Thor’s Hall

There has been quite a bit of discussion regarding Sharia Law over the past several years.

We have seen Great Britain flirt with offering enclaves where Sharia law would hold sway, complete with court systems.  We have see reports of people stoned in the middle east.  Other reports of vacationers from other countries being tried and punished to the standards of Sharia law.  And many other anecdotes, and stories of punishments, that for most westerners seem extreme and out of proportion to the offense.

Yesterday, this article appeared about a story out of Somalia.

Islamic militants have executed two Somali football fans for watching
Nigeria play Argentina on Saturday night.

The deaths happened in Central Somalia which is under strict Islamic
law and forbids anyone in the region from watching World Cup matches.

Militants from Hizbul Islam arrested 10 fans who were also part of the
group.

A further 30 people were arrested for watching the Australia vs Germany
game the following night.

This is the biggest sporting event on the planet (outside of the US).  And here we have people being executed for watching, and celebrating.  Incredible.

Today we are reminded of an incident to our North, that took place in 2007.

Just two days before she was killed, 16-year-old Aqsa Parvez went to the movies for the first time.

She had fought her parents for the right to wear Western clothing, and to jettison the hijab they wanted her to wear. She was going to apply for a part-time job, something her father refused to allow. Then she ran away from home for the second time in three months. The first time, her father had sworn on the Koran he would kill her if she ever ran away again.

Yet on the morning of Dec. 10, 2007, Ms. Parvez went home. Thirty-six minutes later, her father called 911 saying he had killed her. When police arrived, they found Ms. Parvez’s mother crying hysterically and her father with blood on his hands.

We saw a very similar incident in Dallas in the recent past as well.

Not all Muslims take this hard line approach to their religion and honestly we see very little of this in “the West”.  When it does occur, it makes headlines.

In the US, this country was founded by groups of individuals escaping religious persecution.  As a result, we are a nation that is founded on principles that allow individuals to practice religion as they see fit.  There is a line there though that is going to have to be defined.  When do religious, or cultural, practices cross the line to immoral and illegal acts?  How, do we create a society where that that line is well defined, and enforced?

As screwed up as the direction of this country is right now, it is still the very best nation in which to live.  Globally, we see the turmoil in Kyrgazstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Greese etc.  We see the living conditions in Nepal, Burma, Somalia, etc.  As a result I am reminded every day of the freedoms, rights, and opportunities that we have have here in the United States and the responsibility that each individual in our society has to maintain or improve our way of life.  We cannot bring the world to our standards, there are too many obstacles and ingrained beliefs to succeed at that.  However, we cannot allow this nation backslide to the standards of other countries.  Ultimately, that may make the United States a global pariah in some eyes.  To me, it is leadership by example.

BTW: The Argentina vs. Nigeria match was pretty good.  The Nigerian keeper was incredible.  That should have been a 6 – nil score not the 1- nil it turned out to be.  Too bad it cost two people their lives.

26 years ago.

Beirut

.

It was the bloodiest day in the Corps’ history since World War II, when Marines fought to secure Iwo Jima.

On October 23 1983, around 6:20 am, a yellow Mercedes-Benz truck drove to Beirut International Airport, where the 1st Battalion 8th Marines, under the U.S. 2nd Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps, had set up its local headquarters. The truck had been substituted for a hijacked water delivery truck. The truck turned onto an access road leading to the Marines’ compound and circled a parking lot. The driver then accelerated and crashed through a barbed wire fence around the parking lot, passed between two sentry posts, crashed through a gate and barreled into the lobby of the Marine headquarters. The Marine sentries at the gate were operating under their rules of engagement, which made it very difficult to respond quickly to the truck. By the time the two sentries had locked, loaded, and shouldered their weapons, the truck was already inside the building’s entry way.

The suicide bomber detonated his explosives, which were equivalent to 12,000 pounds (about 5,400 kg) of TNT. The force of the explosion collapsed the four-story cinder-block building into rubble, crushing many inside.

About 20 seconds later, an identical attack occurred against the barracks of the French 3rd Company of the 6th French Parachute Infantry Regiment. Another suicide bomber drove his truck down a ramp into the building’s underground parking garage and detonated his bomb, leveling the headquarters.

Do you remember where you were at the time? I was asleep in the Marine Barracks at Fort Bliss.

I remember my friends from bootcamp that were assigned to BLT 1.  I remember them and my other fallen brothers on this day.  Please do the same.

Semper Fidelis

I have commented before about how there is so very much that takes place subliminally in images.  Things that we may not conciously be aware of that play on our perceptions.  In one camp there are those that actually research these things and then stage the image appropriately to match.  In another camp there are those that don’t really notice.  Finally there is the camp where, someone does notice and take some sort of action.  Perhaps you have seen this image before.

Now, I am not at all certain why someone would feel the need to associate themselves with Hilter, or Nazi Germany but, there you have it.  Draw your own conclusions.

