An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about Israel and Iran. This follows this post about Chinese weapons. This follows this post about recession. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.
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Will Israel Attack Iran?

by Jerold Aust Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

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Worries about a nuclear-armed Iran are real, and Israel is in the crosshairs. Will the Israelis act, and if so, when?

Can you hear the time bomb ticking in the Middle East? If you flinch under the weight of the escalating price and humiliating dependence on foreign oil, if you hear the threats from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against Israel and the West and if you hear Ahmadinejad's defiant rejection of the West's oft-repeated demands for Iran to cease and desist from enriching uranium, then you do indeed hear the Iranian bomb ticking in the Middle East. Could it go off in the not-too-distant future?
Israelis cannot just wait for the bomb to go off; they live next door. Will Israel attack Iran and if so, when? Recently, Israel conducted an obvious military exercise over the Mediterranean Sea near Greece. The idea of this military exercise was to show that Israel's planes would fly the distance necessary to mount a mission to knock out Iran's nuclear facilities. Israel's implied threat is simple and direct: If enrichment continues, we could strike!

Israeli military exercises over the Mediterranean

Putnam Media Managing Editor Rick Pedraza wrote an insightful article for Newsmax.com titled “Bolton: Israel Will Strike Iran if Obama Is Elected.” It addressed a recent Fox News interview of former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton. Pedraza commented on Israel's massive air force exercise over Greece, which the Greek, Israeli and U.S. forces later confirmed was a test run for a strike on Iran's main uranium enrichment plant.
The ordinary person may not have considered Israel's determined, strategic and geopolitical defense against Iran's covert and overt threats of nuclear warfare. Bolton has: “'I think if they are to do anything, the most likely period is after our elections and before the inauguration of the next President.' They'd have to make a judgment whether to [strike] during the remainder of President Bush's term in office or wait for his successor” (www.newsmax.com ).
Remarkably, and counterintuitive to what might be considered a public norm, “Bolton believes Arab countries will support an Israeli strike, effectively ending Iran's nuclear ambitions, while publicly denouncing it”(ibid., emphasis added).
Former Ambassador Bolton thinks that if Senator John McCain wins the presidential race, the Israelis might postpone the attack, offering, “McCain's stance on Iran 'is far more realistic than that of the Bush administration'” (ibid.). Mr. Bolton thinks that Iran would not respond immediately to a strike since they would fear an American reprisal.

Israel, a very tiny nation

With all the saber rattling, Israel has little recourse but to take a very strong military stand, no matter the threat. This small nation is surrounded by overwhelming numbers of Arab states. Israel occupies a pitiful pinch of real estate blanketed by its Arab neighbors, many within its own borders. Every inch of Israel's territory is seen as critical to its safety.
It's easy to discover why Israel is in such a precarious and highly dangerous geopolitical position, a tempting prize for its larger neighbors. Israel, with an area of about 8,000 square miles, is ½0th the size of California. Israel is 260 miles long with a 120-mile coastline and is 70 miles across at its widest point. Israel is surrounded by more than 20 Arab nations equal to more than 630 times its size, more than 50 times its population—and the surrounding nations currently hold all the oil.

U.S. presidential influence in the mix

With only a few months until the American presidential elections, Israel should and likely will give the Bush administration one more chance to stop Iran's rush to enter the atomic and nuclear age. If nothing concrete happens before January 2009, it's possible that Israel will wait no more.
Will or can the United States do more than offer veiled threats to Iran, considering the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan? The surge is working in Iraq, but Iraqi police alone aren't yet able to keep the peace. Taliban fighters are attempting to regain a foothold in Afghanistan. There is speculation that the United States may transfer troops from Iraq to Afghanistan to quell the Taliban surge.
The perplexing entanglement in the Middle East brings to mind Winston Churchill's 1939 radio broadcast in which he referred to forecasting the reaction of Russia to German aggression: “It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma [i.e., a puzzle, difficult to solve]; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.”
Perhaps the key to the Iranian threat, counterintuitively, might just be the Arab nations' fear of Iranian hegemony right next door. Though they are overwhelmingly Muslim, the majority of Iranians are ethnically Persians rather than Arabs. The Iranians are also predominately Shiite Muslims (like the majority in Iraq), which makes the Sunni Muslims who control the rest of the Middle East's oil quite nervous.
If there's a military strike on Iran, either from Israel or the West, oil could spike to over $200 a barrel, further alienating the West from unsympathetic oil cartels. Gasoline could rise to $6 a gallon if not more.
It is clear that any U.S. intrusion into Iranian affairs would provoke a strong reaction from surrounding Arab countries, at least verbally. But would they do more? Consider that Iran's neighbors would not like Iran to have the bomb. Privately they would like a leveling of the playing field. An Iran with nuclear weapons would be a threat to the Arab nations, as well as to Israel. So don't assume that threatening rhetoric from nearby Arabic nations means that they are in league with Iran on this hot topic.
The U.S. presidential race is being weighed in the balance by both Iran and Israel. Both Iran and Israel will play out their hands based on how tough they think the next U.S. president will be on Middle Eastern geopolitics.

Will Israel survive?

Will Israel strike at Iranian nuclear facilities? If they conclude they need to, they probably will. It's a matter of self-preservation. With the recent announcement that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will step down after September elections, that seems more likely. Olmert has generally been viewed as a weak and ineffective leader, particularly in military matters.
What will be the outcome of all this? It won't be what most people would expect. Ironically, the Bible shows the Middle East and Israel being invaded by a European-based power described by Daniel as the king of the North (Daniel 11:40-41 Daniel 11:40-41 40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
American King James Version×). Zechariah describes a terrible attack on Jerusalem, with half the city going into captivity (Zechariah 14:1-3 Zechariah 14:1-3 1 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, and your spoil shall be divided in the middle of you. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
American King James Version×).
But after all this, the inhabitants of the Middle East—Jews, Arabs and Iranians alike—will not be thinking about bombs but plowshares (Isaiah 2:4 Isaiah 2:4And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
American King James Version×)!
To understand these prophetic events better, request or read online our free booklet The Middle East in Bible Prophecy . WNP

http://www.ucg.org/world-news-and-prophecy/will-israel-attack-iran

Washington Hooks Up Even More with Corrupt Mexico

This is an interesting article from www.vdare.com about a America giving Mexico even more foreign aid after the murders of Americans in Juarez. and the 30,000 openly illegal immigrants in the border town of El Paso across the border from the recent Juarez shooting. Of course an effective way to dry up money rogue states like these is to allow domestic offshore oil drilling which sends revenues to nations like Iran and Venezuela and everybody concerned about anti-American violence in Mexico should support this. For more posts like this click here.


