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The Mailbag
with Mama Sierra
Published 11. 28. 02 at 22:58 Sierra Time

Dear Readers,
It is terribly difficult to discard so many of your letters! I'm going to work hard to find a better way to do this, but in the meantime, I want to thank you all again for your kindness and support. Here are the highlights from the past week. MamaSierra

To Jihadi: A Response from the American People
Unsigned - Just Like Theirs'

<<I do not recall giving one dollar to the Russian army for their actions in Chechnya (but I do recall a few destroyed apartment buildings in Moscow prior to them saying ‘enough is enough’).<<??>>

As a 1/2 Jewish+1/2 Chechen, born in Moscow, now British, I could not let this blatant distortion of the facts pass unnoticed: - The buildings were destroyed by the KGB / FSB, there are enough publications and witnesses to confirm that, if the US government would only keep their ears and eyes open to the true facts.

How can you 'fight terrorism' taking the terrorists , i.e. Putin & Co.'s side? Who are you kidding here?

20% of the whole population of Chechnya (including 40 thousand children) - brutally killed: with weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons, raped, tortured, the whole place ransacked - this is a fight against terrorists?

They have started with the blanket bombing of Grozny in 1994, shelling the maternity hospital etc., bombing people in 'safe corridors', who do you call terrorists?

CHEKA AKA KGB, AKA FSB is responsible for killing millions (30 millions) of innocent civilians in Russia since mid 20th, KGB was training/supporting terror groups all over the world and still does. Whatever happens in Chechnya and Moscow is 'thanks' to their dirty plans and deeds.

This is a disgrace for the American government to be associated with a KGB little schmuck, to be led by the nose.

What exactly is driving Bush's cabinet towards him, stupidity (they are not that stupid) or, more likely, - GREED. Never mind the people, there is cheap oil in abundance there. Americans, wake up, don't be fooled by the FSB, it is still the same old KGB with all the tricks of the trade, it is not funny like in James Bond, these are very much real criminals, a lot worse than Milosevich bandits.

A. L.

I know it doesn't help a lot, but please understand that a great many of the free men and women of America do not support the actions of this government, especially their foreign policy in Russia and many other places. MamaSierra

Jihad Manifesto - Statement to the American People
John Q. Jihad (they say it's bin Laden - but who knows)

To the Editor,
I strongly believe that this is a fake. There are several subtle (and a few not so subtle) clues. The biggie is that I could find no reference to it in a Google search. Also, it fails to mention Osama bin Laden's 1996 "Declaration of War Against America" (a curious omission if it were penned by bin Laden himself, don't you think?)

Another problem is that it refers to "...the occupation and usurpation of their [Palestinian] land..." However, it is clear that Islamic fundamentalist view the West Bank and Gaza (and indeed Israel itself!) as "sacred Islamic land". Viewing the West Bank and Gaza as separate land for the Palestinians is a (mostly) western construct. When Palestinians say they want a "homeland", they mean Israel.

There are other problems as well. The question "Why did they attack us in New York and Washington?" would more properly have been written "Why did we attack you in New York and Washington?" had been written by someone involved in (or supportive of) the actual attacks.

Also, when the writer says of Islam ,"...it is the religion of total unity... and total equality between all people, without regarding their color, sex, or language." this tells me that the writer has a limited understanding of Islam -- especially fundamentalist Islam. There is no "equality" of sex in Islam, period.

Now here is a good one! "You have destroyed nature with your industrial waste and gasses more than any other nation in history. Despite this you refuses to sign the Kyoto agreement..." Give me a break! The last thing on an Islamic fundamentalist mind is "protecting" the environment!

I could go on but, perhaps I should just give you the bottom line (as I see it).

My opinion is that this was written by some Left wing nut case in this country.-- probably a college student. For a while I was undecided as to whether it was Left wing or extreme Right wing as both harbor no love for Israel. However, the fact that "Zionist" (a common term used by Muslims when speaking of Israel) is never used -- not once -- was the key! When I combined that with the Kyoto Protocol eco-nut rhetoric it tipped the scales towards the Left. To an American Liberal "Zionist" smacks too much of Nazism.

