You learn a lot when you talk to people

The other day, I stood in line at the Publix deli, waiting to order their special sub of the week. Meatball. Ah, yes, a meatball sub with tomato sauce, spinach, onions, black olives, and melted parmesan and provolone cheeses. (It was delicious!)

A young gentleman was standing to my right, just in front of me. Of course, if you know me, you know I’m very personable, so I struck up a conversation. I’d guess he was in his mid-20s or so. Maybe 30. Strapping and good looking, he was very approachable and friendly. I noticed that, although he spoke perfect English, he had a distinct accent. To me, it sounded German. Instead of saying, “You’re not from around these here parts, are you, punk?” I politely mentioned what I had noticed and asked him if he was German.

“No, I’m from Hungary, but spent five years in Munich. That was a very good guess. I kind of do have a bit of a German accent, so my friends tell me. You’re not really wrong.”

I told him my niece and former sister-in-law live in Berlin. He asked if I’d ever been there. I said no, but I’d love to visit some time. As a matter of fact, I’d enjoy going to Hungary, too. All over Europe. Of course, curiosity took hold, and that included a pinch of my journalistic penchant to ask questions, so one thing led to another. For sure, I tried not to load the questions. I didn’t blurt them out without any semblance of segue. I asked them as part of the natural conversational flow. One thing had to lead to another. Mostly, I didn’t want to push anything.

According to domestic media reports from almost everywhere, I wondered how we’re perceived around the world. “What do you think of America over there? Aren’t we kind of like the laughing-stock of Europe? You know, Trump and all?”

His facial expression suddenly turned from amiable to slightly serious. “No, not at all. America is America and we love it. Everybody loves America. We don’t pay attention to that kind of stuff.”

Please note that I made no attempt to sway his responses in any way. “Even in Germany? I mean, I can understand Hungary. but that’s only one country?”

“No, Germany, too. We have our own problems and America’s problems? It’s not something we care so much about. Life goes on.”

Clearly, I thought, this is not the picture our media are painting.  Granted, he might have been what we would consider “a conservative” in this country. Or, maybe not. I didn’t know. I didn’t address his personal political views at all, and on his own, he brought up something else.

“You know, Hungary built a wall to keep the immigrants out.” I knew which immigrants he meant.

“Do you mean, to keep them from settling in your country?”

“No, they can’t do that. They can’t settle in Hungary. It’s to keep them from passing through our country.” Interesting, because it’s part of the European Union.

“Do you mean, on their way to Germany?”

“Yes.”

I kind of got the impression that there are lots of nationalists in Hungary, because he said that’s precisely what the country wanted to do. They didn’t want trouble following them like other parts of Europe. The problems you and I don’t usually get to read about or watch on the news.

“Germany has a problem with many of those immigrants. A lot of German tourists and tourists from other European countries vacation in Hungary and they thank us profusely because they feel very safe. They don’t have to fear immigrants. It’s a real concern.”

Hmmm… “Do you get many American tourists?”

“Oh, yes, lots of them.”

“Do they ever discuss problems like that?”

“No, not at all. They just come to enjoy themselves.”

“Oh, I’d love to visit. It’s part of ‘Old Europe.’ It’s rich in history.”

“You know, as part of the European Union, we weren’t really allowed to build a wall, but we did it anyway because we are still our own country. Everyone that visits thanks us for doing it because,” and he reiterated, “they feel safe.”

I looked at this as but one man’s position, but I seriously doubted (and still doubt) he’s alone. I had time for one final thought.

“Do you think that Merkel and the other leaders talk about Trump and all, but the people don’t listen to them?”

“Yes, that’s the way it works. They are political. They pontificate. We are simply people.”

And so it went. It was a fascinating conversation that I found to be a bit disturbing. What bothered me most about it was that we’ll never hear this perspective from America’s MSM, our very own mainstream media. If you want to know the truth, you need to talk to people. They really do love America.

A Mad Daesh

Several years ago, I inadvertently stood on a fire ant mound and, before realizing it, my pants were covered with them. Thousands of them! A friend had to alert me. Many got under my blue jeans and were crawling all over my legs. They were on my arms and and one hand. I couldn’t feel them until… just like that, they virulently attacked; all of them biting me at once, in complete unison. How do fire ants and other insects communicate? How did they signal each other that NOW was the time? That’s what happened in Paris on Friday night, only it was an ‘intrusion’ of coordinated cockroaches.

