What defines a terrorist? In the wake of the Boston tragedy.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. ~ Martin Luther King Jr

 

So I’ve been disturbed in the last few days, another horrific crime has occurred in America, another senseless act of violence.  Once again someone has made the decision to kill innocent people.  That is disturbing enough, but what has disturbed and confused me more is the reaction to this particular event.

The conversation has revolved around whether or not a “terrorist” who is a US citizen, should be allowed to have his constitutional rights.  I would remind people that the ideas of liberty and freedom are messy.  A system that presumes innocence will sometimes let a guilty man go free and convict an innocent man.  But it is to try to provide the utmost protection possible to the wrongly accused man that these rights were created in the first place.  Not an avenue to exonerate monsters, but a system that strives to and will hopefully exonerate you should you erroneously be accused of being a monster.

Let’s take a recent act of horrific violence, the Aurora, CO theater shootings.  On July 20, 2012 James Eagan Holmes is alleged to have killed 12 people and injured 58 in a mass shooting during a midnight showing of the movie The Dark Knight.  Basically, a young Caucasian male used firearms to kill a large number of people and planted booby-trapped explosives in his apartment that he luckily confessed about saving further carnage.  People were upset, they wanted to string him up but I didn’t hear the word terrorism thrown around, nor did I hear anyone upset that Mr. Holmes was being afforded his constitutionally guaranteed rights as a US citizen.

Fast forward to last week and the horrific violence in Boston, MA.  Two brothers set off pressure cooker bombs at the Boston Marathon killing 3 people and wounding nearly 150 others.  They were well armed and were reported have thrown explosives at and to have fired repeatedly on law enforcement personnel.   People are of course upset , they want to string the surviving brother up but this time, the suspect is labeled a “terrorist” and many people want to deny him his constitutionally guaranteed rights as a US citizen.

So what has been eating at me is what is the difference between these two acts that makes one terrorism and the other a crime.  First what is similar, both men used firearms and explosives to inflict injury and terror on Americans.  Both men were young Caucasian American citizens.

 

So what is different between these two men:

 

1.  One used guns as a primary form of killing the other used bombs, but both were prepared to use both.

 

2.  One was born a US Citizen, one was a naturalized citizen.

 

3.  One was not a Muslim, one was a Muslim.

 

So which of these differences makes one a terrorist and not the other, is terrorism defined by your weapon of choice?  I doubt many people would make that distinction and quite frankly I never heard anyone screaming terrorist at Eric Rudolph or demanding his rights be removed.

 

Does being born a US citizen make you immune to being called a terrorist?

 

Does being a Muslim make you a terrorist?

 

When you look at the objective facts I think what determines your view that one of these men is a terrorist and the other isn’t, if you share that view, might be a bit disturbing.  I know, most of you who hold that view will dismiss this as some liberal rant, but let’s remember I’m defending the idea that both of these men should be given all of their legal rights guaranteed under the constitution to all US citizens.  Up until this week that was the rallying cry of conservatives, they supposedly believed in liberty, freedom and were the defenders of the constitution.  But not this week, why?

I think the most hypocritical idea is this.  When the shootings in Sandy Hook occurred, conservatives rallied around the idea that as much of a tragedy as the shooting was, a single tragedy shouldn’t allow the government to infringe on any American’s constitutional rights.  Now however, conservatives are rallying around the idea that a single tragedy, because it has been labeled terrorism, should be used to deny an America citizen his constitutional rights.

The funny thing is that conservatives are arguing that President Obama sucks because he will give this “terrorist” his rights.  So thought about another way, conservatives are arguing that what they want is for President Obama and his administration to have the power to name someone an enemy combatant and deny them their rights even if they are US citizens living in America.   Really, is that what conservatives want?  Do they really want the guy they call names and threaten in comment sections to have the power to snatch them up and make them disappear?  The same folks who call him a fascist, want him to have fascist powers, at least when it’s convenient, in the news and when white people are being killed by someone who prays to Allah instead of Jesus Christ and that is one of the least Christian ideas I’ve ever encountered.

 

American Hypocrisy: Pissin on the Taliban

Warning, the following piece contains offensive language, there are words, thoughts and ideas below that may offend you and even worse make you challenge what you believe, finally the piece might just piss you off.  You’ve been warned.

 

American Hypocrisy: Pissin on the Taliban

So as I’m sure most of you have heard by now a video has gone viral on the internet showing several US Marines pissing on Taliban soldiers they had just killed in battle.  If you haven’t somehow heard about this, here’s a link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/world/asia/video-said-to-show-marines-urinating-on-taliban-corpses.html

Now everyone is of course up in arms that US Marines would do something as horrible as piss on the enemy’s dead.  America, land of the free, home of hypocrisy.  I mean really folks, pissing on a corpse, is this so horrible?  First let’s address the thing you all want to say to me right now, what if it was your relative?  My answer, piss away Marine, piss away and you, can piss off.  If you have ever seen the dead body of a loved one you know, there is nothing in a corpse that is remotely reflective of the individual you once knew.  A corpse is, a piece of rotting meat, or in most cases these days, oddly preserved meat that won’t rot as quickly in the ground.  Really, what’s the point, either can the embalming or don’t waste the flowers.  That’s right kiddies the reason people historically brought flowers to a funeral was to help hide the smell of rotting meat.

