Now, In Contrast to the Dixie Chicks....

We have Beccy Cole who sings in honor of Australia's diggers and the fighting men in uniform courtesy Black Five via Gaius via Siggy. Amazing! Please, please go listen to her song. It made me cry.

Where are the artists? Where is the gratitude for those fighting for the rights we enjoy. The true idealists wear uniforms. The poseurs mock the President. Gaius says:

Getting a rash from the endless screeching coming from the Dixie Chicks? Exhausted by their endless whining about being silenced? Which they deliver on television, in a new movie and in endless cover stories in magazines? Ready to puke at the stupidity of people who cannot understand the difference between free speech and the consequences of their own actions in alienating the people who they expect to buy their product?

Pardon These Men

I haven't seen much in the news about this, but two border patrol agents have been sentenced to over ten years in prison for shooting a drug smuggler in the butt who was trying to escape. They were convicted by a jury and the chief witness? The drug dealer granted immunity.

WASHINGTON – Congressmen concerned about the convictions and stiff prison sentences of two Border Patrol agents who injured a Mexican drug dealer they were pursuing say Homeland Security officials told them the pair were "out to shoot Mexicans."

The White House and federal officials have been getting heat for offering the drug dealer immunity to testify against the two lawmen -- Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean – both of whom are Mexican-Americans.

Former U.S. Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos embraced his wife, Monica Ramos, two days before he was sentenced to 11 years in prison (Courtesy El Paso Times)

The agents were convicted in March of shooting admitted drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila in the buttocks as he ran away from them near the Rio Grande River in February 2005. Ramos and Compean were sentenced last week to 11 and 12 years, respectively.

Reproductive Determinism

The Anchoress discusses Mark Steyn's book America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It which sits next to me as I type this and can be found through linkage at right on my "bookshelf". (This was one of the books I was supposed to receive before my cruising, but I digress.) The inside front flap blurb says in part, "The future, as Steyn shows, belongs to the fecund and the confident."

Anyway, The Anchoress points to this Human Events interview with Steyn about the "Threat of Islam". He says humorously:

Well, the publicist is a genius because that is the kind of endorsement you can’t get. I don’t know how he got a copy to President Ahmadinejad but I’m glad that the president of Iran has digested the main lesson, which is, if you don’t have people, you can’t have any influence in the world.

His idea is that population, reproduction determines destiny. Civilizations rise and fall on numbers. The Anchoress notes further:

The Brussels Journal piece ends thusly: “If faith collapses, civilization goes with it,” says [Tom] Bethell. That is the real cause of the closing of civilization in Europe. Islamization is simply the consequence. The very word Islam means “submission” and the secularists have submitted already. Many Europeans have already become Muslims, though they do not realize it or do not want to admit it.

People, particularly the hardline secularists, do not want to admit it but America is going to be forced to play things out on both a secular and supernatural stage, if she is going to stay alive, and not just alive but comprehensively American. Those, like Rosie O’ Donnell, who would lump the Taliban and American Christians into the same boat do not realize that in doing so they are consigning themselves to Europe’s fate. And Europe is dying. Europe will not fight.

I have been giving these ideas some thought. In a world where one nut-job with nuclear rocket launcher (does such a beast exist?) can level a town, why do population numbers matter? Look at what Saddam and his minority minions did in Iraq. The oppressed the majority, easily, I might add.

Editor's Note: Half-way through the post the Tigers game came on, then an Texas storm washed through and all important electronics got turned off (the beloved iMac is included in the "important electronics" category), so I'm just finishing this post today, this afternoon.

Back to the topic at hand. While the aforementioned storm raged, I read about 3/4's of Steyn's book. It's a fast read. I'll finish it tonight, if all goes as planned. Anyway, he has more to say about the fact that Europeans are converting to Islam. Europeans are pretending to be Islamic to be safe (women wearing hijabs--they do solve clothes choosing dilemmas). Europeans are old and philosophically fat and simply haven't got the energy to fight the young, angry masses, says Steyn.

But here is, the most important quote of the book (the first half anyway):

"In a democratic age, you can't buck demography--except through civil war. The Serbs figured that out--as other Continentals will in the years ahead: if you can't out breed the enemy, cull them."

That, friends, will be Europe's choice. I'm not convinced that Steyn is right about which way Europe will go. The one thing about Europeans, is they are entitled and tend to externalize the blame. And why not? The government is usually the one screwing them because the government is the one controlling so many aspects of their lives. In the past, though, the government while causing the misery, wasn't blamed. Remember who was?

