Crazy Train or Emotional Subway Attack?

The 1st Amendment to the United States of America Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Freedom of speech is great up to a point. Does the freedom of speech allow people to annoy the heck out of you? Does it protect their right to get right in your face and say what they want? I think not.

The purpose behind the freedom of speech is to allow people to speak out for anything they want to without fear of retribution by the government. It is probably one of the most important parts of the Constitution yet people interpret this right as freedom to do whatever they want as long as they are talking while they are doing it.

It should be obvious from my website that I enjoy a healthy dose of the 1st amendment on a daily basis. I relish a great discussion about things that make the weak-minded run and cower in the corner. In short, if it’s controversial, let’s discuss it! I want to hear your opinions and views on these topics. I want you to roll up your sleeves, open up your mind, and really think about what is going on in the world.

With that in mind, I’d like to share with you a story that I was directed to at "Live Journal". Here is a person minding their own business when along comes a few religious types who decide it is their personal mission to save the world.

These are not your average Christians, but they’re zealots, fanatics, crazy people who have let their belief go a little too far. These are the same sort of folks who believe that role-playing games are real, and then proceed to act them out. They are the people you see wandering the city streets mumbling to themselves.

We have clever sayings for them such as, "Their elevator doesn't go all the way to the top", "they're not the sharpest tools in the shed", and "the lights are on, but nobody's home".

It may not be their fault that they are like this, but we can all agree that they do not represent the majority of the people of this world.

This story is not about lashing out at Christians, it is a tale of defending a persons right to be left alone, so that they can practice their freedoms however they choose, not how someone else wishes them to.

No more rambling by me, here is the tale of one subway rider that has had enough.

The following was written by K.R. Munson. See the end of this story for a link to the original posting on Live Journal.

===================================

This morning I had the most bizarre subway ride. I board the Number 3 train at Grand Army Plaza after 9 a.m. Find a seat, then settle into reading Henry James for class. I hear a woman’s voice gradually rising in volume. She is preaching the “Lord’s” word to the train car’s sleepy riders. Of course, I had forgotten the headphones for my subway evil sounds blocking device. The train stops and starts.
The words denigrating “gay devils” reach my ears. I stand up.

Me: “Excuse me, but do you mind keeping your voice down, I am trying to read.”

Preacher Lady: (screams) “I got to testify.”

Preacher lady hitches up her skirts and tells me that I am going to hell for interrupting you-know-who’s word. Two or three OTHER Christian ladies on the train start shouting at me and discussing my prospects as the Devil’s prison bitch. The last straw was a 50 something red faced man in a suit slamming his Bible towards my face.
There was only one thing I could do.

Me: “If you all don’t lower your voices and cease calling me Satan, I will have to sing show tunes.”

The other straphangers look at me with stony faces.
I begin to sing.
“Its very clear, our love is here to stay. Not for a year, but forever and a day…”

Preacher lady and the Jesus police start mumbling and beseeching G_d to strike me down and boil me in molten tar. (I look better in silver.)
The train reaches Wall Street. Confused subway riders check out the scene. I begin swaying and feeling the music.

The slamming Bible man looks like he is going to pop a blood vessel. “I cast ye out, Satan.”

I go into jazz dance crouch and then spring up to belt out, “THAAAAAAT OLD BLACK MAGIC, HAS ME IN A SPELL…”

Bible man has to get off the train as I wriggle and shimmy. “That same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine!”

Bible man exits. SHOW TUNES 1, FUNDAMENTALISTS 0.

“So when you walk alone and forlorn, and hear that Cadillac horn remember, love isn’t born, its made…and that’s why every window has a window shade…bad a biddle be bop…”

I try to discuss freedom of religion with the ladies, but all attempts at reasonable discourse fail.

By 34th street, the last of the Christian word warriors has left the train. 3 subway riders shake my hand and say, “I have always wanted to tell those idiots to shut up! Bless you.”

I am shaking. I don’t know what comes over me at times like this. I only know that I cannot stay silent. I wish that I had my ukulele with me.

At 42nd street, a woman strides into the car and starts PREACHING. The entire car bursts into laughter. I interrupt this new preacher lady and note that she is wearing a flowered straw bonnet.

Me: “Excuse me, Ma’am…but I must warn you that there has been a 12 subway stop donnybrook regarding the unwanted intrusion of religious beliefs into our morning commutes.”

Preacher Lady 2: “I got freedom of speech! And GOD TELLS ME THAT THE GAY DEVILS ARE CONTROLLING NEW YORK.”

Me: (standing up) “If you do not cease and desist fouling the air with homophobia, I must sing…SHOW TUNES.”

There are now 3 or 4 gay men on the train. They start laughing.

Preacher Lady 2: “The Lawd says you are going to …” (litany of punishments that would be fun with the right person).

Me: (sings) “The Girl that I marry will have to be, as soft and as sweet as a nursery… the girl I call my own, will wear diamonds and laces and smell of cologne…”

One of the boys on the train starts to harmonize.