The Left will gladly damn the nation of Israel, but they don't want to seem like racists about it!

Sincerely,
G. E. J.
Roy, UT

Nobody said this was for real. I had much the same reaction. None of it makes much sense. The nutcases in this country are truly amazing. Unfortunately, they have a great deal of company in the rest of the world. MamaSierra

National Rifle Association, Something To Be Thankful For
By Sheriff Michael E. Cook

Mr. Cook,
I enjoy reading your articles. They are thoughtful and show your support for the common man. This is the exception. The NRA has turned into a self licking ice cream cone. They exist only to exist. There is an old saying, judge them not by their words, but by their actions. The actions of the NRA belie all of the falsehoods they shout. If they ever accomplished their "supposed" mission, to restore all of our second amendment rights, they would all be out of work. The millions of dollars they now control would be gone. Expecting the NRA to truly work towards banishing all illegal gun laws would be like expecting a traffic court judge, whose income is based on the number of convictions he makes, to find you not guilty. When the NRA's actions align with their rhetoric, then I will again support them.

K. F.

Though I always appreciate the fine contributions by this writer, I must reluctantly disagree with his article this time. Among other errors, the NRA has for some time been supporting the strict enforcement of laws which infringe terribly on our second amendment rights which should be repealed, not enforced. As it stands now, I would describe the NRA as some of the right stuff, but too much of the wrong stuff.

Respectfully,
A.

Probe of 'militias' is sought

The government has shown itself to be inept at curbing border incursions. Part of the problem lies with the government looking for excuses to grow in size. By being complacent and allowing incidents to reach crisis proportions they can come in and state publicly they need more money and personnel. The public buys off on it, and demands more resources be poured into the responsible agencies. As a result government grows, but productivity remains the same. The citizens in AZ have every right, and a responsibility to organize and at least protect private property. Government is and always be incapable of providing the same level of protection that private citizens can.

Historically, militias have always been a localized affair organizing and conducting missions specific to local problems. Only during periods of war were they part of a national effort. Citizens in other locations along the border need to organize and follow suit with those in AZ.

A police officer and U.S. Army veteran

The Border's Just Moved North, Some
By Rick Riemer

Dear Editor:
It all started with Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, Ted Kennedy and other political maggots still in Washington. They saw that middle class Americans were successful and except for the civil rights issue, this was a peaceful society. For socialists, this will simply not do. How can we have communism if people are satisfied? The solution was to import poverty from third world countries. Enter the 1965 Immigration Act. At first, Republicans were against it, but then greed set in. Corporations began to "donate" money to both sides' campaigns in order to get slave-cheap labor. The rest is history. I believe it was Ben Franklin who said: "He who puts Country before commerce is a patriot. He who puts commerce before Country is a traitor." Politicians and the wealthy all live well guarded, therefore the mess that mass immigration is bringing to our communities does not touch them in the least. We, the average Americans have to put up with inner city decay, urban expansion, crowded schools and emergency rooms, rise in crime, and higher taxes for social services, increase in diseases which we thought were eradicated. The list is long.

H. P.
Laguna Woods CA

Dear Sir,
Massive illegal immigration (mostly from Mexico) is a cancer eating away at U.S. citizenship, sovereignty and the law. Meanwhile, President George W(impy) Bush insists on aiding and abetting massive illegal immigration by proposing an amnesty. This is like trying to put out a blazing fire by pouring gasoline on it. Clueless, pandering and unprincipled politicians like Bush who seek cheep votes and cheap labor must have their feet held to the fire.

Sincerely,
L. B.
Riverside, Ca.

Bureaucrats Pushing Drugs
By April Shenandoah

Hi April,
You are right about legal drugs. Most are more harmful than the illegal ones. In 1959 while employed on a construction job at Thule Greenland, a notice was posted in the hallway entrance to the mess hall advising everyone to get a flu shot as there was some kind of dangerous swine flu going around. Some time prior to this I had come to the conclusion that injecting the pus from a sick animal was no way to go. I did not get the shot and everyone with I was acquainted with who got the shot had a severe case of the flu. I did not even get a cold.

