Free Republic

(This Washington Times editorial) notes in passing Chuck Schumer's claim that the New York Times story about the NSA's spying on al Qaeda phone calls to the U.S. "greatly" influenced his vote to filibuster the Patriot Act. Schumer's claim is almost surely false. Like many liberal Democrats, Schumer is an idelogically driven opponent of the president's approach to the war on terror. Can Schumer point to any pronouncement suggesting that he was inclined to permit the Patriot Act to be extended until he read the Times' piece? Perhaps, but I doubt it. Nor does the Times' story provide Schumer or...

About 40 students turned out last night for the kickoff event of Islamic Awareness Week—a structured discourse called “Islam, Hip-Hop and Black America,” featuring two speakers who discussed the relationship between modern Islam and the African-American community. The event was co-sponsored by the Harvard Islamic Society, the Harvard Foundation, the Black Students Association, the Association of Black Harvard Women, and the Black Men’s Forum. Adisa Banjoko, a provocative hip-hop journalist and author of Lyrical Swords, gave a 45-minute speech about Islamic influence on hip-hop cultures. Banjoko explained that the rise in popularity of hip-hop was a result of social pressures...

The widow of a West Virginia soldier killed in Afghanistan wants grief counseling. but is having trouble getting it from support groups for nine-eleven victims. Lisa Vance's husband, Gene, was the first West Virginian killed in Afghanistan. He was killed in May 2002 during an attack by al-Qaida and Taliban forces. The Morgantown woman says six organizations have refused her request for emotional support and counseling and blatantly told her she wasn't a victim of 9-11. Vance says she hasn't had financial difficulties after losing her husband and isn't interested in money from the September Eleventh groups. A Red Cross...

911: A DAY OF EVIL By E. L. Bynum, Pastor Tabernacle Baptist Church 1911 34th Street Lubbock, Texas 79411 (These are essentially the sermon notes I used Wednesday night, September 12, just one day after the awful tragedy that befell our nation on September 11. This is not meant to be an example of what a sermon ought to be, but it is what the Lord laid on my heart in the midst of this awful experience.) INTRODUCTION: It is ironic, perhaps it was planned that way, that yesterday's date was 911. It was truly a day of national emergency,...

FULLERTON, California - A man will serve 45 days in jail after pleading guilty to threatening a Sikh couple with a baseball bat three days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Authorities said Jason Fulkerson, 31, confronted Gurcharan Singh and his wife as they were selling ice cream from a truck near Fulkerson's southern California home on Sept. 14 "He basically approached (the couple) after 9-11 and told them to leave the neighborhood," said Deputy District Attorney Mike Fell. "When they didn't, he returned with a baseball bat." Fulkerson, who has apologized for the act, was placed on two years'...