Preacher Lady 2 makes her way down the car, pointing and exclaiming, “I have met the devil right here!”

Me: (sings) “Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets…”

Dancing around the subway poles and doing my best Gwen Verdon kicks, I feel the spirit in me.

I close with “Pennies from Heaven” and make sure to get the Jazz Hands in for good measure.

As Preacher Lady 2 runs to the next car at 72nd Street, the doors open, a perfect end of song button for my gay pointing gesture.

The subway riders break into applause and I bow. Rock on.

Several straphangers whisper, Happy New Year to me in Hebrew.

An Orthodox lady hands me an orange.

I don't know if I should laugh or cry.

***************

This was written by K.R. Munson
Copyright 2004

Original link to this story on Live Journal is here.Ladies Village Improvement Society

100th Anniversary

Not years, but articles.

This will be the 100th article here on Life In A Handbasket.

It’s been a little over a year now since I placed my first words online here at Life In A Handbasket. I created this website because I enjoy discussing various topics with people, and hearing multiple sides of an argument. Throughout my life I have found myself watching news stories, listening to people talking, and thinking about a variety of issues.

If a subject is usually not talked about, I would always bring it up. Strange how you can talk about things like aliens and ghosts, weird unexplained things, politics, sex, violence, and all manner of other things that many people seem to ignore in their daily lives, and many people seem to enjoy the opportunity.

I have had folks you would not believe talk to me about seeing unexplainable things that they have never told another soul, but they chose to tell me because it seemed like I would not make fun of them.

Do I have all of the answers? Of course not, but I do approach many topics as if I do. This is for several reasons.

I’m very passionate about my ideas and beliefs. Yes, I am arrogant enough to think I’m right, but not so far gone that I am not open to the viewpoint of others. In fact, I hunger for a different opinion. I want someone to tell me I’m wrong and to explain to me why. My only request is that their view be strongly supported because I’ll be coming back at them with both barrels.

Yet another reason to approach topics with a know-it-all attitude is to develop a spark within my readers. I want you to get angry, I want you to question your beliefs, and I want you to challenge me and what I write down.

If you are afraid of throwing the gauntlet down using your real name, by all means choose an anonymous name with which to join the website. This way you can release the bonds that might keep you from speaking out, and let the comments fly! Prove me wrong, tell me why, and bring your outlook on life to everyone here.

I realize time is a precious commodity these days, but I would love for you to spend some time browsing through older articles and leave your comments behind, or better yet, drop in to the forums and start up a discussion about one of my articles. Even if you agree, chime in and let everyone know I actually got one right according to you.

Recently I have entertained requests for articles from people wanting to know my thoughts on certain topics. If you think you have a stumper for me, or just enjoy reading my dribble on things, toss me a topic you want to read about and I’ll do what I can to address the issue.

At the bottom right column on our front page there is a block that shows the purpose of this website. I wrote this one night trying to decide just what exactly I was trying to achieve on Life In A Handbasket. It does a good job summing up what this website is for.

Several people have accused me of hate speech, because I have a difference of opinion with their views. Some think I am trying to start a cult or other such nonsense. I’m certain many feel that I am anti this, or anti that, or have some hidden agenda behind my articles.

There is no theme on this website other then trying to get at the truth for many different news stories and topics. Where the truth is cloudy, you will get my opinion for what that’s worth. These words are not meant to convert you, convince you, abuse you, or enlighten you. What I type is merely my view, my opinions and my thoughts on a particular subject.

I’m a selfish man. This website is ultimately for me, not you. What I am always looking for is knowledge. I want to learn by reading what other people think about the subjects that I tend to dwell on. What I really get annoyed with sometimes is writing about something controversial and then having nobody leave comments.

Are you all afraid to make a comment, or am I perfect in every article I write? In some articles I claim there is no God, and that organized religion is merely man-made. I delve into the abortion issue, and discover that I am a right-to-lifer. Just yesterday I agreed that so-called assault weapons should be registered. President Bush should get another four years to finish what he began, and John Kerry is a waffling, wishy-washy, sad excuse for a presidential candidate.

There, does that raise any eyebrows? Does any of that piss you off? I know wanting President Bush to remain in office should upset at least the folks who don’t like the man. Even though not liking President Bush is no reason to elect an ineffectual idiot!

So jump into the forums, cinch up your belt, put on your best poker face, crack your knuckles, and let me have it! Defend John Kerry. Defend religion. Defend O.J. if you must, but participate in the forums and the discussions on the website.

Now go out into the world and forward this website link to all of your friends. Invite all your pro-gun, anti-gun friends to sling it out here in the Handbasket. You always wanted to flame something, here is the sight to do it in. Flame on! My only request is to keep the fighting clean and respectful of the opinions of others.

Let’s engage our brains and open our minds to intellectual discussions. I’ve always enjoyed the expression that your mind is like a parachute. It won’t work if it isn’t open.

