Why We Fight

The other day, my nine-year-old son wanted to know why we were at war...My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend our Country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation. My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in our front living room window.

He said "Son, stand there and tell me what you see?"

"I see trees and cars and our neighbor's houses." he replied.

"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United States of America and you are President Bush."

Our son giggled and said "OK."

"Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every house and yard on this block is a different country" my husband said.

"OK Dad, I'm pretending."

"Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and pretend you see Saddam come out of his house with his wife, he has her by the hair and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, he throws her on the ground, then he starts to kick her to death. Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are screaming and crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and they are afraid of their father. You see all of this, son....what do you do?"

"Dad?"

"What do you do son?"

"I'd call the police, Dad."

"OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations. They take your call. They listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What do you do then son?"

"Dad.......... but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.

"They don't want to son, because they say that it is not their place or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my husband says.

"But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.

"I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his children."

"Daddy...he kills them?"

"Yes son, he does. What do you do?"

"Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next door neighbor to help me stop him." our son says.

"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him," my husband says.

"But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"

"WHAT DO YOU DO SON?" Our son starts to cry.

"OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?"

"What Daddy?"

"He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down her door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire and then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in the window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?"

"Daddy..."

"WHAT DO YOU DO?" Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, "I'd close the blinds, Daddy."

My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him. "Why?"

"Because Daddy...the police are supposed to help people who needs them...and they won't help.... You always say that neighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't help me stop him...I'm afraid.... I can't do it by myself Daddy...I can't look out my window and just watch him do all these terrible things and…. and..... do nothing...so.... I’m just going to close the blinds.... so
I can't see what he's doing...and I'm going to pretend that it is not happening."

I start to cry. My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the window, looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husband's questions and he says...

"Son"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Open the blinds because that man.... he's at your front door... "WHAT DO YOU DO?"

My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up his tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes, without hesitation he says: "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!!"

I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs our son to his chest and hugs him tight, and says... "It's too late to fight him, he's too strong and he's already at YOUR front door son.....you should have stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife, and his children and the old lady across the way. You have to do what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before its too late." my husband whispers. THAT scenario I just gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq. When good men stand by and let evil happen son, THAT is the greatest atrocities in the world won't affect him. "YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT! EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE!" BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT THEM!!! SUPPORT AMERICA SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS..."

This should be printed in every newspaper and posted in every school in America. Of course that won't happen so we'll use the Internet. If your blinds are closed do nothing with this email. If they are open I do not need to tell you what to do.

GOD BLESS!!!!!!!!!!
Steven R Chandler, CMSgt
332 ELRS/Vehicle Management
Flight Balad Air Base, Iraq

Parental Rights

(AgapePress) - A Massachusetts man who was arrested after objecting to the discussion of homosexuality and transgenderism in his son's kindergarten class is no longer being barred from all school property in the town of Lexington. Nevertheless, he says his dispute with the school district is far from settled.

In April, Lexington parent David Parker was arrested and jailed after refusing to leave Estabrook Elementary School until administrators acknowledged his right to be notified before adults discussed homosexuality and other controversial sexuality issues with his son in class. At the same time, the Lexington schools superintendent issued a ban against him, prohibiting him from setting foot on any school property -- even to drop off or pick up his son or to vote at school facilities that doubled as polling places.

Last month Parker was cleared of all charges when law enforcement authorities opted not to pursue the matter. The district continued, however, to bar him from school property up until last week, when he was informed by letter that the ban against him was being lifted.
Nevertheless, the concerned father says his battle for parental rights continues. "I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm allowed back on school grounds and I won't be arrested," he notes. "However, this whole issue is by no means over. It has not been resolved and, in a sense, it's just beginning."

That is because, even though Lexington Schools Superintendent Paul Ash has dropped the "No Trespass Notice" prohibiting Parker's access to district property, the school official still refuses to allow the schools to notify parents when homosexuality is going to be discussed in the classroom. That is a policy the Massachusetts dad is determined to see overturned.

Superintendent Ash "is hiding behind a misinterpretation of the Parental Notification Law to avoid, basically, telling parents the truth," Parker asserts, "and it's not going to work." According to the state law, he points out, Massachusetts schools are required to adopt and publish policies ensuring that parents and guardians be notified about "any curriculum that primarily involves human sexual education or human sexuality issues, and permitting them to exempt their children from any portion of that curriculum without penalty."
The Massachusetts law also requires the schools to make instructional materials for such curricula "reasonably accessible to parents, guardians and others for inspection and review." Still, Parker contends, Superintendent Ash continues to trample parental rights by refusing to comply.

