Commentary: Stop Discriminating Against Christians The trial of Maj. Nidal Hasan for the shooting at Fort Hood got back underway, after the judge ruled that he could continue to act as his own attorney, and his back-up legal team was not allowed to quit. So after four years and $5 million in expenses to taxpayers, the trial is finally proceeding again. Hasan has already admitted to the shooting, which killed 13 people and an unborn child and injured 32 more. Since the shooting in 2009, thanks to the government’s refusal to brand him a terrorist or enemy combatant, his victims have been denied purple hearts or combat medical benefits, while Hasan has continued to draw his Army salary from the taxpayers, now totaling just under $300,000. Taxpayers provide him with medical care, legal assistance, and extraordinary security. He’s allowed to pray, read the Koran, eat Halal food and even grow a beard, which is in violation of the military code. But it’s more important to be sensitive to his Muslim beliefs. Meanwhile, honorable Christian soldiers, sailors and airmen are told to put away their Bibles, and remove any Christian references from their personal Facebook pages. Chaplains are ordered not to pray in the name of Jesus, and even to take down signs that quote President Eisenhower’s saying, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” Because that might be offensive to atheists. It would appear that if some in the military had their way, there would be no Christians or Jews in foxholes, because they’d be systematically drummed out of the military. Look, I think we should accommodate people who adhere to Islam, Hinduism or Judaism, and who serve in the military. The First Amendment is all about the freedom to believe, worship, express, even disagree. But why are Christians in the armed services singled out for discrimination? When I visited Gitmo a few years ago, I was taken aback by the incredible accommodations we made for the Muslim detainees. That included three fresh, hot Halal meals a day at a cost of about $14 a day. The brave service people who guarded them got cold sandwiches and one hot meal a day, at a cost of about 4 bucks. I was outraged that terrorist detainees were given better food than the soldiers who guarded them. Today, Nidal Hasan sits in a courtroom, wearing the same uniform as the soldiers he murdered. His uniform is marked by a flag that he no longer respects. He’s renounced the US military in favor of what he calls his “brothers” in the Taliban. But we go to great lengths to make sure we don’t offend his sensitivities. I want to know when we’re going to respect the sensitivities of service men and women who were murdered or wounded by that monster? When are we going to have some respect or accommodation for those who are Christian or Jewish? Look, I’m glad we find racism repulsive. We ought to stop discrimination whether it’s because of someone’s religion, ethnicity, race or beliefs. But it ought to apply to everyone, including Christians. Not everyone BUT Christians. Commentary: Pakistani Taliban Sorry Malala Yousafzai is the now-16-year-old-Palistani girl who was nearly killed when Taliban gunmen shot her in the head for encouraging girls to go to school. She was flown to London for surgery, and signed a million dollar book deal, which she plans to use to defy the bullies and promote education for Muslim girls. But maybe the Taliban aren’t heartless thugs after all. A prominent Pakistani Taliban leader named Adnan Rasheed has written a letter to Malala to say he’s sorry. Oh, not that they shot her. But he’s sorry he didn’t warn her that if she didn’t stop encouraging girls to go to school, they’d have to shoot her. And he generously offers that if she’ll come back to Pakistan and get a Taliban-approved education, he’ll forgive her for forcing them to shoot her. So far, no reply from Malala. I’m sure she’s giving that offer all the serious consideration it deserves. Commentary: Budgeting 101 Remember all the scare stories about how the sequester budget cuts – actually just a small reduction in the rate of spending increase, but whatever – when those cuts were going to force government agencies to lay off workers and bring about the end of the world? Well, like much of Obamacare, the end of the world has been delayed. Nearly every major federal agency that announced plans to furlough workers has backtracked, after figuring out how to cut the fat somewhere else instead. For instance, the Defense Department warned that they’d have to send all 750,000 of their civilian workers home for 22 days. But they cut a little spending here, and moved a few dollars around there, and suddenly, 22 days of furlough fell to 11 days, then to 6 days. You see, it turns out that there was a lot more wasteful spending in Washington than they realized, and you can actually trim that before you cut into necessities. All I can say to our federal government is, “Welcome to budgeting 101, the way all the rest of us have had to practice it for years now.” Commentary: Honor Congratulations to Hawaii and Alabama, just named the most honest states in America. The beverage company Honest Tea set up unmanned booths offering bottles of tea. A sign asked buyers to put a dollar per bottle in a collection box, on the honor system. On average, 92 percent of Americans paid. But only in Hawaii and Alabama did 100 percent pony up the dollar. The company’s CEO said it was reassuring to know that 92 percent of Americans will do the right thing, even when nobody’s watching. In fact, there was only one example of extreme dishonesty. When they were conducting the experiment in Washington, DC…somebody stole his bicycle. Well, don’t think of it as stealing. Think of it as “sharing the wealth.” Commentary: Take A Cab Our more progressive cities are pushing residents to ride bicycles instead of driving cars. They say it’s healthier. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less dangerous. According to the San Francisco district attorney, 37-year-old Chris Bucchere ran at least two stop signs on his bike before he ran a red light at a busy intersection and plowed into a group of pedestrians crossing the street. One of them was hospitalized. Prosecutors said Buchere’s social media posts showed that he was more concerned about breaking his helmet than about the victim. But maybe he’ll learn to care the hard way. That pedestrian, a 71-year-old man, later died. And now, Bucchere has made cycling history. He just became the first bicyclist in the entire history of the United States to be convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter. His punishment under a plea deal: probation and a thousand hours of community service. I’d say if he wants to do the community a service, take a cab. Commentary: Rock Star Smarts Homer Simpson famously asked, “Rock stars: is there anything they DON’T know?” Well, you might be surprised at what SOME of them know. Recently, one of the music world’s most prominent activists for ending poverty in Africa gave a speech at Georgetown University. And he shocked the crowd by telling them that foreign aid can’t end poverty, only capitalism can lift people out of poverty. That speaker was Bono, the lead singer of U2. If you’re surprised to hear Bono’s such a capitalist, don’t be. Aside from his U2 money, he’s also the co-founder of a venture capital firm that made a billion and a half dollars off the Facebook IPO. He just might be the wealthiest musician in the world. If you want to know how to get out of poverty, he’s one of the best people you could ask. ---------- Thanks for your continued interest in my efforts. I hope you enjoyed these commentaries. I will send along some more very soon. Sincerely, signature Mike Huckabee Taken from the Huckabee Report heard daily on 600 radio stations and available by daily podcast. Use of or any reproduction in any form of material must attribute "from the daily broadcast of the Huckabee Report."
Posted on: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 15:06:58 +0000
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