Sit Down, Shut Up

The New York Times is in full hand-wringing mode now that the Freedom Center (so called) has been chopped from the World Trade Center site. Such a pity that the globalist elites will have to look into "creating a vibrant, meditative space" for international events elsewhere than the site of the 9/11 slaughter in New York.

The Gray Lady laments "a profound fear of free speech" afoot in the land. Hmm. I hadn't noticed. It seems to me that most people speak more freely than wisely, especially when the media is involved. For example, New Orleans Mayor Nagin seems perfectly comfortable hurling not only accusations, but also spouting vulgarities and profanities, whenever a microphone is within arm's length of his stubbly chin.

Of the 11th hour common sense attack Gov. Pataki acted upon in nixing the Freedom Center, the NY Times loftily proclaims: "We believe that the site is sacred to more than death. It is sacred to life and to the principles and people attacked there on Sept. 11, 2001. We believe that the United States can be made stronger only by free speech."

This is the U.S.A., so you go ahead and believe whatever floats your boat. From my observations, speech is never quite so free as when the press is wielding it to hammer their agenda. Somehow, when the voice of the people disagrees--as it rightly did on the Freedom Center--free speech is not quite so welcome.

I believe that the United States can be made stronger by knowing when to keep it zipped, also. Just ask any troop in harm's way.

A Day For The Angels

Today, September 29, is the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

I am a bit of a nut on angels. Ever since I was a child, these ethereal, supernatural beings have fascinated me. In 1980, I began collecting angel memorabilia, and people close to me know how to shop. I could certainly open an “Angel's Emporium” with my huge inventory of angel statues, knick-knacks, paintings, photos, books, craft and needlework creations.

Christmas time has a solid angel theme in our house. In fact, even though we decorate a 9-foot tree each year, the angel ornaments must be rotated on a semi-annual basis due to limited space. Family and friends can easily identify our holiday greeting card. One of my brothers told me “I just look for the angel” to know that my Christmas card has arrived.

And, of course, I’m a Soldiers’ Angel. That was a natural for me. Aside from sincerely believing in the organization’s good work of supporting our troops, I enjoy the whole idea of “joining the Angels.”

Angels populate the Bible with amazing frequency and at very key moments, starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation. Among their many significant activities, the angels frog-march our first parents out of the Garden of Eden after their fall from grace, stay Abraham’s hand before the sacrifice of Isaac, announce to Mary that she has been chosen as the Mother of God, issue both reassurances and warnings to St. Joseph regarding care of the Holy Family, herald the Savior’s birth, minister to Our Lord after his temptation, appear to the disciples after the Resurrection, free St. Peter from prison, and participate in the events of the Apocalypse.

The word "angel" comes from the Greek word meaning "messenger," and the title of archangel is conferred upon angels who deliver messages of supreme importance to humanity. Gabriel's message to the Mary, that she is chosen to be the mother of the Messiah, is one outstanding example.

The archangels have special powers and duties. Gabriel is the patron saint of communications workers, including broadcasters. Raphael has healing powers, specifically for blindness, and is the patron of sick people. Michael, patron saint of police officers and soldiers, defends us against the powers of evil. He is considered to be the guardian angel of Israel, and he appears in the Koran, as well as both the Old and New Testaments.

Angels are very busy creatures on God's behalf. They are intimately involved and concerned with mankind, so much so that many believers have faith that each of us is assigned our own personal guardian angel throughout our earthly lives.

Whether or not we believe in angels is beside the point. Fortunately for humanity, the angels believe in us.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
~Psalms 91:11

Credit Where It's Due

Regular readers may remember my September 17 post regarding an unpleasant conversation with an outraged lefty.

Out of the blue, she phoned me today to apologize for being "self-righteous and disrespectful" in that discussion.

Wow! I have to give the lady full credit. That took some objective self-analysis, not to mention plain old-fashioned guts. I thanked her for her thoughtfulness. She was big enough to make the phone call. While we may never agree, I certainly respect her for that, and I told her so.

After our conversation, I thought about the way hardened ideas can evolve. One small, brave gesture at a time, greeted graciously on the receiving end, moving us all closer to a common goal.

