THE MOSQUE DEBATE - MY OPINION

August 23, 2010

In my last blog someone might have gotten the idea that I am not opposed to Muslims building a mosque near Ground Zero.

I believe in freedom of religion and that includes building a mosque, even near Ground Zero. But I am also for equality.

Muslims - not just "radical" Muslims, but all good Muslims without exception - are opposed to freedom of religion. Occasionally, you might run into a professing Muslim who doesn't take his religion seriously, who believes in freedom of religion. But he or she won't say so publicly for fear of becoming a victim of sharia law.

As long as Muslims don't believe in freedom of religion, they should not be granted the right to practice their religion in America. It stands in direct opposition to our Declaration of Independence, US Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Barack Obama claims that Muslims have a legal right to build a mosque next to Ground Zero. On the other hand, he insists that Israel not build anything whatsoever in its own nation - not even a school!

Muslims have historically built monuments to their triumphs of conquest such as St. Sophia in Istanbul and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Millions of Muslims around the world applauded and cheered when several of their number brought down the World Trade Center and breached the Pentagon. Did you see or hear many Muslims protesting the slaughter of thousands of innocent people?

Or how many Muslim leaders voiced protests to the following atrocities?
1972, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by Muslim extremists at the Munich Olympics.
1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by Muslim extremists.
1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by Muslim extremists.
1985, the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked by Muslim extremists. A 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair.
1985, TWA flight 847 was hijacked in Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by Muslim extremists.
1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by a Muslim extremist, killing 270 people. When the Lockerbie bomber was recently released, he received a hero's welcome in Libya.
1993, the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by Muslim extremists.
1998, US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by Muslim extremists.
9/11/2001, four airliners were hijacked by Muslim extremists to attack the World Trade Centers, US Pentagon and the other intended targets.
2009, 31 people were wounded and 13 American Soldiers murdered at Fort Hood by a Muslim extremist.

All this violence was perpetrated in the name of Allah. I have only heard a few denials of involvement by leading Muslims, but no apologies or accusing of perpetrators. Nor has any Arab nation relaxed its oppressive laws for people of other faiths.

Muslim leaders of several Arab nations openly deny Israel's right to exist. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently vowed that not a single Jew would be permitted to live in a new State of Palestine.

President Obama no longer mentions "freedom of religion" in his speeches but refers to "freedom of worship" instead. Other members of the administration, such as Hillary Clinton, have also switched to this rhetoric. No nation in the world forbids worship, but many outlaw or strictly curtail the freedoms of certain religious groups. Unless the tide changes, this is also coming to America, but the Muslims need not fear. They are already being granted privileges that Christians and other religions are denied.

Polls show that nearly three fourths of Americans are opposed to a mosque being built near Ground Zero. Nancy Pelosi's response was typical. On Wednesday, she told a KCBS reporter, "And I join those who have called for looking into how is [sic] this opposition to the mosque [is] being funded."

OBAMA'S FAITH AND GROUND ZERO

August 21, 2010

Someone said that a retired missionary should have something to say about the current debates over Obama's religious beliefs and building a mosque near Ground Zero.

I view this as one of few positive developments since Obama took office. Americans are beginning to ask questions about faith, beliefs, confession, religion or whatever else they call it. Until now it wasn't important enough to discuss. Even those who claim to be religious seldom cared what others believed.

As long as people didn't take their beliefs too seriously, a person's faith was considered a private matter. Occasionally, a Jim Jones would poison 600 of his followers, or children would be rescued from a polygamous commune, or a deranged man would kill kids in an Amish school house. Then people talked about religious fanaticism and fundamentalism. Since 9/11, there has been a lot of discussion about radical Islam, but even George W. Bush was careful to proclaim that a person's religious beliefs were not being questioned.

Suddenly all that has changed.

The majority of Americans are opposed to Muslims building a Mosque near Ground Zero. There are many other mosques in New York City and during Ramadan (right now), Madison Avenue is blocked due to overflow crowds of Muslims praying in the street. No one is upset about that, but Ground Zero? Never! It is not Muslim beliefs that are under fire, but the desecration of holy Ground Zero.

Pollsters reported that 18% of Americans think Obama is a Muslim and the White House Press Secretary felt obliged to declare that the President is a Christian who prays every day.

When I bow my head in a restaurant and ask God to bless the food, I feel a hundred eyes staring in my direction, wondering what kind of a religious fanatic I am. In these times, you never know what is in the food you eat. God's blessing of the food just might save your life! Only yesterday, a billion eggs were recalled due to salmonella contamination. We had a dozen of the recall eggs in our refrigerator. Now, will you quit eating eggs or start asking God to bless your food?

In that same restaurant, I hear people praying out loud, "My God!" or "O, my God!" No one stares at them or thinks they are weird.

Like most other Americans, Barack Obama prays every day. Whether Christian or Muslim, as long as he doesn't take his faith too seriously, Americans will be forgiving.

And God?

EMINENT DOMAIN FIGHT CONTINUES

August 16, 2010

As I wrote on August 5, the Gallenthin/Gloucester County Emminent Doman case was moved to another court. I received word this morning that the hearing would take place this afternoon at 2:30 PM in Mt. Holly. That was a quick re-scheduling! They probably hoped that fewer people would show up. I had other plans, but dumped them and drove an hour each way to the Burlington County Courthouse. There were fewer guests this time, but most seats were filled. Judge Hogan heard lawyers from both sides and said that he would decide on the matter by the end of the month. I hope I understood correctly. He did say something about a vacation, however. The lawyer for the county was very soft-spoken and I could hardly understand a word he said. Of course his words were not intended for us to hear.

