Yuletide Lunacy

Forgive me if this sounds a bit too harsh, but only an idiot would go out shopping at 6 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving. Seriously. To willingly subject oneself the mayhem of a mindless mob—just so some spoiled little brat can have a new toy waiting for him under the tree on Christmas morning—one would have to be certifiably insane.

Of course, we would expect nothing less from the materially minded American shopper. Year after year we see the images of hundreds of people clawing and biting their way through the doors of shopping malls and department stores. It's the first sign that the season of peace on earth and goodwill toward men has officially begun.

The latest reported incident of Christmas shopping carnage came out of Florida. 41-year-old Patricia VanLester was knocked to the floor and trampled by a throng of frenzied shoppers at an Orange City Wal-Mart as she attempted to procure a $29 DVD player. She was flown to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach where she is expected to spend the rest of this holiday weekend.

I'm no medical expert, but a hospital stay like that could end up costing VanLester hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars. That's one expensive DVD player.

But there is a happy ending to this otherwise tragic story. Wal-Mart officials apologized for the incident and offered to put a DVD player on hold for her. Forget It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. Wal-Mart has taught us the true meaning of Christmas: shopping online is always your safest bet.

A Religion of Peace?

Is Islam inherently violent? Are Muslim terrorists merely twisting their religious beliefs to suit their own violent behavior? According to President Bush, Islam is a non-violent, peaceful religion:

The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war.

When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that's made brothers and sisters out of every race—out of every race.

I think Jeff Adams, in his latest article "The Religion of Terrorists," has it right:

Islam was born of violence and the spilling of the blood of innocent people, and that is how it survives today. Islam spreads by force and controls by force. Just look at the countries where Islam is the dominant faith. This is not a religion of peace. This is not of God. Islam appears to be grounded in ignorant, unenlightened brutishness, not intellectual or spiritual revelations.

Adams goes on to point out that "moderate Muslims seem to only exist where Muslims are in the minority"; the truly devout Muslims are the ones longing to "establish an Islamic theocracy in America."

Do we need to reevaluate our immigration policies? Should we work to stem the flow of Muslims into the U.S.?

We can wage war all across the globe. We can resort to mindless brute force in an effort to combat terrorism overseas. Meanwhile, this country will continue to change from within, and the nation we have known all these years will cease to exist. Say "Goodbye" to the melting pot—and say "Hello" to the powder keg.

Unholy Matrimony

Thanks to four social liberals on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, "gay marriage" is well on its way to becoming part of mainstream society. While this is an insult to those who believe in the sanctity of marriage, all hope is not lost. Read my latest column for EverVigilant.net, "Legitimizing 'Gay Marriage': a Sign of the Times."

Does George W. Bush Have an Achilles Heel?

If Bush has a weakness, it may be his position on the assault weapons ban. He has already spoken out in favor of renewing the law to the chagrin of freedom-loving Americans.

His neocon advisers have convinced him to focus on the war on terror—particularly the "doctrine of preemption"—during the 2004 campaign season. Part of that strategy may include promoting the assault weapons ban as an effective tool in our fight against terrorism. Will Bush end up alienating his conservative constituency? We'll find out soon enough.

Check out my latest editorial for Ever Vigilant: The Assault Weapons Ban May Be Bush's Undoing.

The Episcopal Church

Ever Vigilant columnist Jeff Adams asks the question, "Is the Episcopal Church a Christian Church Anymore?"