Hope is an uplifting feeling.

The Mystery of Suffering

Hugh Hewitt recently launched a fascinating new Internet project, OneTrueGodBlog. It's a "GodBlog" that poses eternal mysteries to ponder, with theological experts addressing the topics presented. The most recent topic is "Suffering" and how Holy Scripture applies to both those directly affected by the Gulf Coast hurricanes and those who are far from the storm's harm.

The story of Noah and the deluge in Genesis is similar in its depiction of the destruction caused by the great flood. But the Book of Job, Psalm 13, 88, and 130, and Christ's Passion are among the many scriptural passages relating directly to the suffering of our neighbors who have been caught in the fury of the storms. Why? Because fear, grief, pain, and sorrow over loss are universal human emotions. Universal, too, is the feeling of being forsaken by God, being left alone in suffering. Pslams 13 and 88 are especially eloquent on this point:

How long, LORD? Wilt thou forget me forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
O LORD, why dost thou cast me off? Why dost thou hide thy face from me?

Who among us has not, at some low point, felt dismissed and forgotten by God? If I were fleeing Katrina or Rita, leaving the wreckage of my life behind, I fear I would surely feel that way.

I have never suffered on such a dramatic, tangible level. If I did, I can not say with any certainty that I would be strong enough to be graceful under such crushing physical loss. My sympathy and concern for the hurricane victims leads me to want to help them. And that brings me back to the second part of Hugh Hewitt's question: What portions of Scripture are most relevant to those who have been watching, but for whom the suffering is far removed, and why?

I think the most relevant part of Scripture is found in Luke's Gospel, Chapter 10, v. 29-37. In these verses, we find the story of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan was traveling his own journey, minding his own business, and came upon the suffering victim. Although others had passed by with indifference, the Samaritan could not in good conscience ignore the victim. He tended to the man's injuries, brought him to shelter, and paid for his care.

But the most relevant part of this beautiful parable, in view of the successive hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, is that the Good Samaritan came back to be sure he had given enough to the innkeeper to pay for the injured man's care. The Good Samaritan teaches us how to treat one another in time of urgent need. We may not be able to explain the mystery of human suffering, but the Good Samaritan shows us how to be a force for good in the face of suffering, how to help make things right again. If we take it seriously, as a model for our own actions, this simple story is our roadmap to a better world.

Have I given enough to help those suffering from the two hurricanes? No. There's no way I could say yes, I've given enough. Not while I'm safe, dry, well-fed, and under my own secure roof. So here again is the link to Instapundit's list of charities . And, appropriately enough, here is the link to Samaritan's Purse (HT:HH).

After the second punch from Hurricane Rita, it's time for us to "come back" and refigure the tab, like any good neighbor would do. It's time for us to "Go and do likewise" (Lk 10:37).

Who'll Stop the Rain?

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
~ John 13:34

With Hurricane Rita now lashing the Gulf Coast, it seems a good time to remind people about the excellent charity organizations that will continue to need the help and contributions of more fortunate Americans.

The following are my personal choices for best use of donations:

Catholic Charities - Diocese of Galveston-Houston
Soldiers Angels - Operation Katrina Soldiers Relief Fund
The American Red Cross
The Salvation Army

There are many other worthy charities, and each charitable giver has his or her own favorite. If children in need are your primary concern, Feed the Children is a fine choice. Animal lovers will find a perfect destination for their donations at Noah's Wish, whose sole purpose is caring for animals affected by disasters.

Wherever your interests and sympathies lies, choose a reputable charity that seems right for you, and give.

I keep thinking of a wise saying I have often heard quoted: I wondered why somebody didn't do something. Then I remembered that I'm somebody.

Let's all help to keep open the umbrella of support for our suffering neighbors.

"Absolutely Beautiful"

That's how a Jet Blue spokesman described the perfect landing of an airbus with disabled nosegear. As I watched the live TV coverage of the dramatic landing unfold, my thoughts were the same.

Wow. What a beautiful job.

There are two things Jet Blue Airways should do immediately.

First, buy that pilot a drink.
Second, give him a raise.

