Op-ed:

Christmas and Hanukkah COVID Style                                         By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

The Christmas/Hanukkah season is finally here but plans that once were are now questionable at best... plans as to how we can...or should I say cannot... celebrate both the birth of one small child...a child in whom salvation lives...and a warriors victory that saw the miracle of one day's lamp oil turning into eight. A should be glorious time for family and friends to gather together in love and harmony while enjoying great feasts of food and drink...with Peace on Earth hopefully lasting for a few days at least. But this year will surely not be the joyous holiday season we all had come to expect what with the politically weaponized virus from China hovering like the Grim Reaper over us all. 

Or perchance will the true spirit of Christmas and Hanukkah ultimately prevail? A most serious question in need of an answer.

But sadly, it seems all we are left with are fond memories of mask-less Christmases and Hanukkahs past for this year said virus not only continues to dominate the 24/7 news cycle, but it has actually become the single overriding factor in how we are tasked with going about our daily lives. And so it appears that at least in the public venue, “We the People” will once again be at the mercy of misplaced political leaders who relish in dictating how we are and are not to celebrate what should be the most beautiful time of the year. And their lists for us of dos and don'ts, yes and nos...with no ifs, ands, or buts allowed...is a long and tedious one...a list that we who celebrate the “Twelve Days of Christmas” and/or the eight days of the “Festival of Lights” can never wholeheartedly meet...nor do we really care to.

And dare we forget that what appears on the surface to be this year's “humbug” holiday season actually started on Halloween, the holiday of candy and devilish pranks that over the years became synonymous with every dentist's worst nightmare. Halloween 2020 was what amounted to a no-go what with few kids in costumes going door-to-door...and that can be blamed on their parents media-driven fears that the always marauding COVIDS now lurked behind each, every, and all of their neighbors doors. And so the candy bought but not given out ended not in the tummies of ghosts, princesses, and superheros, but was relegated to melt in trash cans or...gasp...ended up in many a parents mouth where the sweets helped to pack on even more pounds thanks to all the COVID affected exercise activities still disallowed.

And Thanksgiving this year was little to no better what with leftist politicians begging and pleaded with folks to stay sheltered at home, basically saying the hell with family and friends. Saying we should look forward to spending this Thanksgiving with the same immediate family members who for months we've been locked up in confinement with, but still by all means enjoy stuffing yourselves silly with turkey, mashed potatoes, and of course pumpkin pie, caring not a bit that everyone's last nerve is probably well frazzled by now. And try they did to get us to buy into their propaganda that continued home confinement would be lots better than dealing with family drama and unneeded expenses that always seem to pop up right before, during, and after what really this year should have just been called "Turkey Day." And while many complied...sheeple usually do...many others thankfully said we've damn well had enough of this virus, we're going to enjoy the holiday with both those we love and those we cherish...bring on the turkey...I'll take a leg.

And next came Hanukkah, the “Festival of Lights,” where families still gathered...albeit in mandated small numbers...to enjoy delicious stacks of latkes deep fried  with powdered sugar and applesauce off on the side, while young children merrily spun dreidels in a game of chance with chocolate “gelt” (coins) wrapped in gold foil going to both the game's winner and losers. And while their parents hoped this made up...sort of...for all the Halloween candy not gotten or happily eaten, the Hanukkah candles were lit one at a time for eight days in row, while the adults hoped that the glow of Hanukkah's God-granted miracle would drown out the COVID scare tactics still hanging over all of their heads, including the fact that synagogues sadly remained closed due to too many COVID mandated religious restrictions.

And now in a few days comes America's first COVID Christmas. And while many a tree will still be dressed in holiday splendor with gifts carefully wrapped and tied with red ribbons and bows wait under the tree to be given to family and friends who will gather together to honor the Christ child. And for Christmas dinner maybe even in this most unusual of years there will be both pineapple-glazed ham and cookies in holiday shapes to be shared by children and grown-ups alike, who together will try to forget the virus from China for at least one day and one holy night...a night where few Midnight Masses will be held what with churches, like synagogues, being ordered to remain closed as religious services help to spread COVID they want you to know.

