A Reply To A Friend

It seems my desire to put my thoughts on the Internet has aroused different reactions in different people. One liberal friend, a man I've known for over 30 years, has not returned phone calls or emails, and the gist of our last phone conversation was - "we'll talk soon, but not about politics". That was 3 weeks ago and I'm getting the impression that my letter to the editor regarding Sen. Reid may have been too much for his liberal heart to bear. A few years back, when I asked him why he was a liberal, his answer was "Because I like to help people".

In that simple, six word sentence, you can learn a lot about how liberals operate.

The implication is that if you're not a liberal, you don't want to help people, you only want to start wars, ruin the environment and stop women from practicing their God-given right to infanticide. It sounds more like an answer to a question in a Miss Universe pageant than an intellectually honest answer for promoting socialism.

On the other hand, I have another liberal friend who would probably consider me the Anti-Christ, if he believed in God that is. I received a rather lengthy missive from him the other day and promised a response as time permitted. The lack of punctuation, capitalization and the language are all his, not mine, and his quotes are in italics:

"for your information, i don't drink coo-aid....nor do i believe most of what you right wing, conservative, george w bush loving, neo-nazi, dopes spew out on a daily basis...i am not as liberal as you think...you brain washed mother ******...you want to know what i think we should do with the terrorists!!! then i'll tell you, first...we get out of iraq and stop getting our young men and women killed...and stop killing thousands of innocent iraqis...then we hunt down the terrorists, where ever they may be...and kill them...and i mean, where ever they are...i think we should take a page from isreal's book and send elite teams out to hunt and kill terrorists."

I did take time for a quick reply the other day, the results of which were that he agrees that Al Quaeda is now in Iraq, but they weren't there before we went in. So here's our first juncture and question to any liberals who care to reply: Even if we are naive enough to assume that not one, single member of Al Quaeda was ever in Iraq prior to our entrance, if they are there now, shouldn't we be fighting them there? You hear the Democrat politicians' mantra - get out of Iraq, redeploy the troops (where they're redeployed to depends on who's doing the running away) and fight Al Quaeda in Afghanistan.

If there were any intellectual honesty with anyone other than Sen. Joe Liberman amongst the Democrat Party, they would simply come out and tell you this:

"We are against the war in Iraq because George Bush is President - if Bill Clinton were President, we'd support it." Any Democrat who tells you otherwise is being quite disingenuous, or like Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, they truly believe there is never a reason to go to war. For those of you who hated social studies, she was the only US Senator to vote AGAINST going to war with Japan after their attack on Pearl Harbor.

Other than that, I am in full agreement as to emulating Israel and their approach to terrorism.

"do you hear me now....while we deplete our young men and women in iraq, terrorists roam fairly freely all over the world...what a recruiting effort we have launched for the terrorists...we kill thousands of innocent iraqi citizens in the name of god, freedom and the american way...and we wonder why muslims find it kinda hard to love us...besides, we don't have the resourses to deal with the real terroists while we have our troops, who are mostly national guard divisions who should be home guarding us, tied up in an unwinable war...yes, unwinable...maybe we should stop sending our young to die and start sending old f****, like you and me...i will say it one more time...staying in iraq will accomplish nothing more than more american and iraqis dieing, and in the end...that part of the world will be right back where it was when all the bloodshed started....we have had a history of supporting dictators who used any means necessary to stay in power and down the road, we always seem to have to backtrack and pretend we didn't know....bulls***..."

It's kind of hard to know where to begin on that ramble, but let's give it a shot

Terrorists roaming all over the world...a recruiting effort we have launched ...killing thousands of Iraqi's in the name of god (his lower case, not mine)etc...

Terrorists are all around the world and they are Muslims. We did not create their fanaticism, their religion has done that. Anyone other than a hermit in a cave knows that this war began a long time ago, not on 9-11, and the thousands of Iraqi's that have been killed have been killed mostly by terrorists, not by us. If you're like Rep. John Murtha, you convict our soldiers of crimes before any evidence is presented because it serves your political agenda. However, if you're really interested in how our soldiers try and conduct themselves, go to this link and read Gen. Petraeus' letter to the troops about how they are to conduct themselves in combat:

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/values-message.htm

Unwinable war ... it's only unwinable if you quit. We are treated daily to the same old "sectarian warfare", "it's a civil war", "it hasn't changed in 2000 years". It sounds kind of like a 9 year old who doesn't want to go to bed and is coming up with every excuse they can dream of.