You might touch on fluoride which is a deadly corrosive poison and is added to drinking water in many cities and in toothpaste. There is a good account of the tests conducted in the pubs of London during the 1920s in a book "RED FOG OVER AMERICA' written by Commander William Guy Car ( an officer in the Canadian navy) who was killed in a mysterious auto "accident" after several unsuccessful attempts on his life. He tells how fluoride was added to beer served in certain pubs and observers monitored the dosage by the amount of beer drank. They monitored the affects on health and observed that it destroyed the immune system and also would be valuable in controlling populations in that it made people docile and easy to manage. He goes into the AMA and it's counterpart in Canada and the connection with the FDA and the drug industry. It can be obtained from various Christian patriotic organizations such as the Christian Book Club which was located in Fountain Valley Calif.. I don't know if it still exists. I am sure you are aware of the concerted effort by the powers that be (rulers of darkness) to destroy or remove from circulation books of that type. I am nearly finished reading Tupper Saussy's new book RULERS OF DARKNESS which should be a must for all Christians. Now I see holiday decorations are already up. I note that I don't see Christmas cards any more they are now HOLIDAY CARDS or SEASONS GREETINGS.

I like your articles because they are informative. I would like you to remember that we have the best congress that money can buy.

Keep up the good work and may JHVH bless and keep you.

V. E.
Riggins, Idaho

UDC Attack in Tennessee
By Rebmaster Lunelle Siegel

Mrs. Siegel said it all! Unfortunately, Professor Farley is so full of hate and bigotry he probably won't bother to read it since he "knows it all". My response to the Tennessean (below) was returned. I guess they don't want to hear responses to the article Farley published. I also wrote to the university. Mrs. Siegel's response is one of the best I've ever read. How she maintained composure to do so marks her as a very special and benevolent lady. I have found that trying to educate bigots like Farley is a losing proposition since they have their minds made up and don't want to be confused with the facts. He should try reading some history before he even supposes he knows anything about it.

Great job Mrs. Siegel!

E. L. K.
LtCol, US Army (ret)
Former Associate Professor of History, US Army Command and General Staff College

Honey you almost drove me to a third Mint Julep. This guy is some piece of work. This is the letter I wrote to the Nashville paper.

"Having a grandson at UV I felt compelled to comment on the piece about the Confederacy by Jonathan Farley. I will be as succinct as possible, Farley is the quintessential example of why jackasses should be kept in the stable. He must be great at math because he leaves a lot to be desired in his knowledge of the war for Southern Independence."

Big Kahuna

Miz Siegel,
I'm sorry. I read the man's article and snapped. I insulted him and cursed him and used profanity. I couldn't help it this time, his words inflamed me such that I wanted to put a minie down the barrel of my Enfield, hunt him down, and shoot him like the dog he is. I shall endeavor to be calm in the future when reading this garbage they put out about the Confederates, but sometimes I just want to blast their yankee a**s.

I can't believe it, I'm still fuming. Your letter to him was very well constructed and to the point. It's too bad it can't be viewed in the same format as his though. That's another reason I get so mad, the damn leftist media.

I'll try to mellow out. This was the 1st thing I read in SN&V. I hope it don't get worse.

I am, your humble svt.,
D. D."SgtMjr TwoBit", 1st Louisiana Zouaves, Co.D, CSA
Eureka, Occupied Humboldt Co.,
Alta (Upper) Cal'a.

So Much for Freedom: Pentagon to Track American Consumer Purchases

The era of the "jackbooted thugs" has truly arrived in "Amerika". From now on you can, and will, be persecuted, not for you may do, but for what some anonymous official assumes you will do. Thus you are no longer innocent until proven guilty but assumed guilty until proven innocent.

