Vice and Virtue V - Justice

"The administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government." - George Washington

Like our friend, Mr. Washington, had noticed, the existance of justice makes the difference between civilization, and barbarism; and it is the quality of the justice being dispensed by a society, that tells most of its values.
Because justice is derived from the beliefs of the collective, and acts on its behalf.

To hold the value of justice is, in the simplest of terms, to believe that 'crime should not go unpunished'.
This single line holds much under the surface: first, one needs to acknowledge that there is even such a thing as a crime, which requires a distinction between right and wrong, perpetrators and victims; then, a person needs to believe that all men have free choice - for which they must be held accountable.

Let us now pause for a second, and compare these notions with relativist, liberal-left preachings: they would like us to think criminals are victims themselves, helpless against the 'depravity' of society, and deprived of equal opportunity. They are suffering children who need to be coddled, and 'fixed', rather than human beings who have made conscious choices, that were harmful to others.
Under this world view, there is no room for the actual victims, and they are rarely mentioned.
It is no wonder then, that a liberal judge tells a terrorist that he doesn't understand his own religion, or that when Wikileak's Assange, the infamous attention-seeker, was investigated for charges of rape, other self-serving types, like Michael Moore, rushed to defend him - showing zero regard for justice, and absolutely no care for his victims. Like children in a popularity contest, the only thing that truly mattered, was saving the dubious reputation of their comfortable ally.

Leftists aren't the only ones with skewed ideas of justice. While Obama claims that muslims "share common principles of justice... tolerance, and dignity of all human beings", the truth is they are so full of respect for the dignity of all human rights, that they blame women for being raped. Any female living under sharia-law knows that if she happens to get raped by a man, appealing to a court of law would only bring further punishment upon her.
And if you think this is happening just in backwater islamic countries, guess again.

Benjamin Franklin once said that "without justice, courage is weak". True justice is about balance. It is about human society being mature enough to decide what behaviors it does not tolerate, and courageous enough to punish transgressions against its values. By placing boundaries, and keeping dangerous people in check, honest common folks can go about their lives in peace, fulfilling their personally chosen roles, with the knowledge that if someone crosses the line and harms them, they are not alone. This confidence is a vital part of a healthy society. In post-communist countries, ordinary citizens see laws as unjust, and feel that the only way to get ahead in life, is by breaking them yourself.
Communities flourish on bonds of trust, but trust cannot be built when everyone believes the other is conspiring against him.
Finally, the practice of justice carries an educational value: "crime doesn't pay", which is something all children should learn, as early as possible.

Laws, by themselves, are not enough, and a judiciary system is just that - a system. Judges, lawyers, and lawmakers, who are willing to compromise on values, can turn it all into a travesty. Therefore, firm, standing justice needs to be actively upheld by people who believe in it. The world may not be fair, but we can choose to work towards making it so.

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Next Virtue: Liberty

To those who wish to leave comments here: Anonymous is no longer welcome

I have mentioned this before and will now be mentioning it again. There will be no more comments allowed by anyone who leaves a comment by 'anonymous.' I do not care if your comment is one of the best I have ever read, it WILL NOT BE POSTED from today on out, 1-31-2011. I find such individuals cowardly and you must be afraid of possibly having to back up your comment(s) you might post here. So you can leave a comment if you want to but I will no longer read them or share them. To those who go by 'anonymous' and left excellent and provocative commentary, too bad and it is a shame you have to be included with the losers who go by the same. Some of you may not think this is completely unfair and maybe you are correct, Remember this, I am sure your parents told at some time in your upbringing "life is not always fair." Well, here you go. This is one of those times. Comments have been reset to EXCLUDE 'anonymous' comments. Grow a spine and come back.

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Are food prices helping fuel the global islamic revolution?

An excellent article that posses the question if raising food prices contributed to the upheaval we are witnessing in the arab world. Before anyone goes off on me for posting this, please read the article. While the above is not the sole reason for what we are seeing take place in many Arab countries, it does fit in and yes, it has contributed to the what has spread like wildfire across the Arab/Islamic world.

