Obama Today on Terrorism 5-23-13

[Serious News]

The Obama Way

"So the next element of our strategy involves addressing the underlying grievances and conflicts that feed extremism, from North Africa to South Asia. As we’ve learned this past decade, this is a vast and complex undertaking. We must be humble in our expectation that we can quickly resolve deep-rooted problems like poverty and sectarian hatred. And moreover, no two countries are alike, and some will undergo chaotic change before things get better. But our security and our values demand that we make the effort.

This means patiently supporting transitions to democracy in places like Egypt and Tunisia and Libya, because the peaceful realization of individual aspirations will serve as a rebuke to violent extremism. We must strengthen the opposition in Syria, while isolating extremist elements, because the end of a tyrant must not give way to the tyranny of terrorism.

We are actively working to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians because it is right and because such a peace could help reshape attitudes in the region. And we must help countries modernize economies, upgrade education and encourage entrepreneurship because American leadership has always been elevated by our ability to connect with peoples’ hopes and not simply their fears."
Barack Obama 5-23-13

[Ratickle]

The way it ought to be!

A Texan's View...

"In the aftermath of the Boston bomb-inks, the liberal media will spend days trying to determine why two brothers killed and maimed so many Americans.

"They will want to know what America did to make them so angry with us.

"They will want to know why they were not arrested before they did something unlawful, even though we were forewarned.

"The media will be in a tissy about the new era of home-grown radicals and about how they could live among us and still hate us.

"Here in west Texas, I have rattlesnakes on my place. I have killed them on the front porch. I've killed them on the back porch. I have killed rattlesnakes in the barn, in the shop and on the drive-way. I kill every rattlesnake I encounter, because I know they will bite me and inflict me with poison and kill me if I don't kill them first.

"I don’t stop to wonder why a rattle-snake will bite me. It will bite me because it is a rattlesnake and that is what they do. I don’t try to reason with them or change their minds.

"I don’t try to get to know them better so that I can find a way to live with them and convince them not to bite me…I just kill them to be safe!

"I don’t quiz a rattlesnake to see if I can find out where the other snakes are because (a) it won’t tell me (b) I already know that they live on my place…I just kill them and move on to the next one.

"I don’t look for ways that I might be able to change the snake to a non-poisonous snake. I just kill it to protect myself and my family.

"Also, I know that for every rattle-snake I kill, two more lurk out there. In my lifetime I will never be able to rid my place of them.

"Maybe as a country we should just come to realize that a jihadist is a jihadist, doing what it needs to do.
Only then will we know what we need to do to protect our-selves."

Happy Snake hunting.

[clayinaustin]

That sounds nice, Ratickle. However, we live in a Constitutional Republic where the rights of the individual are protected by the Bill of Rights. The Fifth Anmendment gives each person (or snake) the right to Due Process under the law. In this country you are not allowed to execute people without a trial!

But don't be sad. I can Google hundreds of stories where the police have shot and killed unarmed innocent citizens, and the officer who commited the murder did not miss one day of pay!

Don't you feel safer now?

[clayinaustin]

Just do a Google search on "police kill unarmed" and see how "safe" you are! I fear the police a thousand times more than a terrorist!

I especially like the story where police in full body armor and automatic weapons raid a home with a block-wide search warrant looking for drugs. They shoot an Iraqi vet who was sleeping in his bed 60 times. Oh, and they didn't find any drugs. And not one single cop lost a day of pay!

tucson-swat-team-defends-shooting-iraq-marine-veteran

[Ratickle]

The Iraqi vet pointed an assault rifle at the swat team (at least that's what the story says). American "native born" terrorists on our own soil are protected by our constitution, kind of. Depends on whether they are so-called "enemy-combatants". Which to me means a terrorists who came from somewhere else to terrorize here. Terrorists overseas are not.