It will not be long before this "official attitude" spill over into other areas of our lives. How soon until books are deemed to be "spreading terrorism" ? When will internet purchase sites be labeled"terrorist malls" ? How long until individual participation in discussion and opinion forums is seen as "cabals of terrorism" ? Why not scan private E-mail for key words to unearth "terrorist conspiracies" ?

Link participation in any of the above with purchases of "tracked substances" and you have evidentiary trail, "proving" a targeted individual or groups is engaged in "terrorist activities". Just like the ATF and FBI "proved" the "D.C.Sniper" was a "white male around thirty with poor education, using a 'high-powered' sniper rifle from roadside hides at extremely long range.

Not only can you be targeted for someone's' assumptions as to your intent, but your phone can be tapped, your mail searched, your computer scanned and all of your private financial, legal and tax records can, and will, be searched without the government agents having to contend with the ugly inconvenience of warrants, judges, courts, or any outside oversight in order to hold you incommunicado for up to a year while seizing your property, possessions and wealth.

Yep, Adolph Hitler would have enjoyed the "new think" now prevalent throughout the American political establishment.

J. H.

News Nuggets By Ray Thomas

Ray,
I had a painful experience with the War On People (not drugs) this weekend.

Some how, at the age of 51, I managed to develop (non strep) Tonsillitis during the week. On Friday evening, after the Dr.'s office was closed of course, the infection accelerated and included my left ear. Well, wasn't that exciting! Every swallow, every cough, every sneeze, sometimes just breathing, was an explosion of burning, tearing pain in my throat and ear. (Count the number of times you swallow in a minute) I could not believe the pain; I did not sleep more than an hour for three days.

Working up to and experimenting with various OTC stuff, four (4) Tylenol at once was good for about two hours. I took them twice before developing a headache too, and was afraid to continue; I need a liver, pain or no pain. The idea of swallowing liquor in this throat was out of the question.

Of course I could go to the Hospital E.R., beg for relief, pay the E.R. fee (my insurance deductible is high and yet unpaid) and then pay for some overpriced prescription, if they would give me one.

During the delirium, while trying to weigh treatment options, it occurred to me that I was a victim of the "WAR ON DRUGS." In an actual free society, an adult would be able to decide if they need a pain med, what kind, and how much. Many of the meds available are from cheap natural sources and probably wouldn't cost more than Aspirin; except for the "War on Drugs."

For three days, when swallowing, coughing and not sleeping I was frequently reminded of the Government that has decided I should be in pain if I could not afford institutional treatment. My thoughts were not charitable. How many people is this happening to?

Jim

Is this happening to lots of people? Sure. That's what happens when you let bureaucrats instead of doctors make medical decisions. I go to a clinic. They tried 43 times to get me to sign up for a welfare program I go to Denver General but I pay full price) and when they figured out I wasn't going to do it, they raised my copay from $20 per visit to $100 per visit, hoping to force me to do it. It's not the "War on Drugs" that's at fault. That's only a symptom. The illness is the power seekers wanting control of everything.

RAY THOMA$
Free (e.g. unnumbered, unmanaged, unmanageable) individual

It is happening to millions every day, many of whom have good insurance and are actually IN the hospital. That war on people pervades our entire society and everything we buy or use. Pain just makes the experience more vivid and a bit easier to identify. It won't go away until a great many people in this country finally refuse to allow the government to "protect" us any longer. MamaSierra

Ye Shall Know them by their Fruits
By Lewis J. Goldberg

Excellent article! Thank you. I am sure you will probably get lots of condemning e-mail for not believing like the main stream. But there are others out there like you who are trying to fight the attitudes created by ignorant teaching in this world. It feels as if there are only a few but I keep coming across more here and there, others who speak the truth. The truth doesn't have to come in a religious form either. People have been so blinded by religion. I think the religious mind set is one of the hardest to fight though. Keep up the good work!

D.

So Much for Freedom: Pentagon to Track American Consumer Purchases

Yeah, war on terror, lie to me some more.

