THE PERFECT CON, PERPETRATED BY THE PERFECT VICTIM

Sadly, this is just the beginning of demand for Sharia in America

  There are many in America who don't recognize this amusement park incident for what it truly is.  The more people who fail to see this stealth jihad on American soil, the quicker Sharia will be implemented in the United States.

  As the population of Muslims grows in America, the bolder they will become.  It is important to understand that assimilation is not the goal of Islam, domination is!  This particular incident at Playland Amusement Park in New York is a perfect example of the boldness of Muslims.  Knowing full well the rules regarding wearing of head scarves and other clothing that could possibly fly off, or worse yet become entangled in the wheels or other moving parts of the ride, these Muslim women insisted on riding anyway and of course an altercation ensued.  The Muslim women were told that in order to ride, they would have to remove the hijabs, for their own safety and for the liability of the amusement park itself.  The Muslim women became visibly upset (of course, that's part of the plan).  There was enough violent language and action on both sides that it would be necessary to call in the police.  (Once again, part of the plan.)  The news media once again, being played like a fine Islamic fiddle interviewed two Muslim women, and broadcast their side of the argument, they said the police came ready to attack, (they must be mistaking the police for for jihadi's in their own country.).  I watched several news channels yesterday and waited for an interview with a Playland Park employee, a police officer on the scene, or even a bystander who wasn't Arab.  Needless to say, I am still waiting for an unbiased view of the Playland/Muslim women incident.  Until their lawyers and our dhimmi government officials think up some stupid and pathetic way of apologizing for all of America's narrow minded Islamaphobes, I'm sure we'll hear nothing official.  Mark my words, the apology is forthcoming, and once again the Muslims will be appeased.  Our officials don't realize that one cannot appease a Muslim.  Appeasers and apologizers are seen as weak in the eyes of Islam. 

  Like I said, this is just the beginning of the stealth jihad in America.  It will be the goal of the Muslim communities to gather at places and challenge every local law and every local rule.  They will claim religious discrimination if they are not allowed to have special dispensation from local authorities, because they are Muslim.  It is their intent to claim religious persecution every time they are held to a law that Americans have been abiding by for years.  The Muslim community in every neighborhood will stand against all man made laws and rules until they are given their own special Sharia Law rights. 

  I will be accused of blowing the alarm whistle, being racist, being an Islamophobe and being intolerant of other religions.  I am not intolerant of only one religion, only Islam, as Islam is NOT a religion.  I've said this so many times, I feel like I'm beating a dead horse.  The altercation that took place this past week at the Playland Park, is just the beginning, don't think it will stop there.  The Muslims who went to Playland, went there because they knew they would be refused the right to ride the ride wearing their hijabs, they knew that if they scream loud enough at park employees they could incite violence, and they knew that if the police were called in, they would be able to demonize them also.  The Muslims all know that the liberal media will give them press coverage allowing them to play the victim role.  Play it they did, so much so in fact, that there were no interviews of authorities.  I must voice my disappointment of even the FOXNews channel, as they too, beginning with Megan Kelly, FOXNews fell deep into the stealth jihad web.  It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the supposed unbiased reporting of the news could turn so quickly biased.  All of a sudden, without even attempting to get statements from police, park officials or other bystanders, the news media saw to it that Islam had a platform to demonize Americans, even worse, I found the fair and balanced network defending the Muslim women, even without knowledge from both sides.  This is how it is supposed to play out.  Once Muslim victimhood has been established, there will be no stopping the Islamization of America.  Those Muslim women at Playland the other day portrayed themselves as prey, but in essence, it is the so-called prey that is the predator.  Don't believe me, wait until this news story continues to play out.  

  It is impossible for anyone not to see that in America as around the world Christians are being demonized all the while Muslims/Islam is being raised to higher authority.  It will not be long before Islam begins to wield that authority in America.  To prove this, simply Google Christian persecution in Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq or Africa and the UK and the Netherlands.  Read about it, keep in in your mind, then you'll recognize it when it happens here.  The only problem, when it happens here, as in all the afore mentioned countries, it will be too late to stop it.  Ask Geert Wilders, go ahead Google him, read what he has to say.  Make up your own mind.  If we as free Americans are going to take a stand against Islam, it must be now, tomorrow may be too late.

