Less than a year after Obama was elected by the Twitter and Facebook crowd, Iranians of the same crowd are standing up for their own freedoms.  It was obviously easier in the US for this crowd to have their voice heard as we have a long standing right to free speech.  But by all accounts the protesters in Iran are similar to Obama’s supporters.  They are young, technologically savvy and want a new voice in their country.  Yet the best President Obama and his administration can produce is a statement telling the religious leaders of Iran to be nice and play fair. 

Democracy is trying to spread in the Middle East.  First it was Afghantistan, a country where it was illegal to sing until the Taliban were ousted from power.  Next it was Iraq, a country formerly ruled by a dictator who used gas to kill his own people and now has men lining up to be a memeber of the security force, a job with an over 50% chance of death at this point, all in the name of freedom and Democracy.  Now it is Iran’s turn. 

Everyone knew what a tough election this would be due to the entrenched dictatorship of Akmadinijad yet people still showed up to vote.  Now they are assembling and speaking out against the government they were told to fear and obey, dying in the streets in many cases.  Instead of fostering this movement and allowing Democracy to spread  the best our government can come up with is a statement about being nice. 

When  Obama was only a candidate for the office of President he stated that he would meet with all world leaders, without preconditions.  Now that Obama is President, he must either live up to or eat those words.  If he eats those words, Democracy has a chance, albeit small, in Iran.  If he lives up to those words in a few months he will be shaking hands with the leader who signed the death order for Mir-Hossein Mousavi, a candidate who, like Obama, wanted “change” in his small country.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/24/AR2009052403054.html

As the Mommies of the terror suspects rush to their sons defense with the “not my baby” routine that has kept them off the streets and stalwarts of their community since birth,  the actions of the Federal agent who worked inside the group are being questioned.  You read right, the Federal Agent and not the suspects. 

Apparently, the suspects in question were so poor that they would do anything to lift themselves up and help their poor, terminally ill relative with his medical bills.  When the agent offered them a chance to blow up synagogues and military aircraft, the men in question all agreed that the money was just too good. An opportunity they couldn’t refuse, so to speak.  So without hesitation, or a swing by the local precinct to report their benefactor,  these homegrown terror suspects took the what we now know were fake bombs and stinger missiles and were planning to go through with a terror plot aimed at Jews and the military. 

The Federal Agent now in question is accused of baiting these poor men and, I would assume, picked them at random from the millions of poor people in NY.  The fact that they all readily agreed to attack the US, their country, from within, is irrelevant to those who argue for the suspects in question.  Also irrelevant to the defenders is the fact that they were targeting two pecific groups with what are being called “mostly” aspirational plans. 

Despite what the Pelosi, Reid, Obama government says, terrorism is a real threat, especially with our open border policy.  The suspects in NY are proof of the threat terrorists pose to our national security, especially from within.  These men accepted money to kill, to fight a Jihad against the US and her allies.   Poverty does not make that fact better.

This plot was foiled, but what about the next one.  If these men are allowed to claim poverty as a defense then we have already lost the war on terror.

After being officially sworn in as our nation’s 44th President last night in front of 8 people ( the one on the 20th did not count under Article 2 of the Constitution and to argue otherwise is to disregard the foundation of our Government),  Barak Obama stated today that Gitmo would be closed within a year.  Prisoners held there would either be let go or moved to face trial, most likely in the US. 

Two things happened next.  Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) saw this as a huge opportunity to get a HUGE government payout for a new maximum security prison in his district ( he only has minimum security prisons currently).  Upon hearing the news that they would be let go soon, many of the terror “suspects” called their travel agent to see which flights were headed for major cities on January 23,2010.

The inauguration of Barack Obama is important today not because of his race as the media and others would have us believe.  Rather the inauguration is important today because it signifies to the rest of the world that our Democracy survives, despite what goes on in our campaigns or in our government.  As people in Iraq see our smooth transition of power perhaps it will inspire some of them to stick to the cause they now have a chance to embrace.  For 200+ years Americans have been able to engage in a great experiment that was unheard of before 1776. 

Yes, we should acknowledge the race of our new President as he assumes that title.  But after noon today, Barack Obama will  simply be the 44thPresident of the United States.  His oath of office will be the same as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and, yes, even George W Bush.  Hopefully Americans will judge him based on his actions in that role and not continue the hype we have seen surrounding him. 

In the end the inauguration is one of the most important events in our nation’s history, even though it happens every 4 years.  It transcends race and religion even today and that is why it is important enough for me to watch.