Tours - A Macro-Historical Victory over Islam, A City in France and Home of a Soldier Saint

Macro-history is an attempt to create a model of the cultural-historical process that will explain historical change for all societies-civilizations. The proposed model operates in the spirit of the social sciences, not as a philosophy, focused on patterns of change and not some goal or end of history. It was developed as an alternative to the various myths of progress current in the West from Liberalism to Marxism, and should be tested both empirically and theoretically.

Hey, that's nice.  I see things from a moving vehicle most times.

I drive the Dan Ryan Expressway every morning (southbound) after picking up Leo High School students on my northbound weave through Englewood, Grand Crossing, Bronzevill, Bridgeport and Canaryville.  At 59th Street, the west side view is dominated by the Gothic magnificence of Chicago Embassy Church, formerly known as St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church.

For decades, this beautiful view was magnified by a gold-leaf statue of a horseman with beggar  by his side.  That statue was blown down by a huge of gust of Chicago wind.  The statue represented n event in th elife of Roman cavalryman stationed in Gaul (France) in 317 AD,  The soldier was Martin: Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316 – 8 November 397) 

He was still an unbaptized catechumen when he was forced to join the army at 15. The Roman army apparently had a law that required sons of veterans to serve in the military. Still, Martin found this so far removed from his desire to be a Christian monk that he had to be held in chains before taking the military oath. Once the oath was administered he felt bound to obey. He was assigned to a ceremonial cavalry unit that protected the emperor and rarely saw combat. Like his father, he became an officer and eventually was assigned to garrison duty in Gaul (present-day France).
Even in the military Martin attempted to live the life of a monk. Though he was entitled to a servant because he was an officer, he insisted on switching roles with his servant, cleaning the servant's boots instead of the other way around!
It was on this garrison duty at Amiens that the event took place that has been portrayed in art throughout the ages. On a bitterly cold winter day, the young tribune Martin rode through the gates, probably dressed in the regalia of his unit -- gleaming, flexible armor, ridged helmet, and a beautiful white cloak whose upper section was lined with lambswool. As he approached the gates he saw a beggar, with clothes so ragged that he was practically naked. The beggar must have been shaking and blue from the cold but no one reached out to help him. Martin, overcome with compassion, took off his mantle. In one quick stroke he slashed the lovely mantle in two with his sword, handed half to the freezing man and wrapped the remainder on his own shoulders. Many in the crowd thought this was so ridiculous a sight that they laughed and jeered but some realized that they were seeing Christian goodness. That night Martin dreamed that he saw Jesus wearing the half mantle he had given the beggar. Jesus said to the angels and saints that surrounded him, "See! this is the mantle that Martin, yet a catechumen, gave me." When he woke, it was the "yet a catechumen" that spurred Martin on and he went immediately to be baptized. He was eighteen years old.

Martin later refused to use his weapons in a coming battle.  He told his commander that he would not spill blood, but he was no coward.  Martin declared, " I am a soldier of Christ."  To prove so, he offered to be placed unarmed and in the front-center of the infantry.  This impressed his leaders, but the enemy surrendered before battle was given and Martin was allowed out of army when his time was up.  He became a priest and most reluctantly, the Bishop of Tours.

Martin of Tours was St. Francis of Assisi one thousand years before that lovable saint was born.  He was a capable administrator, even though he spent a great deal of time tending to the poor and sick and he was also a tireless defender of Catholic teachings, though most persons tended to be druids, or army camp followers of the cult of Mithra.  Martin, a soldier, led from the front and over time his example changed hearts.  Tours became wealthy center of trade and also philanthropy. For the next 400 years Tours flourished in finance, but more so in faith.

During this time, a great challenge to Christianity swept out of the Arabian deserts, conquered Roman Syria  Eygpt, Carthaginian North Africa and most of Spain.  The Sword of Islam wielded by The Prophet and the Caliphate (his successors) forced all other faiths and folk to submit to the Koran or pay the tax, or face beheading.  Most submitted with no problem, or paid up.  No one knows the exact numbers of the decapitated

A group of Germanic gents, The Franks, had settled in Roman occupied Gaul, converted to Christianity, yet retained their warlike impulses for slaughter with the scientific application of martial strategy from the Romans. One especially fierce Christian was Charles of the Austarasian Franks. When the Caliphate moved into Gaul Charles and his like-minded cousins were having none of it. They adopted a strategy.

The Battle of Tours (often called the Battle of Poitiers, but not to be confused with the Battle of Poitiers, 1356) was fought on October 10, 732 between forces under the Frankish leader Charles Martel and a massive invading Islamic army led by Emir Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi Abd al Rahman, near the city of Tours, France. During the battle, the Franks defeated the Islamic army and Emir Abd er Rahman was killed. This battle stopped the northward advance of Islam from the Iberian peninsula, and is considered by most historians to be of macrohistorical importance, in that it halted the Islamic conquests, and preserved Christianity as the controlling faith in Europe, during a period in which Islam was overrunning the remains of the old Roman and Persian Empires. 

Franks, led by Charles Martel. Estimates of the Frankish army defending Gaul vary, but by most accounts were between 15,000 and 75,000. Losses according to St. Denis were about 1,500.

Muslims, between 60,000 and 400,000 cavalry, (most likely closer to the lower number) under Abd er Rahman; besides source differences, this army is difficult to estimate in size, since it was often fractured into raiding parties to carry out the pillaging and plundering of various richly cultured Frankish centers; however, the entire Muslim army was present at Tours by Arab accounts. During the six days he waited to begin the Battle, Abd er Rahman recalled all those columns raiding and pillaging, so that on the seventh day, when by both eastern and western accounts the Battle began, both armies were at full strength. . . . No later Muslim attempts against Asturias or the Franks was made as conflict between what remained of the Umayyad Dynasty, (which was the Umayyad Emirate and then Caliphate of Iberia) and the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad prevented a unified assault on Europe. It would be another 700 years before the Ottomans managed to invade Europe via the Balkans.

Christianity and Western culture was saved.    Art, music, philosophy and architecture continued to reflect man's debt to God and despite the obvious misdeeds of Christian kings and popes and their minions - beautiful music, magnificent paintings and sculpture and the printed word moved men toward things eternal.  Judeo - Christian man lived to aspire as well as submit to God's majesty.  Name a great Muslim composer.

