The Republican Club of Sun City

February 2015 Everett Schmidt, Editor Sun City, Texas

(Subjects Of Reports In This Issue: Magna Carta/Rule of Law; AG Moves to Curb Asset Seizures; A Psychologist Explains Islam;

“The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend)

ATTORNEY FOR INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE-TEXAS TO ADDRESS CLUB

Matt Miller, Managing Attorney for the Institute of Justice-Texas, will address the club during its dinner

meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 5 in the ballroom of the Social Center in Sun City. His opinions and

views on legal issues have been featured in The Atlantic Monthly, Associated Press, CNN Money, Freedom

Watch With Judge Napolitano, and other nationwide outlets.

Headquartered in Austin, the Institute engages in litigation involving the economic liberty, private

property rights, educational choice, freedom of speech and other such issues vital to the citizens of the state. In

2009, he helped lead the effort to reform the Texas Constitution to strengthen protection of property owners

against eminent domain abuse. That organization afforded protection to citizens involved in (1) a challenge to a

state law limiting computer repair to licensed private investigators, (2) a challenge to a Texas Department of

Licensing and Regulation ruling which required that an African hairbraider meet the requirements of the state’s

barber instructor statutes before she can practice and teach natural hair care, and (3) a challenge to a Texas law

which requires that a veterinarian examine an animal in person before offering advice about a particular animal’s

care. Without the help of the Institute, citizens involved in these kinds of disputes may have had to face the

power of the state by themselves.

Another area of interest is that of “civil forfeiture,” a subject which, at the national level, gained

considerable exposure in the media as a result of Attorney General Holder announcing that the federal

government would no longer participate in a program which enabled the federal government to become involved

in property seizures at the local level. This cooperation between those two levels of government was of financial

benefit to the local entity, reportedly an amount exceeding 2.5 billion dollars, nationally, in 2010, according to a

Wall Street Journal report. The Journal also reports that, “According to the Institute of Justice, which tracks and

litigates civil-forfeiture cases, 80% of people whose property is seized by the feds are never charged with a

A separate report on the actual or potential abuses inherent with this cooperation is provided below.

The Social Period, Dinner and Program. A social period will begin at 6:00 PM. The dinner will begin at

6:30 PM and will be followed by the program. The dinner will consist of caesar salad, kind ranch chicken,

meatballs in mushroom cream sauce, classic potatoes augratin, green bean casserole, and assorted dinner rolls.

Cost. Cost is $16 per person. Checks made out to The Republican Club of Sun City should be mailed

to: The Republican Club of Sun City, 1530 Sun City Blvd., Suite 120, Box 227, Georgetown, TX 78633. The

deadline for payment or reservations is Friday, January 30.

Bill Harron, who was recently appointed treasurer, has set up a special collection box on his front porch

at 125 Stetson Trail for individuals wishing to hand-deliver payments, with the proviso that the Friday deadline

has been met. For information about reservations, contact Bill at 512-864-0965 or Bharron@aol.com

Club Treasurer Appointed. The Executive Committee appointed Bill Harron as treasurer to fill the

vacancy caused by the death of Bill Chiles who had been elected to that position.

Volunteer Help Needed. Volunteer help is needed during dinner meetings. The area of need and

contact information is as follows:

*Hospitality. Contact Claudia Bailey, Hospitality Director, at 512-943-9689.

*Wine Server. Contact Gary Preston, Wine Steward, at 512-868-9928

*Collector of Dinner Tickets. Contact Claudia Bailey as shown above

Attendance at January Meeting. Bill Harron reports there were 123 attendees for the January dinner

meeting, with an estimated 10 individuals attending as observers.

Current Club Membership. John Congdon, vice president for membership, reports the club currently

has 194 members.

Membership Drive Continues; to Conclude in February. Individuals who were members in 2014 and

who have had no address changes may renew for 2015 by simply mailing in their membership fees ($15 per

person) to the address shown above. If there has been an address change, an Application (available at the club

web site) must accompany payment. According to club bylaws, individuals who do not renew by February 28 will

have their names removed from the active roster. New members for 2015 must submit an Application with

payments. Membership dues can also be paid at club meetings.

REAGAN DINNER AGAIN SCHEDULED FOR SUN CITY

The annual Reagan Dinner is schedule for the evening of Tuesday, February 17 in the ballroom of the

Social Center in Sun City. This is the only fund raiser the Williamson County Republican Party has each year.

