Dear friends:

For several days I have been wanting to write a message on the shocking situation below and how the Democrats are violating all common sense and seriously jeopardizing our safety, but the words never came together.  Now Jan Markell has done it for me, so I will use her excellent article.

There is no doubt -- the Democrats have gone stark-raving mad.  This proves it.  They do not want suspicious terrorist activity reported!!!  Can you believe it?  They have a good chance to gain the White House and maintain control in Congress in 2008, but such foolish radicalism could easily thwart their hopes.

Jim
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July 25 - Tipster Immunity May Succumb to Major Disease 

From "Understanding the Times" by Jan Markell
http://www.olivetreeviews.org/

The so-called "terror dry runs" on airlines used to be scoffed at. Now, according to Fox News and other sources, it is in the forefront of our war on terror. Too bad they didn't take Annie Jacobsen more seriously when she exposed this back in 2004 on a flight she was on. Instead, Homeland Security and others lambasted her and tore her to shreds as an "hysterical woman" imagining a lot of what she, her husband, and many passengers saw: A "dry run" on their Northwest flight from Detroit to Los Angeles. In other words, Muslim men "rehearsing" the takeover of an airplane with evil intent.

Today airport security officers around the nation have been alerted by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing carrying explosives onto aircraft, based on four curious seizures at airports since September. In other words, they were practicing "dry runs." The TSA admits, "During the past six months TSA has produced more than 90 unclassified bulletins of this nature on a wide variety of security-related subjects."

At the same time a case that began in my hometown, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, with the "flying imams" last November is coming to a potentially sad conclusion. Thanks to the Left in Washington, who continues to side with America's enemies, people who dial 1-800-REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY hotlines could soon be sued for racial and religious profiling. The terror-sympathizing Council of American-Islamic Relations has pressured the Democrats so strongly that they are caving to CAIR and risking the lives of all Americans.

And this is the party of "homeland security?" Maybe not, since John Edwards said our war on terror is just a bumper-sticker! It would seem that the leadership of the Democrat Party agrees with him.

Rep. Peter King of New York has proposed legislation that protects all who report suspicious behavior in the airline industry. This is no-brainer stuff, right, particularly in this 9/11 generation? "Tipster immunity" is essential as citizens must be assured that their good-faith tips on strange activity will not land them in court which is what looks like could happen.

To sum it up, the Left (and some on the right) continues the mantra of, "God forbid we racially profile."

This issue is now in the hand of the House Homeland Security Committee. It is this committee that is protesting that allowing good Americans to tip off authorities regarding suspicious behavior just leads to this nasty profiling. So they want to create loopholes to permit suing at the state and local level and to require someone to be able to show that the suspicious behavior they report is related to terrorism, not simply criminal activity! Is there much of a difference??

Back home to Minnesota again, those who reported the suspicious activity of the "flying imams" last November are going to get sued for being frightened, for looking at the imams in the wrong way, for trying to protect their families in flight, and for reporting the activity to authorities. This would be comical if the consequences were not potentially tragic. This is a sign of the Left's subservience to the trial-lawyer lobby and the anti-terrorism Left. These Democrats stand ready to gut the efficacy of tip lines so that trial lawyers can feast on the frightened U.S. Airways tipsters and so that CAIR can prevail under a phony civil liberties guise.

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American Relations, spoke out of both sides of his mouth on the issue. He stated CAIR supports the imams' lawsuit, but they have no particular problem with immunity legislation. So which is it, Mr. Hooper? Your firm voice could sway a lot of Muslims, protect a lot of Americans, and make a dent in our war on terror. But go ahead and follow your waffling Leftist protectors.

I have always remembered what my friend Avi Lipkin said on my DVD of him, "Facing the Fury." He stated, "CAIR exists to make Islam look good in America." But right now CAIR is making themselves and their cohorts in leadership look like fools and Americans need to rise up and protest the way we did last spring with the immigration issue.

Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, and others on the Left are attempting to stop the passage of this amendment that would grant immunity to those Americans who speak up when they see potential terror danger. If the imams and CAIR are successful, it could have a chilling effect on whether other Americans come forward to report such behavior or whether they decide that doing so isn't worth the hassle or legal fees. The law enforcement motto of, "If you see something, say something," would become irrelevant.

The final decision on the legislation is in the coming days. Start ringing phones, sending emails and faxing. We did it before and we can do it again. With immigration it was about security and this is even more directly related to security! Maybe someday the Left will wake up and realize we just aren't going to take it anymore!