Nine years ago: WW3 began.

This anniversary of the attack on the United States by Muslim fanatics seems like a good time to take stock of what's happened since then, to see whether the situation is less or more serious.

First: I'm pretty sure most rational adults realize that the notion of "collective guilt" is a non-starter. That is, it's wrong to blame all people of a given creed or nationality for the sins of a few fanatics. So please keep this in mind when reading the rest of this post.

Second: There's no doubt at all that the next World War has started. The fact that most Americans don't recognize it is irrelevant. (They will, sooner or later.) Reason we're at war is that the seminal, founding document of Islam--that would be the Koran (or whichever English transliteration of Arabic script you prefer)--commands devout Muslims to convert the entire world--every person and every government--to Islam.

There is no way to compromise with such an order. Devout Muslims aren't about to suddenly wake up and say, "Uh, about that 'convert-the-world' thingy: We've decided that's not what they really meant." Which means all the "degrees of freedom" in the problem are on this side of the pond: either you give in to their demands (convert), or they'll kill you.

Yes, it really does say that in the Koran. (And for the ninth time, yes, I know there's a third option. Let the Muslims explain it to you. Most of you won't like it.)

So...where does that leave us? As I see it (take that as you wish) we have just two options: Either we defeat Islam...utterly, overwhelmingly, irrevocably--or...resign ourselves to being killed.

Yeah, definite buzz-kill, I know.

Now: The only way we have a chance of defeating what I'll call "militant Islam" is to unite in making this national policy, whether formally announced or not.

What won't work is if the tolerance-wailers or Ivy-educated fools or pacifists or what-have-you get to keep on whining about "they're just like us, it's wrong to be opposed to them, we must always tolerate divers--bullshit bullshit bullshit."

I don't doubt that most of these people have good intentions. Doesn't change the conclusion an iota: If they are able to grab the spotlight, microphone, et cetera, they will almost certainly be able to persuade roughly half of voters that Islam is really peaceful and it's just absolutely awful that we would even think of making opposing those wonderful folks a national policy.

In which case we're dead.

Are you really ready for your daughters to have to wear the veil in public; ready for music to be banned; ready to stay at home unless you have a male family member escorting you; ready to have to go to prayers five times a day? I'm pretty sure most of you aren't--not only no but hell no.

So now consider this: Most of you didn't want nationalized health care. How did that work out? Oh, right: now we have it. Most of you didn't want to give the banks and Wall Street roughly $300 billion of the $800 billion "stimulus" bill (a.k.a. "porkulus"), but that passed too. Point is that Democratic pols--and the RINOs who vote with them--will sacrifice the best interests of this country in a heartbeat if it lets them remain in power just one more day.

And you know that's absolutely true.

The pols will put a finger in the wind, and if it's 51/49 for not fighting the war, that's what they'll vote for.

If you don't want that, the only solution is to vote 'em out in November.

And by such a tidal wave, such a landslide, that the cheating bastards can't cheat enough to claim a win.

One more thing: Don't get taken over by hate.

Let me explain: As most of you--and certainly all Christians--know, hate is corrosive. It will kill you. So it's vital to your health that you not hate Muslims or Islam. Even if we end up choosing to turn half a dozen Muslim cities into glowing radioactive glass.

For example, today we don't hate the Germans or the Japanese. After all, it wasn't the fault of those living today that some of their ancestors decided to to war. And I suspect most soldiers didn't even hate their enemy: For most, it was a job that had to be done--nothing personal.

So it is now: You shouldn't hate Muslims. But if, after you do everything possible to get them to see the light, a handful of them persist in their determination to harm you or your family, I don't think Christianity requires you to meekly submit to slaughter.

In other words, you can either vote to kill them, or do your part, without being un-Christian.

Just keep in mind: It's not motivated or driven by hate. In fact, it's perfectly reasonable to feel conflicted and a twinge of regret, as most of you would if you had to shoot an attacking cougar or bear: "Sorry about that, but also sorry you (the animal) made a bad choice."

That is all.