Posted on 09/28/2001 2:44:17 PM PDT by Yaelle
Please help me. I will be spending the evening tomorrow surrounded by old friends who are well-read (NYT, WP, LAT, NPR, CNN) and educated, yet as liberal as can be. One is even a Hollywood liberal, smart though as misguided as you can imagine.
He argued with me today that anyone who would feel uneasy getting on a plane with a group of Arab men IS A RACIST. That any fear one would have in such a situation, even so soon after the atrocities, would be irrational. I tried to hold my own on this point, saying that the time elapsed since the tragedy was so short that the fear is still rational at this point. I think we merely agreed to disagree, because he thought that any Arab currently asked to leave a plane should win a lawsuit against the airline. I am no racist, and I think it is very sad that any innocent should be so humiliated, but I feel that the innocent Arabs so accused are simply more victims of the terrorists and their attacks.
I am expecting mild anti-Bush sentiment, anti-protracted war opinions, perhaps the "America may have asked for this with all their horrible activities in the world" stuff, and an inordinate focus on "hate crimes" tomorrow. I am a poor arguer contrasted with the man mentioned above, but not for lack of passion.
I need nice, neat, friendly but firm arguments to counter any of the above positions. To whom could I turn but my eloquent Freepers? Anyone want to help? Give me your best. I will be grateful!
Folks, we as individuals and as a nation had better come to grips with reality real quick. The rubble that was once the WTC and the Pentagon teaches one powerful lesson and it is this: These people can NOT be reasoned with, they can NOT be negotiated or "made nice" with. They are not interested in negotiating or talking.
The Islamic Fundamentalists don't want peace, our "love" or "hugs". Is everyone listening?... they want us to be cowards. They want us to cower in fear as THEY SLIT OUR THROATS LIKE THEY DID THOSE POOR STEWARDESSES. THEY WANT TO CRASH THE PLANE AND TAKE AS MANY AMERICANS WITH THEM AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN BECAUSE THEY WANT US ALL DEAD. They want to KILL you and me if we are Americans or Israelis. They are fanatically bent upon the wholesale and total destruction of our country, our faith, our children, our sons and daughters, our fathers and mothers our way of life. THEY HATE US... period.
Our nation has been mercilessly attacked. Thousands upon thousands of CIVILIAN citizens are dead because that was their intention and whether we like it or not we are at WAR. Those responsible, along with those who sponsor, profit from and support them must be held accountable and punished. The sword of justice must be now be applied and applied strongly and swiftly upon those who have made themselves our enemies. Otherwise the events of September 11, 2001 will be repeated on an ever-increasing level throughout our land in the days ahead.
If our enemies were able to accomplish all of this with box cutters. Think what they WILL attempt when they obtain biological and nuclear weapons of MASS DESTRUCTION they are now working on! Do not be under any illusion that they would not dare to use them. They WILL, GLADLY, they will rejoice and pass out more candy to their children as hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Americans lay dead in the streets.
This is the enemy we are up against and it is the face of pure evil and hate. They will not listen to a message of "peace", "love" or "hugs". The only message they will understand, the only message that will get their attention and deter their plans, activities and ultimate goals is the message of overwhelming force leading to THEIR utter destruction.
I do not say these thing because I hate them. (I pray for their souls and for their salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who can save them and forgive their sins.) I say these things because this is reality. This is the enemy we face and must defeat. If we do not, he alternative will be too horrendous to contemplate.
It strikes me as sad and very telling that a number people who are proclaiming how "patriotic" they are and how much they "support America" are now running for cover, making excuses and decrying the remote possibility of a draft. It is ok to say, "I support a war on terrorism”, “I am proud to be an American" but I do not support the draft, nor will I go if I were called to serve my country. Well, TALK IS CHEAP and COWARDS can hide behind all kinds of excuses. But it is time for the real Americans to step up to the plate and defend the freedoms we enjoy or shut up, sit down and let the Islamic fundamentalists destroy us as a nation because that is their stated goal.
