What makes America Great

As seen in:
February 10th, 2006 Record Herald.
&
February 25th, 2006 Times Gazette.
&
March 2nd, 2006 News Journal



As Americans, we must face the fact that we are a hated nation. Muslim extremists want each and every one of us dead along with all those who support us. This is clear in so many respects. The most recent one is the protest against a cartoonist. I repeat, a cartoonist.

I've seen protesters holding up signs that read: "Freedom go to hell; Apology is not enough-we expect action; Europe, take some lessons from 9/11" and then there is: "Stop your crimes against our religion and our prophet," Stop our crimes? What about the hundreds who have died in car bombs, bus explosions and building torching, most of which those committing or planning these attacks say, "In the name of Allah." What about the 3,000 we lost on 9/11 in the name of Allah?

I've heard it said that only 10% of Muslims are "hostile towards Americans." If only 10% of Muslims are extremist and there are 1.2 billion Muslims, that's still 120 million people that won't stop until we're gone.

Let's see some examples here, shall we?

· October 12, 2000. USS Cole was attacked. 17 killed, 39 injured.

· September 11, 2001. Two planes hit the World Trade Center, one the Pentagon, one went down in a field after passengers overtook the hijackers. 2,986 killed, thousands injured.

· October 12, 2002. Three bombs went off on the island of Bali. 202 killed, 209 injured.

· March 11, 2004. Ten bombs exploded on four trains in Madrid, Spain. 119 killed, more than 1,800 injured.

July 7, 2005. Seven train bombs and one bus bomb went off in London. 56 killed, over 700 injured. On July 21, five more bomb attacks were attempted, but failed.

These are only a handful of the most recent attacks that have been claimed by one Muslim extremist organization or another. There have been so many reports of car, bus, roadside, backpack bombs that we don't even notice them on the news anymore, and most of them are by Muslim extremists.

A prominent Muslim, just after 9/11, said, "As a Muslim, I try my best to avoid telling a lie. I had no knowledge of these attacks, nor do I consider the killing of innocent women, children and other humans as an appreciable act.". A few years later, the same person publicly acknowledged his involvement and planning in the attacks on the U.S. and admitted his direct link to the attacks. He said that the attacks were carried out because "we are a free people who do not accept injustice."

Anyone remember who said that? Osama bin Laden. So he told a lie while saying that he tries to avoid telling a lie. He said the killing of innocents is not an appreciable act, then he took credit for it in the name of Allah, and we are expected to stop the crimes against their religion? When are they going to stop committing crimes against ours?

We are hated for, in their eyes, influencing the UK to hate Muslims so much that (gasp) the UK will mock their Mohamed in a cartoon, but it's okay for them to kill tens of thousands of us in the name of their God?

We go after those who kill people. They go after those who draw comics. Explain to me how we're the evil ones. In Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, it is illegal to own a copy of the Holy Bible, yet we are intolerant of their religion?

I have nothing against peaceful Muslims or peaceful Jews or peaceful Christians or peaceful anyone. But, as soon as you try to kill me in the name of your religion, I take issue.

The First Amendment reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
This protects me legally and allows me to write what I want. This newspaper is kind enough to print it so that it can be read by others. Just as much as it is my right to type out what I want, it is every bit your right not to read it. That is what makes America so great.

Freedom. Something missing in many Muslim cultures.