Flight #297: What really happened?

Finally, The Canada Free Press displays true investigative reporting.  Read this very disturbing account of the Nov. 17, 2009 Air Tran Flight #297:  http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17508 

When I see generic news reports about an incident and later receive emails suggesting much more to the story, I have to immediately distrust media reports in favor of citizen reports.  Emails must always be verified with a reliable source, but finding trustworthy sources is the real trick.  Sometimes, fact-check sites like Snopes.com will have quick answers to easily refuted emails, but even then, such sites often rely on media sources for supporting references.  Such sites can be helpful in seeking the truth in that they will get some of the most obvious research out of the way.  However, even the troublesome accounts below can only be classified as "Mixture" (as of this posting). 

And now the plot thickens with the private email distribution of the following eye witness accounts that support the investigative reports of the Free Canada Press:

Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson

Air Tran Flight 297 Incident
Copyright 2009 Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson

Air Tran Airways Flight 297 was scheduled to leave Atlanta at 4:43PM in route to Houston Hobby Airport. Because of my position as Corps Commander of the Houston Regional Community Chaplain Corps, I frequently wear my Chaplain jacket as I travel. Like some sort of heavenly magnet, the Chaplain jacket invites discussion with a wide variety of people who are struggling with issues in need of a comforting ear. My connecting flight was late and the door to the jet way closed prior to my boarding. So, even though I was rescheduled on a much later flight far from C‐16 I settled down with a newspaper and only 1/4th of my remaining cell phone battery.

While waiting at the distant gate, I noticed on the scheduling monitors that Flight 297 had returned to gate C‐16 and was scheduled to leave at 5:45PM. I hurried back to gate C‐16 in hopes of boarding my original flight after it strangely returned to the gate. Upon arriving at the gate I noticed that there was a look of solemn concern on the faces of the gate attendants. I asked if I could get on flight 297 when they returned to the gate. Their faces indicated a distinct level of stress that let everyone in the seating area knew that there was a problem on board. When I approached them a few moments later I said, “I am a Chaplain. Is there some way that I can be of help?” They said, “No.” Obviously, an event had occurred that they would not talk about.

Over the next thirty minutes officials from Air Tran started arriving at the gate, flashing their badges and going down to the plane. After 6‐7 officials exited the door, suddenly it flew open and 12‐15 people from the flight hurried off the plane. Anger and fear was etched on their faces as they jerked their carry‐on and tore into their computer bags to schedule another flight out of Atlanta.

Air Tran Flight 297 Incident Copyright 2009 Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson Page 2

One gentleman confronted the gate agent demanding his luggage be removed from the flight. As I spoke to him he related that when Flight 297 left the concourse the first time it began taxiing to take off when approximately 12 men of Middle Eastern appearance stood up and began dancing and singing in an Arabic dialect. They refused to be seated when directed to do so by the flight attendants. Then, the singing stopped and some of the men took out their cell phones and began taking pictures of the other individual passengers. Again, the men were ordered to be seated by the flight crew and refused while continuing to take their pictures. Next, the de‐boarded passenger related that a few of the men gestured with imaginary guns as their fingers, indicating with their triggering action that they would shoot the people on the plane.

The flight crew declared an emergency and the plane returned to the concourse. The 12 men were taken to another area of the airport and questioned. It is my understanding that their luggage was removed and checked. Then, ten of the men were allowed to get back on the plane. That’s when the 12‐15 passengers decided that they wanted to get off that plane and take other flights. This ordeal had gone on approximately 2 hours to this point.

With much concern I was allowed to go down the jet way to the plane. There I encountered a man claiming that he was from Homeland Security to assess the situation. I related to the Homeland Security man about the claims of the photos and the shooting hand gestures related by the first man to exit the plane and I told him that I was a Senior Chaplain familiar with Critical Incident Response and would wait to help him should the passengers need my help. He said, “Thanks.” The flight crew hurriedly walked past me leaving the plane with their baggage. The flight attendants were emotionally shaken, red faced, in tears and were sobbing. A new flight crew was ordered for the flight. All remaining passengers awaited their next crew, unsure of the ultimate destiny of this flight.

When I boarded the plane the air was tense and filled with emotion. Many of the passengers were obviously upset and at wits end. Often passengers would look back then forward to

Air Tran Flight 297 Incident Copyright 2009 Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson Page 3

assess any change in the suspicious activities of the 10 hostile Middle Eastern passengers. Although my seat was 22D I moved to the back of the plane to gain a better view of any actions that might take place in front of me. Some of the Middle Eastern men were in the Business Class area and the remainder was seated in the back of the plane. They spoke only Arabic and I did not understand what they were saying although a strange burst of laughter would erupt as they spoke.
I struggled to see if these men were merely tragically toying with the emotions of the other American passengers or if they intended to do more. I calmed the new flight attendants and told them where I would be seated if they or any of the other passengers needed me.

I asked the flight attendant if she did or did not know whether we had an Air Marshal on the plane. She said that they were never told when one was on board. I prayed for the peace to handle whatever might happen on the flight but kept my eyes peeled forward for any suspicious movements. One of the other passengers in mid‐plane grew restless and began to show signs of rising agitation. He got up from his chair looked back and then to the front of the plane and paced back and forth between three to four rows. I prayed that that he would not become violent with some of the men but then he quickly sat down and remained quiet until the end of the flight.
One hour into the flight thankfully nothing had happened. The outer skin of Flight 297’s body must have radiated with prayers ascending into heaven from the passengers…and the one Chaplain at the back of the plane. Each of the Middle Eastern men remained quiet but frequently went into the overhead compartments to retrieve what appeared to be electronic devices and other packages from their backpacks. I was thankful when the men in the back of the plane appeared to nod off into a harmless sleep.