Washington Hooks Up Even More with Corrupt Mexico
[Brenda Walker]
Why are American taxpayers required to buy fancy electronic gizmos for corrupt Mexican police? The $15 million headed for Juarez could better be spent on weapons and walls for our own border. Any spare cash should be spent to keep Mexicans OUT.
Juarez Mayor: US money to pay for GPS radios, El Paso Times, March 15, 2010Juarez Mayor José Reyes Ferriz announced during the weekend that the U.S. government will provide $15 million to increase security in his city, which has been plagued with violence responsible for 4,700 deaths since January 2008.Reyes Ferriz said U.S. authorities approved the funding for the purchase of digital radios with Global Positioning System, or GPS, a satellite-based navigation system, for police units in Juárez.The $15 million is part of an initiative U.S Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual supported during his visit to Juárez two months ago, said Jaime Torres, a spokesman for the City of Juárez.
I’ve been saying for years that Mexico Is Rich and can afford to pay for its own internal programs without Uncle Sucker’s assistance.How rich is Mexico? It consistently ranks around #14 in world GDP. The country is very wealthy, although many of its people are poor. The newly announced richest man on earth is a Mexican, namely Carlos Slim (for the second time; the first being in 2007).
Yet even in today’s disastrous economic climate, Washington continues its Mexi-spendathon by shoveling money we don’t have to a corrupt neighbor that doesn’t need it. The Bush administration’s ill considered Merida Initiative sent $1.4 billion to the narco-state. Now Obama is “seeking an additional $310 million for drug enforcement aid for Mexico in its 2011 budget” according to the Washington Post.
The same article (February 24) mentions seriously increased US involvement: U.S. to embed agents in Mexican law enforcement units battling cartels in Juarez.Can this policy change be connected with the recent cartel hit of the American government workers in Juarez? Were the drug gangs sending a message to Washington to back off? Maybe.Here’s more about the embedding (U.S. Agents To Join Mexico Drug War):

Outrage: Americans assassinated in Mexico!

This is an interesting article from http://www.alipac.us/ about an assassination of Americans in Juarez. This follows this post about similar events happening worldwide. Of course an effective way to dry up money rogue states like these is to allow domestic offshore oil drilling which sends revenues to nations like Iran and Venezuela and everybody concerned about anti-American violence in Mexico should support this. For more posts like this click here.


Outrage: Americans assassinated in Mexico!
3 people associated with U.S. consulate killed in Mexico March 14, 2010 1:31 p.m. EDT (CNN) -- Three people connected to the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, were killed in a drive-by shooting in the violent border city, a senior White House official told CNN Sunday. One of the victims was an American employee at the consulate. Her husband and the husband of a Mexican employee of the consulate were also killed. The shooting happened Saturday afternoon, the official said. Details of the killings were not immediately available, but the news had reached the White House. "The President is deeply saddened and outraged by the news of the brutal murders of three people associated with the United States Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez," National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said in a statement Sunday. "He extends his condolences to the families and condemns these attacks on consular and diplomatic personnel serving at our foreign missions. In concert with Mexican authorities, we will work tirelessly to bring their killers to justice." In response, the U.S. State Department authorized the temporary relocation of employees' families working in border-area consulates. The families of employees at U.S. consulates in Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros are allowed to leave for a period of 30 days "in response to an increase in violence along the Mexican side of its border with the U.S.," State Department spokesman Fred Lash told CNN. After 30 days, the authorization can be renewed, depending on a review, Lash said, adding that this was not a mandatory evacuation. Ciudad Juarez is one of the frontlines in Mexico's war against the drug cartels that operate in its territory. Juarez, located on the border across from El Paso, Texas, has become a focal point of Mexican President Felipe Calderon's anti-drug efforts after the January 31 killings of 15 people there, most of whom were students with no ties to organized crime. The incident sparked outrage across Mexico. The government has not released official figures, but national media say 7,600 Mexicans lost their lives in the war on drugs in 2009. Calderon said last year that 6,500 Mexicans died in drug violence in 2008. Meanwhile, farther south in Mexico, at least 25 people were killed in a series of violent incidents in the western Mexican state of Guerrero on Saturday, state officials said. The bodies of 14 people, including nine civilians and five police officers, were found in various parts of the resort city of Acapulco, the official Notimex news agency reported, citing Guerrero Public Security Secretary Juan Heriberto Salinas. In the small city of Ajuchitlan del Progreso, 10 civilians and one soldier were killed in two shootouts that started when federal officials tried to carry out search warrants on two locations, Salinas said. Police in the state were on a heightened security alert, he said. ----U.S. official, husband killed in Ciudad Juarez President 'outraged;' families of consulate staff along border urged to leave Interactive: Mexican drug cartels Learn more about how Mexican drug cartels are extending their reach farther into the U.S. msnbc.com staff and news service reports updated 50 minutes ago Two Americans, a U.S. consulate employee and her husband, were killed in a drive-by shooting in Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican border city wracked by drug violence, the White House said Sunday. President Barack Obama "is deeply saddened and outraged by the news of the brutal murders," National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said in a statement. A third person, the husband of a U.S. consulate employee, was also killed in the shooting Saturday night. The White House did not indicate what steps it might take, but Hammer said the administration would "continue to work with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his government to break the power of the drug trafficking organizations that operate in Mexico and far too often target and kill the innocent. " Simultaneously, the State Department authorized all U.S. government employees at six U.S. consulates in northern Mexico to send their family members out of the area because of concerns about rising drug-related violence, including the post in Ciudad Juarez. And travelers were warned against visiting northern areas of Mexico. "Recent violent attacks have prompted the U.S. Embassy to urge U.S. citizens to delay unnecessary travel to parts of Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua states and advise U.S. citizens residing or traveling in those areas to exercise extreme caution," the State Department said in a bulletin. "Drug cartels and associated criminal elements have retaliated violently against individuals who speak out against them or whom they otherwise view as a threat to their organizations." Calderon has deployed tens of thousands of troops to drug-trafficking hotspots across Mexico in an effort to root out cartels. Gang violence has surged since the crackdown began three years ago, claiming more than 17,900 lives. 24 killed in, around Acapulco Also Saturday, 13 people were killed in and around the Mexican beach resort of Acapulco, with four victims found beheaded, security officials said. Another gunbattle in the state left 11 people dead. Five of those killed were police officers whose night-time patrol was ambushed by gunmen early Saturday in Tuncingo, a rural area on the outskirts of the Pacific coast resort city. The bullet-riddled bodies of eight other men were discovered in different areas around Acapulco in apparent drug-related killings, officials said. Two of the decapitated men were found on a scenic road packed with nightclubs. The violence occurred as thousands of U.S. college students started arriving in the area for spring break. Any resurgence in violence would be bad news for the country's tourism industry. Last June, at least 18 people were killed in a shootout between drug gangs and soldiers in Acapulco, which is home to around a million people. Shootout with soldiers More violence apparently linked to drugs flared later Saturday in Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located, with Mexican soldiers exchanging fire with gunmen, the newspaper Reforma reported. One soldier and 10 gunmen were killed in the shootout in the town of Ajuchitlan del Progreso, the newspaper said. Valentin Diaz, director of the Guerrero state investigative police, said the gunfight erupted in the middle of the day in the center of the town as it was full of bystanders. Several cartels are fighting over drug-dealing turf and trafficking routes in Guerrero. Gang violence occurs almost every day in the state, but Saturday was unusually bloody. Farther to the south in the state of Chiapas, which borders Guatemala, a grenade explosion inside a car killed one man and wounded another. State prosecutors said the dead man was holding the weapon when it exploded. Investigators believe the victim belonged to the Zetas drug gang and had been about to throw the grenade at federal police offices in the state capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez.
DISCUSS THESE ARTICLES WITH OUR ONLINE ACTIVISTS AT...http://www.blogger.com/ftopicp-1028393.html#1028393

