

Muslim Brotherhood & Salafis Attack Church & Loot Christian Homes Retaliating For Ousting Of Morsi

by Pamela Geller 

Days before protests, the Obama administration asked the Coptic Pope to urge the Copts in Egypt not to protest-supporting sharia subjugation of Christians. Muslim Brotherhood operative and Obama’s Homeland Security Advisory Council tweeted this on the Copts.

Nancy Messieh @nfm

@MohamedElibiary @salamamoussa @dandoonyboon @usembassycairo I understand, but the reason I asked was because you broached the subject

Mohamed Elibiary @MohamedElibiary

@nfm @salamamoussa @dandoonyboon @USEmbassyCairo I had concerns he'd avoid topic entirely as some Islamists feel copts have too big profile.

8:55 AM - 27 Jun 2013 

 Yeah, right. Like breathing.

This Arabic-language story says that the attackers were “supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis,” and that they “looted dozens of homes and tried to burn down the Catholic Church.” This followed a “proliferation of calls on social networking sites to retaliate against the Copts, claiming they brought down the President.”
This is not a problem. No one minds this. It only becomes a problem when non-Muslims start talking about it — right, Bishop?

“AFRICA/EGYPT – After the deposition of Morsi, reprisals against Christians,” from News.va, July 4:

Minya – Among the episodes of violence in Egypt after the overthrow of President Morsi there is also the attack against the Coptic Catholic parish of St. George, in the village of Delgia, 60 kilometers from Minya. Since Wednesday evening, July 3 groups of fanatical Islamists first looted and then burned down the pastor’s house and church group buildings. “Thank God there were no victims and injuries” says to Fides Agency the Coptic Catholic Bishop of Minya Botros Fahim Awad Hanna “but the alarm continues. The fundamentalists have closed the roads at the entrance to the village. They shout slogans against Christians, they say they want to destroy everything and now they are trying again to storm the church. The local police are helpless, I called Cairo to ask for the intervention of the army.”
The attack on the parish of St. George is so far the most serious incident of violence against Christians recorded in the dramatic hours experienced by the Country. But threats and intimidation against Christian communities also occur in other Egyptian places.

Missouri Governor Vetoes Bill that Nullified Federal Gun Laws

Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation Friday that would have made it a Missouri crime for federal agents to attempt to enforce federal gun laws in the state and could have landed journalists in jail for publishing the names of gun owners.
The Democratic governor said the bill passed by the Republican-led Legislature violated the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, which generally gives preference to federal laws over conflicting state ones. He said it also infringed in the First Amendment rights of free speech and press.
Some supporters of the legislation had proclaimed it one of the most gun-friendly bills ever passed by a state legislature. Nixon, however, said it could have had extreme consequences.
“Under this bill, newspaper editors around the state that annually publish photos of proud young Missourians who harvest their first turkey or deer could be charged with a crime,” the governor said in a written statement announcing the veto.
Legislators would need a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to override Nixon’s veto when they return to session in September.

The legislation would have made it a misdemeanor crime for federal agents to attempt to enforce any federal gun regulations that “infringe on the people’s right to keep and bear arms.” It also sought to invalidate some specific federal laws, including a 1934 law that imposed on tax on transferring machine guns or silencers.
The measure would have made it a misdemeanor to publish the names of gun owners.
Other provisions in the bill would have allowed school teachers and administrators with concealed-gun permits and special training to be designated as a “school protection officer” capable of carrying hidden guns into schools.
Missouri’s age to obtain a conceal-carry permit would have been lowered to 19 instead of the current 21, and the bill would have allowed people with concealed gun permits to openly carry firearms up to 16 inches long — even in jurisdictions that have ordinances against the open display of guns.

Read more at Fox News

TV station to broadcast Muslim call to prayer

by: Bob Unruh 

An announcement by a television station in the United Kingdom that it will broadcast the Muslim call to prayer daily during the month-long religious observation called Ramadan has sparked concerns by those who point out that the nation’s constitution recognizes God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and “in any other age” the action “would have been regarded as treason.”
The announcement comes from Channel 4, which, according to spokesman Ralph Lee, is responding to factors that are pressing in society.

