...the US faces a slew of problems, and our leaders continue to ignore them

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/benamon/070111

Ah, a brand new year in politics. The Democrats take control of the House and Senate after 12 long years. But will things change overwhelmingly for the better? Doesn't seem to be the case. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the new Speaker of the House, is already snubbing certain groups who don't believe with her point of view. Her first day on the job as Speaker came with a reception or "Open House for the People's House" as it was put, but the Christian Defense Coalition group was stopped from entering the bash! Director and Reverend Patrick J. Mahoney who is a pro-life Democrat said his group wanted to talk to Pelosi about the issue of abortion and other pressing issues in our communities. "We expressed our concern that if Speaker Pelosi is interested in hearing all voices, all points of view, that if she is truly making it an 'open house for the people's house,' why were we not allowed to attend?" questioned Mahoney
( http://www.cnsnews.com/Culture/Archive/200701/CUL20070105b.html ).

That is just one example of what I hope will not be the norm for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. America does not need any partisan politicking from our leaders. And certainly, we would hope that our leaders wouldn't be so biased as to turn a deaf ear to the concerns of many conservatives out there, be they Democrat or Republican.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), also a new face in the House and the first Muslim elected to Congress, rallied Muslims in Dearborn, MI before he took office. In Dearborn, he spoke to the crowd of Muslims..."You can't back down. You can't chicken out. You can't be afraid. You got to have faith in Allah, and you've got to stand up and be a real Muslim," he implored.

He says, "You can't back down!" Back down from WHAT may I ask?! He urges Muslims to stand up and be real Muslims! ( http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061226/NEWS05/612260367 ).

Is he urging Muslims in Dearborn and elsewhere in the US to be friendly and peaceful? To me, he isn't. What was the need for such rhetoric?

As Ellison was sworn in, he, like other members of the House, swore the statement:

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

Ellison also performed the ceremony swearing on the Koran. A book which most Americans don't identify with as connecting with American values and traditions. After the Dearborn rally, one wonders what Ellison's intentions are. It seems he wants to rouse up his Muslim base, not work overall for the American people, or for the interests of Americans.

Our nation is losing its identity for the sake of being more "sensitive" to appease certain groups. Other than courting Hispanics, America has never been more willing to satisfy a group of people like we have with Muslims. The Pentagon, West Point, and other military academies have gone so far as to institute prayer rooms for faithful Muslims and has hired Imams to lure more Muslims to the military. An "outreach" program as it is said in the csmonitor.com article.

To explain the actions of this tactic, the Deputy Defense Secretary, Donald England said, "There is a message here, and that is that Muslims and the Islamic religion are totally compatible with Western values."
( http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1227/p03s01-usmi.html ).

That is such a false assertion... the Islamic religion couldn't be further from our Western values! Islam is so far from our values that we have to make special arrangements to meet the needs of Muslims serving in our military. President Bush has held an iftar, a meal associated with Ramadan. Top officials and officers at the Pentagon who are not Muslim, have attended Muslim celebrations and events...we are being too accommodating! But just let a Christian try to share his/her faith with a Muslim, or anyone for that matter. The word "proselytize" comes up.
It seems to me most of us only pay lip service to our faith in Christianity. We say, "Yeah I'm a Christian." And that's as far as it goes. We then experiment with other faiths and try to mingle. Don't abandon your faith in favor of another. And that is the case when we choose to dabble in other faiths and don't share our own or set our eyes on another.

I am convinced that Muslims living in the US should show more willingness to reach out to the rest of America instead of us extending the olive branch and bending over backwards to their requests. We've done enough already, it's time for Muslims to reciprocate kindness to Americans and show their full loyalty to America, our wonderful country who has helped them.

Border Insanity

This year also brings more craziness at the border. We are being overrun by drugs and illegals crossing the border, and assaults on our Border agents are increasing.

The biggest assault lately has come in the form of our own justice system, in the case of Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos. These US Border agents were merely doing their jobs when they acted to try to stop a suspected drug smuggler by shooting him in the rear end as he was fleeing back to Mexico. Both men are facing PRISON TIME for the pursuit of a suspect (which is "against Border patrol rules"), and other related charges! ( http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52545 ).

We are punishing our own agents for trying to protect us now?! This makes NO sense!

Right now, various groups are trying to get the attention of the President to pardon Compean and Ramos. If President Bush ignores their plight, if these men end up in prison, then I KNOW something is very wrong!

The National Guard is also assigned to the border to help stem the tide of illegals. They have endured assaults as well, and the worst thing about it is, they are UNARMED while their assailants are armed and dangerous. Tell me, what is the purpose of putting our troops on the border and they are not armed at all?! That's the joke that passes for border security these days!

While we are on the subject of drug trafficking, I am reminded of events that have happened in my area in the past week or so. The increase of drugs coming across the border means more drugs in our neighborhoods and the presence of thugs who are running those drugs. The county where I live, saw a record drug bust
( http://wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5898440 ) of methanphetamine, courtesy of the city of Millington Police force. Millington Police Chief Richard Jewel said he thinks that it came from South Texas or Mexico. The methanphetamine seized was 50 times stronger than the usual meth. Millington Police say that the person they arrested for the meth possession was a middleman who was intending on selling the "ice" (street name for meth) to area dealers.

This is the WORST drug anyone could be addicted to, and this sort of product is making its way across our cities and towns to get Americans messed up and strung out on the stuff! A great job goes to the Millington Police Department for catching this guy. We would have had a mess on our hands!

And days later, in Tipton County Tennessee, just to the North of Shelby County (the county where the meth bust took place), a Tennessee State Trooper lost his life during a traffic stop when he pulled over 2 young men from the Texas area. Trooper Calvin Jenks, just 24 yrs. old, smelled marijuana coming from the car of the suspects and asked them if they had drugs in the car. One suspect mentioned the console and when Jenks went to look, the other suspect, 17 yr. old Alejandro Guana shot Patrolman Jenks, ending his life. Alejandro Guana and Orlando Garcia were trafficking drugs and they used a less traveled road to transport their drugs that night. Both men were legally in America, but regardless of whether they were legal or not, they were transporting drugs that no doubt came from Mexico or from Texas where they were from. These drugs are coming to OUR neighborhoods! One can see what problems the US faces when we fail to get serious on the border and protect it.
( http://wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5901930 ).

My appreciation goes to the law enforcement that has to deal with this headache, and I salute Trooper Jenks for his service. He gave his life unnecessarily so that 2 drug pushers would be off the street and not infecting our neighborhoods.

As I wrap up this article, it's imperative that our Congress and the President GET SERIOUS and listen to the requests of the people, and start using common sense, working for the good of this nation...through ACTION, not rhetoric. Current leaders MUST know we have a crisis on the US/Mexico border. We truly have a problem in many areas of our country. There is just NO logical explanation for the nonsense that's been going on and has been allowed to happen and in regards to dealing with border concerns; most of our elected officials have been limp-wristed.

The American people must be careful in whom they trust to lead them, if there is a scarcity of true public servants, the entire nation suffers. Now isn't the time for us to be apathetic to problems facing our nation, lest the effects rise up and consume us later.

I feel our nation truly is in peril, and it will take a number of citizens to join the ranks of the brave individuals who have stood in defense of our country, who have done what is right, who have stood for what is right, no matter what opposition they may face. And that includes our leaders.

Where's our nation's backbone?

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