Open your mind, fire up your spell checkers, and let’s get to talking. After 100 articles, I’m beginning to feel like I’m typing to myself.

We can all agree that writing is a form of communication. It can also be argued that sex is a form of communication as well. I’ve had over a year of writing articles alone with little or no interaction from the visitors of this website. Can you guess the correlation in that subtle comparison?

Here’s to another 100 articles! I hope you can all stay for the ride.

The Right To Keep And Arm Bears

“A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” The Constitution of the United States of America - Second Amendment

I received an e-mail on the concern of the assault weapon ban coming to an end and congress not doing anything to reinstate the ban. It was also suggested that this is a good topic for the “Handbasket” to tackle. So here I am, feeling like a lounge piano entertainer playing a request.

Just kidding. This is indeed one for the Handbasket. So let me activate my shields, and once again tell you all my opinion on a difficult subject.

Let me start out by showing you all what some of the very people who founded this great country thought of citizens owning weapons.

"Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence. From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present day, events occurrences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace, security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good." – George Washington, Commanding General of the Continental Army, Father of Our Country and First President of the United States in a speech to Congress, January 7, 1790

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in Government." – Thomas Jefferson, Author of The Declaration of Independence, and Third President of the United States

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms ... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants, they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." -- Thomas Jefferson

I could continue, but you get the idea.

The second amendment was clearly written for the citizens of this country to have the ability to protect themselves from the government. To prevent the government from getting too carried away with removing our liberties and freedoms.

It is this freedom that has allowed us to retain our liberty for so long, and why many countries envy us.

Now that you know that I am a complete pro-gun person, and firmly believe that all citizens have this basic right to bear arms. What are my thoughts on banning assault weapons?

When it comes to a citizen having the right to bear arms, are we to take this to the infinite levels and say that I can assemble a ballistic missile in my backyard just in case Idaho gets froggy? I don’t think so.

Too crazy? Okay then, where should we draw the line on what makes sense based on the second amendment?

I think most Americans worth their salt agree that pistols and rifles are allowable weapons to be owned by law-abiding citizens. After all, these make decent self-defense weapons, and also have uses such as hunting, target practice, and just plane old fun.

Assault weapons should not necessarily be banned totally, but I do agree that stricter controls should be placed on them. Much in the same way you should be licensed to own a wild animal, you should also be registered to own assault weapons for whatever reason you may want them.

As far as being able to waltz into the local K-mart and buy an Uzi though, I think that may be pushing things a little too far.

Where I tend to get upset is at the illusion that the Federal Government can’t prevent us from owning guns, but that state governments can. Since when is it acceptable for state governments to overrule the Constitution?

I think this has not been challenged near enough. Point blank, state law forbidding us to carry weapons is illegal. A state does not have this right, yet most states seem to think they do, and we just roll over and let them.

Then they say that we have the right to bear arms if we pay the state a fee. Of course it’s now okay if they are making money from it. Nice racket to be in, charging their citizens for the right already granted them by the Constitution.

To summarize… I believe we have the right to defend ourselves with reasonable weaponry, but when you start wanting weapons that go beyond basic defense and sport, the line must be drawn there.

This topic has many different angles to it, and I welcome someone to join me in the forums to discuss this further.

Let Allah Sort Them Out

How many of you have received an e-mail discussing all of the correlation of Iraq and the Bible? Then the e-mail ends with the following statement.

“The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible)

Koran (9:11) – For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and Io, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace.

(Note the verse number!)”

When I first read this I thought, why the heck would the Koran mention that someone else was coming to kick the believers of Allah’s butt? Sounded a bit fishy and guess what? It is!

This is a complete hoax. There is nothing remotely similar to this in the Koran. Some people just think it’s funny to rewrite religious tomes, or create false prophecies to make it seem like something was for-told or predicted by some mystical force.

As 9-11 is here again, many of us are reflecting on what had occurred on that terrible day in our countries history.

If it wasn’t so tragic, I would almost be amused that the Soviet Union, who sided against our going after Iraq and its terrorist regime, now denounces terrorism and makes the same claim that they will now preemptively be going after terrorists no matter where they are in the world.

Gee, that sounds familiar.

It’s nice to see the Soviet Union has come around to our way of thinking. It’s amazing how the deaths of hundreds of children in your own country can be a wake up call. Unfortunately, it’s tragic that it had to come to that to get them into the game.

Countries like Germany, France, and all of the wussies who have pulled out of Iraq as the result of terrorist actions against their country are nothing but an embarrassment to their people. It has been proven time and again that giving in to terrorist demands will do nothing to protect your country.

I truly hope they don’t find this out like the Soviets had to.

Why does the simple concept that these people want to kill everyone who is not Islamic so hard to grasp by these other countries?

While we’re on that line of thinking, where is all of the condemnation from Islamic leaders? Occasionally you’ll hear a lone Islamic person claim that their religion is one of peace, and they do not agree with the terrorists. This does not appear to be the general consensus though.

