How safe does this make you feel?

Obama Appoints two devout Muslims to homeland security posts....

After Ten Years of Service, ADC Congratulates Kareem Shora for Appointment as DHS Senior Policy Adviser

Obama and Janet Napolitano Appoint Arif Alikhan, a devout Muslim as Assistant Secretary for Policy

www.adc.org...

Homeland Security posts, really???
I know that not all Muslims want Americans dead, but after recent events, is this ok? Political correctness is what allowed Hasan immunity against any disciplinary action for his outreach to Al-Queda members, among other things.
Do these men have any "red flags" that they are afraid to mention?
I just want Americans safe. I don't want us to go on a witch hunt, I just want to be reassured that these men are who they say they are with NO ties to any radicals.

Nothing that Fedzilla does makes me feel safe, hell they could appoint Fred Flintstone or Batman to such a post and I wouldn't feel any better because anybody that the feds trust is not someone I trust.

I am curious about something.

The term 'devout Muslim' came from whom? Is that how these political appointees describe themselves?

I find it necessary to ask since any public action involving people who are ostensibly 'good' Muslims is being looked upon by some as an automatic 'red flag'. Sort of like being Japanese or German during WWII. Sort of like being a "Porto Rican" or "Black" during the 50's and 60's.

- I won't deny that I have NO confidence in anything that exists hanging from the framework of the Homeland Security Sham, and less from the constant campaign mode politicians that invade our mass media, especially nowadays.

But dammit, describing someone as a 'devout' anything reeks of bias.

I don't care what Religious beliefs someone subscribes to. If they are the best candidate for a position, and are able to maintain a Wall of Separation between their personal beliefs while in that position, then they could be a dyed-in-the-wool Wiccan, Scientologist, Hindi, Zoroastrian, Pythagorean, Shinto, Buddhist, Satanist, Baptist, Atheist, Agnostic, or Muslim for all I care.

Just as Race should no longer play an issue in whether one is qualified to do a job or not, so should Religion no longer matter.

There are extremists of all persuasions. Professing a particular faith doesn't make you any more likely to be an extremist than the next person.

And, unlike elected officials, appointed officials do have to undergo the scrutiny of detailed background checks to get Congressional approval of those appointments. So, if they were extremists (with ties to Terrorism as that is what the OP is ultimately eluding to) then that would have been discovered prior to their approval.

If they are the best choices for those positions then I support them until they prove themselves either inadequate or inept. Until then, they get at least the benefit of the doubt.

However, no government office makes me feel safe. Government officials are far too inept overall to do anything to truly provide safety to the public. All they can provide is the false-sense of security.

Me, I'd rather have Freedom any day rather than surrender it for a false-sense of security.

reply to post by fraterormus

I agree with most of what you posted except for...
"And, unlike elected officials, appointed officials do have to undergo the scrutiny of detailed background checks to get Congressional approval of those appointments. So, if they were extremists (with ties to Terrorism as that is what the OP is ultimately eluding to) then that would have been discovered prior to their approval."

Like how authorities knew that Hasan had tried to contact AQ and spoke out against his own, but did absolutely nothing about it? His background didn't seem to matter. and I was not eluding that they are extremists, I just want to know if they are as clean as they appear, that's all.

reply to post by fraterormus


And in an ideal world this would be the way it should be! But, it's not and Western Civilization is at war with a dark, medieval idea spawned from the Koran. So, not only does it make me feel unsafe, it flat pisses me off!

I will tell you what is wrong with this thread and what I see wrong with most of mainstream America.
Why is it that just because these fellas have Muslim names or are non-white you go whining like a stuck pig? Why is it America has a hissy fit every time some diversity starts to infiltrate US culture?
Just because someone has a Muslim name or is non-white, non-Christian folk or in Obama's case a black man does not mean they are not just as human and capable of the job as any of you Jones and Smith types.

retracted, my apologies

[edit on 10-11-2009 by Wormwood Squirm]

What makes ME feel unsafe is that there are numerous public officials in very high-ranking positions, including those that make or influence policy, that hold dual citizenship. How is that possible and how can it be allowed? You cannot hold allegiance to more than a single nation. How are we to know where these people's allegiances lie?

Originally posted by jtma508
What makes ME feel unsafe is that there are numerous public officials in very high-ranking positions, including those that make or influence policy, that hold dual citizenship. How is that possible and how can it be allowed? You cannot hold allegiance to more than a single nation. How are we to know where these people's allegiances lie?

I am Dual of Canada and the US and I most certainly pledge allegiance to both and would sacrifice my life for the defense of either without question.

Originally posted by Wormwood Squirm

Why is it that just because these fellas have Muslim names or are non-white you go whining like a stuck pig? Why is it America has a hissy fit every time some diversity starts to infiltrate US culture?

Simple answer. Fear.

