Pray for Virginia Tech

Our hearts and prayers go out to all involved and affected by the horrific tragedy at Virginia Tech. Words are never adequate in a time such as this.

I believe any person currently living on a college campus feels a special bond with everyone at Virginia Tech. At Temple, we understand that what transpired on Monday, could have happened anywhere, including our own campus.

Could this have been prevented? Could someone have stopped this killer before he snapped? There’s a strong possibility that many people had a chance to intervene in this person’s life, and as details continue to unfold it appears that some people tried.

Is there a strong possibility that YOU need to intervene in someone’s life? Is there a strong possibility that I need to intervene is someone’s life? I believe the answer is “Yes.” People are hurting. Some are hiding their hurt. Others are sending warning signals everyday. Are we listening? Are we watching?

Evil wants to swallow up and devour their hearts and minds, and we must get to them before it’s too late.

Pray for the families who lost loved ones at Virginia Tech.

Never Settle for Average

People may attempt to refute your skill, intelligence, or ability, but they should never be able to refute your passion, drive, and determination.

How many people live their entire lives with the anchor of negative circumstances dragging the bottom of the ocean floor? I would hate to look back over my life and think, “What more could I have done, if I had refused to use my circumstances as an excuse to be average?” Or, “How many people could I have helped if I had cut lose the anchor of negative circumstances and determined in my mind to attempt something great?”

Do you want to be average? Subconsciously we know that it is safe to be average. Average doesn’t bother people. Average doesn’t set the standard higher for others, and average never falls flat on its face in an attempt at greatness.

Have you ever thought, “If I stay right here, I won’t fail trying to do something above average?” Don’t buy into that lie. Realize that average fails. Average fails at becoming great. Average fails at breaking the mold. Average fails at finding a better solution for problems, and average will never blaze a new trail for others to follow.

To break away from the circle of mediocrity, set your circumstances aside. Where you grew up doesn’t matter. Who your parents are is irrelevant. The person who said you would “never amount to anything” became a failure as soon as they said that about you.

If one negative comment or remark can cause you to change course and give up, then is what you are fighting for worth all that much to begin with? If your goal or dream is truly worth it, nothing and no one will be able to stop you.

The highest summit offers the most spectacular view, but it also usually requires the steepest, most difficult ascent. Be prepared for adversity and negative circumstances, and then, conquer your mountain.

Are You Kidding Me?

House Democrats Offer Plan to Ban Use of 'Global War on Terror'

Defeatist Democrats are proving what I have feared all along. They do not even want to acknowledge that we are engaged in a war on terror, and they obviously do not comprehend the threat Islamic extremism poses.

Do Democrats want to ignore the problem and hope it goes away, or do they truly believe Islamic extremists have no plans to harm America?

Your guess is as good as mine.

"How do Democrats expect America to fight and win a war they deny is even taking place?" -John Boehner

Two Very Different Generations

Every generation has a different set of ideals, principles, and values.

Obviously, the United States of 2007 is not the United States of 1944. In the 1930s, America did not want to fight Germany or Japan. Pearl Harbor changed that. In the 1990s, America did not see the danger of Al Qaeda. September 11th changed that. The Greatest Generation under the leadership of FDR remained united and resolved throughout WWII, and our country was united once again at the onset of the War on Terror.

Unfortunately, certain circumstances, including the situation in Iraq, has damaged many Americans’ desires to fight this war at all. Although there are many differences between the Greatest Generation of the 1940s and my generation of today, I believe there is one influential factor affecting my generation’s view of the War on Terror more than any other: the way the war is reported. The Greatest Generation read about the war in the paper and listened to reports on the radio. My generation watches the war on TV like it is a video game, and to the youthful misinformed, it appears we are losing that game.

I realize some Americans would not agree with the military action in Iraq regardless of how it was reported, but the drastic contrast between the coverage of WWII and the coverage of Iraq has had a huge impact on how Americans view the War on Terror.

