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21 " We don’t want you to answer all of our silly questions, Hank. We don’t want you to solve all our problems. We’re not broken, and you don’t have to fix us. Okay? "
― Skip Coryell , We Hold These Truths
22 " You mean the guy who punched out the County Commissioner last year? I wrote an article on that. They tried to make him mow his lawn, because it violated some county beautification ordinance, or something like that. I asked him why he did it and he just grunted and said. ‘I was obliged to’. I have no idea what he meant by that so I just quoted him.” The old man smiled softly and nodded his head. “That’s right. He was obliged to. In his simple, down-to-earth way of looking at things, you don’t tread on other people’s rights. You don’t tell people what to do with their own property. And if you do, then you need a good whoopin’!” Hank busted out laughing. “I can’t believe a Pulitzer Prize winner just said ‘whoopin’! "
23 " I was nodding at what Jimmy Stuart just said. I once thought like him. I thought I wanted to get out and see the world, to conquer it.” His voice took on the tone of mock pomp and importance. “To bravely go where no man has gone before!” Angela leaned closer. “So what happened?” “I had kids. And that changed everything. It changed me mostly I suppose.” “How so? "
24 " But until then, He has given us dominion, and with dominion comes the responsibility of defending ourselves. When God created the animals, He also instilled in them the instinct of self-preservation. And they defend themselves by either fight or flight. And when He created mankind, He also gave us the ability and the obligation to defend our lives and our families from all harm, whether evil or benign. "
25 " Well, I’m not sure. It just seems like from the first moment I held Phillip in my arms, that life was no longer the same. One moment I was lost in my career and my ego, worried about how many points I scored, how much money I made, what kind of car I drove. And the next, I looked down and I was a daddy. And I knew at that moment that I’d found my calling in life. I’d suddenly reached out and touched someone greater than myself. From that moment on, I became a servant and a protector. My kids were bigger than me and anything else in life I may have thought I wanted. They became my reason for being. "
26 " Osama Bin Laden said: ‘But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem; and peace be upon our prophet Muhammad Bin-Abdullah, who said: I have been sent with the sword between my hands to ensure that no one but Allah is worshipped, Allah who put my livelihood under the shadow of my spear and who inflicts humiliation and scorn on those who disobey my orders. "
27 " Oh-h, I see. So are you saying that the Second Amendment is every bit as important as the first? But a lot of people say it’s not an individual right, that it’s not even needed anymore. The crime rate is way down you know.” “The Second Amendment will always be needed, if for no other reason than to protect your right to publish free of government censorship. The Second Amendment is the one right that protects all others. It’s about accountability. An armed society is all that holds the government accountable to the people who elected them. All people are inherently flawed. We are predisposed toward selfishness and vain ambition. "
28 " But some people believe humans are inherently good.” Lance smiled patiently. “How can you even entertain that notion in the world of post nine-eleven? Besides, if that were true, then we wouldn’t need laws or rules, because they would be second nature to us and we would be nice to each other without giving it a second thought. But because we are predisposed to selfishness, then we need the rules and their associated accountability or else the rich will steal from the poor, and the strong will enslave the weak. Our founding fathers knew that, because at the time they were being oppressed by King George of England. "
29 " So you’re saying that the Second Amendment isn’t just for hunting or for self defense. It’s what protects our freedom?” “You’ve got it! Of course self defense is a basic human right bestowed upon us by the creator, not by the government. The government simply either acknowledges that right or infringes upon it. But there are many kinds of self defense. Hunting defends us from hunger; carrying a concealed pistol defends us from crime; an armed civilian population defends us from an out-of-control totalitarian government. There is an innate wisdom in the Bill of Rights which transcends the politics of the moment and makes it relevant and important from one generation and culture to the next. "
30 " You don’t understand radical Islam. It was founded by one man, a man with self-serving interests, and he spread his power and influence by conquering others. Muhammad claimed to be God’s prophet, therefore, anything he said was considered equal to that of God. Did you know that Muhammad had 23 wives and concubines? Once he wanted to marry the wife of his step-son, something that was forbidden by Islamic law, "
31 " You’re faithful. You’re loyal. You’re kind. You protect and serve the ones you love. You seek the truth. You are the embodiment of every Boy Scout who ever lived. Sometimes you lack confidence, and you make silly jokes, but that’s okay, because even then you try to do the right thing. You have a humility about you that is very attractive. Your strength is subtle. You seem like an ordinary guy, but you’re anything but ordinary. I’ve been watching you Hank. I watch the way you treat people around you. I watch the way you play with your kids. There’s a lot of love inside you, more than I’ve ever seen inside anyone else. And everything I see in you just draws me closer. You’re almost selfless, and that’s hard to find now days. Most people spend their whole lives feeding and worshipping their own egos. They live to please themselves. "
32 " But that’s just part of the story: the easy part. The difficult part is this. Jesus loves those terrorists. He loved them when they slit the throats of unarmed passengers, and He even loved them when they flew those planes into balls of fire causing thousands of His children to die in flames and blood and agony. And He continues to love them still as they roast in eternal hell and damnation. "
33 " Guns are supposed to be dangerous Mr. Simmons, as are chain saws and axes and knives. Guns are, quite simply put, the power tools of freedom. "
34 " so he simply claimed to have received a revelation from Allah that it was now lawful for him to take her as his wife. His step-son, who was a good Muslim, wanted to please the prophet, so he immediately divorced his wife so Muhammad could bed her. On another time, Muhammad, the great prophet of Allah, married a 6-year old girl, then consummated that marriage when she was only 9 years old. America must come to understand Islam for what it really is. Allah is not the god of Judaism and Christianity. He is not the god of love and tolerance. "
35 " I still don’t understand why they want to kill us all. Even if all of that is true, it doesn’t make any sense to me.” “It’s because they define pagan as anyone who doesn’t practice Islam. And, according to certain passages in the Koran, all pagans have to be converted or killed. "
36 " Later in the fatwa, Osama Bin Laden said: ‘We – with Allah’s help – call on every Muslim who believes in Allah and wishes to be rewarded to comply with Allah’s order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they can find it. We also call on Muslim ulema, leaders, youths, and soldiers to launch the raid on Satan’s U.S. troops and the devil’s supporters allying with them, and to displace those who are behind them so that they may learn a lesson. "
37 " Hate the sin, but love the sinner. We must pray for our enemies as well as our friends and the ones we love. Because if we pray for them, they may repent, seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways. "
38 " And now you know the truth! You are infidels, pagans, arrogant soldiers of the great Satan! And since you are soldiers, then you are enemies, and you must die. America and the weakness of Christianity has stood in Islam’s way far too long. And now, you will be crushed under the iron boot of Islam. It is time for America to die! "
39 " The first will be last, the last will be first. If you want to live you must first die to sin. If you want to be great, then you must first be the servant of all. And the paradoxes go on and on and "
40 " Jesus commanded us to love you, so I can’t go ahead and kill you, even though right now my fallen flesh wants . . . .” Josh let the sentence die unended. He walked over to Momin, picked up the duct tape and wrapped it around his head several times, securely covering his mouth. When he was done, he stood up and nodded his head in satisfaction. “There! You’re easier to love when you’re not talking. "