People in America fear Muslims because they are programmed to. Just like we were programmed to fear Communists during the cold war years. Just like we were programmed to fear Japs and Nazis during WWII. Just like Germans were programmed to fear Jews leading up to the holocaust.

It's disgusting that people are still able to be so easily controlled, but it's also quite obvious that TPTB have upped their game.

Originally posted by drwizardphd

Originally posted by Wormwood Squirm

Why is it that just because these fellas have Muslim names or are non-white you go whining like a stuck pig? Why is it America has a hissy fit every time some diversity starts to infiltrate US culture?

Simple answer. Fear.

People in America fear Muslims because they are programmed to. Just like we were programmed to fear Communists during the cold war years. Just like we were programmed to fear Japs and Nazis during WWII. Just like Germans were programmed to fear Jews leading up to the holocaust.

It's disgusting that people are still able to be so easily controlled, but it's also quite obvious that TPTB have upped their game.

But wait! Aren't muslims the world over being programmed to hate and try to destroy "the great satan" (muslim code words for the U.S.)?

Are you OK with that, or just willing to selectively look the other way?

Originally posted by fraterormus
I don't care what Religious beliefs someone subscribes to. If they are the best candidate for a position, and are able to maintain a Wall of Separation between their personal beliefs while in that position, then they could be a dyed-in-the-wool Wiccan, Scientologist, Hindi, Zoroastrian, Pythagorean, Shinto, Buddhist, Satanist, Baptist, Atheist, Agnostic, or Muslim for all I care.

You have just helped point out why (at least some) muslims would not be the best candidates.

I'm talking about the muslims that believe that sharia law supersedes all other laws including the constitution they would have to swear to defend against all enemies foreign or domestic.

People that believe in this way do not consider themselves Americans, and thus cannot be trusted to act in our country's behalf.

[edit on 11/10/2009 by centurion1211]

reply to post by Wormwood Squirm


But in a fight against each other whose back would you have?

Originally posted by centurion1211


But wait! Aren't muslims the world over being programmed to hate and try to destroy "the great satan" (muslim code words for the U.S.)?

I honestly feel sorry for you if you believe that.

If you seriously believe that ~1.6 billion people (almost a quarter of the world's population) are programmed into trying to destroy the United States, then you are truly a sad individual.

However, this doesn't really surprise me. With regards to the Islamic faith, ATS is little more than a hate site. Ridiculously ignorant comments like some of the ones in this very thread go all but ignored by the moderators, whilst bolstered by other ignorant fools who share the same misconceptions.

The actions of the very small minority of extremists does not equate to the intentions of the entire Muslim faith. However, fools like yourself will never understand this, I'm afraid.

reply to post by sickofitall2012


So if the guy had been a member of a Christian church does that mean we should scrutinize and be terrified of all Chrisitians? And keep them out of the military?

reply to post by nixie_nox


Why not? Christians and Christian like people are assaulted or impugned by by the Federal Government all the time. Waco, Ruby Ridge, Timothy McVeigh, returning veterans being categorized as possible lone wolf terrorists etc... all are tossed into the politically correct paradigm.

Yet the MSM and our current Chancellor seem to desire to sweep this guy's ideals under the rug at every turn.

[edit on 10-11-2009 by RoofMonkey]

[edit on 10-11-2009 by RoofMonkey]

reply to post by nixie_nox


Again with the political correctness. I never said get rid of all the Muslims. All people want to do is scream RACISM. I am not just singling out that these are Muslims, heck I never even thought that anything like Ft Hood could happen, and I knew there were Muslims in the military. Hasan has created fear, not me. When one joins the military or serves in government, they are pledging alliance to the US, no one else, and that is how it should be. No matter who you are or where you come from.
Our fore fathers said the only way for our system to work is for all immigrants to assimilate. Well, that no longer happens. How can this country survive as one when it caters to all other cultures except the American culture. THAT is what is dividing us all in America.

reply to post by centurion1211

Are you OK with that, or just willing to selectively look the other way

What im OK with is knowing that just because some radical muslims exist, doesn't mean all of Islam agree's with them.

What im OK with is knowing that people who condemn an entire sector of others based on the actions of a few, are short sighted at best, and have no argument with which to portray their hatred.

Pure unadulterated ignorance.
The bastard child of the internet

Originally posted by sickofitall2012

Homeland Security posts, really???
I know that not all Muslims want Americans dead, but after recent events, is this ok? Political correctness is what allowed Hasan immunity against any disciplinary action for his outreach to Al-Queda members, among other things.

It was not political correctness that shielded Hasan from suspicion when he contacted Al-Queda associates. It was the fact that he was "officially" supposed to be conducting research into the motivations of suicide bombers and thus had a "cover story" for his correspondance that was aparently good enough for the feds.

There is a lot to sort out with this...but lets not say innaccrute things like the feds thought it OK he was communicating with Al-Quada because of "political correctness"

Deny Ignorance.

Edited post ..dumb to innaccurate

[edit on 11-11-2009 by maybereal11]