More Than Our Profiles Need Changing

Sorry, but you will not find my Facebook profile decked out in the colors of the French flag to show my support for them following last week's brazen attacks by ISIS. To me, this merely trivializes the magnitude of what ISIS has pulled off and only encourages them to push on with more attacks in other major cities across Europe. It is going to take more than changing our profiles to show our support over ridding the world of these animals. Just how far are we willing to go remains to be seen.

You do not have to look very far to find people, some prominent, others just common every day citizens, who believe it is time to do something. The problem is, what is “something?”

For some, it means rounding up all Muslims in the country and sending them packing. This is a great idea if you want to add to the problem, but does nothing good in the long run. It only shows the level of individual ignorance toward a religion that shares much in common in terms of values found and preached in Christian churches across the nation. It shows how easy it is to fear what we do not understand, and in the United States, Americans pale in their understanding of world religions much like we do in other subject areas. We fail to see the correlation between the actions of extreme violent radicals acting in the name of Allah with those who claim to be acting in the name of God. Violence and hate in any form should be intolerable and never justified for religious reasons.

Where do we send Muslims packing is another issue to consider. Again, our ignorance comes into play here. Because our nation has shoved a curriculum heavy on math and science, we have ignored the teaching of history to the point many see history as everything that has happened since 1990. Few truly understand events like World War II, the Crusades, or ancient Greece and Rome.

Why is this a big deal? When our political leaders fail to grasp history as much as the average citizen fails to, we begin to hear solutions like rounding up law abiding people and taking away their rights just as we did to Japanese Americans in World War II. Rounding up and placing people into “internment camps” (a nice way of say prison camps), was every bit as wrong as our reliance on slave labor. To take away a person's home, business, and freedom simply because of their race or religion is wrong in any form and yet, we are beginning to hear this idea tossed around as a solution to our war against ISIS.

“Okay,” you say. “This is not such a good idea.” However, what about those who we hear touting the plan of closing down all the Mosques in the nation? The level of contradiction I hear justified by people who will fight to the death over any changes to the second amendment but are in favor of denying others their freedom of religion makes me wonder how some people can be so blind to their level of contradiction. If it is okay to take away a law abiding citizen's right to worship after an act of terror, why isn't okay to take a way a law abiding citizen's guns after one?

So back to those colorful profiles you have flooded Facebook with. If this is the average person's idea of showing support for a cause or group of people, we are screwed as a nation. The attacks of 9/11 saw a flood of young men and women volunteering for military service. Meanwhile, the rest of the nation went on with business as usual. The economy crashed, jobs were lost, college debts increase, homelessness increases, the jobless rate drops in large part because millions of Americans have stopped looking for work all together, and those with jobs are over worked and under paid. The new America does not look nearly as rosy as some would have you think and now we rate ISIS as the number one threat this nation faces. Okay, you are willing to change your profile, but just how much more are you willing to sacrifice if this is what is most important to the nation?

If you are under the age of 30, are you willing to sacrifice your current goals and dreams and go serve the country knowing that those who served most recently have not exactly been treated all that well when it comes to finding work, receiving medical care, or dealing with horrific mental, emotional, and physical challenges? In case you missed it, war is not pretty.

If you are a tax payer, are you willing to have more money taken out to pay for the added cost of not just defeating this enemy, but keeping in place a system of security that makes future enemy acts of terrorism impossible to experience? Much of the nation already questions where the money will come to pay for many of the great social programs democrats are offering up. You might also want to ask yourself, of the current social programs in place, which ones are you willing to do away with to help pay for an on going and never ending war against terrorism? Oh, and lets not forget the NSA. Are you okay with every phone call, every credit card purchase, and every web site you visit being known and logged by your government?

There is also the loss of life, not just American, but life in general, to consider. How many innocent refugees are you willing to let die rather than taking them in knowing some might be terrorists in disguise? How many innocents do you mind seeing being killed by U.S. or coalition bombs while the bad guys hide behind human shields inside of schools and hospitals? What about the loss of environmental life? Are you okay seeing an entire region of the world devastated by bombs aimed at oil refineries, dams, industrial centers, hillsides, caves, and anything else? If so, ask yourself if this is in line with your thinking toward things like the Keystone Pipeline, fracking, and off shore drilling at home. Are you okay with being a living contradiction? Is preserving the environment more important than preserving your freedoms?

Then there is this little matter called an election. Who is best equipped to lead this war on terror? Yes, Hillary Clinton has an amazing portfolio she offers up, but she is also linked to the current administration which has taken the approach that ISIS is the JV squad, or more recently being well contained. Do you want our next leader to be someone who was a vital part of the current state of our intelligence community which has made more than its share of major blunders in recent years? Then again, is there a republican candidate out there that can offer up more than chest thumping rhetoric designed to tap into your current anger, but fails to really address a long term solution to a problem, terrorism, that we will have to live with quite possibly for decades to come?

It's easy to change your Facebook profile and show support for the French. However, you may want to do some much deeper thinking and ask yourself just how much are you willing to change, give up, or do to defeat a very real and very scary enemy? For many, this is not a “fun” thing to do, but failing to think about these things now may well lead you into going along with some decisions you will live to regret down the road.

Seven Things I Am Pondering

The Taliban:  Word is the Taliban is now fighting among themselves over who will control the terrorist group.  I guess they finally decided to adopt the American system of politics after all.