Martin of Tours gave a beggar a cloak and that act gave us a capella song and chaplains.  Both words come from that deed. Imagine if Charles the Frank had decided to cave to the Caliphate. or parse his submission in surrender?  Charles became known as The Hammer - Charles Martel. From his wild loins came a breed that produced Europe's greatest king Charlemagne, or Karl Der Grosse to our German cousins. Charles The Hammer saved the city of Tours and also knowledge of Martin of Tours.



On the Dan Ryan Expressway at 59th Street, just past the L tracks St. Martin of Tours remains in grey limestone pointing back to God.

Those Arab Spring Bullies and Coptic Christian Diaspora

As I've stated here any number of times, Progressive subsist on a banquet of bullshit.

The same folks who get their backs up about fois gras and the mistreatment of geese support the murder of children via Planned Parenthood. The same people who support Cadillac Commies and Race Hustlers like Al Sharpton refuse to part with a nickel to help black kids get a good education, let alone support real School Choice- Vouchers.

The same people demanding homosexula marriage hiss at Catholics and spit out Pedaphile!

The most violent cowards tend to be anti-war activists.

The new anti-bullying campaign is no more than an adjunct of the homosexual marriage agenda.

While balloon heads like Lady Gaga drop $ 35,000 and change to get in the news and question the President about Bullies, Coptic Christians in Egypt are being slaughtered and run out of theor homeland.

In response, the president made remarks about “his administration’s anti-bullying campaign, and then more generally about the importance of values and who we are as Americans.”

But let's worry about Bullying? Sure. I hate bullies. They are easily dealt with - not rocket science. If your kid, or any kid gets intimidated, tell that child to step up and give the indimidator a shot in the snot locker. If the bullied is too intimidated, he/she can tell someone. Call the local news media and they will be out in a New York minute, especially if the bullied is LBGT,or Q.

The Coptic Christians are bullied, burned out and banished in Tom Friedman's Araba Spring. Now this bullying by bullies who know their stuff:

Nearly 93,000 Coptic Christians have left Egypt since 19 March, a report by an Egypt-based Coptic NGO has said.

The number may increase to 250,000 by the end of 2011, according to Naguib Gabriel, the head of the Egyptian Federation of Human Rights, which released the report.

The current trend of Coptic immigration endangers the structure of Egypt's population, Gabriel told Al-Masry Al-Youm on Sunday. He urged the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Egyptian cabinet to work on curbing the phenomenon.

Gabriel based the data stated in the report on information from Coptic churches and communities abroad.

"Nearly 16,000 migrated to California, while 10,000 moved to New Jersey, 8000 to New York, and 8000 to other American states," according to Gabriel. "Around 14,000 left to Australia, 17,000 to Canada, and 20,000 settled in the Netherlands, Italy, England, Austria, Germany and France."

Gabriel attributed the Coptic emigration to hardline Salafi groups seeking to apply Islamic law, deny Copts senior government posts, and reduce incoming tourism. He also blamed attacks on Coptic churches and the government's failure to bring attackers to justice.

Coptic author Kamal Zakher said the numbers in the report were exaggerated, but that concern over Coptic immigration is justifiable.

Migration procedures take up to a year to complete, so it is illogical to say the January revolution caused the Copts to leave the country, Zakher said.

Are there any passages in the Koran or the made up stuff of Sharia Law about bullying?

Doubt it.


http://www.politico.com/blogs/click/0911/Gaga_for_Obama_.html

Sharia Law West of the Pecos!

Imam Roy W. Bean: Mr. Harden, it's my duty to inform you that the larceny of an equine is a capital offense punishableby death, but you can rest assured that in this court a horse thief always gets a fair trial before he's hung.


Muslim Scholars have ruled that killing 'innocent Jews and Christians' is Sharia complicit. "That's my Rulin'!"

Abu Walid Al-Maqdisi, leader of the Jama’at Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad organization, was asked about Islam’s position on killing innocent civilians during “martyrdom operations” such as the 9/11 attacks. He replied with a fatwa stating that although Islam prohibits the killing of innocents, Jews and Christians may be attacked because they are “aggressive combatants.”

Even if some of the Jews and Christians in these countries may actually be innocent, Muslim scholars “have ruled that, in the case of a surprise attack, it is permissible to kill all of them” including innocent bystanders, he declared.

Our Celebration of Diversity is a Rainbow! Ain't it just?

Cordoba Islamist Bridge Builder - Get Over It?

Get a load of this piece of work. He should be on MSNBC with his depth, intelligence and sense of humor. A fanny pack???!!!!!!!!!!! I 'm going to issue a Fatwah on this habiliment atrocity! I always believed Muslims to be dedicated followers of fashion and snappy dressers, Omar Shariff! Jesus!

Rauf, Rauf, Rauf! I wish to thank President Obama for helping expose the dubious folks behind this iniative and shedding light on Islamist Bridge Builders like the clown in the video.

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do!

At 51 Park Place in New York City–the proposed Ground Zero mosque location– Eyeblast.tv was interviewing people on the street when an American Muslim supporter of the mosque said to “get over” 9/11 and that despite Manhattan having over 200 mosques, they need to keep the location of the mosque “right here.”

“God d****it, my wife is Jewish. Come on you guys, get over it”, the man said in regards to 9/11 after trying to draw an analogy using the Vietnam War. Right after he says to “get over it”, a lady responded “Oh my God, I’m not going to get over it- it happened right there”, pointing towards Ground Zero. An argument then breaks out between the two. In typical leftist debating fashion, he later calls her a “racist”.UPDATE: Eyeblast.tv also interviewed Imam Rauf’s close friend, follower and security guard who said that funding for the mosque was coming from “Muslims around the world”, and that the Imam who wants to construct the mosque doesn’t have to clarify comments that U.S. policies were an ‘accessory’ to 9/11.

Also, people at the site of Ground Zero and Park 51 were asked their views on the mosque. Here is what they had to say.

Posted by Joe Schoffstall
This entry was posted on Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at 5:06 pm and is filed under 2010 Midterm Elections, Government, Liberals Behaving Badly, Media, Online Video, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Tags: 9/11, Ground Zero Mosque, Imam Rauf, New York City, Park 51

The Muslim World of St. Cajetan's Parish, er . . .Whadda We Call it, Now?

