Saturday, May 31, 2008

Pain and Passage: A Belated Tribute


A note from Radarsite: As many of you probably know by now, the original Radarsite pictured in our header was located on a mountaintop in Newfoundland approximately 15 miles NW of the town of Stephenville. Earlier today, while going through my files, I came across this little article from a Stephenville newspaper, dated September 17, 2002, the week of the one year anniversary of that tragic day.

So much has happened since that first anniversary. So much has changed. Our world has been almost torn apart, not just by the tragic events of that fateful day, but by America's increasingly controversial response to it.

Like Canada, many countries who had sincerely felt our pain and, at least at first, showed support for our decisions soon started to waver in the winds of internal political instabilities and began to have second thoughts. What had initially been simple and uncomplicated empathy for a friend or neighbor in their time of need, soon became subsumed into that greater contest between left and right, between an invigorated New Left and the energetic New Right Neo-cons. A whole new generation of doves and hawks emerged. Nations split between these two irreconcilable extremes were slowly being torn asunder. That traditionally respectable middle ground of compromise and accommodation began steadily shrinking, until it became all but hypothetical.

No longer were the issues clear and unequivocal. The "fog had set in". The fog of confusion, uncertainty and self-doubt. Maybe the United States hadn't been just an innocent victim -- Maybe the US and its foreign policies had actually precipitated these horrific events -- Maybe the hijackers had a point -- Maybe -- The fog had set in.

There is certainly no need to reiterate here all of the problems that we face in this world today. We are all well aware of the bitter and contentious environment in which we now live. We need not be reminded of it again.

But perhaps we should be reminded of that very first anniversary, that time when we in America could still feel the warmth of friendship and support from our allies and our neighbors, before the ideologues and the religious fanatics and the cynical political manipulators got into the picture. Before the New Left, after the ignoble and unexpectedly swift demise of its Soviet dream, saw in this developing drama a new opportunity to reassert itself on the world's stage, and the New Right saw its chance to save the world. Before all of this, when it was just people helping people.

This article touched me so deeply. Not just because of this wonderful display of humanity at its best. Not just because of all of those little kindnesses showed by strangers to strangers. Not just because America was perhaps more respected and more loved back then, but because so much of this simple humanity is gone now. Long gone. Lost in the roaring maelstrom of political strife.

But a part of me has not yet given up hope. A part of me believes that that wonderful part of us is still there, even if it's presently buried under this bitterness and rancor, it is still somehow there. It survives. And a part of me believes that those simple words of hope and promise with which this story ends are not merely empty vessels carrying unfulfilled dreams, but that "the elements of honour, kindness and courage have brought us through and will continue to sustain us". - rg



Newfoundland College touched deeply by Sept. 11 events


Reprinted, with permission, from The Georgian, September 17, 2002
http://www.town.stephenville.nf.ca/sept17.html

By TANYA ALEXANDER, Special to the Georgian

Along with the rising sun, early morning September 11, 2001 brought news of the most heinous terrorist attack in North American history to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. With it descended a heavy fog of helplessness.

The usual 9 a.m. bustle at Bay St. George campus/Headquarters of College of the North Atlantic slowed to a crawl as people trickled in around the lobby television in disbelief.

They were watching the aftermath of what was then thought to be a bizarre air traffic accident involving a commercial jet and one tower of New York's World Trade Centre, when a second commercial jet appeared from nowhere and slammed into the second tower. As the world watched through live telecast, one tower collapsed, one was ablaze, and the horrendous had turned into the utterly incomprehensible.

Little did students and employees of CNA know at that moment that they would become a beacon of light in the darkest of hours.

Cyril Organ, Associate District Administrator at Building 432 of the Bay St. George campus, was at work and was paralyzed in horror along with the crowd gathering in the lobby. Then he received a telephone call informing him that up to 27 planes would be landing at Stephenville Airport en route from Europe and other countries to US destinations. He quickly sprung into action to ready the college to host the passengers, and the feeling of helplessness began to dissipate.

Organ first cancelled afternoon classes then called a staff meeting to determine team leaders who would arrange for the necessary food and accommodations for the unexpected guests. Next, students were called to the dining hall where the situation was explained and their input was encouraged.

Students rose to the occasion. Those from Tourism Studies created an information booth, Cooking and Baking students began preparing quality food, Music Industry and Performance and Recording Arts students prepared to perform in and outside the two campus buildings where passengers would be gathered, and many students living in residence offered to give up their rooms.

When the eighth and final plane touched down in Stephenville on September 11, the town of 8,000 rallied to provide food, lodgings and comfort for 1,113 people. After hotels were filled, they turned to institutions in the area including College of the North Atlantic. Some were also bussed into Corner Brook.

Wade Pinhorn is the Coordinating Instructor for the Music Industry and Performance program at the L.A. Bown Building of the Bay St. George campus. He was in class when he was informed of the situation. The response was immediate.

"We were informed by the Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) that flights were on the way," he says.

"EMO started things rolling with blankets, pillows and other supplies, then the college kicked into high gear."

Pinhorn says that lodging, email, and Internet access were some of the intervention offered by the college, along with food, beverages, shower facilities and as many cots as they could fit in the L.A. Bown auditorium. Ensuring that the impromptu visitors were well cared for eased the feelings of helplessness.

"The college had facilities available, and we all felt like we should do something to help. It was partly self-serving, in that we wanted to make ourselves useful, but mostly it was just instinctual."

Back at Building 432, Elvina Robson had begun her shift in the dining hall. She and her co-workers received news from Cyril Organ about the turn of events later that day. The first thing she did was call her children to see if they were okay.
"They are teenagers, and didn't really show much interest in the news at first. It wasn't phasing on them. They just said, "yeah Mom, we're fine," she laughs.
"I just didn't know for sure. You don't expect something like this to happen so close to home."

Once she knew her children were safe, the second thing Elvina did was offer her services to College of the North Atlantic for as long as she was needed. By this time, several planes had landed, so the kitchen staff began preparations. However, aircraft remained on the runway until the next day before passengers were allowed to disembark. By this time, everyone at the college was ready and waiting. Elvina and her co-workers had been working through the night to prepare what they thought would be enough food for an undetermined number of people.

When they arrived, Elvina says her heart went out to each and every one of them.
"You saw a lot of really frightened people, and most of them didn't know where in the world they were - literally!"

Many passengers were from Mexico and Great Britain, says Elvina, and had never even heard of the province, let alone known where it was on the map.
"Once they knew they were in a safe place, they relaxed a little."

In fact, the college became like another home. Parents looked to kitchen and other college staff for things like help with making baby formula, and sitting with the small children while they ate.

