VirusHead

Chuck Hagel, Republican turning Democrat. Maybe he can give the Dems some… ahhh…. backbone.

“This is one of the most arrogant, incompetent administrations I’ve ever seen personally or ever read about,” the always blunt and frequently quotable Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., said yesterday during an appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

“This administration in my opinion has been as unprepared as any administration I’m aware of,” Hagel added, “not only the ones that I have been somehow connected to and that’s been every administration — either I’ve been in Washington or worked within an administration or Congress or some way dealing with them since the first Nixon administration. I would rate this one the lowest in capacity, in capability, in policy, in consensus — almost every area, I would give it the lowest grade. …

“And you know, I think of this administration, what they could have done after 9/11, what was within their grasp. Every poll in the world showed 90% of the world for us. Iran had some of the first spontaneous demonstrations on the streets of Tehran supporting America. They squandered a tremendous amount of opportunity.”

Read Hagel’s (not Hegel’s – lol) complete remarks.

Tell the U.S. Navy to Protect Right Whales from Deadly Sonar!

Only 300 North Atlantic right whales are believed to exist — and unfortunately their migratory route goes right through the area where the U.S. Navy plans to unleash lethal mid-frequency sonar off North Carolina’s coast.

Ear-splitting military sonar is needlessly killing whales and other marine mammals throughout the world’s oceans. Yet the U.S. Navy wants to put a training range for lethal mid-frequency sonar right next to a key migratory route for endangered right whales off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Please urge the Navy to find a place and a time for training that is less likely to harm some of the most magnificent creatures on Earth.

(NRDC Action Fund, see statement by James Taylor)

So the U.S. Girl Scouts are offering membership to Muslim girls as a “chance to fit in“?

“It is kind of cool to say that you are a girl scout,” Asma said. “It is good to have something to associate yourself with other Americans. I don’t want people to think that I am a hermit, that I live in a cave, isolated and afraid of change. I like to be part of society. I like being able to say that I am a girl scout just like any other normal girl.”

Hitler Youth Uniform originally
uploaded by NeueDeutsche

Hmmm….

The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts have always been so welcoming to non-white, non-christian people, haven’t they?

I mean, this is great, I guess, if you want to be a girl scout… I never did.

They weren’t as creepy as the Boy Scouts, but I just never felt any attraction.

In college, I felt the same way about sororities…

The Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The troop leader said that she could not join the group because of her disabilities. In tears, Marika signed, “Please, Mommy, tell her I’ll be good. Tell her I’ll be quiet.“

The Girl Scouts settled a human rights complaint this week that accused them of excluding a 9-year-old girl from at least five troops in upstate New York because she was infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. The Scouts admitted no wrongdoing but agreed not to bar girls like her in the future.

In Chicago, Winkler & Poloncarz filed suit in federal court challenging the City of Chicago’s operation of scout troops affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America. The suit alleged that the City’s policy excludes participants from City-operated scouting programs based on religious belief and sexual orientation. The City eventually entered into a binding agreement in which it formally ended all support for scouting programs as long as the Boy Scouts of America continue to discriminate on the basis of religious belief and sexual orientation. The case is still ongoing, against the federal defendants.

John Scalise and his son, Benjamin, filed suit alleging the Huron Council of the Boy Scouts violated their religious freedom by requiring an affirmation of belief in God. Scalise and his son are atheists. Scalise also alleged that because Mt. Pleasant Public Schools are partnered with BSA, the district is violating its own nondiscrimination policy.

Oh, yeah, don’t forget those unhealthy cookies…

The Girl Scouts ignored the trans fat issue for many years, refusing to remove the unhealthful oil from their cookies. Now that the whole country is aware of the health dangers of trans fats, the Girl Scouts still doesn’t eliminate the fat from their cookies, even while their food label claims zero grams.

Any idea where the money from cookie sales actually goes? Who owns the Girl Scouts?

On the other side, some feel that the Girl Scouts are unacceptably “politically correct” and implore righteous parents to sign their wee girls up with the “American Heritage Girls” for a welcoming christ-centered scouting organization:

In a recent column for the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, Rick Mercier criticized President Bush for having visited last month’s patriotic Boy Scout Jamboree. “Isn’t there something nightmarish about our misleader swooping down on a steaming pit of sweat and testosterone and whipping a throng of brown-shirted youths into a nationalistic frenzy?” he asks.

The Philadelphia Daily News compared the Boy Scouts to the Taliban in 2003, and it isn’t difficult to find websites that liken the Scouts to the Ku Klux Klan.

While all this is going on, the Girl Scouts are quietly immune from these sorts of attacks. And the reason – one that many Americans have yet to realize – is very simple: the Girl Scouts are the epitome of institutional political correctness.

Next month, the Girl Scouts USA national convention will be held in Atlanta. It will be a gathering of radical feminists, lesbians, and cookie peddlers with an agenda far removed from the classical image of Girl Scouting and from many local Girl Scout troops. (spokesman for the Scouting Legal Defense Fund)

American Heritage Girls

Originally uploaded by YeOleImposter.

For those to whom the Girl Scouts are insufficiently devotional or submission-oriented, for those who deem the Girl Scouts to be a haven for anti-abortion freaks, for those who want to recombine church and patriotism outside the cumbersome settings of U.S. law, meet the American Heritage Girls – they charter with churches. American Heritage Girls is a Christ-centered scouting ministry “building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country.”

“I promise to love God,
Cherish my family,
Honor my country,
and Serve in my community.”

Meetings begin with the Pledge of Allegiance, recitation of the AHG oath and creed, prayer, and devotions.