I ran across this post recently.  An interesting essay that I think is one of those must read pieces for everyone.  It details one man’s story and realization that evil is out there, and bad stuff happens to anyone.  When it does, what do you do?

I was going to excerpt part of the story but, you need to read the whole piece in it’s entirity.

WARNING: Raw footage below.There is a reason why terrorism is called terrorism. The goal is to impose your will and agenda on others through fear and intimidation. Watch the SUV weave through and concrete barriers, and time it’s approach to detonate next to the line of school children, walking near the road.These are the tactics that we are fighting. These are the cowardly acts of those who are unable to present thoughts and ideas that can be implemented through conventional leadership means. These are the tactics that our enemy would love to bring to our streets.

Targeting children is despicable. It is cowardly and, it can only result in hardening our resolve. Unfortunately it is not unprecedented, and the signals are all around us that it is something that those who hate the US have thought of, considered, and planned.

Consider:

• 2005 – Al Qaeda documents are intercepted that discuss the merits of attacking soft targets, specifically schools.
• In Afghanistan, U.S. forces capture an Al Qaeda training camp where videos were recovered showing terrorists staging takeovers of schools. The terrorists gave orders in English, violence was extreme, and childrens’ bodies were flung from the roofs for a greater media effect.
• In Iraq, U.S. forces capture blueprints and floorplans to United States schools in Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
• February 2006 – The Department of Homeland Security is reported to have started a training program for school bus drivers, in which the drivers would learn to watch for terrorists who were casing the bus routes.
• May 2006 – Two Saudi men board a school bus in Tampa, FL, in a possible “dry run.”
• June 2006 – 17 members of an Islamic terrorist cell are arrested in connection to a mass bombing plot. One of the 17 is a school bus driver.
• August 2006 – Three unidentified middle eastern men entered the United States from Canada and attempted to purchase multiple school buses.
• March 2007 – The Associated Press reported that the FBI sent out a bulletin to law enforcement agencies warning officers that terrorists were attempting to obtain driver’s licenses that would enable them to drive school buses.
• August 2007 – 17 school buses go missing in the Houston, TX area.  Authorities state that this is a “homeland security concern.”  Note that Texas is one of the states from which school floorplans were found in Iraq.

Bottom line, the next 0 – 12 months is going to be a very interesting time for the incoming administration, and all of us.

25 years ago.

Beruit

.

It was the bloodiest day in the Corps’ history since World War II, when Marines fought to secure Iwo Jima.

On October 23 1983, around 6:20 am, a yellow Mercedes-Benz truck drove to Beirut International Airport, where the 1st Battalion 8th Marines, under the U.S. 2nd Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps, had set up its local headquarters. The truck had been substituted for a hijacked water delivery truck. The truck turned onto an access road leading to the Marines’ compound and circled a parking lot. The driver then accelerated and crashed through a barbed wire fence around the parking lot, passed between two sentry posts, crashed through a gate and barreled into the lobby of the Marine headquarters. The Marine sentries at the gate were operating under their rules of engagement, which made it very difficult to respond quickly to the truck. By the time the two sentries had locked, loaded, and shouldered their weapons, the truck was already inside the building’s entry way.

The suicide bomber detonated his explosives, which were equivalent to 12,000 pounds (about 5,400 kg) of TNT. The force of the explosion collapsed the four-story cinder-block building into rubble, crushing many inside.

About 20 seconds later, an identical attack occurred against the barracks of the French 3rd Company of the 6th French Parachute Infantry Regiment. Another suicide bomber drove his truck down a ramp into the building’s underground parking garage and detonated his bomb, leveling the headquarters.

Do you remember where you were at the time? I was asleep in the Marine Barracks at Fort Bliss.

I remember my friends from bootcamp that were assigned to BLT 1. I remember them and my other fallen brothers on this day. Please do the same.

Semper Fidelis

As I was writing the post about advertising I closed the post with a comment about alarmism, and I was trying to visualize what that might look like.

I came up with trying to envision what an Obama cabinet might look like, and what his personal advisory staff might look like. Wright, Ayers, Rezko, the vision gets very, very, frightening. The damage to the fabric of the nation, the hatred that would occupy the leadership of this nation, the corruption, the damage to our international standing, our way of life…

Put yourself in the shoes of a terrorist, or a criminal, and Obama (a known terrorist sympathizer) is elected to office. What is your first thought?

I had a couple of very visual, mid-level paragraphs at this point that while effective would have given too many ideas to the bad guys. I pulled them out. Sit down for five minutes and think about what you do on any given day. Think about what would cause the most fear and disruption for you personally. Our enemies have already thought of that and have a plan to make those fears a reality if we allow them to.

Very frightening.

I read a lot of other blogs around the web.  Most often I extract what I think are interesting perspectives and opinions of others.  I give you some of my superficial thoughts on the topic and ask you to go read the whole post.  Sometimes, I make it a bit easier for you and include the whole piece.

