An itsy bitsy problem

Freedom of religion is the very first guarantee in the Bill of Rights:  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

How, then, can we possibly deny the right of Muslims to worship as they wish?  This question has been bothering me for quite a while.

Here’s an interesting observation by Andy McCarthy (in his book, The Grand Jihad) that I hadn’t thought about:

… though Islam aspires to be much more than a religion (it is an all-encompassing legal, political and social system from which the spiritual elements are indivisible), it is given the label of “religion.” [link]

This raises an interesting—and not entirely hypothetical—question:   Do the American people have the right to divest themselves of their first amendment rights?

You might want to ask the Canadian people, who enjoy these Fundamental freedoms in Part I, Section 2 of their Constitution:

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;

(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication

Now talk to author Mark Steyn, who is currently being prosecuted—in Canada—for statements critical of Islam in his book, America Alone.

I got to thinking about this today when commandos from the Israeli Defense Force—the IDF—tried to stop some “peace activists” from delivering “relief supplies” to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.  The Israelis were attacked with pipes and knives, and ended up killing nine of their attackers.  (You may not have heard that this all happened after the ship refused an Israeli offer to escort the ship to port, inspect its cargo, and then allow it to proceed. They do this to prevent arms from being delivered into a highly volatile region.) I suppose it’s just a matter of time before the UN condemns the Israelis for having the nerve to defend themselves.  And since Obama is the first citizen of the world he’ll have no choice but to, sadly, go along. (Dare I say, a fellow traveler?)

Anyway, back to the subject I never really left…

If Muslims themselves consider Islam to be more than a religion then it would seem apparent that we have the right (obligation!) to just say no!  Isn’t it just a bit odd that Baptist pastors are threatened by the IRS if they endorse specific candidates, while Muslim Imams are free to preach a form of Sharia  law that would condemn homosexuals and force women back into the 18^th century?  It’s painful for me to imagine an America where that itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini would have to covered by either a burqa or a barrage of stones. 

Cliff

 

Bad, bad America

Christie for President?

New Jersey Gov. Christie ain’t pretty, but he's quickly moving up my list of Republican presidential prospects!

Gov Christie calls S-L columnist thin-skinned for inquiring about his 'confrontational tone'

From Politico: 
During his time in the Senate and while running for president, Obama received a total of $77,051 from the oil giant (BP) and is the top recipient of BP PAC and individual money over the past 20 years, according to financial disclosure records.  
An Obama spokesman rejected the notion that the president took big oil money.  [Link]

I thought this pair of headlines on Drudge today made for a revealing contrast:

 

Obama To Wall Street:

"I Do Think At A Certain Point You've Made Enough Money"  [source]

 

Want to get rich? Work for feds  [source]

As of 2008, the average federal salary was $119,982, compared with $59,909 for the average private sector employee. In other words, the average federal bureaucrat makes twice as much as the average working taxpayer.

Yes, these are the same people who are running the economy!

 

1st Annual Everybody Draw Mohammad Day

Here’s a great idea! The “Citizens Against Citizens Against Humor” (CACAH) has designated May 20, 2010, as the First Annual Everybody Draw Mohammad Day. 

Ever since the crazy jihadists decided that any depiction of The Prophet is blasphemy punishable by death, all of the “courageous” media—most recently Comedy Central—have been working overtime to avoid offending the most cowardly fighters in the history of the planet. (What else would you call killers who then run and hide behind their own women and children?)

Anyway, the jihadist threat seems a little extreme given the fact that no one has a clue what Mohammed looked like.  I suppose it’s like the little girl who decided to draw a picture of God.  When told that no one knows what he looks like she said, “They will when I finish!”.

In that same spirit I heartily endorse the idea and have already started work on my drawing.

'Mercury Falls'

I have a book recommendation that I’m a little hesitant about because it’s so irreverent.  In fact for a while I was worried it was going to be sacrilegious but I don’t think it ever went quite that far (I was laughing so hard I may have missed it).  It’s about the Apocalypse and it’s called “Mercury Falls”, by Robert Kroese.  Mercury is a (sort of) fallen angel, and (sort of) a Mitch Rapp or Jack Bauer with wings. (He doesn’t really have wings, but that doesn’t really matter, either.) There’s also a fat slob named Karl who wins a contest to become the Antichrist.  Plus lots of other seraphim and cherubim to keep things rolling along.

Up to now the funniest book I ever read was Don Quixote, but this one is right up there.  I pedaled my stationary bicycle for 67 minutes tonight, laughing all the way, just to finish it. You can download it to your Kindle for $2.99.  Or you can pony up $12 on Amazon for the paperback.

 

 

 

Stupid humans!!!

