Comments on President Obama’s Speech to the Nation on Dec 6, 2015
I’m just a politico wanna be. I mean, if I were really into political commentary I would have known that the President was planning on having a speech to the nation last night. But I didn’t. In fact I was watching Anderson Cooper’s 60 Minutes segment on Bonobos when I was rudely interrupted by the President and his national address. Apparently others were rudely interrupted too. If he had anything interesting or new to say that would be one thing, but there was nothing new, nothing of real substance, and certainly contained nothing worth disrupting regularly scheduled programming. Everything he said could have been said in a press conference at the White House on Monday morning. And quite frankly, the Bonobos were much more interesting.
But as far as what was in the President’s speech, let’s take a look at a few things.
“For seven years, I’ve confronted this evolving threat each morning in my intelligence briefing…As Commander-in-Chief, I have no greater responsibility than the security of the American people.” – President Obama
Certainly, over the course of Obama’s presidency, he has acted in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief. We can all argue how effective or wise he’s been in executing those duties. One thing is clear, especially with recent revelations, is the depth that the administration will go to avoid, ignore or revise for its own benefit, which puts America at risk. When our own Commander-in-Chief can’t accurately name the enemy or doctors intelligence assessments for a more favorable narrative, we have problems. When we can’t bomb our enemies for fear of civilian casualties or causing environmental problems, we have problems. This administration has had a totally ineffective policy in place for more than 18 months, and it took Russian involvement to kick our president into action regarding ISIS.
“Well, here’s what I want you to know: The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it. We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us.” – President Obama
Can we just call this what it is? This is a lie. Or if we want to be generous, it’s a bed time story that the President tells us so we can sleep at night. Islamic Terrorism is not going away, and we will not “overcome it” by “being strong or smart”, at least not in any cultural, political or military sense. The point being, the Left continually ignores or dismisses that Islamic Terrorism is a religious issue. It’s so politically incorrect and acknowledgement presents its own problems, I know. However, it is an Islamic theological and ideological issue. Ideas, “ologies” and “isms” can only be combated by conversion to other ideas, “ologies” and “isms”. And the Islamic Terrorists have resoundingly rejected Western ideals because the Quran leads them to reject our Western ideals. There is a reason why many Muslims don’t assimilate and the rejection of the West is one of the main reasons.
People are willing to die and kill for certain beliefs. Where we, the Western world and in particular the United States, will spend a decade and more fighting in the deserts and mountains of 3rd world countries for our and others freedom and the spread of democracy, Islamic Terrorists will fight for centuries for the spread of Islam. Western political will waxes and wanes with changes of presidency and the economy. Islamic belief and will doesn’t change. Why? Western secular values are for this life only, and Islam offers values for this life and the one after.
The really radical solution to Islam is fostering the spread of Christianity. The truth and power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only message available to peaceably overcome Islamic ideology and theology. Of course, that option is off the table for our secular government, so the Church will need to step up and fulfill its evangelistic mandate.
“To begin with, Congress should act to make sure no one on a no-fly list is able to buy a gun. What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semi-automatic weapon? This is a matter of national security.
We also need to make it harder for people to buy powerful assault weapons like the ones that were used in San Bernardino. I know there are some who reject any gun safety measures. But the fact is that our intelligence and law enforcement agencies — no matter how effective they are — cannot identify every would-be mass shooter, whether that individual is motivated by ISIL or some other hateful ideology. What we can do — and must do — is make it harder for them to kill.” – President Obama
The “no-fly list” violates the 5th and 14th Amendment “due process” provisions. Which, Mr. President, is clearly a violation of those American principles that you say we need to uphold in these troubled times. The flaws have been clearly demonstrated by people like former Sen. Ted Kennedy, and others, being placed on the list. While I don’t necessarily have a “right to fly” I do have a right to travel freely, and in a modern society air travel is one method I should be able to utilize. I should at least be able to know whether I am on a no-fly list, and be able to challenge my inclusion by seeing and refuting the “evidence” that the government used to place me on the list. Until very recently, and after a Supreme Court challenge, there wasn’t even a way to know you were on the no-fly list, other than being denied, let alone a process for removal. A watch list like this, one with no real redress for citizens, is extremely dangerous and can easily be a vehicle for denying 2nd Amendment and other rights. Until a proper redress process is created, using the no-fly list should be a non-starter. Really, any government list should be off the table as it merely encourages the Police and Surveillance State to collect more information on citizens.
This is not in any way about “gun safety” it’s about “gun control”. The Left’s use of the euphemism of gun safety is a continued ploy to change the language of the debate. After all, who isn’t for gun safety? Or who isn’t pro-choice? Right? Limiting guns and types of guns are restrictions not safety measures. Training, education, certification, storage and handling procedures can be considered safety measures.
Also, since when in this country should law abiding citizens’ rights be violated or stripped by its government, because of the law breaking actions of other people. There are millions of gun owners who don’t use their guns to murder others, singly or in mass, and yet our government would deprive them and future citizens of this right as specifically granted under the Constitution. We all know that people intent on murder and mayhem, do not respect lists or laws and sometimes, oh my gosh, they even lie. But liberal logic says if something doesn’t work, we just need more of it.
“We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. That, too, is what groups like ISIL want. ISIL does not speak for Islam. They are thugs and killers, part of a cult of death, and they account for a tiny fraction of more than a billion Muslims around the world — including millions of patriotic Muslim Americans who reject their hateful ideology.” – President Obama
Many on the Left just don’t get religion, I’ve already touched on this previously, but it probably can’t be emphasized enough. The attempt to separate ISIS from Islam, can not be done when you understand that the things that ISIS is fighting for are believed and are supported widely in the Islamic world. The poll most often used by both the Left and Right is the Pew poll about Muslims opinion about ISIS. The Left sees nothing to worry about, as even Pew’s own headline states that there is “much disdain for ISIS”. However, those percentages represent millions of Muslims that actually do support ISIS. However, the Pew poll answers nothing about whether they support the underlying doctrines of Islam supported by ISIS. Hundreds of millions more are supportive of the same Islamic doctrines and theology that ISIS is fighting for regardless of what particular group they view favorably or unfavorably.
I’ll close with two videos. One from Ben Shapiro discussing the “tiny minority” of Muslims that are “radical”.
And one straight from Islam Net Video, straight from an Islamic conference, describing what “normal” Muslims believe. Learn what Islam teaches its disciples.