One of the 10 men from Business Class came back to retrieve a box marked as a Mac Notebook. He brought it to the front of the plane and put it in third compartment on the left of the plane. There must have been four or five airline pilots in uniform on board making connecting flights

Air Tran Flight 297 Incident Copyright 2009 Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson Page 4

through Hobby Airport in Houston. One of the pilot passengers moved the Mac Notebook box to another overhead area without anyone observing the new distant hiding place for his package.

Finally, the pilot announced that we were only 285 miles from Houston and under an hour of time to go. Still nothing happened. The flight attendants appeared to be calming down but the heads of passengers periodically bobbed forward and back, still watching for activity from the men.

Obviously, in Atlanta the officials from Air Tran had been placed in a difficult ethnic position that directly resulted from the inappropriate, threatening actions of these 12 Middle Eastern men. And, obviously vacillating between appropriately removing these men permanently off the plane and sequestering them for the threats they made toward these passengers on the flight…or taking the “politically correct” action of taking them off, questioning them and then putting most of them back on the plane…Air Tran took the easy way out and put most of them back on board. As in most dilemma situations both parties are never equally affected by the resulting action. By putting 10 of the men back on the plane, Air Tran decided that it was better to emotionally traumatize each and every one of the remaining passengers on Air Tran Flight 297 for the remainder of the flight. They had a chance to remove the offenders…but didn’t.  Only a few weeks before this flight experience one Middle Eastern man killed many soldiers in the name of Allah at Fort Hood, Texas. This experience placed many in America into a 9‐12 state of mental preparedness. Most of us realize that there are pockets of radical Islamists right here in America awaiting either an internal or external signal to strike again at Americans…just as they did on 9‐11. The realities of these events can’t help but condition our minds for protection.
As a Chaplain I ask myself, would America have been better off if a group of passengers on Air Tran Flight 297 assumed the 9‐12 mentality of preparedness and launched a group attack on these men, forcing them into their seats until the plane parked again in its Atlanta International jet way? Were the passengers right to just put up with the obvious intimidation by these men

Air Tran Flight 297 Incident Copyright 2009 Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson Page 5

until the flight was over? And, could it be that we actually endorsed the actions of these men by not taking action against them when they made their first imaginary shooting action toward an American on that flight?

How many times would it take for Americans forcefully to stand up for their safety based solely on the aggressive and threatening actions of these men as people threatening Americans, for them to see that Americans won’t tolerate physical or psychological intimidation at all anymore?

Is it inappropriate for Americans to stand together, draw a line in the sand, and say this will not happen to me or any of my American brothers/sisters? Do we not have a duty and responsibility to stand against this type of intimidation?

And this is the most difficult question of all: For those who were passengers that evening on Air Train Flight 297, could it be that we actually planted the seeds for the next intimidation by those who would attack us in our own homeland…by not acting together to stop the intimidation and threats?

As long as there are those who would claim Jihad as the proper way to solve ideological differences between religions, countries and civilizations, “intimidation” and “threats” will continue to be the initial instruments of force used against peace‐loving people. As we become sensitized to the successive “intimidation” and “threats” we will become less and less responsive in our own defense. Then, as we find ourselves lulled into believing that the next intimidation or threat is just that…it will be an actual attack on America. We will not have learned from the deaths of all those Americans who died at the Twin Towers in New York or at the Pentagon in Washington DC.

Even peace loving Americans must awaken to the reality that our enemies intend to wipe us from the face of the earth through Jihad. Intimidation and threats are merely the precursors to the violence which will come. Ideally, all mankind should respect the beliefs, customs and religions of others on this earth. And, God knows that someday we may actually reach that point. But until that time America must set boundaries that protect its people based upon

Air Tran Flight 297 Incident Copyright 2009 Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson Page 6

what is right or wrong for America and its people. In order to survive as a nation of people claiming American values and ethics, we must stop political correctness as a way to temporarily appease those who would kill us in a heartbeat. It’s time we deal in reality and speak honestly and accurately about the facts in each situation. Face it, you cannot prevent someone from getting their feelings hurt when you speak the truth.

If America is to survive…and I pray to God that it does, we must enforce boundaries that define us as Americans. If we don’t enforce American values and just bend the truth to make people feel good…very soon America will become impotent before the world.

I believe that God didn’t make a mistake when he brought together the forefathers of America. These men were tested and from the fire of the American Revolution a new country was born. Today we can perpetuate our America or we can remember it as a distant dream that didn’t last. I, for one, believe that God did not make America as a mistake. And, from that belief in America, the truth must be spoken as it is in reality. When intimidation or threats confront an American citizen or an American ideal, we must stand together and hold the boundary set by our American forefathers. In truth words mean very little. How we act reveals what we really believe.

‐‐‐ END‐‐‐

Senior Chaplain Dr. Keith A. Robinson is the Corps Commander for the Houston Regional Community Chaplain’s Corps in Houston, Texas. He can be reached by email at DrKeithR@aol.com ; by phone at 713‐826‐3220; and by snail mail at 2042 Baker Trail, Houston, Texas 77094.

Tedd J. Petruna (forwarded by good friend A. Gene Hackemack)

I received this email from my good friend Tedd Petruna, a diver at the NBL facility [Neutral Buoyancy Lab], at NASA Houston, whom I used to work with.  Tedd happened to be on this same Flt. 297, Atlanta to Houston.

In my opinion, the muslims are all getting very brave now, since they have a Muslim sympathizer in the white house......read Tedd's story below. 