“Following the horrific events in Woolwich [where a British soldier was beheaded by two Islamists] and the subsequent reprisals against British Muslims, there has surely never been a more pressing need to give a voice to the moderate mainstream majority,” he said.
But that’s not what is happening, according to a statement from Christian Voice, a ministry for Christians “who are fed up with the way things are, who have had enough of secularist politicians imposing wickedness on the rest of us and who are not satisfied with trying to get ‘Christian influence in a secular world.’”
“It would be more honest to say: ‘Following the atrocity in Woolwich, it’s a good time to shove Islam down ordinary people’s throats and whip up anti-Islamic sentiment,” blogger Stephen Green said in a posting on the Christian Voice site.
According to Channel 4, it will become the first mainstream British TV channel to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer live each morning throughout Ramadan.

“The call to prayer will be preceded by a short film, Ramadan Reflections, featuring a range of voices, from imams to architects, feminists to a former rock chick, each providing some serious Ramadan food for thought,” the station said.
The television station said, “The atmospheric and evocative three-minute call to prayer (adhan) will be beamed live each morning on television to mark the start of the day’s fast for Muslims. Programs in the schedule will be cut to accommodate the adhan, as it has to be broadcast at the correct time each day.”
The feature also will be online, “where the video of the call to prayer will automatically play, not just in the morning, but throughout the day, observing each adhan throughout Ramadan at the times set out by the unified prayer timetable.”
“The calls to prayer prompt Muslims to carry out quiet moments of worship, but hopefully they’ll also make other viewers sit-up and notice that this event is taking place,” said Lee.
Wrote Green, “The adhan is there to drum the tenets of Islam into the hearts. This is because the adhan sums up the shahada, the statement of faith: ‘There is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is the messenger of Allah.’”

He continued, “The British Constitution holds that there is no God but the Almighty God and the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is King of kings and Lord of lords. So every day during this Islamic festival, a terrestrial broadcaster in the UK will be broadcasting what in any other age would have been regarded as treason.”
He added, “There is another spiritual point to make, and it is to do with the power of proclamation, or confession. Five times a day from mosques all over the world, an imam declares that Allah is the only deity and Mohammad the only true prophet. We can thank God that loudspeakers have not to date been permitted in Britain, but nevertheless, the adhan is still being announced.
“Would that Christians would proclaim with equal confidence; ‘Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father,’” he said.
WND has reported that in a March 2007 during an interview with the New York Times’ Nicholas D. Kristof, President Barack Obama talked about the Muslim prayers.
Kristof wrote, “Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed delightfully uncalculated (it’ll give Alabama voters heart attacks), Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as ‘one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.’”

The Media’s Sleight Of Hand In Pushing Homosexual Propaganda

by Bradlee Dean 

“The fact stands true that if you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating those that are being attacked and loving those that are doing the attacking.”
– Bradlee Dean

I was absolutely humored by the blatancy of the propagandists who promulgate lies through the state-run media outlet USA Today this week. Their front-page headline was “Same-sex marriage at record approval.” How did that happen? The sub-headline was an odd distraction: “Polls find more discord with court’s decision on race.” What does race have to do with same-sex “marriage”?
They continuously push lies to establish oppression in hopes that the American people will fall victim to their lies. They attempt to produce hopelessness for those who stand on the side of America’s God-given constitutional republic.

We took the time to go straight to the source and ask the author of the USA Today article, Susan Page, how many people took the poll. “There were 1,003 adults polled by landline and cell phone.” We responded, “As a thinking citizen, how [does] polling 1,003 adults in this country become a staple of what the majority of America thinks?”

Page replied, “Well, that’s a fair point. But we rely on polling (and sample sizes of 1,000 or so) to track the temperature of citizens.”
She then claimed that those who take the polls are “randomly selected, then weighted for demographic size.” The article does not specify who took the poll, the demographic chosen, or where these polls were taken. Yet the title of this article is completely misleading the public by stating that America supports same-sex “marriage” by a “record majority,” which is completely deceptive!

