What Good Is a Fatwā Anyway?

Dennis Prager interviewed Robert McFarland (of the Reagan Administration) telephonically on his show this morning. I listened as McFarland described his participation in negotiations between the top religious leaders of Shia and Sunni tribes. These leaders are considering issuing a Fatwa condemning violence against either sect. The fatwa would deem it contrary to Islamic religious law to kill a Sunni if you are Shia and to kill a Ahia if you are a Sunni. Based on Mr. McFarland's testimony on the air, this fatwa would be the first of its kind in history! Both Prager and McFarland were dumbfounded that the story had not been picked up by mainstream media. McFarland indicated that he would attend further negotiations to nurture the process. It is expected that the ruling would be effective very soon.

While the Sunni-Shia war is having it's most catastrophic effect in the middle east and parts of Africa right now, isn't it coloring lives across the globe? It is impossible to tune into local or world news and not hear about its effects locally. We mourn fallen heroes from our hometowns almost everyday. All the cities in Europe that I have ever wanted to visit have major problems rising from within their Islamic populations. I have no Muslim acquaintances that I can name at the moment, but what is going on among Muslims gets closer and closer to home on a daily basis.

I don't care if main stream media picks up on it or not. Godspeed to McFarland and everyone involved. It's probably no panecea. The tension in Islam is systemically entrenched in history I suppose. But how much longer will it be before the movers and shakers in that movement see that the strategy to blow up innocent women and children is viewed as insanity by the rest of the world. How much longer will it be before the movers and shakers in the rest of the world act as if a problem that stems from religious beliefs needs a solution that stems from religious beliefs. I think religious threats may need to be dealt with militarily sometimes. I am not on the "defund-the-war" band wagon. But I am on the "end-the-threat" band wagon. Go McFarland Go, success here may save someone I know.

AZ Security Freeze Legislation Bites the Dust

I spent several minutes today organizing myself to opt-out of various databases and the credit bureaus. Fortunately, I came across the information I wanted to freeze my credit report. A security freeze will prevent a credit bureau from reporting your credit file to third parties. They can be lifted temporarily or permanently at the consumer's request. However, security freezes are based on state law. Until I saw an article published by Linda Valdez on the AZ Republic website, I was unable to confirm that Arizona had actually passed the state's security freeze law. It has been under consideration since 2005. Eventually, ARS 44-1698 was not passed due to interference mainly by retailers. To add, Arizona legislators proposed Arizonans pay 30% more for the service than the credit bureaus charge, $15 dollars for AZ residents vs $10 for all other states with the law! What for?

Arizona ranks #1, number one, primera for identity-theft and is aptly regarded as the identity-theft capital of the U.S. It is too easy jam up Arizona legislation intended to protect state residents.

An example of why it is important not to trust any third party with the task of opting out or filing any credit information for you!

The Iraq War: No One Needs To Tell You How You Feel About It

Is there a terrorist threat? And if there is a threat, do I think it affects me? Furthermore, if I have an opinion, should it drive war strategy in Iraq. My answer: yes, yes, no.

I watched the Presidential Address about Iraq tonight and afterward, I watched the “post-game show.” This was not this first time I tuned to the analysts, but this time, all the noisy cogitating really got under my skin. This time, I’d heard enough malarkey about opinion polls and what anybody thinks “the American people want.”

Every political activists claims to know what we want. This doesn't bother me normally, even though some of them think Americans are mindlessly controlled by the power of suggestion. I felt that way throughout the debate on illegal immigration. I have conservative political views, and I consider myself to be a discerning and concerned citizen. I do believe there is an imminent threat to U.S. citizens rising from religiously motivated violence. I do believe this will affect me and my family significantly if allowed to persist unchecked. How to check it? Well, I suppose that is why we built a military force and intelligence network like none other. What we need are brilliant strategies. What we don’t need are misguided theories about public opinion as though public opinion is the substance of strategy or policy. Opinion poll puppets trying to shovel in political agendas should be called to the table for their dullness.

We know what to do with our public opinions. We take them to the polls. We send them via telephone, post, and email to the halls of congress. We can even hit the streets and fuss all night.

My concern is not that Americans are mindlessly persuaded by public opinion polls. My concern is that more and more, Americans are bogged down with the happenings of life. Too busy with jobs and diapers and holidays and bills. We have real opinions that have a place in our government. My concern is that we are not taking a breath long enough to send the email or write the letter. Maybe our generals don’t post them on walls of the war room, but it’s time we deny wily statesmen the latitude to pass empty laws based on empty statistics and give them some real numbers to crunch.

Write your representatives. Tell them what you think about more troops in Iraq. It will make a difference somewhere in the future.

Send a quick note to your senator: http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Send a quick note to your congressmen: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Read plain information about our government: http://www.thegreenpapers.com/

Getting Ahead

Get ahead has been our mantra for generations. Parents want advantage for their children, every possible advantage. We start them early in academics, sports, beauty pageants, music, entertainment. Achievement is good, and providing well for a child means giving him what he needs to excel in his life. Except, will it really be early learning, prowess in sports or music, or social status that makes this happen? The clamour for formulas that make us rich, strong, successful, happy, and sexy is off-the-charts. That's why the books, pills, dating aids, clinics, TV shows, are making money and lots of it. There is nothing wrong with achievement or rising above the pack. Most people just want the little bit they think will bring them joy and happiness. We all should be happy! The reason we all aren't can be found in what we think will bring it about.

If any of these ideas actually worked, we would have already seen the frenzy taper off. People would be satisfied and feeling rosy. Instead, the frenzy snowballs because the goods don't deliver and people believe the hype about the next promotion guaranteeing results. I and most of the parents I know value character above things as we raise our children. But honestly, I am sure character alone won't last. I say that because often what is perceived to be character is just learned behavior which is easily corrupted. I suspect generations will be bankrupt failing to grasp a simple truth.

Consider it's not already obvious—how fast you run, how much your car costs, how sexy you are does not bring you joy or distinguish you from anyone else. Imagine the opposite is true? What if by your joy you are distinguished! What if joy and happiness gets us ahead, rather than the getting ahead that brings us joy? Pleasant as it is to be profoundly sexy or smart or strong, what if a deeply rooted moral compass—rooted in your emotions not just your memory—is the secret to joy. Imagine. What you love and what you hate holds the key to your joy and subsequently how you measure up to your peers. How easy it that?