Now, the flip side is I think that the United States and the West generally, we have to educate ourselves more effectively on Islam.

"And one of the points I want to make is, is that if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.

President Barack H. Obama 6/2/2009 or is that AH 1430*

In the Name of Father . . .Alla Akabar! This meeting of the St. Cajetan . . .Caliph Umr . . . Knights of the Blessed Sacra. .. Seljuk Turks is called to order this day June . . .something er other AH 1430.

I'm Marty O'Hara, Grand Moujik of this Lodge and stuff. Okay to business

Imam Terry O'Donovan will be up in the minaret if any of you guys want to to go to Confession . . Salah, its ritual prayer, Hickey, like a novena only different - look the Sin Box is out. . . but you guys ain't exactly wearing the carpet out going in there anyway.

The Zakat, was off last week and Father Te. . . Imam Terry is beefing to me so tell the family to dig.

Sawm is like Lent, only we're moving things up to September, because Easter is out and some of you guys can stand some Sawm and then some. Half you clowns got Dunlap's Disease**- terminal.

Gaffney and O'Connell Travel has booked Ryan Air Flights -Chicago to Shannon to Mecca for this year's The Hajj,

The Tarrif ain't too bad. Nice gambling junket in the United Arab Emirates too . . .eats are nice.

Look, all this Change is what President Obama told the world we gotta do and we're gonna do it or MSNBC be will peeing all over the place 24/7.

The beer concession is cancelled 'officially' but chilled 'milk of Islam' is in the coolers so grab a couple and let's get Submissive!


This concludes the business.

Gambling, smokes and water-pipes may be lit. Imam Terry said that we gotta go easy on the noise. Cash for chips.

* Islamic Calendar

http://www.rabiah.com/convert/

** Dunlap's Disease - an affliction brought on by an excess of empty calories and an absence of exercise - 'where the belly done lops over the belt' in helot argot.

Watch - Mumbai is Kankakee, Chicago, or Anywhere.

He who does not meditate acts as one who never looks into the mirror and so does not bother to put himself in order, since he can be dirty without knowing it. The person who meditates and turns his thoughts to God who is the mirror of the soul, seeks to know his defects and tries to correct them, moderates himself in his impulses and puts his conscience in order.

-- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina


A wonderful girl -woman actually; mother of two and wife of my best friend in the world Charlie Olson - goes to Mumbai often as a dialysis engineer for Baxter. Thankfully, Kate was not in Mumbai this Thanksgiving during the most cold-blooded and horrific exercise of Terrorism that took the lives of nearly two hundred souls.

I talked to Charlie this weekend and, as we 'limited gender' souls do, talked around the subject. We are fragile.

All we have is limited field of vision and are so vulnerable to shifts in events and circumstances that all we can do is keep our heads on a swivel.

The victims of the monsters saw few signs of warning prior to the attacks in the carefully selected hotels, restaurants, Temples, and thoroughfares. The ten or so monsters looked like college kids with their backpacks containing automatic rifles, ammunition and grenades. They are monsters.

Monster can be traced back to various etymological roots. The Latin 'monstrum' means 'that which teaches', and there is also another connection to 'monstrare', to show. Demonstrandum from Quod Erat Demonstrandum - 'That which was to be demontrated' from 'demonstratum' as a past participle of 'demonstrare.'

Middle aged couples enjoying a trip to the exotic city in India, witnessed only a demonstration of the exercise of Will that is so much the heart of contemporary spirituality. Kids, the ages of their grandchildren no doubt, methodically opened fire and re-loaded magazines and murdered Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindu Mumbaikars, and Asian and Western tourists indiscriminately.

There are devotees of WILL here in the United States ready to parse and dissemble the root cause of the Monsters with backpacks loaded with weapons in Mumbai. Ramsey Clark is no doubt ready to board a plane and take up the cause of the Monsters* ( one of the miserable bastards survived and whined to security forces 'put me on saline'); Noam Chomsky and Billy Ayers have no doubt penned a clever contrarian essay on the massacre and its radical implications for Identity politics here in America.

The balance of us must be watchful. Advent calls to mind the Promise of Arrival. At Sacred Heart Mission on 116th & Church Street here on the south side of Chicago, Father Gallagher, a retired but active priest, explained the Gospel today. Words and thoughts that would be lost on a smug dissembler like Ramsey Clark, or a Noam Chomsky, or a Billy Ayers. We, the rest of us, must humble ourselves in order to be vigilant enough for the Coming of Christ and all the other expectations that living demands of us. Tough call.

We do not want someone telling us what to watch out for . . .especially during the Holidays. Modern thought depends upon the clever parser's rule to nuance -'Who's to say?' Jesus, I hate that expression of nuanced smugness. With those words the Nuanced act to 'Isolate' people and then they can collect them all into their Will! The Disciples of WILL appreciate the slaughter of the innocents in Mumbai as it 'Reifies' Will!

Folks, We must put Will on the back burner. It starts with yours truly, here. I take a back seat to no one where stubborn Pride is concerned.

I get a lesson in the majesty of Humility as I witness the simple, devout, uncomplex, generous and tough people at Sacred Heart: housewives, mothers teachers, cops, firemen, City of Chicago workers, ComEd workers and students. I have a lot of work to do living up to them. Living up to the good people slaughtered by the Monsters.

Look for Christ. Be Watchful.



Mark 13: 33 - 37


Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.
Watch therefore -- for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning --
lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.
And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.

Monsters are with us. Christ is also with us and keeps returning to us. If we do not watch we will miss Him. He was gunned down in Mumbai by Monsters. We must watch for His return. Be thankful, as I am that Baxter did not send Kate McKenna Olson to Mumbai.

However, with Monsters, everywhere is Mumbai

*

Mercifully, the group, armed with plastic explosives, underestimated the strength of the
105-year-old building’s solid foundations.
As it is, their deadly attacks have left close to 200 confirmed dead, with the toll expected to rise to nearly 300 once the hotel has been fully searched by security forces.
Yesterday, Kasab chillingly went through details of Wednesday night’s killing spree across the city, which ended when he was cornered by police.
He pretended to be dead, which probably saved his life. It was only when he was being transferred to hospital by ambulance that his accompanying officer noticed he was still breathing.

