I Am Jack's Complete Lack Of Surprise.

I don’t know why I am still surprised anymore by the erratic behavior that takes place in any part of the Middle East. Yet, for some reason, I am. When I read the news or hear of more violence, it throws me for a loop. I guess it comes from living in a society where I’m really not too skittish about extremists of any bent coming after me. Though, I had a Pakistani hit to this site from a non-flattering comment about Islam, made on another blog. So, my day may be coming. It just astounds me to read headline after headline of mindless violence. It’s almost like reading a local New York newspaper.

The reason for my incredulity is this article that was posted at Foxnews.com. It appears that the “Religion of Peace” just keeps on proving what a truly peaceful and reasonable faith it is. 47 Iraqi workers, who were just trying to get to earn a living for their families, were removed from their bus by angry religious extremists. The article didn’t make clear whether the victims were Shiite, Sunni, or Kurd, but you can guarantee they were not the same sect of Islam that the gunmen were. And this is just the death toll for one incident in Baqouba. This doesn’t even touch upon the other senseless deaths being committed in the name of “the true followers” of this “Religion of Peace”.

It would seem that the bombing of a shrine sparked the latest round of violence. However, given the deep-seated resentment that the sects/tribes/ethnic groups/families/gangs/militias/thugs bear towards each other, violence could be sparked and rage on, for no reason beyond a Sunni accidentally stepping on a Shiite’s toe. Amazingly, well, not really, the Left is silent and does nothing to try and get the muslims to practice “Religious Tolerance”. I’m sure this will be used as an “example” that Iraq has become a quagmire. Well, if the cause of liberating a people that has only known oppression, and violently so, is a quagmire, then I say, “Giggity”. But what if this happened here?

Since the Left seems to hate traditional Christianity, we’ll use the example of a couple of compromised “Christian” denominations. What would the Left do if a Presbyterian fire-bombed an Episcopal or United Methodist church? What if Anglicans were killing United Methodists by dragging them from subway stops in New York City and executing them? They’d be up in arms. They’d be screaming about religious tolerance and ceasing the violence. They’d be demanding the Harshest penalties the Law provides. Yet, since we are dealing with Arab muslims, they don’t say a word. They pass it off as just being the only culture they know, and that we could never understand. These so-called defenders of Human Rights and “Religious Tolerance” are amazingly, again, not really, silent.

We are over there, risking our selfless young men and women of the armed forces, to bring change to that region. To try to let the rule of Law reign. To establish democracy in a region where it has been unimaginable. To bring hope and stability to a tumultuous people. I salute these brave soldiers and all who support the effort in Iraq. I also pray that the people will learn to live within the rule of law, and look past sectarian differences to establish a lasting peace for Shiite, Sunni and Kurd alike. And may God have mercy on those that slaughter the innocent in the name of a false religion, a false god, and their own greed and lust for power.

They will certainly burn, baby, burn… but this ain’t no disco inferno.

-Jesse W.