God Help Us

Sincerely, 

The Watchman   

  

RECYCLING, WHAT'S SO NEW ABOUT THAT?

We didn't call it recycling back then, we called it returning for deposit.

  When I was a kid, I remember having to pay 2 cents deposit on every bottle in a 6 pack of soda.  We would save up the bottles, and when we brought them back to the store, a 2 cent per bottle was refunded to us.  The bottles themselves were sent back to the bottling company so they could be washed, sterilized, refilled and resold.  It was a cheap process and an efficient process, and it created thousands of jobs.  Now, days they don't charge deposit on glass bottles, but they do recycle glass.  Unfortunately they recycle by separating the glass bottles, first by color of course, then they crush the glass so that they have to completely re-manufacture new bottles out of the old ones.  Needless to say, a waste of time, money and energy.  The cost of this new and improved environmentally safer process is at least twice what it would be to just wash, sterilize and refill.  Oh, and guess what this new recycling process employs a lot less people.  In order to cut costs, plastic came on the scene, and now days almost everything you see that is dry, liquid or solid is somehow packaged in plastic.  Of course it only took these new Eco-friendly Green folks 30 years to realize what we already knew 50 years ago.  That is the fact that plastic, never, ever goes away, neither does Styrofoam.  Plain and simply put, glass can still be washed, sterilized and refilled with whatever came in them in the first place, or some other product for that matter.  Okay, if drop a glass bottle, it will break, years ago, we swept it up, and moved on.  Even if you chose to recycle glass, if you put broken glass and a couple rocks in a cement mixer, turn it on for a few hours, and miraculously it turns right back into sand.  I remember walking the streets and the alleys and parking lots as a young man, we weren't looking to get into trouble, we were collecting glass bottles to take to the store for the deposit money.  So not only were we recycling but we were helping to clean up the neighborhoods of unsightly trash in the process.  It was in essence a two-fold endeavor with two-fold results.  We didn't have to think about it, we didn't have have meetings and environmental clubs, we just did it for the deposit money, which gave us spending money to perhaps purchase another bottle of soda pop, save the bottle for deposit, etc., etc., etc.  You see how that system worked?  Sure, grocery stores had to set aside space for holding empties, but every couple of days when the bottling companies would deliver the newly refilled soda cases, they would also pick up the empties.  Was is a perfect set up?  No, but it did keep people working, everyone from the kid collecting the bottles from the streets and alleys, to the people in the sterilization plant, to the soda bottlers, they all had jobs, and there were no 20 story high piles of plastic bottles sitting in land-fill areas.  