I think that people should have the freedom to worship however they like. My only stipulation to this freedom and right is that when your worship means the killing of others, your freedom and right is revoked.

You can be Christian, and more power to you. When you start killing doctors because they are performing abortions, you cease to be protected by your religious faith, and you become a criminal of humanity. If you do not believe in abortion, fight it with knowledge, and in the courts, not by becoming a Christian Soldier.

The same holds true with Islam. You may worship Allah, and follow his teachings all you want, but when you start killing people who do not believe as you do, or condoning such actions among your peers, then you need to be stopped.

There is not one religion in this world that is more correct then any other. Certainly not to the point where all other non-believers must be killed! The Christians have tried this historically, and so have the Germans, and many other cultures as well.

What’s my take on all of this? It may seem harsh.

If you choose the path of killing all who do not believe as you do, you’re fair game for retaliation.

When a criminal breaks into your home with a gun, and points it at you, you are justified in shooting them dead.

When a religion declares war on you, and wants to kill you by any means possible, even suicide bombing, you are justified in shooting them dead.

I say we give the entire country of Iraq, and every Muslim on the planet, the opportunity to denounce their violent religion or face the consequences. What consequences you may ask? Look at the previous paragraph.

There is no need to start a slaughter, so let the Muslims choose their side. The side of the Muslims who believe we should all be killed or the side of the peaceful Muslims who condones these actions of their countrymen.

Let them proudly display their intentions so we know who to target. This will prevent the accidental removal of the scum out of the gene pool.

Declare countries, or cities in countries, as the place where these proud Muslims who want to kill us can live defiantly. They can dance in the streets, shooting into the air, and burn the American flag. They can try and capture any stupid person who tries to talk with them, and cut their heads off on television.

Of course, these cowards will not go along with this because they know what will happen. We will send them all packing to see their beloved Allah! This is what they want though, so let’s help them out.

I’m in no mood to drag this thing out to a 100 year war like what has gone before, but this is turning out to have that potential. It’s turning into a kill or be killed type of fight. As our president said, you’re either with us in our fight, or against us.

If 1 million Muslims are against us, then there needs to be 1 million graves in the various Muslim countries around the world.

Too harsh? Maybe. The other choice is to slowly send more and more of our soldiers over to be killed year after year.

The only way to end a war is to break the population that is fighting you. It is the way war has always ended. We must go in to every city that is still actively fighting us and blow them all to Allah! I bet the other cities shut the heck up real quickly, wouldn’t you?

It’s us or them folks, and I for one want it to be them!

I’ll end this article with a few choice quotes from General George S. Patton.

"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week."

"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his."

"May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't."

Patton wrote this prayer for inclusion in a book for soldiers and sailors;

God of our fathers, who by land and sea have ever lead us to victory, please continue your inspiring guidance in this the greatest of all conflicts. Strengthen my soul so that the weakening instinct of self-preservation, which besets all of us in battle, shall not blind me to my duty to my own manhood, to the glory of my calling, and to my responsibility to my fellow soldiers. Grant to our armed forces that disciplined valor and mutual confidence which insures success in war. Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting, but rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived. If it be my lot to die, let me do so with courage and honor in a manner which will bring the greatest harm to the enemy, and please, oh Lord, protect and guide those I shall leave behind. Give us the victory, Lord.

As usual, I welcome all comments here, and would like to entertain any discussion in the forums.

Through The Looking Glass

While sitting in the Reagan National airport waiting for a flight back home, I ordered some pizza and took a seat at a counter that was facing a large mirror.

Mirrors have long been a source of fascination. Many works of literature, and other forms of expression, have forever recorded the world of reflection.

A mirror can provide us the opportunity to look at ourselves. We all look into a mirror as we get ready to greet the day, or to see if the pain in our eye is an eyelash. Next time you're brushing your hair in front of that glass vision that is your opposite, stop the primping process for a moment and take a good long look at who is looking back at you.

Move beyond the vanity and into the soul. Ignore the imperfections, and instead see who you really are. Do you like what you see?

Who are you really?

This is a personal view, and can be an enlightening experience. I believe that people should stop and take a look at themselves more often.

Do you spin your wheels trying to change how others view you, or do you apply your energy to improving how you feel about yourself?

I really don't care how others view me. My focus is on my personal journey. It can be compared to playing video games.

When you play most video games you try to best your highest score. In fact this is what makes people keep coming back for more.

I am constantly trying to improve my personal score in life. When someone needs my help, I do what I can to offer my assistance.

While here in the airport this morning, I arrived early so I was just sitting near the baggage claim and noticed an older woman, with obvious physical difficulties, waiting for her bag to come off the belt.

As I watched I was ready to get up and help her with her bags if she were to have problems getting them. She appeared to be looking for a small black roll-around type of bag, since these were the ones she was scrutinizing as they passed.

After a while, everyone had their bags but her. I noticed a Skycap was pulling a few black roll-around type bags off the belt at the far end and took them over to the baggage service area.

