THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

The nicknames have not even been given to the Fort Dix lunatic six. It turns out that people plotting to blow up America are young male Arab/Muslims. Yeah, yeah…and water is wet, the sun rises in the East, and the Earth is round. Perhaps we can get The ACLU to acknowledge a pattern…As soon as I get a photo of the Easter Bunny riding a unicorn.

Arabs/Muslims are blowing things up. Period. They are the terrorists. No, not all Arabs and Muslims are terrorists. Yes, virtually all terrorists are Arabs and Muslims. No, Timothy McVeigh was not a Christian, and yes, liberals use him to show that “everybody does it.” A bag filled with 1000 red marbles and one blue marble is not a diverse bag. In addition, calling a red marble blue does not make it so. Richard Reid was a Muslim with a Muslim name, and referring to him as Richard Reid is an attempt to demuslify him. Cat Stevens converted to Islam and became a lunatic backing up fatwas on Salman Rushdie. He should no longer be referred to as Cat Stevens. Call him by his Muslim name.

I have spent a good part of my career working with Muslims. They were good decent people with good hearts. So what? They look like people who fit the profile of killers. They need to be profiled.

Now before the left goes berzerk (again, water is wet), profiling has been around for 1000 years. Phrenologists checked for bumps on people’s heads. Men with unkempt facial hair were suspects. Not every man with a beard is Charles Manson, but alot of men with scraggly, sinister looking beards turned out to be criminals. In the late 20th century, guys with long hair were assumed to be on drugs. Did I like being harassed for having long hair? No. My parents’ response was “don’t look like a drugged out ocker and you won’t be treated like one.”

Young people today think that noserings, bones through the face, tongue spikes, and blue hair, are normal. They are not. Try getting a job anywhere but a record store dressed as a freak of nature. Bald guys often shave their heads. Does that make them Neonazis? Of course not. Does it make them look like Neonazis? Of course.

People profile others every single day. We judge people. If we are willing to discriminate in terms of hiring, and especially with romance, why not discriminate and isolate people who resemble mad bombers?

Hurt feelings? For every person with a t-shirt that says “I did not consent to be searched,” there is another person with a t-shirt saying “I did not consent to be bombed.” Life is not fair. For me to be treated better at restaurants, I have to wear a clean shirt, and trim my goatee. People who look like Charles Manson do not get to mix with elite society at good tables. It is about raising standards.

Arab Muslims are trying to kill everyone everywhere, including other Arab Muslims. These normal Arab Muslims should embrace profiling. It saves lives, including theirs.

Norwegians are not blowing up airplanes. Neither are 80 year old retired black librarians from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Young, male Middle Easterners who worship a bastardized form of Islam are the villains. If we know a killer is located in New York, do we search California to make New yorkers feel better? No. It wastes time, which is what terrorists want. While we ask every Chasidic Jew to remove his black fedora, we do not ask Arab Muslims to remove their turbans for fear of being insensitive.

I want to make it clear that random violence against anyone is wrong. Arabs should not be the victim of hate crimes. They should not be referred to with racist slurs. However, if I am required to clean up my appearance for a job interview by not fitting a profile…or looking like the profile and not getting hired…then Arabs can handle this discomfort.

I have been profiled. I coped. I am tired of hearing about people’s feelings. Screw feelings. I want to live. The way to keep people alive is to find the people who fit the profile of the killers. Some liberals will demand we now profile Koreans because of Virginia Tech. Again, that is called an aberration, as opposed to the other 99% of the killers, where it is a normal way of life. Outside of Kim Jung Il, there are not many known Korean killers. Most people will not have the guts to admit this, but it was a shock that the Virginia Tech massacre was Asian. “Asians don’t do that,” was a common unspoken thought.

When young Arab Muslims are arrested for plotting to blow up the world at Fort Dix, no one is surprised. Decent Muslims are like “not again…why?” Non-Muslims are like “yeah, that was a surprise.” Guilty white liberals give us platitudes. Platitudes do not save lives.

Liberals will become conservatives after being mugged. It might take 11 9/11s to wake up leftists to the need to profile. Or we can continue searching Swedish grandmothers and confiscating their knitting apparel.