  Hey, remember waxed paper?  My mom would make our school lunches, PB and J (peanut butter & jelly) sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper.  Placed in a paper lunch bag.  Okay, once in awhile mom would give us a bologna and cheese with a pickle that would always leak through the waxed paper, and the paper lunch bag.  But, after lunch, all the waxed paper, and paper lunch bags went into the school incinerator and it would all burn into little teeny tiny bits of ash.  Bio-degradable ashes, that were taken away once a week to a land fill, as far as I know, not one land fill was ever actually filled with ash that would not eventually dissipate.  If my memory serves me correctly, the entire city of Oakland, CA. is built on landfill.  I don't think you can build a city on a land fill filled with plastic bottles, now could you?
  Hey, remember paper grocery bags?  I do, we used to use them for lining the garbage cans in our kitchens.  Another way of using an item for several purposes.  Sure, taking out the garbage was a dreaded chore, especially if it was allowed to sit too long, leaking fruit juice, or coffee grounds and if you had fish for dinner two nights ago, look out!!!  We all took turns taking out the trash, and we all lived through.  No diseases from the unsanitary conditions either.  Now we have plastic bags, use them once for groceries from the store, and throw them away.  We have specialized sizes of plastic trash bags, use them once, and off to the land fill they go to sit and perhaps in thousand years will begin to breakdown into the toxic chemical it was originally made from.
  I keep hearing about this whole new concept of renewable energy.  I've got news for you new scientists and ecologists, paper does come from a renewable source, it's called trees, and trees grow.  Anything that comes from trees, can be used over and over again.  Paper can be printed and written on, paper can wrap things, paper can be burned for heat, and if left alone, will breakdown to a bio-degradable substance called wood fiber.  Wood and paper rot and replenishes the soil.  
  By now you all probably think that I've turned into one of those anti-plastic environmentalists, well I'm not, really I'm not!  There is certainly a place for plastic in our modern society.  The medical field alone is the most fertile ground for the proponents and defense of the uses for plastic.
  This is what I am:  I am a 62 year old man who doesn't want to "go green".  As a matter of fact just the phrase "Go Green" makes me want to puke.  America's society was already green when I was growing up, then the scientists turned us into plastic fanatics, and now the scientists are touting this green plan, like it was something the liberals of the world just invented.  Well, I'm here to tell you, you didn't just invent "ecology", you just invented the new name for what people in my day simply referred to as "common sense".  
  If science wants to concentrate on something worthwhile, try making trees grow faster, without of course making them glow in the dark, you know what I mean.  Take half the plastics industries and turn them back into glass industries.  If you can find ways to recycle plastic then you can come up with a clean way to recycle paper, wood products and metals.  None of this research should be done by the federal government, but by private industry.  Scientists, inventors, entrprenures, go to grand pa's attic, dust off his thinking cap, put it on and invent something!  Keep in mind, if you invent something that is better and less expensive than anything already out there, you'll become wealthy over night.  For example, we, at least all of us with some common sense know that ethanol is not, and will never be a viable alternative to oil and gasoline.  So why waste time and money on something that won't work, and requires the burning of the world's food supply in the process.  Make something that works, and works better, and people will flock to use it, they won't have to be forced to use a government inspired loser like ethanol, and our farmers can go back to the task of feeding the worlds hungry.
God Bless This Nation
Thanks for listening!
The Watchman  

AHHH Yes, Arab Spring!!!

Arab Spring, a season of peace and tranquility, as long as Christians toe the line that is!!!

  Who is this man with the rag on his head?

He is Shiekh 'Adel Shehato, never heard of him, well, you will! 

  This sweet Shiekh has a hatred for democracy that is unrivaled in the Muslim world.  This Shiekh said that democracy is not the faith of Muslims (as if democracy was a faith in the first place).  He said democracy is the faith of the Jews and Christians.  He goes on to say that sharia is his ultimate goal, and that "rule by the people" is unacceptable, once Allah's law is applied, the role of the people will end and Allah will reign supreme.  (The Shiekh sure sounds like one of those Muslims who just can't wait to assimilate to the American and Western culture, doesn't he?)

  Shiekh Shehato said that if the mujaheddin came to power in Egypt (which by the way is entirely possible.), they would launch a campaign of Islamic conquests aimed at subjecting the entire world to Islamic rule.  Muslim ambassadors would be appointed to each country, charged with calling upon them to join Islam willingly, but if the countries refused, war would be waged against them.  (That must be that Peaceful religion that Obama keeps telling us about.)

  In an interview with an Egyptian Daily Newspaper "Roz Al-Yousef the Shiekh answered two questions:

Question 1.  "But we Egyptians have never regarded the Christians as infidels.  In fact, many of us have Christian friends even closer than our Muslim friends."

Shiekh's Answer:  "As a Muslim, I must support the Muslim and oppose the Christian.  If there is a Christian who does me no harm, I will maintain limited contact with him.  Islam [discusses] certain degrees of contact with the Christian, namely: keeping promises [that were made to him], dealing honestly with him, treating him kindly, and befriending him.  (Now get this).  The first three are allowed, but the fourth [i.e., befriending the Christian] is deemed dangerous, for it contravenes the verse that says, 'O you who believe!  Do not take my enemy as your enemy for friends: would you offer them love while they deny what has come to you of the truth' [Koran 60:1].  It is inconceivable that they should serve in judiciary or executive posts, for instance in army or the police."

Question 2:  "Are you against blowing up churches?"