In the past I have referred you over to Chuck Z, and his site.  Chuck has a unique perspective, and personal interest in what happens in the middle east having left bits of himself there after he was wounded.  He has been at the pointy end, defending our freedoms and for that alone he deserves our respect and thanks.  But Chuck has gone beyond that and contributed to those who have returned wounded from our efforts in Mesopotamia.  In all cases he brings a candid and pointed perspective to our world, and he shares that through his blog.  Once in a while he writes something this is a slap in the face wake up call.  Today, he has done that again, with his post IED Maker.

The guy who detonated the IED that crippled me is dead. We caught him, tried him in an Iraqi court, and they stretched his neck.

I dunno if we ever caught the guy who made the IED.

Regardless, an IED maker is a terrorist. If I catch an IED maker, whether he made the IED yesterday or 40 years ago, I’d be very conflicted as to whether to bring him to justice, or to exact instant justice–taking a knife, vise grips, and a blowtorch and replicating my wounds, injury for injury.

You NEED to read the rest, it has a profound implication on your actions November 4, 2008.  GO READ IT, watch the video clip – then make a decision.  Where do you stand?

Many years ago I read a book by Mercedes Lackey that got me thinking.  Being young and immortal at the time (at least in my own mind) I had never really given it any thought.  In any case it was one of those “fantasy / reality” stories featuring elves in modern settings and it was explaining a myth that holds about elves that they would kidnap children and leave a changeling in their place.  It went on to explain the elves held children precious above all else, and they did indeed remove children from abusive environments where ever they found them, and raised them in safer environments.

Since becoming a father, and working with kids both mine and others I fully agree with the sentiment that there is nothing so precious as a child.

Well someone has been compiling stats recently and pulled this one together.

From AKI

Baghdad, 1 Oct. (AKI) – Al-Qaeda has over the past two years used 24 children to carry out suicide bombings in Iraq, the director of military operations for the Interior Ministry, Abdelaziz Mohammed Jasim, told pan-Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat.

“Of the 24 children, five had a mental disability. From analysing the others’ remains, we established that they were homeless,” said Jasim.

American soldiers stationed in Iraq have reported that the insurgency has armed children as young as 11 to fight against them.

Al-Qaeda is targeting orphans, street children and mentally disabled children as suicide bomber recruits as well as women, according to the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

There have been at least 16 suicide attacks carried out by women in recent months in the volatile Al-Qaeda stronghold of Diyala province, north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Iraqi children (photo) in general make up 20 percent of the civilian victims of bomb attacks in the country.

Evil.  Pure evil.

I became a father three months before 9/11.  Since that time I have become extremely focused on what takes place around me, and what I have in my bag of tricks to protect my family in times of trouble.  Having been an active duty Marine during some of the troubling times of the last century, simple counter terrorism actions, and counter defensive measures and awareness have been burned into by synapses.  I’ve mentioned before some of my experiences with Iran and Iranian friends that I had in the 70′s.  Even though I was thousands of miles away, Beruit had a serious impact on my views of the world.  Subsequent events in the Balkans, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Spain, Britian, Germany, and the United States have reinforced the concept of evil and it’s existence on this planet.

Evil comes in many forms, from the all-powerful dictator, to the “petty office tyrant” that makes your business life miserable.  Defending ourselves, our families, and our way of life from evil should be a fundamental calling of each of us.  There are many tools available to us and for the majority of Americans voice, mannerisms, body language, and persuasiveness can deal with most of the situations that occur on a daily basis.  For other situations, something else is needed.  It goes beyond tools it reach for a mindset.  If you do not have the awareness of your surroundings, and the situation then you cannot possibly mentally accelerate to combat someone is meaning to do you harm no matter what tool you have at your fingertips.  Finally, when we, as a society, are able to combat evil “beings” we have to be able to deal with them a bit more permanently than we have.

Why do I write all these things… well a couple of incidents have occured that have reinforced by thought process here.

You should go here and read this post in total.  Phil does a nice job of tying together the whole thread.

Just under two years ago, a Thurston County middle school teacher was made to resign after she was found to have brought a firearm to school. The teacher had told both the school administration and the police that she had only brought it to protect herself from her husband, for whom she had recently gotten a protection order on after he threatened her with a gun.

They ignored the clear and present threat, patted her on the head and told her not to worry her little self over it. Shortly afterwards, they said that if she refused to resign, they’d fire her and have charges pressed against her. Yes, she had a valid Washington State Concealed Pistol License at the time.

Then we have this article from the Chicago Sun Times.

A convicted sex offender died Sunday during a struggle with a father who found the naked man in or near his 17-year-old daughter’s bedroom, police said.

Police responding to a call from the city’s northwest side about 3:20 a.m. found 64-year-old Robert McNally on the hallway floor with his arm around the neck of 52-year-old David T. Meyers, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

From personal experience, and I wish I could find a link for you on this, a Marine Captain of my acquaintence took his family on a camping vacation in the upper Midwest.  When he failed to return from leave a search turned up the bodies, murdered by two ex-convicts.

Bottom line – evil exists, not just in books and movies but in everyday life.  Prepare for it, and hope that it never finds you.