Semper Fi
Gene Hackemack   
 
PS...can you imagine, our own news media now are so politically correct that they are afraid to report that these were all muslims...unbelievable. Thank God for people like Tedd Petruna.   
 
A. Gene Hackemack
979-251-2310 cell & home
buttonbox01@gmail.com
8725 Hwy 290 W
Brenham TX  77833
 

----- Original Message -----
From: Petruna, Tedd J. (JSC-DX12)[RAYTHEON TECHNICAL SERVICES COMPANY]
To: undisclosed-recipients
Sent: Friday, November 27, 2009 11:32 AM
Subject: Long story short....

One week ago, I went to Ohio on business and to see my father.  On Tuesday, November the 17th, I returned home.  If you read the papers the 18th you may have seen a blurb where a AirTran flight was cancelled from Atlanta to Houston due to a man who refused to get off of his cell phone before takeoff.  It was on Fox.
 
This was NOT what happened.
 
I was in 1st class coming home.  11 Muslim men got on the plane in full attire.  2 sat in 1st class and the rest peppered themselves throughout the plane all the way to the back.  As the plane taxied to the runway the stewardesses gave the safety spiel we are all so familiar with.  At that time, one of the men got on his cell and called one of his companions in the back and proceeded to talk on the phone in Arabic very loudly and very aggressively.  This took the 1st stewardess out of the picture for she repeatedly told the man that cell phones were not permitted at the time.  He ignored her as if she was not there.
 
The 2nd man who answered the phone did the same and this took out the 2nd stewardess.  In the back of the plane at this time, 2 younger Muslims, one in the back aisle, and one in front of him, window, began to show footage of a porno they had taped the night before, and were very loud about it.  Now..they are only permitted to do this prior to Jihad.  If a Muslim man goes into a strip club, he has to view the woman via mirror with his back to her.  (don't ask me..I don't make the rules, but I've studied)  The 3rd stewardess informed them that they were not to have electronic devices on at this time.  To which one of the men said "shut up infidel dog!"  She went to take the camcorder and he began to scream in her face in Arabic.  At that exact moment, all 11 of them got up and started to walk the cabin.  This is where I had had enough!  I got up and started to the back where I heard a voice behind me from another Texan twice my size say "I got your back."  I grabbed the man who had been on the phone by the arm and said "you WILL go sit down or you Will be thrown from this plane!"  As I "led" him around me to take his seat, the fellow Texan grabbed him by the back of his neck and his waist and headed out with him.  I then grabbed the 2nd man and said, "You WILL do the same!"  He protested but adrenaline was flowing now and he was going to go.  As I escorted him forward the plane doors open and 3 TSA agents and 4 police officers entered.  Me and my new Texan friend were told to cease and desist for they had this under control.  I was happy to oblige actually.  There was some commotion in the back, but within moments, all 11 were escorted off the plane.  They then unloaded their luggage.
 
We talked about the occurrence and were in disbelief that it had happen, when suddenly, the door open again and on walked all 11!!  Stone faced, eyes front and robotic (the only way I can describe it).  The stewardess from the back had been in tears and when she saw this, she was having NONE of it!  Being that I was up front, I heard and saw the whole ordeal.  She told the TSA agent there was NO WAY she was staying on the plane with these men.  The agent told her they had searched them and were going to go through their luggage with a fine tooth comb and that they were allowed to proceed to Houston.  The captain and co-captain came out and told the agent "we and our crew will not fly this plane!"  After a word or two, the entire crew, luggage in tow, left the plane.  5 minutes later, the cabin door opened again and a whole new crew walked on.
 
Again...this is where I had had enough!!!  I got up and asked "What the hell is going on!?!?"  I was told to take my seat.  They were sorry for the delay and I would be home shortly.  I said "I'm getting off this plane".  The stewardess sternly told me that she could not allow me to get off.  (now I'm mad!)  I said "I am a grown man who bought this ticket, whose time is mine with a family at home and I am going through that door, or I'm going through that door with you under my arm!!  But I am going through that door!!"  And I heard a voice behind me say "so am I".  Then everyone behind us started to get up and say the same.  Within 2 minutes, I was walking off that plane where I was met with more agents who asked me to write a statement.  I had 5 hours to kill at this point so why the hell not.  Due to the amount of people who got off that flight, it was cancelled.  I was supposed to be in Houston at 6pm.  I got here at 12:30am.
 
Look up the date.  Flight #297 Atlanta to Houston.
 
If this wasn't a dry run, I don't know what one is.  The terrorists wanted to see how TSA would handle it, how the crew would handle it, and how the passengers would handle it.
 
I'm telling this to you because I want you to know..
The threat is real.  I saw it with my own eyes..
 
-Tedd Petruna
 
A. Gene Hackemack
979-251-2310 cell & home
buttonbox01@gmail.com
8725 Hwy 290 W
Brenham TX  77833

Upon emailing Mr. Hackemack at his listed email address for verification, I promptly received the following response:

Hi,

My emails are now running into the thousands each day, which is actually a very good sign, but it also now prevents me from answering each one personally – a 24 hour job for the last 3 days!  Let me assure you that the events on AirTran Flight 297 did occur. Mr. Petruna almost got fired from his job, so he is no longer available, however, now other eye-witnesses are also stepping forth, such as Chaplain Dr. Keith Robinson who was on that same flight. His appearance on Fox News adds the validity that this event it deserves.

You can go to www.google.com now and type in either Chaplain Dr. Keith Robinson or Petruna or Hackemack (or all three) and find the information that you might be searching for when you sent me this email.

