Religion of Peace Demonstration

The need to please everyone in today’s society has increased to a ridiculous level… The number of people coming into America has increased and that only speaks for us as we are a country like no other…A country that offers us so much, a country in which you can speak ill of your Commander and Chief and not be killed for it, a country that will not threaten to rape and kill your family because of your religion, a country that is accepting no matter where you come from, what language you speak and what God you serve.  With each different country comes a different culture and with that you have a different religion and having the freedom we do we accept and allow those religions to be practiced.  Have we become too accepting?  I came across an email that made me think of all this…I have attached the photos of Muslims marching through the streets of London during their recent ‘Religion of Peace Demonstration.’ 

 

Now I realize not all Muslims are extremists and that any religion or group can be an extremist group in their own way but this scares me…

Sona

My Life and Why I love this country….

I thought that I should do a blog about the life of Sona… It’s not something I talk often about as I am usually sarcastic. 

My name is Sona I was born on 27 December in Baghdad, Iraq.  My family was persecuted for being Christian and working with Americans because the government in Iraq did not approve of my family going into Muslim towns, giving first aid and preaching to the villagers. When Saddam threatened all those working with the Americans, America took us out of Iraq as part of Operation Pacific Haven. I left Iraq at the age of ten. My family and I landed in Guam and the first thing I saw was men and women in the Armed Forces, it is an image that has been ingrained in my mind ever since. When 9/11 happened I did not know what the Twin Towers were (come to think of it, I didn’t know much English) my best friend Whitney explained everything to me and still helps me when it comes to grammar…Growing up in Iraq has made me appreciate all that I am given no matter how little it may be and to make the best of every situation because someone out there has it much worse. I enlisted in the Marine Corps when I was 18 and shipped out on 11 September 2005. I am currently a Cpl and plan on making the Marine Corps a career. I finally got my citizenship and can finally vote…(something I have dreamed of for a very long time.)  I recently hit my three year mark in the Marine Corps and I have loved every minute of it.  If it were not for this country I would not be alive today. I love this country and all it stands for. 

Sona

September 11

September 11…Marks 7 years since the attack on America.  We go through the whole year not remembering this day.  When a member of a household is attacked the family comes together in the time of need and fights back.  America did just that and those responsible will be brought down for their actions.  It saddens me though that the attack by the terrorists is what caused the American family to bond for that one day.  That one day we all come together and the next we seem to forget and jump at each others throats.

 I remember the day the towers fell…I was in high school and had no clue what and for that matter where the twin towers were, that Tuesday morning I was walking to school with one of my closest friend and she looked at me with a look of terror saying a plane flew into one of the twin towers.  We got to school and everything was fuzzy.  I remember a teacher pulling me aside and making sure that I was not being picked on, being “Iraqi” and all and I was very lucky to have friends that took care of me. 

As time went on I learned more about the twin towers, pentagon and the significance of them.  Every year September 11 would come around and I would find myself glued to the couch from the moment I got home from school or work and watch the news as President Bush gave his speech.  They showed images of the attacks, I am not an emotional person, but I always found myself crying as images of the firefighters, police officers, service members, county workers and civilian men and women from all over removed rubble and images of the planes hitting would replay. 

The National Geographic Channel did a documentary of September 11, 2001, I recommend you watch it, there is much for us to learn from the men and women that selflessly put their lives in danger to save others.  Had they not courageously acted the death count would have been greater than it was.  To those who bravely went back to retrieve and help others only to lose your life you are not forgotten.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sona

Airport Security…

So for Christmas I went to San Diego to visit my parents and so when they dropped me off at the airport I had a little over an hour so they decided to stay with me and we went to a little store right next to security… I like snow globes and I saw one that said San Diego and has buildings and well looked like a snow globe… my dad said he would buy it for me and would not take no for an answer so I asked the sales lady if I would be able to take the globe through security and she said and i quote “Oh yeah sure, it won’t be a problem.”  I said are you sure…she said “oh yes…” so my dad bought the darn thing…

 At this point I have about forty-five minutes so we decided its best I go so I don’t miss my flight… I hug and kiss the family and make my way onto security… thank God this was a late flight and there was no line… it was me myself and I…  I go through the process of taking my shoes off and putting them in the little plastic containers and my cell and my wallet along with the shopping bag I had the globe in and two sweaters… as I walk through the guy says “We need a bag check”  and I though ‘Oh Crap!!! This can’t be good…”  keep in mind my parents had already started for the car… so this old guy looked to be 70 if not older came to the security bag place and took the container that had my cell, and the bag… my phone then started to ring, as if things couldn’t get worse…

 Now when you miss a call with most phones, your phone will notify you…my phone peeps three times… when you miss a call… now I mentioned this guy is 70 right?  the old man looks at me and says I am going to have to look in this bag is that okay… I said oh yes do you mind if I go get my shoes and other belongings… he says yes and I go grab my things and I turn around to go back to where the old man… and as the poor guy sticks his hand in the bag my phone begins to beep to let me know I had missed a call…  The man did not know what to do… he pulled his hand out of the bag so fast I thought he was going to fall over… and then started to look around and check the machine around him thinking there was a bomb… I couldn’t help but laugh at this point and tell the man that it was my phone and that I had missed a call… he relaxed quickly and continued to search my bag…

 After nearly dying of a heart attack he found the globe and said that I could not take it any further and that I would have to check it on one of my carry ons… I had already checked my bags and he said… “just have them find one of your bags and put the globe in it…”  as easy as that sounds my bag was probably on the plane… Thank God my parents had not gone too far, I called my pops and he said but the lady said you could take it… at this point I wanted to kill her… that little..anyways… my poor pops came back and took the globe and flew it with him several days later when he came for a job interview…

 Lessons learned…

 1.  Don’t trust the lady that works at the airport store… she just wants to make $20.

2.  Put your phone on silent so you don’t give the security guard a heart attack and you get arrested for bomb threats.

3.  Be thankful for your parents and all that they do for you… (that would have been a globe in the trash otherwise)

4. Don’t get mad at security… they are “trying” to do their jobs…even if it seems they don’t often do it very well…

5.  Thank God for spell check.