Re: X10 Home Automation and Physical Security

[Robert L Bass <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>Side note:  The "Christian Right" is neither.
>
> The Pope has recognized that for thousands of years,
> Christianity has oppressed and killed those from other
> faiths.   In 2006 though, there is no organized effort
> from the chruch to kill non-believers...

Finally!

> Peace and co-existance is what Catholics and in general
> all Christians are preaching these days.

Have you been to Ireland lately?

> Not so on the Muslim side... Osama bin laden is a hero to
> millions of present day muslims.

There are billions of Muslims.  Terrorist Muslims are rare by
comparison than bigoted, unchristlike Christians.

> When the towers came crashing down on 911, the
> Palestinians were dancing in the streets.  (The international
> news media didn't like this reality and only covered brief
> portions of this story).

Ah, yes.  The International News Media Conspiracy.  Funny how
everyone I know of saw the coverage.  It is true that there were
Palestinians dancing in the streets after 9/11.  What the media
didn't show because it wasn't "news" was the vast majority of
Muslims who were appalled -- no, make that horrified -- at what
those crazies did.

> Polls indicate that there are thousands of followers of
> Islam in Western countries that will not actually commit
> terrorist acts, but will aid or at least sympathize with
> those who do.

Oh, really?  Who conducted those polls, Pat Robertson?

> Look at Hamas, which was recently elected to be the
> leaders of the Palestinian people.   They don't want
> peace with Israel, they don't want to co-exist with Israel,
> they have stated publicly that their mission is to destroy
> Israel.

Hamas is a terrorist group, no question about it.  They're among
the worst.  They've risen to power because they appeal to those
who feel they're oppressed by Israel or that they've been kicked
out of what they believe is their country by the Israelis.  I
happen to disagree with them.

Personal note:  Being of Jewish descent, I'm very much
pro-Israel.  Being a believing Christian, I'm also opposed to
anyone who wants to destroy what for those of my faith is the
"Promised Land".  That does not mean that I agree with everything
Israel does.  There have been atrocities committed against
Palestinians by Israeli soldiers.  The nutty settlers have also
done much to incite rage among Palestinians.  Our (USA)
government has also done little to help.

> The same goes for that nut-job President of Iran...

Agreed.  But he's probably not crazy.  Like Bush, he's pandering
to the lower instincts of uneducated people who believe he
actually gives a rat's butt about them.  In fact, like Bush, he's
just in it for all he can get for himself and his pals and, like
Bush, he's willing to sacrifice the lives of hundreds of
thousands of innocent people to get what he wants.

> One thing that the Iranians do really well is profess hatred...

Don't confuse the ravings of a small minority with the wants and
needs of an entire population.  I know a fair number of Iranians.
All are disgusted with the crazy hard-liners who have been
ruining their country, all for personal gain and all in the name
of Islam.  True Muslims find these folks as reprehensible as true
Christians do Bush.

> No other people in the world burn with hate as well
> is this group.

Perhaps you're not old enough to remember what the deep South in
the US was like as recently as the 1960's.  In those days the
racial hatred was open and publicly endorsed by police and
government officials.  These days it's a little more discreet but
make no mistake about it.  The hatred is still seething just
below the surface.  It's not limited to the South either.  It's a
national disgrace.  It's not as obvious in the North but the
racist undercurrent is just as real.

> And yet it is a blind hatred...

Same thing.

> They hate you Americans because their fathers hated you
> Americans...

Perhaps if we Americans would learn to leave other countries
alone when they're not bothering us or our allies there'd be a
little less anti-Americanism in the world.  I'm love my country
and I'm proud to be an American but I'm also ashamed of the way
my country sometimes treats the people of other lands.

Being patriotic does not mean blindly believing that everything
about the USA is good and it sure doesn't mean hating all Muslims
just because some Muslims are bad.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Burglar Alarms
The Online DIY Store
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com