The Lessons of October 7th 2023: The Dangers of Religious Extremism and Intolerance

The horrific attack by Hamas on October 7^th, 2023  has produced a ripple effect few anticipated. Israel has long enjoyed the support from the West and most of the rest of the world. It’s chief exception was the Communist Bloc of the Cold War and their client states, mostly in the Middle East. Yet, for some reason the unprovoked attack by an organization known for its brutal Nazi-like treatment of its own people and for committing mass acts of terror again mostly innocent bystanders, has had a rather strange, counterintuitive response.

To briefly recap, on October 7^th, 2023, about 7000 terrorist on motorcycles, powered paragliders, small boats, attacked Israel at 119 points along and near the Israeli-Gaza border. Among the attackers was “Nukhba”, which are specially trained commando units of the Hamas military along the lines of Iraq’s Republican Guards, noted for the ferociousness and absolute dedication.

The attack, code named “Al Aqsa Flood” began with a launch of approximately 5000 rockets over 20 minutes into and along Israel’s border with Gaza (and another 1000 rockets launched during the attack). The assault wasn’t directed at  Israeli military bases as you would expect from a legitimate military operation.  Instead, it centered on small civilian, mostly farming, communities or “Kubutzes”  which were either unarmed or very lightly armed.

About 1,195 men, women, and children were murdered. Many were brutally raped (including children), beaten, tortured, and burned alive. The lucky ones were simply killed outright. According to Israeli and international sources, among those dead were 736 Israeli citizens and 36 children, 79 foreign nationals, and 379 members of Israel’s security forces consisting primarily of off duty members of the military, medical teams, police, etc.

The focal point, however, seems to have been on individuals attending a family oriented  “Supernova Sukkot Music Festival”  or simply the “Nova Music Festival”. There was an additional 378 individuals murdered along with 44 hostages taken (all told, there was a total of 251 hostages, of which 30 were children). The perpetrators, armed mainly with  hand grenades, handheld rocket launchers (“RPG”), and AK type assault weapons, was lead by the Al-Qassam Brigade, and groups of Palestinian civilians who were being egged on by the terrorists.

Other groups believed to have participated in the October 7^th attack included the National Resistance Brigades, which is military wing of the Maoist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Marxist-Leninist organization, the secular Lion’s Den group, along with elements of other terrorist organizations including the Iranian backed Hezbollah, which operates mainly in southern Lebanon.

Following the attack, some 44 countries immediately condemned the attack (which some have referred to as blatant genocide against the Israelis) while many Arab and Muslim nations claimed that the attack was justified because of Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territory, which had taken following the 1967 “Six Day War” in which Israel defeated five Arab nations whose publicly stated intent was “pushing Israel into the sea”. The Arab forces were soundly defeated, and as a result, some 300,000 Palestinians and 100,000 Syrians were subsequently expelled from the occupied areas.

Hamas, however, claimed the attack was not just over occupied territory, but the continued blockage of the Gaza Strip (which Israel, along with Egypt, maintains in order to prevent further military material from entering the country), as well as the continued expansion of settlements into Palestinian owned land (which has often included personal property which has been in private hands for generations and blatant destruction of homes by the Israeli military with little or no warning as part of Israel’s “reoccupation” of the land).

Israel’s response to the massacre  was as swift as it was brutal. Approximately 50,810 Gaza Palestinians  have been killed while Hamas’s military strength has dropped from around 60,000 to just around 18,000 or less. Bear in mind too that Hamas, which is regarded internationally as an Iranian backed Sunni terrorist organization, typically uses civilians as shields. They often operate missile sites from schools, playgrounds, daycares, and hospitals. They regularly store weapons in private homes and businesses, while controlling nearly every aspect of life in Gaza.

 Although Israel regularly warns civilians in Gaza in advance of a pending response (unlike most countries), Hamas refuses to allow civilians to either vacate or to move their missiles and military hardware away from home, schools, or hospitals. The hits are recorded as “civilian targets”, making for good propaganda and public media events for the uninformed and an opportunity to discredit the IDF and Israeli government.

Foreign aid, which includes food, fresh water, medical supplies, as well as replacement parts for equipment, generators, heating/cooking oil, desalination pumps,  blankets, and so forth, are sold on the black market for weapons or cash, Sometimes they are rationed out to the populace in order to keep them in line (and staged photo ops for the foreign media). Meanwhile, Israel is blamed for so-called “Palestinian genocide” while their Hamas leaders enjoy luxury vacations throughout the region (Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt are favorite spots).

What’s most interesting about the attack on Israel by Hamas is the  backlash it produced which was totally unexpected. Instead of the usual support Israel has historically received, many nations, especially in Europe, and individuals, particularly among the college age youth, blamed Israel not just for the attack by Hamas, but also for intensity of their response and even accuse Israel of intentionally triggered a genocide of the Gazan people.  As an aside, this backlash hasn’t just been directed at Israel. It’s been aimed at the United States, which has traditionally supported Israel, Jews and anyone who supports Israel.  

In some ways it reminded me of the latter days of the Vietnam War when mainly young Leftwing anti-war protesters embraced Cuban revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara and “Uncle” Ho Chi Minh, with their images showing up nearly everywhere. North Vietnamese and Russian “ Sickle and Hammer” flags were almost commonplace at nearly every protest.

Many of the youth were openly promoting Communist ideals (I suspect much of it had to do with tweaking the noses of the Status Quo as it did anything) while burning their draft cards. Nowadays, its Palestinian flag alongside  (ironically) the LGBQT+ flag showing up at protests while they go about illegally trying to block traffic and screaming at anyone who disagrees with them.  I wonder if anyone ever told them that the only way you ultimately change the Status Quo is with ideas and action, not by throwing temper tantrums?

Nevertheless, despite all the meaningless political rhetoric, the empty headed talking heads, the faux militants with the multicolored hair and nose rings, and the wannabe revolutionaries, I wondered if anyone has bothered to ask the people of Gaza what they thought? They are the ones being most affected. They deserve to speak for themselves. Afterall, it’s their opinion alone that actually counts.

When asked about Hamas, most Gazans describe the terrorist organization as “oppressive” (especially for women) and typically placing the interest of Iran ahead of theirs.  They blame Hamas’s attack on Israel for the carnage which has befallen them, while criticizing Hamas for not apologizing for the civilian deaths.

They claim that while Israel “dehumanizes” them, so does Hamas, which sees them as a tool to be used against Israel and the West. They do not accept Hamas emphasis on martyrdom, saying that they value life more. To Hamas and other Islamists the Gazans claim, Palestinians must die so that they can justify their existence.  Gazans point out that Leftist Arab groups and Islamists don’t like for Gazans to speak independently, preferring to control their narrative for them, using their voices to promote their agendas.

Just over 80% said they wanted new elections when the war was over. When asked who they trust to lead Gaza after the war, 40% of Gazans said they’d support  Fatah, the secular based party which currently governs the West Bank while just 6% would back Hamas (no real surprise when you understand that Hamas hasn’t allowed any free and open elections in Gaza since 2006).  When asked if their was a new election after the war, who would they support, the results were pretty similar. 47% said they’d vote for Fatah while again, just 6% would back Hamas. It’s worth noting that 53% of Gazans didn’t believe Hamas would be willing to form a unified national Palestinian government with Fatah.

