Op-Ed Piece, 6 Jan 2009Lieutenant Colonel Allen B West (US Army, Retired)“We are either a united people, or we are not. If the former, let us, in all matters of general concern act as a nation, which has national objects to promote, and a national character to support. If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it.”George Washington, November 30, 1785 I carry this simple quote by our first President with me daily to remind me that as an American there are some ideals which define our Nation.We have just ended the Christmas and New Year season of 2008 and there was an occurrence which made me ponder Washington’s words. Just before Christmas I was out with my daughters delivering Christmas gifts for a 9 year old little boy. As we drove to the church in Pompano Beach my youngest daughter asked me a question, “Dad, I did not know that Jesus was a muslim”. I asked her what brought the issue up and she directed my attention to an advertisement on the side of a Broward County transit bus. The advertisement read, “Islam: The way of life for Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad”, utterly disturbing.It is disturbing because it is historically, and therefore, factually incorrect, but most of all the offensive nature caused me the greatest concern.One has to ask, who gave the permission for such an advertisement to be allowed on public transportation, and at Christmas? Who provided the funding which purchased the advertisement? Where are the ACLU and other groups who would certainly have a cow if a Christian group used this venue to promote their message? And lastly, if I and others were to pay to have an advertisement stating, “Muhammad was a psychopath, murderous warlord, and pedophile who created the world’s most violent religion”, would it be approved and posted?How long would it take some Islamic group such as CAIR, MPAC, ISNA, or MAS to get with ACLU and file a lawsuit under hate speech? Never mind that all I would have stated is factual and true and can be substantiated in the Koran and the Hadiths.This advertisement is no different from the Hamas rockets that fall upon southern Israel, just that it is a non-kinetic, “stealth” jihad attack. It is disinformation being used to undermine the national character we have as a Judeo-Christian faith based Nation. And yes, we are a Judeo-Christian faith based Nation, need I bring forth the many quotes from our Founding Fathers. Notice I did not say we have a State religion, but rather a system of beliefs that are rooted in the faith concepts of Judeo-Christian values.Being a military strategist one must always understand the enemy and its intent, and it is clear in this instance. The intent is to deconstruct our faith belief in America, basically telling us that there is no Christianity or Judaism, and those faiths do not exist. The objective is to begin stripping away any national objects, or character, that we have. Therefore, what do you have to support and defend? Which makes it so much easier when you can have a 12 year old Christian girl ask her father if Jesus was a muslim.We have already seen that our own Congress will not declare English as our “official” language, why? There is nothing that unites a people more than a common language and faith. Once that is gone, we are nothing more than what Washington called a farce, and we need stop pretending to be a united people, a United States of America.I believe in our Judeo-Christian heritage in America, our English language, and our Constitution, when shall it fall under attack? When we no longer have those national objects to promote, to defend, what shall become of us? It starts with a simple bus advertisement, where does it end? What indeed is the future and legacy of our Republic if nothing exists to rally us as “E Pluribus Unim”.Never forget, it has been declared that burning our greatest National object, our American flag is permissible…..as a right of free expression.Regards, LTC(R) Allen West
Op-Ed Piece, 6 Jan 2009
Lieutenant Colonel Allen B West (US Army, Retired)
“We are either a united people, or we are not. If the former, let us, in all matters of general concern act as a nation, which has national objects to promote, and a national character to support. If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it.”
George Washington, November 30, 1785
I carry this simple quote by our first President with me daily to remind me that as an American there are some ideals which define our Nation.
We have just ended the Christmas and New Year season of 2008 and there was an occurrence which made me ponder Washington’s words. Just before Christmas I was out with my daughters delivering Christmas gifts for a 9 year old little boy. As we drove to the church in Pompano Beach my youngest daughter asked me a question, “Dad, I did not know that Jesus was a muslim”. I asked her what brought the issue up and she directed my attention to an advertisement on the side of a Broward County transit bus. The advertisement read, “Islam: The way of life for Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad”, utterly disturbing.
It is disturbing because it is historically, and therefore, factually incorrect, but most of all the offensive nature caused me the greatest concern.
One has to ask, who gave the permission for such an advertisement to be allowed on public transportation, and at Christmas? Who provided the funding which purchased the advertisement? Where are the ACLU and other groups who would certainly have a cow if a Christian group used this venue to promote their message? And lastly, if I and others were to pay to have an advertisement stating, “Muhammad was a psychopath, murderous warlord, and pedophile who created the world’s most violent religion”, would it be approved and posted?
How long would it take some Islamic group such as CAIR, MPAC, ISNA, or MAS to get with ACLU and file a lawsuit under hate speech? Never mind that all I would have stated is factual and true and can be substantiated in the Koran and the Hadiths.
This advertisement is no different from the Hamas rockets that fall upon southern Israel, just that it is a non-kinetic, “stealth” jihad attack. It is disinformation being used to undermine the national character we have as a Judeo-Christian faith based Nation. And yes, we are a Judeo-Christian faith based Nation, need I bring forth the many quotes from our Founding Fathers. Notice I did not say we have a State religion, but rather a system of beliefs that are rooted in the faith concepts of Judeo-Christian values.
Being a military strategist one must always understand the enemy and its intent, and it is clear in this instance. The intent is to deconstruct our faith belief in America, basically telling us that there is no Christianity or Judaism, and those faiths do not exist. The objective is to begin stripping away any national objects, or character, that we have. Therefore, what do you have to support and defend? Which makes it so much easier when you can have a 12 year old Christian girl ask her father if Jesus was a muslim.
We have already seen that our own Congress will not declare English as our “official” language, why? There is nothing that unites a people more than a common language and faith. Once that is gone, we are nothing more than what Washington called a farce, and we need stop pretending to be a united people, a United States of America.
I believe in our Judeo-Christian heritage in America, our English language, and our Constitution, when shall it fall under attack? When we no longer have those national objects to promote, to defend, what shall become of us? It starts with a simple bus advertisement, where does it end? What indeed is the future and legacy of our Republic if nothing exists to rally us as “E Pluribus Unim”.
Never forget, it has been declared that burning our greatest National object, our American flag is permissible…..as a right of free expression.
Regards, LTC(R) Allen West