The following Statement of Faith applies to all American Heritage Girls Charter Organizations, Adult Members and Adult Leaders.

We believe that there is One Triune God – Father, Jesus Christ His one and only Son, and the Holy Spirit – Creator of the universe and eternally existent. We believe the Holy Scriptures (Old/New Testament) to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We believe each person is created in His image for the purpose of communing with and worshipping God. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit who enables us to live a Godly life. We believe that each individual is called to love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength; and to love their neighbors as themselves. We believe that each individual is called to live a life of purity, service, stewardship and integrity.

Clarity is further provided to the following terms:

Purity – An AHG member is called to live a life of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word and deed, reserving sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage; marriage being a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman.

Service – An AHG member is called to become a responsible member of their community and the world through selfless acts, which contribute to the welfare of others.

Stewardship – An AHG member is called to use their God given time, talents and money wisely.

Integrity – An AHG member is called to live a moral life, demonstrating the inward motivation to do what is right, regardless of the cost.

Sheesh.

I’m really, really glad that Ben has no interest whatsoever in any uniforms (besides those of superheroes). We don’t need any more Pseudochristian Youth (Everyone knows… get ‘em while they’re young).

Yeah, our “beloved leader” is really interested in helping to negotiate peace in the middle east. Isn’t that what his record is all about? Isn’t it? Isn’t it?

Crooks and Liars:

Looking confused and distracted, the president butchered the names of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas *shock* and even needed guidance on where to stand with the two leaders for a photo op — which was apparently the only reason he attended at all.

After all the hype and spin about how much President Bush cares about bringing peace to the Middle East, and how he’s worked the phones and listened in preparation, our Commander in Chief took off after spending less than three hours at the summit.

Step away from the podium….

Well, got the photo op…

I receive notices every couple of days from the neighborhood watch. There has been a bit of a crime wave in the area, and everyone is on edge.

I’m getting very uneasy about some of these communications. Call me whatever you want, but I would never want to have to rely on some of these neighbors. I’m even thinking of getting a little more serious about defense in case of darker times.

Yesterday, I got this email:

Subject: stranger walking our streets tonight

Neighbors- There is a gentleman that has been standing out in our cul-de-sac on Br*****n Ct. for some time this evening. When asked what he is doing he said he is looking for a place to stay and then started walking down the street again. Be sure to lock your doors.

He was so dangerous that he could be approached, and answered a question…

This bothered me. It bothered me a lot.

I replied to all this morning:

I know that everyone has reason to be cautious, but just a thought: as this country creates more and more poverty, remember that this man could be you.

It was cold last night. Did it occur to anyone to try to help him?

I hear a lot about Southern hospitality and how religious people are in the south. I’ve seen little evidence for either.

Matthew 25
..for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

Way to make friends with the neighbors… but I can’t take it anymore. “Stranger walking our streets tonight?” Sigh.

And of course, the saga continued. Evidently replying to all did not have the intended effect. The email went to the coordinator, who replied:

While I understand your point of view regarding this man’s situation, I think it is a bit naive these days, to think that one can just open his/her home up to a perfect stranger wandering the streets. In Biblical times, crimes such as home invasions and armed robberies were not commonplace. Nowadays, it would be very dangerous even to approach this person, much less invite him in for dinner. He could be armed or suffer from serious mental illness. This particular neighbor called the police. I believe that we have to trust that the police will assess the situation and provide any services that this man may need. I find it touching that you care so deeply for others’ well-being and you may think that I am cold or uncaring, but I have small children as does the neighbor who sent the email. I couldn’t, wouldn’t risk my own life or the safety of my family like that. I would, however, notify the authorities and describe the situation to them, so that they could help him. I am not forwarding your email to the n’hood watch list because I feel it would be neglectful as coordinator to encourage people to follow your suggestion. I hope we can agree to disagree on this subject with no hard feelings.

After I finished with my hearty laughter at the cognitive dissonance between the accusation of my naiveté and the simultaneous assertion of a lack of violence in Biblical times, I wrote back:

If he could answer a question, he could be driven to a shelter. Did the police actually come? Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. How about giving him a cup of coffee to ensure that he would sit there until they arrived instead of wandering off?

It went below freezing last night – wouldn’t it be a terrible thing if they discovered his frozen corpse today?

I have a small child too – I wasn’t suggesting taking him in. We can agree to disagree – I simply feel that there may be more options than the ones that are offered. Believe me, I am not naive about this subject.

The thing that’s interesting about the scripture that I quoted is that it is a description of the last judgment. The bottom line, as it were, is not the ten commandments – not for christians. Here is the complete text (New American Standard Bible, compare to others):

The Judgment

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Anybody gonna fight to have this posted at the courthouse?

If you’re going to claim to be a christian you can’t rationalize this away. If you claim the text is inspired and literally true, then you are bound by this judgment. I’m not really a christian, or not exclusively (and for most, that would mean not at all), but I think that this makes a very dramatic point about what is important.

The insight of the scripture to me is just this: The spirit is in everyone. Don’t dehumanize. Put yourself in the position of the other person. You can protect your own safety while doing so – of course. But – stranger walking the streets, lock your doors? – what is he then, Dracula?
So, what really happened here? The “gentleman” (love how they put it that way?) was approached and it was clear that he needed shelter, and then what? What was next? “Move on,” “good luck with that”?

If you feel that it is too dangerous to approach someone, that’s one thing – sure, call the police.

But this guy was clearly harmless enough to be approached, and then they simply report that he wandered off, so lock your doors.

(Spitting to the side).