Details of this event will be made available via various news outlets as they become available. The

reader is also advised to access the county party’s web site at www.williamsoncountygop.org where a posting of

information is expected momentarily.

County party chairmen Bill Fairbrother reports that, “All deputy voter registrar appointments expired on

December 31 [2014], so in order to be able to register new voters, [2014 deputy registrars] must take a

mandatory training class.”

Contact the Elections Office at 512-943-1530 for information about training classes, and be watchful for

such information made available via the newsletter.

THE MAGNA CARTA, SOON TO BE 800 YEARS OLD,

BEGINS THE CONCEPT OF THE “RULE OF LAW”

Foreword. The concept of the “rule of law” is generally acknowledged to have emanated from the

signing of the Magna Carta many years ago. That concept, although absolutely essential to free citizens, has

always been under assault by individuals seeking more power for the state. It is especially under assault today

by an administration and a party seeking more power for the state. But what makes today’s assault especially

dangerous is the fact that the concept seems to have virtually no defenders – witness the reluctance of

Republicans to dramatically challenge the assault, and the fact that Republican leaders have, without any

apparent need, publicly announced there will be no impeachment proceedings.

The following brief historical sketch may provide the reader with a better understanding of and

appreciation for the Magna Carter, its progeny, the “rule of law,” and its now fragile state.

On June 15, 1215, the civil war in England between powerful barons and King John ended when the

barons forced the king to sign a document called Magna Carta (Great Charter) almost 800 years ago. The

charter set out the feudal rights of the barons and stated that the king could continue to rule but must keep to the

established laws and customs of the land. It was the first written document compelling an English king to act

according to the rule of law.

Author/talk show host Kirby Anderson notes that, “At the time it was merely a peace treaty that lasted a

few months [annulled by Pope Innocent III, and later reissued in modified form], and only applied to a few people

of the realm. But it established the key principle that everyone, including the king, was under the law.”

The relevance of that document to our own Declaration and Constitution can be understood by noting

the following comments by Anderson:

 It read: “To all free men of our kingdom, we have also granted, for us and our heirs for ever, all the

liberties written out below, to have and to keep for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs.”

 The Magna Cara also established the right of free men to justice and a fair trial. “No free man shall be

seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his

standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the

lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.”

 Many of the principles of the Magna Cara can be found in the Bill of Rights of our Constitution. We can

see that in the quote I just provided from the Magna Carta. Those rights are enumerated in the Sixth

Amendment and the Eighth Amendment. The Magna Carta says that “no official shall place a man on

trial . . . without producing credible witnesses.” This guarantee is found in our Fifth Amendment.

 The Magna Carta protected free man from being deprived “of lands, castles, liberties or rights without

the lawful judgments of his equals.” The Sixth Amendment guarantees us the right to a trial by an

impartial jury. The Magna Carta says that “For a trivial offense, a free man shall be fined only in

proportion to the degree of his offense.” The Eighth Amendment protects the accused from being fined

an excess amount for bail.

ATTORNEY GENERAL MOVES TO CURB ASSET SEIZURES

According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, the Justice Department will no longer participate in

asset seizures carried out by local police agencies which critics say grab cash and other property from citizens

without proving they have done anything wrong.

The practice, known as “federally adopted forfeitures” allowed local law enforcement to retain a greater

portion of any seized assets – such as cash or other valuables – than under many state laws. Under “adoptions,”

local police agencies would seize property in accordance with federal law and ask the federal government to

“adopt” the forfeiture. The U. S. would then sell the assets and return a large chunk of the proceeds to the state

or local agency.

While asset seizures were meant to target drug traffickers and other criminals, they have become

increasingly controversial as people complained that their money, cars and other property were seized without

evidence they had committed any crime.

Sen Charles Grassley (R.,Iowa), who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee, welcomed Holder’s move,

saying, “The rule of law ought to be about protecting innocent people. Too often, we’ve seen just the opposite . .

.” Reinforcing Grassley’s comment was that of Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett, who, in a dissent last

year, declared that, “civil forfeiture . . . now disproportionately ensnares those least capable of protecting

themselves, poor Texans who usually capitulate without a fight because mounting a defense is too costly.”

