Open Letter to the Electoral College

Ladies and gentlemen, as electors, you are charged with the duty of selecting a President to preside over the executive affairs of this nation for the ensuing four years.

The peculiar institution whose powers you will exercise on December 15 was intended to avoid both the intrigues & cabals involved in election by the legislature and the impulsive passions & ignorance to which popular election would be subject. Your office results from one of the most important compromises made by the Constitutional Convention.

The present circumstances bring an enhancement to the gravity of the responsibility of your office. Inadequate vetting & journalistic scrutiny of one charismatic candidate have joined with a popular fervor for his candidacy resulting in a majority popular vote for one:

• whose policy positions are ambiguous
• who encouraged the voters to make unfounded assumptions that he would grant them impossible benefits
• whose alliances with racists, domestic terrorists & supporters of international terrorism bring his judgment into question
• whose alliance with a convicted felon and indicted Governor bring his morality under a dark shadow of suspicion
• whose apparent acceptance of illegal foreign campaign contributions brings the legitimacy of his campaign under question
• whose agents met with officers of a terrorist group at war with our ally in apparent violation of the Logan Act
• and whose refusal to produce authentic documentation of his having been born in this country brings his eligibility under question.

At a time when our nation is at war on two foreign battlefronts, challenged by a resurgent Russia and threatened by Iran’s approaching ascension to nuclear armament, we need a President whose judgment and integrity are unquestioned.

At a time when our economy and that of the world are turning downward, through recession toward depression, we need a President who is free from the taint of scandal, able to act decisively and lead; not subject to the water torture of drips & dribbles of facts from the investigation & trial of his political ally.

This is the occasion for which your office was created; a time when popular passion & ignorance resulted in the selection of an unqualified person neither worthy nor well prepared for the duties of high office when our nation is at peril on multiple fronts.

As a citizen, I therefore challenge you to be true and faithful to the oath of office you have sworn and give ample consideration to the security, welfare, prosperity & happiness of this nation by rejecting the error of popular impulse and electing the McCain / Palin slate in its stead.

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To our international visitors: please leave a comment advising us of the reason for your interest in this esoteric subject matter.

To our American activist readership: dbsolo alerted me by email to the existence of a chatroom which has posted contact information for the Electors. This link is to the Michigan page: http://www.democratic-disaster.com/index.php?topic=479.0.

Democratic Disaster has more interesting information for your education & enjoyment, it is well worth a visit.

Instruments of Love and Harmony #3

From Zenit.org comes Final Statement of Catholic-Muslim Forum “Called to Be Instruments of Love and Harmony”
For background information about the meetings, see this Reuters article of 11/06/08.

The statement includes an enumerated list of fifteen points which present a target rich environment In this installment, I’ll take on the third point of agreement.[Links & emphasis added.]

Human dignity is derived from the fact that every human person is created by a loving God out of love, and has been endowed with the gifts of reason and free will, and therefore enabled to love God and others. On the firm basis of these principles, the person requires the respect of his or her original dignity and his or her human vocation.

Therefore, he or she is entitled to full recognition of his or her identity and freedom by individuals, communities and governments, supported by civil legislation that assures equal rights and full citizenship.

Lets commence with an examination of what Moe had to say about free will. This will be familiar from the first installment.

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, created Adam. Then He stroked his back with His right hand, and progeny issued from it. He said, “I created these for the Garden and they will act with the behaviour of the people of the Garden.” Then He stroked his back again and brought forth progeny from him. He said, “I created these for the Fire and they will act with the behaviour of the people of the Fire.” ‘A man said, ‘Messenger of Allah! Then of what value are deeds?’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, answered, ‘When Allah creates a slave for the Garden, he makes him use the behaviour of the people of the Garden, so that he dies on one of the actions of the people of the Garden and by it He brings him into the Garden. When He creates a slave for the Fire, He makes him use the behaviour of the people of the Fire, so that he dies on one of the actions of the people of the Fire, and by it, He brings him into the Fire.’ “[Malik’s Muwatta Book 46, Number 46.1.2]

In Moe’s creation myth, Allah makes two statements about this matter.

• “I created these for the Garden and they will act with the behaviour of the people of the Garden.”
• “I created these for the Fire and they will act with the behaviour of the people of the Fire.”

