More on College of William & Mary

Retired Air Force Brigadier General George Forschler has written a letter to the editor of the Alexandria Gazette in response to the president of the College of William and Mary ordering a cross removed from the campus chapel in an effort to promote diversity. I posted on this a few days ago. A few lines from his letter:

William & Mary, one of America’s oldest universities, [now a public university] was founded as a school of divinity in 1693. That Christian tradition lives today, and any student or parent sending a student to the college is undoubtedly aware of that. Freedom of association is one of this Nation’s founding principles. If students enter or avoid William & Mary due to its Christian roots, that is their choice.
The only religion being persecuted by Nichol’s decision is Christianity itself. A Muslim or Jewish school would not remove holy symbols from a mosque or synagogue to make room for other faiths, nor should they be expected to.

Hopefully, those in Virginia with a little common sense will join General Forschler and help president Nichol see the light.

Air Force Flies By Wake Forest

Air Force is out to prove that it belongs with the big boys of basketball. After taking a lot of heat for making the NCAA tournament last year after playing a fairly weak non-conference schedule, it seems that Air Force has a chip on its shoulder. So far this year, Air Force (7-1) has whooped up on some teams from the major conferences, like Stanford, Colorado, Texas Tech, and now Wake Forest (their only loss was to Duke). Wake Forest came into Colorado Springs with a 5-0 record, although none of the teams they'd faced to this point was close to Air Force in talent. Notice I said Colorado Springs instead of Air Force's Clune Arena. This game was played in the "neutral" World Arena. Air Force has only played two home games so far, because no one wants to play them at Clune Arena, where they have won 41 out the last 42 games. Bob Stephens from the Winston-Salem Journal has more on Wednesday night's 94-58 trouncing. Brian Gomez from the Colorado Springs Gazette offers his account of the game.

Good news for couch potatoes

Finally, vindication for all you slouchers out there. Turns out that slouching is better for your back than sitting up straight. I could have told them that for a lot less than what they paid for this study...from the The London Times.

...Now research suggests that we would be far better off slouching and slumping. Today’s advice is to let go and recline. Using a new form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a team of radiologists have found that sitting up straight puts unneccesary strain on the spine and could cause chronic back pain because of trapped nerves or slipped discs...

So slouch proudly, you slumping slouchers!

Spy Games

Michael Ledeen has a very interesting article on National Review Online, an "interview" with the ghost of James Angelton, a former CIA officer who specialized in the Soviet Union. He discusses with Angleton the very suspicious death of Alexander Litvinenko, a KGB spy who defected and became a critic of the Kremlin. Among some enlightening conversation in the article:

ML: Okay, you say that to me. But how would you prepare an analysis for President Bush? After all, he’s invested a lot in a personal relationship with Putin, as Blair has, and as Secretary Rice has. If the Kremlin is back in the business of silencing critics just because of what they say and write, it will be hard for that relationship to continue. So you’d better be convincing.

JJA: There are patterns, very convincing patterns. And then there’s the widely ignored fact that, just last summer, Putin changed Russian law so that this sort of thing is actually legal.

ML: What? I haven’t seen that in print anywhere.

JJA: Have a look at the letters column in the London Times on the 11th of July, just as the G8 Summit was getting ready to start in Russia. Vladimir Bukovsky and Oleg Gordievsky wrote a letter, and you’d better pay attention when those guys talk.

Read the entire article to see why we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the threat that Vladimir Putin has become to freedom--and not just the freedom of Russians.

Senator Durbin on Ambassador Bolton

I recently sent my Senator, Richard Durbin (D-IL), a letter urging him to do what he could to ensure that John Bolton is confirmed. I know, it was a long shot, but, as his constituent, I felt it was my duty to inform him of my views. Here is his reply, received today:

Dear Major Reed: Thank you for letting me know of your support for the nomination of John Bolton to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. As you may know, in August 2005 President Bush used his constitutional authority to bypass the Senate confirmation process while the Senate was in recess, appointing Mr. Bolton to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations through the end of 2006. President Bush has resubmitted Mr. Bolton's nomination for confirmation by the full Senate in the hope of extending his term beyond 2006.