You see the hypocrisy I’m point out here is the fact that everyone is ok with us killing people, as long as we treat them with respect once they are dead?  C’mon people, we spend all of our time brainwashing soldiers into thinking that the enemy is inhuman, that’s how you get people to kill other people, by convincing them that the enemy is less than human.  Towel heads, Sand Niggers, Islamic fanatics, people who hate our freedom, liberals, hippies, all of the terms the state and corporations use to dehumanize their perceived enemies.  It’s not a new idea friends gooks, chinks, heinies, krauts, commies and of course Charlie.  It’s a tried and true method, just ask the kikes, the niggers, the faggots and the dykes see if anyone called by those names feels like this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, that we are all created equal under one God.

So in summary my friends, and those of you swearing at me right now, we’re a bunch of hypocrites.  We’re ok with killing the Taliban, bombing civilians to death in Iraq, assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists and government approved fake drownings that we gently call “waterboarding.”  We have no problem locking “Taliban” and “terrorists” away for the rest of their lives in Guantanamo Bay (and by the way with recent legislation even Americans), without as much as a trial, a lawyer or even anyone knowing they’re gone.  To those same people who wanted to ask me, I now turn that question around, what if it was your family killed, maimed or abducted in the middle of the night with no notice.   So really people, we’re ok with all of that, but we’re outraged by a couple of US Marines pissing on creatures we have spent our tax dollars convincing them are subhuman, really?

So if no one else will tonight, I will stand up for the US Marines, you know the Marines, when you absolutely, positively have to have something destroyed overnight.  We’ve made them our trained killers, sent them in first to every hellhole on the planet and for that we owe them our thanks, our apologies for what it does to them and their loved ones,  and more than a little forgiveness if they slip out of line now and then and do something as offensive and ultimately innocuous as pissing on some rotten meat.

Poor Christian, Tim Tebow shouldn’t be criticized

Larry Taunton, the director of Fixed Point Foundation wrote an article today that has been picked up by a number of papers about how it’s unfair that people are picking on Tim Tebow.  It’s not about football in his mind, according to him, Tom Brady should be jealous of Tim Tebow’s football pedigree.  I think it’s a safe bet that Tim Tebow would happily trade his Heisman trophy for Tom Brady’s Superbowl rings, or at this point maybe even his completion percentage.  That Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos are making the best of a bad situation can’t be denied.  That they’ve won some games recently, can’t be denied.  But the idea that Tim Tebow is a quality level NFL quarterback is still fully a debatable question but one the majority of folks believe will turn out with Tebow being a backup quarterback or running back at best.

However that is not Taunton’s point in his piece, his point is that the reason Tim Tebow takes criticism is because he’s open about being a Christian.  Taunton is playing an old song, one I heard often from Southern Baptists when I lived down south, that Christians are horribly discriminated against all over the world.  That in America, Christians, unlike any other group are under attack for their religious beliefs.  What a bunch of shit! 

We constantly hear about how this is a  “Christian society.”  In the 20th century Christian’s got statements like In God We Trust put on our money, and One nation under God put into the Pledge of Allegiance.  We are constantly told by the Right, that this is a Christian nation the way our founding fathers wanted it.  Yet the points above show the founding fathers didn’t do that, they were the ones who wanted church and state separated.  It is not the Christian equivalent of Sharia Law that people fear monger about, millions of Christians were not slaughtered by the Nazis, it is however Christian extremists who murder people with terrorist bombings, assassinate physicians with rifles and protest the deaths of America Soldiers at their funerals.

I believe that if Mr. Launton were to be honest the fact is he doesn’t really care about Tim Tebow or that football pundits are giving him a hard time in the media.  Mr. Launton is out to spread the message of the Fixed Point Foundation, which is that Christianity is under attack.  The organization on its own website says that the organization is out to erase the fallacies like that the Bible contradicts science, and to repair the fact that we have gradually lost sight of our Christian Heritage, a heritage that I point out earlier in this piece was rising over the last 100 years, not diminishing and yes Mr. Taunton, the Bible does contradict science, there is a passage about rain falling through a window in the sky and my favorite, that 2 members of every animal species that are alive today on earth fit on Noah’s Ark, a 450 foot long by 75 foot wide boat.  Seriously Mr. Taunton are you telling me that idea is scientifically sound?  Please!

