Hamblin: Now they've done it

Sunday, August 25, 2002 - One night last week after the release of the CNN al-Qaeda videotapes, it occurred to me how far apart we are from the world of our fundamentalist Muslim enemies. The tapes have been referred to by some in the media as the most chilling reminder of why American troops are fighting in Afghanistan.

I thought about them as I was swinging gently in my hammock between two pine trees, listening to the song of crickets, from time to time catching the scent of the pine needles in the night air and watching the full moon rise in the eastern sky.

As most of us know by now, much has been made of the videotapes, which served once again to confirm Osama bin Laden's hatred of the U.S. and everything American.

Paid for by CNN and CBS, the tapes revealed more than just fact that bin Laden hated us, however. You will note that I refer to Osama in the past tense, because I personally believe he is dead and his body decomposing by now.

It revealed more than the fact that al-Qaeda claimed to be shipping Stinger missiles to bin Laden's benefactors in Saudi Arabia.

At least one of the videotapes uncovered a deep cultural division between Americans and the would-be holy warriors of the desert.

It showed the cold-blooded killing of an attentive yellow puppy dog. The puppy died from exposure to a poisonous gas.

Experts who examined the scene believe it was an experiment conducted by al-Qaeda to test the effectiveness of a gas produced for one purpose: to inflict mass destruction on its enemies in the West.

I believe that like the Japanese who bombed America at Pearl Harbor and the German generals who dismissed Americans as decadent and corrupt during World War I and II, al-Qaeda and the remnants of the Taliban may have seriously misjudged the button that motivates America in recording that piece of tape. Most healthy Americans grieve whenever a civilian, a soldier, a peace officer or a firefighter is killed in the line of duty fighting domestic or international terrorism.

But what the Muslim fanatic doesn't understand is that we are a people who unconditionally love our pets. Be it decadent or otherwise, Americans love our cats and dogs, and we spend billions of dollars a year grooming and pampering them to prove it.

If ever there was a vision that could finally turn the hearts of the American people to stone against the men and women who have declared jihad against us, it was the depiction of that yellow puppy dog with the green rag around its neck, tethered to a post, waiting for the approaching fog of death.

That picture, at least for the people who talked with me on my syndicated talk radio show, will be vividly remembered just as the images of "Remember the Maine" and Pearl Harbor are recalled.

No matter how history ultimately judged these events, the bottom line is they represented catastrophic miscalculations by our enemies concerning the will and the determination of America to turn on a foe whom we believe is worthy of destruction.

Up to now and in spite of the harm that our enemies from the Middle East have inflicted upon us, America and her politicians, perhaps out of concern for a political backlash, have shown considerable restraint.

But, if ever there was a straw to break the camel's back of Americans across the fruited plains, it was the image of that yellow puppy dog dying at the hands of a culture so savage it could pollute a man's best friend.

I love Ken's writing. He's exactly right on that too. There is something so cold blooded about killing a dog, especially one who was as full of life and eager for love as that one was. It's despicable.

We already knew these people were on the bottom rung of humanity by the way they callously kill women, children, and elders. Killing a dog who offers nothing but love and loyalty takes them out of the classification of human altogether. Thanks for posting this mhking.

I agree, these vermin are at the bottom of the food chain. But why do I get the sinking feeling, that there are enough (liberal/socialist) Americans who are still in denial, (even after viewing these videos) and refuse to support our right to defend ourselves from these monsters?

Pictures of Americans jumping to their deaths from the World Trade Center may not get the soccer moms to back the war on terror, but don't kill a pooch.

Reminds me of a cartoon a few years ago of a pregnent teenager walking away from an abortion clinic looking down at her stomach in wonder. One abti-abortion protester asks the other "How did you talk her out of it?" and the other one says, "I told her it was a puppy".

Emotional article, but if it takes the death of a pup to push us over the edge to seek justice and not those poor people jumping to their deaths, and the buildings collapsing, etc. then we weren't, perhaps that inspired in the first place. Alsoooo, I wish we'd have the same compassion for the thousands of innocent unborn children that are savagely ripped apart every day in this country. How can the American people, seemingly, have such compassion for animals, and think nothing of the unborn children.

There is something so cold blooded about killing a _____, especially one who was as full of life and eager for love as that one was. It's despicable.