But one former state narcotic officer was critical of the move saying, “While the money [which went to

local agencies] is helpful to us . . . [the move] removes the most critical component of these criminal

organizations: the capital to operate.”

Asset forfeiture by law-enforcement agencies has grown since the 1980s and 1990s, largely as a result

of the fight against drug traffickers.” Justice Department officials said that when the laws were first applied, few

states had their own seizure laws, so using the federal law was an effective way to strip criminals of profits.

A PSYCHOLOGIST ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN THE BEHAVIOR OF MUSLIMS

Foreword. Some of the behavior of Muslims may seem to defy understanding by the western mind.

Some of the most obvious examples are the beheadings of infidels, adulterers and enemies of Islam, the

relegating of women to second class status in perpetuity and without attempt at remedy, and the flogging of

individuals for adopting liberal ideology or mocking religious Islamic symbols.

And the behavior of our president similarly defies explanation when, for example, he mandates that

government instructional manuals make no mention of the terms “Islam” and “Jihad,” that the murders at Fort

Hood be termed as “workplace violence,” and that, despite instructions in the Koran to kill Jews and infidels,

Islam is to be considered a religion of peace.

While one can gain at least some understanding of these phenomena by reading one or more of the

multitude of books now available on those subjects written by highly respected authors (Spencer, Phares,

Gabriel and others), the explanations they offer may still not satisfy the thought process of the western mind.

Recently, however, a psychologist, using concepts with which the western mind is more familiar,

provides explanations better understood by Americans. His explanations – although politically incorrect – have

been made available on the Internet through a series of essays.

Ironically, the explanations he presents may also explain some of the current mystifying (to many)

behavior of President Obama who, the reader will recall, had considerable exposure to Islam during his

childhood years.

In any event, this report is an attempt to help fill a void of understanding which exists today.

Background of the Psychologist. The author of the explanations is Dr. Nicolai Sennels, a Danish

psychologist who gained much of the insight for his essays from his study of young Muslims in a Copenhagen

prison, a study which included a comparison of Muslim and non-Muslims in that same prison.

Although his study was resisted on ground it was “politically incorrect,” he nevertheless persisted on

ground that a “serious discussion about the relationship between the Muslim culture and criminal, antisocial

behavior is, indeed, very much needed.” (Would we all not agree that such a need clearly exists in America?) He

reported that, “70 percent of youth offenders in Denmark have a Muslim background, and concluded that “Islam

and Muslim cultures have certain psychological mechanisms that harm people’s development and increase

criminal behavior.” His comments are given standing by the fact that one of the nation’s foremost scholars on

Islam, Robert Spencer, engaged him in an hour-long discussion on Spencer’s own web site and made available

on You Tube.

What follows are excerpts from Dr. Sennels’ attempt to explain his harsh conclusions.

Muslim culture has a very different view of anger and in many ways opposite to what we experience here

in the west.

Expressions of anger and threats are probably the the quickest way to lose one’s face in Western

culture. In discussions, those who lose their temper have automatically lost, and I guess most people have

observed the feeling of shame and loss of social status following expressions of aggression at one’s work place

or at home. In the Muslim culture, aggressive behavior, especially threats, are generally seen to be accepted,

and even expected as a way of handling conflicts and social discrepancies. If a Muslim does not respond in a

threatening way to insults or social irritation, he, not “she” (Muslim women are, mostly, expected to be humble

and to not show power) is seen as weak, as someone who cannot be depended upon and loses face.

Locus of Control

Locus of control is a psychological term describing whether people experience their life influenced

mainly by internal or external factors. It is clear from a psychological point of view that Westerners feel that their

lives are mainly influenced by inner forces – ourselves.

These internal factors are what guide our lives and determine if we feel good and self confident or not.

Every Western library has several meters of self help books. Every [news stand] has dozens of magazines for

both women and men that tell us how to create happier and more successful lives for ourselves. All these things

are aimed at helping us to help ourselves create the life that we want. Some might argue that all this

introspectiveness is too much . . .but this is how our culture is.

All these things to do not exist in Muslim culture and countries. The very little psychiatry and psychology

that is taught in only a few universities in the Muslim world is imported from the West. It is mostly taught by

teachers educated at Western universities and does not have roots in the Muslim culture.