Ah, yes. Europe knows how to get her groove back. She has done it before. The one thing Europeans agree on is this: they are superior in every way to every one. Their secularism, multi-culturalism makes them the smartest people on the globe. While Steyn believes that might be the death of 'em, I think that it will be their rallying cry, ultimately.

Anti-Semitism grows among the discontented youth--and not just the Muslim youths. Far-right parties are making themselves known again. The elites might be fiddling, but should the plebes become frustrated enough and they find a leader who represents them............

So will the barren wombs of "Eutopia" be suicidal? Time will tell. If Europe decides to stay a "Eutopia", most definitely. Culling, though, has been used before. Will it be used to again?

Betsy: The Anatomy of Race Mongering

Isn't everyone tired of the race thing? Easy for you to say, Melissa, you're a dumpy, white, augmented blond, true-blue eyed, American woman. Besides the occasional tune-up by your husband (all men abuse their wives) and being oppressed by the institution of marriage itself (marriage squelches all people and invites the government behind your doors) and birthing children (which is demeaning and undignified and a sell out of your talent and education) and even worse, breastfeeding (ewww, you wrote the words "breast" and "feed" in the same sentence), you are the majority. You don't know from discrimination.

So, as you can see, I'm not qualified and/or equipped to be tired of the "race thing". I don't know Betsy's persuasion, but she gives a nice anatomy of race mongering ala Jesse Jackson:

First you trump up a phony complaint of racism because of a gag in a Republican ad against Harold Ford. Then you get your friends in the media to have a meltdown over it alleging all sorts of racist attacks. Stephen Spruiell has some amazing excerpts from Chris Matthews going bozo over finding racist and ethnic attacks (now they are alleging a subliminal message because there are drums in one Bob Corker ad)in GOP ads, except for Michael Steele whom he praises for being unthreatening in his ads. Matthews likes the Steele ads for being so unthreatening that they're almost "child-like."

After you've softened up the ground with all your allegations of Republican racism then you can expand from politics to some of your other goals. So, Jesse Jackson has jumped in to extend the attack on the RNC anti-Ford ad into an attack on Wal-Mart because someone who works for the agency that created that ad also works on Wal-Mart ads.

Go to her post to read the whole sordid thing.

To be clear, I'm not saying discrimination doesn't exist. It does. It is repugnant. It is close-minded. We diminish true racism, though, by going injustice hunting to try to scare up an issue so we can use the ax we like to grind.

I also believe that discrimination has diminished enough in most places against almost every minority you can name (hearing impaired, different-abled, special, woman, transgendered, gay, lesbian, of color, grayified, please add to the list in the comments), that the focus now should be on merit and performance and ideas.

I like the idea of a nation where children and adults, alike, are judged on "the content of their character." We can't get to that place if we're always focused on the color of the skin, the gender, the age, the victim group we choose to identify with.

Enough, already!

France Intifada

The suburbs of Paris are burning. Do you know about it? Paul Belian of the Brussels Journal shares with Pajama's Media's Washington Editor Richard Miniter possible civil war in France. (Why haven't I bookmarked him yet? Oy!)

Read more here. Watch the video below. I'm including this because this is news you will never see in the MSM.



Via Instapundit

Salon Interview with Camille Paglia

For the life of me, I don't get this woman's devotion to the Democrat party. She must be an optimist, since her list of grievances (and it is long) will likely never change.

She articulates clearly the average American's (who she identifies as small-business owners who dislike the "nanny state") distrust of all things Democrat:

• No cohesive world-view--simple-mindedness on world geopolitical complexities
  
• Willingness to destroy their own ideology for power--Foley
• Elevating the profane as art
• Using pseudo-intellectual condescension in the Art realm leading people to believe art is for snobs and the superficial--Warhol PBS Documentary
  
• Clinton acting like the "shadow president" and making an ass of himself during the Fox interview with Chris Wallace
• Press collusion with Democrats over whatever suits them--in this case Foley
• Hollywood elite showing contempt for people--Barbra Streisand being Exhibit "A"

She paints a fairly accurate and miserable picture. She also rightly identifies the Bush constituency's frustration with border patrol and illegal immigration, the Iraq war, etc. She worries that Bush's locution reveals his inability to think in big ideas.

