A Loud Silence

Islam, I have a message for you. This in particular, goes directly to the moderates, not the extremists, as the extremists are beyond logic and diplomacy. The only action against extremists is warfare. They say do not fight fire with fire, but they have left us no other options.

But this message is for the moderate Muslims, the day to day Muslims who want to be a part of Western culture and enjoy the fruits of our civilization. I had, until now, nothing wrong with moderate Islam. But now, there is one thing about them that really pisses me off.

Islam has been committing major crimes against the Westernized world for the last decade (and a few before that even.) I can list them:

• 1993 World Trade Center Bombings
• 2000 USS Cole Bombing
• 2001 World Trade Center/Pentagon Bombings
• 2002 Bali Bombing
  
• 2003 Shoe Bomber attempt
• 2004 Madrid Bombing
• 2005 London Bombing
• 2005 Bali Bombing
  
• 2006 Gatorade Bomber attempt
• 2008 Mumbai shootings
  
• 2009 Underwear Bomber attempt
• 2010 Times Square Bombing attempt
  

And so on and so forth. I could add in all the countless suicide bombers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, which killed harmless civilians. Islam has been infected with violence. When a Danish cartoonist dared to draw Mohammed . . .



. . . it sparked outrage and violence. When the Pope quoted someone who said 'Islam is violent,' Islam reacted with outrage and . . . violence. When Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh made a documentory that criticized Islam, he was murdered while riding his bike to work. When South Park lampooned Islam and Mohammed, the creators of South Park recieved death threats.

It is apparent to me that the lunatic fringe of the Islamic religion has taken full control. Moderate Muslims in the US often complain about being compared with terrorists. Well guess what, your entire religion is guilty of terrorism, if not by action, then by inaction.



Everytime the Islamic extremists do something terrible, there is a loud and deafening silence from the Muslim moderates. We rarely hear any condemnation from prominent clerics. We never hear anything from the Muslim world that tells us that you are not like them. We never hear anything that tells us that Allah does not support terrorism. You have allowed these lunatics to take control of your religion with nary a peep in protest. You aren't powerless. Say something. Use the blogs, use Youtube, use Facebook. If you want to deliver Islam from the radical extremists, if you want to prove that Islam is the 'Religion of Peace,' if you want to be in Western culture, then use the media and technology of today and denounce the radical Muslims.

But until then, all of you are guilty by association. If it takes a guilt trip to get you into action, so be it.

I'll leave you with this:



J Kuhl Signing Off

Really? Trading Chickens for Healthcare? Really?

In Reno Nevada, the people in charge of the poll booths decided to ban chicken costumes. The reason for this is that the costumes are being used to mock Republican Senate candidate Sue Lowden. I think it is reasonable to ban such costumes as I feel it is necessary that the polling booths remain politically neutral, however the reason this incensed me was the reason why protesters were wearing chicken suits in the first place.

Lowden had commented that people should, in lieu of using money or a gov't run healthcare system, barter with their doctors. She said, and I quote, "Our grandparents would bring a chicken to the doctor."

This made me shake my head in disgust. A chicken. Right. Because my doctor would take, in lieu of a $30,000 bill for a surgery, a freaking chicken. It's a preposterous idea and obviously she doesn't literally mean "bring a chicken" but that only illustrates how a barter system won't help the issue. If my doctor is going to accept something other than money, he'll accept something of equal or greater value, meaning that I'd have to own something worth those thousands of dollars to cover my expenses. Even then, the doctor has to find some means to convert whatever the trade was into cash. It won't help.

Then I noticed something else. This woman is a multimillionaire. If she gets cancer, she has the money to pay for it, the money for the medication and everything. She's all set. But damn, if I get cancer, I've already got college bills, and now a hospital bill? I'd be screwed, really. And how is it fair that someone who is rich has a greater advantage to healthcare than someone who is poor?

This is what really astounds me when people are so adamant against healthcare for everyone. With our current system, poor people are left hung to dry if they get sick. Even if they live, it can still be devastating to their lives, incurring massive debt from hospital bills. I just don't understand how healthcare isn't a right for every American, and not simply a privilege for those who simply afford it?

