They Still Don’t Get It

I just don’t understand how so many people/groups/media sources can remain in a 9/10 mindset. But they persist. The latest example comes from my local paper, the Cape Cod Times, which ran a front page headline yesterday on the Fort Hood massacre:

“A mystery”? A mystery?! Are you kidding me?

When our media can’t even face the concept that a horrible act of islamist terrorism was perpetrated on an Army base in our very heartland, there’s something extremely wrong.

Or as Jim Treacher tweeted: “If this idiot had been wearing an I Kill Unbelievers 4 the Glory of Allah t-shirt, they’d still be going whuh-whuh-why did he do this?”

H/T: Vanderleun at AmericanDigest

Stoutcat

At Least Someone Is Acting Presidential

Sadly, it’s not the President.

Friday night, former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush made a private visit to those wounded in the Fort Hood massacre. No press corps, no photographers, no reporters. Just President and Mrs. Bush, comforting the victims. After a few hours there, they left as quietly as they had arrived. This is only to be expected of a Commander-in-Chief who understands that those injured or grieving may have no wish to be bombarded by camera flashes or microphones shoved in front of tearful faces.

The former President and his wife behaved exactly as we have come to expect them to do. With class, dignity, and grace. With gravitas and humility. In a word, presidential.

Has President Obama visited Fort Hood yet? Why, no. No, he has not. Right now, he’s at Camp David with the First Family. (Unless he is making a private trip out there as I write this, in which case, good for him!)

Barack Obama is our President. But as far as I’m concerned, George W. Bush is still our Comforter-in-Chief.

H/T: Atlas Shrugs

Stoutcat

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, At Least

And the ObamaCare bill will only make it worse. Really, what more needs to be said?

H/T: Innocent Bystanders, via Instapundit

Stoutcat

To The Government, Jim Doesn’t Exist Anymore

In this proud land we grew up strong
We were wanted all along
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail

“Don’t Give Up” by Peter Gabriel

When I walk up to greet him, he still yanks his hand up to shake mine in greeting. But the trademark firm grip has given way to one of a man 30 years his senior. He’s probably unaware of it, but he seldom makes direct eye contact now. In fact, it’s as if his eyes seem permanently fixed on the ground like a scolded child. Yet he puts on a great front for an old friend. And that’s what struck me most.

The government today announced unemployment is now “officially” over 10%. In Florida, it’s been that way for months. “Jim” (I’ve changed his name for purposes of this rant) was one of the statistics, but is no longer. Not because he’s found work, but because he has exhausted his unemployment benefits and is therefore no longer included when counting the number of unemployed.

“Isn’t that something? Now I’m not even considered unemployed!” he says. “For statistics purposes, I guess I no longer exist.”

No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I’ve changed my face, I’ve changed my name
but no one wants you when you lose…

“It’s the government’s dirty little secret,” I reply. I know, because it happened to me during the recession in the early ‘90s. Once you exhaust your benefits, as far as the government is concerned, you no longer exist, statistically speaking.

Barbarism in America

Yup, it’s been quite a banner couple of weeks for American Muslims…

Oct 21: Feds charge Muslim man in Massachusetts with plotting to kill two prominent politicians and shoot up a mall.

Nov 2: Young woman who was run over by her own Muslim father for being too “Westernized” dies of her injuries in Atlanta.  Oops.

Nov 5: Offended American Muslim Army M.D. (American taxpayers paid for his education) kills 13 and wounds 30. Seems that he could tolerate the military policy for six years while he earned his degree, but lost it when he was going to be deployed overseas.

Does anyone see a lethal pattern of pettiness and arrogance?

Does anyone wonder why Methodist Dick Cheney didn’t run over his own daughter when she came out of the (gasp) gay closet?

Or why anaesthesiologist Capt. Mary Hanna didn’t decide to stage a massacre at her Army base because she had a resurgence of her Coptic Christian faith just before being deployed?

Is there a double standard here? Do certain religions have a tendency to behave in a bit more culturally mature fashion? Do I really need to be asking these questions?

Yes, it’s been one hell of a fortnight for American Muslims. And unless there is an outpouring of condemnation from Muslims in American for this kind of barbarism (and the actions to back up that talk), they will have proven themselves  to be not a religion of peace, but rather a primitive, misogynistic cult of savagery. No more, no less.

Alan Speakman

Breaking News: Shooting at Fort Hood

3:20 PM, 11/5/09… Shep Smith of Fox News just reported that there has been a mass shooting at Fort Hood in TX. Shep indicated that seven are dead, and 12 have been wounded. Supposedly, the shooting occurred at the “Soldier Readiness Center” and at least one person is in custody…

Details to follow.

UPDATE: FoxNews now reporting there are two shooters, one of whom is in custody.

UPDATE 2: Possible third shooter…

UPDATE 3: Fort Hood is now in lock-down, including nine schools on the base, seven elementary and two middle schools.