Thank you again for your email and rest assured that these events that you are checking validity to – did indeed occur.  – Gene  

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17508 

MSNBC wins the title of Biggest Liars in the Media

Lately, MSNBC is causing a stir among the general public with their unbelievably biased reporting and outright lies in their coverage.  This November the network announced their new slogan:  "Experience the Power of Change."  Of course, NBC denies that the slogan is designed to bring to mind Barack Obama's campaign message.  Bloggers are beyond the hype, providing pretty good examples of what the general public thinks of MSNBC these days:

Posted Nov. 17, 2009 - 2:41 pm eastern by DoktorFranken:

MSNBC:  More S#!t - No Believable Content

Posted Nov. 17, 2009 - 2:52 pm eastern by east tennessee john:

MSNBC:  MSDNC 

Posted Nov. 15, 2008 - 12:26 pm by rwilson99:
The P in PMSNBC: Stands for Pravda.

Posted Nov. 15, 2008 2:04 pm by timestax 
Some freeper once called it MSPMS! 

Posted Sept. 1, 2010  
MSNBC means More Stupid News By Communists
MSNBC means More Socialist News By Communists


MSNBC provides excellent fodder for conservative talk shows as well:

MSNBC:  "just slightly right of the Soviet-run state television" -- Glenn Beck, Fox News Network

Here's crappy news example  #1 for why MSNBC is the worst news network around.

Check out the blatant spin and misinformation provided courtesy of MSNBC regarding a pre-planned, authority-approved protest in Arizona this year.  Notice that MSNBC did not interview any of these arms carriers personally; there is a reason for that.  The truth wouldn't have let MSNBC use the event to push their agenda.  To make matters even more untrue, the film footage does not show the protester, only the gun hanging down the man's back, hiding his identity entirely.  Listen carefully to what these pundits say about "white guys" with guns while our black president is in office.  

Keep in mind, the back of the man you see is a black man -- a very articulate, intelligent black man -- whom MSNBC wouldn't even bother to hear.  This is a deliberate attempt on MSNBC's part to discredit protesters and inflame race relations in this country -- for the specific purpose of quieting dissidents to the current administration's socialist agenda.  This misrepresentation of facts is outrageous, but what we've come to expect from MSNBC.

MSNBC's Version of "Journalism":

The truth often serves to make MSNBC look bad.  Even though I am no fan of Disney's politically correct agenda, I must give accolades to the following ABC News report.  Not only do they portray the protester honestly, but ABC does not remove the most intelligent material the protester provides in favor of airing the only verbal stumble in the interview.  Way to go ABC, I give you credit for further proving MSNBC to be a pathetic excuse for a news organization through your accurate report of the event:

ABC's report of the event:

While I first heard about this egregious sin of ethics by MSNBC from Newbusters.org, I appreciate that Fox News also aired the disgusting display of propaganda in the following Greg Gutfeld commentary:

Fox's commentary about it:


While it is good to finally have at least one network policing the others on their disgusting habits of propaganda, the best source is always directly from the newsmaker -- in this case, the armed protester himself -- without the "aid" of journalistic interpretation.  I think you'll find this man is hardly a racist and more in line with the label "patriot" than anything.

Look at it from the protesters point of view:

Example #2:

Here's another excellent example of MSNBC's lack of journalistic integrity with the airing of fake photos of Sarah Palin, ironically days before the liberal propagandists take it upon themselves to "fact check" Palin's book.  Are these elitist jerks kidding?

Read it on Newsbusters.org:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2009/11/17/days-after-airing-fake-photos-sarah-palin-msnbc-fact-checks-former-g

MSNBC didn't even bother to check it out on Snopes before airing the pictures:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/politics/palin.asp

Example #3:
THEN, as if we didn't already know that Chris Matthews is a raging liberal, he actually calls Saul Alinsky his "hero."  Saul, the despicable author of "Rules for Radicals" that has defined the movement to subvert the American election process, as well as the conservative, Judeo-Christian, and free market values that are the foundation of this country.  Typical MSNBC and typical Chris Matthews to present this communist radical as a "hero." 

Read it on Newsbusters.org:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/12/23/chris-matthews-calls-saul-alinsky-one-his-heroes

Jesse Jackson uses racial blackmail for support of a bad health care plan: If you can't pass it on its merits, then vote for it because you're black...

Unbelievable!

Jesse Jackson is the biggest racist this country has ever known.  He is racially black mailing Senators to pass the Health Care bill for no reason other than a black man proposed it.  I can only imagine what would have happened if a white man suggested that every white senator had better vote for one of Bush's bills! 

Health Care is not a racial subject.  If the government screws up American health care the way it screws up everything else it touches, it will hurt every American citizen, and apparently illegals.  There will be no racial lines drawn in the health care sand.  We will all be screwed.

Read the Newsbusters.org report, because you may not find it anywhere else:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/11/19/jesse-jackson-says-blacks-cant-vote-against-obamacare-media-mum

The man who should have been the first black American president...

Congressional candidate Lieutenant Colonel West speaking at the American Freedom tour in Fort Lauderdale Florida at the Revolution Nightclub.

Retired Lt. Col. Allen West is running for Congress in Florida District 22 in the 2010 election.  Based on the above speech, I regret that I was not given an opportunity to vote for this man as the first black presidential candidate.  He is the kind of man that every American can easily respect and support -- sensible, intelligent, patriotic, and a sworn defender of the U.S. Constitution. 
 