Young Arab Muslim males are the terrorists. Start searching them and leave me alone. My people (long haired rockers with scraggly goatees) will continue to be screened as suspects by all rich girls’ fathers. We may look like druggies, but we don’t look like genocidal bombers. Profile the men that do. Human life depends on it.

eric

The tragedy in Kansas was unavoidable. There is nothing that anyone could have done to prevent it. This was an act of God, or for atheists, nature. The issue now is how we as a society help the people of Kansas overcome this tragedy. More importantly, will we help at all?

The spotlight should be squarely on Hollywood right now. As tempted as I am to verbally berate them again to their Tinseltown tin ears, I want to give them a chance to prove me wrong in advance. I want them to help Kansas.

Despite the statement by a recently defeated presidential candidate (who still acts like he won and is therefore relevant) that Hollywood is the heart and soul of America, this is not the case. America can live without movie stars. We cannot live without farmers. Despite being seen as “flyover country,” there is a quiet dignity to people who contribute goodness to America without demanding public credit. The people of Kansas are hurting now. A tornado has shredded their homes, and inflicted death and destruction. Will Hollywood lift their 24 karat fingers to help?

Kansas is a red state, which means they voted for President Bush. The people are largely caucasian. They are also Christian. Why would Hollywood liberals want to help white conservatives? Because it is the right thing to do. The funny thing about red and blue states is that outside of Massachusetts and Washington, DC, being red or blue means one side has a 60-40 advantage, not 90-10. There are plenty of democrats in Kansas, and they are hurting as well.

Hollywood celebrities wear red ribbons for Aids, pink ribbons for breast cancer, multi-colored ribbons for the Rainbow Coalition, and other color codes I am unaware of because I am not “sensitive” in terms of useless symbolism. Hollywood celebrities go to Africa to adopt children, they wail about Darfur, and they were vocal in criticizing the government’s perceived slow response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The irony is that while Louisiana got a lot of attention, Mississippi, which also got belted hard, was not given nearly as much sympathy. Again, white Christian republicans are simply less sympathetic in terms of Hollywood dollars than poor, liberal black communities.

I am not in any way saying we should ignore minority communities. Far from it. However, we should help everybody. Right now there are people bleeding in Kansas. They need hope. They need love. Most importantly, they need money to rebuild.

If I can put aside my animosity towards Hollywood and give its inhabitants the benefit of the doubt (not an easy thing to do), then Hollywood can put aside its animosity towards George W. Bush, and help these innocent citizens. Also, society can do without the leftwingnuts that blamed George W. Bush and his opposition to unproven theories about global warming and other environmental issues for creating this tragedy. God (or nature) was responsible for this. To suggest otherwise is disgusting. Thankfully, so far, these leftwingnuts have been few, with regards to this latest conspiracy theory.

America’s heart and soul needs replenishment. John Cougar Mellencamp, no fan of republican politics, put his money where his mouth was in the past, through concerts such as Farm Aid. I do not have to admire his politics to admire his actions. I pray that other Hollywood celebrities follow his example.

I pray Hollywood has the decency to care about their fellow Americans in their darkest hour. Most importantly, I pray for the people of Kansas. May God Bless you and grant you Peace, and a speedy recovery.

For those who lost loved ones, their is nothing to bring them back. I hope God takes good care of them. For those who survived, let the rebuilding begin. As Ronald Reagan once said, we will meet the challenges ahead…”We are Americans.”

Whether it be through shame, or just a sense of moral decency, the motives are irrelevant. The deeds are necessary. May those who have so much share a small piece of it with those who deserve it most right now.

Kansas has fed America. It is time for us to help pay for those harvested meals. Please, America. Help Kansas.

May God Bless the people of Kansas. Amen.

eric

Dear Mr. Sarkozy,

As one member of the blogosphere, allow me to be as pretentious as everyone else giving you unsolicited advice.

First of all, congratulations on your victory. I am a proud American, so I hope that does not taint my praise of you. Now that you have been elected, various entities who pretended to merely disagree with you will now tell you they hate you. The only judgment that matters is the judgment of history, and you have the opportunity to help write it, ensuring a favorable review. Here are some pointers from an armchair quarterback.