I cannot stand ethanol. There is NOTHING good about this product. I am forced to use it here where we live as it is mandated by the state. What are the 'benefits' of ethanol? Higher gasoline prices, reduced mileage and performance in our vehicles, ethanol gums up small engines like you find on lawnmowers, chainsaws, outboard motors not to mention much higher food prices here and abroad. It takes 1.5 gallons of gasoline to produce one gallon of inferior ethanol. But wait, what about the environment? What about it, my friends? What about more corn going to this bio fuel product and less to feed people? Hungry, already broke and stressed people here in the states and abroad. I am sick and tired of progressives, liberals and environmentalists screaming about getting the USA off of all oil products.
Great idea but you tree huggers and earth muffins sue and block any and all plants to produce our own energy from what we have an abundance of: COAL, NATURAL GAS, OIL, HYDROELECTRIC, and NUCLEAR. As the new alternatives become cheaper to produce and more available, then we can start weaning ourselves off those nasty fossil fuels. If you think the USA will ever be free from fossil fuels then please move to Berkeley, Eugene, Boulder, Portland or Madison.


By the way, Whatever domestic energy products we are too stupid not to use, countries like China will gladly buy up all we can ship to them. China is actually building several new coal fired power stations for generating electricity, and you can bet there are no whacked out environazis trying to stop them at every turn.


One more item I must mention. The rise in food prices is not the only reason for the riots and uprisings throughout the islamic world. The muslim brotherhood has been very busy in many countries besides egypt. Radical islamic elements have been smoldering for years, just waiting for the right time to let loose their filthy brand of hatred, persecution, perversion and death. As I have mentioned many times in the past, we are at war with islam. This is one war we cannot and will not lose.

From the Astute Bloggers.

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DID AGW HYSTERIA CONTRIBUTE TO RIOTS IN TUNIS & CAIRO?


Bookworm asks the interesting question:


1. With help from Al Gore, Hollywood, and the entire Leftist panoply, global warming fears reach hysterical levels.


2. As part of their apocalyptic battle against rising seas and dying polar bears, warmists declare ethanol is one of the answers (never mind that it turns out that it takes 1.5 gallons of fossil fuel to produce a gallon of ethanol).


3. Did I mention that ethanol comes from corn? In the old days, people used to eat corn. Now they drive it.


4. To satisfy the panic-stricken need for drivable corn, food crops are diverted into fuel production.


5. The cost of staples rises substantially around the world.


5. In 2008, food riots break out, including riots in Egypt. (Here are three links supporting the ethanol/riot connection, one from a free market site, one from a technology site, and one from an organic food site.)


6. Although food riots haven’t been in the headlines lately, what do you bet that, with ethanol production still causing producers to divert food crops into the energy market, marginal economic societies such as Egypt continue to feel the effects of food shortages?


7. Voila — riot conditions. For history aficionados, remember that, in the 1790s, the French had suffered aristocratic depredations for centuries; it was the food shortages that triggered revolt (a la “Let them eat cake,” not that Marie Antoinette actually said that). The same pattern showed up in Russia, with rising discontent reaching a fever pitch with WWI shortages.


The fact that rising food prices are contributing to unrest in the Middle East has been noted recently. Two weeks ago, the Washington Post reported:


The state of emergency in Tunisia has economists worried that we may be seeing the beginnings of a second wave of global food riots.

Battered by bad weather and increasing demand from the developing world, the global food supply system is buckling under the strain. This month, the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reported that its food price index jumped 32 percent in the second half of 2010 -- surpassing the previous record, set in the early summer of 2008, when deadly clashes over food broke out around the world, from Haiti to Somalia.


An FAO report noted that "recent bouts of extreme price volatility in global agricultural markets portend rising and more frequent threats to world food security."


In Jordan, too, rising food prices are fueling the protests. According to the Los Angeles Times:

In an unprecedented development in Jordan, protests similar to those that have rocked Tunisia and Algeria in recent weeks erupted in the Arab kingdom Friday.


Thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, Amman, and several other cities to protest rising food prices and unemployment, media reports say.