When asked about the war, 84% said that Hamas should release all hostages.74% wanted an international organization to manage the Rafah border with Israel.  62% wanted to see a two state solution with Israel similar to what was originally proposed in 1948 but rejected by the Arab League. 19% thought a single state solution was the best option. Among Israelis, just 26% think a two state solution was still possible.

It’s worth noting that 74% said they didn’t think Israel was serious about ending the war. Afterall, Israel is winning. However, 20% thought that Hamas wanted to keep the war going as well.  Recent intelligence reports seem to confirm this assumption.

According to these reports, while Hamas had lost half of its original strength since 2023, there’s strong evidence that their recruiting efforts have been successful in bringing them back to near their pre-October 7^th strength. Most of the new recruits are from countries with poor economic opportunities.

This bodes poorly not just for the people of Gaza and Israel, but the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world. Groups like Hamas are interested in just one thing---the utter destruction of Israel at any cost (followed by the annihilation of all Kefirs (Non-Muslims). After that, they can murder each over which sect---Shiite or Sunni---is God’s chosen religion of peace and tolerance.   

Iran, perhaps Israel’s moral enemy, has continued with its own nuclear program, allegedly with the intent of launching nuclear tipped missiles at its archenemy with the understanding that such an attack would result in an immediate response and the total destruction of Iran and its people. When involved in a religious war, ordinary lives are inconsequential. They wallow in the gore of war like pigs in mud.

Groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, Al Qaeda, and dozens of others also understand this all too well. They  care little for the people they claim to govern. They are mere sacrifices intended for their alters of extremism, ignorance and unquestioned obedience. They bow their heads in prayer and profess to worship one thing when in truth what they worship is oblivion.

While the majority of Gazans no longer support Hamas, many fear that Hamas will retain control, and the killing will only continue. Helmed in on all sides, they’re trapped. ISIS and Al Qaeda are greedily building their own caliphates on the corpses of Syrian, Kurdish, and Yazidi dead.  In Iran, the ayatollahs are showing signs of loosening their grip on power but still remain strong enough and determined to lead the people to the apocalypse.  

There’s no question about their dedication to the cult of death, while we chose not to take them at their word. We like to pretend that somehow, they’re the victims. The Gazans and other Palestinians would disagree. So would the Iranian people and the Kurds, the Yazidis, and countless others of various religions, ethnic groups, gender, and sexual orientation.  You want to talk about intolerance and hatred? Well, here it is in one neat package with a noose for a bow.

 In 1948, just three years after the horrors of the Holocaust,  we thought they won’t come for a newly proclaimed Israel, yet they did. They refused the creation of a Palestinian nation too. Today, some 76 years later,  they still seek Israel’s destruction.  We thought they’d never come for Europe. They have. Europeans are increasingly minorities where they live. Many think they won’t come for Russia, India, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, or China, but they will just as they will eventually come for us unless we stop  religious and political extremism, intolerance, and authoritarianism in all its forms.

 

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October 7 Hamas led attack in Israel

Al-Qassam Brigades

Nova music festival massacre

Six Day War

Casualties of the Gaza war

Gazans risk safety to share their criticisms of Hamas

What Gazans Really Think of the War, Who They Blame, and WhatThey Want to Happen Next

Has Palestinian’s perception of Hamas changed?

While Gazans Suffer, Leaders Live in Luxury

Hamas leaders worth $11bn revel in luxury---while Gaza’speople suffer

Analysis: Hamas has been hit hard by Israel, but is not outof Gaza

Remembrance

I would like to tell you a few stories which I hope you find interesting; perhaps even enlightening. Let's take "Karl". Karl was elderly man of around 70 years of age. He was a plumber by trade and spent his days walking the streets of his small town in search of his next job, which would hopefully earn him enough to pay for his and his wife's next meal, not to mention the rent! Years of a hard work and poor health care had left its mark on Karl. His back was bad, as were his hands and knees. He walked the dirty and smelly streets from sun up until sun down hawking his skills. His clothes were threadbare but always clean, well, for a plumber that is, and his shoes were well-worn hand-me-downs---third time.

But still, Karl was never bitter. He had a loving wife who took in laundry, which she did by hand every day. She also did some mending. On good days, she may get a job cleaning house for a few days while the regular maid was off on holiday. Then one day, Karl came home, extra tired but very proud of himself. He had had a good day---three jobs and the promise of a fourth! Outside the rundown and rat infested hovel which he called home stood his landlord. He stared at Karl with a look of hatred, curiosity, and more than a little trepidation. There had been visitors that day; very special visitors. Upstairs, waiting just inside their door of their apartment stood his wife. She greeted him with tears and a letter. Karl took it and with a quick glance handed it back. Karl couldn't read, but his wife could, a little. The letter, which was very official looking, instructed Karl and his wife to be waiting outside their apartment building promptly at 8:00 AM the next morning. They were to bring just enough clothes for a few days. Their key should be handed over to their landlord for safekeeping. Karl would not be needing his tools.

The purpose of the trip wasn't given, but rumors were that they're going to a special center for evaluation; perhaps to even see a doctor (his wife had been complaining about a bad tooth anyway and maybe someone would be kind enough to look at his hands which were so important in his line of work). Some said it's a resort they were going to, but who would send them---two old miserable wretches to a resort? It must be to a doctor. Maybe he could find some work there too, after all, even doctors have occasional plumbing problems! So the next morning, Karl and his wife waited patiently outside as instructed; having given their landlord their key...and his promise to look after everything (not that there was that much to look after). They didn't have to wait very long...

"Walther" as we will call him was a good man of about 20 years old, though he was what some would call "slow". His mother was an

older woman, way past her prime when she unexpectedly became pregnant and his father, a housepainter, was no "spring chicken" either. Walther was her fifth child; her third son. Walther always seemed different. As a child he could never keep up with other children his age. Often, he would sit in the corner by himself silently rocking himself, or he would go off alone while other kids played. Occasionally, he would sit in the kitchen looking longingly out the window and watching as the others played. They teased him unmercifully, and not just about being slow but about how he looked too. Walther was a different turned child, and a lonely one too.

One day during a routine office visit to the doctor, Walther's mother was told by their doctor that there was now a special place for children like Walther. There are doctors and nurses on site, so he would get good medical care, along with three healthy meals a day and even snacks like oranges or apples. He could be with other children that were like him; it would be an opportunity for him to make friends, and it was free. All that was needed was his referral to a specialist, another doctor; someone from one of the new government health agencies, and of course, the permission of her and her husband.

It wasn't a hard decision to make. Life had been hard, and not just since Walther came along. The economy has been doing badly and there just hasn't enough work to go around, and costs of taking care of Walther's special needs, well that too has been a burden on the family. Besides, the facility the doctor mentioned wasn't that far away and the family could visit every few weeks, and he would finally have friends. Oh, how the boy longed for a friend. So, a few weeks later arrangements were made for Walther. It was a sad trip, but it held so much promise, especially for Walther.