White Open-Borders Activists Accuse Anti-Amnesty Black Group of Being Like the Klan

An interesting story from http://www.numbersusa.com/ about a Black anti-amnesty group. This is relevant because a large percentage of the displaced workers due to immigration are Black. This follows this post about the latest amnesty push, and this post shows that there are 30,000 openly illegal immigrants in the border town of El Paso. For more interesting stories like this click here to follow this blog.





White Open-Borders Activists Accuse Anti-Amnesty Black Group of Being Like the Klan

By Roy Beck,

posted on NumbersUSA

I have grown accustomed to well-funded open-borders groups sending hecklers to call me a "white supremacist" every place I speak.
But I was still a little surprised when I spoke to a Black grassroots group recently to have all the African Americans there also accused. It now looks like pro-amnesty groups are willing to label as racist anybody who advocates for less immigration.
It kind of makes me laugh. But it really is despicable, because the ridiculous efforts to silence our side are not the work just of fringe activists but of the largest pro-amnesty organizations of America. These groups not only spread the same lies and libelous characterizations, but they orchestrate the McCarthyism tactics of intimidation and marginalization.
BLACK AND WHITE TAXPAYERS FIND COMMON GROUND
I was one of five panelists at a meeting of People For Change, a grassroots group in Prince George's County, Maryland -- probably the premier majority-Black county in America. Three of the speakers were Black and I was one of two White speakers. The moderator and leader of People For Change was Black, as are most members of that organization. Also present were members of a mostly-White grassroots organization called Help Save Maryland.
All of us were agreed in our concern for what large-scale illegal immigration was doing to costs for taxpayers and to services for the needy in Prince Georges County and in the whole state of Maryland.
Our calls for mandatory verification to keep illegal aliens out of jobs, and for the use of the SAVE system to keep them out of most public benefits, drew enthusiastic applause from the crowd.
BLACK AMERICANS WHO STAND UP FOR JOBLESS BLACKS OVER ILLEGAL ALIENS ACCUSED OF ACTING LIKE THE KKK
When the panelists were finished and the floor microphone was opened for questions, a middle-aged white woman stepped up and said:
I have always wanted my whole life to see the unity of Black and White workers.
It seemed like she was really impressed to see such a rare display of Black and White solidarity, comity and integration that was evident in the room that night. But she quickly continued:
But this thing is more like a Klan rally.
The shocked audience groaned and then jeered her attempt to make a pro-illegal-immigration speech, finally allowing her to ask the panel a pointed question.
A number of Black citizens expressed amazement that they had for the first time in their lives been compared to the Ku Klux Klan. "I don't think I've ever been to a Klan rally before," one African-American man deadpanned after giving his name at the microphone and before asking his question.
Interspersed among the citizens asking questions about how to reduce the illegal population in the county, several more white women took to the microphone to accuse the Black citizens in the audience and the leadership of conspiring with the worst dregs of American society against the oppressed undocumented peoples of their community.
Despite the attempt by the white open-borders women to use race to divide the Americans in the audience that night, I saw no sign that any Black or White citizen grew any less resolute about their common cause to fight illegal immigration -- and to fight the local government efforts to encourage and reward illegal immigration.
Perhaps the most popular panelist was a Black woman who was fired from her county job for refusing to break the law to give unsanctioned benefits to illegal aliens.
Also, a big crowd-pleaser was dynamic Washington DC mayoral candidate Leo Alexander who said that Black Americans owe no apology to anybody for saying that the skyrocketing unemployment among fellow Black citizens has a higher priority claim than the needs of illegal foreign workers.
As strange as was the whole encounter, I have to say that it fits with nearly 20 years of experience I have had in which Black and Hispanic Americans who oppose illegal immigration come under the most withering attacks by the high-immigration activists. Even though Black and Hispanic workers are suffering by far the worst unemployment and are most directly affected by high immigration, it continues to take a lot of courage for U.S. citizens within these communities to speak up for themselves on immigration issues. The predominantly white high-immigration advocates' ridicule and condemnation of Black and Hispanic opponents of high immigration is unrelenting.
My summary of the evening would start with the opening sentence of the open-borders agitator: "I have always wanted my whole life to see the unity of Black and White workers." But my second sentence would be: "And I saw it at the immigration forum in Prince George's County."


ROY BECK is Founder & CEO of NumbersUSA


NumbersUSA's blogs are copyrighted and may be republished or reposted only if they are copied in their entirety, including this paragraph, and provide proper credit to NumbersUSA. NumbersUSA bears no responsibility for where our blogs may be republished or reposted.

Take Action Now To Stop Obama and McCain's Amnesty Push‏

A timely article from www.alipac.us about an amnesty push by the President. This follows this post about a Congressional Jobs Caucus, and this post shows that there are 30,000 openly illegal immigrants in the border town of El Paso. For more interesting stories like this click here to follow this blog.

Take Action Now To Stop Obama and McCain's Amnesty Push‏
It has been revealed that President Obama is meeting with Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina today to push for action from the US Senate on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform AMNESTY legislation. ARTICLE President to meet with key senators on immigration http://www.alipac.us/article-4992-thread-1-0.html Our sources in DC tell us that Lindsey Graham is John McCain's operative and that McCain is staying in the shadows right now asking for delays until August because he is facing a strong political threat from J.D. Hayworth in this year's GOP primary. We all owe Hayworth a great deal of thanks for running and throwing a monkey wrench into McCain's plans to openly push Amnesty this year. Obama and Schumer are asking Lindsey Graham to work with John McCain behind the scenes to get them another Republican in the US Senate who is dumb enough to sign the Amnesty legislation in McCain's stead. They feel it is imperative to have two Republicans on the bill to avoid this issue remaining partisan in the 2010 elections, since every lawmaker on the active Amnesty bill in the House is a Democrat! Obama and his allies are under immense pressure to deliver because the Council on Foreign Relations and other planners of this takeover of America have indicated 2010 is their "make or break" year to get Amnesty through. Their million dollar plans to mount pressure are going to full force at this moment. WE NEED ALL OF YOU TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION! We are sending out a national press release this morning to play our hand and unveil our three point plan to DEFEAT AMNESTY in 2010! ALIPAC RELEASE (Forward Copies to the media with us) Three Point Plan To Defeat Amnesty In 2010 Revealed http://www.alipac.us/article-4996-thread-1-0.html We need you to do your part on phase 1 today. ACTIVISM