For instance, on June 6, 1944, over 2,500 Americans died. Did you get that? Over two thousand! I recently purchased a June 6, 1944 reprint edition of the Cincinnati Times-Star. The headline reads, “BEACHHEADS ARE ESTABLISHED SOON AFTER INVASION IS BEGUN.” The subheading reads, “American, British and Canadian Units . . . Make Rapid Progress.” Of course the media had no way to accurately report how many brave men had died on the beaches that day, but how would today’s six o’clock news report the horror of over two thousand coalition soldiers being killed in Iraq or Afghanistan in one operation? Definitely not by claiming there was "Rapid Progress."

Do not misunderstand me. When any brave American soldier dies, it is a tragedy. Families are crushed, and lives are altered forever. Reporting of the war must go on, but my generation and the media must understand how the dynamics have changed. The Greatest Generation paid an unimaginable price to ensure freedom triumphed over oppression. What if they had not been willing to pay that price?

My generation does not have the stomach to handle the un-pleasantries that automatically accompany the fighting of radicals bent on destroying our way of life, and we suffer from a growing lack of faith in the mission spawned by our lack of patience. Couple that with the fact that my generation does not foresee the dire consequences of prematurely backing out of Iraq and ignoring the threat of Islamic extremism, and it makes perfect sense why many Americans fail to understand how important it is that we remain resolved in the fight for freedom regardless of the cost.

We must put this war in perspective. Victory is not guaranteed by the greatest army or the most sophisticated technology. It requires resolve, patience, and unimaginable sacrifice. Fortunately, the Greatest Generation understood exactly that. Hopefully, my generation will realize it before it is too late.

Make no mistake, our enemies will exploit our lack of resolve. It is what any intelligent enemy would do.

I am convinced that losing resolve in the middle of any battle is not only dangerous, it is outright suicidal.

Pursue All Options; Prepare for War

Does anyone else feel like they are reading a Tom Clancy novel? (Fox News Story)

Published on Chattanoogan.com

As events unfold between Iran and Great Britain, a potentially volatile situation only becomes more complicated. Granted, hostages and trespassing disputes are nothing new, but think of all the other ingredients surrounding this potential powder keg-

The radical regime led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is aggressively pursuing nuclear weapons, Iran has called for the destruction of Israel and the United States, Iran continues to pour resources and powerful explosives into Iraq to further destabilize the region and undermine the coalition’s goals (elite Iranian soldiers have been caught in Iraq as well), and they continue to shun the United Nations and the IAEA over their pursuit of an atomic bomb.

Now, several things make this situation even more fascinating- We are already fighting in countries on both sides of Iran; therefore, our military (although still very strong) is indeed weaker than it would be if we were not fighting those wars, and Iran, stronger now than it has ever been, continues to become more powerful every day. That, my friends, is exactly how I would set the table if I wanted Iran to become a nuclear superpower with the capability of striking Israel with that nuclear weapon.

Every last resort must be taken to avoid conflict with Iran, but we must be prepared to answer the following question- “Will Iran leave the good and just people of this world any choice other than armed conflict?” I applaud our diplomacy through the United Nations, and every single economic pressure point must be struck, but we must find the intestinal fortitude to grasp the fact that Iraq and Afghanistan may not be the only place in this decade that brave American soldiers will be called upon to defend freedom.

Regardless of your views on our action in Iraq, if Iran does not stop with their goal to destroy Israel, we will have no choice but to take military action, and to use the situation in Iraq as an excuse to not stop Ahmadinejad would be one of the greatest mistakes of our generation.

Throughout the course of history, every generation has had an “accepted evil.” Whether it was slavery, ethnic cleansing, genocide, or abortion, the accepted evil was overlooked, excused, or rationalized away in our minds. By the time Hitler was deemed “unacceptable,” six million Jews and countless more were dead.

Will we once again be too late?

http://chattanoogan.com/articles/article_104730.asp