BlackFive

This morning, I heard this story on the radio about the editor of the student newspaper at the University of Illinois, Acton Gorton (a former Soldier), being suspended for publishing the Danish cartoons depicting Muhammed in various forms. 

The Chicago Tribune has an article about it today:

...Gorton, 25, said he believes he made a sound journalistic decision in running six of the cartoons because the public has a right to judge their content. He said he consulted with top staff members and journalism instructors before making the decision to publish them in Thursday's newspaper.
 
"This is not a publicity stunt, and this wasn't an easy decision," said Gorton, who said he spent three years in the Army as a medic and paratrooper before college. "I was stressed and couldn't sleep at night. But I just felt it was an important issue to address in the newspaper."
 
Gorton's decision, however, caused an uproar in the local Muslim community and rankled other Illini staff members after the paper was deluged with negative letters and e-mails...

I noticed the graph - "caused an uproar in the local Muslim community...".  For those of you who don't know much about my glorious state and university, the University of Illinois is literally in the middle of a corn field.  Quite frankly, the local Muslim community is probably the Palestinian Club on campus.

Dhimmi Watch has a post about this, too.

Michelle Malkin has an article by the AP and a link to the cached version of the Daily Illini.  Here's part of what Groton wrote:

...These cartoons are bigoted and insensitive to the Islamic faith because they are depictions of the prophet Muhammad. In much of the Muslim faith, there is an absolute ban on drawing or portraying religious figures. I agree they are bigoted and insensitive, as do many others.

However, this serious controversy has not been addressed by the press. By refusing to run the cartoons, Americans have no idea how "offensive" they are. The ensuing death threats, riots, murders and laying siege to embassies, leave most of us confused and appalled...

Certainly appalled by the manipulation of muslims by foreign governments and "religious" leaders.  There is also a great double standard here.

You can contact the Daily Illini here.  While the Daily Illini has no official ties to the university, it's board is made up of faculty and students.  Therefore, contacting the Chancellor will probably have little impact.

I've gotten many emails about the whole Cartoon Jihad/war...

Sam sends this note:  "In the past, these anti-semitic and anti-West cartoons in the Arab world were not met with much response:  Tom Gross, Mark Levin's blog, HonestReporting, etc."

Jenny sends this one:  "And, of course, Cox & Forkum have it right..."

FrontPage Magazine has an interview with LTC (ret.) Buzz Patterson.  Here's one of the opening questions:

FP: Tell us some of your thoughts about our military and the Left’s attitude toward it -- as well as objectives with it. For instance, does the Left understand what it takes and what it means to be an American warrior for freedom?

Patterson: Unfortunately for our men and women in uniform the answer is an unqualified “no.” And that’s been true since the early 1960s. Look at the facts Jamie. Since 9/11 we’ve asked our American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to go 7000 miles from home and fight an enemy as evil as any that’s ever existed. A brutal enemy who while violent also chooses to violate every principle of warfare hiding behind women and children and targeting women and children. Our military swiftly and effectively removed two of history’s more totalitarian regimes in the Taliban and Saddam. And how does the Left respond?

 

They send Congressman John Murtha to the mat several times to demand withdrawal and denigrate our forces. The DNC Chairman declares the war unwinnable. College campuses across the nation refuse access to military recruiters and ROTC detachments as they have for the last 35 years...
 

Be sure to read the rest of it.

I mentioned Brad Kasal's name during my brief appearance on CNN - he is someone that you should know (and do if you're a regular milblog reader).  Senior Lechero sends the link to this DesMoines Register article about First Sergeant Kasal returning home...

One brave Marine
State lawmakers approve resolutions honoring Iowa native severely hurt rescuing fellow troops in Iraq

By WILLIAM PETROSKI
REGISTER STAFF WRITER

Brad Kasal, an Iowa native regarded as a hero for rescuing fellow Marines in Iraq, was choked with emotion Monday as he was honored by the Iowa Legislature.

"A lot of people ask why I did what I did. I'm a Marine. That's what I'm expected to do," Kasal told lawmakers.
<...>
Kasal has spent the past months recuperating from his injuries, including bullet wounds that nearly required the amputation of his leg. He walked with a cane Monday afternoon at the Statehouse, and he admitted to still being in pain...

Howdy, Subsunk here again.  I caught a story in a local Nebraska news channel about someone we all heard about, not so long ago.  Besides acquiring status as a United States Marine Corps "poster Marine", he's been promoted, is walking around one his healing legs, and trying to get back to 100% physical condition, just to get back to "his Marines".  The Man is dedicated, I'll say that.  As well as a million other heroic and courageous adjectives I could use.

SGTMAJ Brad Kasal makes an appearance at the Iowa State House.  Read it all.  He's humble, but when you look in the dictionary under "Man, Real" you'll see his photo there.

Then refresh your memory here, here, and here.

Congratulations SGTMAJ.  Looking forward to hearing more great things from you.

Read on, folks.

More excerpts below the fold.

James G. sends the link to this WND piece about students at UofWashington who don't get it...

