"I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore." Those words were written by Academy Award winner Paddy Chayefsky for his 1976 screenplay of the motion picture, Network...and
they were articulated by Oscar winning actor, Peter Finch's character, Howard Beale. But when will someone in real life - someone with the power to do something in this country...and in this world...use those words?
The President of the United States of America - Barack Obama - on Wednesday night, September 10th, 2014...in a similar sense...conveyed a similar statement...albeit for a different reason.
Mentally deranged barbarians from the terrorist organization, ISIS...which is also known as ISIL...have now executed three innocent men...beheading them for absolutely nothing they did wrong.
First...a little clarification for those of you - like me - who were somewhat confused by the use of two different names for the same vile and atrocious group.
ISIS stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria...with Syria including an undefined region around that nation. ISIL translates to mean the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant...with the Levant being the area around Syria... which historically includes Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. The name ISIL indicates that the militants want to control the geography beyond Iraq and Syria.
viewed the horrific videos of American journalists James Foley
and Steven Sotloff...
and British aid worker David Haines being executed, but personally, I did not have the desire or the stomach to do so.
Just knowing about such unspeakable and despicably evil acts is bad enough. Unfortunately, I accidentally came across gruesome photos that are haunting, repulsive and saddening.
The entire world is well aware of these tragedies. But if these three men - Foley, Sotloff and Haines - were not guilty for any wrongdoing whatsoever... why have they been senselessly murdered? Why have their lives been ended in such a heinous and hideous manner?
Although I refuse to go on-line and watch any of the videos...I've read that this last video - two and a half minutes in length - is titled...A Message To The Allies Of America. As he is about to be beheaded...David Haines identifies himself by name and declares that he holds British Prime Minister David Cameron and his predecessor, Tony Blair
"responsible for my execution" because his homeland leaders "can't find the courage to say no to the Americans." Did Haines mean what he said? We will never know for sure. But what is it that ISIS has against the United States? What is it that these ISIS...or ISIL psychopaths have...against Americans?
The two Americans were reporters - on assignment - doing their jobs. And the Brit traveled to Syria to help victims of the war. None of these men were participants in combat. None of these men deserved to die. But the monsters of ISIS are on a mission to annihilate Americans and those who support us.
So what do we do to stop ISIS...and how do we do it? I in no way want to see another American killed by ISIS. But I also don't want any of our brave, valiant and heroic military men and women to risk their lives on the ground in Iraq or Syria. Our nation has been at war - in one form or another - since September 11, 2001. Whether it be on our own soil on 9/11...or in Iraq, Afghanistan or now Syria...too many American lives have suffered. Too many American lives have been lost.
But ISIS...or ISIL - as President Obama prefers to call this syndicate of scumbags - must be stopped. In his speech last Wednesday night...the President made it boldly clear that "we will degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL." But can that goal be reached and accomplished without any more heartache...without any more sorrow...without any more bloodshed...and without any more Americans being harmed or killed? The brutality must come to an end.
President Obama says, "It will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL." I just hope it doesn't take too much time.
Somehow... someway...the United States and its allies must rid the planet Earth of the cesspool that is ISIS. To do so...President Obama promises us... that he "will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil." I pray that he can keep that promise.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
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