Martin Luther King "I have a dream"

It was on this day in 1963, 200,000 people participated in a peaceful civil rights rally in Washington, D.C., where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

How's this for Ironic?

Criticism Over Chinese Artist Being Chosen to Create Martin Luther King Jr. Sculpture

The choice of a Chinese sculptor to create a monument to Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., has drawn a growing number of critics who say a black artist should have been selected -- or at least an American. Some human rights advocates are also rejecting the choice, saying King would have decried the communist Chinese government's record on religious and civil liberty. Gilbert Young, a black painter from Atlanta, has started a website and petition drive to try to change the selection. He told AP, "I believe that black artists have the right to interpret ourselves first."

The memorial foundation seems surprised at the criticism, given the circumstances of sculptor Lei Yixin's selection and involvement. Ten of the 12 people on the committee that chose Lei are black, he's working closely on the design with two black American sculptors, and the overall project is being directed by a black-owned architecture firm. The foundation also points to King's words, which will be incorporated into the monument, that in order to achieve peace, people must, quote, "transcend race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective." Foundation president and CEO Harry Johnson also asked why Lei should be held accountable for his government.

Lei is designated a master sculptor by the Chinese government, and has carved monuments to many of the country's national figures, including Mao Zedong, the father of communist China.

Sgt Barry Sadler, Ballad of the green beret

An all-time classic. I still get a lump in my throat when I hear this song.

What ever happened to Sgt. Barry Sadler? You may be surprised to read the rest of the story HERE.

The Enemy Within.

This is the whack job of a Bishop that Fr. Jonathan Morris talked about Friday morning on the show.

Bishop urges Christians to call God 'Allah'

Catholic leader believes it would help ease tensions between religions

H/T to WorldNetDaily.com

Catholic churches in the Netherlands should use the name Allah for God to ease tensions between Muslims and Christians, says a Dutch bishop.

Tiny Muskens, the bishop of Breda, told the Dutch TV program "Network" Monday night he believes God doesn't mind what he is called, Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported.

The Almighty is above such "discussion and bickering," he insisted. Muskens points to Indonesia, where he served 30 years ago, as an example for Dutch churches. Christians in the Middle Eastalso use the term Allah for God.

"Someone like me has prayed to Allah yang maha kuasa (Almighty God) for eight years in Indonesia and other priests for 20 or 30 years," Muskens said. "In the heart of the Eucharist, God is called Allah over there, so why can't we start doing that together?"

Muskens thinks it could take another 100 years, but eventually the name Allah will be used by Dutch churches, promoting rapprochement between the two religions, he said, according to Radio Netherlands.

However, a survey published today in the Netherlands' largest newspaper, De Telegraaf, showed 92 percent of the more than 4,000 people polled oppose the bishop's view, the Associated Press reported.

Some letters to the paper were filled with ridicule for the bishop.

"Sure. Lets call God Allah. Lets then call a church a mosque and pray five times a day. Ramadan sounds like fun," wrote Welmoet Koppenhol.

The chairman of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, Gerrit de Fijter, told the Dutch paper he welcomed any attempt to "create more dialogue," according to the AP. But he said, "Calling God 'Allah' does no justice to Western identity. I see no benefit in it."

A Muslim spokesman, for Amsterdam's union of Moroccan mosques, said Muslims had not asked for such a gesture from Christians, the AP reported.

Tensions with the Netherlands' 1-million-strong Muslim community have been high since the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh by a Muslim avenging a film critical of Islam.

Last week, politician Geert Wilders talked about banning the Quran, shortly after the head of a group of former Muslims, Ehsan Jami, compared Islam's prophet Muhammad with al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

Muskens made similar remarks several year ago about using the name of Allah, Radio Netherlands reported. He also suggested replacing the national Christian holiday Whit Monday – celebrated the day after Pentecost – with an Islamic religious day.

The bishop also has offended Muslims, saying in 2005 Islam was a religion without a future because it has too many violent aspects.

END

Look what somebody turned in!

Orlando Police Sgt. Barbara Jones holds a surface-to-air missile launcher that had been turned in to the Orlando Police Kicks for Guns 2007 program on Friday. Citizens can turn in a gun with no questions asked and receive a pair of sneakers. The event was held at the Citrus bowl on Church Street. H/T Orlando Sentinel

Look who's coming to the Orange County Convention Center

CAIR's Orlando Annual Fundraising Banquet will be held on August
18th at the Orange County Convention Center 5-7 PM. CAIR was charged as an unindicted co-conspirator in an FBI terrorist funding case. The man pictured above is their guest speaker, unindicted co conspirator linked to WTC bombing Siraj Wahaj.
Why is a fundraising dinner of the Co-Conspirators taking place on taxpayer property?

CNBC Interview with Stephen Previs about the Amero

Army Suicide Rate Highest in 26 Years, But ...

The Associated Press (via America Online) highlights how U.S. Army suicides are the highest in a quarter century, but we have to wait until the fifth paragraph to read an interesting detail:

The 99 suicides included 28 soldiers deployed to the two wars and 71 who weren't. About twice as many women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan committed suicide as did women not sent to war, the report said.

Earlier, in the second paragraph, the report states that all 99 soldiers were on "active duty." Yet, 71 of these suicides were not deployed in either Afghanistan or Iraq? Perhaps the 71 had been deployed but were not at the time of their deaths, but this is something that the AP makes the reader conjecture on his own. One is left wondering why over 70% of the suicides took place among soldiers not serving where the actual fighting is taking place.

In addition, it's not until the eleventh paragraph that it's revealed

About a quarter of those who killed themselves had a history of at least one psychiatric disorder. Of those, about 20 percent had been diagnosed with a mood disorder such as bipolar disorder and/or depression; and 8 percent had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, including post traumatic stress disorder - one of the signature injuries of the conflict in Iraq.

A history of a psychiatric disorder? Again, the reader is left wondering: How long of a history? Was participating in either of the wars the cause? Why are mental ailments such as post traumatic stress -- a battlefield-induced disorder -- mixed in with mood illnesses like bipolar which a person is likely to have had since childhood?

H/T to Newsbusters