Let’s quickly take this to the chopping block.
Firstly, knowing that America is a nation established under the umbrella of Christianity with 32 states that have voted to ban homosexual “marriage,” the results of this poll is highly suspicious.
Secondly, the good people of California voted – not once, but twice – to ban homosexual “marriage.” Since USA Today brought up the oddity of race, it is also important to realize that a vast majority of California Prop. 8 voters were black voters that were ignored by their representatives (aka employees), and a radical homosexual judge, Vaughn Walker, conveniently attempted to block their decision.
Thirdly, we are not ruled by polls, which have been proven to be contrived and fabricated time and time again as a tool to divide the American people through deceptive sway – we, as citizens of America, are ruled by law; not by opinion.

Here is a perfect example to prove my point: On May 1, 2004, in Seattle, Wash., 20-25,000 people protested homosexual “marriage” (which was illegal). There were 1,500 homosexual “marriage” supporters holding up signs stating, “Bigots Go Home.”
The state-run media twisted the truth and told the public that the 1,500 homosexual “marriage” supporters were the majority and made the 20-25,000 protesters out to be the minority, totally turning the event to be against the “bigots” instead of against homosexual “marriage.”
There was also an overwhelming turnout at a rally in support of traditional, God-ordained marriage during the Supreme Court hearings on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Prop. 8 in March that, of course, the state-run media chose not to cover.
Why don’t we take a poll there?
So, what exactly is it that the media don’t want America to catch on to? What are they so afraid of? The truth behind their agenda.

http://youtu.be/xaSQpEA8e8k 



Watch the fallout in Canada after homosexual “marriage” was passed in 2005:

http://youtu.be/AkvAIMrNnqA

Barack Obama: The Quintessential Enemy Of Those Who Gave Their Lives, Fortunes & Sacred Honor For Freedom

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by Suzanne Hamner 

The 4^th of July has come and gone. Many Americans spent an enjoyable day partaking of cookouts, attending parades to celebrate our independence and honor America’s military (past and present), watching fireworks or enjoying the beach. Neither rain nor other bad weather could ruin their exuberance in celebrating for the 237^th time since winning the American Revolution. So, what could ruin the day? – Obama using his weekly address to urge Americans to live up to the words of the Declaration of Independence by “securing liberty and opportunity for their own children as well as for future generations.”

http://youtu.be/Baw3teVZmSw 




In a report posted by The Blaze:

In his weekly radio and online address, Obama commemorated the Fourth of July by looking back at the day in 1776, 237 years ago, that a small band of patriots declared those in the American colonies “a people created equal” — free to think and worship and live as they please.

“It was a declaration heard around the world – that we were no longer colonists, we were Americans, and our destiny would not be determined for us; it would be determined by us,” the president said.

Obama also highlighted the fact that few bet that the Americans would win the revolution that followed. He called it — and with good reason — the first of many times the doubters of America were proven wrong.

“It was a bold and tremendously brave thing to do. It was also nearly unthinkable. At that time, kings and princes and emperors ruled the world,” Obama continued. “But     those patriots were certain that a better way was possible. And to achieve it — to win their freedom — they were willing to lay it all on the line. Their lives. Their fortunes. Their sacred honor.”

In addition to thanking U.S. military members who have defended the nation at home and abroad, Obama also praised America as a defender of peace and freedom around the globe — “a beacon of hope to people everywhere who cherish those ideals.” 

If this speech had been given by any other President, it would have had a great impact on reminding Americans of their heritage and to cherish their freedom. However, this address came from an American leader who neither shares our common values and principles on freedom and at every turn, has attempted to subvert the Constitution and trample God-given rights. It was issued by a hollow man who has no understanding of God. A hollow man in a suit encouraged Americans to live up to the Declaration of Independence. An empty suit with a moving shirt collar would have been more appropriate, matching this administration’s actions to the words.