Step 1:

Find the nearest phone as soon as possible. Pick it up. Dial the following numbers and deliver the message to John McCain and Lindsey Graham. "I want John McCain and Lindsey Graham to STOP trying to help Obama pass AMNESTY for illegal aliens right now. Amnesty for illegal immigrants is wrong and I oppose it because (Add Your Own Reasons Here)."
Contact Info John McCain (202) 224-2235 http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm Contact Info Lindsay Graham. (202) 224-5972 http://lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.EmailSenatorGraham

Step 2: Then call the entire list of Republicans in the US Senate below and deliver the following message. "I want Senator ________ to tell Obama, Schumer, McCain, and Graham that they will not sign the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Amnesty bill. Any form of Amnesty or path to citizenship for illegal immigrants is wrong. American citizens want ENFORCEMENT, instead of Amnesty. Elected officials should NOT help illegal aliens take American jobs and become voters. I hope every Republican in the Senate, including Senator _______, will tell Obama, McCain, and Graham they refuse to sign Schumer's bill." THEN FOLLOW YOUR CALLS UP WITH email, fax, or letters. Let's get those phone lines in the Republican offices in the US Senate ringing off the hooks NOW before our opponents can react! CALL AND WRITE ALL REPUBLICAN MEMBERS ON THIS LIST... http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=party&Sort=ASC

If you have feedback, questions, or suggestions, our online activists are ready to listen and assist you 24/7 at this link...
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1025682.html#1025682

The ALIPAC Team
www.alipac.us

Has Your US Rep. Joined the New 'JOBS CAUCUS' to Give Illegals' Jobs to Americans?

A timely article from www.NumbersUSA.com about a good "Jobs Bill" that your senator can join to help U.S. citizens achieve employment. As an example, this post shows that there are 30,000 openly illegal immigrants in the border town of El Paso and some of these are taking jobs that the citizens there would like. For more interesting stories like this click here to follow this blog.


Has Your US Rep. Joined the New 'JOBS CAUCUS' to Give Illegals' Jobs to Americans?

DEAR FRIENDS, While most politicians talk about jobs but do nothing, growing numbers of U.S. Representatives are joining a new caucus that is pledged to start driving 8 million illegal aliens out of their jobs so they can be filled by unemployed Americans. Make sure your Congressman has joined the RECLAIM AMERICAN JOBS CAUCUS.
ACTION: Please go to your customized Action Board and send a fax to your Representative urging him/her to join the Caucus (or to express thanks if he/she already has joined). You'll find out on your Action Board whether your Representative has joined yet. This is a Caucus that recognizes that millions of Americans could be put back to work for almost no cost simply by enforcing the law. Thus far, Congress has been paralyzed over whether to go further into deep debt to try to create new jobs. But the at least 8 million jobs held by illegal aliens offer an alternative that is easy on the budget. Listen to the way the Caucus describes itself and its mission -- aren't you ready for some politicians who take unemployment seriously enough to say these things? There are more than eight million illegal immigrants in the labor force in the United States. In many states, there are almost as many illegal immigrants in the labor force as there are unemployed workers.
Lamar Smith of Texas,
Gary Miller of California and
Sue Myrick of North Carolina
have formed the Reclaim American Jobs Caucus to:
raise public awareness of the connection between illegal immigration and unemployment,
pressure the Administration to vigorously enforce the laws against the employment of illegal immigrants,
work to implement legislation that will protect American jobs from the impact of illegal immigration (especially to make E-Verify mandatory),
work to defeat legislation that will put American jobs at risk from the impact of illegal immigration (especially to defeat amnesty).
Let's build this Caucus into a force so that even the news media will have to report that some people think Americans should have jobs before illegal aliens.

Come Back, Stonewall Jackson! Hispanic Gangs Invade Shenandoah Valley

An interesting post from http://www.vdare.com/ about the the Shenandoah Valley . This follows this previous article looking at the newest applicant for ICE and this article about the 30,000 openly illegal immigrants in the border city of El Paso . For more interesting stories like this click here to follow this blog.



