America is my country, my home. I grew up here. I climbed mountains in the back yard, played at the beach on the side, and sat in the front yard many a nights just staring up at the stars.
Now, someone has broken into my home, and killed 5,000 of my family members, fellow Americans. I'm shocked, I'm saddened, and I'm upset. Due to the insane thinking and evil planning of some faction of a so called terrorist element, I will not be able to see 5,000 of my family members. What is sadder is the fact that the people who actually knew and loved them won't be able to see or talk to them again.
It may sound silly to some to talk about America as my home, and about people I have never seen or thought about until now, but it is the way I feel, and the way we should all feel. It's really sad to think that it takes a national disaster of this proportion to tear people away from their own miniscule lives long enough to realize that they are each a small part of a great whole.
America was founded on the premise of freedom. In the constitution, in it's original form, there were certain unalienable rights given to every person who claimed to be an American, and the promise that we, as a country, as ONE nation, would fight to keep those rights intact. Our forefathers were the people who knew that this would be a great country. They came across the Atlantic ocean with this thought, to get away from political pressure and religious oppression. They wanted the freedom to worship the way they thought God wanted them to, and also the freedom not to worship if they felt so inclined.
From these early beginnings this country grew to be a great power; politically, militarily, and from a religious stand point. People flocked from every country to try to grab some of the freedom, a piece of the American dream. We have endured hardships, strife, famine, and countless attacks on our reputation. We still stand, proud and free.
This American dream was shattered once before, on December 7th, 1941. No one expected the attackers to have the testicular fortitude to do what they did. No one expected that we would be attacked in our own back yard. The country was undergoing a hard time as it was, and the attackers thought that they maybe could catch us in a moment of weakness. The country, and the world, was in shock. We were saddened, and we were mad. After the initial shock, our political leaders consulted the founding document, the Constitution, and decided to take action. The country rallied, and we found ourselves in the middle of one of the bloodiest, most costly and hardest fought wars of the century. But one thing shined through...We realized that we were Americans, a fact to be proud of.
On Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, that dream was shattered once more, in much the same way with much the same reaction world wide. We need to pray, listen to our leaders, and become real Americans once more. Once things pan out, and the perpetrators are found out, you can bet that justice will be swift and thourough. We as Americans need to rally together, and be the one, solid nation that everyone was jealous of for so many years. Go out and talk with your neighbors. Walk across the street and see if there is anything that the folks there need. Take the family for a walk around the block, and stop to talk to some of your fellow Americans. "United we stand, Divided we fall." That is what our attackers have been counting on. Let's get United, and stand up for America so that we can play in our backyard safely and securely, knowing that we are Americans, the proud ones. Be American, Buy American.
God Bless America?
by Edward D. Wernecke
God Bless America. America doesn’t get it! God has removed his divine protection from this nation. God wants weeping and repentance for our sins, both individually and nationally. We have to turn from our many idols and follow Gods commandments and ways. The only time Americans call upon God is when we have such a disaster. For the last couple of years, major disaster after major disaster has struck America. Why? God wants to wake us up from our slumber. We have been sleeping like the five foolish virgins and our lamp has gone out.
The World Trade Center was our financial Babylon. We worship our wealth and prosperity and flaunted it in front of the world. The destruction of the WTC was by terrorists backed by evil Satan. God had to allow it to happen just as God allowed terrible destruction and great personal loss to Job and all that he possessed.
The Japanese architect, Minoru Yamasaki, of the structure had a statement of the purpose of the construction: “The World Trade Center should, because of its importance, become a living representation of man's belief in humanity, his need for individual dignity, his belief in the cooperation of men, and through this cooperation his ability to find greatness.'' The WTC was our modern day Tower of Babel. At the time of its construction it was the highest tower in the world. Just like those people in the Old Testament we decided to see what we could achieve without God. Now it is gone just like the Tower of Babel was destroyed in the Old Testament.