The family visited every few weeks just like they promised to do. Walther was always so happy to see them; happier still to introduce his parents to his latest new friend (although he often introduced them to the same individuals each time, he was happy...truly happy for perhaps the first time in his life). Then, about six months later, his parents received a rather unexpected letter from the government doctor at the special facility. Good news they hoped about Walther's treatments. He seemed to be making such good progress...

Seventy years ago, the notorious death camp at Auschwitz was liberated. It was January 27th, 1945. The liberation was at the hands of Soviet troops advancing from the east. It would prove to be the opening chapter of a unimaginable horror; a blight on not just the German People, or the Nazis, but on all humanity which still echoes today. Some six million Jews, perhaps more, died in these camps---by gas, execution, exhaustion, injection, disease, and starvation. They were experimented on like guinea pigs, and without the benefit of sedatives. They were allowed to feel nothing but raw pain. What most people don't realize today is the Allied leadership, including Roosevelt and Churchill, had known about these camps years earlier through various intelligence reports and smuggled photographs but chose to do nothing.

Prior to the war, the Nazi government shipped hundreds of Jews to both America and South America as a means of "cleansing" Germany, only to be rejected at the behest of the US government. They were returned to Germany where death greeted them at the ports. The Nazi Government has also repeatedly proposed finding them a possible new homeland outside of Europe; places like Ethiopia (Abyssinia), British Rhodesia, and especially French Madagascar were discussed. However, each of these proposals were rejected by the English and French. Meanwhile, Stalin had murdered tens of thousands of his own people, including fellow Slavs, Jews, and gypsies before the war even started.

There's also another story which most people don't know about. In addition to the six million Jews who perished, approximately five million gays, Slavs, political and religious dissenters, and gypsies--mostly Romani---were also murdered. In terms of percentage, the Romani gypsies lost a larger percentage of population than the Jews. But percentages only mattered to the Nazis who kept detailed records of every soul taken--from name and ages to location to the value of gold recovered from items such as jewelry or teeth, or in the amount of reusable leather recovered from luggage, wallets, purses or shoes. Badly needed resources were diverted from the war effort to expedite the delivery of these "undesirables" to concentration and extermination camps. The "Final Solution" was nothing if not efficient.

During the remaining months of the war, which ended in May, 1945, the Allies would push through Germany and occupied lands to liberate others held in these factories of death. For many it would be too little too late. For those that survived, life would begin again, albeit slowly; it would never be as they knew it before. Too many wounds. Too many memories. The once thriving Yiddish culture, with all it sounds and flavors, had all but ceased to exist. Only a remnant would continue to flourish in places like Chicago, Philadelphia, or New York. Of course, there was a certain irony. Had it not been for the persecution of the Jews, there would have been no international push for the creation of a Jewish homeland, but that's another story. As for the gypsies, without a public advocate, they were largely forgotten and faded quietly into the background of history and familiar ways. The others too gradually reintegrated back into society. Those not being able to bear the memories or face those who just a short time before had turned a blind eye to their suffering, simply chose to immigrate and start life anew. At the time of Stalin's death, he was preparing a new purge, which included members of the Jewish population under Russian control. By the time of his death in 1953, Stalin had murdered an estimated 20 million people.

Though the world pledged never to allow something like this to ever happen again, it has; many times over. It's happened in Bosnia, throughout Africa, parts of Asia, and it is currently happening in the Middle East to groups like the Kurds and Syrian Christians, and as before, the world has done little except for the occasional self-righteous admonishment. It has never ceased to amaze me the lengths humanity will go to in order to appease its gods in the name of "love" or "compassion" or racial purity; how many people must be sacrificed before their god is satisfied? Of course, in truth, it's rarely about a god or religion. Those are just handy tools. No less dangerous in the wrong hands than a gun. Ultimately is and has always been about power, wealth, and control. I can't help wondering when humanity will finally grow up. John Kennedy once said "Mankind must put an end to war, war would put an end to mankind".

As for Karl and Walther, Karl and his wife were taken to Auschwitz where the elderly couple were separated and murdered the same day

they arrived. For the Nazis, they were too old to be of any value. Many were murdered using a form of gas call Zykon B which was manufactured by the Bayer Corporation. The letter Walther's parent's received from the government doctor who had befriended them and their mentally handicapped son, read that Walther suffered an seizure and died unexpectedly. In reality, he was euthanized along with his new friends. Apparently, the Nazis didn't believed his life was worth living either. The program to murder those with inheritable disabilities, mental illnesses (which was classified as including so-called "deviant" or non-conforming behavior, depression, homosexuality) or the mentality handicapped was known as Action T4 and funded in large part by the Rockefeller Foundation. Approximately 270, 273 individuals died in this fashion. Not all were murdered however. Some 400,000 were sterilized for reasons like chronic depression or epilepsy. Finally, I would like to point out something else about Karl and Walther. They were relatives of mine, and there were others. I've added two links below which tell the story of two other relatives who faced the Holocaust---the Shoah as the Jews refer to it. One managed to survived. One did not.

We continue to turn a blind eye to what's happening around us. We're too wrapped in our video games and so-called "reality TV" to notice. We're always "to busy" to be involved in our children, our communities or even to vote. We've lost our democratic republic. In its place now stands an oligarchy. What will it take to get us to stop and look up?


Malchen Berlin
http://www.stolpersteine-hamburg.de/en.php?MAIN_ID=7&BIO_ID=1416

The Doctor's House (in German)
https://www.sprockhoevel.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Texte_Stadtarchiv/Das_Doktorhaus_in_Hasslinghausen.pdf



First They Came

In keeping with the topic, I would like to share one of my favorate poems about political apathy. It was written by Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoller (1892-1984) who was but one of the voices who spoke out against the rise of rise of evil which he saw slowly rising all around him. For speaking out, Pastor Niemoller was arrested in 1937 and sent to first to Sachsenhausen Consentration Camp and then later to Dachau where he was held until being liberated in 1945.


First they came for the Socialist and I did not speak out-
because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists and I did not speak out-
because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out-
because I was not a Jew.
They they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.

Politics and Religion: Reaping the Whirlwind/Racing Toward Armageddon: A Review

There’s line I seem to recall from Frank Herbert’s wonderful futuristic book, Dune, which goes approximately like this, “When religion and politics ride together in the same chariot, a whirlwind is sure to follow”. Now, that may not be an exact quote, but the meaning is clear enough. When politics and religion unite, people (and usually a lot of them) die. Historically, Mankind has murdered millions, if not billions, in the name of what ever god was currently in vogue at the time, and it has usually been done bloody hand in hand with politics.

A facet many of you don’t know is my interest in religion. I have long been a student of comparative religions. I’m not only well versed in the great religions like Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, but also Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, as well as Wicca and Native American Spirituality. While in the military, I even “volunteered” to serve as administrative aide to the base Rabbi and liaison to the local Jewish Community Federation. While attending Bellarmine College (a Catholic school), I took as many courses in religion as I could get away with, and I continue to study religion today. Many of my professors did their best to persuade me to become a theologian rather than pursue a business career (looking back, I sometimes wonder if they’d been right).

