An Easy Way to Influence Your Friends

Share DVDs with your friends. When you find a good one, get a couple extra copies. Then let your friends know you saw a really good DVD. If they show any openness or interest, offer to loan them your copy.

Books may contain more information, but most people are more open to the idea of watching a DVD than reading a book. A book is a considerably bigger investment of time.

This is an easy and comfortable way of introducing important information to people you know. Even a good friend might not be willing to listen to you talk nonstop for an hour, educating him on orthodox Islam and its prime directive, but he might be willing to watch a DVD. And the producers have the funds to hire authorities in their fields to share what they know, lending the DVD an influencing power far beyond what you could accomplish in a conversation.

When you mention the DVD, don't say it is the best thing you've ever seen. Say you liked it, but then tell them something you thought was the most interesting part of the film. Or the most intriguing. Or surprising. Intrigue them. Reach them at their level. What do you think they would find most intriguing about the DVD?

For example, when I mention the film, Islam: What the West Needs to Know, I like to mention that one of the people interviewed is an ex-member of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). In other words, he used to be an Islamic terrorist. He grew up in Palestine, where they glorify dying in martyrdom on television. He learned stories from his teachers in school of heroic martyrs blowing themselves up for the glory of Islam. He threw rocks at Israeli soldiers. He smuggled a bomb hidden inside a loaf of bread into an Israeli area, but changed his mind at the last minute and threw the bomb up onto a roof, where it blew up. I thought it was really interesting to hear his take on the Islamization of the West.

When you find a good film, watch it several times, so you will be well-acquainted with the facts and ideas later when you're talking to someone about the DVD. And while you watch the film for the second or third time, keep a notepad handy and jot down what you think are some of the most surprising or intriguing tidbits in the film, and use those to pique the curiosity of people when you talk about it.

In other words, don't just mention the film and say you liked it, and assume the person will be interested. Help her become interested. Gain and maintain rapport with her. This is a crucial part you can play to help convert people who aren't really that interested in Islam into people who are interested. You can make a small move in that direction by getting this person interested in watching a particular DVD.

Use this tool actively. It is a practical mission you could accomplish to help do the one thing that needs to be done: Educate your fellow non-Muslims about Islam. As you find things that work and things that don't work, please come back and leave your insights in the comments below.

We've got a growing list of DVDs to recommend. Check them out: Recommended DVDs.

Learn more about influencing your friends:

How to approach a conversation about Islam
Answers to objections when you talk about Islam
How to think outside the persuasion box

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Immediate Action Alert

A few days ago, I wrote an article on the IBA about the movie Obsession, and an anonymous commenter sent it to Tom Trento, the man who runs the web site, WatchObsession.org. Tom wrote back to the commenter with the following message:

Great news on the “converts” after Watching Obsession! That is happening all over America.

Regardless of what happens on November 4, this Obsession Project has created a movement where Americans are waking up to radical, militant, islam and getting active to respond in a proper fashion. We will be working hard all through 2009 to maximize the impact the DVD distribution has made.

We can use your help!

The DVD, Obsession has been distributed in a variety of formats, one of which is the “brochure-like” mailer that you reference. There were millions of those mailed to homes all over the United States. Millions were inserted into newspapers and magazines, in another format. Then 10’s of thousands of others have been and are being distributed by hand, all over the country.

The particular format you like has been exhausted, but I have some DVD’s in full packaging and will send you whatever you believe you can get out over the next 25 days. We want them to have an impact.

Let me know and you will get them to you a day later at no cost!

Keep fight the fight and do not get discouraged. Your efforts are not in vain!

I emailed Tom Trento and asked him to send me fifty copies of the DVD and I promised him I would distribute them all in 25 days through my personal network. Within an hour he let me know the DVDs are on their way to me.

I encourage the rest of you to do the same. This is a great opportunity to make a difference sharing an informative DVD about the threat of Islam's relentless encroachment. Here is Tom Trento's contact information:

media-denver@terrorfreeamerica.us

Tom Trento
FLORIDA SECURITY COUNCIL, INC
2200 4th. Ave. N. #3
Lake Worth, FL. 33461

W: 561-582-1424
F: 561-582-7675
C: 561-767-0982

www.FloridaSecurityCouncil.com

Act now. I believe the window of opportunity is brief.