Come Back, Stonewall Jackson! Hispanic Gangs Invade Shenandoah Valley

By A.W. Morgan[

Also by A.W. Morgan: That Mount Vernon Statement: Beltway Right Ignores Immigration (Again). But They Still Want Your Money]
The Shenandoah Valley is justly celebrated in American history as the place where Stonewall Jackson made his name driving back Northern invaders during the Civil War—in battles like Cross Keys and Port Republic. But now, thanks to federal immigration policy, it has serious Hispanic gang problems, dating from the early 2000s.
About a year ago, a student at James Madison University was leaving the 7-Eleven on South Main Street in Harrisonburg, Va., to return to his apartment. It was 2 a.m., hardly an unusual time for a kid in the college town to walk the streets near campus.
Yet walking about the city that late is just as unsafe as it common. Three members of the Mexican SUR 13 gang attacked him, the city’s daily newspaper reported, and beat him unconscious. They took $1 and a cell phone.
After the crime, a friend of the victim texted the cell phone, the newspaper reported, only to receive a scatological, threatening text in return—the printable part said “South Side Sureneos run these 540 streets”. [Harrisonburg: gang-member’s sentence twice that of sentencing guideline recommendations, January 26, 2010]
540 is the area code for the Shenandoah Valley. Sureneos, (properly spelled Sureños) stands for SUR 13, one of the murderous gangs federal immigration authorities have permitted to spread nationwide because they are too terrified of organized Hispanics to close the borders.
Two of the feral culprits were convicted and landed in prison. But their cyberphonic claim isn’t far from the truth. Harrisonburg is turning into a scaled-down rural version of Los Angeles. Menacing young Hispanics run the streets and join gangs; racial gang fights with blacks are increasing. The cops can’t lock them up fast enough.
How fast is that? A judge sentenced the SUR-13 tough guys who battered the JMU student on Jan. 25, the local newspaper reported. The same day, he sentenced a member of the Crips, the African American gang. Last October, a judge sentenced a member of the rival African American Bloods gang unit out of Newport News, Va., in a drug shooting.
Harrisonburg had its first gang-related murder back in 2008. A young man connected to another unit of the Bloods was shot to death at a party near JMU’s campus. A criminal connected to that crime was involved in a gang attack in the county jail, the newspaper reported. He copped a plea and was released.
Across the Valley generally, the murder of Brenda Paz in 2003 was law enforcement’s first wake-up call. Paz was the MS-13 member found slashed to death in rural Meem’s Bottom near Woodstock, in Shenandoah County. So violent was the attack, The New York Times reported, the killers nearly severed her head. They stabbed her 16 times. She had agreed to testify against her gang friends.
As The Times explained it,
“The killing shook Shenandoah in ways that can be hard for urbanites to comprehend. For weeks following the discovery of [Brenda Paz], her murder was the talk of the towns along Route 11 in Virginia — from the dairy cooperative in Strasburg, to the C.E. Thompson & Son hardware store in Edinburg, to the old-fashioned lunch counter at the Walton & Smoot pharmacy in Woodstock, across Main Street from the sheriff's office. This sort of thing simply did not happen in a place where many families trace their ancestries in the region to before the Civil War, where people still take the time to stop in on their neighbors, where few people say they feel the need to lock their front doors. This was not Washington, 80 miles and a world away to the east. Folks here tended to worry more about copperheads and rattlesnakes than about knife-wielding murderers.” [Hillbangers, By Matthew Brzezinski, August 15, 2004]
But “knife-wielding murderers” who belong to gangs are indeed what folks in the Shenandoah Valley have to worry about now. In 2005, law enforcement officials identified 100 gang members in Harrisonburg. Five years later, that number has jumped to 850 members and associates.
Among the gangs: SUR 13, the major Hispanic gang in Harrisonburg; MS 13; the Latin Kings.
A survey of area news reports shows that Hispanics are committing more than their fair share of the mayhem. Obvious conclusion: if they weren’t here, illegal or not, SUR-13 and MS-13 wouldn’t be here either. Illegal immigration is such that local law enforcement is treading water to keep up with the workload. Harrisonburg and its surrounding county, Rockingham, have detailed three police officers and a sheriff's deputy to work full time on a gang task force.
Aside from the crimes listed above, authorities filed at least 225 gang charges in 2009, the local newspaper reported, including malicious wounding, robbery, arson, larceny, credit card fraud, and, of course, gun possession as a felon. In November, a member of the Gangster Disciples was nailed on 46 charges. In October, a grand jury handed down an indictment with 71 counts against eight members of SUR-13 and one member of the Crips.
One of the first signs of gang activity is graffiti, or “taggings”, which marks a gang’s territory or presence. In June, the newspaper reported that police logged a major increase in taggings after gangs hit seven stores in Harrisonburg’s main shopping strip in a nice section of the city. In 2007, gang graffiti and associated activity on the other side of town virtually ruined business in a small shopping center after an anchor store moved out. Gangs left their graffiti; prostitutes and public drinkers loitered in the parking lot. It became, the newspaper reported, “a gang-ridden hole” that terrified shoppers. Unsurprisingly, a night club catering to the city’s Hispanics had moved into the shopping center.
In 2006, city police nailed one MS-13 member because he was involved in a fender-bender, the newspaper reported. His gang tattoos tipped off police. In other words, gang members are brazen and don’t much try to hide who they are or what they are doing.
A side effect of the rise of Hispanic gangs has been something of a backlash among blacks. Gangs compete for territory. In at least one case, Hispanics have pushed blacks off their turf. An open air drug market in Harrisonburg near an elementary school, which blacks once controlled, is now under Hispanic management. Or should we call that “Latino?” [VDARE.COM note: Some activists like Latino better than Hispanic, because "Hispanic" suggests Spain, which is "historically white." See Hispanics (Sorry, Latinos) Discover Racial Identity. What About Whites?, By Sam Francis, September 8, 2003]
The city’s crime problem took a major turn for the worse with illegal Hispanic — oops, ‘Latino’ — immigration, and black victims of Hispanic violence sometimes strike back to send a message.
Gangs are fighting elsewhere in the Valley as well. About 70 miles north Interstate-81 from Harrisonburg and closer to D.C., Winchester has much the same problem as Harrisonburg. A member of the Bloods landed a 5-year prison sentence in Winchester for targeting a home associated with a SUR 13 member.
In 2007, a local television station reported that Winchester was home to 500 gangbangers who had residents on “high alert”. The Bloods were largest gang with about 130 members, but the second largest was Sur-13 with 50-60 members. MS-13 boasted 30-40 members.
If the rate of increase in Harrisonburg holds true for Winchester, then the number of gang members there is also close to 850. So Harrisonburg and Winchester are now home to nearly 2,000 gang members. The number approaches the size of some small towns in the Valley—the population of Woodstock, the town where Brenda Paz was found sliced to pieces, is just 4,000.
In its story about gangs in the Valley after the murder of Brenda Paz, The Washington Post explained the situation succinctly:
“Law enforcement officials in the Shenandoah Valley say they believe sprawl from the inner suburbs is the main reason for an appearance in the last year or two of violent and largely Latino street gangs. But there are other likely reasons, including a well-established community of Latino immigrants in which to blend, including thousands of Mexicans and Salvadorans drawn here for jobs in the poultry, plastics and construction industries.”[Gangs Find Bucolic New Turf in Va., By Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, May 30, 2004]
The New York Times agreed:
“As far as law enforcement can tell, MS-13 gang members arrived on the scene in Shenandoah [County] early last year. For them, the Hispanic communities springing up around food-processing facilities across the country present an opportunity to expand their business interests — in particular, dealing methamphetamine — and to attract new members. (For now, the rise of rural gangs does not include African-American gangs, which remain based in large and midsize urban areas.)”
In other words, industries that draw large numbers of Hispanics, many of them illegal aliens, also draw gangs who exploit them and recruit new members, and as well move into an area that, for all intents and purposes, is open territory.
For example, Cargill Meat Solutions in Dayton, Va., just outside Harrisonburg, was the target of a federal immigration raid in 2008. ICE officials nailed a former employee who was part of a nationwide ring manufacturing and selling phony identification using the Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles. [Affidavit: Cargill Knowingly Hired Illegally Documented Workers, WHSV.com, PM Apr 22, 2009] Nearly three dozen illegals working at the facility reportedly obtained fake identification through the ring. And authorities believed nearly 375 employees, 25 percent of the plant’s workforce of 1,459, were illegal aliens. [Federal Identity Fraud Trial in Harrisonburg, WHSV.com, April 20, 2009]
Illegal aliens in particular and immigration in general is a major issue — and expense — for taxpayers. Harrisonburg’s newspaper reported in October that 13 percent of residents in 2008 were foreign born, and 78 percent of those were not citizens. And 81 percent of surrounding Rockingham County’s 3,659 foreign-born residents were not citizens.
Naturally, their children must be educated, so city and county schools are spending millions on English-As-A-Second-Language programs. In May, the local newspaper reported that 1,751 of the city’s 4,232 students, about 41 percent, require ESL at a cost of more than $1,400 a head.
At $2.45 million for ESL in the city alone, taxpayers are groaning under the weight of immigrants without counting the crime. At least 75 percent of ESL spending targets Hispanics.
Needless to say, officials told the newspaper, “we embrace the diversity”. Yeah, right. Whether the Valley’s white and black families whose ancestors have lived there since the late 18th century embrace all this diversity, we are not given to know. We do know they have not been asked.
Gangs aside, immigrants caused myriad other problems. Prosecutors frequently jail Hispanic males who beat their wives and molest children. Because many of the victims are illegal aliens, prosecuting the offender becomes problematic because the victims fear deportation.
That poses a real problem for prosecutors. No human being deserves to be raped or otherwise molested, regardless of immigration status. But if a victim is an illegal alien, it affords a measure of protection for the rapist or molester.
And as with illegals in other cities, immigrants in the Shenandoah Valley drink, drive and kill, and they are frequently involved in shootings and other violence.
In July, 2008, the newspaper reported, sheriff’s deputies arrested 600 foreigners, a third of them illegals. And in just seven months prior to March 2008, local authorities turned 72 illegal alien criminals over to federal authorities via the 287g program that coordinates federal and state efforts to collar and deport illegal alien criminals.
In September 2007, the newspaper reported that just several weeks of cooperation between the county sheriff’s department and ICE netted 38 illegal aliens sitting in jail. At the time, the county sheriff said monitoring illegal aliens could be a full-time job for more than one person. In short, illegal alien crime is such that local law enforcement is treading water to keep up with the workload.
The newspaper doesn’t appear to have published numbers for 2009. But one needn’t be a pessimist to know things haven’t much improved. Nothing, after all, has changed with border enforcement.
In early February, Immigration and Customs Enforcements picked up a dozen of Harrisonburg and Rockingham’s “criminal aliens” in a wide-ranging raid of employers here and in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Presumably, the authorities will deport them. And local law enforcement officials want the illegals kept out once they are deported. But like a successful second marriage, this expectation may be the triumph of hope over experience.
Where is Stonewall Jackson when we need him?
A.W. Morgan [Email him] is fully recovered from prolonged contact with the Beltway Right. He now lives in America.