There was a language barrier, says Elvina, but they worked through it. She says the kitchen staff is accustomed to an occasional contingent of international visitors, and were able and willing to accommodate vegetarian and kosher meals, and the cultural differences, even in English.

"We have fries listed in our menu, but we know that in England they say chips. Even those from Mexico who didn't speak English would recognize the word chips, so that's what we used."

By the time Elvina looked up, she had spent over 24 hours at work. That's when Cyril Organ insisted she go home.

"I had gone home, gotten cleaned up and rested a little, and when I returned Elvina was still there. Now that's dedication," says Organ.

"In fact, I would say the highlight of those four days was the exceptional service in the dining hall. If any one moment was evidence of what we had to offer, it was found there."

He says faculty and support staff were equally dedicated, along with students.
"Everybody did the right thing for the right reasons. Enough said."

Another beacon

It happened that some of the flights expected in Stephenville were routed to other areas. The Gander campus of College of the North Atlantic received a call that morning from college President Pamela Walsh, putting the campus on alert to assist in the crisis.

Mac Moss, Associate District Administrator for the Gander campus, helped with organizing teams to provide basic services like food and water, accommodations, telephone and Internet services, and luggage storage.

Later that evening, the local Emergency Response Centre advised Moss that of the 38 aircraft lined up on the tarmac, the campus would be receiving 234 passengers from an Air France 747 aircraft. Within the hour, instructors, support staff, and the cafeteria food service operator, Western Catering, were ready to roll.

A Commercial Cooking program had started a few days before, and Coordinating Instructor Barry Steele and Instructional Assistant Elizabeth Moss offered their services to get things ready for the passengers. They headed straight out to grocery stores to gather food.

"By the time the passengers arrived at 9:30 p.m., our cafeteria, which is normally equipped for 150 students, was equipped to handle the 234 Air France passengers," says Elizabeth.

"The first night we could only make quick things, but a couple of days into it, we were preparing very nice meals."

She says that when they revealed a full course meal including stuffed chicken breast - something akin to what you would see catered at a wedding - the guests were amazed.

"Some were on their way home to New York after a holiday in Paris, and said that they had not eaten as well there as they did here! They really appreciated the efforts we made."

Other things were appreciated as well, says Elizabeth.
"Our staff arrived ready for the long haul with overnight bags, and some stayed for up to 30 hours at a stretch."

There was someone on all shifts, including security for the luggage room, because many passengers were lugging all of there possessions everywhere they went.
"We tried to make them feel at home and offered to look after their luggage so they could move around freely. At first they didn't understand that in Newfoundland, it's so safe, you don't even lock your doors."

In retrospect, Elizabeth says she is very happy to have helped these people in need, and she would do it again without hesitation.

"I think everybody gained from it. It makes you stop and think… the world is not as secure as we thought it was," she says.

"You have to put yourself in their shoes - dropped down in the middle of nowhere with very scanty information. It could have been any of us."


Mac Moss says the success of those few days was due to a community effort. Local businesses donated toiletry items to the Salvation Army, which prepared basic survival kits for the thousands of passengers, including those at the college.
On the morning of September 14, Gander campus had just said goodbye to the Air France group and were putting the campus back in order to resume classes when they received another call.

"Passengers from a Lufthansa flight were staying at a church camp where the wells ran dry. We immediately recalled our staff and by the time the passengers arrived at 4:20 p.m., we were set up again to provide basic services."
The flight was called for departure later that evening and by 10 p.m. they were on their way back to Germany.

Unexpected Gifts




While passengers were at Gander campus, they took up a collection and donated approximately $3,500 toward a scholarship fund. Since last September, a total of approximately $16,000 has arrived at the Gander campus from these passengers, along with a plaque of appreciation.





In May of 2002, Mac Moss was part of a delegation from Gander and Halifax that was flown to Frankfurt, Germany to witness the christening of a new aircraft in honour of the two towns. Frankfurt Mayor Petra Roth was one of the passengers stranded in Gander, and personally met with the delegation in Germany and treated them to an honorary dinner at City Hall.

ABC's Prime Time came to Gander last year and filmed a documentary on the event, and returned again in July when two women who had been stranded in Gander on September 11 returned to the college to visit the volunteers who assisted them. Some of the footage will be aired during a day-long special hosted by Peter Jennings on the anniversary of the tragedy.

The campus has also been approached by CBC, CTV and NBC for interviews in connection with 9/11 which will be aired on the anniversary.

Pain and passage

As the one year anniversary arrives, the world's thoughts undoubtedly drift back to the events that changed a nation. Ruth and Ronald Hardey have reason to reflect. They were two of the many thousands who were stranded in Newfoundland and Labrador on September 11. They were on their way home to New Orleans, Louisiana from a vacation in Europe. The couple had no idea why their plane was being rerouted, and they say they weren't extremely worried at first.

"We had no idea what had occurred," says Ruth.

"As time went on, and we were kept in the plane, I decided to get some sleep. Then we found out we were going to be guests of College of the North Atlantic."
At that point, they had been grounded for many hours, and were apprehensive, anxious and fatigued, all further exacerbated by a body search.
"We didn't know why we were being searched," says Hardey.
"It didn't really bother me, but I was perplexed."
Once settled in to Building 432 of the Bay St. George campus (students had kindly given them a room), they were well taken care of.

"It was a remarkable kind of experience. We were given our own room and access to telephones and Internet so we could contact our loved ones, we were entertained and we were fed," says Hardey.

"We were fed very well. In fact - and we laughed at ourselves about this - we ate constantly. When we were worried, we ate. When we were bored, we ate. When in doubt as to what to do, we ate," she laughs.

When they finally departed Stephenville, it was with mixed emotions - they were so moved by the warm and genuine care they received at the college, but were anxious to return home at last. When they touched down in the US, they were pleasantly surprised by the welcome.

"When the plane touched down in Atlanta, we noticed a large crowd gathered outside waving American flags and "Welcome Home" banners," says Ruth.
She says that from the moment they left the plane until they reached the luggage carrousel, they were hugged and welcomed by these strangers.
"We were stunned once we realized they were there for us. Then someone thrust a small flag in my hand, and I just sobbed."

It's been a challenging year, says Ruth. One filled with sorrow for those who lost their lives, a fierce patriotism for their beloved country, and a gratitude unending for the little remote province that kept them safe from harm.

"There's not a day goes by, where we don't speak of you all. We've told countless people of your generosity," says Ruth.
And it goes beyond that, she says.
"There was a touching of human beings that transcended boundaries, politics… everything. It was human and humane what you people did, and we'll never forget you."

