Your Voice: Has America forgotten Sept. 11?
Aug 28, 2009 | 756 views | 25 
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Al-Qaida declared war against America in 1998, and these terrorists are still at war against America.
Sadly, the Obama administration has directed the removal of any use of the term “War of Terror.” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano also avoids any mention of “terrorism” and “vulnerability” in any discussion. A terrorist act will now be called a “manmade disaster,” and the “Global War on Terror” will now be called an “overseas contingency operation” by the Obama administration.
We are dangerously returning to the same mentality and policy that allowed America to be attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. President Obama’s policies have made America once again vulnerable against those who have an allegiance to pursue a jihad against America.
For all who criticized President Bush, he kept America safe from a terrorist attack for 2,866 days since Sept. 11, 2001. During that time, terrorists have made several attempts to attack America or American interests, and terrorists have made several attacks outside America.
Imagine what we don’t know and how many American lives have been saved. Terrorists only have to be successful once to claim success and achieve their goal.
Now, the Obama administration and the Democrats want to take us back to a pre-Sept. 11 mentality. One of Obama’s first official acts as president was to order the closure of Guantanamo Bay, a prison used to house 245 hardened terrorists.
He reduced our government’s methods of interrogating these terrorists, including waterboarding, which saved thousands of lives in the May 2005 plot to hijack airliners into buildings in Los Angeles. Obama granted terrorists further legal rights and even Constitutional rights, even though their vow is to destroy America. Other terrorists have been released to return to the battlefield to wage war on our military once again or plan their next attack.
Obama and the Democrats have made America less safe, as they have reduced our intelligence and interrogation ability to prevent a future terrorist attack. They have crippled our intelligence of surveillance by weakening the Patriot Act and letting the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expire, preventing our government from listening in on suspected terrorists.
While the Democrats have turned their heads away from the real enemy, they have no problem labeling conservatives who oppose abortion, favor strict immigration enforcement, support the Second Amendment, protest big government or represent veterans that believe in any of the above as potential “domestic terrorists” our government should watch.
If the Obama administration can’t recognize who the real terrorists are or that we are in a global war on terror, how can we expect them to protect America?
• Frank Aquila is president of the South San Joaquin Republicans and lives in Manteca.
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Have we seen any evidence of that? I think we are making it worse?
There must have been something that sounded good in November?
Some of the voters perhaps heard something in November (from a teleprompter?)?
It must have sounded good?
Ask yourself. Where are those people now?
I don't think we would have wasted trillions on an incentive for the automotive industry (cash for clunkers) then let NUMI take our money out of the country so they can reduce THEIR inventory. Oh, and shut down four thousand six hundred and fifty (4650) jobs.
And we wouldn't be talking about spending money we don't have on healthcare we cannot afford.
Did you hear that we are sending more troops to Afghanistan now?
How is it getting better?
I really feel like both parites have ruled too long. They each think they are right about everything. Democrats think they are right and blame everything on the Republicans and Republicans think they are right and blame everything on the Democrats. Well both are wrong. No one is right 100% of the time. There are goods and bads about both parties. That is why those of us who think that way need to speak out and pick a worthy candidate for the next election. An Independent with a level head of what good can be taken from each party and put it together to take this country to the next level of greatness.
Sorry my wording in the 1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph was poor. :)
By your theory this is the worst economy under this administration because the last one got us there in the first place. We didnt go from a superb economy and Obama has turned it all around and put us in the dumper in 7 months. That is ridiculous. It was really bad before he got here. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a little. I think that is what he is trying to do. Things will come around, it takes time...But I do agree that our most important concern right now is the economy and the healthcare project needs to wait.
So I ask again, if McCain was in office what would he have done differently?? I don't know, but I can tell you either way, we still inherited a crappy economy.
Next election...C'mon Independents!!!!
ouch, should I not have said that???
But again, all this mess we are in came about during the previous admin.
We are in no more danger from terrorism now than we were three years ago. In fact now that we can pull our kids of the biggest mistake since vietnam, maybe we can focus on real terrorists with that man power.
Our prez told everyone that he would withdraw the troops and then sent more. He said the economy is getting better but it's just getting worse. He gave away money for cars made outside the US while our jobs go overseas. Now you want us to believe were safe from terrorists. I'm even more concerned now that they say one thing and we get the opposite. Liberal thinking is breeding a new breed of politicians for this country. Soft-terrorists?
NO revenue, no funds for protection against terrorism!?
CN
didn’t the repubs screw things up enough during their last eight years?
As a former mod repub, stepping aside from party loyalty and AM talk radio its pretty easy to see that we just spend about a trillion dollars, thousands of lives and countless body parts on a war that was a complete sham.
In addition, that right wing conservative Christian stance set back our civil rights gains, the search for new medical breakthroughs and threw us into the worst economic situation in decades.
Yet we don’t hold the repubs accountable for this mess, we somehow try and blame the Obama administration, his healthcare reform and stimulus package for the mess he inherited.
I am sorry, but the repubs screwed things up so bad, folks were ready for that change.
We are not anymore or any less safe today than we were two years ago. Sure terrorists will still come after us and sure we will try to stay ahead of them. But at least these days, the rest of the world doesn’t look at us as a bunch of cocky jackasses pushing folks around and kicking dirt in their eyes.
brian
"All Roads to Hell are paved with Good Intentions"....
I encourage every concern person to come to the next South San Joaquin Republican meeting on Monday Sept 7 (Labor Day) in Manteca at the Chez Shari Restaurant at the Manteca Golf Course, 6 PM.
You can call me for details at (209) 825-0123
Frank