What did you learn in school today, Sally?

I'm going to start this out with three quotes, three little statements, made by a historical figure not too long ago, historically speaking. While reading what follows the quotes, I want you to keep firmly in mind each quote, and at the end, I'll tell you who said them. No fair peeking ahead, either, it spoils the surprise...

"Demoralize the enemy from within by surprise, terror, sabotage, assassination. This is the war of the future."

"How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think."

"Universal education is the most corroding and disintegrating poison that liberalism has ever invented for its own destruction."

I think, personally, that that last one is the most poignant in regards to what we're going to discuss here today. As I've mentioned before, I was a teacher for a time, circumstances led me back down the path of communications contracting. I fit in well with my colleagues in education, that is to say, I fit in as well as any square peg ever fits into a round hole. Most of the people that I met were, suffice to say, quite liberal, many very left leaning, and mostly democrats. And I have to say, many of them were (are) very snobbish (read elitist)...

I'll let ya'll decide from here.

Banning Legos
And building a world where “all structures will be standard sizes.”

By John J. Miller

Perhaps you’ve heard about the schools that have banned tag. Or dodgeball. Or stories about pigs. If so, you won’t be surprised to hear that the Hilltop Children’s Center in Seattle has banned Legos.

A pair of teachers at the center, which provides afterschool activities for elementary-school kids, recently described their policy in a Rethinking Schools cover story called “Why We Banned Legos.”

It has something to do with “social justice learning.”

My vision of social justice for children of elementary-school age is as follows: If you’re tagged, you’re it; if the ball hits you, you’re out; and pig stories are fun, especially when told over microwaveable hot dogs.

But I try to keep an open mind, so I read the article on why Hilltop banned Legos.

As most aficionados know, Legos are made by a Danish company. The company name comes from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means play well. “Lego became a national treasure and one of the strongest brands in the toy industry,” wrote The Economist last year. “Its colorful bricks are sold in over 130 countries: everyone on earth has, on average, 52 of them.”

"NO, little Johnny, you can't build any more castles, because didn't you know that Knights and Chivarly are not sensitive concepts to people who don't believe in what Knights stand for?"

Here's one the dinosaur media isn't covering at all...

Hostage drill at NJ school features mock 'Christian terrorists'

The head of a national, Texas-based pro-family group says a recent hostage drill at a New Jersey high school, which portrayed conservative Christians as terrorists, is reflective of a dangerous philosophy that has become prevalent in many parts of America, where it is having negative effects on education.

A local paper reports that a drill at Burlington Township High School in New Jersey involved police portraying mock gunmen, described as "members of a right-wing fundamentalist group called the 'New Crusaders' who don't believe in the separation of church and state." The fake gunmen were said to have been "seeking justice because the daughter of one [member] had been expelled for praying before class."

Historian and constitutional expert David Barton is president of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that distributes historical, legal, and statistical information and helps citizens become active in their local schools and communities. He says the stereotyping used in the high school's drill is an accurate indicator of what is being taught in public schools in the Northeast region of the country.

Commentary on my thoughts on THAT one after THIS one, which in my mind, as a historian, is tantamount to heresy and sacrilege...

Teachers drop the Holocaust to avoid offending Muslims
By LAURA CLARK

Schools are dropping the Holocaust from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim pupils, a Government backed study has revealed.

It found some teachers are reluctant to cover the atrocity for fear of upsetting students whose beliefs include Holocaust denial.

There is also resistance to tackling the 11th century Crusades - where Christians fought Muslim armies for control of Jerusalem - because lessons often contradict what is taught in local mosques.

The findings have prompted claims that some schools are using history 'as a vehicle for promoting political correctness'.

Yes, by all means, let's not offend the Muslims. By the way, have you heard the one about the priest, the rabbi, and the Southern Baptist preacher...

Are our schools trying to instill liberal values on our children? Are they subtly brainwashing our children? Are they teaching them things that go against what the children's families believe? Here's one more, just in case those past three aren't enough evidence of what's going on in our schools today...

District gags 14-year-olds after 'gay' indoctrination
'Confidentiality' promise requires students 'not to tell their parents'

By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Officials at Deerfield High School in Deerfield, Ill., have ordered their 14-year-old freshman class into a "gay" indoctrination seminar, after having them sign a confidentiality agreement promising not to tell their parents.