As we look back on what happened on September 11th , 2001 in New York, USA, we remember it as a tragedy, and a crime against all human kind. But the elements of honour, kindness and courage have brought us through and will continue to sustain us.

The fog has lifted. [Not yet.. but someday perhaps...]
Thank you Newfoundland.

Friday, May 30, 2008

A Message to my Readers


Perhaps this would be a good time to reiterate Radarsite's primary mission.

Radarsite is a conservative pro-American, pro-Western, pro-Israel, pro-military website. Radarsite was developed as an attempt to counter the self-loathing, self-destructive leftist anti-Americanism rampant in today's Western culture. Our skewed MSM is overflowing with it. To be considered knowledgeable in today's ungrateful topsy-turvy world one must be loudly and proudly anti-American. Patriotism is now to be considered some lower form of life, a weakness demonstrating a lack of intellectual capacity or historical awareness. In this current environment it takes more courage to be patriotic than to be a dissenter. In fact, if one is unabashedly patriotic, one automatically becomes a dissenter.

America and the democratic West are presently at war-- and not just in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Western world is in the midst of great cultural upheavals, virtual civil wars that will ultimately determine the nature of our civilizations for decades to come. Our traditional democratic Judeo/Christian values are arguably in more peril at this particular moment in history than ever before. We are even more imperiled because half of our Western societies refuse to acknowledge this imminent peril and hide under a blanket of lies and euphemisms.

Daily we are besieged by enemies from both without and within. We are battling against ruthless fanatics who seek to dominate or destroy us, and against delusional multiculturalists who would gladly give our great societies away. We are fighting against terrorists, collaborationists, propagandists, appeasers, apologists and deniers. Our enemies have innumerable resources at their disposal and innumerable venues from which to expound their negativities. They find themselves warmly welcomed at our most prestigious universities, in the hallowed halls of Congress, and at trendy Beverly Hills cocktail parties.

But not here.

Here we still believe in the American dream. Here we fight back against those who would destroy that dream. Many of our readers are veterans, all are patriots. We do not come together here to debate the merits of America, but to protect her. We have studied the issues and have worked hard to understand just what is at risk. Our opinions are not borrowed, but are the results of our studies. We defend our opinions only so long as we believe them to be true. The moment we begin to doubt them, we will abandon them.

I am so immensely proud of our readership. I believe we have accumulated some of the most intelligent, knowledgeable and most honest writers and thinkers on the web. We believe in America and we believe in each other. And we will not give in to negativity and despair, no matter how popular it becomes.



I humbly thank you all for your loyal encouragement and support. - rg

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Are We Sending a Message to the World, or Electing a President?

Endorsed by Fox News at GOP Hub



"...the fact that he is a candidate for the presidency makes me extremely proud to be an American. When I travel abroad, no one can criticize the US for being racist, as in any other country, no such candidacy would be possible."

Recent Radarsite comment


We do not elect a President of the United States to send a message, or to make a point, or to prove to the world that we are not racists. We elect a president to preside. To steer this great vulnerable country through these perilous waters.

There are many among us who have unwittingly bought into the false premise that all of the existential threats we face in this turbulent world are of our own making. These problems are not evidence of our real enemies evil intentions, but rather the results of our own inherent racism and prejudice. And they will proudly cast their vote for Barack Hussein Obama merely to prove to themselves and to the world that they are not racists.

Does it matter that Barack Hussein Obama is at least partially black? Yes, tremendously. Not to us, but to Barack Hussein Obama. It is the very essence of his being, the banner of his Crusade. Without the 'race issue', Barack Obama would be just another politician. It is his focus and his justification. And, if we are not careful it will become ours.



The above excerpt is from an earlier Radarsite article; but somehow I fear this message is still not getting through. I fear that many among us will still go to the polls this November more concerned for the world's approval than for our own survival; using their precious ballots to make a statement on behalf of universal understanding and tolerance.

My friends, we do not owe this world any explanations or apologies for our treatment of our citizens. Half the world would sell their bodies and their souls to come here. We have to build great walls and fences to try to keep them out.

The United States of America is the closest thing this world has ever known to a true meritocracy. In America, more than in any other country on this planet, merit trumps race and gender and social background. I should think that the two major Democratic presidential contestants have more than adequately proven this point.

The only thing America owes this world is to continue being America; to continue being the symbol of hope and justice which she most surely is. - rg

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Blips on the Screen 29 May 08

Endorsed by Fox News at GOPHub



(Slightly Off Topic)





Sitemeter Stories





Romanian Mystery Solved



I don't know about you, but there are innumerable unanswered questions in my mind about this Mysterious Machine on which I spend the greater part of my life these days. Sometimes it seems to have a mind -- and a will -- all it's own. Things happen suddenly for no apparent reason. Sometimes things work, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes -- unfortunately very rarely -- I actually fix something and it works. Other times, no matter what I do, I just have to learn to live with whatever it is that isn't working the way it's supposed to.


Our relationship is I would say tenuous at best. I hold a somewhat grudging respect for it's seemingly independent spirit. My Mysterious Machine has caused me all kinds of headaches, but then again, it has also provided me with some of the most wonderful experiences and surprises.


One of my daily routines has now become browsing through my Sitemeter (or my Stat Counter) every day to check out my stats and to see what interesting people have been on Radarsite, and why they decided to visit. I have uncovered all sorts of interesting visitors this way. Sometimes I can discover why they chose to come here; but many times their true identities and their private motivations remain an unsolved mystery.


A short time ago I had a visitor from -- of all places -- Romania come onto Radarsite to read a specific article of mine. Now, this was a small article called "My Haunted TV" which I had written quite some time ago, in commemoration of September 11, 2001.


Why on earth would someone from Romania be coming onto Radarsite specifically to read that particular article, at this particular time (which, incidently, was not September), written so long ago? How in the world did they even find out about it? And, of course, coming from a somewhat obscure, former Soviet Eastern Bloc country, like Romania, added a particular element of mystery to it all.


Now, in most of these cases I never get anywhere, I'm just left to speculate about the who and the why and so on. But this time I figured it all out. And if you read our Romanian visitor's Google search you can figure it out too. Mystery solved.


The only mystery that remains is what our poor Romanian sportsman thought about when he arrived here.

0
Oradea Bihor Romania
79-113-34-172.rdsnet.ro (79.113.34.172) [Label IP Address]
radarsite.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-haunted-tv.html
radarsite.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-haunted-tv.html
www.google.hu/search?hl=hu&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=fishing %26 haunting tv&spell=1



Have a nice day -- rg

Blips on the Screen: 28 May 08



















Update: Agriprocessors announces new CEO


Hat tip to Findalis:
http://findalismonkeyinthemiddle.blogspot.com/


From the Jerusalem Post
http://www.jpost.com/

Two weeks after federal agents arrested close to 400 workers at the largest Kosher slaughterhouse in the United States, the family run business is seeking to replace its CEO.