Tracking purchase data would be a useless tool in the "war" on terror. OTOH, what a nifty way to check and see if you are reporting all your income. Tracking one way flight tickets is also a brilliant move in the "war," that way you can nail little old ladies, like my neighbor, who is flying one way to meet friends and driving back with them. I hope they wind up tracking dead bodies, dunno if they are shipped as people, or freight....

Exactly how are they going to track my purchases anyway? Say, I have a nifty plan to become a terrorist. Also say my time frame is.... err.... flexible. Why would I attract attention to myself by withdrawing a large amount of cash? Why wouldn't I amass whatever cash I needed a couple hundred bucks at a time? Or, better plan, have ten or fifteen people each contribute a couple hundred bucks?

Why on earth would I rent a car, I would have to produce identification to rent a car, which means I have to HAVE identification that is real, or real enough to pass. Wouldn't it be easier.... much much easier, for my buddy, "Joe" to buy and register the a beater? Then I can drive it, and "Joe" can report it stolen, shortly before it is discovered that it was used to commit a crime. If I'm a little more gutsy, I can just STEAL a car, and skip the "Joe" step....

Bomb building stuff, yeah, track that.... I like that in an idiot... Gives stupid people something to do. What are we going to track? Battery operated timers? Electric timers? Pico controllers? Laptops? Explosive gasses, chemicals that COULD be mixed together to cause an explosion? Gonna spend a whole LOT of time tracking stuff that COULD be made to explode, and timing devices to go with it if I need my explosion timed.

Hey! I have a BETTER IDEA!!! Don't bother to track MY purchases, or anybody else's for that matter. I realize that this is a suggestion to the government, so I will go forth s-l-o-w-l-y. Why don't you elected and appointed retards, round up anyone that isn't in the country legally? Then you can d-e-p-o-r-t them (Note: For elected officials: This means return them to their country of origin, NOT allow them to become citizens.) Then, if you really want to make me feel SAFE, the whole lot of you could resign.

Maybe a common sense test could be devised that further elected and appointed officials had to actually PASS before they could either run or be appointed.... Perhaps an IQ test also.... Certainly a test on the constitution and the bill of rights.... Yeah, I like that. Then maybe we wouldn't have a huge collection of idiot's wasting money on retarded, unconstitutional, boondoggles, that won't ever work ANYWAY!

K.

In My Judgement
by Lady Liberty

Hi.
Thanks for your article on the blatant confusion religion causes among people and how quick people can be to judge others who do not hold the same view. I agree with your sentiments, however, being a Jehovah's Witness, must remind you that we don't believe in hellfire/torment so your commentary on our beliefs were inaccurate/ misleading.

We believe that the hope for the majority of mankind is eternal life on the earth (not necessarily Jehovah's Witnesses alone) as God originally intended. These are our beliefs from what we see in the bible. We are also taught it is not up to us to judge who is good or bad that is Jesus' job.

Thank you for your article
C. (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

Thanks so much for writing! It is always thrilling to get letters from other parts of the world. You certainly have an indisputable perspective on the subject of this article. Many of us pray as much for peace to come to Ireland as we do for the Middle East. God bless and keep you all. MamaSierra

Just a note of correction about Jehovah's Witnesses. They believe 144,000 will rule as kings & priests in heaven. They believe that millions now living will never die and will have the potential to live forever, growing to perfection as originally planned, on earth, which they will help restore as a paradise. They believe that millions (both 'the righteous and the unrighteous') that have died will be resurrected to that same life just mentioned. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in a fiery Hell. After death there is complete inactivity, no consciousness at all until such time as Jehovah God decides to resurrect someone. If you are interested I will furnish scriptures that form the basis for these beliefs.

Thanks,
M. P. T.

While appreciating every legitimate effort at virtually any attempt at levity, even flippance....As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, this statement is patently false: "Jehovah's witnesses aren't as picky. They think everybody - except God's 144,000 chosen ones - will be going to hell."

