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Declaration of War

Reader comment on item: Democrats Unlearn 9/11

Submitted by (Mrs.) Beverly Ryan (United States), Jan 9, 2004 at 00:19

Dear Mr. Pipes, Would you kindly do me a favor and change the wording? Under the Constitution, it is Congress' job to declare war, not the president. Right after the Attack on America, the House of Representatives passed a resolution, then the next day the Senate passed it and then, I think, the next day President Bush signed it.

To this day the Democrats and other assorted anti-war demonstrators keep screaming that Bush had no right to go to war and on and on and on and on. Congress declared war. I e-mailed quite a few people when it first happened and, as a result of what has been going on, I have been reading the Constitution a lot. I mean the body of the Constitution itself because that is where the authority to declare war comes from. Once President Bush got the declaration of war from Congress, he has been conducting it. The Democrats have been screaming and yelling ever since. The President did not have to get a declaration of war against Iraq. He didn't even have to go to the UN. I thought he was being a gentleman trying to make everybody happy.

Several days ago I found out about the Democratic Socialists web site and I went there and took a look. It appears to me that all the Democrats are spouting the "party line" about Iraq. Did you look at it? That tells me why the National Council of Churches is against the war in Iraq. I have e-mailed them a few times, too. In something at their web site dated December 10 they said they don't like have Scripture quoted to them because it's not the right Scripture. There is a new site called the Clergy Leadership Network that is a non-profit and it is to get the Christians to cling to the Democrats again and love taxes going up and don't say anything about things like abortion and homosexuality. I checked them out last night. Their board consists of a couple rabbis, a couple Muslims, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and several various reverends from around the country, quite a few of whom are or were affiliated with the National Council of Churches. Worldnetdaily had quite an interesting article within the past few days about all kinds of Muslim activity in the United States. Whew. And down here in Sunny South Florida there is a big push to free Jose Padilla. I love Broward County and lived there for several years, but they have really gone off the deep end. They were the 100th community to pass an ordinance against the Patriot Act and won't cooperate with the government in the prosecution of it (isn't that - like treason?); they are allowing homosexuality in their schools in the name of "diversity"; they have a Leadership Broward group into which one or two Muslims are applying; for years they have been proud of the fact that they are the most Democratic county in the state.
Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

Constitutionally, you are right, but (so far as I can tell) no one has formally declared war on anyone since 1945. Declaring war, then, has become a rhetorical step, and that is what President Bush did on Sept. 11, 2001, as I indicated.

DP

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Reader comments (53) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
we are still at risk ...in 2007 [115 words]Phil GreendJun 16, 2007 22:1898830
Why unlearn only 9/11? [707 words]kkvermaNov 11, 2005 03:0528212
IS the Military learning? [1006 words]WallaceMar 31, 2005 09:2321264
Capitalism -- that's the ticket [41 words]T.Jan 29, 2005 21:3419984
Keep up the good work... [25 words]Eric A. AndersonAug 8, 2004 04:4116263
Let's hope they don't invade [268 words]Scott PearsonMar 17, 2004 02:4814228
The Democrats' Problem [134 words]Peter J. HerzFeb 12, 2004 06:5313856
Pipes at AU [188 words]DONVANJan 21, 2004 12:2113465
The Democrats & 9/11 [223 words]Clem UgorjiJan 19, 2004 09:3213404
Dems naive [83 words]S.C.PandaJan 14, 2004 04:4013357
Do not agree [388 words]Marj LewisJan 12, 2004 18:3913312
We need more like President Bush! [346 words]CarolJan 9, 2004 18:1713271
Afghanistan [84 words]alan smithJan 9, 2004 12:3413268
Bush vs. the rest of the world [274 words]Andrei SmarandoiuJan 9, 2004 06:4313263
Declaration of War [500 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
(Mrs.) Beverly RyanJan 9, 2004 00:1913261
Internationally effective strategies in combatting terrorism [460 words]Daniel ArthurJan 8, 2004 21:0913260
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War [63 words]Lester Earl BaconJan 10, 2007 15:5913256
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But, wmd? [159 words]john w. mcginleyJan 8, 2004 16:0213251
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Democrats unlearn 9/11 [57 words]Arthur SagotskyJan 8, 2004 06:5113237
The policy of turning the other cheek [217 words]T.AJan 8, 2004 06:4413236
Date of first anti-American Islamist violence [112 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Avrom Weissman (aka - Avraham Weissman}Jan 8, 2004 04:5513235
Sloan Coffin's History [186 words]Max FriedmanJan 8, 2004 02:1113234
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The "WAR" [139 words]PaulJan 7, 2004 23:5113231
2Sirhan Sirhan [40 words]
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John-Paul PaganoJan 7, 2004 22:2013230
Democrats Unlearn 9/11 [79 words]Delbert S. ButtmanJan 7, 2004 22:0313228
A change in emphasis? [157 words]E. J. BlumbergJan 7, 2004 21:3513227
You are so right [23 words]Sally RogowJan 7, 2004 18:5213222
Democrats Don't forget 9/11 [140 words]Darwin BarrettJan 7, 2004 18:1813217
Democrats Unlearn [110 words]William PapkeJan 7, 2004 15:4513212
Excellent Article [218 words]Osher Doctorow Ph.D.Jan 7, 2004 14:5313211
Democrats Unlearn [41 words]Stephen MachtJan 7, 2004 14:3713208
Sorry, I disagree.. [233 words]John SwedbergJan 7, 2004 14:1913207
Other side of the coin [379 words]James O. HackerJan 7, 2004 14:0513206
the democrats [181 words]susan meyersJan 7, 2004 13:0713201
War against terrorists [43 words]Vijay DandapaniJan 7, 2004 12:2113199
Democrats unlearn 9/11 [44 words]Darold ChampaignJan 7, 2004 11:5413197
What About Pearl Harbor? [65 words]Rudi FrankeJan 7, 2004 11:4713196
The West can't really "lose that war" [218 words]Alain Jean-MairetJan 7, 2004 11:4613195
The Lessons of September 11 [202 words]Arlinda DeAngelisJan 7, 2004 11:2713193
Western Apologists [206 words]BobMikanJan 7, 2004 11:1513192
war on terror [59 words]joseph wylenJan 7, 2004 11:1213191
Democrats Never Learn [66 words]Edward ClineJan 7, 2004 10:5413189
Lazy and spoiled Americans [163 words]Sheila PickerillJan 7, 2004 10:4713188
They have already forgotten [70 words]Marya SteinerJan 7, 2004 10:2613185
Democrats [48 words]William GeorgaquiJan 7, 2004 10:1113184
Dems on War on Terror [252 words]fred lapidesJan 7, 2004 09:4313182
The truth is still being air-brushed. [38 words]V. ThogersenJan 7, 2004 09:3613181

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