At a time when we should be strengthening our ties with our allies and the broader international community, I do not believe that John Bolton is the right person to serve in this important position. He has strongly disparaged efforts to pursue international cooperation on important global issues through the United Nations; he has brow-beaten intelligence analysts who refused to alter their findings to suit his political views; and he has belittled the value of peacekeepers in solving civil conflicts. More broadly, and most importantly, Mr. Bolton has been dismissive of the basic notion that it is frequently in our national interest to work with other nations in addressing issues of international concern. In his time as temporary ambassador to the U.N., Mr. Bolton's abrasive style has served to alienate even close U.S. allies. During his tenure, he has made little progress in forging greater international cooperation on pressing global issues such as the genocide in Darfur or Iran's nuclear program.

The United Nations is in need of reform, and the United States should be a positive influence in reshaping the U.N. for the 21st Century. Based on his public record, however, John Bolton is not the person to lead this effort as our representative to the U.N. Thank you again for taking the time to contact me, and please feel free to stay in touch.

Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

Hopefully, in the very near future, I'll be able to go through the text of his letter and examine all of his claims. Like I said, I knew it was a long shot to expect him to support Bolton's confirmation, but I had to try. I also sent a letter to Senator Obama. Haven't received a reply yet.

Dartmouth AD apologizes for inviting Fighting Sioux

In today's PC Idiocy file, we've got a letter to the editor of The Dartmouth, the student-run newspaper, from Dartmouth College's athletic director, Josie Harper. Seems that, two years ago, the school invited the University of North Dakota to participate in a hockey tournament this December. Ms. Harper apologizes for that "mistake" in her letter:

To the Editor:

I am writing to strongly denounce the historical and recent affronts to the Native American community at Dartmouth and to offer the support of the athletics department in playing a leading role to combat racial, ethnic and sexist ignorance and intolerance on our campus.

At the same time, I must offer a sincere apology to the Native American community, and the Dartmouth community as a whole, for an event that will understandably offend and hurt people within our community. In late December, we will host a men's ice hockey tournament that includes the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. UND is one of 14 colleges or universities that continue to maintain a Native American name and image to represent their athletic teams. [see logo, top right]

Let me state clearly that UND's position is offensive and wrong. When we scheduled UND nearly two years ago to participate in our tournament, we did so without considering their team's nickname and symbol. Perhaps we should have, but I deeply regret that we didn't.

On Friday, as I was traveling on College business, a member of my staff met with the Native American Council to discuss our hockey tournament and to offer our apology for the pain that it will cause. In the days and weeks ahead, I will develop a specific and continuing plan to address issues of respect and tolerance within the athletic department as well as considering a policy for scheduling athletic contests against institutions that support offensive nicknames and symbols.

Ms. Harper's letter contains all the usual Political Correctness buzzwords. As background, UND is currently involved in a court case with the NCAA, which has stated that UND cannot have its logo or mascot present at any post-season tournaments. UND has an injunction which allows it to use its logo and mascot until a higher court can rule on the case.

My question for Ms. Harper is this: if she truly regrets inviting UND, why doesn't she dis-invite them? The most likely answer is that they have a contract with UND. But why doesn't the AD put her money where her mouth is and risk getting sued by UND for breach of contract, if it is really against her principles to have the Fighting Sioux participate? Why? Because not having one of the premier hockey programs at this tournament would mean lost revenue in ticket and concession sales.

If you read subsequent letters to The Dartmouth, you'll find outraged reactions from Alumni--but they're outraged at her, not at UND. Maybe if the Athletic Director would worry more about the school's athletics, Dartmouth's football team would have a better record than 2-8 this season.

Indian converts forced out of homes

Compass Direct News tells of nine families that were attacked and forced from their homes in the northeast region of India because they had converted to Christianity.

Their ordeal began when Christians attended a Pentecostal meeting held in Haldibari village last Monday (November 13).

“This meeting infuriated the Bodo tribals, who organized their own religious gathering the next day,” a source told Compass.

At 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning (November 14), the tribal people of Haldibari gathered for their own meeting at the village council hall, said the Rev. Madhu Chandra, Delhi regional secretary of the All India Christian Council.

“Some of them were sympathizers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [RSS, a Hindu extremist group],” Rev. Chandra said. “Under their influence, the group resolved to evacuate Christian families from the village.”

At around 2:30 p.m. that day, 25 Bodo villagers went to the homes of three Christian families in Haldibari and attacked their houses. The violence soon spread to the neighboring villages of Moflabari, Jamduguri and Basdari.