So even as most Christmas trees do remain standing, we then will be faced with the always rambunctious New Year's Eve celebrations where almost anything goes...a time to let off steam over the nightmare year that was...which I'm sure will be replete with it's own list of what we can and cannot do, think or dare say...with booze off limits and most bars being closed...just more muscle flexing by the “do as we say not as we do” political crowd. Simply, more partisan driven mandates by those still hopped up on a sugar cookie and eggnog high...while the New Year's Eve ball will be lowered to non-existing Time Square crowds who've been ordered to stay home and watch it on TV like the multitudes of we non-New Yorkers do year after year. It is and will remain COVID season after all...and on New Year's Day we'll all be reminded of just that.

And sadly, while all I stated did indeed come true on Halloween, on Thanksgiving, and on Hanukkah too, the Christmas and New Years scenario I just laid out does not have to be for “We the People”...we conservatives at least...can make our own holiday miracle happen by uniting together and saying “no...we've had enough” wearing of masks, social distancing, and other such mandated balderdash and won't continue to do so over what's left of this now abbreviated holiday season. And while the election-stealing incoming powers that be will surely extend this nonsense through the whole of next year, including their ordering us to again all “shelter in place,” a nasty little politically weaponized virus from China allows them to think they can do as they wish.

So with that I say we instead flex our conservative political and spending muscle by “shopping 'til we drop” with purchases happily made from the local “Mom and Pops” still open for business, and that we also start frequenting local restaurants again. And to that I add that we go “all out” with our Christmas decorating this year by “decking the halls” with boughs of holly and surely a whole lot more; that we set up a creche in our front yards if we so desire; that we light up our house fronts with lights galore; that we trim our trees until they sparkle and shine bright; and that we sing Christmas carols even if we're slightly off key.

And let's not forget to enjoy both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner with us alone deciding the number of family and friends we can invite; and that we go to Midnight Mass (if we can find one that is) at the church of our choice before we relish in our children's glee when Santa appears with gifts for all the good little girls and boys. And last but not least do enjoy a glass of the "bubbly" if one so desires as together we ring out this old most horrendous of years and ring in what we pray will be a better new year.

And so I leave you with this...may your holidays be bright, may your prayers be answered, and may God Bless and continue to watch over America again. Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

Copyright © 2020 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved. 

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To read but a few of my many past Christmas articles click on the titled links below and it will take you directly to the article. A Military Christmas...Past and Present, On Christmas Trees and First Ladies, A Counting Song or Religious Truth, Christmas Traditions vs. Christmas Naysayers, and A Politically Correct Christmas Is NOT Christmas.

*************************************************************************************                 For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, The First Christmas... Rebooted.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Tomorrow, Friday, December 18th, from 7 to 9pm EST,  RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Christmas and Hanukkah COVID Style'; 'The First Christmas...Rebooted'; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com. Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50 pm EST with the show beginning at 7pm EST. 

(Almost) Daily Meme

Op-ed:

A Military Christmas...Past and Present

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

In five short days Christmas will once again be upon us...the day when Christians the world over celebrate the birth of one small child...a child who forever changed the course of history...a child named Jesus...God Our Father's only Begotten Son. And in just two days the first Hanukkah candles will be lit...the "Festival of the Lights" it's called...for Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabees securing control of Judea and the rededication of the Second Temple so very many centuries ago.

But what should be a festive time for all remains just another day for those now serving in both our and our allies armed forces...men and women who are stationed or actually fighting in far off theaters of war. To them it's just another day to be on guard and pick up arms if need be, but know that no matter the circumstances those in the military always seem to find a way to celebrate and honor this most holy and joyous time of year. And one such quite unexpected celebration took place just over one hundred years ago during the First World War.

World War I...known as the “Great War”...was a brutal and costly war that heralded in so-called modern-day warfare...a war that saw hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers on both sides dying within the first few months of said war...a war that had been predicted to be over by Christmas of 1914. But by December of that year what became known as “trench warfare” had then become the norm with the dead in the field now sadly outnumbering the battlefield living. But with war being a tiring and ever so weary business and with both sides sustaining heavy losses, a Christmas miracle of sorts occurred much to the dismay of high command, for what began on Christmas Eve and lasted throughout Christmas Day was a truce along the Western Front...a truce that saw both British and German troops laying down their weapons of war as they began singing Christmas carols to one another, while together and with honor they sadly buried their dead.