Being an amateur historian as well has taught me well about the world we live in today, which has seen the line between religion and politics becoming increasingly blurred. We’ve seen it in India where Hindus have become more nationalist and less tolerant. We’ve seen normally tranquil Buddhist monks take up arms. And of course, we’ve all watched Jewish fundamentalists not just pressing their claims against the Palestinians, but also against secular Jews; forcing businesses to close and women to dress in accordance to their demands. Of course, we’re all too familiar with Islam’s head long fall from a deeply beautiful religion of contemplation and compassion to one of mass murder and intimidation (like public beatings of women and those who refuse to be bullied; throwing acid in the faces of young girls attending school; or so-called “honor killings”). In this country, we’ve witnessed the hijacking of the Republican Party by groups like the Moral Majority and their ilk. Gone is the party of Teddy Roosevelt, Goldwater, Eisenhower, Rockefeller (not to mention Nixon, Ford, or even George Bush the Elder) and in its place a more rigid and less tolerant political party. Who can forget the so-called “justifiable” murder of doctors or bombed clinics and attempts at intimidation by some of these same zealots?

The one thing these religious extremists have in common is the belief that they and they alone are the keepers of the “True Faith” and it is their God given duty to bring about their version of the end times (of course, the rest of us are generously given the option of converting or facing God’s wrath by their blood soaked hands). All this brings me to a highly engaging and eye opening book by Michael Baigent entitled, “Racing Toward Armageddon: The Three Great Religions And The Plot To End The World” (you may remember Mr. Baigent as the co-author of the hugely popular “Holy Blood Holy Grail” and “The Messianic Legacy”). Mr. Baigent gives us an excellent historical overview the three main religions and their claim on Jerusalem. He then leads us through their Byzantine world to induce the coming of the Messiah, but which Messiah? Is it the Messiah Ben David or the Twelfth Iman? Or is it the Second Coming of Jesus? Finally, Mr. Baigent details the objectives of each and finally, what we can do.

If you have any interest whatsoever about world politics, religion, global economics, the environment or terrorism, you have to buy this book. It should be on the reading list for every thinking man and woman. Never in our history have we edged so willingly close to global annihilation. Personally, I truly cannot imagine any god demanding such a terrible harvest of souls from his creation. I’ve included the Preface from the book below. I’m adding this book to my recommendation list to the right of this article.


Preface from Racing Toward Armageddon: The Three Great Religions and the Plot to End the World by Michael Baigen

The race toward Armageddon is the stumbling toward self-destruction.
Armageddon!

The great battle against the Antichrist; when the red mist of a vast firestorm is to descend from above to envelope all living creatures in its deceptive embrace, leaving the god of war to spit out the pips.

According to the tricky and treacherous text of the final book in the New Testament, the book of Revelation, when the end time of the world dawns, a scroll with seven seals will be opened. With each seal a new horror will be unleashed against humanity. First, a great dragon will appear; this is later identified with Satan. Next will emerge a monstrous beast ominously rearing its seven heads and ten horns. Finally, a servant of this beast will arrive on the stage, a "false prophet" (16:13) -- the Antichrist -- who will lead his international satanic army against the forces of God. All these satanic forces will be gathered together "at the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon" (16:16).

Abruptly, a white horse bearing a divine warrior will appear from heaven, a warrior described as "The Word of God" (19:13), whom many interpret to be Christ; he will lead the "armies of heaven" (19:14) in a vast and bloodthirsty battle that will erupt against a background of terrestrial plagues and earthquakes. The three satanic allies will be defeated: the beast and the false prophet will be thrown alive into burning sulfur; their followers will all be put to the sword by the heavenly rider. According to the book of Revelation, God will take no prisoners -- except, strangely, for Satan, who will be quickly locked up in a bottomless pit. Then the calm following this mayhem will usher in a thousand years of peace.

But in a curious and unexplained twist, at the end of the thousand years of peace, Satan will be released from his prison for a short time. This act of apparent mercy will immediately lead to a second great war.

It does seem a very cruel trick for God to play upon the newly peaceful inhabitants of the world. God appears to be toying with Satan like a cat toys with a mouse, because this new satanic army will also be rapidly destroyed, permitting a shiny new Jerusalem to descend from the clouds -- a new Jerusalem from which Jesus will rule forever over a world where death is no more.

Personally, I have always wondered why, if Jesus is destined to be victorious, he and God should put themselves to so much trouble first. It seems to me that by delaying the inevitable, they are actually colluding with the beast, the false prophet, and Satan. It is also pointless, and the collateral damage so extensive.

But it does not seem pointless to approximately 59 percent of Americans who, according to pollsters, say they believe in the coming battle of Armageddon. And this is in addition to the millions of fundamentalist Christians worldwide who hold the same belief. Indeed, fundamentalist preaching has been pushing this kind of material out for years, material that does not allow for any doubt in the literal interpretation of Revelation. John Hagee, a prominent Texas fundamentalist preacher and author, clearly has none: "Armageddon is an actual battle, and the Antichrist is a living, breathing person."

It is evident from statements such as these that fundamentalist preaching operates in the service of fear -- fear of the big battle to come and fear of not belonging to the side of Jesus so as to benefit from the thousand years of peace.

Fear is all to these people, and every opportunity to spread it is taken. In January 2007 fundamentalist evangelist and former presidential contender Pat Robertson told his television audience that millions of people would die that year in a huge terrorist attack on the United States. He claimed that God had personally told him this but added, rather as an afterthought, "I'm not saying necessarily nuclear, the Lord didn't say nuclear." Which is, of course, reassuring.

Such an attitude is not so far away from that of the Islamic suicide bombers who are sure that upon their deaths they will go straight to paradise to enjoy the favors of seventy-two young girls, favors they have missed out on in life due to their restrictive beliefs.

This battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ is, according to thousands of Christian fundamentalist preachers, coming soon. In fact many are convinced that our modem military involvement in the Middle East is linked to this fiery end. In the book of Revelation, Babylon is the source of all evil and is ultimately overthrown; Babylon, of course, is in Iraq, which has presently fallen to U.S. forces and their allies. To Christian fundamentalists, the connection, and the importance, is obvious.

But the Christian fundamentalists are not the only ones to believe in a final battle. Muslims, too, with increasing urgency speak about the coming of their messiah, the Mahdi, who -- with the aid of Jesus -- will fight against the demonic forces of the Dajjal, the Islamic anti-christ figure. Especially important is the belief held by many Muslims that the Mahdi will rule from Jerusalem, which the Muslims claim as their own. Muslims who follow these beliefs expect the final battle to come very soon, and this is affecting their politics, which, in turn, is affecting all of our lives.