Missouri Football:  The University of Missouri football team has gone on strike.  Apparently they are part of a much larger group of students on campus demanding the president of the university step down or be fired over the state of racial unfairness.  Let's see, these "student athletes" receive a free education, are afforded free tutoring services not available to non athletes, are given special breaks over when they take exams or have assignments due, receive special treatment when they break the law, and they have an issue with the university president.  With the treatment they receive, they should be expected to go undefeated every year or lose their scholarships.

Sex Scandal:  So a sex scandal is uncovered at a Colorado high school in which students were found to have sent explicit photos of one another engaged in teens favorite behavior.  Why are people shocked over this?  Yes, their parents should be embarrassed their children were caught, but this stuff goes on in every high school across the nation.  And for those who think otherwise, I suggest you think back to what kind of nonsense went on when you were in high school that you were able to keep from your parents or community from knowing about.  That behavior would not be any different today in a world centered around social media.

Greg Hardy Photos:  It took a while, but Dallas Cowboy Greg Hardy actually managed to fire off an apologetic tweet about the photos made public of the damage he inflicted when he beat, slammed, choked, dragged, and threaten to kill a woman.  Is he sorry for his actions or just for the photos being released?  He's had almost two years to express remorse for what he did, but instead chose to pay off the victim rather than face justice.  As tough as he is on the field or when he is raging against a woman half his size, I guess he is not tough enough to handle himself in prison which is where he should be.

Bromance on Roids:  And then there is Jerry Jones, Hardy's boss, who still stands by his man in what has become the sickest bromance ever.  I wonder what it will take for Cowboy fans, their cheer leaders, and even their players to go on strike against Jones.  Maybe when Jerry awards Hardy with that long term contract he wants to sign him to the rest of Cowboy nation will wake up and see what has become of America's Team.

Bond Voyage:  So this will be the final time Daniel Craig plays the part of James Bond in a movie. It's hard to get excited about a film where the star says he'd rather slit his wrists than play James Bond again.  I wonder how many unemployed college grads or laid off workers would be happy to play make believe while being paid millions of dollars.  Craig has no reason to complain, but his doing so has given me reason to never see the film.  I am on strike until a new Bond is hired.

NFL (Now Financing Lawyers):  NFL player Reggie Bush has announced he intends to sue the city of St. Louis over an injury he suffered recently.  St. Louis will sue the NFL if it loses its Rams to the city of Los Angeles.  The Rams will sue the NFL if they are not allowed to leave for the more lucrative L.A. market.  Los Angeles will sue the NFL if they are denied one of the three existing teams that want to move into a not yet built stadium.  Los Angeles residents will sue if they have to pay a tax to help finance the construction of a new stadium.  Am I the only one who thinks lawyers are the ones getting rich off the NFL while fans are getting screwed?

Loretta Sanchez: Career Hypocrite

So U.S. Representative and California Senate hopeful Loretta Sanchez has an issue with Donald Trump hosting SNL.  She claims having him host is no different than yelling "fire" in a movie theater and puts lives at risk.  Sanchez is another example of how liberals want it both ways.

As a representative in the 46th district, Sanchez is pretty much lock stock and barrel in line with the most liberal oriented agenda.  She sees nothing wrong with allowing 11 million people who are here illegally being granted citizenship, or receiving perks like health care, drivers licenses, and free education in the mean time.  As a Hispanic, she is all about handing our nation over to people who came here illegally and sees nothing wrong with them having done so.

However, allowing NBC and the staff of SNL to have the controversial Trump host a show is going too far.  She and her constituents do not like Trump's desire to deport all 11 million illegals or to build a wall and make it more difficult for them to enter here illegally.  She feels this is encouraging racist behavior toward Mexicans regardless of the fact many Americans, maybe even a majority, support tighter immigration control.

What is more racist, wanting to control our border and keep people from entering illegally or using a disparaging gesture to describe Native Americans, something Sanchez was blasted for doing shortly after declaring her intent to run for Barbara Boxers senate seat.

Sanchez, and others who are to the far left really believe it is okay to censure anyone and everyone who goes against their ideals of political correctness.  They have no problem with the first amendment as long as they agree with what the person has to say.  However, as soon as a candidate like Trump comes along and espouses views counter to theirs, they instantly label them as racists and threaten others with the same label if they give him a public forum.  It's also why anyone who comes out and opposes the Black Lives Matter movement or supports the actions of white police officers are labeled the same but when a group of color riots, loots, and burns a city, it is strictly because of the injustices done to them and is never racially motivated.

Have I been offended by some of the things Trump has said?  Yes, but he has a right to say them, just as I believe people like Loretta Sanchez has a right to respond.  The problem I have is how both of these people are only interested in a divide and conquer mentality which only further leads to the stalemate that exists in Washington DC.

The American voter needs to wake up and look at candidates more based on their character and less on their politics.  Is the person you intend to vote for likely to sit down and work with people who see things differently than they do or are they the type to label, trash, and instill fear?  We need more politicians who are less concerned about being re elected and more concerned with getting things accomplished.  While we need to allow people like Loretta Sanchez to voice her hypocrisy and people like Trump to voice his empty promises, we also need to tune these people out and look more closely at the people who are most likely to work with those on the other side of the isle.