The Response of Portland Oregon Mayor Tom Potter to Anarchist demonstrators crapping on the American Flag in public:

Office of Mayor Tom Potter

City of Portland

On Sunday, March 18^th, as many as 20,000 people gathered in Portland to protest the continuing war in Iraq. Almost all were both peaceful and respectful of our young men and women in service, and concerned about the future of our country. I spoke to the crowd, as did a number of elected officials, and expressed our gratitude for the troops.

Unfortunately, a few media personalities have focused on the actions of a small handful whose actions at the end of the afternoon are protected as free speech under Oregon's Constitution, in much the same way that burning the flag is protected by the U.S. Supreme Court. Portland police have monitored the protests closely, and made arrests when appropriate.

It is also important to recognize that the intent of this tiny band of anarchists is to provoke a strong response and generate attention. I would hope most people will continue to focus on the real issues facing our country, and not the actions of a minority or the media circus that feeds off them. Though I do not support our military's presence in Iraq, I do support our troops and wish them all a safe return home.

Mr. Mayor:

The content of your response is tragically insufficient and patronizing. With all due respect, defecating on the American flag is not symbolic "protected speech". It is lewd and unhealthful conduct that is intended to provoke a violent response, or what the court calls "fighting words" if you will. I am shocked that you could mouth "support" for our military service personnel who will all one day have the honor of being covered by that flag at their funerals. Having accepted such a flag at my own father's burial, I can tell you that there are millions of citizens who consider such actions "appropriate" for arrest. I am saddened to inform the mayor of a major American city that a bowel movement is not political expression or discourse. Failure to vociferously denounce such conduct diminishes the validity of legitimate pacifism and makes you complicit by your silence. Worse, you equivocation here makes you an apologist for those who literally "*%#! on America!" I am deeply saddened that your official response is so myopic as to express dismay with those who reported the misconduct rather than revulsion at those who committed it. You speak of "real issues" that deserve our attention. Be assured, your "blind eye" towards the reprehensible defamation that occurred in Portland has focused the attention of many Americans on the decadent state of your city. I intend to multiply my "power of one" to influence the boycott of all Portland venues, products and services.

 Although you can argue about its extent and significance, the connections between the Third Reich and pan-Arab Muslim militancy are historical fact. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem cavorted with Himmler and Hitler, reviewing SS troops, organizing Bosnian Waffen SS units in the Balkans, consulting on ideas for the Final Solution. The Germans had a romantic affinity for things oriental, particularly through Schopenhauer and Haushofer. They also had a natural alliance in the Arab world because of the extent of British/French colonial holdings. The Ottomans provided Hitler with an effective historical precedent near the close of WWI, by their annihilation of ethnic Armenians. The tepid reaction of the West to genocide caused Hitler to observe, "After all, who remembers the Armenians?" It became his example. Take a close look at photos of Sayyid Qutb, the leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950's. He really emulated Hitler, right down to the cropped mustache. It is also true that Yasser Arafat regarded the Mufti (Amin al Husseini) as his hero and mentor, even referring to him as "uncle", despite some doubts as to any blood relation. The fascistic nature of Wahabbism and Ba'athism are also reminiscent of Nazi style. Further, the continued popularity of Arabic editions of Mein Kampf throughout the Muslim world, including state sponsored distributions in several locations and by the Palestinian Authority in particular, attest to Muslim identification with Nazi ideology. Lastly, I don't think we can ignore Ahmadinejad's sponsorship of the Holocaust denial conference and his repeated declarations about the genocide being a myth. He openly advocates the eradication of Israel.

Here are some further historical references:

Gamal Abdel Nasser, former President of Egypt, brought in so many high ranking former Waffen SS officers to organize the Egyptian security apparatus, that it was a widely publicized scandal of 1962. Among the most notorious of these SS men was the German Gen. Reinhard Gelen. It is no coincidence that the mother of extreme Islamist groups, the Muslim Brotherhood, sprouted in Egypt.

In Syria, Adolf Eichmann’s chief henchman, Alois Bruner, resided in opulent sanctuary for decades.

The Shah of Iran was so taken by the racial purity aspect of Nazism that, in 1935, he renamed the the ancient land of Persia as "Iran", or translated from the Farsi, "land of the Aryans". In its current role as host nation for Holocaust denial, Iran invites and harbors neo-Nazi proponents from all over the world: Albert (Ahmed) Huber, Jurgen Graf, Fredrick Toben, Wolfgang Frolich, Serge Thion, Roger Garaudy, and David Myatt. Let's not forget the "Holocaust Cartoon Contest" held in Teheran as a response to the Danish "cartoon jihad".