If you are Al Quaeda, you are performing exactly to plan. Stir up the hatred between Sunnis and Shiite, blow up as many soldiers and innocent civilians as you can, and then sit back and wait for the whining, spineless Americans to leave. Regardless of the fact that terrorism will flourish and grow once we get out, let's go because that's how we stick it to George.

Don't worry about Iran and the 3000 centrifuges that are now pumping out the materials with which they will try to construct their nuclear arsenal - we'll just let negotiations and diplomacy take care of that - it's worked out so well with North Korea you know.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend - apparently this little pearl of geopolitical wisdom has escaped my friends attention as regards who we support in the world. Is the President of Pakistan a real tree hugging liberal who stands firmly in support of human rights? Not by a long shot, but since he's willing to help us, albeit not as forcefully as we might like, we will continue to support him.

Personally, I prefer to look at history as a means to understand current situations, not an opportunity to bash America, white men, Judeo-Christian principles, or whatever other American institution George Soros has decided would not fit well in his socialist America.


"let's see...canada, france, germany??? what policy changes have you seen since harper, sarkozy and your buddy merkel have taken office...they have all been in office for over a year now and i don't see any more troops in afghanistan or iraq...i don't see any changes in the populists opinions of america or americans...no trade changes...mostly, they seem to want to pass laws so that companys can fire people and make them work more hours in a week...i'll grant you that french and german workers can't be made to work more than 35 hours a week, but...."

I had made an observation that Canada, Germany, and most recently France, have elected conservative leaders. Howard in Australia and most of the Eastern European countries have conservative leaders and troops in Afghanistan. Although my friend can see no changes (kind of soon for France don't you think?), the changes will come because people around the world are starting to understand that this is a World War. It is struggle between the forces of freedom and democracy against the kind of intolerance conservatives are so often accused of. Muslim fanaticism knows no boundaries and has no central location - a fact that makes this war so difficult for many people to understand.

I am in total agreement with the Democrat Party on one aspect of this effort - President Bush has done a totally inept job of explaining why it is so important for us to be there.

"and as far as my 'christian' comments...i stand by them...how you can justifiy this many people dieing is more than i can comprehend...defense of country...maybe if we stayed out of a few peoples affiairs, we might not have to do this...and don't even go there...i understand that we will defend ourselves, but should it be at the expense of others?...and, if i read you right, and please correct me if i am wrong...you do not believe in the right of a woman to choose, under any circustances...and this is because life begins at conception??? i happen to have a different opinion...do you believe in evolution??? now you have me querious...it's too bad that, as your song goes, we won't know because i'm right....or something like that...religion is man made...man made...organized religion changes it's rules when it suits them...well, i don't really want to get into religion that much, because i understand that some people do need a crutch to live their lives...i don't...unless you consider genessee a crutch...some do...i am not against your right to bear arms, i am not against your right to stay poor so the rich can get richer...i thought you right wingers were against government interfering in our lives, but at every turn, you guys want to jump in and tell me what i can and can't do with my life...don't get me wrong, i do believe in the religious foundation...it's "commandments"...i have never killed anyone...doesn't that one imply that you don't kill even in self defense...maybe i'm wrong...i have never f***** anyones wife...i have never f***** anyones girlfriend...might have wanted to a couple of times, but didn't...i do swear a lot...big deal...i try hard not to envy...not always easy...i do not lie...sometimes i don't tell the whole truth...sometimes that is neccessary...i have been known to embellish a story or two to make it funnier...well, i stand corrected then...i guess those are forms of lieing...big deal...i do treat people as i would like to be treated, even though i am not always treated the way i would like to be...i do not worhip false gods...and then again, i don't worship any...that's one thing that has always confused me...you are not supposed to worhip false gods, but why does every church have such ornate decorations in the forms of statues, etc....just wondering...i can't think of a time that i was a false witness against anyone...doesn't mean it hasn't happened...i just can't think of any...and ya know what...i am nice to people and no god has to tell me to do that...my two children are two of the nicest individuals you will ever meet and neither one of them has ever been to church...i guess i should tell you that i think my wife has some belief in a higher being, but i don't think it's too big a deal...she has the right to her beliefs...she does say that i will plead to god for my life on my deathbed...won't happen...never been afraid to die...although, i will admit that i don't really want to..."