Jewish fundamentalists, by contrast, do not think of a battle to come, but it is hard to see how their end times can appear without one. For they hold that when the Messiah comes, he will rebuild the Temple, referring to Solomon's Temple, the very first temple, according to the Bible, to serve the ancient religion of the Israelites in Jerusalem, a temple that was pillaged and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. And with the Messiah's coming, they hold that Jerusalem will be wholly Jewish. There will be no room on the Temple Mount for any Islamic structures, nor will there be room for the Islamic population within Jerusalem, indeed within all of Israel -- which they define as stretching as far as western Iraq. They believe that the signs of the coming of the Messiah have already appeared; it will not be long now. The thousands of years of waiting are about to end. Of course, there are those who wish to hurry the time along and remove the mosques from the Temple Mount in advance of the Messiah's arrival. The anti-Islamic position of these groups is inflexible and runs very deeply. Their true relationship with Christianity is prickly and kept rather close, for they all depend upon the constant flow of funds donated to them by Christian supporters, but the tensions are there to see. For them, there is no need for compromise or tolerance; God gave Israel to the Jewish people, and that is all that needs to be said.

At its heart fundamentalism is a relentless progression deeper and deeper into intolerance and ignorance, which, unless opposed, will by default achieve its aims. Judged and measured against their own pronouncements, we must conclude that the fundamentalist religions of all denominations are opposing the free will and vibrancy of human life -- they are, paradoxically, performing the very task they attribute to the feared Antichrist: they are attempting to convert a distorted view of reality into such a skillfully packaged shape that it might be taken as truth.

Fundamentalist religions are humanity's greatest enemy. Blunt speaking, certainly, but time is short, and I see no reason not to call it as I see it. The fact we all have to face is that the fundamentalist religions leave no room for human frailty, for compassion, for forgiveness, or for creative freedom of thought. They are trying to return us to that time of darkness we thought was left far behind, where blind belief was considered more important than farsighted discovery, where the dogmatic was more valued than the tolerant and the false was more important than the true.

We simply cannot permit that future to occur; we must oppose that future with all the strength at our disposal. If, like those countless victims of the Nazi Holocaust, we are ever again asked to step into a cattle wagon for a trip to the Promised Land, we must remember that the correct response is always, emphatically, "No! Never again!"

But we need to move quickly for the fundamentalists are on the march; step by step they are encroaching upon the peaceful and tolerant high ground with their perverted idea of a heavenly realm filled with comfortable seats from which those who have been "saved" can eat their popcorn and watch the slaughter below. It all sounds like some deranged fantasy based on a dim memory of the Roman arena, for there is much blood in the message and so very little mercy.

Again Christian fundamentalist preacher John Hagee does not mince his words on this issue:
The first time He came to earth, Jesus was the Lamb of God, led in silence to the slaughter. The next time He comes, He will be the Lion of Judah who will trample His enemies until their blood stains His garments.
It seems difficult to avoid the conclusion that, like those who once packed the Roman Colosseum to watch Christians or Jews thrown to the wild animals, Hagee cannot wait to take his seat before the carnage.

Hagee's position closely resembles that of Islamic fundamentalist commentators for whom, of course, Jesus is an Islamic prophet. the Egyptian Sa'id Ayyub, writing in 1987, insisted that in the final days,
All of the books will be burnt at the end of the road. Those who sucked at deceit, spying, and hypocrisy will be burnt beneath the feet of the prophet of God, Jesus, and the army of Islam -- [Jews and Christians] . . . will be trampled under after the dawn."
We have good cause to be deeply worried about these people and those who read and believe their words. We must never let them near to the seats of power, else we will wake up one morning in a world where madness is called sanity and true sanity is viewed as a heresy to be ruthlessly destroyed. But, ominously, we can see this world creeping closer and closer.

The apocalyptic view of Middle East events held by recent U.S. administrations, most evidently with President George W. Bush, really began with President Ronald Reagan in the early 1980s. Famously, in 1981, Ronald Reagan revealed that he believed, "For the first time ever, everything is in place for the battle of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ." He later echoed this belief, stating, "I turn back to the ancient prophets in the Old Testament and the signs foretelling Armageddon, and I find myself wondering if -- if we're the generation that is going to see that come about."

Two decades later, President Bush contented himself with advice from God. In 2003 He explained to the Palestinian prime minister, "God told me to strike at al-Qaeda and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam."

He seems to speak like Moses or Joshua; perhaps he really did believe that he was leading us to the Promised Land.

Copyright © 2009 Michael Baigent, author of Racing Toward Armageddon: The Three Great Religions and the Plot to End the World

Author Bio:
Michael Baigent, author of Racing Toward Armageddon: The Three Great Religions and the Plot to End the World, was born in New Zealand in 1948. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Canterbury University, Christchurch, and a master's degree in mysticism and religious experience from the University of Kent, England. Since 1976 he has lived in England with his wife and children. Published in 35 languages, he is the author of From the Omens of Babylon, Ancient Traces, and the New York Times bestseller The Jesus Papers; the coauthor of the international bestsellers Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Messianic Legacy (with Henry Lincoln and Richard Leigh); and the coauthor of The Temples and the Lodge, The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception, Secret Germany, The Elixir and the Stone and The Inquisition (with Richard Leigh). For more information please visit www.harpercollins.com

Healthcare for Illegals Still Part of the Plan

Healthcare for Illegal aliens keeps marching forward under Obama’s healthcare plan. It seems the louder the People say no, the more Obama and the Democrats in Congress are determined to cram it down our throats (it never seems to cease to amaze that despite their claim about how wonderful this plan is, not a single individual of our so-called leaders is willing to drop their healthcare coverage and adopt it. That to me speaks volumes. Below are to must read links to what’s going on Washington:

Illegal Alien Health Care Loophole a Topic of Debate at August Townhall Debate http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=21223&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1721

Congressional Research Agency Confirms Illegal Aliens Will Get Health Benefits Under House Bill
http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=21337&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1721#1

Poll Results

Our last polled asked if you thought illegal aliens should be able to participate in the purposed Healthcare Plan. 1/3 of you thought so while everyone else (66%) said no way. Personally, I don’t think anyone who isn’t a taxing paying citizen of this country should have any input or benefit whatsoever in any program paid for with our tax dollars.

Assault on Mumbai

The terror assault on Mumbai appears to be over. For over 60 hours, Muslim terrorists went on rampage in this financial center of India, formerly known as Bombay. In their wake some 195 innocent men, women, and children were murdered, including a rabbi and his family, and close to 300 others were wounded. 20 of the dead were Indian soldiers. These killers attacked approximately 10 civilian targets in various locations, but mainly in areas frequented by Western tourists. Of the hostages taken, these cowards focused primarily on unarmed Americans, English, and Jews. According to the Maharashtra government spokesman, Bhushan Gagraini, 11 of these murders were killed by Indian soldiers and commandos, and one was taken alive (hopefully that situation will be corrected quickly after his intense interrogation).