First of all, you might be told to “govern from the center, given the closeness of the election.” This is nonsense. You ran as a conservative, you won as a conservative, and you must govern as a conservative. If this means leftists will take to the streets, then get your police force ready with tear gas and rubber bullets. Leftists have only one skill, and that is protesting. They could lose 90% of the vote and still claim a mandate. Ronald Reagan once stated that “Compromising with liberals is like feeding your friend to the alligator in the hopes that he eats you last.” Keep your supporters happy. You cannot win everybody, but you can lose everybody. You promised you were a conservative. Keep this promise.

Secondly, you will be told to be less confrontational. This is rubbish. Politics is a tough business, and governing is even tougher. You will make an effort to be amiable, as did George W. Bush, and this will be seen as weakness. There is nothing…and I mean nothing…that you can do to make the left like you. Once you accept that they hate your guts, you can be liberated from having to please them. You can be cordial, but make no mistake about it. You set the agenda. At the risk of bringing up King Louis, you are the state. Be confrontational when necessary. If you have to, ram your agenda down their leftists throats. The goal is not to humiliate them. The goal is to get things done. If that depresses the left, that is merely a bonus. Ronald Reagan changed America and the world, and he did so with democrats in congress for much of his tenure. George W. Bush’s greatest victories have been by one vote margins. Margaret Thatcher dragged her opponents kicking and screaming into a better England. One person can move the mountain. The political street are littered with politicians who tried to be nice guys for the sake of “getting along (George Bush Senior, for one).” When you are wrong, you can figure out a way to own up to it, but when you are right, do not give an inch.

Thirdly, do not be afraid to be Pro-American. One of the reasons I have had such hostility towards France is because I see France as a spoiled little brat that blames the USA for all her self inflicted ills. I have hated the French for no other reason than they hated me. Someone once asked me what I would do if the French ever liked Americans. I simply responded that I did not deal in fiction or fantasy, and that French support of America belongs in the same automobile where I keep Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and my pet unicorn. I have to say that I may have been wrong. As a gesture of support for your presidency, if you keep your word about being Pro-American, I will end my boycott of your nation. I am not going to buy my ticket to France just yet. I need to see if you cave in to pressure and begin distancing yourself from America the way Mr. Chirac did. You truly believe that better relations with the USA will benefit both of our nations. You are right, and I enthusiastically look forward to seeing this relationship flourish.

Lastly, remember again that in the long run, the only thing that matters is the judgment of history. Ronald Reagan was ridiculed. He is now considered one of the greatest leaders of any nation anywhere. George W. Bush is excoriated worldwide. He continues on down the same path because he knows that his critics are not fit to lick his boots. He may not be liked, but he is respected and feared where it counts. I would tell you to ask Saddam Hussein, but thankfully that is a testimonial no longer available.

There are very few universal truths, but here are some elements of governing that are as close as possible to such truths, based on empirical evidence. Supply side economics works. Tax cuts stimulate economic growth. Raising taxes stifles growth. Free trade works. Protectionism is a failure. Constitutional law works. Sharia does not. Sharia must not be allowed in France. Law abiding citizens are the good guys. Protesters who block traffic and commit crimes are the bad guys. You called them “scum,” and you are right. Israel is a democracy, and a friend to democracies everywhere. Syria and Iran are nations led by terrorists, and an enemy to world peace and stability everywhere. Business does not oppress the masses. Business produces jobs, allowing the masses to live better lives.

Good luck Mr. Sarkozy. You have an opportunity to make French…and world…history. If your deeds match your words, you have the potential for greatness. Your critics try to link you to Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Margaret Thatcher. Wear those criticisms like the badges of honor they are. True leaders are often reviled by a plurality. When the history books reflect how these leaders changed the world for the better, very little carping from the sidelines holds any consequence.

Godspeed Mr. Sarkozy. Lead well.

eric

One of the things that separates activists, aka the scourge of the Earth, from normal people, is that activists are so wrapped up in whatever trendy social cause they represent that they are blind to the fact that others might…dare I say it…disagree with them.