Well, if you made it through that last diatribe, God bless you, even if my friend thinks He is made up. The previous exchange had included his belief that all of this killing was being done in the name of God - which I suppose in his book makes us just the same as the Muslim terrorists. You'll note that he does try to live by the 10 Commandments, just a long as they are not visible anywhere on public property I'm sure.

It was his intention to lecture me on the morality of killing. As I noted to him, killing in the defense of one's self, family or country is morally justifiable according to most standards of morality defined in this world. His accusation was that all of us who believe in God are the murderers; religion is the cause of all evil.

In answer to his question regarding abortion: yes, I do believe life begins at conception - it seems to me quite logical (oh, I forgot, logic is not important to liberals, only emotion) that it begins there, not at some mythological point in time determined by a group of those middle-aged white attorneys we call our legislators. No, I don't believe abortion is wrong when it is performed to save the life of the mother - what a terrible decision for anyone to have to make. Other than that, no, I don't think abortion is moral - it is simply a matter of convenience.

Here's a suggestion, an honest attempt to find middle ground. I would agree to never try to seek prohibiting an abortion as long as every woman who wanted one had to look at the fetus with GE's color imagery that's now available. There are millions out there who support the "right to choose", their euphemism for the slaughtering of innocents, because they've never seen a fetus go through the developmental stages. Many of the people who are "pro-choice" would never have an abortion, they just feel the woman's right is more important than the life of the fetus. In order to give that fetus a fighting chance, why not take a look at who, or for the sake of you who are kidding yourselves, what you are about to kill.

I'm sorry, but by any definition, the forced interruption of life is killing. So, my friend, when you're ready to defend the lives of the unborn, lecture me again on morality and the taking of life, but until then, your arguments hold no meaning to me whatsoever.

As to your inquiry regarding statues or other ornamentation in churches, there is no worship of false gods involved. Muslims don't believe in them at all - thus the recent outrage over the Mohammed cartoons. Catholics and other Judeo-Christian religions differ - some have no statues because they believe it to be idolatry, while others, like the Roman Catholic Church, of which I am a member, simple regard them as reminders and objects to help us recall various aspects of our beliefs. For us, there is only one God worthy of worship, no statues need apply.

"by now, you have probably stopped reading because i don't believe that you ever really think about what i say...i have an opion...a very well thought out opinion...just because you disaree with my opinions does not make them wrong...really...believe it or not...i am a patriot...you tell me to stop hiding my head...i don't hide my head...i am very well informed...i just disagree with many of your thoughts on certain subjects...i read the paper every day...i watch the news every day...yes, including fox...o'reily, et al...i listen and i think...and i do resent, at times, being told that i am wrong only because you believe something else...i am not wrong...these are my opinions...yes, they differ from yours in many ways...that doesn't make you a bad person...you just don't understand...that's all...maybe someday, you'll see the light...i highly doubt it...but that's part of what makes the world go round...isn't it....love you...ramblin' me...no, i never owned a fringed jacket....black sneakers...but no jacket"

What can I say. It's kind of like trying to read the Unabomber's Manifesto. My friend, I never stop reading and I always think about what you say. I disregard some of it because you're only regurgitating tired slogans from a liberal handbook that has been out of date since 9-11. When I challenge you to think and get your head out of the sand, I suppose it serves no real purpose unless you're willing to think outside of your paradigm.

Quite simply, I think you see the threat, you know the extent to which they can hurt us, but your all encompassing hatred of George Bush prohibits you from honestly assessing the impact of cutting and running in Iraq.

My apologies to all for this lengthy retort, but because I do honor ALL AMERICANS, regardless of their political persuasion, I felt it was necessary. As far as my seeing the light, my biggest fear is that if this nation again falls asleep, if we fail to perform our role as the leader of the free world, the only light we'll be seeing will be the incredible brilliance of a nuclear explosion.

Who knows, we may not be able to prevent it, but we surely will experience it if we decide to run away and expect our shores to protect us. The world doesn't work like that anymore.