Don’t Take Flight 93 to Mecca 12-12-2007
Dec 12, 2007 Flight 93
Kevin Jaques: U.S. response to 9/11 should conform to sharia law
Dr. Kevin Jaques is one of the Three Mosqueteers. Of the three academics who are helping architect Paul Murdoch to plant a terrorist memorial mosque on the Flight 93 crash site, Jaques was most central to the Park Service’s fraudulent internal investigation.
He has also left a revealing paper trail. Shortly after 9/11, Indiana University School of Law sponsored a forum on the likely legal fallout from the attacks: consequences for immigration law, civil rights, etcetera. As the university’s resident expert on Islamic (sharia) law, Jaques was invited to say something about our looming engagement with the Islamic world and their systems of law.
He chose to write a prescriptive article, urging the United States to frame its response in conformity with traditional sharia requirements:
In formulating an American response to the acts of terror, it is necessary to define them according to the provisions of Islamic law.
Whitewashing sharia
Jaques makes the basic arguments for submission that any anti-war multiculturalist might make. He offers an appeasement pitch:
If the United States wishes to approach the fight against terrorism to limit future revivalist terror groups from forming and attacking American citizens and interests, it will be necessary to craft a response that conforms to the realities of Islamic law.
And he offers a when-in-Rome pitch:
Muslim religious leaders think of the world in legal terms and will react to U.S. policies according to how these policies conflict or adhere to Islamic legal principles.
Of course we should avoid gratuitous offense, when in Rome (just as we should practice it as a pastime at home). But should we really submit to sharia law?
Nowhere does Jaques even acknowledge that world-wide submission to sharia law is the ultimate goal of the 9/11 terrorists. That is a pretty glaring omission for someone who is advocating adherence to sharia law, but Jaques does more than just elide the point. He actively misleads, going to great lengths to pretend that the terrorists reject the whole idea of sharia law:
[R]evivalist movements around the Islamic world are articulating new and exciting systems of legal interpretation that, in real terms, are similar to traditional legal norms. Only the violent fringe—approximately 1 percent to 2 percent of Muslims worldwide—would disparage any discussion of Islamic law as being reflective of the kinds of non-Islamic ideas that they claim have contaminated Islam since the very first centuries of Islamic history.
Talk about a whitewash! To paint sharia as benign, Jaques pretends that the “violent fringe” is opposed to it, and this is no offhand comment. The whole first third of Jaques’ discussion is spent setting up this punch line.
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Maryland Democrats Play Politics with Education
Dec 12, 2007 Political
The state of Maryland has a Superintendent of Schools who is appointed by the school board and has a term that is deliberately offset from the regular terms of political appointees. This was done to keep the position from being used as a political tool and to try, to some degree, to keep politics out of the process. Nancy Grasmick has served in the position since 1991 being reappointed by school boards put in place by Democrats (and one Republican). Several years ago Ms. Grasmick tried to take over 11 Baltimore City schools that were failing miserably and as she was required under NCLB. The City Mayor was Martin O’Malley and now, unfortunately for Maryland, he is the Governor of the state.
O’Malley fought the takeover and was successful. He only fought it because it made him look bad (he still claimed education improved while he was Mayor) and his actions were taken with little regard for the children (the very people he claims to be in support of) and those schools are still in trouble to this day. O’Malley has a long memory and he wants Grasmick out of her position. He has made that clear on a number of occasions but it is not up to him. The decision rests with the school board and this one, a lame duck one, was appointed by a Republican Governor and they have a say until July of next year. The Democrats in Maryland tried to halt the board’s action and circumvent the process to appease the Governor:
Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch had sent a letter to the board Monday asking that it defer a decision on a superintendent until July, after Gov. Martin O’Malley’s appointees constitute a majority on the board. WBAL
The board appointed Ms. Grasmick to another four year term despite the efforts of the Democrats to play political games with the position. The board recognized the ploy and decided that it is not the Governor’s job to appoint the Superintendent so they were not going to let him. Of course, this did not sit well with the governor, who hates Grasmick, and it did not sit well with the leaders of the Maryland Legislature. They are now going to do what Democrats always do when they do not get their way, they are going to change the rules.