America’s current sitting President has once again proven himself to be the epitome of hypocrisy speaking about maintaining freedom while usurping power in order to stamp out that freedom. This man placed members of the Muslim Brotherhood in key positions in government, supported terrorist organizations (and continues to do so) by actions in Syria, misled the American people by lying and disclosing partial truths, has been involved in numerous scandals that threaten the stability of America and sent government officials to a small town in Tennessee to disclose the punishment for speech against Islam. While there are no substantial links to prove this man participated in scandals, the President of the United States can be compared to the captain of a ship – responsible for events that occur under his command or leadership. Agencies under the executive branch participated in targeting conservative groups requesting tax-exempt status, participated in illegal gun running to Mexico, and spied on American citizens using a program that gathered all communications sent and received by every American. He was responsible for their actions as those atrocities occurred and was exposed under his command; people imitated their leader.

The message was a sound one; one that every American should uphold. However, one has to wonder if there was a secret message hidden in those words. If Americans lived up to the Declaration of Independence, they would discard their despotic government and return it to the original Constitutional intent. Was this the message being sent? Was it designed to encourage Americans to revolt in order that more freedoms could be attacked by the government? This administration has proven itself to be untrustworthy, secretive and hypocritical. Sincerity has been abolished causing a distrust among Americans of their government and rightly so. Mixed messages have been issued from this administration that confuse and confound America and the world. How would one interpret this speech?
Looking at it from that perspective, the message was as empty and hollow as the man, devoid of God, making it. Encouraging words spoken by someone who does not share those values equated to an empty suit giving “collar service” to the very foundation of America.

Obama Sides With Al-Qaeda’s Jihad On Anti-Morsi Egyptians: Multiple Attacks Launched Against Egyptian Forces In Sinai

by Pamela Geller 

Obama is “deeply concerned” about the Egyptian military’s decision to oust President Mohammed Morsi. Again, Obama sides with jihad. In Libya, in Egypt, in Syria, in Tunisia. Obama issued this warning in his speech about Egypt:

“We are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsi and suspend the Egyptian constitution. I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsi and his supporters. Given today’s developments, I have also directed the relevant departments and agencies to review the implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the Government of Egypt.”

Despite a series of public (and private) warnings from the Obama administration not to oust Muslim Brotherhood Morsi, the Egyptian people did just that. He is warning against arresting Morsi and Brotherhood Members. Why were no such warnings issued for our 30 year ally, Mubarak? What is Obama’s obsession with the Muslim Brotherhood? He stands with al Qaeda on this one. Obama has damaged our standing in the world.
 Al-Qaeda’s Jihad on Anti-Morsi Egyptians
Gatestone Institute

“…According to a July 2 Veto Gate report, “al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Muhammad Zawahiri, is currently planning reprisal operations by which to attack the army and the Morsi-opposition all around the Republic [of Egypt].” The report adds that, hours before this information was ascertained, Zawahiri had been arrested and was being interrogated—only to be ordered released by a presidential order. He has since fled to the Sinai, where al-Qaeda is stationed—not to mention where Morsi had reportedly earlier summoned thousands of foreign jihadis to come to his aid whenever necessary, and where he may even have smuggled Muhammad Zawahiri’s brother, Ayman Zawahiri—al-Qaeda’s supreme leader….”
.”.. Muhammad al-Zawahiri, Egypt’s al-Qaeda leader, declared that the terrorist organization would wage a jihad to save Morsi and his Islamist agenda for Egypt. (They would not be the first Islamic terrorists to come to his aid; Hamas members were earlier arrested from inside Muslim Brotherhood headquarters, where they opened fire on protesters.)..”