The extensive connections between Nazi ideology and Muslim aggression as Ba'athism, Arab National Socialism, or Iranian theocratic fascism are essential to an understanding of realpolitik in the region. Those who say it is irrelevant may wish it so, but ignoring history is delusional. The world said "Never Again" and watched passively in Uganda, Bosnia, Rwanda, and now Darfur. In three of those killing fields, Muslim zealotry factored-in. Mr. Ahmadinejad calmly declared "Israel should be wiped off the map." His regime seeks nuclear weapons. They defy negotiation and international cooperation at every turn. They have now seized British troops for a show trial in Teheran. All of this has a distinctly 1930's feel to it: "Peace in our time."

 

Sold Out

The United States Congress, representing a nation in possession of the premier military force on the globe, today issued an exemplar of cowardice by voting to withdraw troops from Iraq. Today’s spending bill, loaded with “pork spending” to bribe reluctant yeas, would telegraph our moves to the vicious Islamist enemies we’re fighting by placing a foolish timetable on withdrawal from Iraq. Barely passing, this bill has zero chance for survival when it is hammered by a richly deserved veto. It serves the myopic political ends of the Democrat Party, now fully invested in defeat.

Our difficulties in Iraq are really rough. Things have been tough before though. We we’re in very bad shape at Guadalcanal, at Valley Forge, at the Bulge, at Chosin Reservoir, at Khe Sanh, at Bataan, and at WTC on 9/11. Most of the time, Americans have had the fortitude to see the fight to a successful conclusion. Are you feeling that same nausea you felt when we abandoned our allies in Vietnam? Do you see people clinging to the helicopter skids and drifting out to sea in flimsy little boats? Can you feel the disgrace?

Everybody’s heard of Democrat congressman John Murtha, vocal opponent of the Iraq war and ex-Marine. It is curious that the media has never given any attention to Rep. Sam Johnson, (R) 3^rd Dist., Texas. The man is a true hero. He flew many combat missions in both Korea and Vietnam. He spent a very long time in the Hanoi Hilton. Rep. Johnson's war decorations include two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals and three Outstanding Unit Awards. Here’s what he says about the Murtha “slow bleed” plan to kill the war effort by cutting-off funding:

“The pain inflicted by your country’s indifference is tenfold that inflicted by your ruthless captors.”

He warned us back in February that the non-binding resolution calling for withdrawal from Iraq was a harbinger of undercutting support for our troops. Now his prediction has been fulfilled.

Even as General Petraeus and American troops struggle to stabilize the most dangerous areas in Baghdad, our Congress has sold them out with a pork barrel induced surrender. May Rep. Johnson’s words ring in their ears and haunt their dreams…

“Now it’s time to stand up for my friends who did not make it home – and those who fought and died in Iraq - so I can keep my promise that when we got home we would quit griping about the war and do something positive about it…and we must not allow this Congress to leave these troops like the Congress left us.”

Do you remember those long lines of purple-fingered iraqi voters proudly holding up evidence of their freedom? What is to become of those who trusted us and risked it all? Can you feel the shame yet?

 

Iran Needs More Pressure

Today the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s naval contingent seized 15 British marines and sailors near the Shatt al-Arab waterway that delineates the border between Iran and Iraq at the north end of the Persian Gulf. The U.K. states that their personnel were in Iraqi waters conducting searches of commercial vessels. Iran, of course, claims otherwise.

Who should we believe? While the Brits are certainly capable of lying, like any sovereign power, their track record in the community of nations is exponentially superior to that of Iran. Remember Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s repeated denials that the Holocaust ever occurred? How his hosting of a world conference devoted to proving that very notion? Iran is hip deep in military operations inside Iraq. The Revolutionary Guards, an elite, politicized component of Iran’s military reminiscent of the Nazi SS, are in Iraq killing American G.I.s and British troops. They are training enemy fighters. They are providing logistical support, safe haven, and materiel. The Improvised Explosive Device, now as synonymous with Iraq as the Zero was with WWII, is a specialty of Iranian demolition training. We should also remember Iran’s fingerprints all over the slaughter in Lebanon. Hezbollah is their baby. They presided over the immolation of the U.S.M.C. in the barracks at Beirut and the disastrous vivisection of the entire country when Ronald Reagan was president. No one needs prompting to recall the seizure of our embassy under the Carter administration by the very regime running Iran today. In fact, Ahmadinejad was one of the radicals at the embassy making a mockery of international law. The Iranian government constantly calls for the destruction of Israel. They are engaged in wrecking any progress among the Palestinians.

