I know this is an odd title for a column, but if you stay with it until the end, it’ll make sense. Trust me.
Now the elephants in question have nothing to do with the symbol for the GOP. You can credit and/or blame Thomas Nast for that one. Nast was a cartoonist in the 1870s who is regarded as the father of the modern political cartoon. Former Civil War soldiers often used the expression “seeing the elephant” to mean having experienced combat. Nast started using the elephant to mean something that scared the other animals or was something that was regarded as unmovable and unyielding.
The phrase “elephant in the room” has come to mean a problem or concern that everyone is aware of, but no one wants to address, discuss or even acknowledge it’s there. It then sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb, but no one wants to deal with it.
It’s uncertain where the phrase first originated and was used in print for the first time. The Oxford English Dictionary credits a June 20, 1959 article in the New York Times as the first print use of the phrase as a simile.
So much for the background/history lesson. I love researching stuff like this, so thanks for your indulgence.
This brings us to the two elephants in question here. What are they? What do they currently represent? How did they even get there? Take a good look around the country, and what are the rock bottom, root causes of the problems we’re facing nationally? They are: 1.) Liberalism; and 2.) Islam.
The discussion of liberalism and its effect on the country is starting to gather together a library’s worth of material. However, it’s the foundational belief system of liberals (or Democrats, or progressives, or leftists, or antifa, or whatever they’re calling themselves this week…) that has given us such grief as: celebrity driven anti-Trump hate (i.e. Cathy Griffin, Madonna, Rosie, Johnny Depp, etc., etc.); campus PC nonsense; BLM; the non-ending Russia fetish; admiration and support for terrorist organizations and individuals such as CAIR and Linda Sarsour; sanctuary cities and soon even entire states…to name just a few things on a liberal agenda. All of this is just the tip of the ice berg that liberalism has become. And of course, talking about any of this makes you racist, Islamophobic, anti-black, or anti-everything else.
Now, in discussing elephant number two, I’d like to preface it with this: There’s a new series of commercials with the “most interesting man in the world” theme, featuring a new actor. One of the commercials has this line: “If there’s an elephant in the room, it’s because he brought one.”
Our second “elephant” is Islam, and its increasing presence and influence that has been brought into the room by liberals.
The aforementioned Linda Sarsour has well documented ties to terrorists. Nonetheless, she’s become a figurehead leader of yet another anti-Trump/anti-American faction of liberalism. Any criticism of her makes one instantly Islamophobic.
While liberalism is starting to create a specific genre of literature regarding its impact, Islam has a much older, extensively documented history. To be blunt, Islam is a 1400+ year old hate crime against humanity.
There are two main branches of Islam. Sunni (from the Arabic) refers to the belief that leadership should follow the traditions of the prophet. Sunni Moslems are the majority. Shia Moslems (from the Arabic) refers to the belief that leadership should come from the descendants of the prophet. These two factions of the “religion of peace” started killing each other over this issue almost immediately after the prophet died in 632 AD.
Liberals love Islam and want to import more of it whenever they can. What they’re bringing into the country, however, comes with some very anti-American customs. Female genital mutilation, arranged marriages, multiple marriages, child marriages, honor killings, Islam’s own legal system known as Sharia which would supersede the Constitution, Islam’s own dietary restrictions, extreme dress codes, and an unending ability to not assimilate and be perpetually offended at everything. This includes music. So if you’re a die-hard fan of any style, you can kiss that little bit of enjoyment goodbye if Islam ever takes hold. Let’s not even discuss dogs… they’re unclean according to Islam and should be killed.
Speaking of killing, the Quran has 109 verses that specifically state that non-Moslems should be killed. The specific killing of all Jews is mentioned twice.
America has never fared well in our interactions with Islam. Space here doesn’t allow for more history, but if you’re so inclined, research the Barbary Wars, dating back to 1801. Yet, this second “elephant” is warmly welcomed by liberals.
Liberalism and Islam is what we’re up against. And I’d like to say that I personally feel that the current intensity and destructive nature of both is the true legacy of Barack Hussein Obama.
In closing, I’d like to offer two scriptures for you to ponder, considering what you just read:
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Prov. 14:12
“Woe unto them who call evil, good, and good, evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” Isaiah 5:20
photo credit: varmarohit Two for tango. via photopin (license)