Shiekh's Answer:  "Yes and no.  The Christian is free to worship his god in his church, but if the Christians make problems for the Muslims, I will exterminate them.  (That must be that tolerant and civility of Islam that Obama keeps talking about.)  I am guided by the Shari'a, and it stipulates that they (Christians) must pay the jizya tax while in a state of humiliation..."  Yes, peaceful Islam, how could I have ever misunderstood the goal of Muslims around the world.  Didn't our President say that Islam was the most civil and tolerant of faiths?  Yes, I'm sure that's exactly what he said.  

  Well there's no doubt in my mind anymore, I'm going to run out, find the nearest Mosque and invite the entire horde of them to dinner. NOT!!!  Am I  misunderstanding Islam, are all the terrorists misunderstanding the peace and tranquility of their own faith?  I think they understand their faith just fine.  It's the liberal idiots in America that are totally flummoxed about Islam, it's goals and how it intends to achieve those goals.  I can't understand for the life of me why, so many Americans can listen to a person like our friend Shiekh Shehato spew his Koranic murdering vitriol and then ignore what he says.  It is obvious that his Muslim terrorists minions are believing him, and will carry out his "fatwa" (order).  There just is no answer for the complete apathy and ignorance of Americans who think Islam is our friend.  How difficult is it to believe a man when he threatens to kill you and your friends and family, and then when he kills one your friends, you just pretend that it's not happening?  I will never understand the liberal stance on Islam, not in a million years!

  Once again I find myself repeating warnings after warnings, I just cannot help myself.  So here it goes:  Islam is not peaceful, it is not tolerant, and they do intend to restore a New Caliphate and dominate and enslave the world's infidels.  Understand, Christians and Jews are not the only infidels that Islam wants to either enslave or exterminate.  Atheists, Gays, Lesbians, Transgendered, Protestants of all denominations, are all under the heading (or shall I say "be-heading") of infidels, in the eyes of Koran believing Muslims.  No one is or will be exempt from Islamic rule, if Islam is allowed to expand and rule.  How difficult is this to understand.  You Protestant preachers and liberal priests out there, who think that by opening your churches to Islam is somehow going to save your necks, are dearly mistaken.  Islam does not see appeasers as friends, but they do see appeasers as weak, and ready for domination.  Do not be a traitor to Jesus Christ by allowing your congregation to believe that there is more than one way to heaven, by giving credence to Islam, that's exactly what you are doing.  " I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but through me."  Jesus did not say "me" or "Allah" or Baal, or Muhammad.  Jesus said "me", and he meant "me" (Jesus, the Son of God).  

God Help Us

Sincerely, 

The Watchman  

Congressional Black Caucus Declares ‘War’ on Tea Party | Calls for Civil Unrest in Their Neighborhoods and Homes | Video | TheBlaze.com

"I have a nightmare"!