To be continued.

LEGAL EUTHENASIA

August 6, 2010

For the past 15 years, I have been paying doctors to kill me, one piece at a time. They have been successful, for which I am thankful.

I decided to write this blog for those who don't know anything about skin cancer. When I was first diagnosed as having skin cancer, I immediately started thinking about how and where I would like to be buried. The only question I had was how soon it would happen. In our modern society "cancer" is an acronym for "incurable disease that kills people." Skin cancer is different from other types of cancer.

When my dermatologist finds a suspicious looking spot, she takes a biopsy and sends it to a lab. If it turns out to be skin cancer, I get a call to come back and have the spot surgically removed. Normally, it is basil cell cancer, a type that is on the surface and can be easily discovered and removed. Nearly everyone gets these when they are older.

This morning I have an appointment to get a basil cell cancer spot removed. Having been through the process literally dozens of times, The nurses don't need to tell me how to treat the wound. I have it memorized.

If the cancerous cells go deeper, they are called squamus cell cancer. I have had a few of these too, but like the basil cell, it stays in one place and can be easily removed.

The melanoma is the skin cancer that can be deadly if not discovered soon. So far I have not had any melanomas. These are the skin cancers that spread through the blood stream affecting other organs. If caught in the early stages, even a melanoma can be contained. That is why everyone should be aware of the early signs. There are many websites and your doctor can give you a pamphlet with details, so I won't go into that here.

One of these days I may write about the false information that the sun is the primary cause of skin cancer. If you spend a lot of time indoors or have red or blond hair, you should be more careful in the bright sun. Sunburn, like all other burns, is always to be avoided. The sun is not dangerous, but rather a good deterrent. I attribute my own problems with skin cancer to the Chernobyl nuclear accident. I unknowingly got a lot of bare skin exposure from radio-active and cesium-filled clouds that drifted into Austria.

GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS TO TAKE A FARM BY EMINENT DOMAIN -- TWICE!

August 5, 2010

Paulsboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey

While United States Army Colonel George Gallenthin is serving his and our country in Afghanistan, his wife Cindy is fighting to save their 68-acre farm from greedy politicians - for the second time!

Back in 2003, the county tried to take Gallenthin's property using eminent domain because of what it called "blight." The Gallenthin's fought the case until, four years later, the NJ Supreme Court ruled in their favor by an unanimous decision.

The Gallenthin's had spent a small fortune on lawyers, but thought the issue was finally settled.

But the county, led by certain politicians, simply designed a new scheme to take the Gallenthin's property. The master plan was changed so that a road to the port would lead through their farm. For the second time, the Gallenthin's are fighting to keep their farm from being taken by eminent domain. Their personal property was set on fire and they have been shot at, but George and Cindy refuse to give up their farm.

A hearing was scheduled for this morning at 10:00 AM, in the Gloucester County Courthouse,  in Woodbury. George Gallenthin is in Afghanistan, but Cindy Gallenthin and her lawyers were not alone. The courtroom was packed with friends and supporters from all over Gloucester County and surrounding areas. All seats were filled and about a dozen others stood for the proceeding. I was also present.

I can't share all that was said in the courtroom, but in the end, Judge Curio reluctantly decided to transfer the case to another court.

To be continued -- and we are still watching!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipcNeBCYkR0

MOST STOLEN CAR PRIZE

August 3, 2010

Yesterday we learned that GM (Government Motors) landed the prestigious prize for the "most stolen auto" in America. The award goes to the Cadillac Escalade and not only gives GM free advertising, but also assures GM of increased sales. Everyone knows that car thieves only steal the best!

When we lived in Europe, I owned a German Ford that received the Automobile Club award for being the most difficult car to steal. Professional car thieves were hired by the auto club to pick locks and start new cars from major European car makers.

Our car had been leased before we bought it and it only had one ignition key, so I asked our local Ford dealer for a duplicate key. The key was not flat like most keys, but round with notches on all sides. The dealer picked up my key, looked it over and handed it back to me. He then wrote a number on the order form. I examined the key to see where he had found a number or other identification, but could find none. Curious, I asked about it. He explained that you only need to count the notches on each side of the key. The next day I got the key, and unlocked our car door, but couldn't start the engine. The key fit fine, but when I turned it, nothing happened. I went back inside and shared this information with the dealer. He pointed to a little red spot on the head of the key and said, "You need to program this chip." I asked how I could do that and he said, "You need the red programming key that came with the car." I told him that we never got one and he shrugged, "You need to install a new computer."

I tried to get a red key from Ford in Cologne, but they too wanted to sell me a computer.  I asked other dealers, the touring club and an auto-electric shop, but all said there was nothing I could do to code my new key without installing a new computer. That would cost about $1000, so I decided to be careful not to lose our only key.

One day, I read in the newspaper that our Ford model was among the most commonly stolen cars in Europe. Many of them wound up in Poland. I went to a Ford dealer and asked how that was possible. If thieves bought new computers, the factory could trace them and get them thrown into jail. He got on the phone and started calling other dealerships, asking about this. One mechanic said that the thieves knew how to code new keys without the red programming key. In fact, he had learned how they did it and could do it too. I paid him a visit and had my key coded in a few minutes.

Who knows, perhaps the Cadillac Escalade is just easier to steal.