"This is unbelievable," said Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues for Concerned Women for America. "It's not enough that students at Deerfield High are being exposed to improper and offensive material relative to unhealthy and high-risk homosexual behavior, but they've essentially been told by teachers to lie to their parents about it."

In what CWA called a "shocking and brazen act of government abuse of parental rights," the school's officials required the 14-year-olds to attend a "Gay Straight Alliance Network" panel discussion led by "gay" and "lesbian" upperclassmen during a "freshman advisory" class which "secretively featured inappropriate discussions of a sexual nature in promotion of high-risk homosexual behaviors."

FIND OUT what your kids are being taught in school. There is NO LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENT that a child under the age of eighteen can sign that will hold them to a non-disclosure agreement. Take the cue of the atheist, call your school board's hand on brainwashing our children. If it is a clear cut violation of your constitutional rights and your beliefs as Christians or Jews, or if you THINK it is, contact the ACLJ, NOT the ACLU. They are leading the fight in the courts to oppose the ACLU in their attempts to undermine the American structure.

Oh, and those three quotes at the beginning of this posting? Those were the words of a man who used hatred and mistrust as his tools to rise to power and become one of the most dangerous men who ever lived, one who was responsible for the deaths of millions. Some considered him to be a madman, I'm not so sure. The insane generally don't rise to lead their nation and to inspire a following that nearly conquers an entire continent, the driven do that.

Who said those things?

You know him as Adolf Hitler...

Nuff said? I think so.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man

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Gathering of Eagles update...

I said some time back that a great number of us who are veterans of our nations armed forces are fed up and disgusted with the cut and run, defeat and retreat mindset that has infected our media and is bleeding over into our nation.

We've had enough.

I know I don't speak for all veterans, as one frequent commentor on our site likes to point out, but I dare say that I do speak for the majority, and, with a tip of the hat to Victory Caucus, here is the proof; the Eagles are Gathering...:

Statement From the New Chairman of GOE, Captain Larry Bailey, USN (Ret.)
March 29th, 2007 | Category: Briefings
Thank you, Harry Riley, for the magnificent job you have done in getting “Gathering of Eagles” off to such an astounding start. Without you, the job wouldn’t have been done so well. You were just perfect for the job at hand, and America is in your debt. Thanks again.

Eagles, this has been one amazing trip, and it ain’t over. Just thinking about how swiftly thousands of patriotic Americans came together and assembled at The Wall in Washington blows my mind.

Harry Riley and I spoke by telephone in late January or early February and agreed that Jane Fonda’s and Cindy Sheehan’s March on the Pentagon was not going to be given a free pass as Fonda’s was in 1967. Less than two months later, thousands of us demonstrated that the leftists were not going to dominate US policy like they did in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

This time, America was going to register its disapproval, and, by goodness, WE DID! The tens of thousands of us who gathered near The Wall to protect that sacred memorial sent a resounding message to Fonda, Sheehan, and Code Pink that we will NOT stand idly by while the honor of our defenders of freedom is besmirched.

We honestly planned to be a “One-Note Charlie” and go home after registering our disagreement with the America-hating crowd that sullied the ground of our nation’s capital. However, the impact of the victory we experienced made us thirsty for more of the same.

It is therefore with great pleasure that I confirm to all of you that we are here to stay. We don’t know exactly what we will do or when and how we will do it, but you can be sure that America-loving patriots are going to be proud to be a part of our effort!

We intend to go on the offensive or defensive whenever our “kitchen cabinet” of Eagles from across the nation decides collectively that a time for specific action has come. We are currently looking at a major “Support the Troops” gathering back in DC over the Memorial Day weekend in conjunction with “Ride to the Wall,” “Free Republic,” “Rolling Thunder” and other like-minded organizations.

Having tasted victory on St. Patrick’s Day 2007, we intend to make a diet of it. Stick with us, and we will work miracles.

Can I get a WHOOOWAHHH?