But Muslims have something else. They have strict external rules, traditions and laws for human

behavior. They have a God that decides their life’s course. “Inshallah” follows every statement about future

plans; if God wants it to happen. They have powerful Muslim clerics who set the directions for their community

every Friday. These clerics dictate political views, child rearing behavior, and how or whether to integrate in

Western societies.

Thus, the locus of control is central to the individual’s understanding of freedom and responsibility. Even

though our Christian-based societies may, in certain situations, give too much emphasis on feelings of guilt, it

also strengthens the individual’s sense of being able to take responsibility for, and change, one’s own life.

In societies shaped under Islamic and Qu’ranic influence there may be fewer feelings of guilt and thus

more freedom to demand the surroundings to adapt to one’s own wishes and desires. This may include

demands to wear Islamic costumes which can result in more Muslim demands for Islamization of our Western

societies, but it is also a powerful source of victim mentality and leads to endless demands on one’s

surroundings. In a very concrete way this cultural tendency shows itself in therapy as a lack of remorse. The

standard answer from violent Muslims was always: “ . . .It is his own fault that I beat him up. He provoked me.”

Such excuses show that people experience their own reactions as caused by external factors and not by their

own emotions, motivation and free will.

People raised by Western standards generally have an inner locus of control, meaning that they

experience their lives as governed by inner factors, such as one’s own choices, world view, etc. Muslims are

raised to experience their lives as being controlled from the outside. Everything happens “if Allah wills.” And the

many religious laws, traditions and powerful male authorities leave little room for individual responsibility. This is

the cause for the embarrassing and world-famous Muslim victim mentality, where everybody else is blamed and

to be punished for the Muslims’ own self-created situation.

Self Reflection v. Consequence.

Westerners feel that it is “our standards” that determine real consequences for people. We like to think

that if they get some guidance and a second chance most people will learn from that guidance and make use of

their chance to improve

European, Australian and North American politicians have spent trillions of Euros and dollars in trying to

avoid the apparently unavoidable: the failed integration of Muslims. What we have to understand is that we are

dealing with people who grew up in cultures with an outer locus of control. Self reflection and self responsibility

have much less importance to them.

This way of starting with a short leash is actually very normal in our Western way of raising children. We

start with strict expectations concerning school, doing homework, and behaving properly. Then, as children get

older and more mature they will receive more freedom from their parents. When they are 21 years old they are

expected to have learned enough to be able to handle life and are free to choose whatever education, partner,

religion, life style they want.

In Muslim culture it is different – especially for boys. They have lots of freedom in their early lives, and as

they get older more and more cultural/religious restrictions and expectations appear to support the family

structure. By the time they are 20 years old, their parents often have already chosen their future wives or

husbands.

The “education pyramid” is standing upside down in the West; less freedom in the beginning, more self

responsibility as one gets older. In Muslim culture the pyramid stands with its with its wide end down; few

expectation to follow civilized behavior as a boy, and less freedom as one grows more competent to support

one’s own family and religion.

Honor is a central concept in the Muslim culture. Many Danish newspapers experienced mass rage from

Muslims when they published and re-published the Danish Mohammed cartoons. They have realized that

Muslims are very easily offended.

What kind of honor needs to be protected by threats of terror and boycotts? Is this really honor? Maybe if

seen through the glasses of a culture based on a book written 1400 years ago.

Having to constantly keep up one’s appearances, becoming insecure and reacting aggressively when

criticized is the result of low self esteem. Unfortunately, the Muslim culture tells its men that criticism must be

taken completely personally and met with childish reactions.

Many young Muslims become assailants. This is not just because of the Muslim cultural acceptance of

aggression, but also because the Muslim honor mentality makes them into fragile, insecure men. Instead of

being flexible and humorous they become stiff and develop fragile, glass-like, narcissistic personalities.

Since the concept of honor is completely integrated in the social rules of Muslim culture, it is seen to be

justifiable when honor is threatened. This extends to beating or killing women who want to claim such basic

human rights as to choose, for themselves, their own sexual partners.

Classical Brainwashing Methods in the Upbringing

Brainwashing people into believing or doing things against their own human nature – such as hating or

even killing innocents they do not even know – is traditionally done by combining two things: pain and repetition.

The conscious infliction of psychological and physical suffering breaks down the person’s resistance to the

constantly repeated message. Totalitarian regimes use this method to reform political dissidents.

