Do Atheists work on Christmas Day?

New Years Day comes on Sunday this year and Atheists get the day off. In fact, they take off New Year's and Easter too. Worse, they take every Sunday's off, every week, all year around, all over the world! Why not take off Tuesday's? They ought to establish there own day off from the work week to rest! After all, they must be terribly offended because they don't have to work on Sunday?

What is this all about? It's about tradition and precedent which makes for good law. Supreme Court nominee Judge Alito, when recently questioned, said law is largely about respecting precedent and rulings by prior court decisions.

We were all taught back in High School about British Common Law precedent as being the foundation for the American legal system. So where does that leave Christmas and anything Christian in the American scheme of things? How do liberal judges justify breaking the common law precedent of tradition? Remember the childhood precedent lesson you learned from you big sister, 'na, na, finders keepers, na na'?

The city of San Diego has used a cross as a part of it's symbolic city seal for over a hundred and fifty years because some body wanted to acknowledge a Franciscan Friar for establishing a parish in San Diego. How does a San Diego judge of today order it removed because it offended someone? In God We Trust on the dollar bill might often someone so should we remove it?

The majority of this country is still Christian and has been since the sixteen hundreds. Does that mean we change away from Christian ideals by removing there symbols? It seems to me that that is forcing down the throat Atheist ideals, the very thing Atheists claim to object to. The difference is precedent and tradition. We don't change the law, precedent, or tradition for a few people. We change the law to benefit the many by legislating a new law appropriate to the problem, like handicap laws.

Speaking of being offended, Red, as a color, has offended me since before I was born until Communism fell in the Soviet Union. Now since the United States has been politically split into Red and Blue, conservative or liberal voting states, I love the color red. Although Russia, because of Putin, has the beginnings of a distinct pink glow about it. But that's for a later article.

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Christian symbols are everywhere in our everyday life, in city names like San Francisco, to crosses at Arlington, to the Pledge of Allegiance. We acknowledge these precedent setting names and symbols through respect, pride and tradition and until some law appears on the books locally or nationally we need, very badly, to have judges on the bench that respect those precedents and traditions to maintain some continuity in this country.

We are at War, does anyone remember?

A great American newspaper for some unstated reason continues to support and comfort radical Muslim propaganda. It is shameful and dangerous to American soldiers and the American people. It is as if The Times were writing scripts for the bad guys, for their media outlets and Al Jazzera television.

WE ARE AT WAR and Abu Grabe, wiretaps, Guantanimo, Koran desecration, prisoner torture are all Times stories that cost American lives for the sake of journalism, anti Bush journalism. What came out of all those sensationalised, fundamentally accusatory, flawed stories were the finding guilty of a couple of misguided American soldiers. Soldier mistreatment of prisoners could have been handled internally and discreetly by the military if elected officials and the media used discretion. Instead they got their stories and political capitol without regard to the cost of how many soldiers lives and how many new recruits for al Qaida came about.

The Times leads us to believe that America ferries prisoners to various countries that mistreat their prisoners because the government has some perverse, cruel intentions. The report of wire taps put on American citizens without court approval is again reveled not for the protection of American citizens but to embarrass the president and to imply that he thinks that he is above the law. What transparent political muckraking.

WE ARE AT WAR and disclosing a variety of national security secrets at the Times choosing, as the Times does, is near treasonous.

War is hell, and the participants get hurt, hurt others, and break things, that is the nature of the terrible business. Our soldiers and their allies risk their lives every day to bring a better life to Iraqis. Where are the stories of their accomplishments? Every day the enemy is out to kill our young boys and girls. Is it that they want to bring a better life of freedom to Iraqis? I don't think so! They kill more of their own than ours. Our soldiers need our protection, support and warning if they are in jeopardy, as do our US citizens at home need the protection of information. Information provided quite often by captured prisoners and wiretaps.

President Bush, and Secretary of State, Condi Rice said in public statements that we do not torture prisoners. I believe them. I prefer to believe them. I want to believe them and until some one proves otherwise I'll continue to believe my President and Secretary of State. To accuse without proof is simply propaganda for the enemy and political hay for opposing politicians.

Why is it that accusations show up on page one and later proof otherwise shows itself on page eight, if at all?

WE ARE AT WAR and it is not the US policy to torture prisoners, but we do interrogate them. Congress is debating and defining new definition's and limitations of interrogations. Senator McCain is very much in the middle of the issue because of his up close personal military and prisoner history, and he is a political hack as are most politicians. His concern and involvement is understandable and welcomed. But to all of us there should be only one first concern, the protection of US citizens and our soldiers.

WE ARE AT WAR and that is distasteful to our civilized desires in this day and age. Most Americans abhor war and all the killing and lost treasure that goes with it. Many find it difficult accepting the fact that we really do have an enemy that would kill us as soon as look at us. The fantasy world of believing that if we picket or rally for 'no more war,' that somehow our enemy's will simply go away or disappear. They prefer to believe that the war on terrorism is our fault, or Bush's, or America's. Not all of us recognize that we are being forced by the times to make distasteful decisions.