Multiple attacks launched against Egyptian forces in Sinai BiCom, July 5, 2013

Just two days after the ousting of Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, gunmen have staged multiple attacks on Egyptian security forces in the troubled Sinai Peninsula.
Reuters reports that an Egyptian soldier was killed and two were wounded late last night when a police station in Rafah on the border with the Gaza Strip came under rocket fire. Earlier, gunmen fired a rocket-propelled grenade and threw hand grenades at a security checkpoint at El-Arish airport, close to the border with the Gaza Strip and Israel. No injuries or casualties were reported. Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera reports that gunmen attacked five military check points in El-Arish and Sheikh Zweid early this morning.
Although it was unclear exactly who was responsible for the attacks and whether they were a direct response to Morsi’s removal from power, it will fuel fears in both Israel and Egypt that the increasingly lawless Sinai region could become a centre of unrest. Egyptian security forces and policemen have been attacked on several occasions in Sinai during the past year with Islamist gunmen killing sixteen Egyptian soldiers last August. Meanwhile, the Sinai has also been a launching pad for terrorist attacks against Israel. In September 2012, IDF forces successfully repelled an attack by three terrorists, while in 2011 a series of coordinated cross-border raids, targeting an Israeli bus killed six civilians. Earlier this week, the Egyptian military, wary of unrest, deployed additional forces to the Sinai-Gaza border, in coordination with Israeli authorities, as required by the terms of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty.
Adding to the sense of disturbance, residents in Israel’s Red Sea resort city of Eilat reported hearing several explosions in the area last night, sparking fears that rockets had been launched from Sinai. Israeli security forces launched a search but could not find any fallen projectiles. Eilat has come under rocket fire from Sinai before, most recently in April.

Sad and unacceptable!

 

Outlaw Gang

I want to share what's on mind as I always do.

I service a huge chunk of the STL area for commercial grass. I was in Sullivan, MO this morning. I observed an older guy sitting on the corner of the street with a sign. "Need a ride, Vietnam vet".

I pulled up on the lawn mower and started talking to him. I asked how he was, where he was heading, and was he really a vet. He told me about Nam, he was headed to Minnesota, hasn't eaten in 3 days and stuck here in Sullivan for 5 days.

Anybody see a f$&@ing problem with this while we are making military cuts, the White House is closed and the POS illegal president is on a 100 million dollar vacation?

I gave the guy a ride 60 miles closer to where he was headed. I bought him a sandwich. I'm freaking pissed!!!!!

Since the NSA monitors everything were saying run and print this you ignorant pukes. 


All those stupid bailouts you paid off your illegal BS with could have put thousands in every single person in the United States of America's pockets. Most would have paid bills with it and some would have blown it. That's ok too. Economy stimulation. Either way its our damn money anyway.

Instead we have hungry old vets that haven't eaten in 3 days. We have vets that wait a year to get medical treatment.

There are people living in RVs that should have been scrapped on theses commercial properties. No amenities just shells on wheels hooked to an old junkie truck. The people stay for weeks since they don't have money to keep moving for gas. I've talked to some of them and after they lost their jobs and were evicted from their houses all they could think was to buy an RV I wouldn't let my dogs live in. They are desperate. It makes me sick. I can't help them all.

Where's the economy stimulation from all the bailouts? Where's the jobs? O that's right your making jobs in foreign country's like Africa.

It's ok Obama, you and congress keep pissing us off and stealing all our damn money. Things are going to start changing real damn soon or were gonna do what Egypt did. Run and print that - Rosa

Jihadists Execute Sisters And Mother For Dancing In The Rain

Two Pakistani teenage sisters age 15 and 16 and their mother were murdered in a Pakistan honour killing after a video emerged of them dancing in the rain.

According to reports the two girls, aged just 15 and 16, were shot dead last Sunday alongside their mother after the girls' step-brother and accomplices carried out the attack to "restore the family's honour".

The alleged killer, named as Khutore, reportedly carried out the attack after local men had seen the grainy video footage of the girls, named as Noor Basra and Noor Sheza, dancing during a downpour outside their home in Chilas, in the northern region of Gilgit.

According to the Sunday Times the initial police investigation has suggested the attack was carried out against the girls by their step-brother, who is now believed to be on the run.

He is thought to have escaped when contacted by police running the investigation. His alleged accomplices have since been arrested.

Local media reports claim the video, which is thought to have been shot six months ago, was circulated in the area after a relative sent it to friends.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan at least 943 women and girls were murdered in 2011 in honour killings. Around 1,000 "honour" killings take place every year, according to women's rights group the Aurat Foundation.

http://youtu.be/3bmzzoimBt0

State Department Blows $630k Buying Facebook “Likes”

I’ve long been fascinated by the business of manufacturing popularity, which has become much easier thanks to the Internet. It’s very easy to cook up favorable reviews for an item, create zillions of phony Twitter followers, and otherwise create the illusion that people, products, and ideas are much more popular than they actually are.
I’m also keenly interested in tales of crazy government waste, so this story is right up my alley: Hillary Clinton’s scandal-plagued State Department wasted $630,000 of our hard-earned tax money buying ersatz “likes” on Facebook to make itself look popular. And they did it wrong.
From Foreign Policy online:
Between 2011 and March 2013, the department’s Bureau of the International Information Programs, tried to boost the seeming popularity of the department’s Facebook properties by advertising and page improvements. But the results weren’t so good, leaving the Inspector General with no choice but to send a frank message to the bureau’s Facebook gurus: You’re doing it wrong.