Aside from complaints, they also pointed rare and stinging criticism toward the Jordanian government, headed by Prime Minister Samir Rifai.


But are rising food prices linked to AGW and the ethanol for fuel movement? There's a lot of evidence that points to this connection. Money Morning noted:




"With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015," the president said in his speech to members of Congress. "[I]nstead of subsidizing yesterday's energy, let's invest in tomorrow's."

This commitment to clean energy investment increases the importance of biofuels like ethanol, made from corn and other agricultural products. About 40% of U.S. corn is used to make ethanol, and increased ethanol production leads to higher corn and food prices.




There is a definite correlation between an increase in biofuels production, especially bioethanol, and corn prices. U.S. corn prices surged 52% last year, and helped push the Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Price Index to an all-time high in 2010. The index tracks the prices of 55 food commodities and climbed for the sixth consecutive month to hit 214.7 points in December, its highest reading since the measure was first calculated in 1990.


The last time food prices spiked was June 2008 when the Food Price Index hit 213.5. Corn reached its highest price in July 2008, climbing over $7 a bushel and squeezing the profit margins of ethanol producers. Most of the plants were built in 2006 when the commodity pulled in about $2 a bushel, making the industry so profitable that plants could be paid off in as little time as six months. But after corn's price surge, ethanol plants were shut down and later that year corn fell to around $3 a bushel.


Then U.S. farmers in 2009 produced the biggest bumper crop of corn in the nation's history - in excess of 13.11 billion bushels. While this usually pushes prices down, corn demand skyrocketed partly due to U.S. government subsidies for ethanol, which reached as high as $7.7 billion in 2009. In December 2010 the U.S. government voted to extend ethanol subsidies for another year, despite the protests of environmentalists and livestock producers who argue the tax credits drive up livestock feed prices and increase fertilizer and pesticide runoff in farmlands.

And as the Bangor Daily News noted, it's all based on nonsense:

Forty percent of American corn goes into ethanol as a gasoline additive. Yet this Hamburger Helper-style mix reduces fuel mileage, has little effect on petroleum imports, causes little or no reduction in air pollution or greenhouse gases, raises food prices, and will cost taxpayers $30 billion in the next five years in ethanol subsidies,


Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has expanded this misuse of a vital farm product by increasing the ethanol proportion to 15 percent for cars and trucks with model years of 2001 and later. The EPA needed to increase the ethanol mix because demand was falling short of the man-dated ethanol production level that will rise to 36 billion gallons year by 2022.


It does appear that what prompted the insurrections in Tunisia and Egypt, and the growing insurrectionist movements in Yemen and Jordan, at this time, was a rise in basic food commodity prices caused in large part by the global warming hysterics.


Original article is here at The Astute Bloggers.

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Tags: EPA, ethanol, food prices, Global food prices, global Islamic revolution, Obama, cap and trade, Oil and fossil fuels, scarcity of corn products worldwide To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the Patriot's Corner. Thanks!

IN PRAISE OF HOSNI MUBARAK: AN AMERICAN ALLY FOR THREE DECADES

China Confidential has a great snapshot on Hosni Mubarak. Personally, I am not wild about Mubarak but he has held the mb at bay for over three decades and kept the lid on that pot in one of the most volatile regions of the world, the Middle East. While no leader is perfect, Mubarak has aligned himself with the United States. Now this relationship is costing him dearly and the counting has yet to stop. He is the lesser of two evils and should the muslim brotherhood and mohamed elBaradei slide into ANY position of power, Mubarak is finished. Whether he can survive this uprising remains to be seen.

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IN PRAISE OF HOSNI MUBARAK: AN AMERICAN ALLY FOR THREE DECADES
By Confidential reporter/China Confidential


In praise of Hosni Mubarak....


For three decades, following the Islamist/Muslim Brotherhood assassination of Anwar Sadat, who was killed because he made peace with Israel and allied Egypt with the United States, Mubarak preserved the peace with Israel, which he had helped to bring about, and protected the interests of the United States.


For three decades, he suppressed the clerical fascist bastards--barbarians dedicated to imposing Islamic law on all of humanity.