S.O.S.

Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, head of the active duty forces responding to Hurricane Katrina, knew what he was dealing with when he spoke to the press in New Orleans Tuesday in preparation for the pending onslaught of Hurricane Rita.

"Let's not get stuck on the last storm," he warned reporters, right up front.

Honore then began to give pertinent information on current evacuation plans. But when the media representatives insisted on questioning the good general on events pertaining to Hurricane Katrina, to the detriment of his disseminating urgent public evacuation information as Hurricane Rita approached, Honore pronounced them "stuck on stupid."

I don't know how much of America will hear about this. So far, coverage has been extremely light and carefully varnished. I suppose that's to be expected. Who wants to publicize being called stupid--more than once--by a general? But you can read the transcript of Honore's remarks at Radioblogger, and better yet, listen to over three minutes of audio that is priceless in its no-nonsense bluntness. I, for one, felt like standing up and cheering when I heard it.

So if MSM is S.O.S., what does that make Lt. Gen. Honore? A-OK with me.

Unsung Progress, Unacknowledged Aid

Victor Davis Hanson does his usual excellent job of laying out the facts in his essay on our foreign successes and setbacks since 9/11. I continue to find it fascinating that almost none of the amazing accomplishments of our troops ever makes the MSM news.

This truth was underscored by a conversation, for lack of a better word, that I had this week with a left-wing radical (Froggy would call her a moonbat). Among her impassioned points: the atomic bombs that ended WWII were war crimes, our military is brainwashed, we invade any country we want to pillage and control, just look at all the invasions of Latin America under Reagan, we're currently fighting for oil in Iraq, and "there was a reason" for September 11.

Yes, I agreed, there was a reason. Radical Islamist hatred of us was the reason. Of course, you can guess the indignant response to that. "They" just want the big, bad U.S.A. to "leave them alone."

Excuse me, I asked, but who's been attacking whom since the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979? I cited the requisite examples--Beirut 1993, Khobar Towers, WTC 1993, U.S.S. Cole--to no avail. According to her, America is just a bully that pushes every other country around.

Exactly how were we bothering "them" on the morning of 9/11? I told her flat out that there was no justification for 9/11 on any grounds, period. It was the last full sentence I was able to manage with this seething lefty.

Naturally, you can't reason with such a radical lunatic, so I didn't waste too much time or breath debating her. Interestingly, this woman is not even American--but she has lived here for decades and enjoys all the benefits this country has to offer, although she insisted to me that many other countries "had more freedom" than the U.S. Funny, she didn't name any...but then, I didn't ask, because at that point I knew I was dealing with a fire-breathing leftist fanatic and was only interested in excusing myself from the scene of psychosis as quickly as possible.

She didn't answer my one question: Who will help the less fortunate countries of the world, if the U.S.A. does not? That's probably because there is no answer, although such hard core lefties would rather die than admit it. There is no where else to turn except towards America.

So we as a nation will continue to roll our rock of Sisyphus by ourselves, up to the top of our mountain of responsiblity, each time learning more lessons, gaining more traction, and achieving better progress, each time hoping that this will be the trip that finally sweeps the burden downhill, away from us. And each time knowing that we are in this task unheralded, unappreciated, for the long haul, and alone.

Getting Serious About Relief

Please check out the title link to NZ Bear's Hurricane Katrina Relief Connections. As stated on the website:

The mission of Relief Connections is to provide a forum where community, religious, and civic groups affected by Hurricane Katrina can connect with similar groups across the nation and world who can aid in their recovery.

Reconstruction in the storm-devasted Gulf Coast region will be ongoing for a long time. Our fellow Americans need support not just in the immediate aftermath of the deluge, but over the long haul of hard work. Relief Connections is a smart and generous means to that end.

My Thoughts Exactly

A culture that goes to such perverse lengths to disdain its heroes cannot survive and doesn’t deserve to.
~ Mark Steyn

I'm glad that Mark Steyn stated the case for me, brilliantly, and much better than I possibly could.

"Disgusted" is the mildest term I can use to describe my own reaction. What's next? A "Rug of Remembrance" at the Pentagon?