"Parents absolutely have the right to be aware of how and when discussions of homosexuality, transgenderism, and gay relationships are being affirmed and validated in the minds of their own children," the embattled parent says. "The schools claim that they want to partner with parents, but good faith partnering of schools with parents requires giving the information to the parents when those parents make their requests known."
In dropping the ban against Parker, Ash wrote him a letter suggesting that he "avoid disrupting the school environment and operations." But considering the fact that Parker was cleared of the criminal trespassing charge leveled against him, the Lexington father feels the letter is defamatory and says he may file a lawsuit against the school superintendent.

Agape Press

NRA Press Release

Released by the NRA November 9-

Fairfax, VA - Even with opposition from San Francisco law enforcement and major media outlets, Proposition H -- a measure banning the lawful possession, sale and manufacture of handguns and ammunition within city limits -- passed yesterday. The National Rifle Association (NRA) will file a lawsuit challenging this severe gun ban.

NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre stated, “We are disappointed, but this fight is just beginning. Lawful residents of San Francisco are being stripped of their freedom because of an illegal measure that defies common sense. We will fight this outrageous assault on the rights of law-abiding San Franciscans and I believe that we will prevail.”

Many San Francisco residents who initially supported the ban changed their opinion after NRA and local volunteers began voter education efforts throughout the city. The campaign received an additional boost when the San Francisco Police Officers Association condemned the gun ban, declaring it would "nullify the personal choice of city residents to lawfully possess a handgun for self-defense purposes.” Major San Francisco newspapers also voiced opposition to Proposition H.

In response to the passage of this proposition, NRA will lead a coalition of organizations to immediately file a lawsuit against this illegal ban in San Francisco. Proposition H, in addition to violating federal guarantees, also violates various California state laws and is therefore preempted.

Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist, concluded, “This is a hollow victory for the gun control lobby because this scheme is in clear violation of California law. We will file suit and fight this to the highest courts in the country until good sense prevails once again in San Francisco.”

This Just In

President Bush has authorized the Joint Chiefs to begin drawing up a battle plan to pull France's chestnuts out of the fire again. Facing an apparent overwhelming force of up to 400 angry teenagers, Mr. Bush apparently doubts France's ability to hold them off. "If the last two world wars are any indication, I would expect France to surrender to the little pissants any day now," said Bush.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace warned the President that it might be necessary to send up to 5 Marines in order to gain control. The general admitted that 5 Marines may be overkill, but he said he wanted to be assured of gaining operational and strategic control within 24 hours of arriving on scene. He stated, however, that although he was having a hard time finding even one Marine volunteer to help "those ungrateful bastards" out for a third time, he thought that he could persuade a few female Marines to do the job before they went on maternity leave.

In an attempt to blend in with the locals, President Bush suggested Gen. Pace make sure the marines did not take soap, razors, or deodorant with them.

Avian Flu Hype

Avian Flu Hype
When I turn on the TV and watch the news the one segment that makes me turn the channel is anything regarding the avian flu pandemic. I get so depressed that I turn to something that will make me happy. Am I hiding from it? Yes! But do I care about it? Of course! If you are like me and have the weight of the world on your shoulders then this might help relieve some of your woes. Even though President Bush has called for plans to combat this outbreak ‘when’ it happens some other experts aren’t as worried as the President is. Why? Well, here are their reasons.

This flu they say is similar to the 1918 Spanish flu that kill more than 20 million people in that time period. They say that this will be just as devastating as before. But others are not as worried because of some simple facts. One is that the avian flu (which is a bird flu) has not crossed over to humans yet. The only connection that they have is that a person who worked around the birds with the flu developed antibodies from it. Also medicine has come a very long ways since then. Back in 1918 people were mostly dieing from secondary infections like pneumonia. Today we have knowledge of these things and know how to combat basic bacterial infections. And according to the World Health Organization (WHO) this is only a Phase 3 pandemic alert. Phase 3 is defined as: A virus new to humans is causing infections, but does not spread easily from one person to another. Also as Americans we don’t have direct interaction with Asian birds so for us to get it here in the states it would require the foul or a human carrier to be here. Our government I would hope knows this and would do something to stop it from reaching us. And lastly, a computer simulated study showed that by simply stockpiling doses of the antiviral medication Tamiflu and maintaining local vigilance, the flu would be contained in the event of an outbreak. This gives us hope.

All in all I commend the President for what he is doing even if in the end it might seem like overkill. I’d rather be safe than sorry. But also I must remember that in the end, its Christ’s will that will decide our fate. What we must do is pray for God’s protection and that his will be done.