The following article was written by Lt. Col. West regarding the Nov. 5 terrorist action at Fort Hood, Texas, and is now making the email circuit:

Gathering of Eagles:  Fighting the Insurgency at Home

This past Thursday, 13 American Soldiers were killed and another 30 wounded at a horrific mass shooting at US Army installation, Ft Hood Texas.  As I watched in horror and then anger I recalled my two years of final service in the Army as a Battalion Commander at Ft Hood, 2002-2004.

My wife and two daughters were stunned at the incident having lived on the post in family housing.

A military installation, whether it is Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, or Coast Guard, is supposed to be a safe sanctuary for our Warriors and their families. It is intended to provide a home whereby our “Band of Brothers and Sisters” can find solace and bond beyond just the foxhole but as family units.

A military installation is supposed to be a place where our Warriors train for war, to serve and protect our Nation.

On Thursday, 5 November 2009 Ft Hood became a part of the battlefield in the war against Islamic totalitarianism and state sponsored terrorism.

There may be those who feel threatened by my words and would even recommend they not be uttered.  To those individuals I say step aside because now is not the time for cowardice.  Our Country has become so paralyzed by political correctness that we have allowed a vile and determined enemy to breach what should be the safest place in America, an Army post.

We have become so politically correct that our media is more concerned about the stress of the shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan.  The misplaced benevolence intending to portray him as a victim is despicable.  The fact that there are some who have now created an entire new classification called; “pre-virtual vicarious Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)” is unconscionable.

This is not a “man caused disaster.”  It is what it is, an Islamic jihadist attack.

We have seen this before in 2003 when a SGT Hasan of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) threw hand grenades and opened fire into his Commanding Officer’s tent in Kuwait.  We have seen the foiled attempt of Albanian Muslims who sought to attack Ft Dix, NJ. Recently we saw a young convert to Islam named Carlos Bledsoe travel to Yemen, receive terrorist training, and return to gun down two US Soldiers at a Little Rock, Arkansas Army recruiting station.  We thwarted another Islamic terrorist plot in North Carolina which had US Marine Corps Base, Quantico as a target.

What have we done with all these prevalent trends?  Nothing.

What we see are recalcitrant leaders who are refusing to confront the issue, Islamic terrorist infiltration into America, and possibly further into our Armed Services.  Instead we have a multiculturalism and diversity syndrome on steroids.

Major Hasan should have never been transferred to Ft Hood; matter of fact, he should have been Chaptered from the Army.  His previous statements, poor evaluation reports, and the fact that the FBI had him under investigation for jihadist website posting should have been proof positive.

However, what we have is a typical liberal approach to find a victim, not the 13 and 30 Soldiers and Civilian, but rather the poor shooter.  A shooter who we are told was a great American, who loved the Army and serving his Nation and the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) stating that his actions had nothing to do with religious belief.

We know that Major Hasan deliberately planned this episode; he did give away his possessions.  He stood atop a table in the confined space of the Soldier Readiness Center shouting “Allahu Akhbar,” same chant as the 9-11 terrorists and those we fight against overseas in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of operation. 

No one in leadership seems willing to sound the alarm for the American people; they are therefore complicit in any future attacks.  Our Congress should suspend the insidious action to vote on a preposterous and unconstitutional healthcare bill and resolve the issue of “protecting the American people.”

The recent incidents in Dearborn (MI), Boston (MA), Dallas (TX), and Chicago (IL) should bear witness to the fact that we have an Islamic terrorism issue in America.  And don’t have CAIR call me and try to issue a vanilla press statement; they are an illegitimate terrorist associated organization which should be disbanded.

We have Saudi Arabia funding close to 80% of the mosques in the United States, one right here in South Florida, Pompano Beach.  Are we building churches and synagogues in Saudi Arabia?  Are “Kaffirs” and “Infidels” allowed travel to Mecca? 

So much for peaceful coexistence.

Saudi Arabia is sponsoring radical Imams who enter into our prisons and convert young men into a virulent Wahabbist ideology….one resulting in four individuals wanting to destroy synagogues in New York with plastic explosives.  Thank God the explosives were dummy.  They are sponsoring textbooks which present Islamic centric revisionist history in our schools.

We must recognize that there is an urgent need to separate the theo-political radical Islamic ideology out of our American society.  We must begin to demand surveillance of suspected Imams and mosques that are spreading hate and preaching the overthrow of our Constitutional Republic…that speech is not protected under First Amendment, it is sedition, and if done by an American, treason.

There should not be some 30 Islamic terrorist training camps in America that has nothing to do with First Amendment, Freedom of Religion.  The Saudis are not our friends and any American political figure who believes such is delusional.

When tolerance becomes a one way street it certainly leads to cultural suicide.  We are on that street.  Liberals cannot be trusted to defend our Republic, because their sympathies obviously lie with their perceived victim, Major Nidal Malik Hasan.

I make no apologies for these words, and anyone angered by them, please, go to Ft Hood and look into the eyes of the real victims.  The tragedy at Ft Hood Texas did not have to happen.  Consider now the feelings of those there and on every military installation in the world.  Consider the feelings of the Warriors deployed into combat zones who now are concerned that their loved ones at home are in a combat zone.

Ft Hood suffered an Islamic jihadist attack, stop the denial, and realize a simple point.  

The reality of your enemy must become your own.

Steadfast and Loyal,
Lieutenant Colonel Allen B West (US Army, Ret)

For more information about Lt. Col. West's campaign, visit: www.allenwestforcongress.com

The RFID chip: The mark of the beast?

The RFID chip will enable government at all levels to track you, your behavior, your health, your spending habits, your physical location.  See how happy everyone is in the video.  See how "the hidden hand" always makes their tools of control look like a positive addition to society.  