Now, these same zealous theocrats would have us believe that they bargain in good faith. Why should we? They are sworn enemies of democratic liberalism. We need to step up our resistance to these thugs. They cannot be permitted to obtain nuclear weapons. They must be pressured at every turn to back away from the perilous course they pursue. Recently, the Russians have begun to turn away from Teheran because the mullahs don’t pay their bills. The U.N. is finally, at long last, imposing economic and political sanctions on the rogue actions of the Iranians. Non-military pressure must be intensified if we are to avoid war with the jihadists. Economic divestiture, akin to the campaign against South African apartheid, is worthy. To that end, check out this site:

http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/home.aspx?sid=56&categoryid=56&subcategoryid=57&newsid=11567

Bottom line: The Iranians are killing our guys. They hate Jews and openly advocate annihilating Israel. Now, they have wrongfully seized personnel form our staunchest ally, Britain. You make the call.

Molon Labe!

If you’re a History teacher, anytime students drop by to chat about battles from the 4^th century B.C. is a great day. Such is the state of affairs in reaction to the screening of “300” at local theaters. Students are name-dropping the likes of Xerxes and Leonidas. There is discussion of the Iranian reaction to Frank Miller’s lurid depiction of Thermopylae. Argument over the perspective of the Spartans as epic defenders of Western culture versus their condemnation as macho militarists is in full swing. It’s a quick trip from reviewing a film to considering the realities of real history and the implications rippling into our present condition. There are all those snappy Spartan retorts to savor:

To the prospect of cowardice- ‘Come home with your shield or on it!

To a sky blackened by arrows- “Then we’ll fight in the shade”

To surrendering ones arms- “Molon Labe!” (Come and get them!).

I love a good ground game where the linemen can really shine. So naturally, I sing the praises of the Hoplites, squared up in their phalanx. Pick your spot. Make them play your game. The Spartans did a lot right at Thermopylae. They set aside petty rivalry for a greater good. They willingly sacrificed themselves to buy time and ultimate victory.

There has been a fair amount of hand-wringing over the gory bloodletting. The value of blood pouring forth in great rivers is the assessment of its precious cost. The discussions stemming from revulsion to death is the most important of all. Modern warriors sent to their own narrow pass know, “It’s kill or be killed”; fierce, simple, arithmetic for consideration by all of us.

 

It was sickening to read Andy Rooney’s recent self-serving column regarding his low opinion of American troops as “losers”. According to Mr. Rooney, recent decisions to permit 8,100 “moral waivers” to recruits enlisting in the United States Armed Forces is fatally detrimental to the honor and rectitude of American interests. That figure juxtaposed to 1.4 million active duty and 1.2 million active reserve personnel is hardly impressive. The waiver represents a 0.3% ratio in the total force. So why does Mr. Rooney feel compelled to highlight the statistic? Let’s review his other comments in the memoir of his own service:

“In August of 1941, I had just finished my junior year in college when I was drafted into the Army. Hundreds of my classmates were drafted at the same time. I hated everything about Army life. I hated the Field Artillery regiment I was assigned to. Most of the guys in it were high school dropouts and the Army wasn't using the term "moral waiver," yet but a lot of them would have needed it. They had joined before the draft so they had already been promoted to being corporals or sergeants and they were in charge of the rest of us.”

The dripping condescension and elitism of Rooney’s remembrance are a window into his soul. He was smarter, …better even, than the rubes who served as his non-commissioned officers. Examine what follows:

“In 1942 we were at war with Germany and it wasn't long before drafted college students and high school graduates dominated our military. It changed the United States Army for the better and in two years made it the best fighting force there has ever been. The Army and Navy were no longer made up of losers.”

Here’s the message: “Until I arrived with my college pals, this artillery unit was a joke run by a pack of ignorant losers. We straightened everything out and won the war.” I don’t know about you, but guys who run down their army unit, their hometown, their school, or their team, are not very high on my list. One has to wonder why anyone would wish to portray oneself in such a light. In this faux clamor for a reinstitution of the draft, Mr. Rooney does not project civic duty, but a canard by which he might undermine support for any war effort.

Andy, you forgot some things:

People who sign on to wear the uniform do so for many reasons. It is once they begin to serve with their comrades that they are transformed. Courage and devotion are not historically correlated to pedigree, income, or level of education. The record of service in the United States has truly been an “anthem for the common man”. When blood flows, it’s all red.

      The recent ruling by a Federal appeals court, striking down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns, is a great victory for the citizens of Washington, but a harbinger of even greater contests. It predicts a revival of a more fundamental argument: whether the U.S. Constitution will carry forward the originally intended protections of the framers or not.