Men so tired of war now witnessed the brutal and blood-stained Western Front in Belgium for but one night and one day becoming a place of Christmas celebrations and reverence; where Christmas carols replaced the always deadly sounds of guns, cannons, and bombs; where Christmas services were held as enemies stood together in the hope that one day they could be friends; and where small Christmas trees were placed alongside those men holed-up in the now muddy, damp, and cold trenches. And on Christmas morning both German and British soldiers emerged unarmed from a fitful night's sleep in the trenches, calling out “Merry Christmas” to each other from both sides of what was then known as “no-man’s-land.”

Twenty-four hours of peace and goodwill between enemies...enemies who even dared to “break bread,” share pleasantries, and play soccer together...sadly came to end as carols sung were slowly replaced by gunshots once again for the business of war always seems to take precedence over the seemingly fleeting miracle of peace. But for that one brief moment in time...a moment never again to happen during the “Great War”...the very sounds of war were silenced by the spirit of Christmas itself.

But there were other wars and other Christmases that saw both victories and setbacks happening on Christmas Eve and Day. And probably one of the most famous of all American historical military remembrances was when on Christmas night of December 25-26, 1776, then General George Washington and 2,400 of his Continental Army soldiers crossed the icy Delaware River. Frozen, so tired and hungry, and with morale low, Gen. Washington and his men nevertheless marched as dawn was breaking into Trenton, New Jersey, catching the Hessian soldiers stationed there totally off guard...so off guard in fact that the Hessians surrendered to Washington within a mere hour and a half's time. And it was this, George Washington's Christmas night Delaware River crossing, that helped turn the then flailing American Revolution into a war that we could and did win.

But sadly, other American military actions connected with Christmas Day were not immediate successes per se, with some actually considered to be “temporary failures.” One such example occurred during the Vietnam War and it involved the air campaign known as Operation Linebacker II...at the time the largest bombing mission in U.S. military history. Considered by historians to be the campaign that led to the end of our involvement in the highly unpopular Vietnam War, Operation Linebacker II began on December 18, 1972 after the North Vietnamese walked out on then ongoing peace talks. Referred to as the “11 Days of Christmas,” this operation saw eleven straight days of air raids by B-52 bombers with the only day when bombs did not fall being on Christmas Day. And on that day our troops were given a 36-hour respite in the fighting...a respite to celebrate and honor Jesus' birth...with the bombings starting again on December 26th and lasting until December 29th...the day when the North Vietnamese finally decided to return to the negotiating table.

And so while the miles, current wars, and memories of Christmases passed continue to separate today's brave warriors from both family and friends as well as from the country that they and we proudly call home, know that the spirit of Christmas and the memories of that century old “Christmas Truce” and an icy night's river crossing, has been carried on by our troops and allies today via some of the modern-day trappings of Christmas itself. Santa visiting our military bases in the far off theaters of war; decorated Christmas trees being put up on far off military bases; military equipment bedecked in wreaths and red bows; our troops being served full-course Christmas dinner while receiving care packages and presents from home; and Christmas services always respectfully held; are but a few of the outward signs that Christmas is not being forgotten by those so very far away from home.

And amongst all the Christmas festivities there's now also to be found yarmulkes, menorahs, challah bread, latikas, and maybe even a dreidel or two, for Hanukkah is celebrated and honored by our troops and certain of our allies as well.

But most of all when the trappings and festivities are put aside, I pray both those who now wear our nations uniform and those who once proudly did, know that they are never far from our red, white, and blue American hearts. And while here I write but simple words of thanks for a job always well done, the poem below, as old as it is, still expresses today as it did back in the day; the true feeling of gratitude that "We the People" collectively have for those who fight and who fought to keep us safe and free at home.

So let we of the Christian and Jewish faith join together and bow our heads in prayer that maybe next year our current brave warriors...heroes all...will be home safe and sound on American soil...and that...from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah..."Nation Shall Not Lift Up Sword Against Nation, Neither Shall They Learn War Any More.

The Soldier's Night Before Christmas

By: General Grenville M. Dodge, dated December 22, 1893

Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,

In a one-bedroom house made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney with presents to give

And to see just who in this home did live.