What I really can’t stand about people like Mr. Taunton is their intolerance, their insistence that America is a Christian Nation that leaves no room for Jews, Muslims, Gays, Atheists, Agnostics, Heterosexuals, Buddhists, Taoist, or Pagans.  America’s best characteristic has always been that it is a nation tolerant of a multiplicity of beliefs, not the one-size fits all world that people like Mr. Taunton wants us to have.  Hell Mr. Taunton and his ilk don’t even truly mean Christian Heritage, you see they don’t consider Catholics, Jehovah Witnesses, 7th Day Adventists or Mormons, all followers of Jesus Christ to be Christians, only the people in their own personal sect of Christianity can be true Christians.  This is the same kind of isolationist egotistical thinking radical Muslims like Osama Bin Laden use to justify murder and it’s not just bad or wrong it’s dangerous.

Mr. Taunton, you and Tim Tebow can believe any damn thing you want that’s America, but deal with two simple facts.  First, we are all tired of Tim Tebow talking about Christianity all the damn time, if a Muslim football player said Allah is Great every time he was interviewed he’d be ostracized from society by people like you.  Secondly, one of the reasons people watch sports is to escape all of the general stupidity of politics and religion that we have to deal with everyday.  So go find a new corner to proselytize on and leave the NFL the hell alone.

Tired of the conflict between Israel and Palestine

This week there has been a lot of attention around the Palestinians asking for recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations.  This idea is supported by the entire world even in theory the United States and Israel.  However, the US veto that will be wielded against Palestine in favor of the Israeli position is sure to cause a lot animosity toward the United States, but given the United State’s historical position in support of Israel, the US politically has no choice but to wield the veto.

I’m tired of the Israeli and Palestinian positions.  Both sides act as if they are completely in the right and are doing nothing to prevent peace from happening in the Middle East.  This, is not correct.  The Israelis act brutally at times with the Palestinians and the Palestinians and other Arabs terrorize and attack the Jews.

We all know what the eventual solution is to this conflict, an Israel that is returned to the borders that existed prior to the 6 Days War.  Palestinians must give up the Right of Return and then a state has to be established for the Palestinians.  In the end, two states living side by side, both recognizing the right of the other to exist, with Jews leaving the occupied territories and Palestinians giving up their right to move back to Israel and overwhelm the Jewish population.

Everyone knows this is the eventual solution, you can usually tell a good decision by the fact that no one feels like they win.  It’s called compromise and no one is ever completely thrilled with the outcome.  The fact is that we are a long way from getting to this solution, there are too many Jews who support the ever-expanding Jewish settlements and too many Arabs who refuse to believe that Israel should have a right to exist.  Throw in a long history of conquering and being conquered, of Zionism and the Holocaust and I unfortunately have to believe that what we see now in Israel and Palestine is what we are doomed to see for a long time. 

And although this will be deemed by some to be “unpatriotic,” as long as this situation exists, the US will support Israel and Arabs will hate us for it.  That hate will lead to extremism and extremists will plan, attempt, and at times succeed in doing us harm and causing the loss of American lives.  In this way Ron Paul is right that our actions have some effect upon the terror visited upon us.  It’s not our fault, a madman still pulls the trigger, but some of this can lead us to understand why that madman pointed his gun at us in the first place.  It’s the old question in the end, why can’t we all just get along?

Rebels in Libya enter Tripoli, Gaddafi rule to be over soon

Rebels have entered Tripoli

Celebrations break out around Libya 

Two of Gaddafi’s sons captured 

Where is Gaddafi?   At this hour although he’s made several radio broadcasts but it is believed that Gaddafi is on the run and making the broadcasts via satellite phone.  There are a number of reports that suggest that he’s leaving for one of a number of African nations.

Some of the most interesting TV going on right now is what is happening with the journalists in the hotel where they’ve been contained it Tripoli.  It appears their minders have split but perhaps not, there is some significant tension.

However I think the best source for news and information is the live link to Al Jazeera English.

 

Osama Bin Laden and Pope John Paul II

This past weekend something really wonderful and something really sad happened.   First the happy thing, the late Pope John Paul II was beatified, meaning that he is well on his way to becoming a saint in the Catholic Church.  I have had the pleasure to talk to several people who actual met the pontiff, and much like folks who have met the Dalai Lama, they talk about the holiness of John Paul.  He, like the Dalai Lama, is someone people feel was a special being, someone who carried a compassion and holiness about him.  He was fluent in many languages, went behind the iron curtain and even after being shot in an assassination attempt, he met with and forgave the assassin, now that’s a saintly act if there ever was one.  I think it is wonderful that John Paul is being recognized for his life.