So much for free will in Islam, it is obviated. He made some for the fire, they will not be guided, they will be confirmed in their sins unto eternal damnation.

• And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. 2:264
• Allah will not guide them and theirs will be a painful torment. 16:104

Concerning dignity, is there any without free will or without the sanctity of life? Remember what Moe said about the sanctity of our lives?

• “I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.’ And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally and their reckoning will be with Allah.” Bukhari 1.8.387

We don’t have free will, we are either saint’s or sinners by arbitrary assignment and our lives are not sacred to Muslims unless we are Muslims. Universal human dignity is a null entity as far as Islam is concerned.

Does Islam agree that we are all entitled to full freedom; equal rights & citizenship ensured by civil legislation? This is impossible because Islam does not recognize civil legislation. Only Allah has the right to rule, delegated to his Messenger, whose word is final. Of course, you doubt me and require proof.

• 33:36. It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error.

• Allah tells us that He is the only One Who has the power to create and make decisions, and there is no one who can dispute with Him in that or reverse His judgement. His saying: (And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses,) means, whatever He wills, for what He wills, happens; and what He does not will, does not happen. All things, good and bad alike, are in His Hands and will return to Him. Allah Alone is the One Who has the Power of Creation, Knowledge and Choice

• (It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision.) This Ayah is general in meaning and applies to all matters, i.e., if Allah and His Messenger decreed a matter, no one has the right to go against that, and no one has any choice or room for personal opinion in this case. Allah says: (But no, by your Lord, they can have no faith, until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.) (4:65) Hence the issue of going against it is addressed in such strong terms, as Allah says: (And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error.) This is like the Ayah: (And let those who oppose the Messenger’s commandment, beware, lest some Fitnah should befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them) (24:63). The Reason for Revelation

In the matter of equality: females inherit 50% a male’s portion and the testimony of two women is required to equal that of one man.

• 4:11. Allah commands you as regards your children’s (inheritance); to the male, a portion equal to that of two females;…
• …And if there are not two men (available), then a man and two women, such as you agree for witnesses, so that if one of them (two women) errs, the other can remind her…. 2:282

Conquered Jews & Christians who retain their religion under a ‘treaty of protection’ must make annual extortion payments and are under several limitations, not being allowed to own & carry weapons, build higher than Muslims, build churches, display crosses or pray aloud in public. See the Pact of Umar or Reliance of the Traveller, Book O11.5.

Click this link for A Common Word between Us and You, which precipitated the recent meetings. [Note the Events section, a recent addition to the page]. A Common Word’s home page includes a summary, the missive, media reports, blog posts and various responses from Christian & Jewish leaders. Click this link: Islamic Extortion Letter for my original dissection of the missive or this link: Go Burn With Muhammad, a blog devoted to dissecting the missive and reactions to it.

Postage Needed for Packages for our Troops

Cross-posted by Maggie at Maggie’s Notebook

Bob Williams
OurTroopsOnline

Bloggers, please feel free to cross-post

Bob Williams in Wesley Chapel, Florida sends 215 packages weekly to the military in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar and Kyrgyzstan – EVERY WEEK OF THE YEAR – 215 packages stuffed with necessities and comfort items for our men an women in uniform, fighting the War on Terror.

According to Stars and Stripes, Mr. Williams served in the Navy in the 1960’s. His sons now handle the family businesses, while he works for the troops, preparing the boxes destined for approximately 200 combat-zone bases.

The short story is that donations are needed to cover the postage. Mr. Williams and OurTroopsOnline.com spends approximately $8,000.00 a week in postage, from $20.00 to $45.00 per package, depending on the contents. He always has packages ready to mail, but often lacks the necessary postage.

Much of what Williams sends are donations: baseball bats and gloves, games of all kinds, grips to put on the soles of boot, unending supplies of popcorn, and items for children in hospitals and orphanages – which the troops use to help gain the trust of the locals. All the usual foods and toiletries are either donated or purchased

He receives thousands of email requests from troops and their families and friends, and much of those requests are paid for from his own pocket. Items like Q-tips, batteries, shampoo, feminine and personal hygiene items, and deodorant are constant requests. Williams will not say how much he personally spends but the website says it is significant.

Camouflage scarves are inscribed with messages to the troops by Florida school children and church groups. “The scarves are good for keeping dust and sand out of your nose and mouth,” says Williams.