I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,

No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand,

On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind

A sober thought came through my mind.

For this house was different, so dark and dreary,

I knew I had found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

I heard stories about them, I had to see more

So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.

And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone,

Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.

His face so gentle, his room in such disorder,

Not how I pictured a United States soldier.

Was this the hero of whom I’d just read?

Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean shaven, his weathered face tan,

I soon understood this was more than a man.

For I realized the families that I saw that night

Owed their lives to these men who were willing to fight.

Soon ’round the world, the children would play,

And grownups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.

They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,

Because of soldiers like this one lying here.

I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone

 On a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.

Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye,

I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The soldier awakened, and I heard a rough voice,

“Santa don’t cry, this life is my choice;

I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more,

my life is my God, my country, my Corps.”

With that, he rolled over and drifted off into sleep,

I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.

I watched him for hours, so silent and still,

I noticed he shivered from the cold night’s chill.

So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,

And I covered this soldier from his toes to his head.

And I put on his T-shirt of gray and black,

With an eagle and an Army patch embroidered on back.

And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,

And for a shining moment, I was United States Army deep inside.

I didn’t want to leave him on that cold dark night,

This guardian of honor so willing to fight.

Then the soldier rolled over, whispered with a voice clean and pure,

“Carry on Santa, it’s Christmas Day, all is secure.”

One look at my watch, and I knew he was right,

Merry Christmas my friend, and to all a good night!

 

And to that this writer most humbly says a simply yet heartfelt, "Amen."

 
Copyright @ 2019 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.
 
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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, Embellished By Faith, Predicated On Facts. 

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Tomorrow, Friday, December 20th, from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'A Military Christmas'; 'Embellished By Faith, Predicated On Facts'; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history...or on Tune-In at: https://tunein.com/radio/American-Political-Radio-s273246/

Op-ed:
Still So Far Away From Home
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

In four short days Christmas will once again be upon us...the day when Christians the world over celebrate the birth of one small child...a child who forever changed the course of history...a child named Jesus...God's only Begotten Son.

And just mere weeks ago the last Hanukkah candle was lit...the "Festival of the Lights" it's called for Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple so very many centuries ago.

And yet what should be a festive time remains just another day for those in our military fighting in far off theaters of war.

So while the miles continue to separate these brave warriors from both family and friends, I hope they know that they are NEVER far from our red, white, and blue American hearts. And while I write these simple words of thanks for a job well done, the poem below best expresses the true feelings of gratitude "We the People" together have for those who fight to keep us safe and free at home.

So let we of the Christian and Jewish faith join together in prayer that maybe next year our brave warriors...heroes all...will be home safe on American soil...and that...from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah..."Nation Shall Not Lift Up Sword Against Nation, Neither Shall They Learn War Any More." 

The Sands of Christmas 

By: Michael Marks

I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh,

And looked across the table where the bills were piled too high.

The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix,

My stocks were down another point, the Dolphins lost by six.

And so with only minutes till my son got home from school,

I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool.

The burdens that I carried were about all I could take,

And so I flipped the TV on to catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust,

No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust.

And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh,

Eight Hummers ran a column right behind an M1A.

A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens.

Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean.

They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight,

Their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind,

To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again.

There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease,

They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MREs.

They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see,

They didn't need an ornament--they lacked a Christmas Tree.

They didn't have a present even though it was tradition,

the only boxes I could see were labeled "ammunition."

I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side,

He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried.

I swept him up into my arms and held him oh so near

and kissed him on the forehead as I whispered in his ear.

There's nothing wrong my little son, for safe we sleep tonight,

Our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right,

To worry on the things in life that mean nothing at all,

Instead of wondering if we will be the next to fall.

He looked at me as children do and said its always right,

to thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write.

And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note,

to thank the many far from home, and this is what we wrote:

God Bless You all and keep you safe, and speed your way back home.

Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone.

The gift you give you share with all, a present every day,

You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay. 

And to that this writer most humbly says, "Amen." 

