New American Heroes: Allen West

Clarity on Islam

We wrote almost ten months ago about the certainty that the ongoing Second American Revolution would produce new leaders equal to the occasion—leaders with clear enough thinking to still feel in their heart and soul the goodness and greatness of America, and know the God-given basis for those feelings.

One of those new leaders is undoubtedly U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Allen West. West first became an internet sensation with this plainspoken call to fight for America, (he’s now running as a Republican for a Florida Congressional seat). But his latest viral video, involving a spontaneous stepping up to a politically incorrect question regarding Islam, deserves the even greater internet sensation it is receiving. We wanted to join the thousands of other sites linking to it, just to make sure we go on record supporting West, and drawing maximum attention to his thinking.

First, West is the living evidence that what matters in America are ideas, not skin color. Colonel West is an American to the core; understands the Judeo-Christian foundation of America and is unapologetic in asserting it; and the fact that he has black skin is utterly and completely irrelevant to Americans’ heartfelt response to him. The man is an American straight-shooter: intelligent, competent and courageous. That’s enough.

Second, we don’t know and haven’t bothered to determine who the other panelists are in this most recent video. We don’t care. They epitomize to us the paralyzed-by-political-correctness cowards that occupy so many visible positions of so-called ‘leadership’ in America. They simply don’t know what to do with the former Marine’s question about why the Helen Thomases of the world cannot get their arms around the concept that Islamists want to kill Americans and destroy Western civilization. If they understand the answer to the question, they are afraid to voice it. But the more likely explanation for their vacant, apprehensive smiles and uncomfortable shifting around in their seats, is that they simply don’t understand it themselves and are scared to death of what they might have to face if they actually researched the teachings of the Muslim faith.

Third, Colonel West does understand the teachings of the Muslim faith, and is unafraid to spell out exactly what the threat is that America is facing. With the power that comes from a fearless statement of the truth, he destroys the canard that the Islamic jihadists of today are pursuing a ‘perversion’ of Islam. They are doing what Islamists have done for thirteen centuries; they are doing what their religion teaches them that they must do. That’s why they are an enemy of America; that’s why Islam cannot be reconciled with the America of the founding absent sweeping moderation and modification of its teachings (as we wrote here); that’s why the air-headed intellectuals emerging from America’s universities who reflexively believe all religions are deserving of the same deference and respect are, plainly and simply, a menace to themselves, to America and to humanity.

Fourth, and to us the most important aspect of Colonel West's latest video, is the audience’s response to his definitive statement that the Islamic jihadists of today are not pursuing a perversion of their religion. The audience spontaneously erupts in applause. This to us is a small but significant indicator of what we firmly believe about Americans in 2010: they are way ahead of the politicians in understanding all the problems facing America and their solutions—including the problem of Islam, AND they are far more united in support of even the toughest of tough-love solutions than the Pravda media would have you believe. America is not a polarized nation; it is not a 50/50 nation; it is right now simply a nation without a leader who is one of them.

Rush Limbaugh has always said that his success in talk radio did not come from the formulation of new ideas but because what he said was what most Americans already thought. He just had the courage to say so on the air (and in a brilliantly articulate way). Americans are just waiting for political leaders confident enough, courageous enough and thoughtful enough to do the same.

Lt. Colonel Allen West is emerging as one of those leaders; so is Paul Ryan, Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin. As we expected, but not a moment too soon.

Paul Gable

April 8, 2010