“Many in the bureau criticize the advertising campaigns as ‘buying fans’ who may have once clicked on an ad or ‘liked’ a photo but have no real interest in the topic and have never engaged further,” reads the Inspector General report.
Read More at Human Events . By John Hayward.
Photo Credit: marcn Creative Commons

Jeb Bush Disqualifies Himself As 2016 GOP Nominee

by Emma Karlin 

Election years that have no incumbent president make for crowded Democrat and Republican primaries. Consequently, the quicker a Party settles on a nominee, the quicker it can start to coalesce behind the person they want to put in the White House. When a potential candidate disqualifies himself early on, it is very helpful. Jeb Bush, the former Governor of Florida, has disqualified himself and therefore has become helpful to the Republican selection process.

Bush has co-authored an opinion piece urging House Republicans to do Chuck Schumer’s bidding and pass an amnesty bill. Making baseless claims that adding as many as 40 million unskilled and disinterested people will somehow make America better and stronger, Bush reminds us of why he should never be president.
Following the RINO/Democrat mantra of “blame America first”, Bush makes the totally illogical assertion that “Illegal immigration results now because there are too few lawful low-skill job opportunities for immigrants.” Thereafter, Bush adroitly switches his topic from illegal immigration to “immigrants” and their benefit to our economy. He doesn’t want to talk about illegal aliens who are supposed to be the subject of his remarks, but why should he? Staying away from anything that even looks like a condemnation of illegal aliens is a smart move for a RINO looking forward to support from the Democrat-controlled media.

Praising the Senate’s immigration bill, Bush shows us his naiveté, claiming it “reduces family preferences, increases the number of high-skilled visas, expands guest-worker programs, and creates a merit-based immigration system for people who want to pursue the American dream.” He continues to embarrass himself with a final important claim, writing “The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that the Senate bill would reduce the budget deficit by more than $1 trillion over 20 years, boost the economy and increase productivity, without reducing the wages of U.S. workers. In short, it advances Republican economic growth objectives.”
The rest of his remarks are boilerplate blah blah blah, about “… sound policy and principle.” Okay Jeb, the Democrats and the media will love you; we get it. Thanks for showing us who you are this early in the process. Now go away. That’s one down and a dozen or so to go.
Photo credit: Politécnico Grancolombiano (Creative Commons)

Was Catholic Priest in Syria Shot 8 Times Instead of Beheaded?

by: Sharona Schwartz 

Over the weekend, TheBlaze reported on a story in Catholic Online which said that the Vatican had confirmed Franciscan priest Father Francois Murad was beheaded by Syrian rebels. The Catholic news site also linked to a video from Live Leak purporting to show Murad and two others being beheaded as gleeful onlookers stood by, snapped photographs and yelled Allahu Akbar (“Allah is the greatest.”)

On Wednesday, CNS News reported that the Catholic priest was not one of the three men seen in the video, because, according to Catholic Church sources it quoted, Murad was shot eight times by his attackers and not beheaded. 

CNS reports that Father Murad was killed on Sunday June 23rd as he tried to defend the nuns at the monastery in which he’d taken refuge, but that detail, too, seems to be shrouded by the fog of war since an earlier statement by Catholic Church officials said that Murad was alone in the monastery. CNS reports:

A Catholic priest slain in Syria last month was not one of the three men seen being beheaded in a video clip posted online – but he was killed by anti-Assad rebels, who gunned him down as he tried to defend nuns at a monastery.

A representative of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land told CNSNews.com that Francois Murad had been “killed by eight bullets.”

