Can you hear me now? The NSA says, "Yes we can!!"

President Obama was commenting last Friday on the National Security Agency's anti-terrorist monitoring program, and said this, 

"We've got congressional oversight and judicial oversight. And if people can't trust not only the executive branch but also don't trust Congress and don't trust federal judges to make sure that we're abiding by the Constitution, due process and rule of law, then we're going to have some problems here."

Duh. You think? 

Trust is earned, Mr. President, not assumed. The trust factor between this administration and the American people has been broken. We've been lied to on a daily basis. Too many people, telling too many lies, on too many subjects. The trust locker is bare.They tell lie after lie and have no shame or remorse when they get caught. Why would anyone believe anything they say. If they told me it was a beautiful day I would have to go check for myself and if it was I still wouldn't believe them. 

Do you trust the President? Do you trust the Attorney general? How about Congress? Character matters, and for the past five years, we've put a man in the White House along with his cronies who lacks character. He is a man without a soul, without any conscience.  

Believing Obama and his minions including Hillary Clinton, James Clapper, Jay Carney, Eric Holder is like being asked to purchase a $19.99 video entitled "Gov Gone Wild!" He claims to know nothing about anything. He learns about the latest scandal when you do, by watching the evening news.

During a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on March 12 of this year, Ron Wyden asked Director of National Intelligence James Clapper a simple question: “Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?”

“No, sir,” Clapper shot back without a pause. 

This message, an explanation to Congress of what the executive branch was up to, was crystal clear: Don’t worry, the NSA is not allowed to track Americans — and it’s not going to. The primary problem with this, as the revelations of last week have demonstrated, is that it was not true.

Now we learn that James Clapper was lying.

Yesterday, Army General Keith Alexander, Director of the NSA, testified before Senate and said the NSA's warrantless, data-mining, secret surveillance program had prevented dozens of terrorist attacks in recent years. Course we can't tell you about them because they're classified. So you'll just have to take our word for it. And we're from the government so we would never ever lie.

Gen. Alexander, do you pinky swear that you're telling the truth? 

NSA Director,  General Keith Alexander with a pinky swear
that he's telling the truth.

The NSA collects all of this data on everybody, but somehow, the government can't track down illegal immigrants. How come meta-data didn't detect the Boston bombers or Maj. Hasan? The Obama administration was also monitoring four Americans fighting for their lives in Benghazi and begging for help. He let them die. Obama let them die!!

Our government is spying on all of us because they refuse to do the sensible thing called "profiling". Why not monitor the calls and emails that go in and out of every mosque in America. Currently, the NSA will not monitor a mosque, church or synagogue. But it would be fine with me if they dropped this wall of separation between the religion and state. Why? Because they would get nothing worthwhile from any church or synagogue, but I suspect that there would be lots of chatter and intel coming from some mosques in America that would help us stop future terrorist plots.

Rather than profile Dearborn, Michigan which is 95% Muslim or those who have secured student visas from Saudi Arabia over the last 5 years, they instead subject every American to scrutiny. This is patting down a 4 yr old in a wheelchair at the airport, rather than focusing on those who are Middle-eastern and fit the profile of just about every terrorist act that we've had in this country since 9-11. We also need to stop giving student visas to Muslims.

James Madison, fourth president of the United States and father of the Constitution wrote: 

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary."

Benjamin Franklin, one of our Founding Fathers, wrote:

 "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

You can't put a smiley face on Islam, and here's why.

Simply put, Islam is at war with America (and with Israel). We have the purveyors of conventional wisdom in our State Department, in academia, and in the media who believe that we are only dealing with a "handful" of radical extremists, whom they insist are not following Islam. They would have you believe that we need to go to the root cause which is poverty, western imperialism, cartoons, etc. in order to end this reign of terror.

But the reality is--You cannot make peace with Islam unless you adopt Sharia law. If we as a nation would just accept Sharia law, all this terrorism would end.

Andrew McCarthy writes: "It is sharia, not terrorism, that must be our line of demarcation, dividing radical Islam from moderate Islam." There are very few moderate Muslims.

Our newly appointed CIA director, John Brennan, is a full-on Islamic apologist who has embraced Islam and believes that Jihad is a peaceful struggle. He is the first government official to put a smiley face on terrorism by framing Jihad as a peaceful struggle to be a better person. In reality, the Quran states that Jihad may be waged against injustice or an unjust nation, as Islam defines the terms. In Islamic texts, a  "just war" can be waged against any nation or people who does not submit to Islam.(please feel free to insert your name and those of your loved ones and friends here).

You should be concerned about the advancement of Sharia law here in America because:

Woman buried alive and then stoned to death
according to Sharia law.

