THE ENEMY WITHIN?

"Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest, with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force take a drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer. If it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."

-Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address-

FREEDOM vs. SAFETY

Would you rather be FREE or SAFE?  That is a tricky question and I might even respond to the question with this question, "Could I have both?"  However, I believe the answer is an unfortunate NO.  I don't think there's any way to guarantee safety, but I do think you can be guaranteed freedom.  The people who designed our country's system understood this pretty well.  

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty, than those attending too small a degree of it."  ~Thomas Jefferson~

"Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."  ~Ben Franklin~

There are many others who understand this idea as well.  Some of them from more recent times.

"Freedom is not defined by safety.  Freedom is defined by the ability of citizens to live without government interference.  Government cannot create a world without risks, nor would we really wish to live in such a fictional place."  ~Ron Paul~

"If you want total security, go to prison.  There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on.  The only thing lacking is freedom." ~Dwight D. Eisenhower~

WHERE ARE YOU, PEACEFUL MAJORITY?

We hear that the majority of Muslims are peaceful or moderate and don't agree with the extremism of groups like ISIS.  I believe that this is true.  However, what difference does it make if the peaceful majority don't do anything to stop the radical few?  Consider this:


I believe that most Germans were peaceful.  However, the Nazi's (the radical few) were responsible for the deaths of millions of people, including their own citizens.
The peaceful majority were irrelevant. 


I believe that most Japanese were peaceful.  However, the radical few were responsible for the deaths of millions of people across southeast Asia.
The peaceful majority were irrelevant.


I believe that most Chinese were peaceful.  However, the extreme few were responsible for so many deaths, some aren't even sure how many millions were killed exactly... possibly as high as 75,000,000.
The peaceful majority were irrelevant.



The idea for this post was inspired by a short video of a response by Brigitte Gabriel
Click Here to watch