Obama Administration Asks For Help
After last week's conference on violent extremism that failed to identify the Islamic foundation of the enemy responsible for most of the violent extremism, the Obama Administration is now asking the public for help. On Friday the State Department tweeted out this appeal, "What Solutions Do You Think Are Most Critical To Countering Violent Extremism?" I tweeted back my answer: Get a new president.
I also liked the multiple responses from Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who tweeted, "Glad you asked -- I have some ideas. . ." They were:
Special Forces
A-10 Warthog
Forward Air Controller
B2 Bomber
Navy Seals
Tomahawk strike
C-130
Carrier Strike Group
101st Airborne
Meanwhile, the radical Islamic group Al Shabaab released a video calling for attacks on shopping malls in western countries. The Al-Qaeda linked terror group based in Somalia is responsible for the 2013 massacre at a mall in Kenya that killed more than 60 people and wounded at least 175. The video specifically names three targets: the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, London's Oxford Street and the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
The Somali community in Minnesota seems to be a hotbed of radicalization. As National Public Radio recently reported, the Somali community in Minneapolis-St. Paul "is fast becoming the center of ISIS' recruitment effort in the United States."
Ebola Is Airborne?
You'll recall that when the Ebola crisis took center stage last summer, the Centers for Disease Control had a lot of missteps. Just prior to the Ebola outbreak in America, the CDC had been caught mishandling three pathogens -- anthrax, avian flu and small pox.
President Obama assured us that the chances of Ebola arriving in America were "extremely low" -- an "unlikely event," he added. Well, it turned out that the chances were a lot higher than Mr. Obama predicted. When the first case of Ebola was reported at a Dallas hospital, we were assured that nurses were adequately trained and had all the appropriate equipment. That too wasn't accurate.
Then the debate quickly turned to questions of public policy. The president, who rejected quarantines, said the experts were certain that Ebola could not spread through the air. Those who suggested we should stop flights to and from the most heavily impacted countries were accused of ignoring science.
Well, new research shows Obama and the CDC were wrong. This weekend the Washington Post reported on a new study by four top scientists who conclude, "It is very likely that at least some degree of Ebola virus transmission currently occurs via infectious aerosols. . ." In other words, Ebola may well be spread by airborne particles.
Now, let's see if the president and the CDC will change their views on quarantines.
Obama's Faith
The media have been having a field day since Rudy Giuliani questioned Barack Obama's love for America. Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio have all been cornered by reporters demanding responses to whether they believe Obama loves America and whether they believe he is a Christian.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence was asked about it yesterday on Fox News Sunday. Governor Pence said, "I don't think it helps to question the president's patriotism or motives. . . .The focus of our country needs to be on the task at hand."
The media clearly believe they have a great "gotcha" question to portray conservatives as extremists. Here's a succinct response for the next conservative asked whether he or she thinks Obama is a Christian: "You will have to ask him. And while you are at it, ask Obama why he denies that the jihadists who are trying to kill us are Muslims."
Why Questions Remain
Since big media is pushing a debate about the president's faith, let me remind you that in 2008, when a few people raised serious questions about Reverend Jeremiah Wright's church, the media declared the subject off limits.
Now it is demanding that every conservative attest that Obama is a Christian. Someone should remind the reporters and the public about the disturbing nature of Obama's church of nearly 20 years and its pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
One of the reasons Obama's faith has been so controversial is that he attended a church led by a racist pastor who called down God's wrath on America and who said after 9/11 that "America's chickens are coming home to roost." The church's magazine even gave an award honoring Jew-hater Louis Farrakhan.
Yet Obama remained a loyal member and in spite of the vitriol and raw racism of his pastor, he continued to take his family there.
Hollywood's Radicalism
Liberalism in Hollywood and at the Academy Awards is nothing new. Last night, American Sniper, a patriotic box office hit, was virtually shut out, winning a minor technical award.
But when a documentary about Edward Snowden won an award, the presenter praised Snowden as a whistleblower and bemoaned the fact that he couldn't appear in person to accept the Oscar. The audience shouted its approval.
Hollywood dissed an American hero and applauded a traitor who seriously damaged our security. If the homeland suffers another catastrophic attack like 9/11, Snowden's disclosures may well be responsible for aiding and abetting the terrorists.