• In Islam, Sharia is the law of the land. There is no separation of church and state. Nothing is open to negotiation. 
• In our republican democracy, we are governed by the Constitution. In Islam, everything is governed in accordance with Allah's will, as manifested in Sharia law.
• Here in America, we believe in freedom of conscience. In Islam, that is apostasy and considered sowing treasonous discord, punishable by death.
• Here in America, we believe in matters of personal privacy, but in Islam and Shariah law, homosexuality and adultery are punishable by death and other transgressions are brutally punished.
• We take great pride in our freedom of speech, including the liberty to analyze and criticize different practices. But in Islam and Shariah law, these practices are considered blasphemy and result in savage retaliation, including being beheaded or burned alive. 
• We believe in liberty which includes private property. But in Islam, all private property belongs to Allah.
• Here in the U.S., we believe in equality. But in Islam, men are favored over women who are treated as 2nd class citizens, and non-Muslims (that would be you and me), are given a choice to either convert, or pay a heavy tax for the privilege of living in an Islamic state, or choose death.
• We make a big deal about freedom from cruel and unusual punishments. But Islam and Sharia law prescribe penalties that include stoning, decapitation, and the severing of limbs. (Think of chilling scene of Jamie Lannister in episode 4 of Game of Thrones having his hand cut off).
• Here in the U.S., we unequivocally condemn terrorism. But Islam and its Shariah law rationalize and

  

  Jamie Lannister about have his right hand cut-off.
  (Game of Thrones, episode 4)

  justify these barbarous attacks as legitimate "resistance" because they always believe Islam is under attack. In Islam, efforts to plant Western ideas and institutions in Muslim countries are seen as attacks on Islam and violations of Sharia law).

In my next post, I'll explore some of the ways that Islam and Sharia law are making inroads here in America, thanks to our President and those on the LEFT.

Republicans Join Obama in Arming Terrorists!!

Sen. Rand Paul from Kentucky

I live in the not-so-great state of Kentucky. It's a poor state that's been run into the ground by Democrats for many decades. We're a welfare state that loves government handouts and loves to tax people. But, having said that, we have the MOST AWESOME senator in the person of Rand Paul. Kentuckians can be proud of Rand Paul, the son of Presidential contender, Ron Paul.

This week, Sen. Rand Paul proposed an amendment that would have prohibited our government from transferring F-16 aircraft and Abrams tanks to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-dominated government. This idiotic idea of arming Islamic extremists, came from not only President Obama (who never saw a Muslim extremist that he didn't sympathize with) but also from the Republicans in the Senate.

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi

Last December, in the midst of protests from the Egyptian people against President Mohammed Morsi, some demonstrators yelled out, "President Obama is supporting a terrorist." The U.S. is now financing tyranny in the Middle East, thanks to our 3 billion dollar bailout of this fanatical regime that has instituted Shariah Law and has publicly stated that the Jews descended from apes and pigs (shades of Hitler). In 2010, Morsi appeared in a video encouraging Egyptians to "nurse our children and grandchildren on hatred." Also, a senior aide to Morsi has stated that the holocaust is a myth, invented by America. 

Demonstrations in Egypt last December 2012

Rand Paul has 3 ideas which baffle GOP senators like John McCain, Kelly Ayotte (from NH) and Lindsay Graham among other Senate Republicans: 

1. Rand Paul thinks that American foreign policy ought to be premised on American national interests, not shifting notions of global stability. 
2. Rand Paul believes in this quaint idea that the foundation for all American foreign policy should be the Constitution. Imagine that? This means that our Congress, especially the House of Representatives has the power to de-fund such madness as "arming Arab extremists."
3. Finally, Rand Paul believes that when we give arms and aid to anti-American Islamists, bad things tend to happen to America.

F-16 Fighter

Sen. Rand Paul tried to stop the weapons transfer to Egypt. He was defeated 79-19 because 23 turncoat Republicans (including John McCain, Lindsay Graham, Kelly Ayotte, McConnell, Inhofe, Portman, Toomey, etc.) shamefully joined ALL the Senate Democrats.

I want to recognize the 18 Republicans who joined Senator Rand Paul is trying to stop the arming of America's enemies. These are true patriots: Boozman, Coats, Cornyn, Crapo, Cruz, Fischer, Grassley, Heller, Lee, Moran, Risch, Roberts, Rubio, Scott, Sessions, Shelby, Thune, and Vitter.

These 19 not only evidence common sense, but also the desire and conviction to protect America's interests as well as those of Israel. 

The TSA is a good example of excessive government groping!

Mark Levin writes in his book "Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America" writes:

"The LAW has been used to destroy its own objective. It has been applied to annihilating the justice that it was supposed to maintain; to limiting and destroying rights which its real appeal was to respect.