The hell many commonly relate to is more the product of centuries-old fear, philosophy, & the manipulation of ignorance by false religion than it is anything having to do with the Bible. More than 6 million of us accept the Biblical truth about sheol, hades, gehenna, tartarus and the lake of fire.

The majority of Jehovah's Witnesses aren't of the 144,000. Yet most of the 144,000 go to the Biblical "hell" (hades/sheol), as did Jesus Christ. Acts 2:31 KJV "He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption." Not one of us are in the slightest way fearful of it.

I hope all of us (including me) may endeavor more thoughtfully to counter the broad brush of bigotry and ignorance which is also bound to spatter the painter as well. As for judging, while Holy Scripture does call on us to judge some things & leave the rest to Jehovah & Christ, a powerful admonition against judging our fellow is the famous Matthew 7:1-5. How can I, with a log, a 2x4 or a 4x4 in my eye condemn you for the speck in yours?

Romans 14 is a wonderful call to conscience. Verses 22-23 (JB) "Hold on to your own belief, as between yourself and God- and consider the man fortunate who can make his decision without going against his conscience... every act done in bad faith is a sin." Verse 22B (NW) "Happy is the man that does not put himself on judgement by what he approves."

Thank you for even thinking about such subjects, discussing them & allowing feedback as well.

Truly,
M. T.

P.S. I and my wife identify well with two cats and a large collection of science fiction books, & the hope that (we) can help to educate just a few... and inspire some of the educated to... live by and advocate Jehovah's Kingdom rule by Christ Jesus.

Author's addendum 11.27.02

It has been brought to my attention - more than once - that Jehovah's Witnesses do not actually believe in a hell, at least not one of eternal torment. Although it's true that they believe only God's chosen 144,000 will go to heaven, they believe that other good and deserving people will either be resurrected or will never die at all, and they will all live for eternity on earth. The undeserving? Well, their "hell" will simply be an eternal lack of consciousness. They won't be exempt from death, and they won't be resurrected, either.

At one time, I was told by a Jehovah's Witness on my doorstep that I would be going to hell if I did not "find Jesus". I didn't ask for a detailed explanation at the time because I felt the meaning of her comment was pretty clear. I have since been told that it's possible she meant the "hell of the grave" and not any place of fire and brimstone. Obviously, my mistake was in making the assumption that "hell" to her (or any other Jehovah's Witness) meant the same thing that it does to the adherents of some other religions. For that error and any confusion or resentment it may have caused anyone, I apologize.

At least two people also told me that Jehovah's Witnesses do not consider it their place to pass judgement. They consider that to be God's province. In theory, this is true of some other religions as well. Unfortunately, that particular tenet is frequently not followed too (pardon the pun) religiously. It is that fact, rather than the definition of "hell", that was actually my point.

Lady Liberty

(Editor's note: Please remember that news items linked to outside sources may or may not remain available. If you get a "page not found" or a different story than the one you expected, it has been changed on the other site and we have no control over it. Thanks for your understanding.)

Letter Guidelines for the Mailbag 

1. All letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and spelling. Try hard to do this yourself because if there is a lot of it I won't have time to use your letter! I can't use letters in ALL CAPS - or with none at all. Please use the space and punctuation keys in their proper places as much as possible.

2. Your name will be used only with clear written permission for each letter. Please don't expect me to remember! Same goes for email and web site addresses. No commercials, please.

3. Really bad words are not acceptable. If the letter has merit otherwise, I'll just have to "bleep" out the bad ones, but don't make a habit of it! The delete key works just fine, so let's keep it polite and clean.

4. Please check for the title of the article in the "Subject" line of the feedback email. If it isn't there or isn't right, please help me out by correcting it. You can write to feedback about anything, of course, but responses to our articles and features get priority in the mailbag.

Lots of "letters" are really editorials. If you have a lengthy rant on an issue rather than a comment on a Sierra Times article or feature, write clearly and boldly then submit to opeds@SierraTimes.com

Thanks for your help! I look forward to reading all your feedback. Mama Sierra

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Susan Callaway "Mama Sierra"

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