Code Stupid Part IV - Hamerhard Media, Michael Moore, Andy Thayer, Kevin Clark, Catholic Schoolgirls Against The War and Bloody Sunday

The Nut Bag is Deep. Kevin Clark of International Solidarity Movement(ISM) a thoroughly discredited wing of the Palestine terror network that helped get people killed in 2003 and Chicago Media group Hamerhard Media; party planners for violent acts, n'cest pas? Michale Moore touting the work of Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War - produced by Funded Organizations listed below. Who says stuff just happens?

Yesterday, Easter Mass worshippers at Holy Name Cathedral Annex were violently assaulted by six domestic terrorists/martyrs/goofs/ISM-stooges/ whatever. All six were arrested and charged with felonies. One of their witnesses Kevin Clark, 57 of International Solidarity Movement - discredited by Mother Jones as responsible if not complicit in the deaths of some people in Gaza in 2003 disappeared from the Chicago Tribune reports this morning. Bad idea Tribune - that is why no one is buying the Sun Times.

Turns out Kevin Clark has a friend in Michael Moore - the Reverse Gandhi of the American Left. Michael Moore touts Hamer Hard Media for it's fine work in this guerrilla theatre at Holy Name yesterday.

Hamer Hard Media -Here's Who we are:

Who we are Our history Our partners

Who we are: HammerHard Mediaworks is a worker-run non-profit collective of media professionals and activists committed to media advocacy, skills-sharing and movement-building in partnership with grassroots progressive groups.

Our history: HammerHard MediaWorks was jumpstarted in Chicago in 1995 by activist and communications worker Christine Geovanis, who needed a handle for press outreach to support the family of a mentally ill man who was beaten to death in front of his wife and children by two Chicago police officers. Today, HammerHard’s core collective includes Chris, independent media activist Richard Reilly, audio and video producer Allan Gomez, policy analyst Joleen Kirschenman, LGBT activist Philana Fisher, Palestinian solidarity activist Mahmud Ahmad, community activist Andy Thayer, stellar graphic designer Emily Lonigro and a rolling crew of volunteer partners and interns who keep the work going. Collective members have worked on issues that range from rank-and-file trade union democracy and immigrant rights to Palestinian solidarity and police brutality. Active projects today include tactical and public relations planning in projects revolving around police brutality, anti-war initiatives, and media access issues.

Our partners: Groups with whom we have a standing relationship or have worked with recently include Jewish Voice for Peace, the Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism, Carpenters for a Democratic Union, Peace Pledge/Chicago, the Free Palestine Alliance, the Arab American Action Network, Houston Global Awareness, People Power Can End the War Coalition, United Students Against Sweatshops, Smartmeme, PERRO -- the Pilson Environmental Rights & Reforms Organization, Democracy Uprising, the DNC to RNC March Project, the Stop CAT Coalition, the 8th Day Center for Justice, ISM -- the International Solidarity Movement, Chicago Action Medical.

Here's What They Do:

What we do How we work

What we do: Our collective members provide press outreach, tactical planning, public relations, and training in organizing and outreach to grassroots projects fighting for economic and social justice. The project is run – as it was from the day it was created – as a pro bono effort, although we have on the rare occasion allowed a project to kick us a couple of bucks. Our individual collective members also work on contract to spec on a variety of projects.

The HammerHard collective's philosophy is simple: help get the word out about stories that have to be told – and empower the people whose lives drive those stories to change the root conditions that thwart justice today. That philosophy is imbued with a couple of key concepts:

►First, media strategies must be embedded in a larger strategic organizing approach, so that core organizing goals always drive the messaging – and safeguard the integrity of the organizing effort.

►Second, movement-building is intrinsically bound to community- building, and wherever possible our work is designed to connect groups and people across shared lines of concern and common points of unity.

►Third, our collective strength is built on the struggles and accumulated wisdom of the people and projects who’ve broken ground before us. It is our right and our responsibility to pass these strengths along, free from the constraints of the commercial ‘imperatives’ that commonly undercut social and economic justice.

How we work: We run this volunteer effort collectively, and are always open to sharing our resources, collaborating with people and projects that share our goals, and working with groups to allow them to take control of their own media work and broader organizing. We are also committed to tapping into the burgeoning environments of new media, technology and information-sharing that have evolved in recent years as alternatives to traditional modes of media and organizing work. That said, we recognize that some traditional approaches – including people-to-people outreach and a renewed interest in approaches that are rooted in direct democracy – continue to have enormous value in our work. While we’re happy to manage media messaging and tactical planning for our partners, we are also deeply committed to sharing the skills and resources that allow grassroots projects to seize control of their own messaging and strengthen their organizing efforts.


And Michael Moore touts their efforts on his site:

March 24th, 2008 12:42 am
Fake Blood, Real Arrests in Holy Name Cathedral Easter Service Disruption


WBBM 780

Six anti-war protestors have been charged following an Easter service disruption at Holy Name Cathedral in the Loop Sunday morning.

Three men and three women were arrested at 735 N. State St. at the 11:40 a.m. service. Cardinal Francis George was leading services at the Parish Center because of construction at the main Cathedral. The protestors discharged packets of fake blood. Some of it splattered parishioners.

The men arrested: 21-year-old Donte D. Smith, 22-year-old Ephran Ramirez, Jr., and 25-year-old Ryane J. Ziemba.

The women arrested: 18-year-old Mercedes Phinaih, 25-year-old Regan Maher and 20-year-old Angela Haban.

All six protestors have been charged with two counts of felony criminal damage to property and two counts of simple battery.

As Cardinal George began his homily, the protesters stood up to stage what they called a Die-In.

Protestors denounced the Cardinal for meeting this past January with President Bush, who they label a war criminal.

Ushers rushed in to remove the protestors along with some Chicago police officers who were stationed in the lobby to help with traffic control. The demonstrators also laid down – passive resistance -- to make it more difficult for them to be removed. The anti-war group “Catholic Schoolgirls Against The War” has claimed responsibility for the protest. They took part in the Wednesday Loop protest on the fifth anniversary of the start of the war. The Illinois Coalition for Peace and Justice lists them as members and describes the group this way: "Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War is a humorous, political street threatre group composed of college students and young adults. The group was formed in October of 2006 and meets twice per month."