Miller and Busch (two first class jackasses) will try to make it so that the Superintendent will serve at the pleasure of the board so that she may be more easily dismissed from her position. As it stands right now, the law only allows for removal in cases of misconduct. If they succeed in changing this then the O’Malley appointed school board (which will take office in July) may dismiss her for any reason it wants and allow the Governor to appoint (through his school board) someone else. This whole process is designed to affect ONLY one person with whom the Governor has a problem. It is designed to allow him to exercise control that was deliberately left out of the process. It is a gross misuse of power and should not be tolerated by any citizen of this state. The Democrats have a super majority in Maryland so they can push through whatever they want (which is how we got the largest tax increase in Maryland history). If they succeed in doing this they should be chased down and beaten with sticks to knock some sense into them.
The Legislature of Maryland has been abusing its power for a long time. They are accountable to no one and now that they have a spoiled, whiny, crybaby, Democrat as Governor they will continue to abuse power so long as the citizens refuse to hold them accountable. If they succeed with this I think they might have hell to pay because Ms. Grasmick’s husband is well connected and he might be able to make life tough for them.
People of Maryland, remember the tax increases and this episode when you vote in the next election. I am sure there will be others before the horror that is O’Malley and the abomination that make up the Legislature are up for reelection.
Get rid of all of them.
Tags: corruption, Democrats, grasmick, martin o'malley, Maryland, wbal
Georgia Police Help Criminals Find Booty
Dec 11, 2007 General
Imagine if the police in your neighborhood checked your home while you were out and left a big, bright sign tacked to the front door informing you that they had found your house unlocked or an open window. You would get home and be thankful that the police came around and checked it out, or would you? The sign might be a nice way to let you know that you left your house open but it is also a beacon to criminals who would also know that your house was vulnerable. It would not take much for criminals to realize that a bright sign means potential target.
While this scenario might seem unlikely it is, in fact, a reality but instead of leaving signs at houses the police are leaving them on cars. Police in Conyers Georgia are patrolling parking lots looking for vehicles with packages that are visible from the outside. When they find packages that are easily seen they leave a bright yellow colored 8.5 x 11 sign on the car window. Not only are the police informing the car’s owner that their vehicle is a potential target but they are informing any would be thieves that the car has items in it that they might just be interested in.
This is one of those things that seems like a good idea but has unintended consequences. It is a good idea to let people know they have left themselves vulnerable but it is pretty stupid to also let everyone in the general area know it as well. Placing the signs on the cars makes it easier for thieves who do not have to waste time scoping out cars for the ones with booty in them. The police have done it for them.
Perhaps it would be better if the police officers patrolled the parking lots looking for people breaking into cars rather than looking for cars that have items in the open.
Source:
Rockdale Citizen
Others with similar posts:
The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Allie is Wired, Faultline USA, Right Truth, Adam’s Blog, Shadowscope, Pirate’s Cove, Celebrity Smack, The Pink Flamingo, and Conservative Cat, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
Tags: criminals, holiday presents, police, signs
Scientists not Warming to Global Warming
Dec 11, 2007 General
I have written a number of times about the many scientists in the world who do not agree with the idea of man-made global warming. These scientists are ignored and abused by the GW community in order to minimize their message, a message that says; “We do not agree with the conclusions presented by the UN and its scientists.” These scientists also believe that the reason for all the attention to GW is for people to get rich from it. This is not surprising since AL Gore is getting wealthier by the day while touting GW and selling carbon offsets. Interestingly, those attending the meeting in Bali generated more carbon that 20,000 cars in a year. I have been taken to task in the past by people who say there are not as many scientists against GW as there are for it. this, of course, is hogwash. The same people will tell me that the only scientists who disagree are paid by Exxon or some other petroleum company. I have maintained that many scientists who once believed in GW have changed their opinions after doing real research and that many of those who believe in GW are actually the ones being paid to do so. It would appear that a few scientists agree with me:
“Most of the people here have jobs that are very well paid and they depend on the idea that carbon emissions cause global warming. They are not going to be very receptive to the idea that well actually the science has gone off in a different direction,” Evans explained. EPW.Senate
The article is full of scientists who do not agree with the GW crowd and have presented scientific evidence to refute the GW community. Unfortunately, these scientists are ignored or castigated because they refuse to jump on the bandwagon and follow the Pied Piper into the abyss.
