Who Is the Enemy?

I can’t stand it. I just can’t stand it. America has enemies. This is an undeniable, inescapable, indisputable fact. And what I can’t stand is the political correctness that refuses to acknowledge that this enemy is made up of Islamic fanatics. These people want to destroy the United States and will go to any measure to bring it down. They want us dead and will go, and have gone, to any extreme to kill as many of us as they can. Our enemy isn’t the 89 year old WW II vet that fought for and in some cases was wounded and was always willing to die for this country. It’s not the single mom who scrimped and saved to take her kids on a once in a lifetime trip to Walt Disney World. It is the Islamic fundamentalist that is our enemy. Yet it is because of political correctness that the Transportation Safety Administration, under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security, is required to indiscriminately pull the vet or single mom out of the line at the airport security checkpoint for a more thorough screening. How does that make sense?

Our nation’s leaders, or perhaps it’s our activist courts, have determined that profiling is not allowed. That’s just stupid. If someone is killed in a drive-by shooting the likelihood is that it was done by a gang member. The police know this and they do their investigation based on this. Does this mean that they don’t follow the evidence if it leads in another direction? Of course they follow the evidence. If a suspected member of a crime family is murdered the likelihood of it being done by another crime family member, whether his own family or another one, is far greater than the crime having been committed by an 89 year old WWII vet or a single mom.

Profiling works and there is no sensible reason not to use it. But noooooo we can’t use it. It might offend those in the Islamic community that truly are, as the word Islam means, people of peace. Well hell, I’m offended. I can’t understand those in the Islamic community that aren’t pointing out those in their own midst that are enemies of peace. If they are to be taken seriously as people of peace it is their moral obligation to do just that. If the goal of the Islamic zealots is to convert the world to Allah the way to go about it is not to do it by pointing a gun at the head of those that you want to convert. It didn’t work for the Christian faith during the crusades and it won’t work today.

As I said earlier it is our nation’s leaders or our activist courts that won’t allow the use of profiling with regard to terrorists. So along with the extremists being our enemies there is another set of those that do us harm. To paraphrase Walt Kelly’s great philosopher Pogo we have met the enemy and he is also us. And by us I’m not talking about politicians. I am talking about the electorate. Instead of doing our due diligence and researching those that run for office we rely on sound bites, skewed political ads, labor leaders, a press that has its own agenda (both on the right and the left) or the appearance and style of the candidates. Or even worse than all of those I’m also referring to those that don’t vote at all either because they don’t care or as I’ve heard thousands of times they’re (politicians) all crooks. Less than 50% of eligible voters actually vote. We get the government that we deserve. Lincoln said that we are a government of the people, by the people and for the people. It’s as true today as it was in Lincoln’s day. Our government is made up of us, we the people. If less than half of us bother to vote and those that do vote don’t take that responsibility serious enough to learn for them selves what a candidate stands for, we deserve the government that we have.

Introducing?

Here I am writing my first blog and have no idea what I want to write about. How much do I want to reveal about what's going on in my muddled brain? Is my mind really muddled? No. not really, at least not for most things. I've come to a point in my life where I know pretty much what I can accomplish and what will always remain a fantasy. The goals that I have yet to attain are well within the realm of possibility. Those goals are pretty much the same as what most people want. Continuing to be able to provide shelter, food and clothing for my family is probably first. Paying off my mortgage and putting away enough money to have a comfortable retirement. Ensuring that my son Robby is as able as possible to live his life as comfortably after my wife Janice and I die as he does now. Those that know me know why this is important. Not that most all parents, (yes Virginia {and no I’m not talking to my sister here, but the Virginia that wanted to know if there was a Santa Claus yes-virginia} there are asshole parents) don’t want to provide for their children. But most children will be able to provide for themselves. Robby is autistic and may not be able to provide for himself. Being able to leave as much as I can behind for my son’s welfare is a huge priority for me.

What else do I want to reveal about myself? I am the sixth of seven children and the fourth of five boys born in the mid-fifties. I guess that would mean that I am a child of the 1960’s and 70’s. My mother was a full-time homemaker and up until my mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor when I was 17, I can’t remember a time when my Dad didn’t have at least two jobs.

I am a United States Marine, having served from 1974 to 1978.

Next month Janice and I will be celebrating our 30^th anniversary.

I am in my 15^th year with my current employer. Prior to this job I spent 11 years with Eastman Kodak/Sterling Drug. The reason for the slash between Kodak and Sterling is because while working for Sterling, Kodak acquired them. We lived in Greece NY, a suburb of Rochester, for four years.

I was raised in the Methodist tradition and still attend a Methodist church. Well, attend is probably not a strong enough word. I am a member, but more than that too. I am currently the chair of the church council and prior to that I was a member of the Staff Parish Relations Committee. SPRC is the committee that is responsible for the hiring and firing of the church’s staff. I am a liturgist and also a member of the church’s chancel choir and Men’s Ensemble. With all of that on my “religious resume” you might think I’m some type of Holy Roller. Well nothing could be further from the truth. I can party with most anybody and cuss you out like a drill instructor. Does this make me a hypocrite? In the eyes of some I would imagine yes. But, I’m reminded of one of my pastors who greeted the congregation with “Good morning saints.” which followed immediately by “Good morning sinners.”  In both instances he was greeting everyone, including and especially me, as we all fall short in the eyes of God. I am not hesitant to talk about my faith,but as Paul taught us, we all have differnt gifts and mine is not being an evangelist.

Politically I am conservative, but being the father of an autistic child I am fully aware of the dire need for social programs. My problem with the social services now provided by all levels of government is the terrible job they all do. The number one problem I have with them is the recipients that shouldn’t be receiving benefits. I’m talking about those that are able mind and body to work but that play the system and the encouragement they receive to do just that. It’s mind boggling the amount of money that is wasted because of this. I am a believer in teaching people to fish instead of giving fish to them. Obviously, or maybe not so obviously, I don’t believe that those that are truly unable to fish, whether for physical or mental reasons or both, should be required to learn how to fish.

Sports-wise I love the four major sports popular in the United States; football, baseball, basketball and hockey. On the professional level I root for the NY Giants and Jets with the Giants being number one of the two football teams, the NY Mets in baseball, the NJ Devils in hockey (with my nephew Jeff we have a partial season ticket plan) and the NY Knicks and NJ Nets in that order for basketball. On the college level I root for the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University, and having two nephews and a brother-in-law that are alums of the University of Tennessee, the Volunteers of that school.

Well I’ve rambled on enough, or maybe more than enough, for one blog entry so I’ll end here. Feel free to leave a comment, or don’t. If you do, I’ll read it. If you don’t then I won’t know what you think, but that’s OK too, since this blog is about my thoughts. ;-)