But, my definition of a terrorist is a bit different than others. To me a terrorist is someone who specifically targets non-combatants with death to make a statement, and to cause terror. If the 9-11 scum had swiped empty planes and crashed them into the pentagon and other military bases, targeted our forces instead of our non-combatant citizens, then it is fair.

In other words, you come after me because I somehow harmed you, so be it. You come after my wife or family, different set of rules. More like your fair-fight statement.

Just as in every aspect of society, police also have bad members. They also need to be weeded out.

[clayinaustin]

It looks like your "heros" the Police killed another unarmed "snake"!

man-linked-boston-bombing-suspect-unarmed-shot-violent

[fund razor]

You know, at no point does Paul suggest that the police are his "heros."

Did he touch a nerve, Clay?

[clayinaustin]

His "A Texan's View" post upset me. He is basically saying that we (through our law enforcement officials) should kill anyone we suspect of being a terrorist. No Due Process, No Trial, Just kill them! However, I fear the police (or FBI, or any and all "law enforcement") more than anyone who has not yet commited a crime.

I have posted links expressing this real danger! A few "jihadist" are no threat to our country, but the out of control Criminal Justice machine is destroying us!

BTW "To me a terrorist is someone who specifically targets non-combatants with death to make a statement, and to cause terror." describes the Police exactly!

[fund razor]

I took it as one of those internet things that gets forwarded around. I didn't take it very seriously. More tongue in cheek.

But I am not a Texan.

I don't think that he meant it personally at you, or as a suggestion that it is how Texans think. I think that it was an expression of his frustration.

Every Texan that I know is dam cool. I like Texans. So, I didn't give it all that much weight, I guess.

[old377guy]

My opinion: I strongly dislike it when any individual or organization threatens me or my loved ones safety or liberty, be it a neighbor, a stranger, a government bureau or a foreign organization. I have disdain for any group that has as it's goal extreme (non-proportional) responses to other groups. To my way of thinking, there is a hierarchy of concern that runs the continuum from perhaps a neighbor who dislikes my kids pet cat, to a religious sect that is nasty in their "believe what we believe' proselytizing, to a law enforcement organization that is over zealous (but with civic recourse) to an organization that has a mission to maim and kill and many innocents as possible

[clayinaustin]

The fact that it is called "A Texan's View" does not bother me. However, the post advocates suspending the Rule of Law and Due Process and sending people (Law Enforcement) out to kill anyone and everyone we view as snakes! This goes against our Constitution and is very upsetting.

However, what may be more upsetting is the fact that you "didn't take it very seriously" because I believe that it is actually happening in our country today. But, no one seems to care... Until it happens to them!

[cdail28590]

I took it as no matter what you try to do a terrorist is going to be a terrorist and no matter how much we try to help other countries or put our beliefs on other countries there will always be terrorist. If you are a terrorist you should be killed. We have way to many people on death row for 1-30 years waiting to die for a crime they committed because all the bleeding hearts in the country think its cruel. If it was 1 of your family killed you might not feel that way. At some point the Political correctness crap needs to go away and make going to jail a really bad thing so we don't continue to pay $30,000+ dollars a year for someone to sit in jail and be taken care of. If you kill someone you get killed an eye for an eye deal. Maybe then somethings will change.

[fund razor]

The fact that it is called "A Texan's View" does not bother me. However, the post advocates suspending the Rule of Law and Due Process and sending people (Law Enforcement) out to kill anyone and everyone we view as snakes! This goes against our Constitution and is very upsetting.

However, what may be more upsetting is the fact that you "didn't take it very seriously" because I believe that it is actually happening in our country today. But, no one seems to care... Until it happens to them!

I see. Perhaps I wasn't clear. It was Paul's post and the nearly comic exaggerated premise that I didn't take very seriously. I didn't disclose how I felt about the abuses to our Constitution, which I take incredibly seriously. I do care. I think that things have gotten out of control since 9/11.

But I also take terrorism seriously, and I know Paul pretty well, so I was able to overlook a little hyperbole.