She sees Nixonian paranoia creeping into Bush's style. This last observation, I must say, seems a stretch. If I were him, I might be paranoid. I've mentioned this before. I'd be paranoid because everyone does seem out to get me--from lies to damn lies to leaks to betrayal--this President has been on the receiving end of scorn and deceit not only from the usual subjects but from his own. It almost boggles the mind. If he's getting a tad testy that would seem rational--not irrational. I do agree with Paglia that this defensive position is not good for America. And I wonder if Bush's fatigue at being incessantly pummeled is why he's going all rubbery on Iraq.

The whole interview is worth a read. I think she pretty well sums up America today. While America will survive non-funding of the arts because liberal elites refuse to involve the unwashed masses in the culture conversation, America won't survive the relentless drive to destruction because of dithering and debating our value as a country.

Perhaps the most important thing that she doesn't mention, is her own party's self-loathing. How to be an intellectual on this world stage and love America? Evidently, holding those two notions simultaneously is too much for a progressive. The elite seem to be willing to trade their love of country for personal aggrandizement--to be loved by the "thinkers" of the world. They show utter ingratitude and a profound lack of perspective for what America is and has given them.

This contempt for America, epitomized by the deluded Dixie Chicks, plays poorly, to say the least. No one believes that America is above criticism. No one believes Bush is above criticism. Paglia herself cites the areas that conservatives differ with their representatives--especially Bush. This sort of anger and resentment is a whole different kettle of fish than artists humiliating the President, bad-mouthing our country on foreign ground, etc.

I would like to see the Democrats get their acts together, but that would mean a total change of perspective--putting the country first over petty personal desires. The Democrats need to "get" that if America ceases to exist, these silly slap-fights won't matter anyway. It's time for the Democrats to grow up and get serious.

Honeybee Genome Human-like

I am not surprised that the Honeybee's genome is the insect that's most like ours (only three insects have been analyzed so far). It is a mythological creature, almost miraculous in it's impact on our lives. Without honeybees....well, we don't want to even contemplate that world.

When compared to other insects, the honey bee genome contains fewer genes involved in innate immunity, detoxification enzymes, and gustatory (taste) receptors, while not surprisingly, it contains more genes for olfactory receptors and novel genes for nectar and pollen utilization. Interestingly, the honey bee genome shows greater similarities to vertebrates than insects for genes involved in circadian rhythm, as well as biological processes involved in turning genes on or off.

Excellent. Maybe this amazing creature will unlock more cures for humans.

From Wikipedia:

The honey bee's primary commercial value is as a pollinator of crops. Orchards and fields have grown larger; at the same time wild pollinators have dwindled. In several areas of the world the pollination shortage is compensated by migratory beekeeping, with beekeepers supplying the hives during the crop bloom and moving them after bloom is complete. In many higher latitude locations it is difficult or impossible to winter over enough bees, or at least to have them ready for early blooming plants, so much of the migration is seasonal, with many hives wintering in warmer climates and moving to follow the bloom to higher latitudes.

As an example, in California, the pollination of almonds occurs in February, early in the growing season, before local hives have built up their populations. Almond orchards require two hives per acre (2,000 m² per hive) for maximum yield and so the pollination is highly dependent upon the importation of hives from warmer climates.

More on honeybees here.

Allahpundit: "Aussie Mufti to women: Stop making us rape you"

Recently, the Washington Post featured three editorials from women enjoying the veil. (Well, at least a two enjoyed it--especially the empty-headed Feminist convert to Islam.) Allah Pundit reminds the clueless, "that veil's there for a reason, darlin":

That veil’s there for a reason, darlin’:

While not specifically referring to the rapes, brutal attacks on four women for which a group of young Lebanese men received long jail sentences, Sheik Hilali said there were women who “sway suggestively” and wore make-up and immodest dress … “and then you get a judge without mercy (rahma) and gives you 65 years”…

In the religious address on adultery to about 500 worshippers in Sydney last month, Sheik Hilali said: “If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it … whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat?

“The uncovered meat is the problem.”

The sheik then said: “If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab, no problem would have occurred.”

This is the senior-most Islamic cleric in Australia, mind you. I wonder, how did a member of the tiny minority of extremists rise to such prominence? Are Aussie Muslims disproportionately radical? Doesn’t sound like it — the article notes that his statements were roundly condemned.

Perhaps it’s a simple matter of the tiny minority not being as tiny as we thought. For more of which, spend some time with this. Wow.