Aaron Rubashkin, the founder of Agriprocessors, announced Friday, that he intends to replace his son Sholom as company CEO.

"The best course of action for the company, its employees, the local community and our customers is to bring new leadership to Agriprocessors," Aaron said in a statement.

The Chabad-Lubavitcher who founded the company in 1987, said "The company has begun the search for a new permanent chief executive officer. We have engaged a team of industry experts to help us identify and secure a new leader who can help us meet the needs of Agriprocessors today and in the future. We will make more information on the search process available by the end of next week."

The company would not respond to specific allegations which include underpaying workers, employee abuse and sexual harassment, due to "pending legal issues."
The company 's announcement comes in the wake of growing pressure from Jewish groups and threats of possible boycotts. The Jewish Labor Committee issued a statement last week calling for a boycott of Agriprocessors and the Conservative Movement cautioned people to evaluate for themselves whether it is "appropriate" to purchase Rubashkin meat products.

At the same time, Uri L'tzedek, a project begun by students at the liberal Orthodox Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in Manhattan, began circulating a petition asking Agriprocessors to pay its workers at least the federal minimum wage, and comply with workers' rights provisions. The petition also calls for the company to establish a department and staff to report to a third party that would deal with these concerns.
"Until these changes are made, we feel compelled to refrain from purchasing or consuming meat produced by your company, and will pressure every establishment with which we do business to cease purchase of your meat," the petition reads. "Effective June 15, 2008 we will stop patronizing any restaurant that sells your meat." Early this week, over 450 people had signed the petition.

But criticism of the company has been largely limited to non-Orthodox and liberal Jewish voices, which do not make up the core of kosher food consumers. Menachem Lubinsky, head of Lubicom, the kosher food industry's trade and marketing group who also consults for the Rubashkins, welcomed the announcement, but said he doesn't think pressure from these groups accounts for the company's recent announcement to replace its CEO.

Read the rest here:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1211872840140&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Original Radarsite article:
http://radarsite.blogspot.com/2008/05/from-other-sites-on-line-19-may-08.html

Lionheart: An Important Update - 28 May 08


The British State’s leash around my neck

From Lionheart
28 May 2008

An update on my situation with regards to my arrest on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred through written material on my blog.

I was arrested, and placed in a police cell for hours, then questioned over the police investigation into me and my blog several months back.

I was bailed without charge to attend the police station yesterday to answer bail to see whether or not I am going to be charged with the offence and put before a British Court, or whether they did not really have enough on me for this case against me to be in the public interest to be brought before a British Court and then released without charge.

Due to the charge, the case load has to go to the CPS and then to the Department of Public Prosecutions for them to decide whether or not to place me on trial.

I was re-bailed again yesterday to appear at the police station once again in two months time to see whether or not they are closer to making a decision on me and my case.

The police had the information on me since June last year, and then 6 months later over Christmas I get the call saying that they needed to arrest me over my blog. Then 3 months later I return and hand myself in for arrest and interview. So 9 months up until my arrest, and now a further 3 months to answer my first bail and they still have not decided whether or not they are going to charge me with anything, so I now have to wait a further 2 months to see whether or not to prosecute me is going to be in the public interest.

12 months and they have not decided on me.

My legal team have stated that they could have me on bail for anything up to a year, but if they have not got enough to charge me yet, then what is going to change in another 2 months or in a year?

I think I have been pretty consistent with my message on this blog over the past 18 months, so I cannot see that changing.

This is the British State’s leash around my neck.

I wonder who wants to pull that leash or who wants to set me free from it?

All I can say now is that I have to continue waiting while big brother decides whether or not I have upset ‘community cohesion’ enough in today’s British Nanny State to warrant placing me on trial for defending myself and my country from the 21st Century invasion of Great Britain.

Those people who prevent the British people from speaking out in defence of their Country and all that is happening in this generation are TRAITORS to the British people, there is no other word for it.

The Military wing of Islam is at War with us and we cannot even speak about it through fear of arrest and imprisonment.

The British State is allowing Islam to spread unhindered within our Nation, and passing laws to protect its growth within our society, and in turn tying the British peoples hands behind their backs whilst they face this Goliath that is seeking to destroy their way of life and enforce an Islamic one in its place.

I serve the same God as David the shepherd boy.

Put me on trial and if convicted send me to one of your over crowded prison’s for my words, or release me so that I can get on with my life, it is not a hard choice to make is it?

Either I am guilty in the eyes of those looking or I am innocent, and considering I have not been stripped of my right to use a computer or my blog being shut down, it cannot really be that serious a matter for it to be in the Public interest to take me through a lengthy and very costly Court case can it? But then again people are being hauled before the Courts over leaving their bin lid an inch higher than they are told they can, or for throwing apple cores to the Earth, so who knows what will happen in today's schizophrenic British society.

I hope they are not Moslem eyes looking, because we are all guilty in their eyes, and considering Islam has infiltrated every area of British life I would not put it past those within the halls of power to be conferring with God’s enemies who are now entrenched within the fabric of our Judeo/Christian Nation.

I know my life is safe in God’s hands though, He is watching my back in those areas I cannot see, because He sees all things and I am His son.

In service of the King – Jesus – The Lion of the tribe of Judah.

A note from Radarsite: How many times have we discussed this bizarre upside-down world of PC Liberalism? How many reports have we read from Europe and Britain detailing the latest absurdities of these multiculturalist governments? There seems to be no end in sight, no limit to this governmental lunacy, this idiotic ideology gone wild.
But, in the final analysis, we, my friends, are merely reading about it, or perhaps writing about it. And although our outrage is sincere enough, we are, for now at least, removed from the actual horrors of this Kafkan nightmare. But some people aren't so lucky.

Our friend and fellow blogger Lionheart is living this bad dream, this social catastrophe called PCism. For him, it's not some hypothetical ideology to be debated over a couple of beers in your friendly tavern. It's a matter of personal freedom or actual incarceration. He wakes every morning to the persistent specter of this all-too-real threat. His very life has been put into the cold hands of these delusional PC bureaucrats. He can only helplessly await their decision -- their endlessly deferred decision: Will he walk away a free man, or will he actually be sent to jail.

Sent to jail.

This is the awful reality of PC craziness. This is what the real fight is all about.