Students reject honor to 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' hero
Member of Marines not 'sort of person UW wanted to produce'

The University of Washington's student senate rejected a memorial for alumnus Gregory "Pappy" Boyington of "Black Sheep Squadron" fame amid concerns a military hero who shot down enemy planes was not the right kind of person to represent the school.

Student senator Jill Edwards, according to minutes of the student government's meeting last week, said she "didn't believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce."

Ashley Miller, another senator, argued "many monuments at UW already commemorate rich white men."

Senate member Karl Smith amended the resolution to eliminate a clause that said Boyington "was credited with destroying 26 enemy aircraft, tying the record for most aircraft destroyed by a pilot in American Uniform," for which he was awarded the Navy Cross.

Smith, according to the minutes, said "the resolution should commend Colonel Boyington's service, not his killing of others."...

Read the whole thing.

Greyhawk has a message from the Mayor of Tal Afar to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists...

I've received this many times with complaints because I didn't post it, yet.  Greyhawk's got it.  Go read.

Sorry, I have to add to Uncle Jimbo's post below.  Here's the evidence:

I'm tellin' you, not to @#$% with Rumsfeld.  He doesn't need a shotgun (above photo, he has the 'touch of death' or 'the dim-mak' as a weapon), but if he had a shotgun, he wouldn't have missed.  Then, he'd club your ass...maybe stomp on your head just to make sure.

Hmmmm, I didn't realize that this might be blog-war material...game on.

Update: I can't make this @#$% up.  Here's one of him that looks like he's talking about peace when he's really going to gouge some reporter's eyes out...

Both John Donovan and I sent submissions for NRO's The Women We Love.

We couldn't vote for our wives or mothers.

Speaking of the women we love, here is a recent photo of me with the love of my life (while I'm trying to do my best Stephen Green imitation - and I did have an appropriate number of Bombay Sapphire martinis).  We were at a charity ball a few months ago.  Yes, I'm the luckiest S.O.B. you ever met...

It comes down to this fans, the two most powerful members of the neocon imperialist conspiracy face off in a death match. Two men enter, one man leaves.

In this corner, a man spawned in the fiery pits deep in the underground HQ of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. 2,500 years old, with a wars of aggression record of 2 and 0, weighing 45 dessicated pounds, The Vice President of the United States, Dick "Heart Attack" Cheney. (h/t Jonah Goldberg's ma)

And his opponent a veteran of neocon conspiracies dating back to the 1960s, a man feared around the world, a man so tough he cut his desk chair up for kindling to make a fire and roast bunny rabbits on a spit. a man who substitutes for the dark lord himself when Satan summers at Cape Cod with the Kennedys, also with a wars of aggression record of 2 and 0, with the weight of countless innocent souls on him, The Secretary running the Military, Donald "Well that's a stupid question" Rumsfeld.

             I love Cheney, but my money is on Rummy, although this could go either way.

- Uncle J

The usual suspects await the arrival of Boy Press Secretary Scott McClellan. (Clownus Maximus Dana Milbank dresses for the occasion gracias Sra. Malkin)

There is a nervous twitter in the room as the lights dim and the dulcet tones of Kid Rock 's "Cowboy" boom forth,

"Buy a yacht with a flag sayin' chillin' the most, then rock that b***h up and down the coast"

Music cuts, spotlight on Uncle J

Uncle J: Which is what I was doing before McClellan paged me. You gone and done it again jackals, I told you either play nice with Scotty Mac or f**k around and you get me.

Now what in the world were you maroons thinking yesterday? Do you truly believe that the world revolves around your executive-style hairdos? If somehow the relative suitability of the Vice President as a hunting partner were barn-burning news, then perhaps I could understand your histrionics. But you people are acting silly, even by White House Press standards, which are farther down the silly scale than Benny Hill. I mean if anyone planning to hunt upland birds with the VP was harmed by waiting a day to learn that in front of his muzzle is a bad location, they have my apologies. You vermin just need to hush your disrespectful, vainglorious, self-centered cakeholes.

Just out of curiosity WTF did you dipsticks think the overwhelming importance of what the President knew and when he knew it was? Did you assume there was obviously a cover up and they needed time to swap out the guy Cheney actually shot with the geezer we picked as the stand-in pin cushion? You people amaze me, I mean the possibility that one old guy snuck up on another old guy while hunting and caught a few BBs never occurred to you huh? I live in Wisconsin and I can testify that I only hunt archery season, so anyone attempting to ventilate me has to get pretty damn close.

The only person who really ought to be interested in this whole turn of events is the Scooter, yeah if I was Mr. Libby I might be reconsidering that whole "Seriously Dick Cheney told me to do it" defense. I'm just sayin'.

Now since a near complete bafflement about the sport of hunting seems to permeate the room, it's time for another field trip. Line up jackals, we are going to indulge your multi-cultural preferences and show you hunting with an old school African twist. We are going to a game farm in Texas and hunt lions. You pinheads will serve the time-honored role of beaters, so pick up your noisemakers at the door and enjoy the trip. And if you manage to drive the beast the right way and avoid dismemberment, feel good because instead of the VP we have Staff Sgt. Gilliland dropping the hammer. So fear not intrepid truth-seekers, go forth and educate yourselves. Learn well, I have many ideas for field trips.                                       - Uncle J