"If I have to sacrifice my whole family

[smoogatz]

for the sake of our country and world, other countries that want freedom, I'll do that."

Gary Qualls, father of Cpl. Louis Wayne Qualls, 20, killed in Fallujah, 2004.


"Because I love my son, I encouraged him to die a martyr's death for the sake of Allah... Jihad is a religious obligation incumbent upon us, and we must carry it out. I sacrificed Muhammad as part of my obligation."

Mother of Palestinian Suicide Bomber, 1992


Is it just me, or are these sentiments eerily similar? Who the hell are these people that would sacrifice their children for the sake of ideology? Madness.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Depends on the ideology.

Not this one, certainly.

[Roland99]

2. Jesus wanted Iraqi oil to be free.

[baldguy]

6. Then why am I paying $2.69/gal for gasoline?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. Leviticus 17:4

Oil shall be free. Unless you're bald.









Edit to add:


I kid. I kid.

[Roland99]

9. Because un-American, freedom-hating liberals have killed Jesus.

[Mythsaje]

22. And, silly me, I was under the impression

it was imperialistic, freedom-hating Romans.

[Roland99]

27. Consider yourself properly informed now.

;)

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. A great thesis for someone to write

Ideology and Martyr Madness

[Rude Horner]

4. EXCELLENT analogy

Really good post. I remember hearing that Qualls comment a day or two ago and thought it was really disturbing, but you nailed it right on the head, smoogatz!

[ismnotwasm]

5. That hits home

How easily people forget that on the other side you find--people. Creepy. Even the word "sacrifice" brings up images of burning alters running with blood. At least to me, in this context.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

7. We Should Get Them All Together & Let Them Kill Each Other....

Oh wait....we already are doing that.

[Contrary1]

10. Yeah, but did you notice...

neither of these two mention offering themselves up as sacrifice.
Just their sons and/or whole family.

What's up with that?

[elehhhhna]

13. That was the FIRST thing to jump out at me. "Oh I'm so righteous

I'd let my whole family die. Heck, I'd kill 'em myself. Bring 'em on!"

[smoogatz]

16. Hell, I made these ones, I'll make more just like 'em!

Kill 'em all and run their guts up the flag-pole, so them Eye-rackies can worship-their devil-god and mumble their heathen prayers just like our Foundling Fathers said they--hey, wait just a got dern minute here...! I feel like my heads about to 'splode or somethin'----

[tuvor]

19. Just following the leaders.

"Let someone else die for my beliefs."

[ulysses]

11. recommended.

Excellent point.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

12. I shuddered

Listening to that half-wit, I was struck by two things:

1. He looks eerily like The Fuckface Squatter In The Oval Office, and

2. He's too stupid to be counted as human.

[calimary]

32. He was interviewed on Olbermann's show last night. Pathetic!

Talked about how he'd worked so hard as a single parent to raise his kids right (so to speak) - not to associate with THOSE people (referring to the peace activists). My husband and I both turned to each other with the same aside - "THOSE people"?????) Carried on about how Cindy Sheehan had abandoned her family and what kind of mother was she anyway? Keith Olbermann (to his continuing credit, BLESS HIM!!!) interjected - "in all fairness, sir, her children are grown. And she left the camp to go care for her sick mother - how can you say she's abandoned her family?" and the asshole just changed the subject - didn't even respond to that. Probably wasn't something he wanted to hear (or was coached for). My husband, watching with me, kept growling out at him - "Talking points!" Keep spouting those talking points!"

My husband has become as virulently anti-bush as I am. Even when he watches Pox "news" (which he says he does so he can keep track of what the enemy is saying), he hurls invectives at them.

BTW - what's the story with this Qualls guy? Why is he a single father? Did he run his wife off with his pig-headedness? Why is there no wife there? Where is she? Who is she? Does she exist? Is she still living?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

38. My thoughts EXACTLY!!!!

That's where I saw him, tuning in, I think, in the midst of the interview. And, yes, Keith was dead right on when he brought up the fact that her kids are grown (as if that was relevant in any way - who cares about her personal life when she's exercising her Constitutional rights?). I wanted to throttle that shifty-eyed fuckwit when he changed the subject, and just droned on about Cindy and her lack of patriotism.

Tell you the truth, I wish Keith hadn't been so polite and had nailed the dumb fuck.

But, yes, exactly! Did the wife/mother die? Run away? Bad divorce? If Cindy's personal life is fair game, so is that moran's.

(Tell your husband that he's a better man than we are, since my husband won't watch anything - he just listens to me calling them names, and he gets the whole picture.)

[Mz Pip]

14. The rationalization of senseless death.

Both sides have causes that cannot really be justified with any common sense. Jihad, ideology, martyrdom, whatever you want to call it, it is pretty much dying in vane. So create some lofty, noble justification to soften the pain.

Martyr for Allah, martyr for Dubya's war. Not much different. Dead is dead.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[TomInTib]

15. Just a poor ol' tool....

of the admin.
What is this "Legend" logo he keeps showing (cap, this time)?

[Gemini Cat]

17. He must not love his family much

because if he did, he wouldn't want to sacrifice them. The same applies to the suicide bomber's mother as well.
I would suppose they like the attention they receive for their children being martyred. However, eventually the attention goes elsewhere and they are left alone. That's when it sinks in they're not going to see their children again and the death was not worth it.
That is probably around the same time they open their mouths up for a good long scream.

