This year I am foregoing the sending of Christmas/Holiday cards in order to focus on the distribution of an Open Letter to All. In this time of forgettable tweets and instagrams, I am gratified by the privilege of sharing more than 140 characters embodying good will to everyone, exceptions noted below. My wish for this joyous season is to remind us that divine inspiration must always be matched by human works, not by faith alone.
While I am not a historian, I am a student of history (having been graduated by Davidson College, I will gleefully always be a student); particularly I am a student of original historical sources, not filtered through the oft clouded lenses of interpretation and bias.
Two voices; more than two centuries ago provide us a precise message of utmost current urgency. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams writing to Foreign Secretary John Jay, March 28, 1786, reporting home on their London meeting with Ambassador from Tripoli regarding Barbary States piracy of American merchant sailing ships:
"We took the liberty to make some enquiries concerning the ground of their pretensions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury, and observed that we considered all mankind as our friends who had done us no wrong, nor had given us provocation.
The Ambassador answered us that it was founded on the laws of their Prophet; that it was written in their Koran; that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners; that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take prisoners; and that every Mussulman [muslim] who was slain was sure to go to Paradise."
Two voices more than two centuries ago have proclaimed for the ages that "radical Islam" has not changed, evolved or modernized in altering its core message - radical Islam will not remake its swords into plow-shares any time soon. Not when the core message of the prophet is that violent conversion of infidels into either believers or slaves is divinely mandatory. Not when a martyr's death in battle against the infidels guarantees the warrior of Allah 72 virgins in Paradise.
America must send radical Islam one unanswerable message - a crushing military defeat so complete that no warriors of God are left armed and willing to enslave us. Our defeat of these warriors of God must be so crushing that not one murderous thug is left seeking war with us because it will be made plain that Allah is not so Great after all. A military beat down of such historic magnitude is needed now - not ultimately, not after the radical Islamists have been contained, not after their networks have been dismantled - NOW. Their hearts and minds will follow (or not, as it will be irrelevant) when they see no paradise on Earth, but only death and destruction of their evil cause.
There is no soft power, no social media messaging, no poverty ending jobs program imaginable to the rational mind that can supplant Allah's divine command and promise to his followers of eternity in Paradise. Peace be with us all, after we muddle through this War together.