By this time the woman was wandering around with a sort of lost look wondering what she should do. I got up, walked over to her, excused myself, and told her that I think her bag may be over in the baggage service area.

When I was leaving the area, I noticed her leaving the baggage service area with her bag.

It is moments like these that allow me to look into a mirror and approve of the man I see looking back at me.

Helping that woman was not about recognition, it was not done for any reason other then the fact that someone needed some assistance, and I had the ability to lend a hand.

Even as I relate this story, the intent is not for any accolades from you. I'll say it again; I could care less what others think of me. These words are being shared with you in hopes they may inspire.

The story of our lives is still being written. As a good story can do, the direction can always change for good or bad. Make sure the last chapter of your story leaves you with a warm feeling of happiness.

Now You See Him

John Kerry’s boat buddies seem to be rallying against him. Apparently his Viet Nam stories are full of more holes then his plans for, well, just about anything else.

It turns out that the decorations he received during Viet Nam, that he is so proud and ready to throw in anybody’s face who isn’t tired of the mantra yet, were awarded under questionable circumstances. I won’t go into the details here, but it’s pretty much all over the talk shows and in the new book that is out called, “Unfit For Command”.

The Editorial Review in Amazon.com says, “The charges leveled against Kerry in this book are severe and include filing false operating reports; lobbying for and receiving three Purple Hearts for minor wounds, two of which were self-inflicted; receiving a Silver Star under false pretenses; offering false confessions of bogus war crimes in both print and testimony; and recklessness in the field, including the burning of a village without cause or direct order. The book also claims that Kerry left Vietnam after serving just four months instead of the usual one year tour and that he returned home and accused his fellow soldiers of atrocities without offering any evidence, endangering POWs in the process.”

John Kerry and the Democratic Party have tried everything possible to attack our current president. Most of these attacks seem childish and not worthy of a grade school playground, much less a presidential candidate. One such attack was to make fun of George W. Bush for joining the National Guard instead of going to Viet Nam.

It was a time when the draft was in effect. At a time when many men ran away to places like Canada to avoid their duty, George W. Bush and John Kerry both joined a separate arm of our defense forces. Kerry joined the Navy, went to Viet Nam and weaseled his way out early, this does not make him some big hero and George Bush not. At least Bush did not create bogus injuries to shirk his duty to his country.

It’s hilarious watching events heading toward this election unfold. Now John Kerry is agreeing with President Bush that knowing what he knows now he still supports President Bush’s actions concerning Iraq. So just what the heck does Kerry bring to the table in an offering to elect him? So far, I see nothing.

The funniest thing is listening to Liberals trying to defend John Kerry, or to try and make up some strange reason to hate George Bush. This comes out in shows like, “McEnroe”, which I’m embarrassed to admit that I watched tonight. It came on after "Dennis Miller", and I knew it was going to be Liberally-biased so I thought I’d see what the left side of the country was saying.

I can report that George Bush is probably a shoe-in for the upcoming election if this is all they have to go on. John McEnroe showed three pictures of President Bush, one in what appeared to be an Asian shirt, one as a cheerleader for Yale with the comment that he played for the team as a cheerleader, and finally a picture of the President picking his nose at a sports event.

Now, I don’t know about you, but if I had a camera on me 24/7 there would be times when I was possibly scratching, picking, or rubbing things that I would have been trying to do discreetly. Would this make him a bad president, or a human being?

Then McEnroe, the pillar of the tennis world by-the-way, shows a part of Bill Clinton’s speech at the Democratic Convention and declares, “Great speech by Bill Clinton last night don’t we agree?” The audience sort of clapped a little seemingly to humor McEnroe, but you could tell it was not a big agreement. John tries to cover by saying, “A lot of Republicans in the audience tonight”.

No John, Bill Clinton was a disgrace to the position of President and many people do not consider him a leader in any stretch of the imagination. He reminds me of a used car salesman, and I get pissed off knowing all the crap he pulled while in the office of President and he still remains in the public eye like he did nothing wrong.

It worries me that John Kerry not only has the same used car salesman act, but he performs it worse then Clinton did.

I’m not necessarily a Republican, Democrat, or any particular party affiliation. Heck, if the Democrats came up with a candidate that had great ideas and made sense I would consider them, but John Kerry is not that man. He is certainly not man enough to fill our current president’s shoes and take over the leadership role of this country at this time.

Is President Bush perfect? No. Are any of us? No.

When I see John Kerry I think of the Walt Disney movie that was made years ago starring Kurt Russell called, “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t”. At the moment we see him, but after November he will slink back into the undergrowth of politics where he came from.

ON SHEEP, WOLVES, AND SHEEPDOGS

This article was sent to me in e-mail. It was written by LTC(RET) Dave Grossman, RANGER, Ph.D.,author of "On Killing."

It is an excellent analogy of how people are basically sheep, wolves, or sheepdogs. Sounds simple enough, but reading how it is all put into perspective from this point of view hits home.