Copyright @ 2018 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

*************************************************************************************************************************************
For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article Politics on Christmas? Yes…and for a VERY Good Reason.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Today, Friday, December 21st from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori present their Christmas Special...'Still So Far Away From Home; 'Politics on Christmas? Yes…and for a VERY Good Reason'; and spread some Christmas cheer.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history...or on Tune-In at: https://tunein.com/radio/American-Political-Radio-s273246/

Op-ed: 
An Ever-Growing Christmas Nightmare 
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

Christmas is fast approaching but the joyous season of lights, glittering trees, and children's wide-eyed wonder has been turned into the the stuff of nightmares not just in Israel but in Europe and now in Egypt as well.

First Israel...the Holy Land...the very land God gave to the Jews.

“They think they can uproot us from our land. They will not succeed...Our guiding principle is that whoever attacks us and whoever tries to attack us will pay with his life.” So said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu...and rightfully so.

The Jewish State of Israel...which will remain the Jewish State no matter the U.N.'s wishes...is also home to millions of Christians...Christians who are free to practice their religion in the sacred land where Jesus was born. But sadly in today's Israel, Christmas and the days leading up to it seem to equate to just more days of terror being perpetrated on Israeli citizens...both Christians and Jews...by those who think they have a right to said Holy Land...by those known as Palestinians.

And like in too many Christmas's past, which included his placing added security at Christian churches, Prime Minister Netanyahu has basically been forced once again to take matters into his own hands to keep all Israeli citizens safe. Now making publicly known his seven key steps...steps he believes will help deter terror attacks by both Iranian funded Hezbollah and Hamas operatives living in Gaza and the Golan Heights...Netanyahu issued these steps while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas still continues to blame Israel for what he called a “violent environment” and Israel's inciting violence against him. But these accusations are indeed quite laughable for time and actions have proven that it's the Palestinians who always... and I repeat always...start the altercations with Israel thus leaving Israel having every right to fight back.

And these seven steps are in direct response to both of last week's killings by Palestinian gunmen, the first where two I.D.F. soldiers were gunned down at a bus stop and to the drive-by shooting that not only seriously wounded seven Israelis outside the town of Ofra but also led to the death of a baby boy and his mother. Step 1: to accelerate demolition of terrorists’ homes; Step two: to ramp up efforts to apprehend the terrorists responsible for the latest series of attacks; Step 3: to increase administrative detention of Hamas operatives in Judea and Samaria; Step four: to reinforce IDF units in Judea and Samaria; Step five: to protect roads in Judea and Samaria with checkpoints; Step six: to place a cordon around El-Bireh; and Step seven: to revoke permits of terrorist family members and accomplices. 
 
Also, Netanyahu will “legalize thousands of homes” in Judea and Samaria that were built in “good faith” but have not yet been granted what's known as "formal legal status." And gaining that status would allow the residents the legal right to erect public, educational, and religious structures...as in may creches and Christmas trees that hopefully will now light up Judea and Samaria's night skies.

And while those once mostly dark skies do start to light up as Christmas fast approaches, the Israeli military will continue on with “Operation Northern Shield”...the very operation that is both "uncovering" and then "neutralizing" Hezbollah’s terror tunnels along the Israeli/Lebanon border. And that operation cannot and must not rest even for Christmas for while Hezbollah does not yet have the ability to produce “accurate weapons,” Israel knows well that as Iran continues to export their missile technology into Lebanon, factories are being built or restructured to turn that technology into accurate long-range “projectiles”...as in missiles...that Hezbollah has every intention of using against Israel no matter if her citizens killed be Christians or Jews.

And never underestimate the possibility of an “islamic surprise” reigning down on Israel on Christmas Day...maybe even on the Christian holy city of Bethlehem in the West Bank...for the islamists hatred of Christians is secondary only to that of the Jews.

So while Israel remains unwavering in its objective of keeping both Hezbollah and especially Iran as far away from the Golan Heights as possible...in fact as far away from Israel in general...Iran continues ratcheting up its hatred of both Israel and the U.S...the “Little Satan” and the “Great Satan” respectively...for how dare President Trump reimpose sanctions on them. And it's this newest round of sanctions that has caused Iran serious economic hardships as the rial's value continues to drop on the international markets along with critical oil production and sales plummeting, while at the same time the mullahs are facing the reality that the opposition groups are not just growing in numbers but in strength and solidarity as they rightfully see the mullahs themselves as Iran's enemy not Israel, not the Jews, and surely not Israel's Christian citizens.