Is Rick Perry a Racist? CNN Hints Yes He Is!!!

An interesting post from www.newsbusters.org about the Republican candidate for Texas governor. This follows this previous post the losing Democrat candidate for the same office. For more interesting stories like this click here to follow this blog.


CNN's Rick Sanchez Again Hints Rick Perry is a Racist

By Matthew Balan (Bio Archive)

On Tuesday's Rick's List on CNN, Rick Sanchez again hinted that Texas Governor Rick Perry is a racist.
Sanchez, reacting to the distinct possibility that Perry would win the Republican gubernatorial primary, referenced a comment he made at a tea party rally in 2009: "He was talking about states' rights. States' rights is, to most people of color, a racist term" [audio clip available here].The CNN anchor discussed the Republican primary with Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News. He asked the journalist, "Perry's going to win this thing, right?" After Slater noted how Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison lost her early lead in the polls over Perry, Sanchez responded, with some shock, "Why? I mean- you know, when he came out with his comment. Remember, you and I talked about it when he said it. I mean, he was all about secession from the union. He was talking about states' rights. States' rights is, to most people of color, a racist term, and I thought he had hurt himself. Why wasn't she able to, kind of, jump on that and use it?"Slater explained that the typical Republican primary voter in Texas is "very conservative," and that Perry had actually won the nomination race after he had made his "states' rights" remark at the tea party. This didn't calm Sanchez, however, and he followed up by asking, "Well, but shouldn't we be frightened by that?"

This isn't the first time that the anchor has leveled this insinuation against the Texas governor. Exactly six months earlier, on the September 2, 2009 edition of CNN's Newsroom, he made the same argument during a segment with CNN political analyst Roland Martin. When Martin stated that Perry had to be "very careful when you start talking about states' rights" and referenced segregationist Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett, Sanchez replied, "'States' rights' has racist overtones- I’ll say it for you."
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2010/03/02/cnns-rick-sanchez-again-hints-rick-perry-racist#ixzz0h8gm5VVw

Police estimate 30K flee Juárez violence

A timely article from http://www.elpasotimes.com/ (and a big hat tip to them) about how many people are leaving Juarez and moving to the city of El Paso without going through the legal immigration process; and the laws that are broken are not being enforced. As the link shows, there are 30,ooo immigration law-breakers in El Paso.
In case you don't know how to report illegal immigration yourself, click this how-to guide here and for more interesting stories like this click here to follow this blog.

Drug war: Laser, investors' visas allow many to live, work in El Paso
By Adriana Gómez Licón / El Paso Times
Posted: 02/28/2010

Police estimate 30K flee Juárez violence, Rep. Beto O'Rourke says

EL PASO -- They are not your typical undocumented immigrants.
Thousands of middle-class Mexican citizens, under the guise of being commuters or visitors, may be manipulating the U.S. immigration system to escape the violence of Juárez.
More than 4,600 murders occurred in Juárez in 2008 and 2009, and the fallout is apparent in the city's decay. More than 110,000 houses have been abandoned, 75,000 people have lost their jobs and more than 10,000 businesses have closed.
Now a white-collar segment of Juárez's population may be streaming to El Paso by misusing tourist visas, then renting houses or apartments or even opening businesses.
Living in the United States may be illegal for these immigrants who flee the epicenter of Mexico's drug war by moving right across the border to one of the safest cities in the country.
El Paso had 12 murders last year compared to 2,643 in Juárez. New York City, with eight times the population of Juárez, had 466 homicides in 2009.
Most people who cross international bridges from Mexico into El Paso hold tourist or "laser" visas. This visa entitles Mexicans to visit the United States, but they cannot work legally in the country.
The U.S. government issued almost 1.5 million visas from 2000 to 2009 at the Consulate of Juárez. Some were for students and temporary workers, but most were laser visas, which expire after 10 years and cannot be used for visits longer than six months.
Not just any Mexican citizen can get a tourist visa to enter the United States. To qualify, one must prove he or she has a steady income, a residence in Mexico and bank and utility statements to help demonstrate that he or she is not intent on working in the United States.
Obtaining a tourist visa also is contingent on the applicant's background, such as whether he or she has an immigration violation or criminal history in the U.S., said Lisa Rios, an immigration lawyer in El Paso.
Mexican nationals apply for the visa at one of the 12 U.S. consulates in their country. The cost is $130, plus the cost of the Mexican passport. The screening process usually takes weeks.
Customs inspectors at bridges verify the authenticity of the document and ask more questions about the purpose of the travel in the United States. But once foreigners are in the United States, it is difficult if not impossible to keep track of them.
Customs and Border Protection has a system to record people overstaying their visas, but it is not as sophisticated as it is in airports.
Mexicans entering with a laser visa who stay less than 30 days and near the border do not need a form that allows CBP to maintain a log of arrivals and departures.
The form is not collected at international bridges in El Paso when Mexicans are traveling back to Juárez. That leaves CBP without an accurate record of who is violating the terms of the visa.
So staying in El Paso may provide a way for Mexican nationals to slip under the immigration radar and justify their presence in the country as commuters.
Grace Gomez, a Customs and Border Protection supervisor in El Paso, said the agency documents cases in which people overstay their visit and notifies Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A sweep last week by ICE agents in El Paso County led to 33 arrests of people who were living in the United States illegally. But all of those people had criminal convictions in the United States, making them targets of law officers.
Sergio Ramirez, a real estate agent, said most Juárez residents moving to the United States do not run the risk of being deported because they have no criminal record.
"If they were criminals, it would be foolish for them to come here," Ramirez said. "Here, they get caught."
Another way Juárez residents are moving to El Paso is through investors' visas.
To get the document, an applicant must show that he or she will invest at least $500,000 opening a business and hiring at least 10 full-time employees.
Ana Gonzalez of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said the agency last year counseled more than 200 business people from Mexico looking to start operations in El Paso. When the business owners were not permanent residents or U.S. citizens, an investor's visa was a possible avenue.
New businesses rooted in Mexico were not necessarily opening in El Paso be cause its owners were trying to leave Juárez, Gonzalez said. Some were looking to expand.
Attorney Rios said she had seen an increase in people from Juárez looking to apply for the investor's visa in the past two years.
The number of these visas granted to foreign nationals went from about 800 in 2007 to nearly 1,400 in 2008, the last year documented by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Rios said the number, not broken down by country, indicates more businesses are moving to El Paso because their owners faced threats of kidnapping and extortion.
Gomez of Customs and Border Protection said anecdotal evidence shows that fewer people are crossing into El Paso. An annual immigration report is still months away.
Nonetheless, more people detect a greater presence of Mexicans in El Paso.
"If you go to restaurants or malls, you see license plates from Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Chihuahua," Ramirez said.
Adriana Gómez Licón may be reached at agomez@elpasotimes.com ; 915-546-6129.