Take it from a sheepdog, you should read this article to see where you fall in the flock of life.

And now, the article...

"Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for?" - William J. Bennett - in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997.

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.

Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful? For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.

But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa."

Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population. There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." - Edmund Burke

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

For example, many officers carry their weapons in church? They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs. Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.

I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, "I will never be caught without my gun in church." I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy's body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids' school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have and idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones were attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"

It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.

Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn't bring your gun, you didn't train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear, helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.

Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: "...denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying itisn't so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling."

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level.

And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes.

If you are warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be "on" 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself..."Baa."

This business of being a sheep or a sheepdog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other.

Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.

Flying Deer

Today started like any other day on the road for work.

Some of you know my job often has me driving all over the Northwestern part of the United States, through the mountains and valleys, near the lakes and the streams.

When I began this day, I never would have thought that I would have seen something that I had never seen before, and will more then likely never see again. I saw a flying deer.

No, this is not an article about Santa’s reindeer, nor is it fictional. For those of you who now doubt my word, I can offer my friend who was traveling with me at the time as proof. He witnessed this event as well. It was a spectacle that left us both gasping in disbelief.

Okay, enough misdirection. As you may have guessed by now, the deer was flying because it was struck by a car.

While heading from the Canadian border toward the little town of Curlew Washington, we were following a car and as we rounded a corner we saw something fly up and over the car and land on the opposite side of the road.

I’ll spare you more details of the incident, because it is obviously a sad thing to watch occur.

We stopped to check and see if the family that was in the car was alright. Luckily, nobody was injured but they were understandably shaken up a bit.

Heading closer to home we entered the blast zone of high winds (apparently about 70 mph). Visibility was low due to the amount of dirt in the air, and the wind apparently snapped and toppled trees, sparked fires, downed power lines and just generally created havoc throughout the Spokane Washington area.

We were fortunate that it seems all of our trees have survived the storm intact, and the trash cans were not yet placed outside for their Tuesday morning pickup.

Tonight we’re surrounded by strong winds, lightening, and rain. We went from 95 degrees to 71 degrees as I write this (11:30PM).

There are times we go about our daily lives ignoring nature, and then there are days like today were nature pops up and demands to be acknowledged.

As my daughter and I brought in the cushions from our patio furniture, I noticed that the back of the house is covered with a variety of spiders. We have been doing battle with spiders in the house too. We now have 10 spider traps placed throughout the bottom two floors of our home.

There is nothing more unnerving then watching a quarter-sized spider cruise across your floor while you’re watching television. While smacking one of these big brutes the other night as he crawled along my fireplace brickwork, he jumped on my hand and ran up my arm before he fell on the carpet. I am not normally afraid of spiders, but that gave me the heebie jeebies!

With the storm, fires, power outages, and spiders, it seems only natural that this day also included a flying deer. This night I will pay tribute to Mother Nature. Today I was reminded that we are not the rulers of the Earth; we are merely living here in concert with a variety of other creatures.

Supermarket Etiquette

Life here in the handbasket always provides me with a rich source of stories that I can share with you all.

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever run out of things to write about, and then some event happens through the course of the day and…ta da!

We’re getting used to not having to stand in line at the checkout for most stores these days, because they seem to be very proactive when it comes to maintaining short wait times. After all, they know that if you have to stand in line for 20 minutes while your milk sours and your frozen foods become naught, you will probably be finding someplace else to shop.

My tale begins while standing in an unusually long line at Albertsons.

The lady in front of me is reading one of the impulse magazines while waiting for her turn to checkout. Her little girl is swinging on the candy bar-filled “closed” rack that can be used to shut down a checkout line, and her son is playing some hand-held Gameboy device. The son, in between rounds on the Gameboy, was running from isle to isle, grabbing handfuls of candy bars and other health foods and tossing them in the basket.

Once the belt became free for her to start placing her groceries onto it, she bends over slightly and picks up one item, and slowly places it on the belt. While she is performing this ballet move, she has not taken her nose out of the magazine.

Obviously it was a good article, because she repeated this maneuver over and over as her items moved down the belt like an episode from “I Love Lucy” where her and Ethel were working in the chocolate factory. One piece at a time.

Now the checkout lady was watching her since she had a line of folks and this lady was slowing her down, as she had to wait for each item to make it to her little scanning device.

Finally, we thought relief was on the way when she backed up, still reading I might add, and let her son load the groceries on the little belt.

You know how they say you set the example for your children? Her son began placing items, one at a time, onto the belt while playing on his Gameboy.

The rest of us in line began sharing those looks that people do when you all want to just scream at someone, but you’re being polite. Have you ever just felt like yelling at the top of your lungs, “Oh c’mon lady!”?

Apparently she had finished the article, because she had reached back and placed the magazine back in the rack. No wonder she did not want to stop, she had no intention of purchasing the magazine, she just wanted to read it all in the store.