UPDATE 4: Number of wounded now at 20.

UPDATE 5: FoxNews now saying that the men were reportedly dressed in Army fatigues;  military officials couldn’t confirm that they were Army personnel.

UPDATE 6: Via FreeRepublic: Three shooters , one dead one in custody and one still shooting at this time near the PX.

UPDATE 7: FoxNews now reporting up to 30 wounded.

UPDATE 8: Comparisons being made to Ft. Dix plot in 2007.

UPDATE 9: Via FreeRepublic: KCEN-TV reporting sources at Ft Hood have captured a second suspect and that there is no third suspect.

UPDATE 10: Via FreeRepublic: 9 confirmed dead according to military source wounded still at 20 via same source.

UPDATE 11: Via Twitter: NEW GUNFIRE ERUPTS AT FORT HOOD. Possibly repeat of previous info.

UPDATE 12: Via MKHammer on Twitter: Shooter & 2 suspects apprehended are soldiers; facilities still locked down, erring on side of caution. No shootings since original firing.

UPDATE 13: The suspected gunman was identified as Major Malik Nadal Hasan. He was killed and two other suspects have been apprehended, Lt. Robert W. Cone said. (ABC News)

UPDATE 14: Also via ABC News, count is 12 dead, 31 wounded.

UPDATE 15: Scott & White Memorial Hospital says due to the massacre at Fort Hood, it is in URGENT need of ALL blood types (via Twitter).

UPDATE 16:Via Fox News, the shooter, Major Malik Nadal Hasan, is not dead. He is in custody and in stable condition.

Alan Speakman

CBO: GOP Health Care Proposal Saves Money!

Just out from House Minority Leader John Boehner, Congressional Budget Office confirmation that the Republican health plan will save consumers money and reduce the deficit. From the CBO’s letter:

According to CBO and JCT’s assessment, enacting the amendment would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $68 billion over the 2010–2019 period.

This is fairly impressive. We’re not talking about spending here, we’re actually talking about saving money! Lowering costs and improving health care at the same time were initally staples of Obama’s repertoire. In fact, before President Obama out-sourced his healthcare aspirations to Congress, he actually wanted to reduce the cost of healthcare, not just make reform “revenue neutral”. In his non-state-of-the-union State of the Union speech last February, the President addressed the issue clearly:

President Barack Obama called surging health costs a drag on the economy, and said Congress needed to overhaul health care this year.

“The cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough,” Obama told a joint session of the House and Senate in a speech yesterday.

Yes, he really wanted to reduce the costs that are weighing down the economy. So one would think that the President would embrace the announcement made by Boehner yesterday, which includes:

•    For the small group market (generally businesses with 2 to 50 employees), the GOP plan would reduce premiums in 2016 for example by up to 10 percent.
•    For the individual market, the GOP plan would reduce premiums in 2016 by up to eight percent.
•    For the large group market, the GOP plan would reduce premiums in 2016 by up to three percent.

That covers lots of individuals and lots of businesses and actually does save lots of money.

Will the President and members of Congress congratulate Rep. Boehner and the Republicans for a proposal that does exactly what the President initally wanted? Will they accept the proposal in the true spirit of the bi-partisanship they so desire and work together on it?

Time will tell.

Stoutcat

H/T: Sissy Willis via Twitter

The Significance of Yesterday’s Elections

Image cribbed shamelessly from Vanderleun’s trip back to the 60s.

Stoutcat

Vonage “Hey Karen” Commercial

Look, I’m no homophobe… I’m really not. But this is just weird.



I don’t know… But if I’m a commercial actor (that is, an actor who makes his mark making commercials), I don’t think I’d want to risk my legacy as “that guy who holds the other guy’s head up to mine while the other guy is upside down.” I mean, I can easily see being Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of Tony the Tiger and “They’re Grrrrrrreat!” fame). I saw an interview with Mr. Ravenscroft where he said that he got a kick out of surprising someone at the supermarket with his “They’re Grrrrrreat!” bellow. Extremely cool. And then there’s good old “Time to make the donuts” Michael Vale… I mean, who didn’t love Fred the Baker?

Anyway, just an odd observation about an icky commercial. Maybe it’s just me.

Alan Speakman

Honor Killing Accomplished

Words cannot describe how horrified, disgusted, and angry I am about this.

Noor Faleh Almaleki has died of  the injuries she received when her father ran her over with his car because he felt she was becoming “too Westernized”.

Faleh Hassan Almaleki fled the scene of the crime, but was apprehended a week later after he fled the country, abandoned his Jeep in Mexico, flew to London where he was denied entry and subsequently returned to Atlanta, where law enforcement officials were waiting to arrest him on charges of aggravated assault.

One of those charges should now read First Degree Murder.

This is the second known honor killing this year in America. I pray that it is the last, but I fear there is worse to come.  As I said back in February: Unthinkable at one time, but no more.

UPDATE: Welcome, Michelle Malkin readers.

Stoutcat