She said a Franciscan from the Custody had gone to the site – St. Anthony’s Monastery in Ghassanieh – on the day Murad was killed, June 23, and had taken his body for burial later the same day in Knayeh, a village nearby.

“He also took the Catholic religious women of the village who were still in Ghassanieh, in order to find them a place more secured.”

The Custody of the Holy Land which oversees Franciscan institutions in the Middle East from its Jerusalem headquarters will not comment publicly on how Murad was killed, but in a statement last week it said, “the conditions of his death are not clear.”

A Franciscan representative told CNS that the Custody does not know the identities of those in the video or if any of them were Christians.

CNS reports that 49-year-old Murad “was a former Franciscan friar who was later ordained as a priest. After his own monastery in

Ghassanieh was bombed he moved into the Franciscan one in the same village, St. Anthony’s, for safety and to give support to those still there, including nuns – until Sunday, June 23, when rebels attacked.”

According to CNS, the head of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said in an earlier statement: “Islamists attacked the monastery, ransacking it and destroying everything.”

“When Father Francois tried to resist, defending the nuns, rebels shot him,” he was quoted as saying.

But a statement from June 24 on the Custody’s website said, “He was apparently alone in the monastery when it was completely pillaged.”

Due to the volatile conditions in Syria, obtaining accurate and consistent information has proven difficult, for both journalists and religious officials with emissaries on the ground.

According to CNS, the Vatican quoted local sources who said that Murad’s attackers were believed to be members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Al-Nusra Front.

Though reports about how Father Murad was killed appear to be contradictory, Vatican sources are unanimous in describing the man’s character, his devotion to God and to those in desperate need of help. 

Vatican Radio wrote last week, “Fr. Mourad was just one of the many men and women religious putting their faith on the front line in Syria, refusing to abandon the communities they serve, Christian and Muslim. They stay because they want to be a sign of hope, light and comfort to people in the midst of destruction.”

In its June 24 statement, the Custody of the Holy Land wrote that after studying in Rome, “he heard a more urgent call from the Lord to lead a contemplative life,” which took him back home to Syria. According to the Custody, from the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Father Murad was devoted to taking care of a friar “in fragile health,” and serving the local community of religious sisters.

The Custody writes about the urgent conditions for Christians in Syria with “extremist groups on the rampage” [emphasis added]:

A few weeks ago the Holy Land magazines of the Custody reported that in the Orontes region, the Custody had received “some one hundred people, Christians and both Sunni and Alawi Muslims. They were able to live together because the priest had categorically forbidden political discussions in the monastery. They were in need of everything: bread, water, electricity. The friars and Franciscan sisters did everything they could to obtain medicines and urgent supplies for them.” 

The Custody tries to support its friars in Syria as much as possible by sending them what they need, but the risks of travel are enormous. The friars, emphasizing the religious nature of their activity, have made agreements with the various groups to guarantee their safety as they move about. However, the situation at present is unpredictable and the extremist groups are on the rampage. No movement, even for clergy, can be assumed to be safe, as evidenced by the kidnapping of two bishops of whom there has been no news for two months.

Catholic friars distribute food to those who seek their help, give money to help build homes that have been destroyed, and “sometimes serve as intermediaries when parishioners are kidnapped.”

Even the little help they offer embattled Syrian Christians can elicit reprisals “from one camp or the other.”

As they try to offer assistance, Christian clergy are facing a dangerous campaign by jihadi rebels intent on ridding the  Middle East of Christians.

CNS quoted Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, who told a congressional hearing last week that Christians are being “specifically targeted in an ethno-religious cleansing campaign.”

Shea described the rebel groups’ use of Sharia law against Christians who are “targeted with summary executions, forcible conversions to Islam and expulsions from their homes as a result of actions taken by the courts of the ‘Caliphate of Iraq and the Levant,’ the name the al-Nusra Brigade and other Islamist rebels use in reference to the Syrian territory under their control.”