While the world will morn for the innocent lives lost and curse those souls of those who committed these brutal acts of cowardice, this represents just one more black mark against Islam, a religion of peace, which appears to have been hijacked by madmen. Over the past 25 or so years (beginning with the bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut in 1983), extremists have all but silenced the voices of reason and compassion in the region in favor of a distorted interpretation of the Koran. Presumably theirs is out of fear of losing whatever authority they feel they may. As an example, the Islamic extremists believe that women should not be educated. So, instead of confining their beliefs to their own family or communities, they attempt to intimidate and bully others, including throwing acid in the faces of young girls on their way to school. But what they don’t realize is that every girl’s scares serve a public testament of their fears. But it doesn’t stop there. Women are forbidden to show their faces, legs, arms, or anything else. Why? I suppose it's because the men fear women. So rather than deal with their own insecurities, they impose their fear on others. And equal rights? Forget it. As a woman, you have none whatsoever. No job; no money; no education outside the home; no driving; no going anywhere without a male escort; and owning nothing. A son can have near complete power to control his mother’s life in the absence of the husband.

So what do these people want? Well, the answer is rather simple really, though completely unrealistic. They want to either convert or murder all Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, Pagans, and followers of Confucius, the Native American religions, not to mention atheists and agnostics. They want to substitute common law with strict religious Sharia Law. They want to return to a world of Caliphs and the so-called “Golden Age of Islam”. Seriously. There is no serious negotiating or compromising with these individuals, and why should they?

What Americans, and indeed, the world, doesn’t understand is that this is a war not about land or resources, though that’s apart of it, but a war of religion. When you have G-d on your side, and they completely believe they do, there is no need to negotiate or compromise with anyone (besides, from their perspective, negotiation and compromise are emblematic of weakness). What the West (and the Asian East for that matter) has failed to learn is that this war is never-ending so long as “infidels” remain. No sacrifice or horror is too terrible. No loss of life, theirs or ours, is too great. They don’t want to live with you. They want to destroy you, albeit be by mass murder or using our existing laws to force accommodate for them under the guise of religious and political freedom, and later, to outlaw ourselves. If Nazism was the politics of hate, then radical Islam is the religion of hate (I should add that extremism by any group is just as dangerous). What these zealots have failed to understand is that the Golden Age of Islam represented extreme religious tolerance, not hatred. Islam represented the cultural and scientific apex of civilization of the time.

However, what we saw in Mumbai isn’t representative of that Islam. There are those who are moderates. They accept the rights of women and tolerance of other cultures and religions. However, they have remained largely silent. Radical Islam must be defeated by Rational Islam. Neither the West nor Asian East can do it by military or economic force. They can, however stand as bulwark against the spread of the extremism. This means taking a hard line against terrorist. In hostage situations, it means cutting off all supplies and especially media coverage to the terrorists (which is, after all, what they’re after). It means providing them with an opportunity to allow the hostages to go free---but not them. It means killing one of theirs (either a terrorist or prisoner) every time they kill or harm a hostage. And most importantly, it means denying the terrorists a Moslem burial. This takes the religious equation out of the picture. It makes their deaths meaningless, and with that, fewer recruits willing to die for an empty cause.

It also means aggressively promoting human rights globally, including complete religious tolerance and the right to practice the religion of your choice as well as equality for women and the right of all citizens regardless of gender to attend school. It means too helping Islamic moderates develop modern governing systems, which includes creating a solid middle class (I say “systems” because not all countries want or need democracies). Too many of these extremists come from countries where there is only the very rich ruling class and the poor masses. Workers should be free to form unions of, by, and for the betterment of the working class which should be free from government interference. Moderate or rational Islam must be nurtured and allowed to blossom and both the West and Asian East must aggressively encourage and support it.

This war will not be won in matter of a few years, or with the changing of an American president. It will not be won based on the brave acts of the Indian military or the courage of lone Buddhist monks. It will not be won by on the strength of Israel. It will be won by people of the world over standing up and say “no” to fear and intimidation; By people determine to go on with their lives; By people not standing by when someone canes a woman, girl, or man for refusing to go along with their hateful dogma; By people who refuse to give up or give in; By people willing to shine the light of truth into the eyes of those who see only intolerance and shout “freedom” at those preach hatred.. When we do this, we’ll see these madmen run back into the shadows like the cockroaches they are.


Poll Results

Our two poll results were amazing, and the results were somewhat surprising. The first question asked where you considered yourselves on the political spectrum. 16 of you said you were either conservative or very conservative, and 8 said they were center Right. 8 (four each) were either moderate or center Left, and 18 of you were Liberal or Far Left!

As for which political party best represented you, 20 of you said Democrat while 11 said Republican. 4 of you lean Libertarian, while 6 of you considered yourselves non-Republican conservatives, and interestingly, no one listed themselves non-Democratic Left leaning.

So what does this say about AO? Well, here at AO, we try to remain an independent free thinking editorial site (how dangerous is that?), and it looks we’ve nailed it! Our readers seem to cover the full political spectrum from Left to Right, and just about everyone in between. Thank you as always dear readers!

Scratched at the Gate

Kentucky Secretary of State, Trey Grayson, a Republican, announced on September 7 that he wasn't going to run for Governor next year. Grayson said he wanted to avoid a “divisive primary” by running against current Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher. Fletcher, who has been in hot water pretty much since his election in ‘04, was recently acquitted of charges relating to a hiring scandal. Unfortunately for the Kentucky GOP, Grayson’s decision virtually guarantees a Democrat victory in ‘08. Meanwhile, Fletcher’s approval ratings remain somewhere between “fat chance” and “not a prayer”.

Slippery When Caught

Gas prices continue to drop. Amazing isn’t it? We were told that the gouging at the pumps were due to the deteriorating situation in Iraq. Then it was because of BP’s blunder in Alaska. Finally, it was because of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Well, the situation in Iraq remains the same--bad. BP is still trying to cover its corporate butt and the cleanup along the Alaskan North Slope continues. Israel is out of Lebanon, while UN troops are moving in. Actually, the only thing that has changed is that we’re approaching the November elections and the incumbent politicians (along the oil lobbyist masters) don’t want an angry electorate showing up at the polls.

Speaking BP’s rear end, President Robert Malone, along with BP Exploration Alaska President, Steve Marshall, have been busy pleading the Fifth Amendment before Congress. Looks like both corporate execs’ lips are sealed tighter than an oil soaked clam. Apparently neither individual has anything to say about the Alaskan oil spill or why they ignored repeated warnings from union field crews about corroded pipes. It was just a few months ago that Malone was all over the networks in his LL Bean gear talking about how BP was such a good corporate citizen and how environmentally friendly the company was. Obviously the only “green” which concerns BP is the color of money.

A Shot in the Dark

President Bush finally revealed on September 7 that the CIA has secret prison camps scattered around the world where top Taliban operatives were being held for questioning. After a giant collective “duh” from just about everyone even vaguely familiar with the war, the question now is what to do with them. Bush wants these bed sheet bad guys brought before a military tribunal for trial. However, there’s a catch.

Some of the evidence against them is highly classified. Even under military judicial law, the defendants are entitled to review all evidence. While military trials are not open the public (though the media thinks differently), the availability of the classified information could (and most likely would) be leaked, which could hinder further intelligence operations. Lawyers for the military are questioning the advisability of allowing high ranking Taliban leaders access to this information. However, the alternative would be to withhold the evidence, which may weaken the government’s case.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are questioning Bush’s request for speedy trials, citing the fact that some of these murderers have been held for years. A few are even calling for civil trials because the nature of military judicial tribunals, which limit the defendant’s rights, and includes a death penalty option. So, the debate over what to do with these cowards continues at tax payer costs.