This is not some kind of conservative propaganda ploy. This is really happening in the world we once knew so well, and once felt so comfortable in. Britain is losing it's battle to keep it's Britishness and is fast becoming all but unrecognizable. It has been -- and is still being -- invaded by a violent and brutish race of barbarians -- if you doubt for one moment that they are all of this just read why Lionheart was finally forced to fight back against these Muslim thugs, these Pakistani drug gangs, who have taken over his hometown of Luton and threatened his life. These hoodlums, these lowlife street punks are now being protected by British law because they are Muslims.

Because they are Muslims.

And Lionheart, having committed the unforgivable sin of exposing this sham, must now pay the penalty. He has spoken the truth about Islam. And in England these days one does not speak the truth about Islam. To speak the truth about Islam in their crazy PC-skewered reality is to commit a Hate Crime. And Hate Crimes are punishable by law.

My friends, think for a minute -- the next time we read about this travesty of justice called PCism, the next time we sit down to write about it, think about our friend and colleague Lionheart and remember what you are doing. Remember that we are discussing a reality here, not just some academic theory, but a horrible reality that is slowly eating away at the fabric of our beautiful Western Civilization, and in the process, all but crushing the life out of one of our last honest men.

Remember Lionheart. What happens to Lionheart happens to us all. - rg

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

The Fouse Report: May 27, 2008

Recommended by CNN.com







The Fouse Report



Ward Churchill, former professor at University of Colorado, who called victims of 9-11 "Little Eichmanns".

What is Wrong on our University Campuses?
by Gary Fouse
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2007/07/what-is-wrong-on-our-university.html



A note from Radarsite: We have all read articles about the virtual leftist takeover of our American colleges and universities. But how many of these articles have been written by insiders? By faculty members? Especially by faculty members from notoriously leftist campuses like UC Irvine? Radarsite is privileged to have such a writer willing to share their acute observations with us. And we also have a chance to learn a little more about Gary Fouse and his remarkable life. - rg

In the interest of full disclosure, I am presently a part-time teacher of English as a Second Language at a major California university. (UC Irvine). I must admit that I enjoy working at UCI. After a first career of working for DEA, this new life is pretty relaxing. The students are congenial (coming from mostly Asian countries, where teachers are respected) and my colleagues are likewise. Some even share my conservative world view. However, one always has to consider what university department is involved. ESL teachers tend to be people who have traveled, lived in other countries, learned other languages, and , in many cases, have married foreign-born spouses. So they tend to spread out along the ideological spectrum. Likewise, teachers in the physical sciences and economics also tend to be more ideologically varied.

It is in the humanities that you find an overwhelming presence of not just liberals, but far-out lefties who don't much care for their country. Unfortunately, these characters make the most noise, and thus, bring a lot of bad publicity to their schools. Add that to administrators who either sympathize with radical professors or are afraid to confront them, and you have a pretty sorry state of affairs on our campuses.So where do I start? How about Ward Churchhill, of the University of Colorado? He's the guy who called the victims of 9-11 "little Eichmann's". How about the character who teaches at the University of Wisconsin who swears that the Bush Administration conducted 9-11? What about Duke, where the university, urged on by a letter signed by 88 professors, expelled the three Lacrosse players (who were later exonerated.)

Then there is San Francisco State, where military recruiters were driven off campus by a mob of students, just part of a long tradition of student unrest at that "institution". Let's don't forget Harvard, the "most prestigious university in America", where the president, Larry Summers, was driven to resignation by his own faculty after he had the temerity to question whether women were as adapt at science as men. (Oh the outrage!) At my own school, UCI, each quarter is marred by anti-Israel events sponsored by the Muslim Student Union, a group that has a regular team of radical Muslim imam speakers who spout hatred not only for Israel, but America and Jews in general.

Numerous other campuses, such as UCLA, also have activists Muslim Student Unions that warrant the attention of the FBI. Meanwhile, other universities, Like the University of Michigan at Dearborn, are busy installing foot baths for Muslim students.In addition, while radical left speakers appear and speak freely on campuses across the nation, conservative speakers are met with protests, disruption and sometimes violence.

Examples? How about former Justice Department official, John Yoo, when he spoke at UC Irvine a couple of years ago? Ditto for pro-Israel Middle East expert, Daniel Pipes at UCI a few months back. How about Ann Coulter, who had pies thrown at her at one university in Arizona? When President Bush was invited to speak recently at St Vincent's College in Latrobe, students and professors alike cried like spoiled children. In the free marketplace of ideas, pay attention to those who want to silence the other side. That will tell you much about who is right and who is wrong.I could go on for the next 100 pages with anecdotal examples of far-left, anti-American activity going on at American universities, but you read these stories every day just like me.

The question is why? How did you get to this point? I guess one reason is that many of these professors were university students during my generation-the good old 60s. Many of them never left that sad decade. Another reason could be that moderates and conservatives tend to get their bachelor's degrees and go out into the world to make a living and get some real life experience. They tend to become even more conservative during life.

Meanwhile, what happens to the student who goes from a BS degree to a masters degree to a PHD and then enters teaching? By the time they have gotten their doctorate, they have been educated out of the last shred of common sense they were born with. They are still stuck in that cocoon of liberal university propaganda. They then take all that "learning" into their classroom and regurgitate the same stuff that they learned. However, where is their life experience, other than maybe getting married and having kids?

In my own case, after getting my BS in 1970 (interrupted by a 3 year stint in the Army), I went into federal law enforcement, first with Customs, then DEA. That job took me all over the world, including assignments in Thailand and Italy for a total of 8 years. In my final assignment at the Office of Training at Quantico, Virginia, I took advantage of a program run by the University of Virginia, where I was able to get a master's degree in Education, paid for by the government. This enabled me to qualify as an ESL teacher at the college level, further enabling me to retire at 50. I mention this only because I think that it allowed me to bring life experience to the classroom.

That does not mean however, that I was about to walk into a classroom and indoctrinate my students with my conservative philosophy. I think it is wrong. My job is to help young students improve their English, not to teach them what they should think about the world. Unfortunately, most leftist professors feel it is their mission to turn out a new generation of leftists. Not content to preach their doctrine in the classroom, many of them engage in protests against this or that outside the classroom, oblivious to any principle of free speech. Even more outrageously, many professors give poor grades to any student who strays from the professor's point of view.

Sadly, many young students, concerned about graduating, have succumbed, remaining silent in the classroom and turning in papers in agreement with the professor's philosophy.In contrast, my master's program was more of an example of adult education.

The coordinator, from the University of Virginia, was able to relate to us since we were made up of DEA, FBI and Marines. He knew he was dealing with adults who had life experience and were not liable to be liberal. Where the fun happened is when he brought up young teaching assistants from Charlottesville to give lectures. On one occasion, a young lady in her 20s made the off-hand comment in class that she didn't think it was unpatriotic to burn the American flag! We let her know in no uncertain terms how we felt about that remark. The lady was nearly in a state of shock when she left-and never returned.So what to do about this situation? Do we conservatives go to court or the Congress to demand a "fairness doctrine" for the universities?