I for one was not inspired by it to shoot any snakes, terrorists, or anything or anybody else, so my gun cabinet remains locked.
And he didn't mention law enforcement at all until after you did. The main character was not a cop and the word "arrested" wasn't used in the context of abuse of power.

I've not always been on the same side of every issue as you, but felt like we could discuss it. I appreciate that.

[Ratickle]

I have no issue discussing it. And I did not say the police were "heroes".

Our constitution is very important, and has been stepped on way too much through judges who think it is unimportant so therefore can change it themselves through judicial process. And by some Presidents through the executive order privelage. I do not recall anywhere in the constitution it gives police any protection at all.

I specifically left the Texan part of the chainmail in because I did not want to change it to give it any possibility that it was my undertaking to make it a personal statement. That is why it stays so extremely exagerated, but also what makes it possible to discuss the pros and cons of various points it does make to see where it is right and wrong. Besides, leaving it "Texan" kind of makes it "The Old West American".

You see, I like snakes and go out of my way to make sure they get across roads etc. But, I really do hate terrorists. Anyone who thinks it is okay, for any reason, to blow up and dismember women and children to further a political or religeous cause, truly deserves zero protection from me. But that's me, not necessarily all, and it's probaby what makes the constitution a requirement in the first place for the rule of law.

[rschap1]

The sentiment and intention is not that hard to figure out.
This country does need to quit being so weak kneed and stop being afraid to "call the kettle black".
Why the F' is the media giving more and more coverage to the LOSER mother of the Boston Bombers? ? ?
Yesterday they write how she talks to the living son and he swears he was framed. REALLY??? We need that kind of news broadcast and spread further?

But, I did find it very disturbing that during the manhunt for those 2, a state of emergency allowed door to door searches.
I never did get a whole lot of details, but I thought w/o a warrant and due cause that was illegal and unconstitutional.
Hard not to see that scenario scary as he__ too

[poncho]

I see liberals tend to think differently when it comes to terrorism, that almost makes the terrorist win. The leader of the Canadian liberal party who could very well be the next Prime Minister of Canada, was asked if a similar bombing to Boston happened in Canada and he was Prime Minister what would he do. He said he'd first try and find the root cause and go from there. See liberals think its our fault and if we correct the error terrorists will go away. Our current Prime Minister said you do everything in your power to find the terrorists and then prosecute them to the fullest extent of the laws. I agree with the latter.

[Ratickle]

The fact that it is called "A Texan's View" does not bother me. However, the post advocates suspending the Rule of Law and Due Process and sending people (Law Enforcement) out to kill anyone and everyone we view as snakes! This goes against our Constitution and is very upsetting.

However, what may be more upsetting is the fact that you "didn't take it very seriously" because I believe that it is actually happening in our country today. But, no one seems to care... Until it happens to them!

There are certainly things happening now that are unconstitutional. However, to say generalize that all police are corrupt because of a few is certainly not the case in my estimation. And it is not meant to be anyone and everyone we view as snakes. It was strictly intended towards terrorists. Those who kill innocent people, including little kids, as a way to further their cause. To me, the very bottom of the scumbag chain.

[Ratickle]

It certainly did start an interesting discussion.

[phragle]

our constitution was written to provide equal protection to saints and scumbags. Even with these protections innocent men have been executed under the premise of law and order. The checks and balances ontop of checks and balances of our legal system were put there to protect against the emotional battlecry of vengeance. To protect a man from a salem terrorist hunt. The constitution was written to allow a man to think what he wants. The legal system exists to hold the man accountable for his ACTIONS if they infringe the rights of others. It is not a crime to think about blowing something up. It is not a crime to discuss blowing something up. It is not a crime to make plans to blow something. It IS a crime to actually blow something up. The act is punishable not the thought.

[Ratickle]

It is not a crime to make plans to blow something.

I'm not too sure about this one anymore. I think it actually is a crime now, like conspiracy to commit murder or similar. All the rest, absolutely (I think).