Personally, I think we should take the same approach as “Blackjack” John Pershing. Pershing, like so many great military leaders, was a student of military history. Reflecting on a similar situation he was facing in the Philippines by Muslim extremists around the turn of the century, Pershing turned to a technique used by King Richard the Lionhearted.

As religious fanatics, their deaths are supposed to assure them a place as martyrs and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. After all, if you’re murdering for God, and you’re assured a place in heaven with 72 virgins, what do you have to fear? Secondly, their trials would only become a show piece for their hatred of America and the West. Third, and finally, US intelligence officers have already extracted all useful information these individuals have to offer. So, following on the example of Pershing, we should simply line these murderers of innocent men, women, and children up against the wall and shoot them. They should be buried as unceremoniously as possible, with no media coverage, and they should be given Christian burial. Yelp, I said Christian burial.

Now, before some raging apologist starts having an apoplexy, follow my logic (or rather Pershing’s and Richard’s) for a moment. These zealots murder to ensure their place with Allah; however, they must have a Muslim burial. Anything else would bar their entry to heaven. Therefore, a Christian burial would give deaths have no meaning. We would deny them the mantle of martyr. With no honor to their deaths, and no possibility of a divine reward, we would take the main weapon out the arsenal terrorists use to recruit--religious salvation. They become just another corpse. History has already proven the worth of this tactic through the actions of Richard and Pershing. Frankly, if it saves civilian and especially American lives, I have no problem with humiliating these cowards anyway I can.

One last point about the media coverage mentioned above. Terrorists rely on shock to create fear to achieve their goals. We, in the West, provide them with the TV coverage to get their message out. Guess there’s nothing like having your enemy provide the means for your propaganda is there? With the execution and Christian burial of the terrorists, we should use their media outlets to our advantage for a chance, and let them spread the word for us that we have the power and fortitude to deny them what they desire the most, martyrdom.

Odds & Ends

Hezbollah calls for a “war on all fronts” while Al Quida wants a “holy war” against Israel and the “Crusaders” (that’s us thanks to a slip of tongue by Bush). Hezbollah attacks Israeli outposts, and kidnaps Israeli soldiers. Israel responds, and now all hell is breaking lose. The world is demanding Israeli restraint against those who have sworn its total and utter destruction. What would any nation do in Israel’s situation? I have no doubt they’d respond the same way. Every country has the right to safe and secure borders. Every citizen has the right to be protected by their government from harm. Having served in the military and being something of an amateur military historian, I can tell you that Israel can take care of herself. Israel has perhaps the best “man for man” solders in the world, and losing isn’t an option. There is no place to go except into the sea.

Hezbollah and Al Quida have shown themselves for what they are. They spew only hatred. They seek out the weak spirited to commit murder while their leaders hide like cowards, all in the name of God. I see nothing “holy” about war. There isn’t anything glorious about it. War is about destruction, death, famine, and disease. If you truly want a “holy war”, how about trying to see who can be more tolerant and compassionate than the other guy? Let’s see who can build more schools and hospitals, or feed the most hungry children. Afterall, isn’t that what the Bible, Torah, and Koran teaches?

There’s a saying on Wall Street which goes like this, “As Exxon goes, so goes the oil industry”. Well, I guess the oil industry is doing just fine thank you. Exxon posted a $10 billion dollar profit over the last three months. Yelp, you read that right. A ten billion profit in just the last 90 days. And that comes on top of the record profits reported by Exxon and the other oil companies since the war in Iraq started. Perhaps I’m mistaken, but that used to be called “war profiteering” and it was a serious offense. Funny, I haven’t heard anyone calling for an investigation, have you? But, then again, with two oil men in the White House, this little war is more about controlling oil reserves than about democracy (unless democracy is defined as oil companies dominating another country’s oil reserves). Meanwhile, you and I are paying over three dollars a gallon! I think we just need to cut to the chase. Go ahead and raise regular to five dollars a gallon and premium to ten dollars and get it over with. After all, that’s where it’s headed. Again, if oil is such a strategic resource that we must wage war (under whatever pretext) to meet demand, then the federal government should nationalize the oil companies and a serious effort to find alternative energy sources should be made. By the way, if you think gas prices are high now, have you given any thought about how expensive it’s going to be to heat your home this winter?

How many of you caught the Congressional pay hike last month? Yelp, they did it so us again. Each member got a little over $30,000.00 apiece. As usual, they voted on the increase in the dead of night (hoping no one would notice I suspect). This is our money. They work for us. We are their bosses, not the other way around. When was the last time you told your boss you were going to take a pay raise? And what did he do after he stopped laughing? Since pay raises are generally considered the privy of the employer (and you and I are their employers), pay raises should be placed on the ballot for public approval with each state voting on its own representatives. What’s fair is what’s fair. They shouldn't be any different from anyone else; if you do a good job, you should get a raise. If you don’t, then you don’t. Period.

On the home front, it looks like the arena project is back on track…sort of. A few weeks ago, the Metro Council passed the budget for the arena 18-8, which included a provision for a PLA (that’s a Project Labor Agreement); giving unions a seat at the table (I did a little lobbying of Metro Council to get the PLA through). In true partisan form, the Democrats supported passage while the Republicans didn’t. They argued that it would give to little control to non-union businesses, minorities, and women and to much power to the unions. Democrats (and unions) responded by saying that all businesses, both union and non-union, were equally protected, including minorities and women. Governor Fletcher (R) weighed in and said he wouldn’t support any project with a PLA provision and added that funding for the project could be jeopardized if the PLA provision stayed. Mayor Jerry Abramson (D) seconded Fletcher’s remarks, and in what was his first veto, shot down it down. After several days of compromise, the bill was reworked with the PLA deleted and removing Labor from a direct role in the construction of the arena, though they will be allowed to “monitor” the construction, and there will be a ”monitoring committee” overseeing hiring practices and the prevailing wage issues.

So, is this a good or bad thing? I guess it depends on your point of view. First, there really aren’t as many people as it seems who want an arena. “Build it and they will come” was only a line from a mediocre movie. Louisville, and indeed, Kentucky is all about college hoops. The idea for the arena was to give UofL a new place to play until a professional team can be attracted. That would give the city two venues---the arena and Freedom Hall---in case there’s a conflict of schedules I suppose. Folks, Freedom Hall isn’t a bad place to play ball as it is now. For a ¼ of the cost it would take to build the arena, Freedom Hall could become a state-of-the-art facility. The next question which comes to mind is whether or not Louisville has the financial base to support an arena, and presumably a pro team. I strongly suspect it doesn’t. We have only two major employers, Ford and UPS. Season ticket prices may be out of reach for the average fan. Given too that this is recreation money, the arena will be in direct competition with the other sporting events, including Churchill Downs, not to mention the surrounding theme parks.