So while Israel remains ever vigilant this Christmas season as they strive hard to make Christmas as safe, peaceful, and meaningful as possible for their Christians citizens, many countries in Europe are themselves awash in nightmarish Christmas demands that have them caving to those out to kill us all.

"The word 'Christmas,' a symbol of our faith and our culture, does not discriminate against anyone. Striking the emblems of Christmas does not guarantee anyone's respect, does not produce a welcoming and inclusive school and society, but fosters intolerance towards our culture, our customs, our laws and our traditions. We firmly believe that our traditions must be respected." So stated Milan politician Samuele Piscina last year.

As the muslim invasion of Europe shows no signs of abating and as its muslim population continues to grow while still not assimilating into the fabric of their host countries societies, muslims see it as their right to make demands to either have Christmas traditions and festivities secularized or done away with in their entirety, after all the joyfulness that is Christmas upsets their oh-so delicate islamic sensibilities. And it upsets them to such a degree that Europe is now caving out of fear for their safety...safety from the very people they so foolishly welcomed into their countries.

And Europe's dismantling of Christmas traditions started quite innocuously with the renaming of Christmas markets and such...replacing the word “Christmas” with “Winter” variations, as in for example the Amsterdam Winter Parade, Brussels Winter Pleasures, Kreuzberger Wintermarkt, London Winterville, and Munich Winter Festival just to name but a few.

By the way, America needs to take note of this seemingly small first step as it's already happening in our public schools and in our churches with similar replacement names for what used to be school and church Christmas pageants and celebrations.

But even more troubling for Europe than just the simple renaming of marketplaces is the second step...the actual islamization of not only Christmas but of both Jesus and Christianity itself. And with Europe's ever-increasing muslim populations ramping up their demands to tone down Christmas with its message of love and peace... which directly counters the qur'ans dictates of conversion or death...they are basing this upon the premise that Jesus of the Holy Bible is Isa of the qur'an. Yet nothing could be further from the truth for Isa (the supposed Arabic translation of Jesus' name) as per the qur'an is a muslim prophet not the Son of God or of God “incarnate”...both key tenets of Christianity. And while Isa is referenced by name 25 times in the qur'an, he is alluded to as the "Word" and the "Spirit" of God but not of being God himself...remember God to muslims is allah...to we Christians and to we Jews, God the Father not allah is the creator of us all.

So if islam's and Christianity tenets and doctrines don't match why not force a rewording of one to bring it more inline with the other...as in islamic beliefs. And so “Chislam” was born in Europe to basically keep Christianity in check while islam itself has time to grow unchecked. And like with simple renamings, “Chislam” sadly is making inroads into our country as well for the kumbaya sorts do not see the wolf hiding behind the islamists sheep's clothing.

And so with these first two steps in place but still not fully bringing Europe to her collective knees, the nightmarish images of bloodshed that is Israel's ever constant reality is now becoming Europe's as well as Christmas themed marketplaces are seeing not only killings by islamists increasing but a drop in attendance out of fear..."killing two birds with one stone" if you will. And it started two years ago when a Tunisian born muslim drove a hijacked truck into a busy Berlin Christmas market killing 12 people injuring 48 others with the aftermath being both the locals and tourists feared going to said market.

And just last week three people died and 12 others were critically wounded in France when Cherif Chekatt, a known islamist, opened fire at Strasbourg's famous Christmas market forcing French officials to put the country on increased alert for possibly more terrorist attacks...again striking fear into the hearts of the French people as attendance at Christmas markets is dropping there as well.

So now with both Israel and Europe on high alert as Christmas draws near...and as islamists relish in manipulating their collective fears...Egypt too...an Arabic country...also sees its Christian population not just fearful but outright terrorized.

“There is no Christmas for us...the moment Maggie was taken to the hospital, the clock just stopped.” So said Samir Abdo whose 10-year old granddaughter was murdered last year by a suicide bomber while she was attending pre-Christmas services at St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo.

