When the Music's Over .....

[H2O Man]

President Obama will address the nation tonight at 8 pm/est. This rare Oval Office address will focus on the threat of terrorism, and the US policy towards ISIS. I find myself thinking that it is a shame this President did not make more use of this uniquely powerful setting to speak to the nation during his years in office. President Obama is, in my opinion, at the same level as was President John F. Kennedy, in terms of his ability to communicate with the public -- with the pair being the most gifted in my lifetime.

I do think that the issues involving ISIS are important. I fear that the next president will likely get our country involved in yet another phase of the never-ending “war on terrorism.” And I do not deny that the brutal action that stained our society last week could easily become more common. Indeed, if a republican is elected, that will be the reality of life in the United States.

Yet, if one takes an objective look -- one that requires ignoring the rants on television news -- a woman in our country is at far greater risk of being murdered by a right-wing, white, christian terrorist in or near a Planned Parenthood, than being killed by ISIS. A young black man has a greater chance of being murdered by a police officer on the streets of America, than of being killed by ISIS. While I wish that President Obama could speak openly and honestly about the reality of terrorism in the United States, I understand that there is near zero chance that he will.

This is a strange and dangerous time in our nation’s history. While I do not agree with everything that is said on DU about current events and politics on this forum, I do enjoy reading the variety of opinions expressed here. I look forward to discussing people’s impressions of President Obama’s address tonight.

Peace,
H2O Man

[napkinz]

1. yep, the greater threat is from radicalized right-wingers ...

[TexasProgresive]

3. If you make a threat with a revolver make sure it's loaded.

[Wilms]

4. Many of those American Muslim...

Terrorist Plots, Hatched by the F.B.I.

THE United States has been narrowly saved from lethal terrorist plots in recent years — or so it has seemed. A would-be suicide bomber was intercepted on his way to the Capitol; a scheme to bomb synagogues and shoot Stinger missiles at military aircraft was developed by men in Newburgh, N.Y.; and a fanciful idea to fly explosive-laden model planes into the Pentagon and the Capitol was hatched in Massachusetts.

But all these dramas were facilitated by the F.B.I., whose undercover agents and informers posed as terrorists offering a dummy missile, fake C-4 explosives, a disarmed suicide vest and rudimentary training. Suspects naïvely played their parts until they were arrested.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/terrorist-plots-helped-along-by-the-fbi.html

[H2O Man]

6. Thank you.

[Shandris]

2. Keep harping at the Christians, I'm sure there's someone dumb enough to buy it. n/t

[H2O Man]

7. I don't play the harp.

[spanone]

5. K&R...

[H2O Man]

8. Thank you.

[H2O Man]

9. Powerful speech.

I think that President Obama did a fantastic job in addressing the nation tonight.

[Mopar151]

10. Fools be all flippin` out over refugees and immigrants

Central NH/southern Maine has lots of resettled refugees, who follow in the footsteps of waves of immigrants to the heart of the Industrial Revolution. Good, hardworking people, most of 'em - I'd gladly trade a bunch of our homegrown knuckleheads for more. I wish I could describe the work-visa tech people the same way, but a significant % of `em are conniving shits first, good workers a distant 2nd.