So, will the arena be able to sustain itself in the long run? Unlikely. If you have any doubts, ask yourself what became of the indoor “pro” football team? How many “pro” soccer teams have we gone through? When was the last time the Bats had a sold out season? Heck, when was the last time the stadium was ever more than half full? Remember too that the Bats are our second AA team. The first one packed up and left due to a lack of interest. How about the “pro” basketball team, the Kentucky Colonels? Not the one from 30 or so years ago. I’m talking about the revised team of two years ago (bet you didn’t even know about that one). Yeah, they’re kaput. This is a college sports town plain and simple. We lack the broad interest and financial base to support a pro team. As for “all those people” who support the arena, they tend to be the usual suspects looking to make a buck, which brings me back to my original point.

Business interests are going to be protected. You can bet on it. Although we’ve been promised no taxpayer money will go into this project, you and I know that somehow, we’re going to foot the bill. That’s why I think unions need to be a part of this project. Yeah, it may cost a little more because they’ll be paying a prevailing wage (which helps the local economy by the way), but union labor tends to do a better job. Don’t get me wrong, we need good oversight on the overall construction (workmanship and material) of the arena, but that holds true regardless. We need to make sure minorities and women get a fair shot too. I think unions would be in a better position to protect the workers…union and non-union alike…better than trusting some project management company. So, with or without a PLA, workers need a place at the table in planning and implementing this project, and the best folks for the job is organized labor. By the way, only Councilman Doug Hawkins (R) has stood his ground in opposing the arena.

4th of July

July 4th is upon us again. The traditional time for cookouts, fireworks, trips to the beach or lake, and just some general fun in the sun. Few folks know that the 4th is more than a celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It also marks the date that two of our greatest leaders, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, died just a few hours, and miles, apart from each other in 1826.

Besides being great political figures, both leaders had some thing else in common. They were Unitarians, as were Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, and Thomas Paine just to mention a few. If you included Deists, you could add Washington, Madison, and Monroe to that list. However, most of the Founding Fathers were Episcopalians or Presbyterians, or at least raised in one of those two Protestant religions.

As an interesting aside, according to “The Very Rich Book” by Jacqueline Thompson, both Episcopalian and Presbyterian are considered to be the faith of the “ruling elite” in American. Well, maybe. But did you know that 22 of 43 presidents were of either Episcopalians or Presbyterians? 57% of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence were Episcopalians, while 23.2% were Congregationalists and 21.4% were Presbyterians. 29% of the Signers of Confederation were Episcopalians, while 19% were Congregationalists and 9% were Presbyterians. Of those attending the 1787 Constitutional Convention as delegates, 56.4% were Episcopalians, 29.1% were Presbyterians, and 14.5% were Congregationalists. In short, 54.7% of the Founding Fathers were Episcopalians, while 18.6% were Presbyterians, and 16.8% were Congregationalists.

One of the distinctions between “Mother England” and our newly created country, which was incorporated in the Bill of Rights, was the refusal to establish an official state religion (though not everyone agreed). In England at the time, as in most countries, there was an official religion, though other religions were “tolerated” to varying degrees, depending on the whims of the King or Queen.

In England, to be a member of government, one had to be male, free and white of course, a landowner, and a member of the Anglican Church (which in this country took the form of the Episcopalian Church). The Founding Fathers seemed to think that one’s religion, or lack of religion, was no one's business. The Founding Fathers were, in varying degree, Christian to be sure, but their objective was to make this new found nation a safe haven for all people, regardless of faith.

How would they feel about the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance? Well, they would certainly oppose any attempt to establish an official religion, be it a specific faith or a more generic “Christian” nation, they would have had no trouble with those two little words (which were added by President Eisenhower during the Cold War of the late 1950’s to show a distinction between America and the “godless” Communists.) since they fully believed that this country came into being through the providence of the Divine. They would also have no trouble with those who simply skipped over the words altogether. It was a matter of individual choice.

The same goes for prayer in school. They wouldn’t mind a minute or two of silence to pray (or not), either alone or in a group. They would have opposed any attempt to force that prayer on everyone. It would have been their opinion that it’s your choice when, where or if to pray and to what God. They also wouldn’t have a problem with a Nativity Scene or Christmas tree on the Court House lawn, so long as people of other religions were allowed the same courtesy. Not to allow a display of faith, I think, would have roused their anger. Speaking of displays, I can’t imagine any of them opposing a display of the Ten Commandments. After all, it’s the basis of our legal system, and the foundation of Western Civilization.

What about abortion? This is quite possibly one the most divisive issues in our society today. There’s no doubt they witnessed the high infant and mother mortality rate. Child birth was a risky business, as it is still in many parts of the world today. I can imagine they would oppose any attempt by the government (or individuals) to impose, by law or intimidation, their opinions/values on someone else on this or any other matter, regardless of whether or not they agreed with it. I suspect too they would favor saving the mother’s life above all if it was in danger, which in their day, was sometimes the case. In the end, I think they’d be in same quandary as many of us are today.

Without a doubt, they would be appalled by government today, especially at the influence of money. I think they’d reconsider paying that “tea tax” if they could see us now. Did you know that the Founding Fathers opposed the creation of political parties? They believed parties would soon become dominated by special interests groups, which would, in time, come to control government at the expense of the people. Of course, parties did happen, and fairly soon after the nation was founded, but it never stopped their distain for them. I think they’d be really ticked at the power corporate interests have over the government. I can easily imagine most of those revolutionaries being card carrying union members today! I think those like Jefferson, Adams, Washington, Franklin, and others would agree with me in that, regardless of party, once you’re elected and take that oath of office, you’re no longer a “Democrat” or “Republican” or any other party. You’re a “Representative of the People”…all of them.

What about immigration and language? They would have had great sympathy for those seeking freedom in all its forms. However, they would demand that the sovereignty of this nation be respected, and people follow the rule of law for entering this county. As for language, they understood that to form a nation, we had to create certain “commonalities”, one of which was language. There would have been no question in their minds that English was the language of this country. On another point, prior to the Declaration, these men considered themselves British; subjects of the Crown. What they did was treason, and they knew it. To have been caught would surely mean to be hanged. By signing the Declaration, they were saying to England, and to the world, that they were henceforth Americans. There would be no tolerance for the “hyphened American”. They had come too far and sacrificed to much.

As Jefferson acknowledged late in his life, he had been a part of a unique moment in history; surrounded by individuals uniquely qualified for their particular role. He went on to say that what they achieved was for their time, based on their experiences and he hoped that we, as a nation, would take what that did and adapt it to the needs of our time. What they wrote wasn’t, as Jefferson put it, “infallible and unerring Holy Script”. Although we have a tendency to place these men on a pedestal and create myths about them (like Washington and the Cherry Tree, or that he never lied), they were far from flawless. They spoke of freedom, and yet mercilessly took land from Native Americans and promoted what amounted to as genocide. They spoke of equality, and there was slavery. Let’s not forget as well that women had little role in politics, let alone the right to vote. But, perhaps they felt these were issues for another time, and that creating a nation was work enough. They hoped future generations would take their experiment and improve upon it, and so we have tried, sometime with success and sometimes not. So, as you enjoy your Fourth of July, take a moment to reflect on what those brave men (and women) tried to accomplished for us all those years ago.