I also want to include a posting from Gunny Krueger stating his IN COUNTRY observations on the situation in Iraq:

A Message From GySgt Krueger
March 30th, 2007 | Category: Guest Authors
A word from [Gunnery]Sergeant Krueger, USMC, to Speaker Pelosi:

How can you even think of pushing forward legislation to set a withdrawal date for US forces from Iraq? Do you know how much you embolden the insurgency here in Iraq? YOU ARE JEOPARDIZING THE LIVES OF US SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN WITH YOUR ACTIONS. You and your fellow Democrats are causing the Al Qaeda supported insurgency to use more catastrophic attacks against us and Iraqi forces. You will see more SVBIED’s with chlorine gas, more VBIED’s against civilians and security forces every time you and other Democrats open your mouths. You will have to live with yourself and try to sleep at night knowing all the defeatist propaganda you have spewed forth is nothing more than ammunition for Islamic extremist groups around the world and more US deaths. The ! unsuspecting people who support you know nothing of what goes on over here; you fill their heads with nonsense and talk of pullout to appease them. The only thing that will happen is the establishment of an extremist Islamic state where sharia law is the law of the land and no one is safe.

Read the rest of Gunny Krueger's posting here, it's very moving and very on target.

Our veterans during the Vietnam era were confused and didn't know how to react, respond, or what to think when they saw the protests going on in our country, the degrading and vile treatment of their younger brothers returning home to be greeted with hatred. We live in a different time, a different generation. We will NOT sit idly by and be called "baby-killers" by the SAME people who are all FOR abortion. We will NOT sit idly by and allow our troops to become political tools.

We have a voice, and it's a rather large, firm voice. We expect to be listened to. Not to put too fine of an edge on it, but if it wasn't for us, Mrs. Pelosi, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Murtha, Mr. Reid, and all you others out there trying to use those of us who still wear the uniform as chess pieces, you wouldn't have a leg to stand on, politically, or the platform and structure that put you people INTO your offices...

Shape up.

Or we'll make sure you're fired next time around.

We are your veterans. We are the ones who offered to put ourselves on the line, in harms way, to protect the freedoms of this great nation. We expect to be listened to, and to be respected. We've never asked for it before, but that time is over. We will be heard.

Once and always, an American Fighting Man

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"With friends like these..."

Some things stick out in your mind as being significant. A first kiss. A first date. An event that takes the lives of thousands...

I was thinking the other day, looking up at the sky for a moment while working, how that I remembered looking up after 9/11 and seeing something missing; aircraft. I'll also never forget the PR campaign put on by the Saudi's, all the little commercials saying how they as a nation were expressing their sympathy, and to remember that Saudi Arabia was a friend to the United States.

I often thought, in those days following the horrors of 9/11, how hollow it seemed to me for them to do that. I personally lost friends that day, as many others did. September 11th, for me, is a day that will forever be set aside to remember members of Fire Department New York that I knew from meeting different ones at different times in different places through the years. Perhaps not close friends, but brothers and sisters, nonetheless, because of the common bond of the fire service community.

That being said.

The Saudi's have finally shown their true colors, in my mind, and have laid aside the veil of hypocracy that I, personally, have always felt that they hid behind. I've never felt we had any friends in the Middle East OTHER than Israel, and in my opinion, King Abdullah has shown today exactly what kind of friends the Saudi's are to the U.S.A.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 28 — King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia told Arab leaders on Wednesday that the American occupation of Iraq was illegal and warned that unless Arab governments settled their differences, foreign powers like the United States would continue to dictate the region’s politics.

The king’s speech, at the opening of the Arab League meeting here, underscored growing differences between Saudi Arabia and the Bush administration as the Saudis take on a greater leadership role in the Middle East, partly at American urging.

The Saudis seem to be emphasizing that they will not be beholden to the policies of their longtime ally.

They brokered a deal between the two main Palestinian factions last month, but one that Israel and the United States found deeply problematic because it added to the power of the radical group Hamas rather than the more moderate Fatah. On Wednesday King Abdullah called for an end to the international boycott of the new Palestinian government. The United States and Israel want the boycott continued.

In addition, Abdullah invited President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran to Riyadh earlier this month, while the Americans want him shunned. And in trying to settle the tensions in Lebanon, the Saudis have been willing to negotiate with Iran and Hezbollah.

Last week the Saudi king canceled his appearance next month at a White House dinner in his honor, The Washington Post reported Wednesday. The official reason given was a scheduling conflict, the paper said.