The LAW has placed the collective force at the disposal of the unscrupulous who wish, without risk, to exploit the person, liberty, and property of others. It has converted PLUNDER into a right, in order to protect plunder. And it has converted lawful defense into a crime, in order to punish lawful defense."

In 1970, the Code of Federal Regulations had 54,000 pages. Today it runs to 165,000 pages and takes 27 feet of shelf space when printed and bound.

One new federal agency which has been empowered by Congress to make us all possible terrorist suspects is the TSA. This agency has complete control over you once you decide to board a flight. If you've NEVER felt like a criminal, just wait, the TSA can change all that.

I remember my own outrage at the Logan Airport TSA (Boston) when my son was in Army uniform boarding a flight back to Ft. Benning, GA. The TSA agent basically strip-searched Josh, forcing him to remove his shoes. Here was my son defending the freedom of this agent who was treating him like he was a suspected terrorist.

I voted for George W. Bush but many things that he did after 9-11 were stupid and only served to expand government while limiting our liberty and freedom. The TSA is a good example of an agency that has complete control over you as a person the minute you want to board a flight.

In order to get on an airplane in America today, you either have to allow TSA agents to stare at a movie-quality image of your exposed body or you have to allow TSA agents to grope your entire body including your most private areas. The truth is that any nation that treats its citizens like dehumanized cattle does not deserve to be called a "free nation" anymore.  Under the guise of protecting our liberties and freedoms from terrorism, we are being told that we have to give up all of our liberties and freedoms.

Here are some examples of TSA "over-reach" or "over-feel":