After the brief interruption, the Cardinal took a moment to talk about the "peace" that God gives the faithful. He said he was grateful to those who interrupted his homily so that he could deliver that message.

The six are scheduled in court a week from Monday, March 31.

The group sat through the Mass until Cardinal George reached the homily. A few seconds into the main holiday message, the protestors rose from their seats, turned to address the thousands of parishioners in the auditorium and talked about the continuing death of both Iraqis and Americans in Iraq, according to a release from HammerHard.

Hamerhard Mediaworks is also a ICPJ member, listed this way: "HammerHard Mediaworks is a worker-run non-profit collective of media professionals and activists committed to media advocacy, skills-sharing and movement-building in partnership with grassroots progressive groups."

WBBM NewsRadio 780's Michele Fiore, CBS2 and The Sun-Times News Group wire contributed to this report.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11166

So let's see - Blood on Easter, Six Goofs in Custody, Kevin Clark and ISM involvement, Andy Thayer Local Goofball tied to Cop Lawsuit King Jon Loevy, - you can not make this stuff up!


http://www.hammerhard.org/whoweare.html

John McCain: Islamist Terror, Mr. President! Where was Islamist Terror in your Last State of the Union?

I was pretty much surprised that President Bush never used the words
Islamist or Islamist Extremism or Islamist Terror in his last State of the Union!

Sweet Jesus! Islamist Terrorism (designed, funded and launched from Wahabist Schools in Saudi Arabia)killed 3,000 Americans; pushed America to topple Saddam; and bankrupted the Bush Presidency.

No trace of those words in the State of the Union ( click my post title for the full transcript): Here's the Foreign Policy stuff:

Our foreign policy is based on a clear premise: We trust that people, when given the chance, will choose a future of freedom and peace. In the last seven years, we have witnessed stirring moments in the history of liberty. We've seen citizens in Georgia and Ukraine stand up for their right to free and fair elections. We've seen people in Lebanon take to the streets to demand their independence. We've seen Afghans emerge from the tyranny of the Taliban and choose a new president and a new parliament. We've seen jubilant Iraqis holding up ink-stained fingers and celebrating their freedom. These images of liberty have inspired us. (Applause.)

In the past seven years, we've also seen images that have sobered us. We've watched throngs of mourners in Lebanon and Pakistan carrying the caskets of beloved leaders taken by the assassin's hand. We've seen wedding guests in blood-soaked finery staggering from a hotel in Jordan, Afghans and Iraqis blown up in mosques and markets, and trains in London and Madrid ripped apart by bombs. On a clear September day, we saw thousands of our fellow citizens taken from us in an instant. These horrific images serve as a grim reminder: The advance of liberty is opposed by terrorists and extremists -- evil men who despise freedom, despise America, and aim to subject millions to their violent rule.

Since 9/11, we have taken the fight to these terrorists and extremists. We will stay on the offense, we will keep up the pressure, and we will deliver justice to our enemies. (Applause.)

We are engaged in the defining ideological struggle of the 21st century. The terrorists oppose every principle of humanity and decency that we hold dear. Yet in this war on terror, there is one thing we and our enemies agree on: In the long run, men and women who are free to determine their own destinies will reject terror and refuse to live in tyranny. And that is why the terrorists are fighting to deny this choice to the people in Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Palestinian Territories. And that is why, for the security of America and the peace of the world, we are spreading the hope of freedom. (Applause.)

In Afghanistan, America, our 25 NATO allies, and 15 partner nations are helping the Afghan people defend their freedom and rebuild their country. Thanks to the courage of these military and civilian personnel, a nation that was once a safe haven for al Qaeda is now a young democracy where boys and girls are going to school, new roads and hospitals are being built, and people are looking to the future with new hope. These successes must continue, so we're adding 3,200 Marines to our forces in Afghanistan, where they will fight the terrorists and train the Afghan Army and police. Defeating the Taliban and al Qaeda is critical to our security, and I thank the Congress for supporting America's vital mission in Afghanistan. (Applause.)

In Iraq, the terrorists and extremists are fighting to deny a proud people their liberty, and fighting to establish safe havens for attacks across the world. One year ago, our enemies were succeeding in their efforts to plunge Iraq into chaos. So we reviewed our strategy and changed course. We launched a surge of American forces into Iraq. We gave our troops a new mission: Work with the Iraqi forces to protect the Iraqi people, pursue the enemy in its strongholds, and deny the terrorists sanctuary anywhere in the country.

The Iraqi people quickly realized that something dramatic had happened. Those who had worried that America was preparing to abandon them instead saw tens of thousands of American forces flowing into their country. They saw our forces moving into neighborhoods, clearing out the terrorists, and staying behind to ensure the enemy did not return. And they saw our troops, along with Provincial Reconstruction Teams that include Foreign Service officers and other skilled public servants, coming in to ensure that improved security was followed by improvements in daily life. Our military and civilians in Iraq are performing with courage and distinction, and they have the gratitude of our whole nation. (Applause.)

The Iraqis launched a surge of their own. In the fall of 2006, Sunni tribal leaders grew tired of al Qaeda's brutality and started a popular uprising called "The Anbar Awakening." Over the past year, similar movements have spread across the country. And today, the grassroots surge includes more than 80,000 Iraqi citizens who are fighting the terrorists. The government in Baghdad has stepped forward, as well -- adding more than 100,000 new Iraqi soldiers and police during the past year.

While the enemy is still dangerous and more work remains, the American and Iraqi surges have achieved results few of us could have imagined just one year ago. (Applause.) When we met last year, many said that containing the violence was impossible. A year later, high profile terrorist attacks are down, civilian deaths are down, sectarian killings are down.

When we met last year, militia extremists -- some armed and trained by Iran -- were wreaking havoc in large areas of Iraq. A year later, coalition and Iraqi forces have killed or captured hundreds of militia fighters. And Iraqis of all backgrounds increasingly realize that defeating these militia fighters is critical to the future of their country.