I was chatting at a party last night with a woman who was standing by herself, not mingling with anyone. Being socially awkward is not a crime, but I can truly see why this woman did not fit in. I told her that I remembered her from a previous social event, and that she was a vegetarian. She was impressed that I remembered this. She told me that she had a lousy time at the prior party because the hosts would not allow her to distribute vegetarian leaflets. The event was a “meat” event, meaning meats would be served. I would not go into a meeting of the National Organization for Women and demand they cook me dinner and service me sexually. It is just as unwise as it is inappropriate.

As for last night, I told her that I love red meat, and feast on dead cow as often as possible. She grimaced. I then told her that I totally respected her right to be vegetarian, but that she should respect my right to eat meat. Her response is what separates the dwindling number of normal liberals from the zealots and activists that choose the democratic nominee for president. She said that she could not respect anyone who eats meat, and that “meat is murder.”

I explained to her that by taking such a hardline position, rather than a gradual approach, she was making it tougher to convert people to her way of thinking. She did not care, and wanted to distribute leaflets again stating how America is a nation of bloodthirsty cow killers. Folks, I know their are liberals embarrassed by this woman, but when I encounter these activists, I just think “These are liberals. This is what they do.”

Some liberals think it is unfair to blame all liberals for women like this. No it isn’t. Not until the “normal liberals” stand up loudly and disavow this behavior. Decent republicans condemn protesters who bomb abortion clinics. Yet with liberals, strident rhetoric is the norm. This woman could have spoken to me about the numerous health risks associated with red meat. Calling me a killer is not civil discourse.

The good news is that a couple of friends called me over to talk to them, and I thanked them for rescuing me from this lunatic. Better news is that she spent the whole evening by herself, unable to interact with the type of people that I refer to as Earthlings. The bad news is that people like her are numerous. Cindy Sheehan neglects her family and dishonors her late son, yet claims to speak for all families. The NOW claims to speak for all women, despite many women being disgusted and embarrassed by their beliefs and tactics. Environmentalists think it is acceptable to destroy people to save the Earth. Animal rights activists fail to grasp that the right to be free and left alone is in the constitution. It protects people, not cows.

I wanted to wave a burger in front of this woman and scream “Eat this. It tastes good. Normal human beings eat this.” Having said that, when dealing with a terrorist (ecoterrorists and other activists are terrorists, make no mistake about how powerful zealotry is), sometimes it is best to Follow Ariel Sharon and develop a “disengagement plan.” This reduced the friction for me last night. Disengagement plans do not always work, at which point, forceful confrontation would have been the next step.

This woman is a lost cause, but luckily her irrational approach will turn more people away from her cause. She and the rest of the Code Pink types are preaching to each other, while normal Americans reject them.

This weekend is a major barbecue weekend. There will be parades in the street for Lag B’omer. There will be red meat everywhere. May this woman try to pass out leaflets and see what happens. Liberal zealots and activists may be loud in voice and shrill in approach, but normal people are large in numbers. The silent majority needs to speak up loudly and often, to avoid becoming part of the leftist activist caliphate.

I am off to have red meat for lunch. Trying to stop me will get you decked.

eric

I joined the blogosphere a couple months ago. My attention was to write intelligent and occasionally amusing insights. For political  inspiration,  my goal was and is to emulate Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol and John Podhoretz, not Ann Coulter. I am interested in constructive dialogue and understanding others, not driving them into the ground.  In short, to me the blogosphere can be used to take the high road, which is where I wish to go with my columns.

Like many bloggers, I excitedly check my statistics page to see how much traffic, in the form of “hits” I have. When I woke up today I was delighted to have reached an all time high in hits. Today was my best day of blogging in terms of visitors. While normally this would be exciting, the circumstances surrounding my increased “ratings” make for a bittersweet reaction.

Yesterday’s column was a song I wrote about Arabs in 2004. It is entitled “Let them burn.” It was written based on my frustration due to the Arab-Israeli Conflict, including the Palestinian problem. I want to make it clear that I have not received any death threats (nor do I desire any), nor did I receive any threats from WordPress to “tone it down.” Every word I have written has been of my own free will. With free speech comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for every word.