For three decades, Egypt (estimated population: 79 million) was stable.


Overnight, somehow, he has become a pariah, Public Enemy Number One, targeted for elimination by the America-bashing, Israel-hating, Islamist-appeasing liberal media--scum of the earth. They will not be satisfied until he is forced into exile. They long for his departure--and death. The liberal media--scum of the earth--hate him more than they hate Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong Il .... and Mullah Omar ... and Osama Bin Laden.


The liberal media hate Mubarak almost as much as they hate Sarah Palin.


The liberal media--scum of the earth. They would have loved Mubarak, had he worn a turban instead of a tie, backed Hamas and Hezbollah, called for America's downfall and Israel's destruction.... Little did he know, like Iran's Shah, that supporting stability and peace--and America--would assure his permanent place on the liberal/left hit list.


Related:


NETANYAHU URGES WEST TO CURB CRITICISM OF MUBARAK


ISLAMIST REBELLION EXPLODES WORLDWIDE

Guest post by Steven Davis: Islam, jihad and the global islamic revolution

This is by Steven Davis who is one of my best friends. We go way back. All the way back to elementary school, as a matter of fact. Steven is by far, one of the most intelligent, loyal and deeply spiritual people I have the pleasure of knowing. Anyone who drops by PC on a regular basis knows that I am very spiritual and love the Lord. If you have a problem with that then perhaps you may want to skip this next post. Or maybe you don't. You have nothing to lose and eternity to gain.

Thanks to Steven for his permission to let me share this.

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Islam, jihad and the global Ilamic revolution
By Steven Davis


We are watching one country after another in the Middle-East experience ‘popular’ uprisings. In some commentaries this phenomenon is being referred to as the “Jasmine Revolution” and is described as a reaction to years of poverty, corruption, and oppression. While some of the countries and their leaders are corrupt the question begs the asking, “Does not Islam favor authoritarian rule over participatory government as a matter of religious tenet?” Does not Dar-al Salaam mean the “The realm of the submitted,” and Salaam mean peace as a consequence of submission? If this is true, why shouldn’t all Islamic adherents favor authoritarian and even dictatorial rule over themselves as submission to those in charge brings Allah the greatest glory.


Let us look at the list of countries that are experiencing this populist turmoil. The uprising began in Algeria, a former French colony and a functional republic if you discount the attempted insurgencies. Next is Tunisia, also a republic but not very well governed. Next door to both is Egypt, a democratic republic largely in name only but not a dictatorship as Libya is. Across the Suez and the Sinai is Jordan, which is a constitutional monarchy. And up the coast from Egypt is Lebanon, once regarded as the Switzerland of the Middle-East, that is now given over to Islamic populism and governance by Hezbollah whilst the U>S. and the Marines watch from the 50-yard line in the Mediterranean Sea. My question is, if this is about democracy and human rights, why haven’t you seen these uprisings in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq or even Kuwait? Why are there stirrings in Indonesia?


The CIA and MI-5 have been watching this ‘movement’ very closely and their prognosis is that this is virtual jihad. Instead of a trumpet blast from the spire of the minaret it is a twitter, text, or writing on a facebook wall. The missives are being directed to the disaffected youth whose only possession is likely to be a cell-phone. Today (fill in the black for the country), tomorrow the world! seems to be the rallying cry. Who or what is instigating and organizing such movements? The answer that is emerging is that it is The Muslim Brotherhood and this is an ongoing effort on its part to wage jihad against the west, and anyone who disagrees with it for that matter. As all of the countries where this is occurring are Islamic countries where other religions are marginalized, it appears you must be of a fundamentalist mindset in order to join and remain a member. Thus, you do and believe what you are told. Hardly democratic, wouldn’t you say?