When we met last year, al Qaeda had sanctuaries in many areas of Iraq, and their leaders had just offered American forces safe passage out of the country. Today, it is al Qaeda that is searching for safe passage. They have been driven from many of the strongholds they once held, and over the past year, we've captured or killed thousands of extremists in Iraq, including hundreds of key al Qaeda leaders and operatives.

Last month, Osama bin Laden released a tape in which he railed against Iraqi tribal leaders who have turned on al Qaeda and admitted that coalition forces are growing stronger in Iraq. Ladies and gentlemen, some may deny the surge is working, but among the terrorists there is no doubt. Al Qaeda is on the run in Iraq, and this enemy will be defeated. (Applause.)

When we met last year, our troop levels in Iraq were on the rise. Today, because of the progress just described, we are implementing a policy of "return on success," and the surge forces we sent to Iraq are beginning to come home.

This progress is a credit to the valor of our troops and the brilliance of their commanders. This evening, I want to speak directly to our men and women on the front lines. Soldiers and sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen: In the past year, you have done everything we've asked of you, and more. Our nation is grateful for your courage. We are proud of your accomplishments. And tonight in this hallowed chamber, with the American people as our witness, we make you a solemn pledge: In the fight ahead, you will have all you need to protect our nation. (Applause.) And I ask Congress to meet its responsibilities to these brave men and women by fully funding our troops. (Applause.)

Our enemies in Iraq have been hit hard. They are not yet defeated, and we can still expect tough fighting ahead. Our objective in the coming year is to sustain and build on the gains we made in 2007, while transitioning to the next phase of our strategy. American troops are shifting from leading operations, to partnering with Iraqi forces, and, eventually, to a protective overwatch mission. As part of this transition, one Army brigade combat team and one Marine Expeditionary Unit have already come home and will not be replaced. In the coming months, four additional brigades and two Marine battalions will follow suit. Taken together, this means more than 20,000 of our troops are coming home. (Applause.)

Any further drawdown of U.S. troops will be based on conditions in Iraq and the recommendations of our commanders. General Petraeus has warned that too fast a drawdown could result in the "disintegration of the Iraqi security forces, al Qaeda-Iraq regaining lost ground, [and] a marked increase in violence." Members of Congress: Having come so far and achieved so much, we must not allow this to happen. (Applause.)

In the coming year, we will work with Iraqi leaders as they build on the progress they're making toward political reconciliation. At the local level, Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds are beginning to come together to reclaim their communities and rebuild their lives. Progress in the provinces must be matched by progress in Baghdad. (Applause.) We're seeing some encouraging signs. The national government is sharing oil revenues with the provinces. The parliament recently passed both a pension law and de-Baathification reform. They're now debating a provincial powers law. The Iraqis still have a distance to travel. But after decades of dictatorship and the pain of sectarian violence, reconciliation is taking place -- and the Iraqi people are taking control of their future. (Applause.)

The mission in Iraq has been difficult and trying for our nation. But it is in the vital interest of the United States that we succeed. A free Iraq will deny al Qaeda a safe haven. A free Iraq will show millions across the Middle East that a future of liberty is possible. A free Iraq will be a friend of America, a partner in fighting terror, and a source of stability in a dangerous part of the world.

By contrast, a failed Iraq would embolden the extremists, strengthen Iran, and give terrorists a base from which to launch new attacks on our friends, our allies, and our homeland. The enemy has made its intentions clear. At a time when the momentum seemed to favor them, al Qaida's top commander in Iraq declared that they will not rest until they have attacked us here in Washington. My fellow Americans: We will not rest either. We will not rest until this enemy has been defeated. (Applause.) We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment, prevailed in a tough fight, and left behind a more hopeful region and a safer America. (Applause.)

We're also standing against the forces of extremism in the Holy Land, where we have new cause for hope. Palestinians have elected a president who recognizes that confronting terror is essential to achieving a state where his people can live in dignity and at peace with Israel. Israelis have leaders who recognize that a peaceful, democratic Palestinian state will be a source of lasting security. This month in Ramallah and Jerusalem, I assured leaders from both sides that America will do, and I will do, everything we can to help them achieve a peace agreement that defines a Palestinian state by the end of this year. The time has come for a Holy Land where a democratic Israel and a democratic Palestine live side-by-side in peace. (Applause.)

We're also standing against the forces of extremism embodied by the regime in Tehran. Iran's rulers oppress a good and talented people. And wherever freedom advances in the Middle East, it seems the Iranian regime is there to oppose it. Iran is funding and training militia groups in Iraq, supporting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, and backing Hamas' efforts to undermine peace in the Holy Land. Tehran is also developing ballistic missiles of increasing range, and continues to develop its capability to enrich uranium, which could be used to create a nuclear weapon.

Our message to the people of Iran is clear: We have no quarrel with you. We respect your traditions and your history. We look forward to the day when you have your freedom. Our message to the leaders of Iran is also clear: Verifiably suspend your nuclear enrichment, so negotiations can begin. And to rejoin the community of nations, come clean about your nuclear intentions and past actions, stop your oppression at home, cease your support for terror abroad. But above all, know this: America will confront those who threaten our troops. We will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf. (Applause.)

Nope - No Islamist Terrorism - that would be like fighting WWII with no mention of Fascism; the Cold War without Communism.

John McCain knows better.

John McCain: Remarks from the Forrestal Lecture -October 9, 2001

John McCain ended his campaign in South Carolina from USS Yorktown pictured above.

This is an American President! ( Emphases my own)

On September 11, our country was attacked by a depraved, malevolent force that hates every value Americans hold dear. It was a terrible blow that no one alive today will ever forget. But we will survive it. Our enemies will not. I have every confidence that the American people and their government will remain resolute in waging the war that has been declared on us. We have been attacked and we are fighting back. And woe to anyone who dares oppose us.

We have now begun the first phase of military operations against our enemies. As President Bush has explained, this war will have many components, diplomatic, financial, intelligence. It will include both overt and covert operations. But American military power is essential to our success. There should be no confusion about that. Nor should Mr. bin Laden or anyone who wishes this country harm have any doubt about what America can accomplish by force when we are obliged to use it. They wrongly believed they could destroy the way we live our lives. They are now just beginning to understand just how radically their lives are going to change.

