‘Happy Holidays’ from AZ Capitol Times

An email from former Maricopca County Republican Chairman, Lyle Tuttle, contained this impossible-to-argue-with message:

As I brought in my mail, I noticed I had received an elaborate card from Arizona Capitol Times. Two items caught my eye.

1. The message on the front of the card was ”Happy Holidays.”
2. That greeting was accompanied by an offer to subscribe to their publication.

One must assume they are referring to Christmas, based on the photo of branches covered with snow as the background on the card. Further, there were no pumpkins, turkeys, fall colors, all suggesting Thanksgiving, nor were there any menorahs for Chanukah, nor party hats and champagne for New Year festivities. Of course, there was nothing suggestive of Kwanzaa.

I am returning their kind offer of a subscription with a ‘gentle’ reminder to them that it is CHRISTMAS, not ‘Holiday.’

How about you?

Isn’t it time we stopped being PC Wimps and returned to calling it what it is: CHRISTMAS.

Shame on the Dolan Media Company, aka Arizona Capital Times.  This disappointing greeting is not going to win my business. I hope others agree, Tuttle wrote.

Seeing Red AZ joins in that thought.

Terrorism: Let’s call it by its rightful name

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, Fort Hood’s top commander has obviously gotten the word from on high. He’s calling for “counseling  and healing,” in the wake of the terrorist attack on the base last week by a Muslim extremist and base psychiatrist, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who fired more than 100 rounds Thursday, killing 14 people including a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. Twenty-nine people were wounded in the carnage and 15 soldiers remain hospitalized, with eight in intensive care.

Cone bizarrely announced the military base is launching a comprehensive program to help soldiers and civilians with “whatever difficulties they may be facing,” and went on to say, “we’re going to take a very hard look at ourselves” and consider whether the post needs new security and psychological assessment measures that could have prevented the attack.

Psychological assessments and “hard looks at ourselves?” 

What would have prevented the attack was less political correctness when Hasan engaged in anti-American rants, consorted with other known Muslim extremists and action on the part of authorities after they became aware of numerous emails he sent attempting to contact people associated with Al Qaeda and did nothing.

Although we are now being told the massacre was “not terrorism,” the reality is that Hasan’s attack at Ft. Hood was indeed an act of Islamic terrorism. He justified his actions based on his interpretation of Islam. At the onset of his attack Hasan shouted “Allahu Akbar!”  — God is great!

Yet he began getting press sympathy almost immediately as the MSM began discussing his “post-traumatic stress disorder,” although he had never been deployed to a war-zone. The words “Muslim” and “terrorism” are nearly obliterated from coverage. Months ago, Homeland Insecurity Chieftain, Janet Napolitano had no trouble issuing a disreputable report accusing our returning service personnel of presenting potential threats, but excised the word “terrorism” from usage in her capacity as an Obama cabinet member.

The Washington Post, however, links to the power point presentation Hasan used during a presentation to senior Army doctors in June 2007. Instead of the medical topic scheduled, he lectured on Islam, suicide bombers and prophetically discussed threats the military might encounter from Muslims conflicted about fighting wars in Muslim countries.

President Barack Hussein Obama and his wife Michelle are scheduled to attend today’s memorial service. Former President and onetime Texas Gov. George W. Bush and his wife Laura have already been to the base to personally offer condolences.

Terrorism, the sequence of forgiveness and political correctness imperiling Americans

The Metaphysical Peregrine has a copy of a Dennis Prager column titled The Sin of Forgiveness, which ran a number of years ago in the Wall Street Journal.

It is a relevant read given that Col. Frank Jackson, the garrison chaplain at Fort Hood military base where a murderous rampage took the lives of 13 young military personnel and wounded 29 others, asked mourners to pray for the perpetrator, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan and his family — “as they find themselves in a position that no person ever desires to be — to try and explain the unexplainable.”

The believer’s rush to automatically forgive those who have committed a sin against others raises moral questions. Only the one sinned against can appropriately forgive, just as our benevolent Heavenly Father forgives those who repent for their sins.

“Lord, all those around us search for motive, search for meaning, search for something, someone to blame. That is so frustrating,” Jackson preached to a group of mourners gathered at the First Cavalry Memorial Chapel. “Today, we pause to hear from you. So Lord, as we pray together, we focus on things we know.”

