By Jim ONeill ——Bio and Archives--October 28, 2014
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The Liberian flag bears a close resemblance to the flag of the United States, showing the ex-American slave origins of the country. The Liberian flag has similar red and white stripes, as well as a blue square with a white star in the canton. It was adopted on Friday, April 26, 1847. The eleven stripes symbolize the signatories of the Liberian Declaration of Independence, red and white symbolizing courage and moral excellence. The white star represents the freedom the ex-slaves were given, above the blue square representing the African mainland. The flag is seen on many ships around the world as Liberia offers registration under its flag.Years ago during my travels, I became intrigued with the large number of ships flying the Liberian flag that I saw in various ports around the world. I wondered what the deal was with Liberia, so I researched the subject. What I found (I did my research in the mid-1990s) was a bloody, horrific, god-awful mess. Liberia was at that time in the midst of a civil war that lasted for around ten years (circa 1989-1997). Some reports on the war place its beginnings as early as 1980, and some imply that it is still going on, although tamped down by the presence of UN troops.
For government officials and investigators, the "lone wolf" label has come to mean the atrocity in question cannot be categorized as "terrorism," no matter how many "Allahu Akbars!" are shouted as bullets fly, bombs blast, or heads roll. For the commentariat, "lone wolf" signifies that the Muslim in question -- whether a lifer or a "recent convert" -- has "self-radicalized," spontaneously becoming a wanton, irrational killer. ...New York, Ottawa, Quebec, Oklahoma, Fort Hood.... The "lone wolf" canard no longer conceals the harsh reality: The violence in "violent extremism" is terrorism even if performed alone; and what the "wolf" is "extreme" about is Islam."I will concede for the sake of argument that the vast majority of Muslims are moderate--that is, that they have no interest in joining a violent jihad against non-Muslims (infidels). That still leaves many millions of rabid Muslim jihadists who operate with the tunnel-visioned fervor of the insanely self-righteous zealot--ISIS being a case in point. That is the sort of wolf-pack to which these "lone wolves" belong. He (or she) is hardly alone--there are millions of more wolves in their pack. These "lone wolves" do not just spontaneously generate in an ideological/religious/political vacuum--they are nurtured and cultivated by the pack, mainly through the Internet. The US keeps bringing more and more Muslims over here like they were on sale. Not wise, not wise at all -- to put it lightly. I suspect that there will be hell to pay for such foolishness one of these days. I will wrap up this article with a brief plug for Dineesh D'Souza's film "America: Imagine the World Without Her," whose DVD will soon be available for purchase (it can currently be downloaded as software). I hope and pray that it finds a very wide audience among those who may have missed seeing it in the theater (and even among those who did, but want a repeat). D'Souza takes direct aim at the insidious "shame based" narrative of America that has been so widely promoted in our schools. This guilt-trip narrative of America is of course one-sided propaganda, intentionally designed to cast the US into the role of bad-guy bully. It is clever propaganda--the people who swallow such nonsense aren't idiots after all...well, the ones who came up with the narrative aren't idiots. It takes an intelligent and informed person to effectively counter-attack such cunning slander. Mr. D'Souza is such a person, and any and every American patriot should applaud and support his efforts to set the record straight. If you have yet to watch the movie, please don't put it off because you think it will be some dry, boring lecture on "rah-rah flag waving." It is not. I found it to be a spirited and engrossing film that kept my interest from beginning to end--but then, I believe in America. I believe that for all her faults and follies, false-steps and miscues, America is, beneath it all, admirable, and that it is the duty of "we the people," individually, to protect and uphold her position as the "shining city upon a hill." Please make the effort to watch "America" if you have not done so yet.
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Born June 4, 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Served in the U.S. Navy from 1970-1974 in both UDT-21 (Underwater Demolition Team) and SEAL Team Two. Worked as a commercial diver in the waters off of Scotland, India, and the United States. Worked overseas in the Merchant Marines. While attending the University of South Florida as a journalism student in 1998 was presented with the “Carol Burnett/University of Hawaii AEJMC Research in Journalism Ethics Award,” 1st place undergraduate division. (The annual contest was set up by Carol Burnett with money she won from successfully suing a national newspaper for libel). Awarded US Army, US Navy, South African, and Russian jump wings. Graduate of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School, 1970). Member of Mensa, China Post #1, and lifetime member of the NRA and UDT/SEAL Association.