As the cart emptied out, I noticed an empty can of Cherry Pepsi sitting on that little seat where kids sit. I can only surmise that one of this carefree group drank it while in the store and did not include it in their purchase. You know the type. The people you see grazing on things in the produce isle.

By this time, checkout lady was trying to get their now empty basket pushed through the walkway so they could start loading it up on the other side. Which was great because they had just left it between the conveyor belt device and me.

Her focus finally on the matter at hand, this lady was intently watching the total as the last pieces of her groceries made the conveyor journey. Can you guess what happened next? That’s right, she exclaims in a surprised voice, “Oh, this is going over $200”.

With a great show of patience, the checkout lady began removing items so that the total would make it under $200. Since she had a limited budget, why on Earth did she just sit there and watch her kids throw armloads of candy into her basket?

I’m sure many of you have been in the situation where you did not have enough money to pay for something and had to go through the “put it back” scenario. This was not really what made this situation amusing. The amusing part was the entire series of events, and watching it all unfold right in front of me like a well rehearsed sitcom.

The scary thing is that this lady goes forth from the grocery store and functions every day, all day long, just like this. I can’t imagine her dealing with driving.

Most people in the front of a very long line will show a sense of urgency. Most people who know they only have a certain amount to spend at the grocery store would not just throw tons of extra stuff in their cart. Most people would be controlling their kids at least a little.

This was my shopping experience last night.

Sunday I take off for Baltimore, MD for a week, and I can almost guarantee that I will have things to share with you from my trip.

Big Whoopi

Let’s get something out in the open before I begin.

I think everyone is a fair target for comedians, and I for one love to laugh at not only political figures, but movie stars and all manner of people that are representative in our society.

Sure some jokes may be rude, crude, and socially unacceptable, but funny is funny. I firmly believe that everyone needs to lighten up now and then, and yes, even laugh at themselves!

One day at work I was working on some computer systems at the Canadian border. I was wearing some Eddie Bauer jeans (which I will never buy again I might add), when they ripped down the inseam of the leg. I have since had several pair of these type of jeans all rip near the same location. Other jeans do not do this, so I figure it’s a weakness in the Eddie Bauer jeans.

So there I was, a long way from home, with my leg split from hip to knee on the inside. What could I do? The guy I was working with and I had a great laugh. Heck, we even stopped on the way home to get a bite to eat at a small gas station. Again, more laughs were had at my expense, but it was truly funny! A bit embarrassing, but funny.

Now I admit when jokes are purposely told to be hurtful, then there is a limit. For example, surrounding someone and making fun of them merely to get a reaction directly from them is in bad form. This is more along the lines of teasing rather then telling jokes.

Apparently, the other day at a John Kerry fund raiser, Whoopi Goldberg and some others were poking fun at the current administration. I feel this is perfectly okay to do. After all, what would a comedian tell jokes about if the politicians are off limits.

What makes this a different situation is that Whoopi is also a spokesperson for Slim-Fast. It sounds as though, in the course of the roasting of our current president, Whoopi made some poor choices during her performance. The obvious association with our presidents last name and female body parts did not go unmentioned.

I’m hearing people complain that Whoopi’s right to freedom of speech has been infringed upon, or that this was somehow a racial thing (don’t you get sick of that one?).

Slim-Fast was merely making a business decision, not a political one. When a company hires someone to represent them there is always certain expectations. If a spokesperson goes nuts, or in this case, says things that are not appropriate for the customers, a company has the right to once again evaluate that persons usefulness as a representative for their product.

In Whoopi’s defense she says, "I've done material on every president in the past 20 years, from Reagan to Carter, from Clinton to Bush. I have used portions of the material I did at the fund-raiser in shows, speeches and even on national television and it seems now that people from the other side are using this to further their own agenda,"

Many spokespersons have probably done many things they are not too proud of, or that might get them fired if word got out, or someone made a big deal about it. The point here is that a big deal has been made of her “material” and the public was not impressed.

Slim-Fast knew what they were getting when they hired a comedian to represent them, and I think they really didn’t care what she did during her various acts. The problem came when she chose a very high-profile forum at which to perform her material.

If Janet Jackson would have had her “wardrobe malfunction” in a different venue other then on television at the Superbowl halftime, there would not have been such a backlash in her case either.

Some good can come of these things though. Just like in Aesop’s Fables, these tales have a moral. Do what you want, but in the end, you are the only one responsible for your actions.

If you’re a comedian, tell your jokes about the president in nightclubs and places were people go to laugh about irreverent topics. I would suggest you don’t go to the Whitehouse to deliver that same material. Using that same line of thinking, don’t go to a political rally, where you know your actions will be watched closely and criticized, and then rudely berate our current president.

You know, many of us have just about had enough of the constant lying by the democratic party about the current administration. I get so sick of hearing all of the accusations for which not one drop of any credibility or evidence is brought out, just accusations after accusation. It reminds me of a school yard bully who says, “Oh yeah, well you pick your nose and eat it!”