Americans want revenge. That is human nature, but God says “vengeance is mine.” Remember, we bombed their country first and this was their revenge. We have thrown God out of our schools, out of our government, and out of our lives. We didn’t need God as we had everything we needed, our wealth and prosperity, our freedom, and our health, all produced and earned by our own hands. Will we go to war over this? Probably. Will we win it? No, not if God is not behind this country and has removed his divine protection.
Repent of your sins Americans and return to God weeping. Forgive our sins God, do not turn away from us, and turn from your fierce wrath. Our only other alternative is to be ready to face the Great Tribulation. The World Trade Center destruction may be our last warning. Are you prepared for what lies ahead?
Our Day In Infamy
By Jenni Vinson
I contend that history weaves a singular thread through time that connects us to those who have stood before us and on this day we stand connected to those Americans who were faced with the difficult knowledge that sacrifices were going to have to be made in order to preserve our American way of life. We are at WAR. It has been declared on us.
A terrorist utilizes horrific activities to attempt to gain attention to a need they perceive must be met. Osama Bin Laden has been masterful in his terrorist trade. He organized the bombings in Kenya and Tanzania where American and African lives were lost in explosions. Those two explosions were so well orchestrated that although they were in separate locations, they occured in the same minute.
Now, as I have contended before, we will find that Bin Laden purchased the aid of Timothy McVeigh in the bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma and we should recall that he had bombed one of the Twin Towers before.
For the most part, we ignored him. We treated THOSE acts of war as if he were a mosquito buzzing in our collective ear. We stood by while ABC and CNN interviewed him and gave his cause audience and global credence, while we allowed the CIA to insist that they could not find him. So, he escalated his efforts.
Bin Laden is Sudanese and is heir to a vast family wealth. He is a religious zealot and has arisen as a hero among the Muslim people who harbor and shield him. He is known to be in hiding in Afhganistan.
These are the words of Osama Bin Laden from the interview he granted to ABC News on February 14, 2001
: “Praise be to God , the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds. Peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad, his companions and his kin. Let me begin by stating that we, in the World Islamic Front for jihad( holy war) against Jews and Crusaders, have, by the grace of God Almighty, issued a crystal clear fatwa(decree)calling on the Nation to carry on jihad aimed at liberating Islamic
holy sites, and the Ancient House (The Holy Ka’aba), and Al-Aksa Mosque and all Islamic lands.
By the grace of God, Praise and Glory be to him; this Nation, the Nation of Muhammad, God’s peace and blessings be upon him, has responded to this appeal and this instigation. We will continue this course because it is a part of our religion, and because God, Praise and Glory be to him, ordered us to carry out jihad so that the word of God may remain exalted to the heights. If the
instigation for jihad against the Jews and the Americans, in order to liberate Al-Aksa Mosque, and the Holy Ka’aba, is considered a crime, let history be a witness that I am a criminal.
To seek to possess the weapons that could counter those of the infidels is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, then this is an obligation I carried out and I thank God for enabling us to do that. And if I seek to acquire these weapons I am carrying out a duty. It would be a sin for Muslims not to try to possess the weapons that would prevent the infidels from inflicting
harm on Muslims. But how we could use these weapons if we possess them is up to us”
He uttered these word and sent us this message SEVEN months ago, that he had a decree from his god to wage an all out war against those he calls “infidels”, America and Isreal because we keep Muslims from being able to rescue and reestablish their holy land, which happens to be Isreal’s holy land as well.
In some salient ways, when one studies Islam, it is similiar to Judaism. Part of it seem to be a re-writing of the Jewish bible with a heavy warrior undertone added. It has been historically suggested that when the Prophet Muhammad went in search of religious enlightenment, he received discipleship from a group of Jewish people who had been ostracized from the Jewish community for espousing heresies. Solomon Rushdie set this forth as his historical finding and
he has had to live in hiding for fear of his life for having said this. It is also set forth in the book, Islam Revealed, by Anise Sherrosh.