The professionalism and power of our armed forces, stronger by a magnitude of ten than any other nation on earth, is something only a fool would underestimate. When it is brought to bear in great and terrible measure it is a thing to strike terror into the heart of anyone who opposes it. No mountain is big enough, no cave deep enough to hide from the fury of American military power when we are committed to victory. We must not shrink from using it, in whatever measure necessary, to defeat our enemies, wherever they are.

I agree that we will have to use force wisely to avoid inflaming the hatred for America that our enemies have been allowed to sow in the Islamic world. Toward that end, we should try hard to minimize non-combatant casualties. If we can use means other than force in some countries to achieve our goal, then we should. But we must keep our attention firmly fixed on our primary goal. Our goal is to vanquish terrorism, not reduce it, not change its operations, not temporarily subdue it, but vanquish it. All other concerns are secondary. It is a difficult, demanding task we have undertaken. We must expect and prepare for our enemies to strike us again before they are vanquished. Some of this war will be fought at home. And the casualties that we will suffer may again include civilians. We must keep our nerve at all costs. We should use no more force than necessary, but no less than necessary. Fighting this war in half measures will only give our enemies time and opportunity to strike us again. We must change and change permanently the mindset of terrorists, those who give them sanctuary and support, and those parts of Islamic populations who believe the terrorist conceit that they will ultimately prevail in a conflict with the West, that America has not the stomach to wage a relentless, long term, and, at times, ruthless war to destroy them.

We are at war, a new kind of war as the President has rightly called it. It might not involve nations clashing in conventional sea, land and air battles, although it is possible that it could come to that. I should add that I don't consider the operations in Afghanistan that commenced on Sunday to be a war against a nation, much less a war against the Muslim world. The Taliban and Al Queda are not legitimate representatives of that country, they are terrorists, period, who represent evil, not nations. But whatever this war's unique attributes, it is war nonetheless, and like all wars it will require sacrifice and hardship and casualties. And like all wars it will occasion great heroism.

This war will still be underway, in one form or another, when some of you, perhaps all of you, receive your commissions. Eighty thousand sailors and marines have already been summoned to war. Over three dozen warships, including the carriers Enterprise, Carl Vinson, Theodore Roosevelt and the Kitty Hawk have been deployed. Four battle groups, including Marine Corps Amphibious Ready Groups, destroyers, cruisers, submarines and support ships, are on station. We know that much of the air campaign to date has been waged from American and British ships. And although this war cannot and will not be fought only with cruise missiles and from 15,000 feet in the air, the Navy and Marine Corps are always an essential instrument of American power, and your service will be essential to our victory, in Afghanistan and beyond if necessary. It is your duty and your honor to defend the greatest nation in history in its hour of need. I envy you.

I say that fully aware of the hardships and risks that we impose on those we send to fight for us. I say that fully aware of the horrors that war inevitably visits on the innocent. I don't think war is glorious. I don't know a veteran who cherishes a romantic remembrance of war. All wars are awful. When nations must defend themselves by force of arms, a million tragedies ensue. Nothing, not the valor with which it is fought nor the nobility of the cause it serves, can glorify the cruel and merciless reality of warfare. That's what makes war a thing to be avoided if possible. But it is not possible now. There was no avoiding the war we are in today anymore than we could have avoided world war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

In truth, this war was declared by our enemies long before the attacks of September 11. And our reluctance to recognize this reality, and commit ourselves to unconditional victory, has been a very costly mistake. Because the only things worse than war are the consequences of refusing to wage and win it when our vital interests and founding ideals are at stake.

Our enemies have now made plain to us the clear and present danger they pose to our physical security and to the very essence of our culture, liberty. Only the most willfully deluded Americans could doubt the necessity of this war. We must fight. And we must prevail.

The term of art for the warfare of terrorists is asymmetrical. It is the kind of warfare practiced by militarily inferior forces against superior ones. We are most certainly militarily superior to our enemies. But so was the Soviet Union when it invaded Afghanistan, if not nearly to the extent that we are, as al Queda and their Taliban allies are now learning. Yet what ensures our success is that our military superiority is matched only by the superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them. Our enemies are weaker than us in arms and men, but they are weaker still in causes. They fight to express their irrational hatred for all that is good in humanity, a hatred that has fallen time and again to the armies and ideals of the righteous. We fight for love of freedom and justice, a love that is invincible. We will never surrender. They will.

The obligation of victory is shared by all Americans, but not equally. The public and the men and women they elect to serve them must share a resolve to see this war through to a just end, whatever the costs incurred, whatever setbacks we might encounter. As in all wars, we must endure before we prevail. Our elected leaders, from the most obscure office holder to the Commander-in-Chief, must not, as the President so eloquently promised, tire, falter or fail. The President and his able cabinet must, and I am confident will, wage this war wisely and decisively. But government is responsible for the summons. It falls to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, it falls to you to give the answer. This is a righteous cause, and there is much honor in your summons, but more honor still in your answer. I have no doubt that you are worthy of it. No doubt at all.

In America, our rights come before our duties, as well they should. We are a free people, and among those freedoms is the liberty to sacrifice or not for our birthright. We no longer have military conscription. Nor do we need it because we can rely on the patriotism of more than sufficient numbers of Americans to defend willingly the liberty of us all. Yet early in life, you have grasped a great truth: that those who claim their liberty but not their duty to the civilization that ensures it live a half-life, having indulged their vanity and self-interest at the cost of their self-respect. The richest man or woman, the most successful and celebrated of our citizens possesses nothing important if their lives have no greater object than themselves. They may be masters of their fate, but what a poor destiny it is that claims no higher cause than wealth and fame.

I do not believe that war and military service are the only means to honor in America. God grants us all the privilege of having our character and our patriotism tested. But those who wear the uniform of the United States know better than anyone the meaning of American citizenship.

Should we claim our rights and leave to others our duty to the nation that protects them, whatever we gain for ourselves will be of little lasting value. It will build no monuments to virtue, claim no place in the memory of posterity, offer no worthy summons to aspiring nations. Success, wealth, celebrity gained and kept for private interest is a small thing. It makes us comfortable, eases the material hardships our children will bear, purchases a fleeting regard for our lives, yet not the self-respect that in the end will matter to you most. But sacrifice for a cause greater than self-interest and you invest your lives with the eminence of that cause, your self-respect assured.

