A response to Leslie G. Marshall's letter:
Thank you, Leslie, for your letter asking about Islam in the media.

After the September 11 attack by Islamic terrorists on the twin towers I've spent a number of years studying Islam. Your information is interesting, but not altogether accurate.

The number of Muslim peoples in the world today is about 1.4 billion. The number of Catholics alone, among Christians, approximately equal that amount. The numbers are difficult to pin down, but Islam probably is the fastest growing religion. Of course, they have a join-or-die policy to encourage new membership. What is known of Islam's beginnings, and of Mohammad himself, is historically problematic. (See: Raymond Ibrahim's Sword and Scimitar, The Al Qaeda Reader; The History of Jihad (From Muhammad to ISII; or Robert Spencer's Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran. Last but not least: Robert Spencer's Did Muhammad Exist? second edition).

Islam is certainly the world's most enduring menace (1,400 years, multi-millions of decapitations) - which can only be destroyed militarily - and must be inevitably.

Leslie, thank you for your contribution. I'm running very short on time this a.m.

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A response to Kelly Scoles' Second Opinion.
Hi Kelly,
I'll pick one issue to answer, "the plethora of democracy-threatening events happening right here in America, for those who watch only Fox News." Fox is the only TV station that can be trusted with the truth these days. Where else can you hear anything from Afghanistan, for example?

Among the few satisfactions I've enjoyed in this newspaper business during the past 34-years, is knowing that I am a truly independent voice, however small. No one, not even Big Tech, can edit my remarks. This freedom is an increasingly rare and precious thing, little defended. In a world mostly hidebound by Islamic, communistic, oligarchic, or kakistocratic (ruled by most evil people like Russia) democracy is vulnerable through a weakened national identity and loss of virtue. We are unsure of our own borders. We have no idea how special we are among the world's nations. And we are quickly losing that favored place.

I've said before that debating with liberals is often impossible because we cannot even agree on a major premise, like, "communism is evil." So, we can't get to the next part: "China is communist," therefore - the conclusion. American industry is now so dependent on China's money that it disregards the danger. It's a case of bathing in really filthy lucre. Let's check off some issues at random and see who's responsible for corrupting democracy. Just ask if Biden did the right thing.

Our entire southern border has been opened to indiscriminate worldwide immigration.

More than 1 million migrants have flooded into our country in six months.

"And so the migrants have come, thousands crossing the border illegally every day, overwhelming border control agents and local cities where they are held and shipped, before spreading out across America." Biden disburses them across the country by bus, plane, and train. What a surprise for their new unannounced hometowns to support them. Kind of like mandated diversity. How many would you like in your hometown?

Our intelligence in Afghanistan is now dark, leaving thousands of US citizens and others behind. "$83 billion worth of training and equipment to Afghan security forces.” (Source: GAO OpenTheBooks.com.)

Does anyone (Harris) in Biden administration care about women left in Afghanistan? Is Joe Biden competent as Commander in Chief?

"The likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely." (Joe Biden)

Should we have abandoned Afghanistan so quickly - so completely? Should we have left $85 billion in weapons to the Taliban?

Has this retreat from Afghanistan fractured NATO?

Will we have to fight the Taliban all over again in Afghanistan? How soon?

Are you worried about quickly arriving inflation? How much to fill your car's gas tank?

Has COVID-19 been handled well?

What benefit was gained by shutting down the oil fields, killing our newly gained energy independence, and thousands of great jobs?

Kelly, help me out here. Please name something good that Joe Biden has done for our democracy in less than a year as Commander in Chief. I'm stumped.

Then we have the truly massive Biden family financial corruption, all over the Far East in particular. Recently revealed correspondence from (Near-Eastern) Libya demonstrates Hunter Biden's insatiable appetite for quid pro quo theft on a national scale. The evidence is beyond any reasonable doubt - it is in-your-face obvious, that he's a criminal for all seasons. The Biden family is utterly corrupt, and Joe shamelessly pimps-out son Hunter as point man in the family operation. Will any of the family face justice?

Kelly - when talking about "the plethora of democracy-threatening events happening right here in America" let's not leave out Hunter and family. This is the most audacious, long-standing criminal event in Americana history. Historians will have difficulty describing it without appearing hyperbolic.

I regret my time has been cut short. Next week.