So, it would not be surprising that both the Muslims and the Isrealis would claim that the same land is their holy land if, in fact they have the same origins.
Islam makes it clear that Muslims are to hold in high regard anyone who comes in the name of Jesus, as Muhammad recognized Jesus to be a holy man. Bin Laden justifies his attack on America as an infidel and as THE GREAT DEVIL, as he calls us, because he puts forth that America has abandoned it’s Christian origins and we no longer allied with God.
Bin Laden sought to gain our attention as a nation. Well, HE HAS IT--FULLY!
He has accomplished the near impossible- he has united us. We are once again, “one nation, under God, indivisible” and we shall seek JUSTICE for all.. the souls who were lost in the Twin Towers, in the Pentagon and those who were died in the four hijacked planes .
This is being called this generations Pearl Harbor. Consider this: Pearl Harbor saw the loss of 2400 lives ( with an additonal 640 lives that were never accounted for). It is being conservatively estimated that the loss of lives in New York will be at about 10,000 and the loss of lives at the Pentagon in DC will be at about 800. This event is five fold in magnitude to that of Pearl Harbor.
Our response as a nation must be swift and it must be as concise as that which was levied against us. We must make it clear to Osama Bin Laden that we are a sovereign nation who will chose whom we will ally with as we please. He must be made to understand that in comparison to the power, might ,detrmination and will of these United States of America, he has been and is a mosquito that must be squished.
I have a twenty-two year old son, Oscar, whom I love dearly. He has already made it known that he is willing and ready to fight this one as he knows that this will never end unless we step up. My heart breaks at the thought of his being being is harm’s way, but the reality is, that unless we rid oursleves of the terrorists, the threat of terrorism will remain and HE IS in harm’s way, as our all our children and their children to come.
We are at fault for having allowed terrorists to believe that they could behave in such a manner for the promotion of their causes. We must take responsibiltiy now in letting them know that they will reap dire consequences for their actions.
There are so many poignant and proud moments that riddle this horror. I was moved by the fact that more than 300 Fire Fighters and the Policemen in New York lost their lives in attempts to secure the public safety. As a nation, we have demeaned then often times, but this moment defined them as they are and as they have been- heroes who walk quietly among us.
It is my prayer that they and all the souls who left the bounds of this earth, in that very moment, found themselves before the face of God and in His peace.
In this time of grief and conflict, may we stand, as the Congress of our
govenrment did on Tuesday night, united and singing up to to the heavens, “God
BLESS America, my home sweet home!”
Four thousand gathered for mid-day prayer in a downtown cathedral. A New York City church, filled and emptied six times last Tuesday. The owner of a Manhattan tennis shoe store threw open his doors and gave running shoes to those working at the towers. People stood in lines to give blood, in hospitals to treat the sick, in sanctuaries to pray for the wounded.
America was different this week. We wept for people we did not know. We sent money to families we've never seen. Talk-show hosts read Scriptures, journalists printed prayers. Our focus shifted from fashion hemlines and box scores to orphans and widows and the future of the world.
We were different this week. Republicans stood next to Democrats. Catholics prayed with Jews. Skin color was covered by the ash of burning towers. This is a different country than it was a week ago.
We're not as self-centered as we were. We're not as self-reliant as we were. Hands are out. Knees are bent. This is not normal. And I have to ask the question, "Do we want to go back to normal?"
Are we being given a glimpse of a new way of life? Are we, as a nation, being reminded that the enemy is not each other and the power is not in ourselves and the future is not in our bank accounts?
Could this unselfish prayerfulness be the way God intended for us to live all along? Maybe this, in his eyes, is the way we are called to live. And perhaps the best response to this tragedy is to refuse to go back to normal. Perhaps the best response is to follow the example of Tom Burnet. He was passenger of flight 93. Minutes before the plane crashed in the fields of Pennsylvania he reached is wife by cell phone. "We're all going to die," he told her, "but there are three of us who are going to do something about it."