“Humans are too stupid to prevent climate change from radically impacting on our lives over the coming decades. This is the stark conclusion of James Lovelock, the globally respected environmental thinker and independent scientist who developed the Gaia theory.”  [Link]

 

They couldn’t fool us with falsified temperatures and sloppy science, so now we’re stupid.

 

We the People

Sean Penn just oozes compassion.  Or something.

When asked on CBS' "Sunday Morning" about those who question his motives for his humanitarian work in Haiti, he [Sean Penn] said:
"Do I hope that those people die screaming of rectal cancer? Yeah.”    [Link]

 

 

US Marines airdropped into Taliban-held territory

US Marines airdropped into Taliban-held territory

Feb 19, 7:05 AM (ET)

By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU

MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) - Elite Marine recon teams were dropped behind Taliban lines by helicopter Friday as the U.S.-led force stepped up operations to break resistance in the besieged insurgent stronghold of Marjah.

About two dozen Marines were inserted before dawn into an area where skilled Taliban marksmen are known to operate, an officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

 

Let’s see…in this story he’s revealed our troop strength, target and approximate location. 

Does anyone besides me think this anonymous “officer” should be identified and shot?

 

 

Valentine's Day

For some reason Valentine’s Day always reminds me of a short poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay:

 

All the grown-up people say,

“What, those ugly thistles?

Mustn’t touch them!  Keep Away!

Prickly!  Full of bristles!”

 

Yet they never make me bleed

Half so much as roses!

Must be purple is a weed,

And pink and white is posies.

 

 

Global warming and chaos theory

Here’s the latest headline from the global warming front:

UN climate change panel based claims on student dissertation and magazine article [Link]

I remember when I first heard of chaos theory that what grabbed my interest was the “butterfly effect” hypothesis that a wind current generated by the flap of a butterfly’s wing could set off a chain reaction resulting in a hurricane. It was a fascinating idea, but today I think it’s about as silly as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) wanting to reorder the world economic system based on anecdotal evidence from one student’s science paper and a couple of mountain climbers.  That certainly is a formula for chaos!

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is considering several steps that would review the legality of the controversial Bowl Championship Series. [Link]
I know…what business does the US government have interfering with college football?  Yes, I know, I know!!!  But maybe, just maybe His Majesty will stay so busy screwing up something as harmless as the BCS then he won’t have time to screw up health care, the environment, and the economy.

Think of it as Tinker Toys for half-wits.

 

This just keeps getting better and better.  The London TimesOnline, referring to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report that won a Nobel prize in 2007, said today that at least five “glaring errors” have been found. 

The error that started it all was the one about the Himalyan glaciers melting by 2035.  Syed Hasnain, the Indian glaciologist who was erroneously quoted about the melting glaciers, said he first noticed the mistake in 2008. But he didn’t mention it because he wasn’t working for the IPCC at the time—even though his boss, Dr. Rajenda Pachauri, was the head of the panel.

“I was keeping quiet as I was working here. My job is not to point out mistakes.”

I wonder whose job it is?  Must be a union thing.

 

John Stossel on free markets

Watching John Stossel's reports is a much needed antidote to the non-education provided by our public schools and colleges. Here are links to a report (in 6 parts) on Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged" that soon morphs into a seminar in free market principles.

1. Atlas Shrugged (part 1)
2. Atlas Shrugged (part 2)
3. Atlas Shrugged (part 3)
4. Atlas Shrugged (part 4)
5. Atlas Shrugged (part 5)
6. Atlas Shrugged (part 6)

backlash!

Here’s an excerpt from Victor Davis Hanson’s excellent column today:

 

Voters are sick and tired of a terrible year of big spending and big deficits — especially the sight of Obama and his congressional allies almost daily talking breezily about spending what we do not have.

Voters went for the hope-and-change Obama in part because he promised fiscal sobriety after the Bush $500 billion deficit. Instead, in utterly cynical fashion, Obama trumped that red ink four times over. In the process, he developed a terrible habit of promising favored constituencies a hundred billion here, a hundred billion there as if it were all paper money — rather than real borrowed currency that will have to be confiscated in the future from the beleaguered taxpayer. It only makes it worse than the more the administration borrowed, printed, and spent, the higher unemployment rose and the lower economic activity plummeted.

Most have had enough of pie-in-the-sky talk of massive new health-care entitlements, cap-and-trade taxes and regulation, more stimulus, and more takeovers of private enterprise. The country is broke and the people want to pay off, not incur more, crushing debt. What got us into the mess was too much borrowing, skyrocketing debt, and reckless spending — not too many balanced budgets and too much lean government.

 

"crony capitalism"

John Stossel’s expose on “crony capitalism” was on Fox Business Network last night and will be repeated tonight at 9 PM Central.

Everyone in this country over the age of 12 should be required to watch it.

Take your blood pressure medicine first.

 

 

Can BO tell a lie?

You be the judge.