And on the furthermost other end of the continuum — double wow

Bible Makes Me Squeamish

Certain Bible passages just seem so old-fashioned and make me uncomfortable. The obvious solution? Get rid of the offending archaic stuff.

Barbara at Tidbits and Treasures says that's what the Dutch are doing:

It seems a Dutch organization wants to take the stress out of reading the Word for contemporary Christians. So, they are literally doing the same thing as the young woman did - removing those parts they feel doesn't apply to us today - or, better still, those parts that they might have a hard time applying to themselves.

That's because those troublesome verses about justice for the poor, responsibility for the rich to address their neighbors' needs, and all that talk about money, are gone. Not just edited out, cut out.

A report from Assist News Service said the Western Bible Foundation published the book to meet the "growing wish of many churches to be market-oriented and more attractive."

The Bible is only available in Dutch for the time being. Hopefully, it will stay there. Parts of the Ten Commandments, Isaiah, Proverbs along with the Sermon on the Mount has been removed. After all, 'it isn't useful for today'.

"Hamas doesn’t appreciate the avian porcine nature of this moment."

Charles at LGF starts in again. I swear the man is funny. He notes pigs flying--France's foreign minister changed his mind about the fence along Israel's border. Hamas is none too happy.

Scott Ott's Michael J. Embryo's Commercial

He says:

The ScrappleFace Enterprise Institute, a satirical think-tank which produced the response ad, said an earlier version of the spot showed the baby in the womb moving about, sucking its thumb and appearing to yawn, but that was considered “too emotionally charged.”

“We decided to go with the still photo,” said an unnamed Institute spokesman, “because we didn’t want to beat people over the head with the obvious, or give them false hopes that a cure would be found for abortion.”

The spokesman declined requests for ultrasound interviews with the intra-uterine actor, adding that “he’s not a very public person…at least not at this point.”

German Ship & Israeli F-16's Engage

According to Germany, Israel "opened fire near a German ship".

France and the United Nations this week warned Israel that it was endangering the multinational peace mission in Lebanon by sending its fighter planes into Lebanese airspace.

Germany is heading the naval component of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon but has refused to contribute ground troops in a bid to avoid clashes with Israeli forces because of lingering sensitivities over the Holocaust.

Ugh. Why, oh why did Israel agree to this cease-fire? What a sinkin' mess.

Gay Marriage Legal in New Jersey--UPDATED, Scroll Down

Lambda wins in New Jersey. Lambda's mission:

Lambda Legal carries out its legal work principally through test cases selected for the likelihood of their success in establishing positive legal precedents that will affect lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV. From our offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas, Lambda Legal�s staff of attorneys work on a wide range of cases, with our docket averaging over 50 cases at any given time.

Everyone is happy! Glenn Reynolds posts jubilantly:

The opinion allows that something not called "marriage" might be enough, but it pretty clearly leaves open the door to hold otherwise later. And the concurrence/dissent says: "I can find no principled basis, however, on which to distinguish those rights and benefits from the right to the title of marriage, and therefore dissent from the majority’s opinion insofar as it declines to recognize that right among all of the other rights and benefits that will be available to samesex couples in the future."

It thus seems that this isn't really a "third way" approach to gay marriage. This is a clean win for gay marriage advocates.

Brendan Loy (I take back my proposal, Brendan. It might be 40 for you) enthuses:

Also: maybe the Republicans will overplay their hand. If Bull Moose is right that moderates who are sick and tired of divisive partisanship are the key to this election, then transparent GOP harping on this “wedge issue” could actually hurt the Republicans. We can hope, anyway.

I wonder if it would be okay for a hypothetical New Jersey relative to "marry" (civilly unify) another hypothetical relative in order to get health benefits. The one relative is acting as a sort of "wife" and "caregiver". The time has come for us to be tolerant of all lifestyles. We are a close-minded society, intent on imposing our values on others. This must stop!

Hey! Who are you to judge?

Update: Some people aren't happy. Democratic strategists, for example:

"This ruling is the last thing Democratic leaders want," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "Republicans and fundamentalist leaders will say to their flock, 'Go out and save traditional marriage.' The only question is how many seats this will cost the Democrats.

"The irony is that the New Jersey Supreme Court justices guaranteed rights for gays in New Jersey but they helped deprive gays of their rights in a lot of other states. One wonders if they appreciate that irony. The timing of this decision is just unbelievable."