Also this weekend, Osama Bin Laden was killed, assassinated by my country an act that many if not all Americans will condone and one that I have mixed feelings about.  Was he an evil man?  Most certainly he was and deserved to be brought to justice and perhaps even executed for his crimes.  My mixed feelings come from the fact that my country assassinated someone in my name, killed for me and much like military action and capital punishment it leaves me a little queasy to think someone has killed in my name.  I know this is not the first time in my life that it was done and it is most times done under military action the price we pay to remain a free and democratic country and so, I have to be ok with that I like my country and my life.  It was Steve Earle, the musician, who at a concert first put that thought in my head, the state, killing on my behalf and I have to admit it has changed the way I think these type of things no matter how justified.

The sad thing that happened was the way my fellow Americans reacted to the news of the assassination.  Should we be glad justice was done?  Absolutely and as President Obama did in announcing the news, acknowledging the justice aspect in a respectful manor is how we should have reacted.  But I saw people celebrating at the gates of the Whitehouse, chanting USA, USA and basically having a giant party.  Hell I even heard fireworks in my neighborhood.  On September 11^th, Americans were furious that Arabs celebrated the death of Americans in the streets of their countries.  Are we any better than they are celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden in the streets of our nation?

Osama Bin Laden is Dead

The US government is reporting that American operatives in Pakistan have assassinated Osama Bin Laden and are in possession of the body, here are some links to the story.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/source-al-qaida-head-bin-laden-dead-us-in-possession-of-body-obama-to-speak-sunday-night/2011/05/01/AF1D5hVF_story.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/05/01/2011-05-01_osama_bin_laden_dead_us_has_body_nearly_10_years_after_911_terrorist_attacks.html

Gadhafi’s son killed in NATO airstrike

It is being reported that Gadhafi’s son Sair al Arab Gadhafi was killed in a NATO airstrike and that Gadhafi was in the house when the hit took place:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/74114/gaddafi’s-son-killed-in-airstrike-libyan-government

More details:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/30/saif-al-arab-gaddafi-libya-killed_n_855920.html

Libya, Gaddafi, and the idiocy of NATO and the United Nations

Tonight on CNN I heard John King say, “Muammar Gaddafi is now using bombs meant to maim and kill people.”  As opposed to what, bombs meant to give Swedish massage?!?  This whole Libyan situation has gotten beyond ridiculous and I’m sick of the US government, NATO and the United Nations.  I never believed the US wanted to do anything about Libya and laid out why in a piece I posted several weeks ago.

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/why-the-military-industrial-complex-commanded-we-abandon-libya/

So why are in Libya, simply look at who fired the first shot, the French.  The French were the first to recognize the rebels and drove the UN and NATO into this fight, why?  Well, it’s as simple as why we went into Iraq.   We went into Iraq to protect American oil company interests and the French led us into Libya to protect French oil interests.

http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/Oil/8578907

So, let’s face reality, Gaddafi is a criminal, a murderer specifically, we know for a fact that he is a terrorist.

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/why-we-will-do-nothing-about-libya/

So let’s stop playing games, if we want him out of power then take him out.  I know, it will make all of our other dictator/partner/oil suppliers nervous if we do so.  God forbid we should make oil hoarding dictators nervous, it might cause gas prices to go up.  Either go in and remove Gaddafi by any means and quickly, or get the hell out of Libya!

The circus that is American politics

So this is where we currently find the government of the United States of America.  In ring one we have our military situation, we are fighting a war in Iraq, a war in Afghanistan and doing a little bomb dropping in Libya.  Additionally, on just about every news show they get the chance, the government slips in a little mention of Yemen which is where I believe our next military action will occur.

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/the-next-big-terror-threat-part-2/

In the second ring we have the budget, the budget that our brave warriors in the house and senate barely negotiated at the last second to keep our government working.  Such proud warriors, putting their heads into the mouth of the lion to save our great nation the Republicans trying to defend us from such horrors as Sesame Street and Car Talk.  But don’t worry citizens, the republicans haven’t lost, they’ve just staged their forces for the 2012 budget fight and don’t worry, before they are done they will stop middle-class and poor women from getting low-cost health services.  And don’t even mention Obama Care, good God the very mention of the term could summon the devil and end the Mayan calendar, what was that, oops, apparently my typing it did the calendar thing, sorry.

http://examiner.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20324:federal-shutdown-avoided-2012-budget-fight-looms-&catid=35:ap-news&Itemid=56

Finally in ring three, the center ring we have the upcoming 2012 presidential race.  Yes folks as expected President Obama has filed for re-election and we certainly have our fair share of potential challengers.  But had I told you two months ago that there would be one candidate getting the most press for their outlandish ideas, and it wouldn’t be Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich or Michelle Bachman would you have believed me?  No, my friends the monkey in the center ring with his fancy hairdo is none other than building mogul, I mean bankrupt, I mean Casino mogul, I mean bankrupt, I mean reality TV star, Donald Trump, the next President of the United States of America.  Wow what a circus that would be.