Sadly, on 16 May, Compass reported that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom failed to include India on it's recommended list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) for 2006. Contact the Commission here to urge them to include India in its list for recommended CPCs for 2007.

Prayers regarding the persecuted church

Glenn Penner has an excellent post at The Persecuted Church. He asks how we react when we hear stories of Christians being persecuted in other countries. Do we simply say, "Thank God we don't have to live like that"?

Let me state it plainly. If your first and primary response to the Persecuted Church is to feel grateful for the freedoms we enjoy in this country then, like me, you have probably missed the whole point of what God wants to say to you through the testimony of His Suffering Church. Simply put, the Persecuted Church does not exist so that we can feel grateful, and they deserve to be more than a prayer item or sermon illustration designed primarily to elicit thanksgiving.

I have to admit that my first reaction is to be thankful for being able to live in the U.S. But when I hear specific stories of brothers and sisters in Christ suffering for Him, I do try to lift them up with my prayers, asking Him to give them strength and courage during their trials.

May I continue to have more of the mind of Christ...

Muslims monopolize "multifaith" room at Ryerson U.

Little Green Footballs has this story about Ryerson University in Toronto. Apparently, the Muslim Students' Association (MSA) has become the largest student group on campus. Well, now they've totally booked the "multifaith" room on campus so that no other student groups can ever book time in it. According to the article in The Eye Opener , an independent Ryerson newspaper,

Eric Da Silva, president of the Catholic Student Association, says the group looked into using the room for mass but was told by RSU front desk staff that the room was “permanently booked” by Muslim students.

“No one is trying to take away the space from the Muslims, we just don’t want to be stepping on their toes,” says Da Silva. He stresses that the group found another space to hold mass and the conflict was quickly resolved. Da Silva acknowledges that Muslims have a stricter prayer schedule than Catholics, but he challenges whether the room should be called a multifaith one. The space, which is divided to separate males from females, has rows taped on the floor for prayer and Islamic decorations adorning the walls, is only accommodating to Muslims.

Why are they afraid to press the issue? It sounds like the non-Muslims are walking on eggshells, afraid that if they upset the Muslims, their campus will be visited by suicide bombers. It's not a surprising reaction, really. When all that you hear in the news are stories of radical Muslims practicing their religion, blowing up all non-believers. If it was the other way around, with Christians not allowing Muslims to have any time in the multifaith room, I think the university administration would waste no time in forcing equal opportunity. Any bets on whether Ryerson will do anything about this situation?

Air Force gives Duke a run for their money

Okay, I've gotta give some press to my alma mater, the U.S. Air Force Academy. Their men's basketball team was 4-0 going into the semi-final round of the College Basketball Experience tournament. They'd already won those 4 games by an average of 27 points against teams like Stanford, Long Beach State, and Colorado. But tonight they had to face Duke. Bottom line: Duke was hitting everything; Air Force couldn't hit anything. If the Zoomies could have hit some of their early 3-pointers, I think that Duke would have lost a lot of their confidence and the game would have ended a lot differently than the 15 points Duke won by. With the seasoned veterans they have, I think Air Force is going to have a great season. For more about the game, read this article in the Mercury News.

College removes cross from chapel in "spirit of diversity"

And from today's Political Correctness Run Amok files, WTKR, a TV station in Virginia, is reporting that the President of the College of William and Mary has ordered a cross removed from an altar in the Sir Christopher Wren Chapel "in the spirit of diversity and to make the chapel 'more welcoming to all' ".

The cross had been a part of the chapel for the past 60 years. The president stated that "If you're not a Protestant Christian and you go into that room and see the symbol that's there, to some, it's a message that, yes, this is a beautiful space, but it really isn't mine."

I'm sorry, but isn't a Christian chapel supposed to be about Christ? The cross is the symbol of Christ's death for us and our sins. The very idea that we are sinners in need of a savior is offensive to many. If you want to remove a symbol that helps make a building a chapel, why even call it a chapel? Do they have to remove all the Bibles when it is used for a secular purpose?

The student senate introduced a bill to reverse the decision, but it was rejected. A student group is still trying to get the cross restored. See their website: www.SavetheWrenCross.org.

Christians plea for help in India

In an article posted today on Spero News, Christians in Southern India are pleading with authorities to protect them and their churches in the wake of a rash of incidents that have occurred over the last several days. In one incident, the police were present, but did nothing. The article doesn't say exactly what group(s) the militants are with.