The timing of the decision shouldn't matter. This is a matter of principle. People need to wake up and stand up for what they truly believe and for what is right.

Update II: Lawyer Eugene Volokh says this ruling is evidence of the "slippery slope":

One can condemn this slippery-slope effect, or praise it. (I support same-sex marriages and civil unions as a policy matter (see PDF page 37), but I don't think that state courts should mandate them as a constitutional matter.) But I think that one can't dismiss the possibility that slippery slope effects, good or bad, are indeed present here, and can be present in similar contexts. And this is so even when, as a purely logical matter, the initial steps (employment discrimination bans, domestic partnership laws, hate crimes laws, and the like) are eminently distinguishable from the final step (same-sex civil unions).

From John Hawkins at Right Wing News:

If you want to know why it makes sense to push for Constitutional Amendments designed to block gay marriage on the state and federal level, this case is a perfect example. When you have judges acting in this fashion, like a super legislature that can make any law they wish without regard to what the people or their elected representatives want, you can try to appeal their rulings or stop them by electing conservatives who'll promise to put originalist judges on the bench. However, in cases like this, constitutional amendments are the only effective way to prevent these power mad judges from running roughshod over the wants and desires of the American people.

Ace says this:

By the way... If you think a mere state-constitutional ban against gay marriage protects you from the courts imposing this on you, think again.

Liberal courts have several times invalidated parts of their own state constitutions in finding in favor of liberal policies.

As Nevadans, who had a constitutional provision forbidding tax increases without supermajority legislative support. Not so fast, said the Nevada Supreme Court -- the constitution's preamble says the state will fund education and such, and that means it has to spend money -- a lot more money -- and that invaldiates the specific mandate against raising taxes with anything less than a supermajority. The general, "We the people" preamble trumps the specific constitutional provision in this case.

So-- they ruled you can raise taxes with a mere majority.

In Florida, an initiative passed that would have limited the Supreme Court's desicison to invalidate laws.

But they decided the initiaitive limiting their own power was, wonder of wonders, passed by unconstitutional means, as, they claimed, the public was "misled" about what the iniitiative meant, and didn't fully understand all the great benefits the SCOFLAw provides for them.

Hence-- ruled off the books by a vote of five liberals.

Only liberals could imagine that their own written constitutions are themselves unconstitutional, and they're not afraid to play that absurd trump card when they feel the cause is important enough.

Race Relations on the Blogosphere

Welcome, Dr. Helen readers! Take a look around. Lots of thoughts on the secularization of America here and some thoughts on Stem Cell Research and Politics here. Please bookmark me and come back. Thanks for the visit.

Thank you, too, Anchoress who is suffering so, right now, for the link as well. You are one of my blog heroes! I'm honored by you gracing my blog. (If that sounds like groveling, dear readers, it is. She is perhaps the finest writer on the web. If you don't read her every single day, you're missing out. This week she has been blogging like there is no tomorrow. When life is pelting you with lemons, living today with zest becomes a priority.

**********************************

Like many Americans, I've been fascinated by the rise of Barak Obama from Chicago, IL. He seems to be a smart, young liberal. Taking into consideration America's past, the presence of successful blacks heartens me. I would love to vote for a Black or Woman or Asian or Hispanic President--when the right one comes along. By "right" I mean a person who represents positions I value.

He is not the reason I went over to read LaShawn Barber today. The reason I went over was, "I haven't read LaShawn in a while, I wonder what she's saying?"

Well, today, LaShawn Barber posts about Obama. She also makes a personal note:

Just my assessment, folks, based in part on life in general and personal experience. For instance, I’ve been called articulate, a word seldom used to describe white bloggers. And as loathe as I am to admit this, my blog’s success is owed in part to my race. I believe and write things most people wouldn’t expect me to believe and write.

If you didn’t know me and saw me walking down the street, you’d guess that I was a typical, Democrat-voting D.C. resident. But when I open my mouth, all previously conceived notions and expectations are thrown out the proverbial window. Being outspoken and atypical is a novelty that draws people in. Being a decent writer who expresses ideas in a way that defies stereotype keeps ‘em coming back.

