I’m Charlie. Are You Charlie?

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo Massacre

The American Rant

Published Jan 8, 2015

Why do we hesitate to call a terrorist — a terrorist? Sometimes I think the term “political correctness” is a way to control what should be the kind of outrage we saw in Paris last week. That’s called righteous indignation. Why do we call ourselves judgmental when we’re just using good judgment? Why are we harder on ourselves and hold ourselves to a higher standard than the people who cause us harm? Death row is full of axe murders, and no matter how compassionate we can be of their plight still, an axe murderer — is an axe murderer.  

Why do we extend respect and sensitivities to a people who do not return the sentiments? This is a one way street, leading to a scary end-of-the-road scenario for the freedom-loving people of the world—if we don’t stop what appears to be a mounting tsunami, world-wide.

If we don’t stop them, will they stop? How long will it take them to hit your corner kareoke bar or local publisher? Will we stop them then, or before they take our children hostage?

We are peace-loving. They’re not. We are in love with life. They are in love with death. We don’t want to think about it. They wean their children on the ideology (the destruction of all that is not aligned with their belief). All that you and I know as a natural way of life, as ‘freedom’ — what we eat, how we dress, how and who we pray to, and we all understand the marriage and education restrictions for girls and women—is verboten in their way of life.

We are Americans, we rule ourselves, we don’t allow anyone to rule us — not even our government (hence the second amendment). But are we really as free today as we were yesterday?  Can we travel safely without risk or without fear? Are you afraid to forward this email, to read it? I’m looking over my shoulder. What about you? The government is going to protect us? The police? When? When we hand over our guns? That’s what they said in Nazi Germany.

How bad does bad have to get until We, the People, act? God Bless the French. The show of people there and world-wide… is a start. A start. File in people. If not now, when? If not you… who? They’re dying for death, they’re dying to snuff out life and liberty and freedom. EVERYWHERE. Maybe, our peaceful days have come to an end. Maybe we have to make a choice, just like those first brave American’s who built our great country. Maybe it’s time to fight for our freedom. Peace. Our lives. 

When is enough enough? When they shoot down a plane, blow up a boat, fly a plane into a tower, bomb an embassy, a marathon, decapitate a reporter, rape school children…?  What are we waiting for? We can’t think to fight force with feelings. This is just throwing us into some dizzying hypnotic stupor. They’re on the attack. They’ve passed through the gate and have set up camp. Are you perfectly sure you want to have your kids take the bus to school tomorrow morning?

Yes, we can lie to ourselves for a while. We’ll need to if we’re going to continue to justify our inaction. But when they come for our children…. then what? I don’t know the solution, but I know as Americans and all freedom-loving people in the world, we have a right to protect and defend ourselves, our families and our freedom. There’s going to come a day when each one of us is going to have to make a decision. But remember, inaction is a decision that will allow someone else to make the call for us. And I don’t know what that call is. Open the borders, take our guns, pray to their Prophet — or else? I’m not willing to stand around and find out. I don’t like the outcome, no matter how I cut it. Ever ask yourself what ‘we’ did to ‘them’? Have you ever had a cause so critical to your survival that you’d be willing to wrap a bomb around your son and send him into a crowd? What can we say to a people who pray for, live for, our destruction (our meaning the collective, free, non-muslim world) that might dissuade. Short of conversion, Sharia law and a hijab, I’m at a loss.