Just a short month ago islamic militants affiliated with ISIS...militants who vowed to go after Egypt’s Christians (Coptics) as punishment for their support of President el-Sissi... ambushed three buses carrying Coptic Christians on a pre-Christmas pilgrimage to the Saint Samuel the Confessor monastery in Minya province...a remote desert monastery south of the Egyptian capital of Cairo...killing seven people and wounding 19 others, all but one members of a single family. And that attack was the second to target Christian pilgrims heading to said monastery in as many years with the first attack occurring in May 2017, leaving 28 people dead.

And an attack on December 11, 2016 on the Saint Peter and Saint Paul church (which is commonly known as El-Botroseya)...which held Christmas markets of sorts...killed 29 in the heart of Cairo. Also, eleven people were killed last December 29th when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral complex in Cairo proper, doing so no matter that the church was being guarded by police in the days leading up to Orthodox Christmas celebrations which were to take place the following week.

The days leading up to Christmas was then and remains now a very dangerous and worrisome time for Coptic Christians in Egypt.

So with Egypt now joining Israel and Europe as being on high alert as this Christmas draws near...the beauty that is the Christmas season has been stolen from many by those whose goal is not just simply to do harm but to strike fear into the very hearts of Christians everywhere for to islamists the Christians will be next after they annihilate the Jews...or so they think. And with what now has turned into a nightmare of contriteness will unfortunately continue on as long as good people everywhere bow down and cater to the wishes of those who, like I previously stated, are out to kill us all.

Copyright @ 2018 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article Obamacare is Dead.
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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Today, Tuesday, December 18th from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'An Ever-Growing Christmas Nightmare'; 'Obamacare is Dead'; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history...or on Tune-In at: https://tunein.com/radio/American-Political-Radio-s273246/

Op-ed: 

A Counting Song or Religious Truth

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

It's that magical time of the year again as Christmas is fast approaching, and for five years in a row we at Right Side Patriots always honor the season with both Craig and I each writing an article pertaining to the holiday and presenting it on our radio show. Craig did his last week... titled The Liberals Guide to Christmas...and if you haven't read it yet please do for while it is quite snarky in nature its words surely do ring true.

Now it's my turn and I have decided to delve into the possible meaning behind the words of the song turned carol “The 12 Days of Christmas”...a carol many love but find quite disconcerting as the words on the surface seem to make no sense but do have an actual meaning to the faithful...a meaning that harks back to ages past. But before I turn this medieval what was a children's counting song into a parody of today's politically incorrect speak, let's delve into the song's history which truly might surprise many.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a century's old song that originated in 1534 England, and was believed to have been written as a catechism lesson for Catholic children after King Henry VIII broke ties with Rome and started the Church of England. And why this break... because Pope Clement VII refused to grant the king an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

However, after the king's death Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was able to finalize said break by initiating doctrine changes that forever allied the Church of England with the Protestant Reformation. And with those changes came a banning of the open practice of Roman Catholicism throughout England. Started in 1558 and lasting until 1829, Roman Catholics were not only forbidden to practice their faith but were shunned and punished...with some even being put to death...if caught doing so.

But Roman Catholicism lived on in so-called “Merry old England” but in secret of course. Veiled and shrouded in masked musings with words spoken in ever so hushed tones became the order of the day as it was the only way that Catholicism could survive in England during those dark times. And survive it did via Roman Catholic tenets and doctrine being passed down from parents to their children...passed down but in a way so as not to let on what was really being done.

And what seemed to be on the surface just a simple children's counting song about animals and such...a song whose words could easily be remembered...was to believers a song not only to be sung but to be learned from...a song that in reality was anything but simple for the song that became a carol was a child's lesson in the tenets of the Roman Catholic faith.

And so the song...now a carol...that was actually the doctrine of the Holy Roman Catholic Church...catechism if you will...was born and is still sung and beloved to this day. And yet it remains a carol with two meanings...one meaning has it being just another oh-so pretty Christmas carol and the other meaning has it deeply embedded in believers faith via code words and numerical alludings that are key to the Catholic faith and it's age old traditions.