I'm not sure I agree with her self-assessment. First, I have her on my blog roll, not because she's black, not because she's female, but because she's smart and incisive. I'm always interested to read her takes on racial issues, just like I'm interested in psych bloggers takes on psychological issues or certain women's takes on women issues. But the ties that bind these takes together isn't that they are a certain color, certain sex or a certain profession: These people represent my views philosophically, usually, and often stretching me in different directions a bit, too. They may or may not have a more-informed take because of their life experience.

For example, Helen Smith PhD is a psych blogger who has also experienced a life-threatening heart condition. I might give her ideas on heart patient views more weight. She's been there. Ditto, her views on murderer motivation. It's her job. Even still, I've disagreed with her plenty of times.

Another example, MaxedOutMama is an economist focusing on risk-assessment. I read her because she's smart and knows things I don't in these areas. Again, I've disagreed with her on particulars, but I do feel we share a similar philosophy.

Another example, The Anchoress is a Catholic writer and editor. She is funny, smart and her prose delights. Reading her is like drinking a well-made fruit smoothy--it tastes so good and is satisfying, but is also very good for you. I'm guessing there are other Catholic bloggers out there. My interest in her blog isn't her Catholicness. (word?) It's her takes.

Another example, Jeff Goldstein, if he ever gets his sad carcass out of his burnt lawn patch and back behind the computer, writes with such style and intelligence that I feel grateful not to have to pay to read him. He's Jewish. He's agnostic? So what? Do I weigh his opinion more when I look at mid-east relations? No. It's just that his takes are smarter than a lot of others. Religion? Definitely not--he helps me define what I don't believe in that case. He makes me smarter.

What about the blogging lawyers? Reynolds, Cobb, Althouse, Volokh. I might ad that I completely disagree about some social issues with these people.

I could go on and on. There are so many brilliant, funny, and engaged people writing on the web, sometimes I pinch myself. How lucky am I? In the 50s, I might have been a frustrated June Cleaver. No more. I can indulge in part-time work that I love and stay intellectually challenged while keeping my priorities straight: putting my family first.

So no, Ms. Barber, I don't link you because of your skin color. There are other brilliant black conservatives that I don't read as much as I read you. Why? Time might be an issue, but I think it's really about style. You write with emotion and clarity. You are self-effacing and share many of my values. You've been through additction. You've seen tough times. You're human. Plus, I want you to find that good Christian man and get married and procreate. I feel like I know you. I feel like I'd like you.

As far as Obama goes, I think the Media like anyone who they believe will be the dagger in the heart of the Republicans. J.C. Watts didn't receive the love that Obama is getting. Look at Steele and Condoleeza Rice, and any other black politician who doesn't fit their belief mold. That he's half black is a big bonus. The Democrats and Media knnow that the black vote is slipping as more blacks come into the middle and upper classes and see their hard earned dollars float to never, never land.

As an aside, it irritates the heck out of me when a mixed race person is referred to as "black". I've always respected Tiger Woods because he refuses to be pigeon-holed racially. In America these days, a lot of mixing goes on. Are half-white, half-hispanic people Mexican? It's insulting. It's meant to divide.

How American Muslims View America Post-9/11

I didn't want to start today linking to this disturbing post by Charles at Little Green Footballs. I didn't want to, but I must.

He cites a survey from the Islamic Society of North America who he calls "a radical Islamic front group". All 307 respondants were American citizens. To give you just a taste of the results, I'll show you the results of the third question:

3. Is the American government at war with the religion of Islam?
YES - 208
NO - 79
UNDECIDED - 20

If we are at war with Islam, why are we giving Billions with a "B" to Muslim countries to rebuild and come into the 21st century?

The second question is interesting:

2. Do you consider yourself to be a Muslim first, an American first, or both equally?
MUSLIM FIRST - 214
AMERICAN FIRST - 4
BOTH EQUALLY - 86
UNDECIDED - 3

Do you consider yourself a Christian first or an American first? My list goes like this: God, Family, Country. But of course, my religious values are compatible with my country's values of free will, rule of law, love towards my fellow man even if I consider him a sinner--tolerance, etc.

The weirdest results are the psychological disconnect about 9/11. The majority of the respondants don't believe that Muslims hijacked planes and flew them in to the buildings, a huge majority believe the U.S. knew of the coming attacks, and nearly half believe the U.S. government organized the attacks.

Is this denial to hide their shame? Or do they truly believe the country they reside in is capable of such onerous action? Obviously these people are self-selected, not randomized Muslims. I'm wondering why there haven't been more polling efforts to determine how "moderate" U.S. Muslims view America.