President Obama Supports Al Qaeda War On Women

Oped:
Lest us not forget the gang rape of Lara Logan by the Muslim Brotherhood during the Arab Spring!

byJohn DeMayo 

American women and the LGBT community overwhelmingly supported the re-election of a President they ordained as the messiah of twenty-first century equality, tolerance, and morality. I wonder if these Obama loyalists take issue with the President’s decision to support Islamist rebels in Syria who are performing at will public executions of Syrians fighting to preserve Assad’s government tolerance of women’s rights and freedoms.
Women’s rights in Syria will evaporate if Al Qaeda backed Al Nusrah is successful in removing Bashir Assad and his Shiite Alawite government from Damascus.

Obama’s tolerant radicals, I mean rebels—the recently vetted Islamist terror groups awaiting shipments of US weapons—have recently issued a fatwa (an order based on Sharia law) banning women from leaving their houses “in immodest dress, in tight clothing that shows off their bodies, or wearing makeup on their face. According to recent Facebook postings from the City of Aleppo, reported by Reuters, Syrian rebels have proclaimed, “It is incumbent on all sisters to obey God and commit to Islamic etiquette.”
These are the same Syrian rebels—all listed on the US “Foreign Terrorist Organization List“—that are destroying non-Muslim houses of worship, and publicly beheading Christians, their religious leaders, and anyone caught blaspheming Islam in public as well as whomever they determine may be loyal to Syrian societies sectarian tolerances.

Prior to the Saudi and Qatar backed terrorism campaign, now supported by Obama, Syria—never a model of true equality—was a country that allowed women to wear sleeveless, tight fitting apparel, above the knee skirts and did not require the mandatory use of head scarves. Syria did not impose strict Islamic law on its citizenry. Apparently, Islamic etiquette in Syria, a Muslim nation, is about to change if Obama backed rebels have their way. Islamic radicalization–America’s enemy according to Obama–is taking hold in Syria and Obama supports this change?
Contrary to the propaganda shoveled on American media, Bashir Assad’s government has a history far more respectful of western culture’s permissive values, though Syria is far from the idyllic model of tolerance Americans experience at home. Make no mistake the Syrian government heavily regulates public activity and discourse. However, Syria has a history of accepting social values that allow freedom of worship and freedom to associate condemned by the Sunni Islamist backed rebels Obama now supports with US weapons and aid.

Unlike its current Sunni adversaries (Qatar and Saudi Arabia) Syria doe not criminally penalize non-Islamic worship, hand holding, public displays of affection, wearing non-Islamic jewelry, and unmarried women’s association with men. The Syrian government does not require adherence to strict Islamic law on a wide range of social issues.
In Saudi Arabia and Qatar, strict Islamist states, the subjugation of women is a cultural norm. Women have few rights in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two radical Sunni nations. In Qatar, non-married woman found in the un-chaperoned company of a man not related by blood or marriage is ordered to take a virginity test, failure of which can result in a legal honor killing. Married Muslim women, in both Saudi Arabia and Qatar found violating a strict code prohibiting free association might find themselves sentenced to state sanctioned beatings or worse.

I wonder how the White House would respond if asked by, say, Rachael Maddow, a woman, a Rhodes scholar, and an Obama supporter, why are we backing a regime change in Syria that will undoubtedly drive Syrian society backwards to a culture that prohibits the limited freedoms it enjoys today. Women’s freedoms not found in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the two Gulf States pushing for Assad’s overthrow and a return to a strict Islamist government and Sharia law dominance in Syria. Moreover, why is the caustic rhetoric US feminists deploy to vilify American equality imbalances strangely absent from news reports detailing Obama’s alliance with these misogynistic Gulf States?
The hypocrisy of feminists and the American gender equality brigades tolerate from the President they elected to level the playing field is mortifying. The protagonists of this Syrian conflict—Saudi Arabia and Qatar—will set Arab women’s rights—freedoms as possessions and compliant human incubators—back thousands of centuries. All supported by an Obama foreign policy.

Do American feminists now support international violations of women’s rights? Does the first lady, an outspoken critic of human rights abuses, now tolerate her husband’s support for two countries with some of the worst women’s rights records in the world? Two countries, if victorious, that will replace Syria’s tolerance with anti-woman Sharia law.
Where does Hillary Clinton stand on this? More importantly, why is no one asking her?