WE ARE AT WAR and the enemy that has no rules, no uniforms, no country, no stated goals except to kill indiscriminately. No one in this country in their right mind ever wants war. The protesting liberals think the subject of peace, not war, is their exclusive domain. That they thought of it, they campaigned and picket for it, and they are the only ones that want peace. What they fail to remember is that throughout our history we have always had to pay a high price for peace.

Two thousand and one brought to the President and most of the country a new understanding about war and a new kind of war. War on our soil. The immediate reaction and understanding reached by this administration is to not stand by, but to react. Initiating a military action against those responsible and those that support our destruction now, and on our terms, on their turf, is better and wiser than sure disaster later on our enemy's terms, and on our turf.

This new kind of war is one where the depth and level of the enemy's willingness to commit terror to achieve unstated goals is no more than the mayhem created by street gangs in any city in the world. All gangs and their leaders are criminals and enemy's of the state including rogue nations.

Abroad, the coalition of willing nations seem to be the only ones with the foresight to stop those rogue nations in there tracks. The list of rogue nations and their leaders is not long but they are deadly dangerous.

Christmas is a Tradition

What does Happy Holidays mean? This holiday season is celebrated on December 25th and that is Christmas Day. All the hullabaloo starting from the day after Thanksgiving is pointing to one day, Christmas Day. Why are stores, towns, and schools being so hypocritical about it? It’s more than a Happy Holiday season. It is a time of the year that most, in this country, think of Christmas trees, Christmas Carols, colored lights, Christmas presents and gift giving at the office, family gatherings, Christmas cards, Christmas decorations, celebrating Christ’s birth, Christmas concerts at school, Santa Claus, Rudolph and his eight tiny reindeer, snow and the North Pole.
Stores and towns are removing the tradition of the Holiday Season by removing the word Christmas from advertising and promotions because they are afraid of offending someone or worse, being sued. For two hundred years a store could hang a sign saying Merry Christmas now they are afraid of offending someone. I have a great deal of trouble imagining that. If a Jewish, Agnostic, Atheist, Muslim person or anyone buys a present for a fellow worker, friend, or relative at Christmas, he or she is joining in on one of the traditions of Christmas. A tradition, not a religion is what many of us celebrate at this time of the year, we celebrate a tradition. The tradition of bringing those near and dear to us a little closer under the auspices of a Christian holiday should not offend anyone. Those of us who have wished others, ‘Merry Christmas’ do not necessarily mean it in a religious way, we mean it in a traditional way with all the trappings that come with the holiday.
Holidays like New Years, Forth of July, Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving etc. all have their traditions too, like parades and fireworks, colored eggs, turkey dinner, and scary costumes. We keep those holidays alive by celebrating and doing what we’ve always done, keeping those important traditions alive! For America to be intimidated into changing and American tradition to appease a few Bah Humbugs is wrong The overwhelming majority of us, even non-Christians want to keep the tradition of calling Christmas, Christmas. We want to see it plastered all over store fronts, in school Christmas songs and the “Merry Christmas” greetings I used to get from a Wal Mart, and Target store clerk. Since when does the minority in this country dictate the behavior of the majority? For the past 200 years Jewish people in this country have wished all others Merry Christmas without requesting a change in the traditions all of us have come to enjoy. Some Atheist’s in this country have come forward to object to Christmas. Why should the tradition of Christmas and all it’s trappings fall in favor of the Atheist religion and their tradition of not celebrating Christmas in the American traditional way?

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This Visit to Egypt
was an eye opener. Back in October my brother, the short one and I spent two weeks in the Middle East seeing the sights and talking and sharing meals with more that six different personal tour guides and Egyptoligists. The experience was enlightening on both the Muslim religious aspect and their political views on both Iraq and Egypt. We were there during Ramadan so they were always thirsty and hungry. We had them in a unfair weakened condition for answering questions.
First of all they all generally agreed that the junior and senior leadership in Egypt was corrupt and holding back progress. The country educates it smarter students. The better you apply yourself academically the further you go in school. You can in fact defer compulsory military service by keeping your grades high but the sour note for two of the guides is when you graduate with various degrees there are few good paying jobs. Very high unemployment. If you want to go into business the nightmare of permits, delays, payoffs can be endless unless you are rich to begin with. Importing the tools like computers, cars, equipment, is heavily taxed and discouraging for business expansion.
Everyone but a small Christian minority is Muslim. Egyptians enjoy religious freedom and no one is forced to practice any religion. The respect given to the senior members of the close knit family relationships keeps members from straying very far, religiously. Everyone lives with family, three and four generations in one building is the norm. This is the fundamental way of life among the Muslims in the Middle East.
Though there is contempt for the government it is mild with only some fringe elements making further freedom demands. Mubarrak and family has run a tight ship for almost thirty years and doesn't look like he's giving up power any time soon.
As for their opinion about the US being in Iraq- -well we were told that when we get to Egypt and people ask us where we are from we should say Canada, definitely not the US. Well I'm here to tell you folks that just ain't so. Egyptians, like people where ever I've traveled, like Americans. So after a bit of trepidation and after telling and inquiring Egyptian that I was American and him giving me a big smile and a glad hand in return, I had no hesitation from then on.
They are very glad that Saddam is gone but they don't want lasting US presence in the Middle East. They really don't think that we should be meddling in Middle Eastern affairs. I don't blame them. They are a very proud people and foreigners are not welcome except as tourists. It's not so much a religious reason as it is more a nationalistic thing . Arab affairs should be left to Arabs as they see it but at the same time they understand the US motivations.
One tour guide offered that he guided American soldiers on R&R recently and they offered oil as the reason America is in Iraq. I gave my new friend additional reasons but he clung to the one he wanted to believe. Oil.