Hasan worshipped and reportedly held his mother’s funeral at the same mosque attended by two of the 9/11 terrorists, where a radical imam preached jihad. Now FOX News reports that U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Hasan was attempting to contact people associated with Al Qaeda.

We recommend the Washington Times excellent editorial: Too scared to recognize terrorism concludes that Ignoring facts isn’t sensitive; it is suicidal.

Finally, someone speaks some sense. We’re certainly not getting it from Janet Napolitano, Army chief of staff General George Casey Jr. or Barack Hussein Obama.

Watch as these American Muslims praise the bloody carnage of American soldiers.

Fort Hood: The tragedy that should never have happened

Journalist and theologian, Paul L. Williams, Ph.D. who authors The Last Crusade website has written an excellent overview of Major Malik Nadal Hasan, 39, who opened fire on American troops at Fort Hood, Texas — in a murderous rampage that left 14 people dead and 30 people wounded. The carnage began as approximately 300 soldiers lined up to get vaccinations and have their eyes tested at a Soldier Readiness Center.

Hasan, a devout Muslim and Army psychiatrist, who openly condemned the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was vocal in his support of global jihad, was never reprimanded for his anti-American tirades. At least six months ago, Hasan drew the attention of law enforcement officials due to Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.

Soldiers reported that he shouted “Allahu Akbar!” — an Arabic phrase for “God is great!” – just prior to opening fire.

He is already getting the kid glove treatment by AP for his agitation over his impending military deployment. Mark Steyn notes that according to the MSM, it seems Hasan has a virulent case of Pre-Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

President Obama even issued a bizarre statement regarding the carnage:  “We don’t know all the answers yet. And I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts.”

Fourteen dead and 30 injured would be a damn good starting place in your fact-finding quest, Mr. President.

New Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos: A tribute to integrity, diversity and transparency

Last week the daily reported that the eight-member Phoenix City Council and Mayor Phil Gordon, would be conducting closed-door, executive session, interviews to find a replacement for retiring City Manager Frank Fairbanks. And although lip service is paid to the issue of “transparency,” there was none evident in this exclusive selection process.

In light of past disciplinary actions, council members also stressed the importance of ethics.

“We’ve had some lively debates and I want to share with you that integrity is of the utmost importance from here on forward,” said councilwoman Peggy Neely.

That pesky integrity issue might have accounted for the lack of allowable public scrutiny of the process that would put the ultimate winner in charge of 14,000 city employees and a $3.6 billion annual budget.

Yet in an 8-1 vote, the council appointed 22-year Phoenix employee David Cavazos, 49, described in the newspaper report as a “Hispanic, and the first minority to hold the highest non-elected office in the nation’s fifth-largest city.”

In 2006, David Cavazos, then an acting deputy city manager was suspended for a week without pay after an internal investigation found that city workers spent more than $280,000 in taxpayer money on questionable travel expenses.

But not to worry. City leaders warned Cavazos that any future unethical behavior would not be tolerated.

Councilman Michael Nowakowski, also identified by the daily as Hispanic, defended Cavazos as the most qualified candidate for the job, not downplaying the ethnicity angle. “It’s sending a message out there that we are going to be diverse, not only diverse within the Latino community, but we also have a large African-American, Asian, Native American and LGBT community,” said Nowakowski, who nominated Cavazos. “So it’s diversity, and our management should look like the city of Phoenix.”

Councilman Michael Johnson cast the lone dissenting vote, saying he had serious concerns about Cavazos’ suspension for violating city travel policies and setting a tone that allowed his employees to abuse city funds. Cavazos, then an acting deputy city manager, who at the time served as assistant aviation director was forced to repay the city $911 following the investigation into travel abuses at the city.

The four finalists, all Phoenix deputy city managers, were Cavazos, David Krietor, Rick Naimark and Ed Zuercher. Of course, the closed-door interviews allowed for no public comment.

The manager’s annual pay range is $163,592 to $257,670.

Reading lesson: Navigating the murky waters of Republicese

Here is a typical article written in Republicese. The underlying theme is the criminal activities that aid and abet foreign nationals after they illegally cross the Mexican border to gain access into the United States. Once here, they require documents such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses and social security cards in order to facilitate gaining employment, renting an apartment, enrolling their children in school or driving a car.