We can do something about it as well. We can resolve to care more. We can resolve to pray more. And we can resolve that, God being our helper, we'll never go back to normal again.
Max Lucado
I don't know the lady who wrote this but it's the truth and it's powerful.
I grew up in rural America in the '50's and '60's. On any given day, you could walk through the high school parking lot and observe that half the vehicles parked there were trucks with windows rolled down and doors unlocked. Most of them carried, as standard equipment, an FFA sticker[future Farmers of America for you city folks] and a gun rack with at least one gun, usually loaded. You could make the same observation at any of the four high school campuses in our county. Amazingly, I do not ever recall reading or hearing about mass shootings in any of those high schools.
What has changed in America is not the accessibility of guns, but the character of man. On the wall in my parents home is a plaque awarded to my father in recognition of service for 27 years on the local school board. He told me that for years, a standard requirement on every teacher's contract was membership in a local church. I remember starting every school day with the pledge and a prayer.
I remember when girls who got pregnant in high school were ashamed, when abortions were illegal, when the divorce rate was not 50% because couples stayed together for the kid's sake, when there were no X-rated movies, when milk cartons didn't have missing kids faces on them and I didn't know anyone personally who used drugs.
I remember when kids were taught respect for authority and accountability to God.I hear people say that the good old days weren't always so good but please don't tell me you think these are better.
Last night I attended a high school football game that was covered by local and national news. The news coverage was not about the football teams, but about the defiance of a court order by one brave little Texas town to preserve the right to pray before a football game.
The more this country struggles to free itself from religion, the more we become entangled in the consequences. If people are taught that they came from slime, the obvious questions and consequences must follow; What is the purpose of my existence [hopelessness], who made you the boss of me [lawlessness], why are your rules good and mine bad [relativism], what does it matter how I live if I came from slime and return to slime [immorality and inhumanity]?
I realize that in any given poll, the vast majority of Americans claim to believe in God. I claim to believe that running is good for me but that does not make me a runner. Putting on my running shoes and running makes me a runner. The climbing abortion rate, murder rate, divorce rate, alcoholism and drug abuse rate, child and spousal abuse rate contradict that claim and prove that actions speak louder than words. It is an observable truth that the best time you will ever make on any American city freeway is on Sunday morning because there are no traffic jams getting to church.
For those who believe that separation of church and state is not enough, that the world would be better off with no church at all, ask yourself this question. How many hospitals, universities, orphanages, homeless and abuse shelters have been founded by the ACLU or American Atheist Society? It is the inclusion of the word Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, etc. in the name of so many of these institutions that proves by actions, not just words, who really cares for the suffering of mankind and desires to make the world better.
The question that people should be asking is not "Why does God allow tragedies?" but "When will we realize that no nation, in the history of the world, has ever separated itself from God and evolved to a better society?" Of course, to answer, you would have to know history. Most people,it would seem, prefer People magazine.
This is as insightful, as it is scary. A Columbine student wrote it:
"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality. These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.
It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a difference...
or just hit delete."
W A R N Y O U R C H I L D R E N
Melissa could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward home. The thought of being followed made her heart beat faster. "You're being silly," she told herself, "no one is following you." To be safe, she began to walk faster, but the footsteps kept up with her pace. She was afraid to look back and she was glad she was almost home.
Melissa said a quick prayer, "God please get me home safe." She saw the porch light burning and ran the rest of the way to her house. Once inside, she leaned against the door for a moment, relieved to be in the safety of her home. She glanced out the window to see if anyone was there. The sidewalk was empty.
After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get online. She logged on under her screen name KoolKid She checked her Buddy List and saw Raddude was on. She sent him an instant message:
KoolKid: Hi I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!
Raddude: LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you? Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
KoolKid: Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.
Raddude: Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?