There are no expenses for this volunteer group. No one gets paid, there’s no rent for a warehouse, no office space rent, and while I made two telephone calls to OurTroopsOnline to verify this information (a human actually answered both times – no option for a choice of language preference, and no need to leave a message), no one gets paid to answer the telephone – everyone is a volunteer.

OurTroopsOnline accepts cash or checks for postage. Make your check payable as follows:

Postmaster
P.O. Box 7560
Wesley Chapel, FL 33545

If you live in the area and want to donate items for the boxes, call 813-991-9400 for a delivery address or contact Mr. Williams by email at sift@aol.com. If you are a business and have items the troops need or will enjoy, and can contribute once or on an ongoing basis, please contact Mr. Williams.

This is a year-round operation – it doesn’t end in December. Put these people on your donation list throughout the year and know you are doing your part to make life a little more comfortable for our military in these combat zones.

Postage Needed for Packages for our Troops

Cross-posted by Maggie at Maggie’s Notebook

Bob Williams
OurTroopsOnline

Bloggers, please feel free to cross-post

Bob Williams in Wesley Chapel, Florida sends 215 packages weekly to the military in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar and Kyrgyzstan – EVERY WEEK OF THE YEAR – 215 packages stuffed with necessities and comfort items for our men an women in uniform, fighting the War on Terror.

According to Stars and Stripes, Mr. Williams served in the Navy in the 1960’s. His sons now handle the family businesses, while he works for the troops, preparing the boxes destined for approximately 200 combat-zone bases.

The short story is that donations are needed to cover the postage. Mr. Williams and OurTroopsOnline.com spends approximately $8,000.00 a week in postage, from $20.00 to $45.00 per package, depending on the contents. He always has packages ready to mail, but often lacks the necessary postage.

Much of what Williams sends are donations: baseball bats and gloves, games of all kinds, grips to put on the soles of boot, unending supplies of popcorn, and items for children in hospitals and orphanages – which the troops use to help gain the trust of the locals. All the usual foods and toiletries are either donated or purchased

He receives thousands of email requests from troops and their families and friends, and much of those requests are paid for from his own pocket. Items like Q-tips, batteries, shampoo, feminine and personal hygiene items, and deodorant are constant requests. Williams will not say how much he personally spends but the website says it is significant.

Camouflage scarves are inscribed with messages to the troops by Florida school children and church groups. “The scarves are good for keeping dust and sand out of your nose and mouth,” says Williams.

There are no expenses for this volunteer group. No one gets paid, there’s no rent for a warehouse, no office space rent, and while I made two telephone calls to OurTroopsOnline to verify this information (a human actually answered both times – no option for a choice of language preference, and no need to leave a message), no one gets paid to answer the telephone – everyone is a volunteer.

OurTroopsOnline accepts cash or checks for postage. Make your check payable as follows:

Postmaster
P.O. Box 7560
Wesley Chapel, FL 33545

If you live in the area and want to donate items for the boxes, call 813-991-9400 for a delivery address or contact Mr. Williams by email at sift@aol.com. If you are a business and have items the troops need or will enjoy, and can contribute once or on an ongoing basis, please contact Mr. Williams.

This is a year-round operation – it doesn’t end in December. Put these people on your donation list throughout the year and know you are doing your part to make life a little more comfortable for our military in these combat zones.

A Different Christmas Poem

Cross posted by Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

‘What are you doing?’ I asked without fear,
‘Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!’
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.

To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said ‘Its really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.’
‘It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ‘ Pearl on a day in December,’
Then he sighed, ‘That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.’
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘ Nam ‘,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue… an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.’

‘So go back inside,’ he said, ‘harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.’
‘But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
‘Give you money,’ I asked, ‘or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.’

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
‘Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.’

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

To all those who serve in far away lands, Thank You. We will not forget you or the service you give.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.

A Different Christmas Poem

Cross posted by Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

‘What are you doing?’ I asked without fear,
‘Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!’
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.

To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said ‘Its really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.’
‘It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ‘ Pearl on a day in December,’
Then he sighed, ‘That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.’
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘ Nam ‘,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue… an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.’

‘So go back inside,’ he said, ‘harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.’
‘But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
‘Give you money,’ I asked, ‘or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.’

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
‘Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.’

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

To all those who serve in far away lands, Thank You. We will not forget you or the service you give.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.