Democrats Want Americans Murdered, en mass.

An interesting development from a congressmen on the border in dealing with Mexico's drug wars and the global War on Terror. A big hat tip to http://www.badeagle.com for this and for more interesting articles like this, subsribe to this blog here.

Democrats Want Americans Murdered, en mass.
by David Yeagley ·

In another, typical manoeuver of Democrat dishonesty and tyranny, Democratic Congressman Sylvestre Reyes, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, tried to sneak in an amendment to the 2010 Intelligence Authorization Act that would severely punish any “officer or employee of the intelligence community” whom Democrats thought was a little too rough on America’s enemies. Thus, Democrats prefer the mass murder of Americans. A noble gesture, indeed, the Reyes’ amendment.
That’s right. While the other Democrats were in Blair House trying to make history again with their boy Barry, trying desperately to hold the nation’s attention by pretending to “discuss” the Health bill, the Democrats in Congress were trying to get another piece of tyranny to transpire. This is not sleight of hand. This is pure dishonesty. The liberal Democrats are not magicians. They are liars. They are dishonest. They believe in tyranny. These things go together.
According to The American Prospect, the the amendment, referred to as the “Cruel, Inhuman And Degrading Interrogations Prohibition Act” of 2010, lists several prohibited acts, including waterboarding, “forcing the individual to be naked, perform sexual acts, or pose in a sexual manner”, beatings, electric shocks, use of dogs, inducing hypothermia or heat injury, stress positions, deprivation of necessary “sleep, food or medical care” and conducting mock executions.
Other prohibited acts include using the threat of force to “coerce an individual to desecrate that individual’s religious artifacts,” excessive cold or heat, cramped confinement, prolonged isolation, and use of hooding.
Texas Congressman, Democrat Sylvestre Reyes.
In other words, don’t try to get a word out of any prisoner–especially those whose intent is to commit mass murder against Americans, on American soil. Americans must die. That is the message of Democrat Sylvestre Reyes, House Representative from El Paso, Texas.
Why, any US government agent who “in the course of or in anticipation of a covered interrogation knowingly commits, or attempts to commit or conspires to commit an act of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” would face criminal sanctions of up to fifteen years, even life if it results in the death of the detainee.
Bust those CIA agents. Bust those men trying to protect American lives. Let Americans die, en mass.
Byron York first made this story public, yesterday, from an inside tip given him. He writes:
“This was done without committee review and without any feedback or input from the CIA,” says the House source. “It just showed up in the middle of the night. It specifically targets those who are keeping us safe. It doesn’t respond to what happened at Ft. Hood or Detroit. Instead, it targets the CIA for new criminal punishments.”
Republicans say they will try to strip the measure out of the larger intelligence bill. But first they’re trying to make sure people know what is going on.
Less than an hour later, Spencer Ackerman gave us more details, including a link to the actual bill. In another hour, Mark Ambinder reported that the House (Republicans) threated to veto the entire 2010 Intelligence Authorization Act because of Reyes’ amendment.
Good eye there, boys. Many thanks from the masses of Americans who were put at risk by the Democrat’s amendment.
Think it was a coincidence? Think the Reyes attempt at tyranny just happened to occur while Barry was entertaining over in Blair House? The safe thing to do is think again. Note how such an enemy of the United States, Sylvestre Reyes, is Chairman of the House Intelligance Committee. That’s Democrat “intellegence” for you.
Posted by David Yeagley

Victory and the Celebration of Purim

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/brp to read if you are interested in the biblical Purim story. This follows another holiday analysis here and subscribe to this blog for more stories like this here.