First let me say that I stand by every word. I have no regrets about my song. I believe that the Palestinians are 100% to blame for their miserable lot in life. Israel is 0% to blame. The Palestinians are exploited by the Arabs, who benefit from agitation to take away attention to their own failures. In addition, the Arab-Israeli conflict is solely and completely the fault of the Arabs. Israel and the Jews are absolutely blameless. The idea that an “evenhanded” solution should be applied to an unequal problem is nonsense. The Arabs are the sole problem in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Having said that, I want to make it clear that I do not hate all Arabs. I am frustrated that Arabs will not loudly stand up and perform the Arabic function of the Simon Wiesenthal Center or the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL loudly implored Americans not to harm Arab-Americans in the wake of 9/11. My roommate at the time was Muslim (Arabs and Muslims are not the same thing, but I will use them interchangeably due to their overwhelming overlap, Christian Arabs notwithstanding)). When I expressed concern for his safety, he responded “Eric, I’m from Philadelphia. I just want the Phillies to beat the Atlanta Braves.” I again told him that a lot of Americans would not make that distinction, and that he should be careful.

I understand that Arabs in the Middle East that stick up for Jews get murdered. What about the Arabs of Dearborn Michigan? Perhaps they are doing wonderful things for Jews, but if that is true, why are their stories never told? Is the media to blame?

My dad, who is Jewish, just had open heart surgery. If hypothetically, the doctor had been an Arab, I would want to know. It does matter. It contributes on a small scale to world peace. There was an episode of “The Jeffersons” where a white supremacist suffers a heart attack at a Klan rally. George Jefferson is at the rally, and he performs CPR, saving the man’s life. Upon being wheeled to the hospital, the Klansman says to his young son “son, next time…let me die.” It was a chilling moment in television. However, some good comes out of the episode when the son takes all the Klan leaflets and rips them in half and throws them away. That one young man changed. His children will not be hateful. Some can only say it is a tv show, but stories like that happen every day. For every story about people turning to hatred, there are other stories that do not get reported about people rejecting hatred.

Arab Muslims are perceived as wanting a Caliphate worldwide. They are planning to substitute Sharia law for US constitutional law. These views are reinforced by Minnesota cab drivers refusing to transport passengers carrying alcohol. Islam does not rule the USA. I am Jewish, but I have no right to tell a Christian passenger in my cab not to bring a bacon cheeseburger with them. These views are reinforced by Muslim passengers on an airline acting suspicious. I am delighted they were thrown off the plane. They should be banned from flying forever. These views are further reinforced by Muslims being given footbaths at airports. These views are further reinforced by me occasionally being asked by airport security to remove my black fedora, while Arab Muslims do not have to remove their turban. The bottom line is that while most Arab Muslims are not terrorists, most terrorists (Timothy McVeigh was an aberration, and not a Christian, as is often misreported to give the false impression that everybody does it) are Arab Muslims.

So my frustration with Arabs is their inability and/or unwillingness to respect 0ther people who are not Arab Muslims. Having said that, on an individual basis, some of the best people I have ever met have been Arabs and/or Muslims. I have worked with Persian (Iranian) life insurance agents, Armenian life insurance agents, Turkish commodity brokers, and stockbrokers of all shapes and stripes. At no time did they ever express to me any “concerns” about my being Jewish. Far from it, most of them respected my being a member of the “people of the book.” They were intellectually curious, and asked insightful questions about my religion out of genuine interest. Although I am not a theologian, and prefer to discuss sports and politics to religion, I obliged. One former employer expressed to me in my job interview with him that he “hated the people who blew up the World Trade Center (1993), and that he thought they were evil.” I expressed to him that I did not blame a billion people for a few bad people. I felt bad for the interviewer for even feeling like he had to distance himself.

The fact that he did in his mind need to say “I am a Muslim, but not one of the crazy bad ones,” shows that the stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims are self-inflicted, and valid. When Arabs reach out to Jews and Christians loudly and clearly, they will receive a warm, receptive greeting.

If Arabs are antisemites, then I proudly say “let them burn.” The world will be a better place without them. If Arabs are not Antisemites, then I welcome them into my home. We can break bread, eat kosher meat (Islam has a deep respect for Jewish dietary laws), and drink our respective beverages of choice.

I am not Anti-Arab. I am anti-bloodthirtsty killers. Those who decide that their happiness depends on killing me, well then I will be the one left standing. This is non-negotiable. Those who truly want all people to live in peace will be given a warm handshake upon meeting me.