More on Egypt soon.

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Iraq,How is the war going?

Recently the president gave two speech's on how the war is going in Iraq. The first was about how the military situation was improving and the second about how the economy was improving. He gave some interesting supportive statistics believing that was enough to convince Americans that we are on the right path to victory. His latest polls show he scored some points.

Naturally, opposition mumbled something about Bush not having a real plan on how we are going to win the war over there and bring our boys home. Some even said it is un-winable others say let's cut and run but a recent house vote on just that suggestion was defeated by all but three votes.

An interesting issue that has long been put on the side lines by me and other political writers is the one of religion. We are engaged in a ground war by our military against a semi organized foreign insurgency and Iraqi grown fanatics that are loosely connected to each other by the Muslim religion. I will admit that waging a war on a religion is one that is hard to win. We are looked upon as modern day Crusaders invading the holy land of Saladin and Mohammad and that is the propaganda that mullas use for recruiting new fanatics.

Our saving grace is American history. We have never gone to war and remained after without invitation. We don't go to war for glory, riches or spoils. We have never, as a government policy, tortured, maimed or killed prisoners of war. We have always rebuilt the country of our enemy. Name me another country in history like that.

Therefore, what out come do the insurgents, fanatics, terrorists want?

One, they want us completely out of the middle east, our military and civilian presence. We are infidels according to the Koran and not until all the Israelis and all westerners are out of the middle east will they ease up.

Two, they want and Islamic, Iranian style country established now that Saddam is gone. The old secular Bathist government is also out with the removal of Saddam.

Three, they want to wage war on the western infidels from a solidified base of middle eastern muslim countries. They want to oust monarchy's in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and establish religious Muslim run countries.

What do we want?

Reliable uninterrupted flow of oil and that is only possible with peace and security in the region.
The French, Germans and Russians believed it was possible with out war on Saddam. Until 9/11 we believed the same way. The effects of 9/11, the bombing on the Cole, the blowing up of the embassy in Lebanon, and in the Sudan gave us pause to realize that we were all kidding ourselves. The Muslim- fanatic- terrorists of the world wanted unrest and control in the middle east and wanted the westerners out.

We had to look to our own best interests and to stop the terrorists from killing us.

How are we going to win? Establish a lawful secure democracy in Iraq remembering that freedom trumps religion, even fanatical religion.

Pull out or stay in Iraq.

Have you been following the dialogue between the Democrats and the Republicans over the pull out of Iraq debate? Have you ever seen so much nothing made out of something before? Take the troops out today, tomorrow, next year, slowly, quickly, now, later. How ridiculous do the politicians sound?

Every Democrat is seeking the public eye to say what? To say they agree with continuing to stay the course, and agree with the President, Lieberman. To the other end of the spectrum, we have to get out now, Pelosi, Kennedy. Others are on the fence untill the New Hampshire primarys, Clinton.

Democrats are all over the map but are the Republicans taking advantage of the Democratic mixed message.? No! They have the President making a short speech saying we are listening to the commanders on the ground and we will pull out the troops when we have won the war. Many Democrats say, "How do we know when we have won the war"?
Many citizens are asking the same question because they simply do not understand. But you can bet the Democrats are explaining and confusing the public even more.

The President should do an FDR style weekly fire side chat with the weekly updates of the Military. The President should be saying things like, "Look folks we said after 9/11
that the American people would pursue the terrorists to what ever hole they are hiding in. We will not allow any country to provide safe haven for the terrorists. We will not allow any country to aid and provide comfort to any terrorist. Today, three plus years later, we are still engaged in eliminating those terrorists. They can be found in Iraq making there last stand.

The President needs the people behind him and re-assure them. The Democrats are out in front of the media every day, in large numbers,undercurrentg him. They want their power base back and the Presidents passiveness seems to be giving it to them. The occasional impassioned speechs in front of the clapping military academy is not going to cut it. A frequent chat and update of the war is what is expected. If that chat comes from the Oval Office or by the fireplace it would be more to the point. He would be speaking to the American people, not to the military.

FDR knew how to effectively communicate during equally difficult times. The president needs to find his voice.