   Now this is the way to unite the nation, isn't it?  What a pathetic group of whining politicians, are they all Black?  Well by golly it appears they are. 
  This is obviously how the Congressional Black Caucus operates.  If none of them can find anything good about the President, then they have no choice but to "declare war" (did I hear that right?) on the TEA Party.  Racism is alive and well in America alright, but it's not where you might have thought it was.  No, it's not in the run down ghettos of New York City or Los Angeles, or even in the old Chicago neighbor where Barack Obama was a community organizer.  (That was before he became America's "Divider In Chief").  This vitriolic hate speech isn't spewing from the mouths of Louis Farrakhan or even the New Black Panthers.  This "we hate the White man's TEA Party" is resonating from Capitol Hill and the Congressional Black Caucus.  Whatever happened to the civility that Obama called for?  I appears this is just another in a long line of racist double standards that permeates the political realm.  Is it any wonder that many White folks are more than a little apprehensive when they are approached by Black folks?  It's not really Blackophobia is it?   Why I wonder, are only White people considered racist.  I mean we've been accused of Islamophobia, why not Blackophobia too?  
  Accusing the TEA Party of being a racist organization is ludicrous at best.  As a member of the TEA Party and speaker at TEA Party rallies, I can say, without reservation that all the rallies I've been to, were extremely diverse.  I would venture to say that virtually every race, creed, nationality and color attended the TEA Party rallies, and actually participated.  As a matter of fact, I shared the dais with an American Black business owner, and I remember that he gave a rousing speech against the tyrannical taxation in America.  So, where does the CBC get their information?  I'll tell you where, it's been rolling around in their little pea brains for years, and they think that now is the time to actually say what they've been thinking.  I guess that somehow in the CBC's rhetoric they feel that they can gather support for Barack Obama from the same guilty-feeling White people who were duped into voting for him the first time.
  Let me say this to the loud-mouths of the Congressional Black Caucus:  The vile accusations being made by you and those like you will result in nothing short of solidifying the TEA Party, and I don't just mean the White TEA Party people either.  Your despicable remarks like the TEA Party wants to see Black folks hanging from trees, is a best inane.  There isn't one of you who shouldn't be charged with spewing hate speech and inciting minorities to violence.  America's White population has virtually wiped out racism from their minds, their workplaces and schools.  So now, the CBC's one stupid and erroneous outburst, may result in most, if not all prejudices being awakened once again.  Congratulations CBC!  I guess that the CBC would just cease to exist if it weren't for pulling that "race card" every so often in order to somehow secure your positions of control and influence over your constituents.
  When will the Congressional Black Caucus begin to tell their constituents the truth about things?  When will they tell their folks that it's not the White people keeping the Black people poor?  When will the CBC tell their folks that America owes them nothing?  Slavery is over, it's ancient American history.  When will the CBC realize that a couple of hundred thousand White men gave their lives to defeat slavery in this country?  I guess they never will, and it appears they will never tell the truth to our Black Americans because the truth would set them free.  The members of the CBC with the exception of a few are the ones responsible for the constant class and race discrimination that occurs in this nation.  If the poor Black folks are always led to believe that someone other than themselves are the reason they are poor, then those powerful Blacks in charge will retain their control over the folks.  It's pretty sad really, how powerful Black Americans take advantage of the the disadvantaged Black Americans in this country.  In essence, the Power Black Americans should be ashamed, totally ashamed.
  When I see statistics that show there are more Mexican immigrants in college in America than Blacks, it tells me which race actually shows more initiative in school.  It's so sad to say, because the Blacks in America have had more  than equal opportunities in education ever since "Affirmative Action" was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. 
  The Black Americans in this nation have little or no excuse for not getting an education, truly, little or no excuse.  If the inner city youth chose to quit school, cause trouble, and or basically just not apply themselves, the fault is on the student and the family.  Uneducated Black or any other race is NOT the fault of White Americans or TEA Parties.  It's time to cease and desist the blame Whitey for all your problems game.  Give it up, and grow up!!!  Congressional Black Caucus, if you are all incapable of doing something constructive, perhaps giving your seats to some other folks who have a sense of responsibility and integrity.  Either way CBC, if you want to continue to drive the wedge of dis-content between the Black and White populations of this nation, then by all means continue on the same path.  The TEA Party is not to blame for your plight, if in fact you even have a plight!
  In my summary:  It is the leaders of the Black population that are responsible for keeping their own people dumbed-down and in the chains of bondage.   
God Help This Nation
Sincerely,
The Watchman

TOLKIEN WOULD BE PROUD, A "HOBBIT" THAT MADE GOOD!!!

Talk about "bad Hobbits", what's the difference between the Hobbit on the left and the Hobbit on the right?   The one on the left is a cartoon character and the Hobbit on the right is real, and is in charge of our Homeland Security.  Scary!!!

