Alfonso Saahir – 11/11/09

This page was last updated on November 16, 2009.

Get government out of programs; Alfonso Saahir; Beaver County Times; November 11, 2009.

In the only previous letters [“Look to the Constitution,” 2/27/05; “Muslims are obligated to pray,” 12/1/06 (I didn’t critique them.)] I know of from Mr. Saahir, he appeared to believe American Muslims weren’t being treated fairly. I would have included links to the letters, but the Times recently changed its website and material published before late-August 2009 is no longer available.

In the first letter, Mr. Saahir asked, “Is there any case history where American Muslims have committed any ‘terrorist’ attacks against the U.S. government?” Bad question, Mr. Saahir. In the days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Army Sgt. Hasan Akbar murdered two officers at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait and wounded 14 other soldiers, the result of his gunfire and throwing hand grenades into a tent where the soldiers were sleeping. In his diary before the murders, Mr. Akbar wrote, “I may not have killed any Muslims, but being in the Army is the same thing. I may have to make a choice very soon on who to kill.” Mr. Akbar was found guilty and sentenced to death. It happened again on November 5, 2009, at Fort Hood, TX. We also need to remember Islamist attacks thwarted over the last several years, like the planned attack on Fort Dix, NJ, in 2007 by the “Fort Dix Six.”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Since we don’t want government running social programs, let’s send letters to our senators and representatives to inform them that we, the people, want government to stop running social programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

“Health care under the Democratic health care plan will give us a foot in the door today, and we will not have to wait until we have a Republican president or a Republican Congress to get health care for us - we, the people – tomorrow.”

[RWC] Though written poorly in my opinion, I assume Mr. Saahir was being sarcastic in the first paragraph. Note Mr. Saahir was allegedly concerned about the Constitution in his 2/27/05 letter, but seems willing to ignore it when it comes to a government-run healthcare monopoly and throwing people in jail who refuse to buy healthcare insurance.

Please read my paper entitled “Healthcare.”