Tea Partyists and Republicans like to scream 'SOCIALISM' in a loud voice when the idea of public health care comes up but perhaps there are somethings, like life's basic necessities, that shouldn't be in the hands of capitalists. Perhaps we should have a government that takes advantage of both capitalism and socialism. A healthy mix of both ideologies will do much better for our nation than simply ignoring the good that can come from socialism.

I am not arguing that we adopt an all out socialist economy. Of course not. Our economy for the most part should be capitalist. I am simply saying that we can use socialism to level the playing field and ensure everyone in America has their basic needs. What is so immoral and evil about that? What is it about the idea of giving everyone a hand when needed that the conservatives are afraid of?

Healthcare should be an option for everyone, no matter how much or how little money they make. Having access to medication, doctors, surgeries, etc, should not come with a crippling bill to those who do not make money.

And someone who is a multi-millionaire, who either never knew or has forgotten what it is like to live from paycheck to paycheck, has no room to make comments such as this.

Chickens?

Really?

J Kuhl Signing Off

Once More, Palin Proves to be a Frothing Lunatic

In a recent speech to the National Rifle Association, Sarah Palin once again showed that she can simply make bullshit up and pass it off as fact.

Sarah Palin claims that Obama will take our guns.

Uh . . .



When the hell has Obama ever said anything like that?

And if a barbie doll started talking, I swear, it would sound just like Palin.

J Kuhl Signing Off

South Park

Recently, the writers of South Park aired an episode which featured Mohammed, but the writers satirized him by making sure the prophet was never shown directly. Instead, he was in a mascot costume of a bear.

Naturally, Muslims have a problem with this. One extremist site even went so far as to direct veiled threats at South Park's writers for offending them, which is pretty stupid as everyone knows that South Park insults any one and everyone and holds nothing sacred whatsoever. Jesus is often portrayed on that show, as is Satan and yet you never hear Christians upset over the show. Most people who don't like the show's juvenile humor, of course, usually elect to change the channel.

But the extremists feel special, like they have the sole right to eliminate free speech if such speech might possibly offend them. Honestly though, they are a very easily offended bunch. Rock music offends them. A barefaced woman in public offends them. A cartoon of Mohammed with a bomb in his hat? Results in more death threats and violence from the "Religion of Peace."

I do not mean to be offensive, but we need to offend them more. Produce more political cartoons, animated shows and whatever lampooning islam (lampoon the other religions too to be fair.) Why? To send a message that we are a nation of free speech and no death threats, no violence is going to stop us. Roll with the punches like the rest of the world does when comedic media turns its attention on you and perhaps your idols and prophets won't find themselves being openly mocked.

One last point before I move on, this is public TV. No one points a gun at one's head and makes him watch. If you find it offensive, get thicker skin and change the channel.

In other news, on my way back from Texas the other day, as I was driving through Massachusettes, I came across a billboard. It had the Earth and a message that said "In the beginning God created the world. . . " and I shrugged it off. Who cares right? Sign isn't making me believe in god, let the religions advertise if they wish. But then, on the otherside was a picture of the evolution of man behind a no-smoking symbol.

This is some BS. I can understand the "In the Beginning" part as that part isn't a direct lie to mislead the public, but a belief and a tenant to a religion that can be interpreted in multiple ways. After all, one cannot prove that God exists or does not exist. However, it is clear that evolution does in fact happen, has been observed both in the lab and in the wild and is wholly supported by the science community, a large number of which are Christian. To say that evolution did not happen is a lie and spreading lies to the public is immoral, evil and illegal.

God could have made this universe. This is why the other part of the sign did not offend me. But if he did, he made it through a scientific method that can be observed and those methods were the Big Bang, abiogenesis and evolution, all of which have been extensively researched and other than abiogenesis, are very strong theories. And even abiogenesis is a well developing theory. All of these theories are supported by strong, researchable evidence. So to say that any of them did not happen or are lies, is downright wrong and to spread lies like this to the public, even on a billboard on the interstate is evil.

Thou shalt not bear false truths.

J Kuhl Signing Off