What has everyone’s attention, and mine as well, is the way these ‘popular’ uprisings are spreading after the same fashion as a deliberately set brushfire. I would be more inclined to believe the movement was one of disaffected and oppressed, impoverished youth if the same was occurring in Iran, or maybe it did and was brutally smashed. We know this much, Israel is encircled and out-numbered. Israel knows this and is not saying a word. The United States is being encircled and the response from the government is kowtowing to those who are organizing these uprisings. The head of the Muslim Brotherhood has been allowed entry into this country by Obama, after having entry denied by both Bushes and Clinton. Is the leader of the Brotherhood carrying a can of gas in his cell phone? The California Supreme Court has allowed the confiscation and search of a cell phone as part of the arrest procedure. Will the Leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and his Jasmine Revolution be used as a cause celebre to support the final invasion of our privacy?


If the earth is your home and this life is all you have, I would be very, very afraid. As for myself and my household, we serve the Living God. Heaven is our home and we are on the road back to where our inheritance is, our Lord sits enthroned, and our life is secured for eternity. We have read God’s Word, and have studied it diligently, and will do so until we are called home. We have been given the understanding by God’s Holy Spirit to know the strife that is spreading in the Middle-East has its source in hell. Satan and his minions know the time is short. Thus, they are doing everything they can to bring down anything that even remotely resembles Christianity and destroy it if not discredit it. The hour is indeed much nearer than when we first believed.


As for Jihad, if I lose my head for Christ, know that I already have. As for Islam, they have been judged, it is only their sentence that is waiting to be passed.

In Christ’s love, Steven Davis

The Daily Catch Videos for 1-31-2011

Coming soon to a store near you: allah ale! After all it is halal

How about some truth: An inside opinion from Israel

I have posted Jerry Golden's articles here in the past and this one really shines some light on the realities of the Middle East from one who is living in Israel, a man of God who happens to be Jewish and a Christian.

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How About Some Truth
Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011
Written by Jerry Golden

Israel has four borders, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt and we could now say five if one considers Gaza. Our largest border is the Mediterranean Sea to the west but today even that is changing with the Prime Minister of Turkey making statements like if Syria is attacked by Israel they will not sit quiet that in fact they will defend Syria against Israel.


Today with riots in the streets of Cairo threatening to oust President Hosni Mubarak from his 30 year reign as Dictator of Egypt. The man that wants to replace him is the former head of I.A.E.A Mohamed ElBaradei who shielded the Iranian nuclear weapons programs for years. But looking over his shoulder is the Muslim Brotherhood connected to the Wahhabi out of Saudi Arabia who supplied the terrorist for 9/11. Mubarak's position is weak at best and his only option to stay in power is to begin shooting protesters dead in the street like they did in Iran. The question now is would the Egyptian military follow such an order at this point, I don't think so. As for what hangs in the balance for Israel and the fragile peace treaty seems to be in serious danger to completely failing and Egypt once again preparing to join in the fight to destroy Israel with the rest of the Islamic Arab World.


If you listen to the Main Line News Media you would think this is a good thing and that it's all about fighting for Democracy but the facts on the ground are quiet different. They are protesting for survival, they can no long afford the price of food and there are no jobs, put that together with the Islamic propaganda they have listened to all their lives and you have an explosion in the makings. If you were able to take a survey in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan or any Arab country you'd find that the average man on the streets believes that some how Israel is the reason for their suffering and that Israel must be destroyed.


We are now seeing these same riots happening in Jordan and as I stated in past reports Jordan is pulling away from their peace treaty with Israel and embracing Iran and the rest of the Islamic Arab world to make sure they are not next on the list to be destroyed.


What seemed to be the quiet takeover of Lebanon by Hezbollah may not be so quiet after all as riots are breaking out in the streets of Beirut as well and this could be the kicker to start the next war as Hezbollah could very well start the missiles flying into Israel to change the political direction when Israel retaliates forcing the people to get behind Hezbollah and forgetting their political problems for the time being.


We are now hearing from Debka that Iran is sending a fleet of warships into the Red Sea and through the Suez Canal taking up positions around Israel's western shores. The US has sent the USS Enterprise carrier with a strike group carrying 6,000 sailors and marines and 80 warplanes, to read more about this deployment CLICK HERE.


In the mean time Syria continues to move long range missiles into southern Lebanon in preparation for the coming war. As far as Egypt is concerned it may be the only thing that could save Mubarak at this time is joining a war against Israel, but I can't see that happening in time to save him.


