On militias
Happier than the terrorists.
Meet the Lebanese Christian Forces. They met in Southern Lebanon yesterday, to commemorate "militiamen" killed in Harissa.
Why in quotes? Well, the press has gone out of their way to identify this group as a "militia" (the Left's favorite negative description for this type of group), instead of using the more glowing terms "militants" and "fighters."
But what's really odd is that this group is not a militia! Instead, this group is (correctly) accusing Hezbullah of operating as a "state within a state," and declaring that Hezbullah's weaponry is "destabilizing" the region.
How about our "drive by" media? What do they think?
Well, this event was important enough that two photographers were sent to cover the event. One for AFP, which is understandable, considering that France created Lebanon, and one for Reuters, who are possibly looking for something else to obfuscate.
I haven't seen any big papers publish a story on this event either, even though a wire story or two have been sent out.
So, once again, when Muslims parade around with guns in the Middle East, we're told that they're "political parties" who are working on "debating" their differences. When Christians gather together with signs, they're reduced to the media bogeyman label, "Militia."
Welcome to newspeak, 21st-Century style.
Leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia Samir Geagea gestures as talks an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. Geagea, who was released from prison last year after serving more than a decade on multiple counts of murder dating to the war, backs the Western-leaning government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia Samir Geagea greets his supporters an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. Geagea, who was released from prison last year after serving more than a decade on multiple counts of murder dating to the war, backs the Western-leaning government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia Samir Geagea gestures as talks an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. Geagea, who was released from prison last year after serving more than a decade on multiple counts of murder dating to the war, backs the Western-leaning government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia Samir Geagea greets his supporters an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. Geagea, who was released from prison last year after serving more than a decade on multiple counts of murder dating to the war, backs the Western-leaning government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia Samir Geagea speaks with his wife Strida an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. Geagea, who was released from prison last year after serving more than a decade on multiple counts of murder dating to the war, backs the Western-leaning government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia Samir Geagea gestures an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. Geagea, who was released from prison last year after serving more than a decade on multiple counts of murder dating to the war, backs the Western-leaning government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Supporters of the leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia, Samir Geagea, shout and wave Lebanese forces flags at an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Lebanese Christian leader Samir Geagea, head of the Lebanese Forces militia-turned-political-party, waves at supporters gathered during a ceremony to commemorate their comrades that were killed during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, in Harissa village, north of Beirut, September 24, 2006. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON)
Supporters of the leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia, Samir Geagea, shout and wave Lebanese forces flags at an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Supporters of the leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia, Samir Geagea, seen reflected on the church, hold Lebanese flags and portraits of Geagea at an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
A general view of supporters of the leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia, Samir Geagea, wave Lebanese and the group's flags at an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
A Lebanese supporter of the leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia, Samir Geagea, shouts at an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
A supporter of the leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia, Samir Geagea, holds a portrait of Geagea at an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
A Lebanese supporter of the leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia, Samir Geagea, sits on a pole next of a Lebanese flag at an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces militia Samir Geagea talks an annual mass to commemorate Christian militiamen killed during the bloody sectarian conflict at the shrine of the Virgin Mary in the town of Harissa, 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Tens of thousands of right-wing Christians turned out at a tumultuous rally north of Beirut Sunday led by a notorious anti-Syrian former warlord, in a show of strength two days after a massive gathering by the rival Muslim Shiite Hezbollah. Geagea, who was released from prison last year after serving more than a decade on multiple counts of murder dating to the war, backs the Western-leaning government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