And tradition one according to the Holy Roman Catholic Church is that Christmas celebrations are to last twelve days, beginning with Jesus' birth on Christmas Day (December 25th) and ending on Epiphany Day (January 6th)...the day upon which the Magi visited the baby Jesus bearing three gifts...gifts having both a symbolic and a spiritual meaning. And with the gift of gold being the symbol of both divinity and kingship on earth; the gift of frankincense being a symbol of deity, holiness and righteousness; and with the gift of myrrh being a symbol of bitterness, suffering, affliction, and ultimate death, the life of Jesus the man and the ultimate death of Jesus the Son of God was forever foretold in the gifts of the Three Wise Men.

But like I said said before “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as written was a song based upon numbers...numbers having a religious connotation to believers whose meaning had to be hidden at the time it was anonymously written. So let's break down both the numbers and the words so we can truly understand the theological lessons many believed were secretly being taught.

But first a little side note...

We all know the gifts “my true love” sent over the twelve days...at least at face value we do...as in “A Partridge in a Pear Tree; Two Turtle Doves; Three French Hens; Four Calling Birds; Five Golden Rings; Six Geese a Laying; Seven Swans a Swimming; Eight Maids a Milking; Nine Ladies Dancing; Ten Lords a Leaping; Eleven Pipers Piping; and Twelve Drummers Drumming”...which in today's economic market would have a current face value of $34,558.65 according to the PNC Financial Services Group who has been tracking the carol's price cost numbers for over 30 years. But that is not the total cost for each of the gifts, except for the "twelve drummers drumming," is repeated multiple times as per the carol's actual wording, bringing the dollar cost of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” gifts up to a whopping $156,507.88.

Me thinks the religious aspects of the gifts is a much better bargain if you will.

Now let's look at the actual meaning and corresponding numbers...as per believers and the faithful...behind each gift in relation to Catholic doctrine and let's start with the twelve times repeated words “True Love.” “True love”...the giver of the gifts would be God the Father with the “partridge in a pear tree” being His son Jesus Christ on the cross. The “two turtle doves” refer to the Old and New Testaments, while the “three French hens” stand for faith, hope and love, which are the primary virtues taught in the New Testament.

The “four calling birds” would represent the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with the “five golden rings” heralding the first five books of the Old Testament. The “six geese a-laying” refer to the six days of creation, and the “seven swans a-swimming” represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (prophecy, serving, exhortation, teaching, contribution, leadership and mercy) while some others say the seven swans are a reference to the seven sacraments (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing of the sick, Marriage and Holy orders).

The “eight maids a-milking” are the eight beatitudes, with the “nine ladies dancing” being the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). The “ten lords a-leaping” stand for the Ten Commandments, while the “eleven pipers piping” represent the 11 faithful disciples. And lastly, the “twelve drummers drumming” symbolize the 12 points of doctrine from the ancient Apostles’ Creed.

And while to many this carol remains just that...a carol to be sung at Christmastime whose pretty yet oddly chosen words have a deeply religious meaning to those of faith while at the same time it is just pretty sung words to others. Though I personally cannot tell you which side of that particular coin is the truth, I can say that “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a classic carol born from Roman Catholic persecution, and yet in its very ambiguity and its hauntingly repeated words it is a carol that will be around for many years to come.

And with that I will also say that a carol such as “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” especially with its particular numerical patterning as well as its irregular syllable context, has also been subject to parody over the many years. And while some might think it quite sacrilegious to turn a time-honored carol into a political statement of sorts, I feel that a parody of this carol is but a rightful slap in the face to those who abide by the monstrosity known as political correctness. So here is my version of this Christmas classic and it's my gift to the politically correct everywhere...said with a smirk and a wink of course.

The Twelve Days of a Trump Christmas...in descending order due to time and word constraints...LOL. On the Twelfth day of Christmas the 'talking heads' gave to me Twelve libs imploding; Eleven fake news stories; Ten U.N. screwings; Nine whores a-lying; Eight charges filed; Seven caravans coming; Six new subpoenas; Five tweets from Trump; Four Comey leaks; Three swamp rats; Two summits more; and an 'Ocasio'nal-Cortez faux-pas.

Merry Christmas everyone...and to all a “good night.”

Copyright @ 2018 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article Divide, and Be Conquered.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Today, Friday, December 14th from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'A Counting Song or Religious Truth'; 'Divide, and Be Conquered'; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history...or on Tune-In at: https://tunein.com/radio/American-Political-Radio-s273246/