• A 61-year old bladder cancer survivor was left humiliated, crying and soaking in his own urine after his "enhanced pat down."
• A flight attendant named Megan describes what she went through at the hands of the TSA, "The agent went up my right leg first and then met my vagina with full force...the same on the other leg with the same result. She then used both of her hands to feel my breasts and squeezing them. At this point, I was in shock."
• ABC News producer Carolyn Durand claims that a TSA agent actually reached inside her underwear and felt her way around.
• Flight attendant Cathy Bossi was shocked when she had to actually show her prosthetic breast to a TSA agent. "She put her full hand on my breast and said, 'What is this?'...And I said, 'It's my prothesis because I've had breast cancer.' And she said, 'Well, you'll need to show me that.'"
• A lawsuit filed on behalf of a female college student from Amarillo, Texas claims that a TSA agent actually exposed her breasts to the public: "As the TSA agent was frisking the plaintiff, the agent pulled the plaintiff's blouse completely down, exposing plaintiffs' breasts to everyone in the area."
• Meg McClain never thought the infamous TSA abuse would happen to her. This very attractive, twenty-something female, was singled out by the TSA for a little “fun” because she is cute and the Tampa chapter of voyeuristic TSA pot-bellied perverts were bored. However, the TSA got more than they bargained for when she would not play ball and subsequently refused to submit to second degree sexual assault at the “hands” of the TSA. The TSA officials subsequently handcuffed her to a chair and spent the next 30 minutes berating her before one agent tore her boarding pass in half in a fit of rage in response the McClain’s opposition to being sexually molested. 
• The abuse of the TSA knows no bounds. For example, they like feeling up children, handicapped children. A toddler in a wheelchair is stopped by the TSA at ORD (O’Hare Airport in Chicago) and forced to into a sequestered area. On his way to a family vacation in Disney, this 3 year old boy is in a body cast for a broken leg. Watch as the TSA employee gleefully puts his hands on this child, in front of his father, and amazingly, the father capitulates. The following was filmed by a horrified bystander.

`````````````````````````````````

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is a cookie cutter version of the East German Stasi and because of the pot bellied perverts who work at the who expose the flying public to degradation, extreme violations of our bodies and lethal doses of radiation. All of this is being done in the name of keeping us safe.  No other country in the world subjects its air travelers to the combination of highly invasive screening procedures that Americans are being forced to endure. Thank-you George W. Bush. What a legacy!! I'm sure you must be proud.

The Remaining 5 in "Ten Foreign Films You Must See Before You Die"

As promised, the remaining 5 foreign films in my list of "10 Foreign Films You Must See Before You Die." I encourage you to watch the video trailers, especially for "Paradise Now."

Paradise Now (2005-Israeli, Arab)

There's not enough that can be said about the insane motivations of suicide bombers, but  "Paradise Now" is the closest I have seen to making this point. 

The plot of this movie follows approximately two days in the lives of a couple of young Palestinian men who are friends. It begins with one of them losing his job and proceeds to cover the twists and turns of being brainwashed into thinking martyrdom will aid the Palestinian cause. 

"Paradise Now" illustrates how suicide bombers are nothing more than pawns in the hands of cowards who decide their fate. When push comes to shove, they both have second thoughts. The preciousness of life--ALL life--is examined, and the futility of it all is quite well addressed. 

"Paradise Now" is an excellent film on many levels. Filmed on location in the West Bank with great  production values; generous close-ups are frequent, adding a very personal tone to the film. This film does not glorify terrorism. It does put a human face on terrorism, especially the frustrations of the Palestinian people. This movie attempts to truly capture what Palestinians feel and think, and all they see is the occupation and Israeli soldiers ruining their lives and taking away their freedom. As much as I love Israel and believe in Israel's right to exist and divine right to the land of Israel, this film gave me greater insight into the plight of the Palestinian people who want to possess the same land, at the expense of Israel. 

Dear Frankie 2004-France

This is a moving, sweet film that you won't soon forget. Nine-year-old Frankie and his single mom Lizzie have been on the move ever since Frankie can remember, most recently arriving in a seaside Scottish town. Wanting to protect her deaf son from the truth that they've run away from his father, Lizzie has invented a story that he is away at sea on the HMS Accra. Every few weeks, Lizzie writes Frankie a make-believe letter from his father, telling of his adventures in exotic lands. As Frankie tracks the ship's progress around the globe, he discovers that it is due to dock in his hometown. With the real HMS Accra arriving in only a fortnight, Lizzie must choose between telling Frankie the truth or finding the perfect stranger to play Frankie's father for just one day...

                      Europa Europa  2003-German

This "incredible, true story" (Los Angeles Times) is at once "eye-opening, harrowing and humorous" (Leonard Maltin) as it recounts the severe actions a young boy must take in order to survive the Holocaust. Based on the autobiography of Solomon Perel, a young German Jew, the film "bounds from one jaw-dropping episode to the next" (The New Yorker) and puts you in the middle of war-torn Europe where ingenuity, timing and luck are the key to survival. Separated from his family at the age of thirteen, Solly (Marco Hofschneider) takes on various identities to hide his Jewishheritage. First passing himself off as an orphan and later as one of the "Hitler Youth," Solly carries on his charade, hoping desperately to keep his identity hidden and make it through the war alive. 

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon        2000-Chinese

This was my introduction to Asian cinema. My wife dragged me to the theatre to see this film, and I’m glad she did. When we think of Asian films, we think of “Bruce Lee,” but this is film has excellent fight sequences that are reminiscent of the Matrix. “Crouching Tiger” is a masterpiece with good acting and character development.

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is the story of two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life. Director Ang Lee scores on all levels with a graceful, elegant film. 

Nowhere in Africa 2003-German

Nowhere in Africa begins with a Jewish woman named Jettel Redlich fleeing Nazi Germany with her daughter Regina, to join her husband, Walter, on a farm in Kenya. At first, Jettel refuses to adjust to her new circumstances (she brought with her a set of china dishes and an evening gown), while Regina adapts readily to this new world, forming a strong bond with her father's cook, an African named Owuor. But this is only the beginning of a series of uprootings, and as the surface of their lives is torn away, Walter and Jettel find they have little in common, and must--under tumultuous circumstances--build their marriage anew. 


Nowhere in Africa brings you into every change in this family's life with skill and passion. This film has stunning cinematography. It well deserving of the Academy Award in 2002 for Best Foreign Film, and deserves to be seen by you.  

Some are saying, "Just Get Over It!"

At the risk of wearing you out on "9-11" thoughts, please indulge me for one more post. The post today is a "guest post" from Mary Keenan-Sadlon, and first appeared in the Wall Street Journal.

There are some saying that we should "get over 9-11" and just move on with our lives.
Here is Mary's response to those individuals:

• I'll get over it when all the building is complete at the WTC w-i-t-h-o-u-t a mosque in the vicinity.
• I'll get over it when the concrete barricades are removed from in front of the White House.
• I'll get over it when our young men and women come home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
• I'll get over it when I can fly again without being doused in radiation or have a goon put his hands down my pants.
• I'll get over it when the Director of Homeland Security stops profiling Conservatives and Christians as potential terrorists.
• I'll get over it when the terrorist trials are over and the guilty are immediately executed.
• I'll get over it when the so-called moderate Moslems in this country and elsewhere denounce terrorism and pledge allegiance to this country's law over Sharia law.
• I'll get over it when we have a new President who will stand with America and NOT "the Muslims."
• I'll get over it when I can sit in the living room of my apartment across the road from the Pentagon and look out of the window and wave at the pilots of the helicopters as they fly past my window to land at the Pentagon helo pad without thinking about the kids killed on Flight 77. How they must have screamed in fear.

Until then, I'll never get over it. I'll stay here in Chicago and let a stranger enjoy the view on Arlington Ridge.Justice for the living. Honor for the dead.

----From Mary Keenan-Sadlon.