Mustapha Hamarneh, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, said the Saudis were sending Washington a message. “They are telling the U.S. they need to listen to their allies rather than imposing decisions on them and always taking Israel’s side,” Mr. Hamarneh said.

In his speech, the king said, “In the beloved Iraq, the bloodshed is continuing under an illegal foreign occupation and detestable sectarianism.”

He added: “The blame should fall on us, the leaders of the Arab nation, with our ongoing differences, our refusal to walk the path of unity. All that has made the nation lose its confidence in us.”

King Abdullah has not publicly spoken so harshly about the American-led military intervention in Iraq before, and his remarks suggest that his alliance with Washington may be less harmonious than administration officials have been hoping.

Since last summer the administration has asserted that a realignment is occurring in the Middle East, one that groups Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon along with Israel against Iran, Syria and the militant groups that they back: Hezbollah and Hamas.

Washington has urged Saudi Arabia to take a leading role in such a realignment but is finding itself disappointed by the results.

Some here said the king’s speech was a response to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s call on Monday for Arab governments to “begin reaching out to Israel.”

Many read Ms. Rice’s comments as suggesting that Washington was backing away from its support for an Arab initiative aimed at solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel wants the Arabs to make changes in the terms, most notably the call for a right of return for Palestinian refugees to what is today Israel. The Arab League is endorsing the initiative, first introduced by Saudi Arabia in 2002, without changes.

The plan calls on Israel to withdraw from all land it won in the 1967 war in exchange for full diplomatic relations with the Arab world. It also calls for a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Regarding the Palestinians, the king said Wednesday, “It has become necessary to end the unjust blockade imposed on the Palestinian people as soon as possible so that the peace process can move in an atmosphere far from oppression and force.”

With regard to Iraq, the Saudis seem to be paying some attention to internal American politics. The Senate on Tuesday signaled support for legislation calling for a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq in exchange for further funding for the war.

Last November, officials here realized that a Democratic upset could spell major changes for the Middle East: a possible pullout from Iraq, fueling further instability and, more important, allowing Iran to extend its influence in the region.

“I don’t think that the Saudi government has decided to distance itself from Bush just yet,” said Adel alToraifi, a columnist here with close ties to the Saudi government. “But I also think that the Saudis have seen that the ball is moving into the court of the Democrats, and they want to extend their hand to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.”

Turki al-Rasheed, who runs an organization promoting democracy in Saudi Arabia, said the king was “saying we may be moving on the same track, but our ends are different.”

“Bush wants to make it look like he is solving the problem,” Mr. Rasheed said. “The king wants to actually solve the problems.”

King Abdullah said the loss of confidence in Arab leaders had allowed American and other forces to hold significant sway in the region. “If confidence is restored it will be accompanied by credibility,” he said, “and if credibility is restored then the winds of hope will blow, and then we will never allow outside forces to define our future nor allow banners to be raised in Arab lands other than those of Arabism, brothers.”

The Saudis sought to enforce discipline on the two-day meeting, reminding Arab leaders and dignitaries to stay on message and leave here with some solution in hand.

“The weight of the Saudis has ensured that this will be a problem-free summit,” said Ayman Safadi, editor in chief of the Jordanian daily Al Ghad. “Nobody is going to veer from the message and go against the Saudis. But that doesn’t mean the problems themselves will be solved.”

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations gave a stark assessment in an address to the meeting, saying the region was “more complex, more fragile and more dangerous than it has been for a very long time.”

There is a shocking daily loss of life in Iraq, he said, and Somalia is in the grip of “banditry, violence and clan rivalries.”

Iran, which on Saturday had new sanctions imposed against it by the Security Council, is “forging ahead with its nuclear program heedless of regional and international concerns,” Mr. Ban added.

Having spent Monday and Tuesday in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Mr. Ban urged the new Palestinian government to demonstrate a “true commitment to peace.”

In return, he said, Israel must cease its settlement activity and stop building a separation barrier.

He concluded, “Instability in the Arab League states is of profound significance to international peace and security.”

Well now, isn't that special?

I know I'm probably not going to be on the state department's list of favorite people when I say this, but I'm sure many American citizens will be behind me as I say "Fuck you, King Abdullah..."

Once and always, an American Fighting Man

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