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Citizen Warriors Unite Against Internet Jihadis

We just received the following message and with permission are reprinting it here because this is one of the best ideas we've heard in a long time. Would you like to do something practical to help prevent the spread of jihad? Check this out:

"As a citizen warrior myself, I thought I might pass on a project I am working on that you might be interested in. There is an organized effort to pull Jihadi videos off of YouTube and we are having some success. Obviously the more people involved the more success we will have. In March we pulled down 1,600 (or more) Jihadi videos, in April we pulled down another 500. We work on five or six videos from a specific YouTube user, and when we get three videos removed they pull the whole user account with all the videos hosted with it.

"It all started at Quoth the Raven, YouTube SMACKDOWN headquarters. I do regular posts on my site Got War Porn?. StarCMC of StarCMC's Enemedia Roundup has a thread rolling over at Free Republic, and I have a thread working at JihadChat.com. I have also heard that the Gathering of Eagles has started a thread.

"The YouTube SMACKDOWN is super easy for regular people to do, and it only takes a few minutes to flag a couple of jihadi videos. This is something all citizen warriors can do to help fight the spread of jihad.

"Thanks for your time,

"Celebrimbor"

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Learn About Islam

THE IDEAS in the heads of your fellow Westerners makes a big difference. Until more non-Muslims understand the goals and methods of Islamic supremacists, the free world is vulnerable. And you can help turn the tide. Find ways to introduce information about Islam to your fellow non-Muslims. Here are a few ideas to help you.

You will be shocked at how little most people know about Islam. And they will be shocked to find out. And when enough non-Muslims know about it, Islamic tactics like pretext and deceit will be seen for what they are, and will no longer make us defenseless.

When we know more about the founder (the one all Muslims should imitate) and the goals of the religion, our collective actions can effectively thwart their plans. Our collective grasp of the real situation will bring more rational changes to our laws and policies (such as our current immigration policies and the application of sedition laws).

The key is what happens in one-on-one conversations throughout the West.

The ideas in the heads of your fellow citizens (such as a blind faith in multiculturalism) are not the kind that will convert them into Muslims, but the ideas help the spread of Islam by weakening the West's defenses. You can play an important role in curbing the spread of jihad by speaking up within your own sphere of influence.

How? When you hear an idea that is incomplete, uneducated, or dangerous to our collective survival, stop it from spreading. For example, "Actually, what they mean by 'Islam is a religion of peace' is that their mission is to make the whole world submit to the law of Allah (Shari'a), and once that is accomplished, there will be peace in the world. Therefore, Islam is a religion of peace. That's what they mean. But that's not really peace as we know it."

But to do this kind of innoculation, you have to have a pretty good handle on Islam itself. That will require some study.

I know you have other things to do, and you can't make this a full-time occupation, but I also know how serious this is, so it will require some sacrifice on your part.

I have created a curriculum of sorts. I tried to figure out what would be the material you could study that would give you the most critical knowledge with the smallest investment of time. Here is my curriculum:

Books to read:

Islam and Terrorism
The Sword of the Prophet

Audiobook to listen to in your car:

Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam

If you listen to this program seven times over the next year, you will have a good grasp of the most important parts of Islamic teachings. If you only do one of the things I recommend here, this is the one you should do.

DVDs to watch:

Islam: What The West Needs To Know
Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West

The DVDs are not only good for your own education, they are an excellent way to introduce the ideas to your fellow non-Muslims. After you've watched them a couple of times, start loaning them out to friends. Keep them in circulation. Buy several copies if you need to.

You can help stop the spread of the ideas that make the West defenseless only by having a sufficient amount of knowledge.

When you hear someone imply that the United States brought the terrorists into existence with bad foreign policy, how will you answer? One possible way is to give a brief history of jihad. During the last great jihad, Islamic forces conquered Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia, and they were at the gates of Vienna in Austria in 1683, when their forces were finally defeated.

In other words, they were violently attacking and defeating non-Muslims before the United States had even been created.

This is not to say some of the United States foreign policies didn't leave much to be desired. But the Islamic principle of jihad has a long history and Muslims are now using political mistakes as a pretext to engage in unrelenting warfare, as they have since the beginning. If you don't know any of this, it would be easy to see things as the Jihadis want you to see them, and in fact, many Westerners have bought the pretexts hook, line, and sinker.