Tempting, but I say no. What I think is necessary here is the light of day. We need to make sure the public is aware of what is happening in our universities (and secondary schools as well). We also need to send emails or letters to the heads of these institutions when these outrages occur. They need to know the public is watching. If your alma mater is guilty of far-left bias, refuse to send contributions when solicited-and let them know why. If you are going to foot the bill for your kid's tuition, make sure that he or she doesn't go to one of the offending schools.

(Unfortunately, that takes care of most state-run universities-you might have to look at a small private or faith-based school). Eventually, some of these schools will start paying attention to the bottom line.You also need to counsel your children that it is up to them to decide what they think about the world, that they will be subjected to this indoctrination, and that they should never accept at face value what a professor says in the classroom. There is a bumper sticker that liberals are fond of that reads: "Question Authority". Why not question professors as well?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/27/safrica.dorm/index.html?iref=werecommend

Lionheart: Reports From Across the Pond - May 27, 2008




British Muslims taking over control of prisons



http://lionheartuk.blogspot.com/2008/05/british-moslems-taking-over-control-of.html

27 May 2008
Info courtesy of dominique devaux.
From an original article by
Jamie Doward, home affairs editor
The Observer,


Prison officers at one of Britain's maximum security jails are losing control to Muslim gangs, according to a confidential report obtained by The Observer. An internal review of Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire warns that staff believe a 'serious incident is imminent' as several wings become dominated by Muslim prisoners.
The report, written by the Prison Service's Directorate of High Security, says there is an 'ongoing theme of fear and instability' among staff at Whitemoor, where just under a third of the 500 prisoners are Muslim.

It claims: 'There was much talk around the establishment about "the Muslims". Some staff perceived the situation at Whitemoor had resulted in Muslim prisoners becoming more of a gang than a religious group. The sheer numbers, coupled with a lack of awareness among staff, appeared to be engendering fear and handing control to the prisoners.' The situation has become so acute that white prisoners are routinely warned about the Muslim gangs by staff on arrival.

The report says that apprehension about Muslim prisoners has potentially damaging consequences and is in danger of 'leading to hostility and Islamophobia'. It serves to highlight the growing concern about extremist activity in the UK's jails. The Home Office is concerned that young male prisoners are being radicalised by Muslim gangs and that the prison system is becoming a recruiting ground for al-Qaeda sympathisers. Similar problems have been experienced at Belmarsh prison in London and Frankland in Durham. A number of high-profile al-Qaeda sympathisers at Frankland have been moved as a result of increased tensions within the jail.

Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said she was alarmed at the report's findings. 'The difficulties of running a high-security prison such as Whitemoor cannot be underestimated, but much of what this internal report uncovers is extremely disturbing,' she said. 'It is vital that the problems uncovered at Whitemoor are addressed as a matter of urgency.'

The report was commissioned partly as a response to the deaths of five prisoners at the jail within 12 months. Muslim prisoner support groups have also complained that Muslims are suffering harassment from staff. Recently a number of Whitemoor staff have been suspended on unrelated corruption charges.

The tense stand-off between staff and prisoners is causing problems, the report warns. 'Staff appeared reluctant to challenge inappropriate behaviour, in particular among BME [black and ethnic minority] prisoners for fear of doing the wrong thing,' the report states. 'This was leading to a general feeling of a lack of control and shifting the power dynamic towards prisoners.' It adds: 'A wing itself felt particularly unstable with a general lack of confidence among staff.'

The emergence of gang culture in Whitemoor has alarmed some prisoners. The team that compiled the report found that over the Christmas period the segregation unit was full as inmates sought refuge from the gangs over debt problems and drugs.
Henry Bellingham, the Conservatives' shadow justice minister, who has raised concerns about the running of Whitemoor in parliament, said he welcomed the report. 'However, I'm very concerned about some of the findings,' he added. 'They point to a systematic breakdown in the chain of command. It's in everyone's interests that these problems are sorted out soon. Whitemoor holds some of the most dangerous prisoners in the country.'

In recent months the Prison Service has unveiled a series of initiatives to combat extremism in the UK's jails through the supervision and monitoring of imams and better training for staff. 'It is vital that prison staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to ensure they have the confidence to identify and challenge behaviour that is of concern,' 'The prison will continue to work closely with the Prison Service's Extremism Unit and the police to monitor and assess issues around extremism, and work will be undertaken to examine the management of gangs and terrorist prisoners within the prison.'




A note from Radarsite: "A programme of work is planned at Whitemoor to increase mutual understanding between staff and prisoners, including a development day for staff on the Muslim faith, focus groups in which staff and ethnic minority prisoners will discuss prison community issues, and diversity events, " said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice.

THIS, my friends, is the British Government's PC response to the dangerously escalating violence at Whitemoor from Muslim gangs and terrorist prisoners -- focus groups and diversity events. And we wonder why al Qaeda is laughing at us. - rg

Sunday, May 25, 2008

From Other Sites on the Line: 26 May 08























Italian Resistance, Mosque Crackdown!!



Cross posted from Islam in Action
http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/





Sunday, May 25, 2008

When in Rome, do not ask for Mosque construction is the new slogan coming out of Italy these days. As I predicted a few years ago, the lawful backlash towards the Islamic push for world conquest has started in Europe. Once again, the Muslim man speaking in this article, shows the one way street that Islam is. He wants to get Islamic countries to pressure Italy to allow Mosque construction. Excuse me aren't these the same Islamic countries that persecute Christians, Jews and all other forms of religion across the world? It is always a one way street with the Islamic world. They deserve the same amount of respect as they give.
NONE!! Which is now what they are getting in Italy.


Sunday, 25 May 2008 12:30 Pakistan Daily
Italy's far-right, anti-immigrant Northern League party has started its mission in the new government with bringing down a mosque in the northern city of Verona.
"[The mosque destruction] reinforces Muslim fears of seeing the League in the ruling coalition," Ali Abu Shwaima, the head of Milan-based Islamic Centre, told.

Bulldozers brought down last week a building housing a Muslim prayer room in the city.

"I never felt at ease with this mosque," Elisonder Antonneli, the head of Verona city council, said.

"This place will be turned into a park and a car parking space and will be named after (Italian writer) Oriana Fallaci."

Fallaci, who died in 2006, was notorious for anti-Islam stances.

Following the 9/11 attacks, the far-right writer published a book entitled "Rage and Pride" in which she ridiculed the Noble Qur'an.

