2011 Rally Against The Ground Zero Mosque....VIDEO

These women, along with anyone else who opposes a mosque at Ground Zero, have been called intolerant. The truth is that the only intolerance these people possess is and intolerance to more attacks, like the ones against their sensitivity...

There are other mosques already in NYC, including Manhattan.  No one attacks them or calls for their removal.  The real purpose of THIS mosque is to stand as a victory monument for the cause of extremist Islam.  Those who support the building of this anathema lack tolerance or sensitivity for the survivors of 9-11, much in the same vein as those crackpots who protest military funerals do.  They may have legal rights to do so, but are trampling on the spirits of others.

This video comes from Blazing Cat Fur, with a hat tip from Atlas Shrugs.  Visit them both for more information.

Remembering 9-11...From A Distance, This Time.

At the 2008 Commemoration most of the first responders here had to stand outside with no view of the stage, like today.

As you all know today was the 10th Anniversary of the 9-11 attacks against our country, specifically on The World Trade Center towers, The Pentagon, and who-knows-exactly-where which was thwarted by the heroic passengers of Flight 93 which went down in Shanksville, PA.  I had planned to show up at any one of the three to cover events in person, but plans fell through.  Due to unexpected personal expenses and worrisome weather reports, I did not go anywhere today.  Warnings about car bombs had nothing to do with it, as I refuse to let those people dictate where I go and when I go there.  The coverage would have been lengthy with much photography.  So all I am left to do is make a few passing comments and link to here and there.

First I want to say that first responders have entered what I like to refer to as the forbidden zone at each of the 9-11 Commemorations, but only in small numbers.  I have photos of the 2008 Commemoration in which I acquired a press pass and sat with the privileged that morning.  But many more first responders had to stand out of view behind the obscuring trees and only listen to events in that zone.  I have a photo of THAT, too.

We have been told that religious and first responders have never been officially invited in the past 8 Commemorations, so "why now?"  And, "the precedent has been set for the past 8 Commemorations that no religious attend,"  and that their attendance would cause problems.

I draw your attention to the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance that took place at the National Cathedral in Washington D. C. on 9-14-01, a mere 3 days after the attacks occurred.  A Muslim Imam, Billy Graham, a rabbi, and an Archbishop all prayed aloud, delivered sermons, homilies, etc... and no one complained.  After all, there were many muslims killed in the twin towers who had nothing to do with hijackings.  And it was there at that Cathedral where the true precedent was set.  IMHO, it has been broken by NYC every year since.  And Mayor Bloomberg sees no reason to get it right.

From 2008:  Some first responders who got inside the forbidden zone.

If you saw the documentary film by those two french brothers entitled "9-11" then this picture should mean something to you.  Again, from the 2008 Commemoration.

Ilario Pantano's Speech At Rally Against Ground Zero Mosque

This man is running for Congress in North Carolina.  I witnessed this speech in person and wish him much success in his endeavors.

The speech is electrifying...once you get past the clapping.  He has tons of courage and conviction, no doubt from his years of active service in the US Marines.  What a great president he could make one day...  The future is looking brighter.

I figured I should include this video below as well, so everyone has a better understanding of who this man is. 

RALLY AGAINST THE GROUND ZERO MOSQUE --> A Success With 40K In Attendance!

Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs

The crowd at the Rally Against The Ground Zero Mosque was estimated to be around 40,000, and it was, by my own account, a very lively 40,000.  It was not an angry, restless crowd like the one a few blocks to the East, which spewed lies and hatred, but a very focused and determined group of people with full knowledge of why the Ground Zero Mosque should not stand.  I am proud to say I was part of this group of 40K, and that I raised my flags high and cheered on an excellent group of speakers.

There were people I never heard of who gave enthusiastic, empassioned speeches intermingled with great speeches from familiar faces in person and on screen.  Mike Gallagher (in person) held little back and said it wonderfully straight, which is what the crowd wanted to hear.  John Bolton was also very effective on screen.

As I stated, there were some surprises.  Rosa Leonetti was a family member of one killed in the attack on 9-11.

Another standout was Congressional candidate, Ilario Pantano of Wilmington, NC, who had everyone's attention with a speaking style that cannot miss.  I've heard few politicians speak with such conviction.  The media will hate him, of course, for his military career and conservatism.  But we will see more of this man, especially after he is elected, I have no doubt.  And after that, I see him going places.

Geert Wilders, the Dutch MP, gave an excellent speech that brought us all back to that terrible day and put it all into perspective.  My favorite part is this:

"Among those lost were people from 55 nations, people of every religion and every persuasion. No place on earth had a more multi-ethnic, multi-racial, and multi-lingual workforce than New York’s proud towers.