  Janet Napolitano Secretary of America's Homeland Security is a joke.  This Hobbit actually thinks America's homegrown terrorists are TEA Party men in suits carrying briefcases.  Is she ignorant, blind or is she really an unsuspecting Hobbit?  The answer is, none of the above.  In reality Janet Napolitano is a Socialist/Communist Progressive who is taking orders blindly from Barack Hussein Obama.  Obama, by all the the evidence is racist against white people, hence his latest Executive Order implementing a new government diversity and inclusion agency to oversee hiring at government levels.  In short form, if you are a white male you need no longer apply for any government positions, they will be filled from this point forward with even more incompetent dolts of every possible race except of course the Caucasian race.  We white folks are taboo in the hiring pool.  If a government agency manager hires a white, straight person, he/she will be deemed immediately as a racist, homophobic, anti-diverse manager and will certainly be dealt with accordingly by the administration. 
  Being a minority has become the most popular thing to be.  If you are Black, Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered, Mexican illegal, or Muslim, illegal or not, you will be placed at the top of the government hiring list.  In order to stem racial, religious or gender, and all gay discrimination the government under Barack Obama is making sure no-one can be discriminated against.  Except of course if you are white, straight and/or Christian, then discrimination is okay, because White, straight Christians are downright evil by nature.  Makes you proud to see how far our country has come, doesn't it?
  We must ask ourselves, how many rights and liberties have been taken from the American people due to demands made by White, straight Christians.  Let's see, there's the freedom to travel without being subjected to Nazi like searches by airport authorities.  No, wait a minute that particular liberty was removed because Muslims attacked and murdered 3,000 innocent people at the World Trade Center.  How about the new abridgement of our 1st amendment right to freedom of speech, or press.  I don't think that White people are offended by the truth, it must be someone else.  Oh, yes that's the Muslims, and the Blacks and the gays... what, not the Christians, straights or Whites?  No, not the Whites, straights or Christians.
  From the freedom of yesteryear, to the tyrannical government of today, there have been many changes in America.  Has it occured to anyone that our children and grand children under the age of say 5 years old will never know the freedom of speech or movement we knew?  Has it occurred to anyone that those same children will never know they could take anything they wanted to school, for their own lunch.  They will never know what it was like when the government wasn't controlling everything you read, where you work, what you eat, or how you heat and cool your home.  Will they remember 20 years from now that there ever was such a thing as a single family dwelling?  Will they ever remember a time when one was free to express thought without fear of trial and punishment?  Will they even know how to express an idea or disagree with the norm.  Will they ever remember that God is the Creator of everything, that Jesus is the only way to salvation?  Will their world be devoid of God and religion?  
  When we as adults today, turn a blind eye to the direction our Godless leaders are taking this nation, we are just as guilty as those leading the way.
  When Benjamin Franklin was asked by a lady,"What have you given us"?  He replied " A Republic, if you can keep it?"  I honestly think that Franklin knew we couldn't keep it, it was too simple, it was too free.  In his heart of hearts, Franklin knew that this republic would fall if we didn't follow the Constitution to the letter.  Our founding fathers entered into the our rights, the 2nd amendment the "right to keep and bear arms", they knew that one day in the future, Americans would have to take up those arms and fight the tyrannical government that we ourselves allowed to take control of us.  The 2nd amendment is in the process of being usurped as we speak.  If we lose our arms, we will surely lose our country!  
  My friends, we nolonger have a government "of the people", "by the people" or "for the people".  Our elected leaders do not consider themselves servants of the people but each unto themselves little dictators of the social concept, that they now know what is best for the people.  We are in a very dangerous position, and we are at the crossroad we have built for ouselves.  In the coming months, if it is not already too late, a people's decision must be made.  Will it be "liberty or death", or will it be "slavery to our self appointed tyrannical government"?  We all have to decide whether we go back and follow our moral and Christian principles or will we go along on the wide path to perdition?  These are the questions that must be answered by each and every one of us, and answer them we must.  Our nation, our way of life, and our freedom and that of those who will follow in our footsteps depend on the decisions we make today.
Sincerely,
The Watchman 
   
 

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE OR TAKING STUPIDITY TO NEW HEIGHTS, WHICH IS IT?

Dumb & Dumber

  Above is a picture from an Iranian courtroom, you have before you, perhaps two of the three dumbest and irresponsible Americans to have ever walked the face of the earth.  I do mean walked.  Pictured are one Shane Bauer and one Josh Fattal, missing, is a picture their cohort Sarah Shourd who was released from Iran due to some medical reasons.  However, not without a neat $500,000.00 non-refundable bail being posted.   In my opinion all three of these numb-skulls have some serious mental deficiencies.  (If you're talking medical problems, Iran should have let them all go, at $500,000.00 each.)