There are many Scriptures that are in the making of fulfillment in all of this, Zechariah, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel also in the Gospel of Luke and Matthews I could print them all here but you should know them by now. One thing is certain the Arabs learned their lesson in the wars of 48, 67, 73 and they want more assurance this time around and will come with all their might, only to be destroyed by God Almighty. The sad part will be the death and suffering once again to the Jewish people as the Devil tries once again to destroy the possibility of the return of the Jewish Messiah.


I am asked all the time how does this Ministry play into all of this, all I can say is we have heard from God and we will continue looking towards our salvation and strength knowing that God has a plan for this Ministry, what we do may not be big in the eyes of men, but very important in the eyes of God. We are short at this time on finances


The larger boat is still our greatest need, and the establishing of ground communications with our boats is also needed. Our travels will not be published for a while for obvious reasons.


As for the USA Obama has sealed its fate with his hatred of Israel and his love for the enemies of God and of Israel, but he put the final nail in the coffin when he repealed Don't Ask Don't Tell, now God has no choice but to be true to His Word.


Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our son Joel and all the IDF soldiers. Pray for this Ministry and your part in it.


Shalom, jerry golden


Original article is here.

Guest commentary in response to "All Americans must die"

This comment came in and I thought it was well written and worth sharing with everyone. I really do not care for comments left under 'anonymous'but there are exceptions and this is one of them. The comment was made in regard to the the following post: "All Americans must die: Threat from muslims from in somalia."


Thanks to this individual for taking the time to comment here. No one here is going to attack you, accuse you of being a nazi or dismiss you, Anonymous. If anyone does you will have support and we got you covered.


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All Americans must die: Threat from muslims from in somalia


From Anonymous:"I hate to say it, but I think they do. If only because they wont leave voluntarily. They should still be given the chance to leave first. I was naive enough to believe that there were moderate muslims and the koran was being manipulated by mullahs, to their illiterate congregation.


Spending a few years in Iraq and Afghanistan, has showed me otherwise. We cant let political correctness stop us in our duty to the constitution and our customs. Those who predictibly will say and quote the constitution about religious freedom and islam has a right to be here. They (muslim and the socialist left) conveniently ignore the other point. That noone can impose their religion on another. In short, you can worship whatever you want as long as you respect others religion or atheism by choice.


American Muslims have never done enough in my eyes speaking out or showing any kind of solidarity with the rest of us. They are deafeningly silent when they crash planes or when a islamic officer in the military kills their supposed countryman that has given them a life and comfort worshipping in peace. Our payback is mass demonstrations about a preacher excercising free speech by burning a koran or their indignation about our outrage over a Mosque on ground zero. A tasteless and calculated move, for no other reason then instigating a backlash.


So I ask you, who is more unAmerican? Is it the one who fights for their family and country on judeo-christian beliefs with liberties and rights for all citizens, man or woman? Or is it the unapologetic migrant fanatics, who move at will to disrespect our customs and laws, while taking orders from abroad?


Most Americans(mainly politicians and media)have a reflexive and ignorant response conditioned into their heads. I was like that. The reality of these places in the islamic world changed me. Have no illusions of what their goal is. If anyone has some doubts, I suggest reading the Koran, stop after each verse and think of what their saying. The sharia must never be aloud here. Never. It goes against everything we hold dear. Dont trust my words alone, read for yourself.


More and more arrive everyday, so the longer we are blind and deaf, living in denial the harder it will be later to expell them.


Please dont dismiss me and others like me as a nazi, because im not. I am christian, but I havnt been to church in 15 years. They are the fanatics. Do you want your kids and grandkids to grow up in the greatest society there is and will ever be, like we were? or Turn the clocks back 500 years to what amounts to nothing more then the inquisition? They have to leave, but by asking them nicely. At first at least."

A quote from the muslim in the White House

"America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
Barack Obama"

Justice and progress, tolerance and dignity of all human beings... yes, sounds exactly like islam.

There is no peace within islam, and with islam there can never be peace.
PatriotUSA

Thanks to Hermit Lion for the above quote from obama.