Take the time to read the linked article and read the references linked in it. I might be a denier in the eyes of the less informed but at least I am in good company.
Tags: al gore, bali, global warming
Colorado Guard Could Have Been Any Citizen
Dec 10, 2007 Political
Columbine, Virginia Tech, the mall in Omaha, and a church in Colorado all have one thing in common. They were all places where a gunman (or gunmen) opened fire on innocent people. In several of the incidents a large number of people were murdered because they did not have protection. They were not able to exercise their 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms and they died because of it. The irony is that several of these places are in states that allow people to carry but the murders took place in no-carry zones. It would seem that the murderers selected the targets for this reason, no resistance.
Things were slightly different at the church in Colorado Springs in that there was an armed security guard there and she pulled out her weapon, identified herself and then took out the shooter when he failed to listen. This demonstrates what could have happened in each of the other shootings if only one person had been able to exercise his Constitutional right. The only thing that is irritating is that the only person at the church allowed to have a gun was a guard. If that guard had not been there the death toll would have been higher.
I listened to a radio program the other day and I heard them talking about the mall shooting and one person suggested that they have metal detectors at the malls. That will go over like a pregnant pole vaulter. Another person called in and suggested that if people had the right to carry arms this would not have been that bad and immediately the host said well we can’t have people carrying guns. Imagine the mess if there is a sale item that runs out, Black Friday would really be black.
This is an assumption based in little reality. Nearly 40 states have open carry laws. When was the last time you read about someone getting shot because of a sale frenzy or Christmas shopping frustration? Never, because responsible gun owners don’t go around shooting people. Then the host said imagine if two gangs got ticked off in the store. Hello! Gang members get their guns illegally and carry them regardless of the law. If they want to have a shootout they will not decide against it based upon a no-carry law.
The fact is, in places like Texas and Florida, where people may openly carry, there are fewer crimes and people with carry permits are not causing them. I think one person out of 350,000 permit holders in Florida broke the law. The balance obey the law and carry their guns responsibly.
Imagine how history might look at the above incidents given different circumstances. In Columbine it might have been reported that, after hearing gunshots, a teacher pulled out his pistol and shot the criminals before they went around shooting people like fish in a barrel. Imagine the headlines at VT if one person who had a permit had been allowed to carry his weapon on campus. Police today said that two students were killed before Joe Smuckatelli, a part time student at VT, pulled his pistol and killed a deranged student who went on a shooting spree. In Omaha the news might have been very different if only one person in that mall had a weapon and could have used it against the nut job kid who went on a killing spree.
The Colorado Springs incident shows how quickly people’s lives can be saved if an armed person is able to confront an assailant. Interestingly, there are many cases where armed citizens actually stop crimes without firing a shot. The act of brandishing a weapon is often enough to stop a criminal in the act. These hardly get reported because they do not fit the gun grabbing agenda of the MSM. Even though it is painfully clear, as demonstrated in the Colorado shooting, that armed citizens save lives, politicians will still refuse to allow us our God given right to keep and bear arms.
And while they do, the murder rate will continue to rise, but only in places with strict gun control.
Source:
7 News Denver
Tags: colorado springs, columbine, criminals, gun control, omaha, Second Amendment, virginia tech