My father's generation fought depression and world war. Members of my generation fought in the Cold War and in the struggle for a more perfect union, a more just society. Some fought in uniform and some did not, but all rendered good service to America and humanity. Service in worthy causes give our lives meaning. They give even the most obscure names historical importance. Even when the names of the men and women who serve in them are forgotten, the world will still remember what they did.

When I was a young man, I thought glory was the highest ambition, and that all glory was self-glory. My parents tried to teach me otherwise, as did the Naval Academy. But I didn't understand the lesson until later in life, when I confronted challenges I never expected to face.

In that confrontation, I discovered I was dependent on others to a greater extent than I had ever realized, but that neither they nor the cause we served made any claims on my identity. On the contrary, they gave me a larger sense of myself than I had before. I discovered that nothing is more liberating than to fight for a cause larger than yourself; something that encompasses you, but is not defined by your existence alone.

I have held a public trust since I graduated from the Academy forty-three years ago. I have never lived a single day, in good times and bad, that I wasn't grateful for the privilege. This country and her causes are a blessing to mankind, and they honor all who work to make America a better place, and a greater influence on human history.

For all the terrible problems that still afflict humanity, the 21st Century would have dawned on a much less hopeful world absent America's place in it. This is what our enemies fail to understand. But they'll know it soon enough. As they race to their bunkers and caves while the might of the world's only superpower concentrates on their destruction, they will learn just how powerful a force for good we are.

Until the end of time, will there ever be a nation such as ours? I cannot imagine that any other nation's history will ever so profoundly affect the progress of the human race. That is not boastful chauvinism. It is a profession of faith in the American creed, and in the patriots who understood what history expects of us, and who saw to it that America exceeded even the loftiest aspirations of our founders.

We are not a perfect nation. Prosperity and power might delude us into thinking we have achieved that distinction, but challenges unforeseen a mere generation ago command every good citizen's concern and labor. But what we have achieved in our brief history is irrefutable proof that a nation conceived in liberty will prove stronger than any nation ordered to exalt the few at the expense of the many or made from a common race or culture or to preserve traditions that have no greater attribute than longevity. As blessed as we are, as empowered by liberty as we are, no nation complacent in its greatness can long sustain it. We are an unfinished nation. And we are not a people of half-measures. We must all take our place, give our counsel, direct our passion to the enduring task of national greatness.

I believe we were all shaken from whatever complacency we may have felt before September 11. And that is one good thing to have arisen from the ashes of the World Trade Center. But it is only good so long as the absence of complacency does not provoke an absence of confidence. What our enemies have sought to destroy is beyond their reach. We must all have faith in that truth. Armed with the power of our faith, we can endure whatever trials we must face.

Our enemies think we are weak, spared by prosperity from the hard uses of life, bred only for comfort and easy pleasure, and not the violent, cruel struggle they plan for us. The hatred that cramps their hearts has drained from their judgment all wisdom and understanding about the power of the civilization they battle.

Twelve years ago, in the first days of the last days of the Soviet empire, a young Czech student stood before a million of his countrymen, while two hundred thousand Soviet troops occupied his country, and, trembling with emotion, read a manifesto that declared a new day for the peoples of Eastern Europe. But he began that new day with borrowed words when he proclaimed:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

The message of the American revolution is the central truth of human existence. Liberty is our God-given right. No one shall take it from us. We fight today, we will fight tomorrow, we will fight to the end of time to preserve it.

Our enemies have used our liberty to their cruel ends. But our freedom is not our weakness. It is our strength. We will not let it be circumscribed by fear. Our enemies have never had the strength to take our freedom from us. They have taken innocent life. That is the limit of their power. And awakened to their threat, we will destroy that power too.

The terror our enemies have tried to sow in the hearts of Americans will now be the essence of their lives, however abbreviated their lives will be. And when they meet their Maker they will learn that they had their theology all wrong. Right, not hate, makes might. As they experience our power, so will they know the full measure of our righteousness. And as their last hour approaches they can ask an all-loving God for mercy. But don't ask us. We bring justice, not mercy.

Soon you will be the shield behind which marches the enduring message of our revolution. There is no greater duty, no greater honor. Your country needs you. Humanity needs you. Hold that honor as dearly as your country holds you. Hold it as dearly as do those who have already been called to the battle. Hold it as if it were your greatest treasure. Because it is. It is. Whatever sacrifices you must bear, you will know a happiness far more sublime than pleasure.

My warrior days were long ago, but not so long ago that I have forgotten their purpose and their reward. This is your call to arms. This is your moment to make history. There will never be another nation such as ours. Take good care of her. The fate of the world depends upon it. May God bless you, as He has blessed America with your service.

Thank you.

Template for a Leader: John McCain's Answers to The Daily News

On Sunday the Daily News issued its questions to the candidate: John McCain.

Give this a read and witness the Template for an American President. Senator McCain speaks from his heart to the global nature of America's War with Islamist Terrorism. No squirmy sound bytes or spin. This is the straight talk of a leader.

America needs a Leader. Here's a passage that I found particularly compelling:

"Our standing in the world is a strategic asset and will be increased by working more closely with the world's democracies. We Americans must be willing to listen carefully to the views of our democratic allies. Like all other nations, we reserve the sovereign right to defend our vital national security when and how we deem necessary. But our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom, knowledge and resources necessary to succeed. When we believe international action is necessary, whether military, economic, or diplomatic, we must work to persuade our democratic friends and allies that we are right. But in return, we must be willing to be persuaded by them. To be a good leader, America must be a good ally."

Read the entire response of Senator John McCain. He speaks like a leader, because he is just that - he does not play one on television, or when the teleprompter whizzes, or by catching the eye of his handler.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/07/01/2007-07-01_the_daily_news_candidate_challenge__john-2_print.html

May God watch over all of you and hold each and everyone in the cup of His warm hands this Fourth of July, 2007.

Note Well, Please:

Pray for the soul of eleven year old Nathan Dombrowski who died last night in an accident in our neighborhood in Chicago. The poor little guy was playing with his pals. Pray for his family and act with kindness to our own.