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The president of France, Francois Hollande, blames Islamic State for the Paris attacks that killed well over 100 people. President Obama does not. He said, “I don’t want to speculate” on who is behind it (although German police openly stated that there were clear links between a man arrested in Germany earlier this week and Friday night’s atrocity.) Just prior to the attacks, the president asserted that ISIL was not gaining strength and that “we have contained them.”

I refuse to call this slaughterhouse gang ISIS, ISIL or Islamic State because it has no state and no country recognizes or legitimizes it. It is Daesh. It is a band of raping, pillaging, murderous thugs hellbent on returning the world to 7th century butchery. The group claims it was behind the terrorist attacks in Paris. 

What we have with Daesh is an organization the western world and its leaders clearly don’t understand. We cannot rely on our intelligence agencies because they will fail us. They just failed France. Terrorists use encrypted cell phone and tablet apps that remain under the radar, just like underground tunnels. We cannot simply ferret them out. We must stand united and stop fighting among ourselves over petty issues. If this is not a hideous wake-up call, I have no idea what it will take, and a good part of the problem is that people constantly politicize everything. EVERYTHING! For instance, certain American factions still firmly believe that Obama is a Kenyan born Muslim while others continue to blame George W. Bush for the September 11, 2001 attacks. Will these same people now blame Francois Hollande for Friday’s attacks? No, of course not. Why? Because it’s personal hatred and bitterness firmly focused on a particular person, that’s all. Obama v. Bush at the moment. It’s no wonder why there will never be peace on earth. I want to declare war on prejudice and stupidity. I read it everywhere online and see it on TV. It’s on radio talk shows. Democrats, Republicans, liberals and conservatives spew garbage in meme after meme on social media sites. We fight ourselves instead of the real enemy. We are supposed to be brothers and sisters, arm-in-arm. Instead, we are brothers and sisters, fighting over a bowl of food, paying no attention to the rabid dog stealing it out from under us.

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The following is the statement released by Daesh. What will it take to realize that we are a world at war?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent

Allah (ta’ala) said, {They thought that their fortresses would protect them from Allah but Allah came upon them from where they had not expected, and He cast terror into their hearts so they destroyed their houses by their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take warning, O people of vision} [Al-Hashr:2].

In a blessed battle whose causes of success were enabled by Allah, a group of believers from the soldiers of the Caliphate (may Allah strengthen and support it) set out targeting the capital of prostitution and vice, the lead carrier of the cross in Europe-Paris. This group of believers were youth who divorced the worldly life and advanced towards their enemy hoping to be killed for Allah’s sake, doing so in support of His religion, His Prophet (blessing and peace be upon him), and His allies. They did so in spite of His enemies. Thus, they were truthful with Allah — we consider them so — and Allah granted victory upon their hands and cast terror into the hearts of the crusaders in their very own homeland.

And so eight brothers equipped with explosive belts and assault rifles attacked precisely chosen targets in the center of the capital of France. These targets included the Stade de France stadium during a soccer match — between the teams of Germany and France, both of which are crusader nations — attended by the imbecile of France (Francois Hollande). The targets included the Bataclan theatre for exhibitions, where hundreds of pagans gathered for a concert of prostitution and vice. There were also simultaneous attacks on other targets in the tenth, eleventh, and eighteenth districts, and elsewhere. Paris was thereby shaken beneath the crusaders’ feet, who were constricted by its streets. The result of the attacks was the deaths of no less than two hundred crusaders and the wounding of even more. All praise, grace, and favor belong to Allah.

Allah blessed our brothers and granted them what they desired. They detonated their explosive belts in the masses of the disbelievers after finishing all their ammunition. We ask Allah to accept them amongst the martyrs and to allow us to follow them.

Let France and all nations following its path know that they will continue to be at the top of the target list for the Islamic State and that the scent of death will not leave their nostrils as long as they partake in the crusader campaign, as long as they dare to curse our Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), and as long as they boast about their war against Islam in France and their strikes against Muslims in the lands of the Caliphate with their jets, which were of no avail to them in the filthy streets and alleys of Paris. Indeed, this is just the beginning. It is also a warning for any who wish to take heed.

Allah is the greatest.

(And to Allah belongs all honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know) [Al-Munafiqun: 8].