That is exactly why they were targeted. They constituted an insult to those who hold that there can be no peaceful cooperation among people and nations without submission to Sharia; to those who wish to impose the legal system of Islam on the rest of us.

But New York and Sharia are incompatible. New York stands for freedom, openness and tolerance.

New York’s Mayor recently said that New York is “rooted in Dutch tolerance.” Those are true words. New York is not intolerant. How can it be? New York is open to the world.

Suppose New York were intolerant. Suppose it only allowed people of one persuasion within its walls.

Then it would be like Mecca, a city without freedom.

Whatever your religion, persuasion or gender is, in New York you will find a home. In Mecca, if your religion isn’t Islam, you are not welcome."

Urban Infidel was there...somewhere near the stage, and has a full report.  Donald Douglas of American Power flew in from California to be there as well, and gave a very complete photo essay worth checking out.  Pam was there, too, on stage along with Robert Spencer.  Just heard from El Marco who has a wonderful collection of pics.  For my trip to Ground Zero (more pictures), click HERE.

Some more photos from the day....  As before, click on them if you want to see them LARGER.

Nations united

40,000 stretched back a few blocks

Dutch MP, Geert Wilders

Congressional candidate, Ilario Pantano

More of the 40K

Radio talk show host, Michael Gallagher

A very brave lady displaying her sign to those wacko's a few blocks down...

The Trip To Ground Zero

WTC cross from Ground Zero Rubble now at St. Peter's Church

Hoping this doesn't sound too self-indulgent, I'd like to first relate my trip to Ground Zero today and share some photos before posting on the RALLY AGAINST the Ground Zero Mosque (sometime tomorrow).  My intent is to encourage others to make the same pilgrimage to Ground Zero without feeling daunted by traveling to New York City.

I started from home (in the Harrisburg, PA area) at 4:30am in my fancy rental car (my own car has a slow leaking rear left tire I've put off fixing).  The rental is a racy, black Dodge Charger which turns heads and makes me feel like Bill Hickman (chasing and then being chased by Steve McQueen) but only cost me less than $25 per day.  I arrived at my commute point in Carteret, NJ known as the Shop Rite grocery store.  They could have towed me, so don't do this!  I did it to walk a half block to the bus stop to pick up the #116 NJ Transit bus  to take to the Port Authority Bus Terminal located a block or two from Times Square.  But I came realize I could have driven through the Lincoln Tunnel bearing left and then taking the exit ramp to the right to park the car at the same place the bus was heading (Port Authority Bus Terminal).  Lesson learned at little cost.  Lucky me.

Then things got easy, travel-wise.  From the Port Authority you go downstairs to the subway and take the 'E' train straight to Ground Zero (WTC).  It's the last stop, so you can't miss it.  And when you climb the stairs you are there.  I climbed the stairs and met with a thick crowd of people, and made a short walk to  Ground Zero in time to hear names being read.  Unless you somehow acquire a press-pass you won't get in where the families are, holding their framed pictures of loved-ones.  They deserve their intimacy together without the general public crowding them.  Two years ago I sat with the press and it was horribly sad to watch the relatives of the departed and to hear the names of the victims being read aloud.

While I was diverted elsewhere, I realized that I was missing a camera battery and the other was running low, and that Sony didn't make the batteries for my 5 year old camera anymore, I did a quick check in nearby camera stores.  No one had them, or the memory stick that is also obsolete... until I stopped by J&R Music World, Computer World, Camera World, etc... mega store with cafeteria on mez level (with electrical outlets available to customers).  They had the memory stick adaptor and elusive batteries.  Hence the plug from me.  Now I'm in business.  More photos taken here and there since the Rally wasn't until 2pm.

Stopped by St. Peter's Church, the home of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's conversion to the Catholic Church.  Met Father Dave, nice man, heard my confession, gave me absolution in the corner by the candles.  Beautiful church inside and out.  See photos.

Later when I searched for the Rally AGAINST the mosque, the police kept pointing me toward the pro-mosque rally, saying that it would end at 2pm and ours would start at the same location.  They all seemed to parrot the same story, so I hung around listening to a lot of hate speech from crazy, fringe lunatics, who seemed to believe that the rest of us are racist and don't believe in freedom.  When I asked them how Iran treats homosexuals, they preferred to change the subject.  It's so awful how these nut-jobs stain such a sad occasion with their antics.  But they seem to know of no other way to express their fear and loathing of the attacks on 9-11 than to turn on the establishment they counted on to protect them.

At 2:30 I asked a police woman when our rally would start and she said that our side got discouraged and left!  She must have remembered she was on Bloomberg's dole.  Then another policeman told me it was a few blocks west on Park St.  And there it was....(to be continued tomorrow...).