I mean, after all, don't you want your ER doctor to know everything about you in the event of an emergency?  Don't you want the ambulance to be able to find you if you have a car accident.  You need this.  This is important stuff for your benefit.  Don't worry.  You can trust us with your most sensitive information.  We are from the government.  We are here to help you.

The Center for Control by George Yellak

The newest genre of music:  Conspiracy Blues, "The Center for (Disease) Control"  by George Yellak.

The Center for Control

(…the centers  for disease control…       

…tracking the path of the pathogen…

 …issued a statement today saying that…     

…the Center for Disease Control…)

  

Refrain:

The Center for Disease Control

The Center for Disease Control

Ending the diseases?

No,

pleased to be defending home.

The Center for Disease Control

(is) The Center for Control

If you have thought, then you might know

what plagues would haunt the Center for Disease Control,

a viral connection?   a deadly infection?

You’ve got mail with a taint of defection.

You’ve got mail with a sinful connection, The Center for Disease Control.

A sinister sickness breaks The Resistance.

The centrist position at the Center for Thinking:

“There is no distinction when there’s no hope of linking

the shameful deflection of the weapons inspection,

the base racial tension at the small intervention,

the case undertaken for the botched operation.”

It’s the face of the nation in the foreign relations

And the cost for containment is your inoculation.

Refrain

If you are in the Critical Zone,

then seal the cracks around your home.

A genetically spread epidemic,

you’re an error of the problem, systemic.

You’re an heir of the Crisis Aesthetic, The Center for Disease Control

(is) The Center for Control

Cynical spin-ster takes the first picture,

the press-released issue of the lesionous tissue.

The ritual spinning, the back-room committee (with a)

deep felt conviction for their pre-conceived diction.

The evidence tested by the powers invested,

the fake understatement of their instant negation.

It’s a new federation with it’s tough litigation and the

false resignation of the State Concentration.

Safe simulation, faith stimulation,

we felt great with the straight jubilation.

Faithfully waiting for the empty elation,

the dead degradation of the caustic causation.

Shamelessly slaved to the deadly occasion,

the hunt of the tainted, the terrorist nature,

the hideous faces of the victim mutation.

“Take your family on a new vacation!”

Refrain

(…debating of which department…   

…tracking the infection pathogen…

…useful in isolated cases of…    

…within  our outbreak pattern analysis… 

…we’ll be updating you on the hygienic protocol…   

… is no hereditary immunity!)

Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes: Send by December 7!

Send a Christmas card to a soldier this holiday season:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Please don’t forget to follow these guidelines while preparing your holiday greetings!

Do...

• Sign all cards
• Entitle cards “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”
• Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
• Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes

Don’t...

• Send letters
• Include personal information such as home or email addresses
• Use glitter – excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
• Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

For more information visit www.redcross.org/holidaymail 

Would it kill him to show a little respect?

This picture was taken Veterans Day, November 11, 2009 at the Ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery.

He won't wear a flag pin because it "stands for patriotism."  He won't put his hand over his heart in salute of our flag (that's the 2nd time I've seen him as the only one twiddling his thumbs while all others pictured show respect).  He grovels and apologizes for America in every country he visits, and he bows like a butt-kisser to foreign kings (Saudi Arabia & Japan).

I believe Barack Hussein Obama deserves as much respect as he gives his own country -- none.

A short prayer that will change your life

I have always had a tendency to speak my thoughts aloud, without discretion, the moment they hit my brain. Some friends mistake this for forthrightness and honesty. I recognize it is a lack of taste and tact. My sister calls it being a dumbass. Either way, this Verbal Diarrhea Syndrome (I'm lobbying the Center for Disease Control to recognize this as a pandemic) has started many arguments, caused many hurt feelings, and left me ducking my head with a Homer-Simpson "DOH!"on many occasions.

That is, until I found a few simple words that have changed my life -- a short, simple prayer I'd like to share with the world. If utilized in time, this prayer will save you daily heartache and make you an effective tool for God. Are you ready?

"Oh, Lord, please open my mouth and speak through me, or shut me up before I do any harm."

Amazing, huh?  I always tack on an "in Jesus' name, Amen," but that's pretty much the crux of it.

It started out a little longer:  "Dear Father in Heaven: If there is something that this person will receive from me, then please send Your Holy Spirit to open my mouth and speak through me, or, if not, then please close my mouth before I have a chance to cause any of your children to stumble."

With practical application it has morphed into a quick, quiet prayer, often mumbled under my breath before I have a chance to explode or spew drivel at someone that I'll regret. The trick is remembering to say it.

Countless times I have had foolish things on the tip of my tongue, destined to cause strife and close ears, when suddenly, my cell phone rings, or some other trivial interruption disrupts the flow of my dangerous thoughts, just in the nick of time. I've come to recognize these saving graces when they occur, realizing what I almost said, taking my cue from God, and shutting the hell up.

And then there are those other times.  The times that I wish God would send some interruption, because I know what I'm going to say isn't going to be easy.  Those times are covered too, because God will give you the words, and they will be perfect for His will. 

Here are a few of the resounding themes that impressed the importance of this strategy on me:

"The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin."  Proverbs 13:3

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles."  Proverbs 21:23

"I said, 'I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence.'"  Psalm 39:1

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea."  Mark 9:42

"So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way."  James 3:5-10

"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment."  Matthew 12:36

Yikes!

"It's Called Christmas"

The song is kind of annoying actually, but the words are well worth the click.