  As we all know, this is an ongoing saga involving 3 young and (I'm embarrassed to say American hikers).  They were captured by Iranian troops for allegedly straying into Iranian territory from Iraq, (where else?).  They have been charged with espionage by the Iranian authorities, which in itself is ludicrous, simply because no one in their right mind would hike in broad daylight across a hostile border with the intention of spying on that hostile nation.  However, if the Iranian accusations against these hikers are factual, then America has certainly gone way down hill and if these are the best Americans to do the job, then America should take a serious look at our "Intelligence" operations around the globe. 
  A little background, these three mental midgets are all supposedly well educated.  However, they were not well educated enough to realize that there is a war zone, in Iraq and Iran.  They obviously weren't listening when it was announced that the United States has invaded Iraq, and deposed dictator Saddam Hussein.  Their minds must have been preoccupied when Iran announced several times that it was at war with the Little Satan (Israel) and the Big Satan (USA).  Let's try to understand, at the time of their capture by Iranian authorities, Sarah Shourd was 32 years of age, her fiance' Shane Bauer was 28 and Josh Fattal was also 28.  In my considered opinion they were as you say "old enough to know better".  Their mere presence in Iraq was irresponsible, at best.  If my memory serves me correctly, the U.S. State Department at that date and time was issuing warnings to U.S. citizens to NOT travel in those hostile areas.  Once again, someone wasn't listening...
  So now Mr. Bauer and Mr. Fattal have been sentenced to a total of 8 years each in an Iranian prison.  Ms. Shourd is in America after being bailed out with $500,000.00 of I don't know who's money.  (I'm thinking American taxpayer money.)   She is now suffering from an acute case of, get this, PTSD.  Go figure!!!  Even though she was summoned to return to Iran and face trial with her fiance' and other pal, she has decided not to go back.  I'm sure Shane Bauer would have wanted her to stay safe at home, and get a cure for her PTSD. 
  What I am trying to say is this:  If a person or persons are intent on placing themselves in an area they have been warned to stay out of, then it is their own sole responsibility for any, and all situations they get themselves into.  Personally, I would have told these three "if you want to go to Iraq, join the military and volunteer for combat operations in the Middle-East."  I feel no responsibility to rescue or bail, or barter these last two out of that Iranian prison.  Just as I feel there is no, and should not be any obligation for Federal, State or Local authorities to rescue someone who has intentionally climbed a mountain and subsequently became stranded.  If you wish to put yourself in harms way, and it is not your job, and you choose to do it anyway, then please do not expect the rest of the world to risk their lives to save your sorry butt(s)!
  With the exception of the military and government contractors, there is no reason for anyone to have been in Iraq in 2009, much less meandering through the countryside in or near a hostile nation.  Perhaps these three didn't wander across the Iranian border, perhaps the Iranians came across the Iraqi border and kidnapped them.  Perhaps, these three should be held responsible for their actions.  A quick word to the parents of these two who have been sentenced to 8 years.  Did you, or did you not caution your children about going to Iraq in the first place?  If you didn't, in my book you ought to be spending the next 8 years with them in that Iranian prison.
  Never fear however, there is no doubt that the American government will come to the rescue.  We'll probably have to trade some dangerous terrorists for your two idiotic children.  Or, America will have to use taxpayer money to buy your two dufuss' from Iran.  Personally, I think that either way, America loses.  This country has enough irresponsible citizens in it, and we shouldn't have to buy any back from a foreign country, especially a hostile one!
  If they were my children you ask, would I feel the same way?  The answer is yes.  I raised my child to listen and heed warnings and warning signs, and should he choose to ignore the warnings, any warnings in order to have some kind of fun, then he knows that the responsibility for his chosen stupidity would belong to him, and him alone.  Would I feel bad?  Would I do all I can to help him?  The answer is yes to both of those questions.  Would I expect another set of parents to risk their son's or daughter's lives to rescue my child under those circumstances?  The answer is unequivocally NO.
God Help those young folks, may this be a teachable moment for them.
Sincerely,
The Watchman