This blog I write will not become a bombthrowing column. I am not a Hollywood producer willing to sink to the lowest common denominator for higher ratings. I want those who visit my blog to do so because they feel I write well, am funny, and promote a healthy dialogue by confronting hard issues in a firm but civil manner, without an ounce of malice. I respect every race, creed and people. I have scorn for those who fail the test of humanity, whoever and whatever they may be.

For the Arabs out there who have positive contributions to this world, tell your stories. Speak up early and often. The media has defined you. Show the world who you really are. All human beings deserve the benefit of the doubt. You have it. What you choose to do with it is up to you. Find Jews and Christians, shake their hands, treat them as brothers and sisters, and be welcomed into the family of peoples. Or you can give into the stereotypes that exist, at which point many will wish you intellectually, psychologically and physically burn. I pray for the former.

eric

While watching the Republican presidential debate last night, there were several things worth observing, and a few not worth observing that will be written about anyway.

First of all, who the heck is Ron Paul? I know the late Pope John Paul, and there is a rastafarian named Sean Paul who sings a great dance song called “Temperature (the lyrics are incomprehensible, but he does say several words that loosely rhyme with Obama).” Apparently he got lost on the way to the democratic debate.

The biggest winner of the debate was Ronald Reagan. The man remains beloved, and every bit of that love is deserved. Some may see the praise given to him as sycophantic, being that the debate was at the Reagan Library, and Nancy was sitting in the front row. Make no mistake about it. These men genuinely admired him. He was a giant among leaders. Presidential candidates do not want to just get the job to do nothing (well not republican candidates anyway). They want to change the world and shape history, and the Gipper did just that. He is still missed.

The main thing I noticed was how civil and polite the debate was. Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment of “Thou shalt speak ill of no other republican” was clearly on display. The debates will get nastier as time goes by, but the candidates did not want to take the few Americans who are paying attention this early and tune them out. The spirit of the Reagan Library played a role, but in general nobody wanted to be accused of taking cheap shots. The democrats on the other hand are already in a circular firing squad. Unlike liberals, who despise those who disagree with them, conservatives showed last night how one can be forceful about ideas, but still be respectful of one’s neighbor. Last night was a love fest because republicans genuinely respect people, and tolerate opposing ideas.

As for the candidates, nothing changed. Giuliani, McCain and Romney are the three big dogs. Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich were not there, and time will tell what they do. The remaining seven dwarfs provided some comic relief, but at some point the idea that all men are equal will be quickly swatted away.

Tommy Thompson is a non-descript former midwestern Governor. Yawn. Mike Huckabee is solid by Arkansas standards, but not by republican party standards. Jim Gilmore is bald, and in the race only because George Allen went macaca awhile back. As for congressmen running, comic relief is a pleasant diversion from the rigors of a serious campaign trail.

The most vital aspect of the debate was that while there were disagreements over issues such as abortion, there was virtually unanimous support for the Iraq War, and its central role in the War on Terror. The bottom line is candidates will always get something wrong at some point. Even the sainted Ronald Reagan raised taxes in 1982. He gets a mulligan because he did everything else in spectacular fashion. So if Reagan was mortal, nobody else running will escape one mistake from time to time.

The goal is not to get everything right. The goal is to get the big things right. Rudy Giuliani is Pro-choice. So what? To me being Pro-Life is preventing Islamofacists from murdering us. Rudy is Pro-life where it counts. Mitt Romney is religious, but makes it clear he will not impose his beliefs on others. John McCain supports embryonic stem cell research, and he will not be dragged down for this. The big 800 pound elephant in the room (besides Ronald Reagan) is the War on Terror. The candidates agreed on the defining issue of our lifetime. Disagreeing about inconsequential matters is fine.

Any one of the big three of Giuliani, McCain or Romney would provide fine leadership, certainly better than the troika of surrender offered by Hillary, Obama and Edwards. If I am wrong, sue me (actually don’t tell Edwards that, he just might).

The Gipper must have been proud last night. I know I was. We will be fine in 2008 as long as we remain right and upright and resolute on the War on Terror. Small debates are healthy. The republican party continues to be right where it counts.

eric