One Nation Under God...Very cool painting/history lesson

Check out this amazingly detailed painting.  It is interactive as well.  When you roll your mouse over sections of the painting, you get a pretty cool history lesson. 
 

This is an incredible painting by Jon McNaughton.  It represents McNaughton's response to criticism of "One Nation Under God."

 

Don't miss the explanation below the painting.

View the painting, "One Nation Under God"


(http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/view_zoom/?artpiece_id=353)

Isaiah 5:8-9 and 20-23 -- Woe to those who call good evil...

"Woe:   Ruinous trouble, calamity, affliction, sorrow."

Merriam-Webster Online

"Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, until there is no more room, so that you have to live alone in the midst of the land! In my ears the Lord of hosts has sworn, "Surely, many houses shall become desolate, even great and fine ones, without occupants." 

Isaiah 5:8-9

With rising foreclosures and an abundance of over-sized, overpriced homes sitting vacant, Isaiah 5:8-9 seemed particularly fitting to our day.  

Endtime prophecy can be found in almost every book of the Bible, in both the old and the new testaments.  It's amazing to me how often the signs of the endtimes seem to be blaring from words written more than 2,000 years ago.  The Bible has an incredible ability to apply to our daily life today, just as it has for hundreds of generations before us.

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!" 

Isaiah 5:20-23

We are definitely already in the age when good is called evil and evil good.  When you see liberals vehemently defend abortion and homosexuality, keep in mind, most of those same people think public prayer is wrong and the Ten Commandments are offensive.  In mainstream elitist America today, morality itself is under constant attack and ridicule, along with anyone who believes in God (Jesus Christ specifically), the sanctity of marriage, the right to bear arms, or the immorality of abortion.  

Organizations like ACORN and MoveOn corrupt our election process.  Justice is meted out to the tune of Michael Jackson and O.J. Simpson.  Gun rights are under constant threat of regulation.  Christmas has been discriminated against in our public schools.  Second graders are taught the book "Heather has two mommies."  The same kids who have "Catcher in the Rye" on their school reading list are told it is illegal to bring their Bibles to school for study hall.  

Times are not looking very promising for us from a biblical perspective. 

Obama doublespeaks about abortion

"I laid out a very simple principle, which is this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill. And we're not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions," Obama told ABC News on Monday. "And I want to make sure that the provision that emerges meets that test -- that we are not in some way sneaking in funding for abortions, but on the other hand that we're not restricting women's insurance choices."

Obama promises to strip abortion limitations from national health care reform, but claims he doesn't want to change the status quo.  Maybe I'm crazy here, but isn't he saying two different things in the same breath? 

He wants to get rid of the amendment that says abortions will not be federally funded/insured, which is in keeping with "the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not to subsidize abortions."

At the same time, he is lobbying the senate to remove the amendment so as to "not restrict women's insurance choices."  What choices exactly?

Ted Poe on Partisan Chrysler Dealer Closings

Rep. Ted Poe speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives about the partisan motives behind the Chrysler dealership closings.

Watch the video

Read the Transcript

So much for promises of bi-partisanship.  Government abuses in redistributing wealth often come with punitive actions against dissidents.

"Everything is amazing, and nobody's happy..."

We are a selfish society of spoiled brats.  We think the world should make way for us, and we should not have to wait.  We took it way too seriously when our mothers told us we were special.  Now, we all think we are each a star in our own movie, and everyone else is just an extra.   

We cry about how unfair it is that rich CEOs have more toys than we do, and we like the idea of taking his money and feel no shame at our own greed.  We don't want to work hard, and we don't believe we should have to pay any dues.  We want it, and we want it NOW!

Think about the things that our youth, and even some adults, consider a fundamental right.

• Cell phones:  Which is why the U.S. government provides a program to give welfare recipients free cell phones.
• Health insurance:  Not even just medical care, but insurance.
• Other people's money:  CEOs have lots of money and it makes us mad.  They should make less money and give it to us (but for some reason, we don't mind actors, sports players, nor Michael Moore making millions).
• To never be offended:  Most people are offended by the truth, when they don't want to hear it.  The current line of "correct" thinking is that you have a right to infringe on someone else's free speech because you are offended, however easily.

The truth is:  This country doesn't owe us a living, an education, a retirement, health insurance nor especially the right to never be offended.  We have more material things as a people than any other nation in the world, and it has never bought us happiness.  We are blessed beyond our comprehension, and we have thousands of reasons to look around us and be amazed, yet we are too impatient and spoiled to enjoy our ease of life.  This a generational thing -- unfortunately, it's a my-generational-thing (30-somethings) just as much as it is our youth.

Politically correct break down...

"Politically correct: adj. conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities should be eliminated."

Merriam-Webster Online

"Conforming to a belief..."
-- Falling in lockstep with sheep who believe...
"...that language and practices..."
-- that everything you do, say, or think...
"...which could offend..."
-- which in any possible way might be misconstrued, blown out of proportion, or disagreed with...
"...political sensibilities..."
-- by liberals, Democrats, socialists, communists, feminists, atheists, globalists, illegal immigrants, terrorists, homosexuals, environmentalists, multiculturalists, pedophiles, whiny-baby bed-wetters...
"...should be eliminated..."
-- should be censored, burned at the stake, crucified, humiliated, verbally attacked, ridiculed, ignored, slandered, or killed.

Scrutinizing news sources carefully

"We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe."

American Library Association

I had to take a college class in the journalism department that deeply impacted my perspective on the news.  The curriculum was based on the Associated Press Stylebook.  It is a standard reference full of interesting entries about important people and news subjects, common misspellings and grammar mistakes, and the differences in the connotation of similarly meaning words. 

