Good News from North Carolina, Alabama, and Ukraine

Good News from North Carolina, Alabama, and Ukraine

“Good news” is a very subjective term.

Some people regard the slight uptick in Barack Hussein Obama’s job approval ratings as a positive, others perceive it as ominous for the next election. Some consider unfortunate Tuesday’s Pentagon announcement that troops returning from Iraq won’t be honored with parades as per custom at the end of a war, others applaud the decision since they don’t like wars or soldiers.

What’s good and what’s bad often depends on one’s perspective.

However, though there are inevitably those who can find dark clouds on bright, sunny days and evil in virtue, various developments over recent weeks must be interpreted as positive–unless you’re a Muslim, a leftist, a misanthrope, or a sorry combination of all three.

For example, few Americans would see an American corporation standing up for American values as a negative. Even fewer would consider a decrease in a state’s unemployment numbers as anything but a sign of improving times. Virtually no one would deny saving children from an ugly fate is an act of true Christian charity.

Earlier this month, the Mooresville, North Carolina-headquartered home improvement chain Lowes home met with widespread criticism for yanking its advertising dollars from TLC’s “All-American Muslim,” apparently feeling the show was not representative of Muslims in America or of Islamic beliefs in Sharia law.

Muslims and leftist Democrat politicians ripped Lowes’ decision as a “shameful” reaction to intolerant “fringe” agitators and organized a boycott of the chain as punishment and to force Lowes to alter its policy.

In a letter to the company, signed by Muslim congressman Keith Ellison and others, the pols accused Lowes of forgetting “what it means to be an American.”

(See “Lowes Lowers Boom on Muslims,” http://bit.ly/rZNoTS.)

It seems the company knows full well what being an American means and “All-American Muslim” didn’t fill the bill.

Lowes stuck to its guns and was rewarded with a “BUYcott” by like-minded shoppers who flocked to its stores. At the same time, Lowes proved to be in the advertising vanguard: Fellow advertisers bailed in droves and ratings for TLC’s distorted view of the true nature and character of Muslims plummeted.

One small step for Lowes. One giant leap for America.

Much to the chagrin of the Obama administration, more good news emanated from the very red state of Alabama, employment news that can be credited to the Yellowhammer State and not to Washington.

Late last summer, Alabama began implementation of immigration reforms necessitated by Obamians’ refusal to enforce national immigration law and despite the administration’s efforts to discourage and interfere with Alabama doing the fed job.

Accused of violating everything from civil rights–of illegal aliens–to inflicting untold suffering–on illegal aliens–to ignoring economics in favor of politics, Alabama was following Arizona’s lead by audaciously insisting that applicants for jobs, etc. prove they are legal residents of the country and state.

In addition to the threatened, dire legal consequences of such audacity, progressive pundits and agitators predicted economic catastrophe for Alabamans. To their disappointment, the state has posted employment gains which far surpassed national averages since the new immigration law went into effect.

According to a November 18th report, unemployment rates fell at a record pace in the state, from September’s 9.8% to October’s 9.3%, from 9.9% to 9% in Etowah County, from 8.8% to 8.1% in Marshall county, and from 11.6% to 10.6% in DeKalb county.

The cause of all that good news? That same catastrophic immigration law which made jobs available to citizens and legal aliens who, we have been told by progressives for years, would absolutely never take those jobs.

The State of Alabama isn’t crowing much over outing the feds and the left as fools and liars and telling the president to stick those numbers in his hat, but it should.

Finally, from the usually sparse good news department comes this tidbit from ABCNews.com, a network which is usually engaged in presenting the opposite, and covering for Barack Obama. (Ever see any ABC reference Obama gaffes like “57 states,” “corpsemen,” or Hawaii’s location in Asia?)

Some positive stories cry out for exposure, even on ABC, and the Kecia and Kris Cox’s story is one of them.
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=11858.)

Lowes Lowers Boom on Muslims

Lowes Lowers Boom on Muslims

What’s wrong with American Muslims?

Nothing, according to Muslims and Democrat politicians who are incensed over Lowes pulling its ads from The Learning Channel’s new reality show, “All American Muslim.” Something, according to Lowes which makes money when people buy stuff at their home improvement stores but which felt advertising on”All American Muslim” was counterproductive to its interests.

There are also the questions as to what constitutes worthwhile “learning” and Muslim realities.

Lowes’ apt corporate motto is “Never Stop Improving” and this week it joined some 75 other advertisers in bailing on sponsoring the show. Some people, including those Democrat pols, attribute Lowes’ action to caving to prejudiced, conservative special interest groups, others including the travel website, Kayak.com, to the fact “the show sucked.”

In the interests of full disclosure, I’ve never seen an “All-American Muslim.” However, from what I’ve researched, it does suck and even more relevantly, the Muslims depicted are far from representative of American Muslims. TLC’s offering seems more an exercise in propagandistic political correctness than a serious effort at informational entertainment.

There’s a major difference between infotainment and infoganda.

Minnesota Democrat Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to serve in Congress who staged a 24 hour hunger strike in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Sreet anarchists, also protested against Lowes saying, “Corporate America needs to take a stand against these anti-Muslim fringe groups and stand up for what is right because this is what it means to be an American.”

Joining Ellison in his righteous indignation were Detroit-area Democrats, the first Bangladeshi-American congressman, Hansen Hashim Clarke, John Dingell, and Gary Peters who expressed dismay over the Florida Family Association’s dismay over ”All-American Muslim.”

The good congressmen dutifully dispatched a letter to Lowes defending Muslims and their contributions to the nation, without delineating those contributions. They concluded their missive by saying, ”We implore you to reconsider your decision and live up to your corporate ideals of diversity and inclusion and the values of tolerance and acceptance that create the foundation of our nation.”

Anymore than Ellison explained how an American corporation refusing to advertise on a television show it felt distorted reality related in any way to “what it means to be an American,” the other congressmen failed to clarify how supporting intolerance is a building block of America’s foundation.

That aside, Ellison’s comment regarding alleged “Muslim anti-fringe groups” and “what it means to be an American” bears more scrutiny.

The Florida Family Association which organized a wildly-successful petition against TLC’s ”All-American Muslim” is a quarter century old organization dedicated to the betterment of life in America. Its mission statement, to “Educate people on what they can do to defend, protect and promote traditional, biblical values,” is hardly a “fringe” sentiment.

Toward that end, the FFA has campaigned against what it deems offensive television shows advocating aberrant lifestyles, smutty fare for children, pornography–as well as Islamic propaganda. The FFA is urging Florida Gov. Rick Scott to order an investigation into whether a Muslim woman’s death was due to suicide or to an all-too-common Islamic “honor killing.” . . . (Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=11016.)