She has also authored another book "The Force of Reason" in which she warned that Europe was turning into "an Islamic province, an Islamic colony" and that "to believe that a good Islam and a bad Islam exist goes against all reason."

The Northern League has four ministers in Silovio Berlusconi's government, including the portfolio of the Interior.

The League grabbed 8 percent of the vote in last month's general elections, securing Berlusconi's right-wing coalition a comfortable majority in the parliament.

The party has nearly doubled its parliamentary strength from 4.5 percent two years ago.

The Northern League is widely accused of racism with many critics calling it the BNP of Italy, a reference to the British right-wing party.

Its election campaign played on issues such as immigration crime and economic and cultural fears from immigration.

Hard Time

Abu Shwaima, the Muslim leader, said Italian Muslims will face hard times under the far-right league.

"We believe the life of Italian Muslims will get more complicated," he said.

He said Muslims in the city of Verona used to find spiritual comfort at the razed mosque.

"The mosque destruction is sign of spiraling Islamophobia in many European countries," he said.

There are nearly 20,000 Muslims in Verona.

"I used to pray in the mosque for years," an Italian Muslim in Verona told IOL, requesting anonymity.

"But this Friday I went to the mosque for prayers but I could not as it was razed.

"We live in a state of anticipation and fear after the mosque was destroyed and we want Arab and Muslim governments to pile pressures on Italy to stop anti-immigrant and anti-Islam policies."

Abu Shwaima, the Muslim leader, has a similar message.

"We want to tell the Muslim world that mosques' construction in Italy is almost a mission impossible.

"Except for the Milan-based Islamic Center and the Rome mosque, there are no real mosques in Italy."

Last November, former Italian deputy Education Minister and League member Mariella Mazzetto angered Muslims after parading a pig on the site of a planned mosque in the northern city of Padua.

Two months earlier, League senator Roberto Calderoli called for a "Pig Day" protest against the mosque construction in the northern city of Bologna.

In 2006, protesters left a pig's head at a mosque building site in the central Italian city of Tuscany.

Italy has a Muslim population of some 1.2 million, including 20,000 reverts, according to unofficial estimates




A note from Radarsite: After continuously losing ground throughout Europe to the escalating assaults of these aggressive immigrant Muslims, the image of an Italian bulldozer levelling a mosque in Verona does wonders for my flagging optimism. Bravo Italia! I have about as much sympathy for the plight of these oppressive Muslims in Italy as I did for the defeated Nazis retreating from the approaching storm of Soviet revenge. The Muslims have exhibited an overbearing arrogance and intolerance towards the cultures who have kindly taken them in. They have shown nothing but contempt for all European customs that in any way conflict with the backward and violent precepts of their bloody cult. They represent everything that is reprehensible about intolerant chauvinistic fanaticism.

If Italy is finally finding the national will to fight back against these barbarous intruders and starting to reclaim their wonderful culture, then I, for one, welcome the bulldozers and applaud their destructive power.

Perhaps the mighty bulldozer could become the new symbol of the west's resolve to tear down the unwelcome encampments of the invaders and rescue the imperilled glories of our ancient and noble civilizations.



The world is watching you and admiring your new found courage. We support you and we pray for your victory. It is simply civilization versus barbarism -- and it was civilization, after all, who invented the bulldozer.

Gitmo's Shameful Revolving Door


Pentagon: Ex-detainees returning to fight


Cross posted from CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/05/07/gitmo.bomber/index.html


From Mike Mount

CNN Pentagon Producer



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Kuwaiti man released from U.S. custody at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in 2005 blew himself up in a suicide attack in Iraq last month, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.

Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi was one of two Kuwaitis who took part in a suicide attack in Mosul on April 26, the officials said. Records show that an attack in Mosul that day targeted an Iraqi police patrol and left six people dead, including two police officers.

An announcement on a jihadist Web site earlier this month declared that al-Ajmi was one of the "heroes" who carried out the Mosul operation. A second man from Kuwait also took part in the suicide attack, the Web site said.

Pentagon officials who had been keeping track of al-Ajmi said they were aware he had left Kuwait for Syria, a launching ground for terrorists into Iraq.

A video posted on various jihadist Web sites shows a number of images of al-Ajmi, followed by text reading, "May God have mercy on you Abdullah al-Ajmi. I send you a warm greeting O you martyr, O you hero, O you, a man in a time where only few men are left."

U.S. military records of Guantanamo detainees indicate that a man with the same name and nationality was held at the Cuban prison.

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Those records said al-Ajmi, 29, was picked up in Afghanistan as he tried to enter Pakistan after the 2001 U.S. invasion. He claimed to have fought for the Taliban, the records show, and said he fought in a number of battles against the Northern Alliance. Watch a firefight in Afghanistan »

Though he was never charged with any crime, al-Ajmi was held at Guantanamo through 2005. Military documents show he later claimed that his statements about fighting for the Taliban were made after he was threatened while in U.S. custody. He asserted that he was in Afghanistan to study the Quran.

Al-Ajmi was transferred to the custody of Kuwaiti authorities in November 2005, with four other Kuwaitis, and was released after a trial there, according to Pentagon officials.

Al-Ajmi is not the first former Guantanamo detainee to reportedly return to the battlefield after being released. Pentagon officials say there are more than 10 people once held by the U.S. at Guantanamo who have been killed or captured in fighting after being released from the detention facility.

"Our reports indicate that a number of former [Guantanamo Bay] detainees have taken part in anti-coalition militant activities after leaving U.S. detention. Some have subsequently been killed in combat," said Cmdr. Jeff Gordon, a Pentagon spokesman.

Documents provided by the Pentagon show other former detainees returning to the battlefield, including Abdullah Mahsud, who was released from Guantanamo in 2004. He returned to Afghanistan, where he became a militant leader in the Mahsud tribe in southern Waziristan, the documents said.

"We have since discovered that he had been associated with the Taliban since his teen years and has been described as an al Qaeda-linked facilitator.

"In mid-October 2004, Mahsud directed the kidnapping of two Chinese engineers in Pakistan. During rescue operations by Pakistani forces, a kidnapper shot one of the hostages. Five of the kidnappers were killed. Mahsud was not among them," the documents provided by the Pentagon said.

"As these facts illustrate, there is an implied future risk to U.S. and allied interests with every detainee who is released or transferred from Guantanamo," Gordon said.

Reports of former detainees returning to the battlefield show they are dedicated to their cause and have been trained to be deceptive, the Pentagon officials said, but such factors will not prevent the release of other detainees from Guantanamo Bay.