[Bigmack]

18. Culture of Death....

Mighty brave of that asshole... willing to sacrifice others.

How about going yourself?

I've heard this "sacrifice our sons" shit before... even a WWII documentary. "We'll sacrifice our sons..."

Interesting view of kids... something owned and available for disposal.

[sepia_steel]

20. but!

will Gary Qualls sacrifice his damn SELF???

[blue neen]

21. Too bad that half of Iraq (the women) will have no freedoms whatsoever.

It's not looking too good for the Sunni's either.

Tell me again why we're fighting in Iraq, Mr Qualls.

[Guaranteed]

23. BRILLIANT m/fing post.

WELL DONE, and thank you.

I guess the only question left is whether he'd sacrifice himself.

[smoogatz]

39. Hey, thanks!

Self-sacrifice doesn't seem to lurk in the wingnuts' DNA. It's all about somebody else doing the dying for ya.

[kodi]

24. only sickos want to die for a cause. its better to live for one

.

[barbaraann]

25. The lesson of Abraham. with which I vehemently disagree.

God told Abraham to sacrifice his son and Abraham said "Sure, boss, whatever you say."

I would have said "Go to hell, God, I love my son."

[Beacho]

26. I watched this bastard on Olbermann

and he reiterated the 'attack Sheehan' talking points memo as if it was tattooed on his eyelids.

He lost a son and I trepidate moving on him, BUT I would like to take a peek at his bank account activity over the last two weeks, if you know wuddimean (and I think you do).

[mrbill]

29. Anybody know the story on the Yellow Rose General Store?

the parking lot with the liberty bell and the ten commandments is the location of Kamp Qualls.

The Yellow Rose sells chimpy trinkets.

[theHandpuppet]

28. Ah yes, men willing to sacrifice their own sons for their leader or God

Gee, I wonder where people like Qualls get such ideas?

The following is an actual page from a Christian coloring book:
http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/clrpg005.html

... and the story from a Christian children's Bible story book http://www.drewsanimals.com/Scripture_Pages/Abraham_and_Isaac/abraham_and_isaac.shtml This is a cute bedtime story you'll want to read to the kiddies so they can grow up to be like Mr. Qualls:

"Soon after their names were changed, Sarah became pregnant. When Abraham was one hundred years old, Sarah gave birth to a son they named Isaac. Abraham and Sarah delighted in their son, and Isaac grew into a fine young lad. Then God gave Abraham a test. God told Abraham to take Isaac, whom Abraham loved, and offer him as a sacrifice to God.

"Abraham rose up early the next morning, and took Isaac and two servants with him. They traveled for three days, until they saw the mountains of Moriah. Abraham told the two servants to stay behind while he and Isaac went on into the mountains. As they traveled into the mountains, Isaac asked his father where the lamb for the sacrifice was. Abraham replied that "God will provide himself a lamb for the burnt offering". They came to the place for the sacrifice, and Abraham built the altar. He laid the wood on the altar, and then bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar.

"Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son, and the angel of the Lord called to him out of heaven. The angel told Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac, "for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me". Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by his horns in a nearby bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it up as a sacrifice instead of Isaac.

"Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time. Because "thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice". Because of Abraham's obedience, all the earth has indeed been blessed, because the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, came and ministered among Abraham's and Isaac's descendants."

Here are some other lovely images:
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/c/caravagg/06/33isaac.html (from http://www.textweek.com/art/abraham_and_isaac.htm )

No, it doesn't surprise me in the least that some folks are so willing to sacrifice their own sons and daughters in the belief that by doing so they are making their own sacrifice to God and the American Judeo-Christian way. It's just George Bush's voice they hear, acting for God.

[Bridget Burke]

33. "The Parable of the Old Man & the Young"

So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father,
Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,
And builded parapets and trenches there,
And stretched forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him. Behold,
A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns;
Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him.

But the old man would not so, but slew his son,
And half the seed of Europe, one by one.

http://home.tiscali.be/ericlaermans/cultural/owen/the-parable.html

By Wilfred Owen, who died on the Western Front--seven days before the end of The Great War (AKA The War to End War).

[renate]

40. wow...

That poem gave me chills.
:cry:

[Iris]

30. What about sacrificing HIMSELF!?!?

It's nice how he's willing to sacrifice his whole family. Why not just sacrifice his own sorry ass?

[glitch]

31. The sooner the better. I am sure there is a place for him in Iraq NOW. nt

[GoBlue]

34. Gary the hell of it is, you have absolutely no right to sacrifice...

your family. But I think you're right to condemn yourself afterwards.

[StudentOfDarrow]

35. And what makes Gary Qualls think

that he has the right to make such a decision for his family?

[zanne]

36. I think the American religious right resembles the Taliban.

When I first heard about the planes going into the Twin Towers on 9/11, I thought "We have to start talking about religious extremism now". Little did I know that we would be talking about Muslim extremism only. Not being a religious person, I think it was more obvious to me that American evangelicals and Muslim extremists, like the Taliban, had alot in common, especially in the area of women's rights. Both sides feel that a husband "owns" his wife and a father "owns" his family. Thus, he is free to "sacrifice" them for his ideology.

[JNelson6563]

37. They are sick

and self-medicating with twisted ideology.

Julie