What struck me most, and I've continued to notice in every news report since, is that word choice can tell you a lot about your source.  I originally thought that basic news-speak would be unbiased -- that journalism style would be directly aimed to show no preferences but report the straight news.  I was young and naive.

The truth is that words really do mean things, and journalists understand all too well what they are saying.  So when you hear a reporter talk about an "anti-abortion protester" and then refer to a "pro-choice protester" realize that those words are intended to directly influence your opinion. 

I select abortion as an example because everyone has an opinion on the matter, and I've witnessed decades of blatantly biased handling of the issue in the news.

The word "abortion" has a negative connotation -- it evokes a negative emotion in people when they hear it, regardless of whether they are for or against abortion rights. Therefore, abortion rights proponents renamed themselves "pro-choice," which is a term mainstream news networks have respected since it was coined. At the same time, abortion rights opponents renamed themselves "pro-life," which is a term mainstream news networks use rarely, choosing instead the terms "anti-abortionist" and even "anti-choice" in their reports.

Our minds associate certain positive and negative connotations to specific words, of which news reporters and editors are supposedly trained to know the intricacies.

Such offenses of bias could simply be because, as Bernard Goldberg contends, "reporters, by and large, rub elbows with other elitist groups, not everyday Americans.... [T]hey don't know that the average American strongly disagrees with nearly everything the average journalist believes."

"No conspiracies. No deliberate attempts to slant the news. It just happens. Because the way reporters and editors see the world, the way their friends and colleagues see the world, matters." (italics added) (Bernard Goldberg, in Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News)

While elitism in the media is definitely a factor in media bias, personally, I think Goldberg is letting himself and his colleagues off too easily. As a journalism student I became disillusioned with my profession of choice when I was taught in basic reporting classes how to "interpret the news" rather than report straight news. I could have dismissed this concept in a feature writing class, but this is the textbook on how to report the news! 

On the first page of "Interpretative Reporting," Chapter 1 The Modern Newsgatherer says:

"No longer do many editors and reporters pretend that the news does not involve their interpretations. Instead, they are conceding that interpretation is a fundamental part of all journalism and are trying, to the extent that time and their capacities allow, to make their interpretations intelligent, compassionate and illuminating."

Goldberg may well be correct in asserting that these biases come naturally to journalists, because it is an unquestioned part of their foundational training.  Isn't it ridiculous to think that our news is unbiased when our reporters are taught to interpret the news at the news-gathering level?  Regardless of whether bias is deliberate or subconscious, news facts are no longer facts when an interpretation is applied to them.   

If journalists do not even recognize their own biases, let alone control them, then you, as the American citizen, must know your sources and understand the agenda behind them in order to discern the truth from the "interpretation."  Mainstream media outlets still present their interpretations as straight news, and most people don't understand the mainstream media agenda well enough to know the difference.  

When you consider where most of the general public's daily news is received, it's easy to see how people would make assumptions of fact when they've heard only a small portion of any story. Most of our news comes in blurbs between commercials on television and radio, in editorial commentary, in newsstand headlines and headline news shows, and flashed before your eyes in video footage spliced for time and sensational impact.

The best way to properly scrutinize your news is by reading it, as opposed to watching it on TV or listening to it on the radio. I refer to a lot of video clips from the news, especially when it proves them to be bumbling idiots, but I pay more attention to the articles than I do the actual clip. 

When you are fed the news in a quick stream of interpreted "facts," you are unable to carefully scrutinize the word usage of your news sources to discern their perspective. Instead, you hear a short headline interpretation presented to you as fact, which often by mere brevity is only a fraction of the truth.

The best way to discern the truth is to know your source and your source's agenda. Don't let the news media push political correctness on you to the degree that you stop listening to the "unpopular" ideas. Political correctness is an oxymoron and a tool of fascism. In a free society, there is no correct opinion about people and politics.

Consider looking to interest groups for specific news on matters you care about. There is no question what agenda the National Right to Life or the National Rifle Association is pushing in their newsletters. You know what their agendas are; therefore, you know where their bias lies.

These groups:

• Provide grade-cards for politicians informing you which politicians support their interest and which are against it, based on their voting records; 
• Closely follow and report on lawsuits and court decisions that affect their issue;
• Scrutinize the process of proposed legislation that affects their interest;
• Send action alerts that let you know when relevant bills are proposed and under vote; and
• Report on the votes and statements of politicians in both parties as they apply to their issues.  

To be fully informed on any issue, consult sources on both sides (opposing and promoting views) of each issue you follow.  Here, it gets convoluted, for two reasons:  

1. Mainstream networks already paint the news in a liberal picture, so consulting Planned Parenthood about an abortion bill may seem superfluous after you've read an article about it in, for example, The New York Times.  
2. The largest liberal interest groups do not overtly display themselves as liberal, and they do not represent the groups their titles suggest.  

The very name of the National Organization for Women (NOW) suggests an interest group that will work on behalf of half of the human population -- women.  However, the organization is actually a radical feminist group that promotes leftist issues, like homosexual advocacy and unregulated abortion.

The America Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) appears to be a promoter of all civil liberties in general ("Because freedom can't protect itself").  However, the organization's stances on religion, as well as anti-immigration-laws, show the ACLU promotes a deeper liberal agenda and ignores conservative issues within the Bill of Rights altogether.  To be more fully informed on judicial cases defending civil liberties, consult ACLU news as well as the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) for conservative legal perspectives of cases the ACLU won't address.

Whatever your issue of interest may be when it comes to politics and government, multiple sources from multiple viewpoints are a necessity in discerning the truth today.