Okay, that was gross, but you get the idea. If I actually read a decent article outlying ANYTHING that President Bush had done illegal, or morally wrong, then I might consider the wind being blown from the opposition.

When I hear a democrat say they hate Bush, and then when asked why they hate him, they have no answers! Zero! They have no idea; they just spew forth the comment like that alone makes it true!

John Kerry is such a whiney butt that I can’t stand it. He waffles back and forth on important topics depending on who he is talking to at the time, and I love this picture of him with Jane Fonda protesting the Viet Nam war. You remember Hanoi Jane don’t you?

Now I’m not one to hold a generational grudge on someone like Jane Fonda, but many people will go to their grave hating this woman for what she did long ago. How do you think these folks will enjoy seeing Jane Fonda and John Kerry together protesting the war?

John Kerry thanked Whoopi and the rest of the celebrity acts and said they, "conveyed the heart and soul of our country."

In the typical waffling Kerry fashion, the Democratic Party refused to release footage of the event so that the people of this country could hear for themselves what Kerry thinks their hearts and souls conveyed.

When I make a decision, no matter what the audience is, I stick by that decision. My decisions are not always correct, but at least I admit that! Sometimes more frequently then I care to. I just wish Kerry would do the same and he wouldn’t look like such an idiot.

The Democratic Party is always so quick to say people should apologize to the country for remarks and actions made, how about a big fat apology from Kerry for the poor choice of material from the entertainers at his fund raiser?

Just as I thought, the answer would be a “no”.

Now I’ve gone and spun completely off the subject, but I had to get that off my mind as well tonight. The picture just bugged me that bad.

Be careful what you do in the public forum, because if it’s dumb enough, someone may just bring it back up to haunt you at a later date. John Kerry is finding this out the hard way.

A False War?

I have yet to finish moving all of my articles over to the new website, but the news today has prompted me to write an article before the grand reopening of the website.

It amuses me that the big direction of the news today seems to be that the United States went to war under false pretenses.

Their point is that our intelligence was flawed, and if we knew then what we know now, we would not have gone to war. Would we really, or is this just a bunch of political crap spewing forth just before our election?

Let’s skip over the fact that we should have done many things in history different if we knew then what we know now. How many football games have you watched and quarterbacked from home while yelling at the coach and the television? It’s easy when you’re not in the moment making the decisions for yourself isn’t it?

Same thing applies here. With the information that was available at the moment in time that Congress voted to take action against Iraq, it was the best course of action we could have taken. Perhaps we should have analyzed the information we were being fed a little more closely, but we didn’t. It’s time to move forward, not waffle in the past.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the factors that moved us to attack Iraq.

1. So Damn Insane built up the fourth largest army in the world then invaded Kuwait. In a reaction to this the world unceremoniously kicked his butt back into his own country. He was then told to surrender and was given the conditions for that surrender. One such condition was to declare all of his weapons of mass destruction and to allow inspectors to enter the country unchallenged to verify that no such weapons existed.

2. For years Sadaam refused to work with the United Nations, or tried to stifle any effort to properly inspect his country. He was given years of chances to cooperate and failed to do so at every turn.

3. Iraq has routinely supported terrorists, and funded terrorist activities against the United States.

4. When confronted with the United States hitting the end of their patience with Iraq not cooperating with the United Nations, Sadaam still refused to fully work with the U.N. inspectors and basically continued business as usual.


Although the Weapons of Mass Destruction angle was the most publicized reason for going into Iraq, we went into Iraq because Sadaam refused to cooperate with the United Nations.

To second guess our reasons for going to war with Iraq and cleaning out a festering regime is ridiculous.

Perhaps the intelligence that was gathered was not perfect, but it was not the only reason we went into Iraq. To blow this report out of proportion to try and make it look like it was some huge mistake is wrong.

They talk of “connecting the dots” for going to war, and that, “the dots never existed.”

Based on what I have laid out above I say the dots did exist. Having the additional dots of finding WMD’s would have been nice, but not the sole reason for the war.

The information all of the news stations seem to be wanting us to believe, is that the existence of WMD’s was the only reason we went to war. It was the narrow-minded, central focus for going into Iraq with guns a blazing like the cowboys that we are.

We can research why we did things in the past. We can discuss how we may have done things different, or that if we had, speculate on what the outcome may have been. We can do all of this, and we should, so that we can learn from our mistakes.

What we should not do is to study the past, and then try and twist the thinking of the people of this country into a line of thinking to derail a president and his administration. This is what is happening right now. This is not news to learn from our past. It’s news with one purpose in mind. To convince the American people that the war in Iraq was wrong and unjust. That is a load of 100% crap.

They say that television is an idiot box, it rots the mind and is a vehicle of Satan. In this case they may be closer to the truth then they thought. I am planning on addressing television and its contribution to this society in a future article.

Think for yourself people. Were WMD’s the ONLY reason we removed Sadaam from power and liberated his country?

I’d love to hear some feedback from you all on this latest development. Surely someone has a different opinion, or the news would not be so proud of the finding.