Muslim culture simply does not have the same degree of understanding of human development as in

civilized societies, and physical pain and threats are therefore often the preferred tool to raise children. This is

why so many Muslim girls grow up to accept violence in their marriage, and why Muslim boys grow up to learn

that violence is acceptable.

Combined with countless repetitions of Quranic verses in Islamic schools and families, all this makes it

very difficult for children to defend themselves against being indoctrinated to follow the Quran, even if it is

against secular laws, logic, and the most basic understanding of compassion.

And as we know from so many psychological studies, whatever a child is strongly influenced by at that

age takes an enormous personal effort to change later in life. It is no wonder that Muslims in general, in spite of

Islam’s inhumane nature and obvious inability to equip its followers with humor, compassion and other attractive

qualities, are stronger in their faith than any other religious group.

You Tube Presentation

A one-hour discussion between Robert Spencer, widely respected scholar on the subject of Islam, and

Dr. Sennels is available on U-Tube. To access it, do a Google search for “Psychology of Islam and Muslims.”

“THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND”

AN ANCIENT ISLAM MAXIM NOW FOLLOWED BY MUSLIMS AND OBAMA

Because the Islamic State (sometimes referred to as ISIS or ISIL) is considered to be a dangerous

development in the mid-East, strange alliances of nations in that region have emerged. Countries once

considered to be enemies are now friends – at least in relation to the Islamic State threat. An August report in

the Wall Street Journal identified some of the countries which had been adversaries but are now friends,

including: (1) Israel and Egypt, (2) Turkey and Syria, and (3) Turkey and Qatar.

Iran (Shiite Muslims) and Saudia Arabia (Sunni Muslims) have been bitter foes since at least 1979. But

both countries now fear the Islamic State (ISSI) movement which seeks to usurp their own claimed leadership of

the Muslim world.

And America is apparently caught up in the effort to make friends of enemies. The Wall Street Journal

reports “President Obama secretly wrote to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the middle of last

month and described a shared interest in fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria…”

And there is yet another maxim now at play in the mid-East: “Good fences make good neighbors!”

According to a Newsweek report, “Saudi Arabia is building a 600-mile long wall along its norther border with Iraq

in order to keep ISIS at bay.”

Once completed, the wall will consist of a ditch and a triple-layered steel fence, with 40 watchtowers

spread out along it. Each watchtower will be equipped with high-tech surveillance radars that are capable of

detecting low-flying helicopters and approaching vehicles, as well as being able to spot a human from the range

of about 20km.

(Some random observations on this crazy world in which we live)

Pelosi Names Muslim to House Intelligence Panel. Nancy Pelosi, Democrat House Minority Leader,

recently appointed Rep. Andre Carson (D., IN) to the House Intelligence Committee, which means he would

have access to sensitive intelligence reports. Carson is a Muslim who has openly promoted the cause of Islam.

In 2012, as a guest speaker at the Islamic Circle of North America, he stated: “America will never tap into

educational innovation and ingenuity without looking at the model that we [Muslims] have in our madrassas, in

our schools, where innovation is encouraged, where the foundation is the Quran. . .America must understand

that she needs Muslims.”

Ex-CIA Head Predicts Terror Attack on America. Former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Leon

Panetta told a television audience that it’s only a matter of time before terrorists strike America again.

Fuzzy Math Used in Unemployment Statistics. Author/head of Eagle Forum Phyllis Schlafley says the

Labor Department’s report on unemployment is dishonest because it excludes from the count the million

unemployed Americans who have given up looking for a job. “You don’t count as ‘unemployed’ unless you are

actively looking for a job.

Prospects are especially dismal for those who have been out of work for a half-year or more. A shocking

31.9 percent of the unemployed, about 2.8 million, have been out of work for 27 or more weeks. Once someone

is out of work for an extended period of time, it becomes nearly impossible to get a decent job. Studies show that

after eight months of being out of work, the likelihood of being called back for an interview declines to less than

50 percent.

Two Justices Should Recuse Themselves From Gay Marriage Cases. The Justices recently

announced that they will hear the cases involving same-sex marriage in April. A decision is expected by late

There are, however, contentions that two of the Justices – Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg –

should recuse themselves on grounds they are biased because each of them performed same-sex marriages –

thus to endorse same-sex marriage as a legal matter.

Title 28, Section 455 of the United States Code states “any justice, judge or magistrate judge of the

United States shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonable be

questioned.”