Of the more than 500 detainees released from Guantanamo since the detention camp was opened in 2002, 38 have been stripped of their "enemy combatant" status and determined to pose no future threat to the United States. The remaining 462 were repatriated to home countries or resettled to third-party countries and still considered a threat, Pentagon records show.

Some countries have since released those detainees back into the public, according to various reports.

The United States is still holding about 65 detainees scheduled to be released to their home governments. But before that can happen, the United States has to get assurances the detainees will not be persecuted or harmed when they arrive home, Pentagon officials have said.

"We have no desire to be the world's jailer, which is why the 500 were allowed to depart," Gordon said.

There are about 270 detainees still held at the U.S. prison camp in Cuba.


The above photo of Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi was posted on a jihadist Web site.

A note from Radarsite: Is there a more elegant way of saying,"We told you so"? This is the outrageous and deadly result of civilian liberal meddling in what should be a strictly military jurisdiction. In choosing to deal with our "enemy combatants" captured on the field of battle as common criminals, criminals afforded almost the identical protections and rights as American citizens, we have set ourselves up for this bloody travesty of justice. We have allowed our leftist Human Rights activists and our mercenary Criminal Lawyers to infiltrate our military justice system and dictate the rules, and these are the devastating results.

So that some liberal ideologues can feel good about themselves and their exemplary humanity, we have allowed ourselves to be made fools of, we have allowed ourselves to become morally complicit in senseless murders. Our enemies are not being rehabilitated, they are merely being given sanctuary. For all intents and purposes, Gitmo has merely become a rest stop between battles. A place to study their qur'an, improve their health and reinvigorate their hatred. In short, an American taxpayer-funded R&R destination.

This is what we get when we don't fight back against the delusional liberal pacifists amongst us. This is what we get when we let them win. They win, we lose, people die.

One can only wonder -- do we have the strength and the time to turn this great Ship of State around and correct course? And do we have the will?

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Memorial Day, 2008: A Different Kind of Tribute.

Endorsed by Fox News at GOP Hub


"Paths of Glory"

Tonight, once again, I watched the late Stanley Kubricks' 1957 internationally acclaimed antiwar tour de force, the ironically titled "Paths of Glory". In the words of famed movie critic Leonard Maltin, a "shattering study of the insanity of war." A movie so profound, so powerful, so intelligent and deeply disturbing, so exquisitely wrought by a director of such singular genius and vision that it remains removed and aloof forever from any rational consideration of its true intrinsic value. Tonight, however, I watched it a little more closely and a little more critically through my wary post 9/11 eyes.

Somewhat sadly, I watched an altogether different picture tonight. Still moving, still poignant, still powerful, still filled with the bitter aftertaste of remorse and shame. So masterfully crafted is this unquestioned indictment of war that we willingly abandon ourselves to its most obvious message. We dare not think to question the basic premise of the argument, to do so would merely prove how far we have degenerated in our common morality. War is wrong. Period. End of argument.

The only socially acceptable reaction to this realistic depiction of this global madness is one of bitter regret and shame. Deep cultural historical shame. This is where we have come to today. In place of a national sense of pride, a pervasive and relentless awareness of shame.

And our dead warriors, those endless rows of crosses, merely serve to symbolize our shame, and our collective guilt. There is nothing here to celebrate anymore, nothing here to honor. How can we celebrate and honor these victims of our most egregious mistakes? The answer of course is that we cannot. We push them out of our consciousness with our gaudy parades and our honorific barbecues.

All we can offer up now are second-rate speeches and second-rate emotions. We feel self-conscious saluting our imperialistic American flag when it passes. We think we'd look silly if we stood up to attention. What would our neighbors think? Would they think that we actually approved of all this?

War, we have now learned, is nothing but a massive criminal enterprise. And our fallen warriors, for all of their individual valor, are really nothing but criminals -- innocent criminals perhaps, coerced into their catastrophic crimes by patriotic propaganda, but criminals nonetheless. We offer them only our grudging token condolences then quickly sweep them out of our consciousness and prepare our grills for the cook outs, hoping it's going to be a nice day and that it won't rain and spoil everything.

Occasionally, we feel a twinge of something approaching guilt about the true meaning of this special day -- but it's so insignificant and fleeting it's hardly to be noticed -- like forgetting about Jesus Christ at Christmas or Columbus on Columbus Day. This is our real Memorial Day tradition now. To avoid the embarrassment of the dead and celebrate the overwhelming reality of the living.

This, then, is how we have learned to think about war, and about our warriors. When there is no discernable enemy landing on our shores, when we feel safe and comfortable in our daily worries, lost in our selfish familial concerns, this is how we feel about war and about our war memorials.

In the comforting bosom of peacetime, we philosophize about war and make high-sounding moral indictments of it. We denigrate our warriors, because they represent a failed paradigm, the antithesis of our own great paradigm. We have learned that all wars for whatever reasons are absolutely evil and unnecessary, that to succumb to war is weakness. All wars, we have been taught, are essentially futile, gross senseless wastes of innocent lives. Young men sent to the proverbial slaughterhouses by cynical self-serving old men who have nothing to lose but their ideological arguments.

We lounge in our comfortable ignorance and refuse to stir from our virtual realities. We refuse to confront the glaring incontestable facts that we are only breathing now because men were willing to go to war and die to protect us. To protect our forgetfulness, our complacency, our self-centered myopic unconcern for their ultimate and final sacrifices. We are not in pain now so we refuse to believe in it. The threats, after all, are only virtual threats, manufactured ploys from our right-winger war-mongers. They have no real legitimacy and in no way conflict with our deeply held convictions that intelligent tolerance and understanding will see us through. We are, after all, civilized men and women, aren't we?

In short, Memorial Day is a farce. War is wrong and we protest it and we despise it. Warriors are, at their best misguided, and at their worst merely soulless unthinking brutes. We have convinced ourselves that we have risen above the necessity of all violence. We have moved beyond all that.

Well, my friends, I'm afraid we're in for a rude awakening.

Our 'brutal and senseless' wars have saved our precious tender skins. Our murderous brutish warriors have given us our lives and our freedoms and we use them to denigrate their victories. Soon, however, I fear that we will be reminded once again. Soon, I believe we will learn once again the truth that war is not an aberration, it is our American heritage. We have had to fight for every damn thing we have and we will have to fight again. The enemy is at our shore and they truly are real and they truly will take everything we have or they will utterly destroy us -- if we do not fight back.

Memorial Day is a day to remember. Not just to remember our warriors, but to remember our wars, and why we fought these wars. Once again, we must remember the hard won lessons that we have learned. That all peoples have learned: Defensive wars are simply refusals to submit.

And we will not, we must not submit.