This article details the arrest of two men by the Arizona Fraudulent Identity Theft Task Force after a search warrant was served at a home in Scottsdale, following a month-long investigation into a fake ID operation.

Pay particular attention to the word usage. Both men are described as “suspected of being undocumented immigrants.”  

From the report, it’s clear to see they are neither “immigrants” — a word which implies legal immigration — nor are they “undocumented.” In fact, they were documented to the hilt.

Investigators said the men made fake ID cards appearing to originate from Idaho, New Mexico, North Carolina and Kentucky.

The intent of these two entrepreneurs was to provide”a way for immigrants to have an identity while in the country illegally.”  Well, whadda ‘ya know? The reporter finally said it.

While searching the home, investigators said they found hundreds in cash, a handgun, 14 fake ID cards, a card printer and software.

Seeing Red AZ is happy to provide our readers, free of charge, this handy and simple to use glossary to enable ease of navigation while reading in Republicese.

Compare the Arizona Republic article to the informative Press Release from the arresting Department of Public Safety. Be sure to click on the fascinating photo links in the lower left corner.

McPriorities

We’ve written about this quest before. It makes sense in terms of correcting past wrongs. 

However, at the present time, if John McCain is going to expend his energies in trying to coax meaningful action from President Obama, we would rather he talked to him about supporting Gen. McChrystal’s urgent request for assistance with additional troops and armaments.  Record numbers of Americans are dying in Afghanistan as the result of inaction while Obama tries to figure out a way to placate his liberal base who think the Taliban and al Qaeda can be cajoled into liking Western democracy.

McClatchy News reports a recent U.S. intelligence assessment has raised the estimated number of full-time Taliban-led insurgents fighting in Afghanistan to at least 25,000, underscoring how the crisis has worsened.

Get with the program, Senator, and leave the posthumous pardon for a 96-year old conviction of a boxing champ for another day.

Jeff Flake: It wouldn’t be the first game he’s “adjusted to stay out of foul trouble”

Flake is the ideal Republican to play ball with Obama

Celebrating Columbus Day: He wasn’t gay enough

In today’s politically correct society, Christopher Columbus is often depicted as an exploiter rather than an adventurous explorer. This is what young students are being taught in American classrooms. It turns out that Columbus who sailed the ocean blue in 1492 was “very, very mean, very bossy.”

And that’s the least of it. In one Pennsylvania class, young students dressed up as characters from the era, took on roles for a mock trial and put Columbus on trial. Out of a jury of 12 students, nine found him guilty.

Although we were unable to find a commemorating message from the Obama White House, President John F. Kennedy honored Columbus in a speech from the White House garden, in which he referred to Columbus as having been “a fascinating figure to me for many reasons, but partly because of his extraordinary skill as a navigator.”

Obama, however, did find time over the weekend to address and make promises to, the Human Rights Campaign dinner, a gay rights advocacy group.

Hot Air has more.

Seeing Red AZ celebrates Christopher Columbus, for whom President Benjamin Harrison made a commemorative proclamation to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage, in 1892. In 1905 Colorado became the first state to observe Columbus Day. Since 1920 the day has been celebrated annually, and in 1937 President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12th as Columbus Day — until 1971, when Congress declared it a federal public holiday on the second Monday in October.

Bank of ‘America’ manager says American flags might offend some customers

When a Gaffney, South Carolina woman tried to honor her next-door-neighbor, a young Marine who was recently killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, by planting flags along the route his funeral procession would follow, she received a shock. The small town’s Bank of America branch manager pulled the flags from the bank’s property, citing “corporate policy,” and saying that the flags might “offend some customers.”

Executives at Bank of America, which has received $45 billion in taxpayer loans as part of the government bailout of the financial industry, apologized for the incident, calling it a “terrible mistake.”

The hasty apology did little to placate irate customers, including the Cherokee County Council, canceling their accounts in protest. So far the major blunder has cost the bank a reported $500,000. If all city officials follow suit, the lost deposits could run as high as $1.5 million.

Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher Fowlkes, was 20-years-old.