Pictures of Americans jumping to their deaths from the World Trade Center may not get
the soccer moms to back the war on terror, but don't kill a pooch.

Last week on talk radio I heard a caller commenting on something she'd heard
from a city official she worked with.

"If we hold a city council meeting on care for people in rest homes, hardly anyone will show up.
If we hold a meeting about animal welfare, the place will be packed!"

When I first saw the video-took me 3 tries to watch it in it's entirety,I had one thought. Let the families of the 9/11 victims be in charge of punishing OBL and the AQ,with no options off the table-if they want to douse OBL with burning jet fuel and throw him from a plane at 35,000 feet, fine. Let the military and CIA families decide the fate of those responsible for their lost ones in Afghanistan. But,please,please leave me alone in a room, with the monsters who tortured the puppy- I don't even need weapons,I'll take care of them, with my bare hands.

...if it takes the death of a pup to push us over the edge to seek justice and not
those poor people jumping to their deaths, and the buildings collapsing, etc.
then we weren't, perhaps that inspired in the first place

I agree with your point of view.
I think that anyone who didn't get fighting mad at 9-11, especially the views/thoughts
of people taking that 11-second plunge from the WTC and the firemen/police sacrificing themselves
needed counseling, if not a CAT scan.

But emotively, I remember as a child seeing a WWII war movie (that I can't name)
in which a group of GIs feed a mascot dog they find in a desolate, bomb-out locale
in Europe.
As the unit moves out, an officer/sergeant tells the GIs that they can't take the
dog with them...the dog must be left behind.

As the GIs get on their transport trucks, the trusting, but abandoned dog follows the truck.
Some of the GIs are saddened as they realistically think the dog will probably starve,
then some of the soldiers decide to shot the dog while they are departing.
The action is suggested as compassion, but then some make bets on whether they can hit the dog
with a shot from an M-1 at distance.

I remember as a child being very disturbed by this scene. And intellectually I knew
that this was about the death of an animal, not a human.

True, I saw a clip of that little pup on the history channel. We need to have compassion for animals, but when the lives of animals become more important than people, we have our priorities confused. That's why PETA, etc. raise the ire of so many people is that they put the lives of animals and even insects on the same level, and even above, the lives of humans. Pathetic!!

We need to have compassion for animals, but when the lives of animals become more
important than people, we have our priorities confused.

I'm absolutely with you on this. It is a sign that our society needs a reality check
when people are disturbed about the death of puppies but not innocent human lives.

At the same time, when I heard about these tapes I was slightly relieved.
I said to myself "for anyone who wasn't pushed to anger on 9-11...the killing
of puppies should be just the ticket to push them into the 'lets go get these b@stards"
column.

Couldn't help thinking of the incident Oliver North related in his book

Reporters were camped outside his home night and day with no respite during his trial

Trying to show some charity Ollie's wife sent the daughter out with some cookies for the creeps

One reporter admitted that they fed them to Ollies dog first in case they were poisoned

Tells you a hell of a lot about the mentality of the paranoid leftwing press

I believe as I always have that anyone who intentionally hurts any animal is a danger to society. I believe also that there IS a special, loving place for all animals once they pass on. They are too special for there not to be a place for them and them alone.

I also believe the scum that did this will also have a special place all their own when it is their time to die. Oh yes, they will have a special place. You can count on that and at that time they'll be wishing they had lived their sorry lives in a different manner.

They will pay and they will pay big time!

On September 11 I turned away from the TV as I watched those folks throw themselves out of the World Trade Center windows in order to avoid horrific pain being burned to death. A few months ago there was a special on TV showing footage not previously seen about what happened that day. I forced myself to watch this time. I never saw the tape about the puppies, but I am very strong in my reaction. The people murdered on 9/11 and the puppies were equally DEFENSELESS and this is why I hate Muslims and their screwy religion. To me they are the epitome of evil.

Dogs don't do well in Muslim countries. I don't trust or sympathize with people who lack the inherent ability to love and care for animals like dogs and cats.

The Muslims countries, the Saudis et al., think that they can fund and support organizations to punish the U.S. and change the way we think and act, and that they can escape retribution.

Their miscalculation is that they overlooked an important factor. In their desire to change us, they've motivated us to change them. We'll see who has more resouces and stamina. Unintended consequences...

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.