WWGD?

The hate-filled lunacy of the other side...

Not to mention the gross hypocrisy...

To view my jumbled pictures LARGER, 'click' on them.

St. Peter's Church interior

Mennonites sing every year at Ground Zero

NYPD riding crotch-rockets

Thinks 9-11 was an "inside job"

Praying Muslim...notice no one impedes him.  He is free to pray.

Freedom Tower under construction

D-Day! June 6th at Gound Zero! Be There!!!

A new mosque at Ground Zero would be tantamount to the Germans opening a cultural center across from Auschwitz.! This cannot stand. 

Get this to as many people as you can, who you think can possibly attend.  Make lots of racket!  Draw lots of attention!  The more people know about this, the better.

(h/t:  Pam at Atlas Shrugs)

Obama Administration Continues On Path Of Appeasement

Most people these days are distracted, as usual, from the disturbing trends shaping up in Obama's America which are all but ignored by NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and most liberal newspapers, but those of us who know where to tune in realize these trends and attempt to make them known to you.  

For instance, I'll bet most people don't know that President Obama made this speech shown above a few days ago and actually made this comical statement...

"These rituals remind us of the principles that we hold in common, and Islam’s role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings..." 

...though some recall he made an Easter speech to Europe in which he bashed our own country repeatedly, and then later ignored our National Day Of Prayer.

You might not even be aware that Obama, at the behest of Sen. Schumer, has attempted to turn 9-11, and everything for which it stands, up on its ear by transforming it into a National Day of Service, thereby nullifying what Obama sees as a right-wing-day-of-fear and instead creating a leftist Marx-fest.  As the Left has done with the Holy Bible, after abandoning a movement or issue they claim the other side hijacked (but didn't), they then attempt to trash and upend the movement.  Add national security and fiscal responsibility to the list (the latter of which the right almost abandoned at one time...).

And did you by chance hear that Libya's own Gadhafi is coming to America?  He plans to address the UN Assembly and then literally pitch a tent at a Libyan owned estate in Englewood, NJ, just a few miles from Manhattan, and stay a while.  The State Department has issued no opinion on the matter (I called them an hour ago, and you can too!  See below), nor has Obama that I am aware of.  If he does it might ring every bit as hollow as his outrage over the Pan Am Flight 103 bomber being released back to...Libya, where he arrived to a hero's welcome.

Per Michelle Malkin, here is the address and phone number for the State Dept.:

Contact the State Department:

Main address:

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20520

Main Switchboard:

202-647-4000

New York City's September 11th Commemoration Ceremony 2008

First I'd like to say that the trip into NYC went very smoothly and as scheduled. There was no confusion or problem in using the subway, thanks to the two helpful transit system employees from which I got directions. Quite a change from 10 years ago when I nearly got drawn into fisticuffs by a nasty token-collector. I was also surprised at the light traffic and ease with which I cut through to the city and then subway, so I began to expect the other shoe to drop.

In fact, when that very thing seemed to be happening (the public was not allowed to get close enough to view the commemoration program---trees were in the line of sight, among other things), I was able to secure a press pass from the authorities who, luckily for me, were armed with iPhones and Blackberries and able to view my blog (with name and picture matching that on my driver's license), which they considered acceptable credentials. To say the least, I would be feeling rather giddy about getting in, were it not for the somberness of the occasion. And so I entered just in time for the bagpipers and drums to start...

We heard from Mayors Bloomberg and Giuliani; Governors Paterson, Corzine, and Pataki; Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff; relatives of 2,751 victims reading every name for the record; representatives from many different countries; and Young People's Chorus of New York and musicians like the great Itzhak Perlman (looking older and slimmer). Obama and McCain were there, too, but down in the pit with victims' families (neither approached the podium or made a speech of any kind). The most heartrending sight for me was the children on stage, not looking much older than the 7 years since the attacks ,and losing parents they were too young to know.

After the commemoration I found protesters lurking behind Trinity Church, St. Paul's Chapel. Fortunately there were some serious Christians there to help balance them out.

Here are several pictures I took today (click them to enlarge), the last one from in front of a Midtown firehouse door. I'd also like to point out that Urban Infidel, whom I actually never met, but literally bumped into twice today, took some great pics on the other side of the police barrier well worth viewing (as usual). Also check out Atlas for great pics.

Tomorrow Marks Seven Years

Tomorrow marks the 7th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, and I am going to try to make my way into New York City to Ground Zero for whatever remembrance they have planned. Please pray for me. I find their subway system somewhat confusing. Chicago elevated trains are a piece of cake, but NYC subways?...Fagettaboudit.

Hopefully I will have lots of pics to share tomorrow night.