Victory and the Celebration of Purim (Esther 9–10)
The day decreed for the attack on the Jews, and subsequently for the Jews to strike out against their enemies in self-defense—even preemptively if deemed necessary—finally arrives (9:1). The 13th day of the 12th month, Adar, corresponds to March of 473 B.C. This day had been determined by Haman's superstitious casting of lots, but it seems likely that God had interfered in the process—causing the date to be sufficiently late enough for the Jews to both determine who their enemies were and to make preparations against them. On this fateful day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to prevail, the opposite happened.
Besides the general fear that had come on the people of the empire because of the Jews' apparent divine favor and help, we are told that the officials of the land helped the Jews on this occasion because of their particular fear of Mordecai's growing influence in the empire (verses 2-4). They may have been trying to garner political favor with the new prime minister, and at the very least were trying to secure themselves against any possible reprisal.
In verses 7-14 we see a return to the conflict with Haman in the killing of his 10 sons. "The patterns of reprisal and vengeance were so deeply ingrained in the cultures of the ancient Middle East that the survival of even one of these sons might mean trouble for the next generation of Jewish people. By listing each of the vanquished sons of their mortal enemy, the Jewish people celebrated the fact that the victory was complete" (Nelson Study Bible, note on verses 7-10). It could also be that these sons had taken or threatened action against the Jews at some point. Moreover, we may perhaps see in this a continuation of the carrying out of the ancient divine edict of destroying the Amalekites. King Ahasuerus granted Esther's request that the bodies of Haman's sons be publicly displayed on the gallows (verses 11-14). This was to serve as a deterrent against anyone contemplating harm against the Jews.
Having overcome their enemies on Haman's determined day, the Jews set aside the next day, the 14th of Adar, as a holiday for celebration. The Jews at Shushan, however, were granted permission to continue fighting through the 14th. So they set aside the 15th as the day to celebrate (verses 13-19). Mordecai sent a letter directing the Jews to observe both days annually from then on and this became an accepted custom (verses 20-25, 27). The days were referred to as Purim, named after the word pur, meaning "lot" (verse 26; see verse 24; 3:7). Purim is the plural.
At some point Esther sent out a second letter with Mordecai confirming the tradition of observing Purim (9:29-32). Though God had not established this feast in the law, it was appropriate for the Jews to commemorate God's intervention on their behalf in this annual celebration. Purim is similar in this respect to Hanukkah, which was instituted three centuries later to commemorate God's help and deliverance in the days of the Maccabees. Jesus Christ apparently went to Jerusalem for the observance of Hanukkah (see John 10:22-23). And as a Jew it is likely that He also observed Purim, especially as its institution is recorded in Scripture. Yet as Purim and Hanukkah are national celebrations not commanded in the law, it is not required that Christians observe them. Indeed, non-Jewish Christians would not be expected to, just as non-Americans are not expected to observe the American holidays of Thanksgiving and Independence Day.
What about the "fasting" in verse 31? "No date is assigned for this fast. Jews traditionally observe the 13th of Adar, Haman's propitious day (see 3:7, 13), as a fast ("the fast of Esther") before the celebration of Purim. These three days of victory celebration on the 13th-15th days of Adar rhetorically balance the three days of Esther's fasting prior to interceding with the king (4:16)" (NIV Study Bible, note on verse 31).
In the three verses that make up the short chapter of Esther 10, we see a final mention of Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and Mordecai. Xerxes reigned eight years beyond the events of chapter 9—dying by assassination in 465 B.C. We know nothing of what became of Esther and Mordecai. But they left an amazing legacy, having cooperated with Almighty God in His grand design to save His people.

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Religion of Peace . . . & Gubernatorial Candidates Who Diss White People, Dig 9/11 Trutherism

An interesting post from www.debbieschlussel.com about a candidate for Texas governor. This follows this previous post about Texas being likely lost to the GOP in the near future. For more interesting stories like this click here to follow this blog.

Religion of Peace . . . & Gubernatorial Candidates Who Diss White People, Dig 9/11 Trutherism
By Debbie Schlussel
As readers know, I’ve been following the “candidacy” of Palestinian Muslim extremist haircare magnate and Texas Gubernatorial candidate Farouk Shami, who owns the Chi, BioSilk, and SunGlitz products through his Farouk Systems company. I’ve noted how Shami donned an anti-Israel “Jerusalem is Ours” keffiyeh at an MLK Day event, worked for the P.L.O., Yasser Arafat, and the Saudi Royal family and how his father–after whom he named his “charitable” foundation–bragged about killing innocent Jews in pogroms prior to Israel’s independence. And I’ve noted his activism and honors from the American Task Force on Palestine, a group that refuses to condemn HAMAS, Hezbollah, etc. and won’t recognize Israel’s existence, considering all of it to be “Palestine.”
I’ve been attacked by the Texas mainstream media for this, and that’s okay because, now, this magnificent specimen of extremism and Liberace clothes has demonstrated even more anti-Western hatred, announcing that White people don’t want to work and engaging in nutty 9/11 Trutherism conspiracy theories. Yup, not just a supporter of Islamic terrorism, but a racist AND a loon. Shocker. Get out your barf bag.

Sarah Palin's Controversial Call for Divine Intervention

An interesting post from www.ucg.org/commentary about Sarah Palin's speech at the Nashville Tea Party Convention, for more about this movement click here and for more posts like this click here.

Sarah Palin's Controversial Call for Divine Intervention
A commentary by John Foster
Posted February 18, 2010
Former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin recently gave the keynote address at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. After her speech she was asked a number of questions, including what she thought the top three priorities of Congress should be. One was to stop spending, another was to develop an independent energy policy and the third was to seek divine intervention.
"I think, kind of tougher to put our arms around, but allowing America's spirit to rise again by not being afraid to kind of go back to some of our roots as a God-fearing nation where we're not afraid to say, especially in times of potential trouble in the future here, where we're not afraid to say, you know, we don't have all the answers as fallible men and women, so it would be wise of us to start seeking some divine intervention again in this country, so that we can be safe and secure and prosperous again. To have people involved in government who aren't afraid to go that route, not so afraid of the political correctness that, you know, they have to be afraid of what the media said about them if they were to proclaim their alliance to our Creator."
Her words are generating a lot of controversy. The liberal blogs have castigated her for her comments, and not all conservatives are happy with them either. But is it really wrong to admit "we don't have all the answers as fallible men and women, so it would be wise of us to start seeking some divine intervention again in this country"?
Isn't that what God wants us to do? Most Americans believe in God. If we want to please God, why not admit that we need His help?
Notice what God inspired the prophet Isaiah to write: "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts'" (Isaiah 55:6-9).
Throughout the Bible, God calls upon His people to repent, which means to turn away from sin, and return to Him. Jesus Christ Himself called upon the people of His day to "repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15).
Imagine what this nation would be like if we determined to follow just one or two of God's Ten Commandments. Take the command "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15). There would no longer be a need for locks on our doors, security programs for our computers or worries about abductions. There would no longer be embezzling or theft.
What about the command "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14)? We would not have to see couples go down in flames over infidelities. There would no longer be child porn or striptease clubs. The family would be protected and, therefore, our nation would be stronger.
Why can't we "go back to some of our roots as a God-fearing nation"? Why can't we admit that we have problems and quit deviating from God's law of love? Remember what Jesus Christ told the young man in Matthew 19:17-19? Here, Jesus said, "But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." When the young man asked Him which commandments, Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
We don't have to wait for what Congress should do. We can start now in our personal lives to get back to God. God's commandments are for our good and for our benefit. The apostle John wrote in 1 John 5:3: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."
The United Church of God has prepared a booklet that details the need for all of us to keep God's commandments. The Ten Commandments reveals why God's law is still relevant for us today and why God wants us to turn back to Him. Let's forsake our wicked ways and seek the Lord while He may be found!



Related Resources
Who Determines Right From Wrong?It's ironic that while some Christians vehemently defend the posting of the Ten Commandments, many other Christians believe that these laws have no application to modern Christianity.
Is God's Law Bondage?Some theologians associate God's law with slavery. But the Bible presents it as the missing key to true freedom.
What Is a True Christian?What does it take to be a Christian? According to the Bible, there is much more to being a true follower of Jesus Christ than most people realize. How does God's Word define a true Christian?