     The citizenry of Washington,D.C., have long suffered as victims of violent crime in one of America's deadliest cities. It should not be overlooked that "gun control" in America had its start in the Jim Crow South.  Racists and nightriders were quick to note that disarming African Americans was a good precursor to the confiscation of voting franchise and property rights. Similarly, the residents of Washington, D.C. are predominantly African American.  The "gun control"  faction wants their safety left to the police, ignoring every person's basic right to self-defense.  After all, police often arrive when all that's left to do is draw a chalk outline on the pavement and begin the hunt for the killer.  The "controllers" , more accurately called disarmers, argue that the right to "keep and bear arms" is properly held by the States in the form of "militia".  Militia being defined as the National Guard. That notion has now been torpedoed.

     James Madison, universally regarded as the chief author of the U.S. Constitution, referred to militia being "all the people".  Back in the aristocracy of Europe, only the noble class could "bear arms".  It was a right that accrued only to the ruling class, along with others such as due process, or property.  John Locke, the philosohphical mentor of Madison, Jefferson, and the other founders, challenged the idea that such rights were ascribed by class.  Instead, said Locke, rights were naturally imbued to each individual. "Life, liberty, and property" were every person's birthright, not privileges for a ruling elite. Our founders knew that the state doesn't have "rights".  Instead, we make a social contract with the government in order to protect our rights, delegating specific powers to government to that end, and to limit its authority. In this stunning reversal of royal privilege, every man was meant to be king of himself, to exercise popular sovereignty.  Can anyone be truly self-governed and defenseless?

     Just as it is essential for a free citizen to speak freely, worship freely, and freely own property, it is necessary to provide for one's defense.  That is what is at the heart of the second amendment.  It is also a counter to the authority of the state. It is an exclamation point to the idea of limited government!  It has been the practice of the "disarmers" to pontificate about the type and power of arms to be permitted. Now, the authority to do so will be seriously challenged.

     "The founders could never have imagined the power and rapid firing of modern assault weapons." Such are the cries of the gun control faction. Since they could never have imagined the speed and range of modern mass media, the internet, or computers, should free speech be confined to writing on parchment with a newly dipped quill pen?

     The table is set to directly consider the second amendment as an individual right.  The Supreme Court ruled obliquely in United States v. Miller (1939), saying that the National Firearms Act was constitutional in its application to the criminal use of a "sawed-off" shotgun because such a gun could not possibly be construed as one with a "military" application by a militia.  That means that those that do have military application are precisely the ones explicitly protected by the amendment.  After all, were the Minutemen relegated to obsolete matchlocks or pikes?  No, they came to Concord Bridge with the best they could afford on that day...the equals of the King's men.

     Those who oppose the free execise of this right will be hard pressed to advocate the zealous application of the fourth or fifth, eighth or fourteenth.  A public aroused by the liberal constructionist Kelo ruling, will be further angered by improper judicial activism here.  Those who champion disregard for natural rights will  pay a political price at the polls. The old saw, "A man's home is his castle" rings true for Americans.  We see the nobility of safety, secure in one's property, sovereign self-ruler, free.

    

It's Friday evening after laboring all week in the vineyards of the American mind, our public schools.  Despite the bureaucracy, the ideological isolation, the mind numbing jargon and the beating I take from my fellow conservatives, I report that I continue to be renewed and optimistic about our kids.

They are a positive and intellectually hungry bunch. They're generous and enthusiastic.  They are willing to challenge orthodoxy, which in public education means the left.  Teens, my constituency, are particularly interested in "fairness".  Most of them are willing to explore issues of governance, philosophy, economics, law, and history in good faith and with open minds.  Among the best students, the level of talent and energy is truly remarkable. Among those who  struggle to succeed there is great need, but inspiration and courage also abound.

I'm often disappointed by the constant bashing I see and hear from my Conservative brethren in the press and in other professions with regard to public education. I understand the frustration many feel about low expectations, mediocre performance, social engineering, and, worst of all, the indoctrination of young minds. Yet, I also believe that our republic can still be elevated in the halls and classrooms and athletic fields of our schools.  I call out to Conservatives as a clarion..."Join Us!"  This is where the battle is. We simply cannot cede the schools to the liberal left.  Yes the unions are strong and biased. Yes the administrative bent is "progressive". There are curricular and social pressures that favor socialistic, collectivized  instruction of our young people.  All the more reason for citizens of good conscience to join the fight.  I tell you that the road to a better America will come by turning one head at a time.

I know there are other like-minded teachers out there and I hope that there are students and teachers-to-be as well. Hear my battle cry on this Friday night as I hoist a toast to my fortunate colleagues...the ones I call "We Lucky Few".  It's a good fight and I thank God for putting me in it.  Slainte!