Everyone of us here enjoys a multitude of freedoms and blessings. We enjoy them because OTHER YOUNG MEN JUST LIKE YOU PAID FOR THIS FREEDOM WITH THEIR BLOOD AND SACRIFICE. Just watch the opening scenes of the D Day Invasion in Normandy in the film “SAVING PRIVATE RYAN”. That is exactly what it was like. That is what they endured for over four years so that you could enjoy your home, family, car, kick back a cool one, worship at the church of your choice and exercise your right to free speech..
WE ARE AT WAR, however some people are already backpedaling saying "I am not going”, let someone else fight”, "not my son", “let’s fight terrorism with love", etc... .
Men and women in America will need to put up or shut up. If you are afraid to fight, then go somewhere else because you are hated and you are a target if you live in America. But know this; wherever you try to run and hide, these terrorists are in every country and want to kill you...wherever you live just because you are an American.
REMEMBER THE TOWERS!
Dr. S
"I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve" (Admiral Yamamoto after his successful attack upon Pearl Harbor)
Well, I may never get to be great at it, but I enjoy it and am grateful for all the points gleaned from you all. I know my own opinions, but in the heat of battle I might lose track of specific factoids or great quotes.
Not offended but wondering about the person who chose to post something designed to demoralize rather than the other posts obviously designed to rally me for battle!
Always bears repeating.
What is the difference between a patriot and a coward? Where do you lie on that line?"
Don't think I won't use it!!!!!
If you can't explain and articulate why you hold a position on your own, I submit you haven't thought
it through properly and probably ought not argue until you can. Otherwise, you are simply aping and emoting
and proceeding from biases rather than a rational conclusion.
Last Thanksgiving at my mother's (we all remember the political scene at the time), she had to tell everyone that POLITICS WOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED. It was hard to even sit at the table with the Gorons at that time.
I remember visiting the WWII American cemetary at Anzio. Stretching as far as the eye could see, in any direction, were crosses. Some stars of David too. And to complete the overwhelming experience, I stepped up to the marble mausoleum buildings, and saw the marble walls engraved with names from floor to ceiling of the men whose bodies were not found. I had just had my first baby, and I could only think that every one of those young men had been somebody's son like mine.
Sometimes, the eye has to see for the brain to comprehend. Like watching the twin towers attack. I literally slapped my face a few times that morning (it was 6am here) to be sure this was not a horrible dream.
If those innocents HAD to die on 9/11, then PLEASE G-D let it be for America's freedom, NOT FOR OSAMA'S JUBILATION. We need to fight. If we don't, they died for Osama's hatred, not for our need to ensure freedom for our children.
So black people are racist if they are uncomfortable around people with Confederate flags.
Good Luck tonight. Hope you got some angles that are helpful.
Barnacle those questions and the logical thought behind them would get any honest liberal stammering. For the dishonest liberals, which accounts for well over half of the liberal population, the best way to deal with them is to not ask questions but to shout in their face what they really are: Anti-American, Treasonous, Communist PIGS. Welcome aboard the Free Republic my friend.
When it comes to driving the wedge between the leaders and them, I suggest to them that the reason social programs and liberal policies are failures are, "those who run the systems are not you, Mary/Joseph". IOW, I place doubt in there mind about the leaders of such policies and not necessarily about the policies or their beliefs.
When it comes to the issue of compassion, I remind them that our nation is largely a Christian nation. And, it is the Chistian belief that we derive our well founded compassion. After all, it was Jesus who gave us the story of the Good Samaritan, not Carl Marx. In addition to that, Jesus promoted wisdom as well as compassion. IOW, let us be caring but let us not be stupid about it. If a social policy is a failure, let us call it a failure and not excuse it by saying ther is not enough funding.
When it comes to the issue of gun control, I suggest that gun control works, just ask Stalin, Mao, Hitler and practically all despots and totaltarian rulers. I also add that taking guns away from all would be fruitless in this country with hundreds of millions of guns already in the hands of citizens. I also suggest that even if we do remove all guns, we rob all future generations of the ability to defend themselves from future tyrants. We may have relative peace now, but what is to say that our grandchildren or our great-granchildren will?
Later.
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