KoolKid: Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
Raddude: Did you have a softball game after school today?
KoolKid: Yes and we won!
Raddude: That's great! Who did you play?
KoolKid: We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOL
Raddude: What is your team called?
KoolKid: We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really kewl.
Raddude: Did you pitch?
KoolKid: No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!
Raddude: Catch you later. Bye
Meanwhile...
Raddude went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Melissa so far:
Her name: Melissa
Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
Age: 13
State where she lived: North Carolina
Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.
Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the seventh grade at the Canton Junior High School. She had told him all this in the conversations they had on-line.
He had enough information to find her now.
Melissa didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ball park that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting
and hers were the worst. It made her wish she were not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.
By Thursday, Melissa had forgotten about the footsteps following her. Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely. He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the fear she had felt. After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her. Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Melissa's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car.
Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Melissa's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.
Melissa was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room. "Melissa, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn’t imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa. "Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about you."
Melissa moved cautiously to a chair across from the man. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today! "Do you know who I am Melissa?" The man asked.
"No," Melissa answered.
"I am a police officer and your on-line friend, Raddude."
Melissa was stunned. "That's impossible! Raddude is a kid my age! He’s14 and he lives in Michigan!"
The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see Melissa there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to find kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to give out too much information to people online. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find
you. Your name, the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."
Melissa was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan?"
He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh. It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?" She nodded. "I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her; raped and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line. Before you realize it, they know everything about you, or at least enough to find you.”
“You have to keep in mind that people can be who ever they want to be when they are online. There are a lot of sick people out there who are just waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting person they can. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, just make sure that you don’t let information about yourself or your family slip out. Try to be careful about who you talk to on line, see if anybody you know knows the person. Be very wary if they get too curious about what your habits are or too interested in your personal affairs.”
It was 4:30 a.m. Hank was cruising in his new pickup through the affluent neighborhood called OakHills. It was Wednesday, garbage day. Hank was looking for homes where the owners had put the garbage out on the curb the night before. Making sure no one was around to see him, Hank picked up bags from 5 different houses throwing them in the back of his truck. This is commonly referred to in the biz as "dumpster diving." When Hank got home he opened the first bag and spread it out on the kitchen floor. It didn't contain what he was looking for. He hoped to find checks that many credit card companies send their customers. These checks work just like regular
checks, but the amount is billed to the card instead of being taken out of a checking account. Many people throw these away with junk mail. Hank bought his pickup with the money he had received from cashing one of these checks at a bank which he had opened an account with using a phony ID. None of the bags had checks in them but he did find a social security number and an offer for a pre-approved credit card. That would have to due for today.
Hank filled out the application with the name that corresponded the house it came from. He changed the address on the application to that of a mailbox he had rented at Mailboxes, Etc., using his fake ID. He had a stack of credit card applications he had picked up at the mall but decided to
save them for when he only had the SSN, besides the application was pre-approved. That particular card came three weeks later. He drove 45 minutes from his home to the mail box and picked up the card. Hank called the 1-800 number from a pay phone to activate the card and choose a PIN. He then went to the ATM machine and withdrew the max daily cash advance he
could, which was $500 with this particular card. He had approached the ATM from the side and put his hand over the video camera. He was also wearing dark sunglasses and a hat in case the camera caught a glimpse of him. He could easily make expensive purchases with the card, but he didn't like leaving more evidence than he had to. Hank occasionally used a card the next day for another $500 cash but usually just dumped it after the first day. He didn't like leaving a trail. Since he was getting 3 to 4 cards a week and earning six figures from this scam he could afford to be careful. In fact, Hank prided himself on his caution. He never used the same mail box for more than a week and always made withdrawals in neighboring towns. There was no evidence leading Hank to the crime, so even if investigated it would never be traced back to him. Hank considered identity theft to be a near perfect crime and the best job he ever had.
Please Shred Your Credit Card Enrollment Offers!