Study that material, and start right away. The Islamic ideology is out to take away freedoms and human rights. After millions of people have fought against tyranny and died to gain the rights and freedoms we enjoy today, here comes a pernicious politcal force to take them away. And Islam could realistically succeed with terrifying brilliance.

Take action today. With every new understanding you have, and with every new certainty and clarity you gain, you will feel more bold in speaking up, and speaking up is exactly what we must do to win.

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How To Help Muslims Reject Islamic Fundamentalism

The following is an excerpt from an article called How To Beat Jihad by Ali Sina, an Iranian ex-Muslim, who makes some interesting points, and because he grew up in a strict Islamic country, his insight adds a unique perspective. Reprinted with permission.

Our responsibility is to awaken the non-Muslims and warn them of the danger of Islam. The danger comes from Islam and not the Middle Eastern people. Unlike Muslims, who discriminate, violate and abuse the human rights of non-Muslims, the non-Muslims have difficulty with discrimination. However, they must understand that Islam is just a belief and beliefs do not have rights. Humans have rights, beliefs don’t.

Muslims can become feral dogs if their religion is criticized. Savagery should not be tolerated. Those Muslims who choose to defend their religion with savagery should be locked up or kicked out. Dialog should be welcomed, but there should be zero tolerance for violence.

Once dialogue begins, Islam will be discredited and Muslims will be set free. Once their source of pride becomes a source of shame, they will no longer cling to it but rather will be embarrassed of it and would want to dissociate themselves from it.

The Western culture is guilt-based. The Eastern culture is shame-based. For us Easterners, everything is about image and how others see us.

The opposite of guilt is innocence. If your ethos is guilt-based, you have an inner police that stops you from doing wrong because doing wrong makes you feel guilty.

If your ethos is shame-based, all you care is to preserve your image. The opposite of shame is honor. You can do wrong but as long as no one sees it, your image is not tarnished and you can still be seen as an honorable person. In a shame-based culture, wrong and right have no meaning. It is all about shame and honor. If the stain of shame is removed, even if it means the murder of your own daughter, honor is restored. These are two very different worldviews. Unless we understand them we will not be able to make sense of Muslims and their minds.

Shame-based cultures are primitive. All Eastern cultures are shame-based even when they are not Islamic. Japanese culture, for example, is, or it has been, a shame-based culture. Our Persian culture is also shame-based. Proverbs like “I keep my cheeks rosy with slaps,” are telltales of a shame-based culture, where image is more important than facts. This proverb says that I may be starving but my pride does not allow me to let anyone know it so I slap myself to keep my cheek rosy. Because poverty is the source of shame as long as I hide my poverty, I have preserved my honor.

Islam is a fear-based philosophy that has taken root in a shame-based milieu. This is a very dangerous combination. When you combine fear and shame moral codes, you give birth to the most insidious ethos imaginable. That is Islam. Islam is an illogical doctrine that is based on fear and is defended through honor. This makes Islam more dangerous than Nazism. Muslims are not concerned about the irrationality of Islam or about good or evil. They are mostly concerned about losing face and upholding the image of Islam.


The following is from the same article (How To Beat Jihad):

One fact we must all agree on is that brute force is stronger than civility. If you and I confront each other and I use violence against you while you try to reason with me, I will win and you will lose. The reason Muslims have won since the time of Muhammad is because the non-Muslims were reluctant to resort to violence while Muslims were always ready to do so. The reason we live in freedom today is because the Europeans responded to Muslim barbarity with equal savagery. If not for the crusaders, we probably would not be free today.

When in the battle of Badr, Nadhr ibn Harith, a poet of Mecca and a cousin of Muhammad who was critical of him was captured, he turned to his captor Musab, his one time friend and asked him to intercede on his behalf so Muhammad does not kill him. Musab reminded him that he had denied the faith and had ridiculed Muhammad. “Ah!” said Nadhr, “had the Quraish made you a prisoner, they would never have put you to death!” “Even were it so,” Musab scornfully replied, “I am not as you are; Islam has rent all bonds asunder."

Muhammad ordered his cousin Nadhr to be decapitated. Musab was telling the truth. Islam rends all bonds asunder. It is called Moqalib-al qulub. It transforms the hearts of the believers and makes them ruthless and hard. After converting to Islam, believers turn against their own people and do not shy away killing their own loved ones.

This has been the secret of the success of Islam since its inception. Ordinary people are not militant. They subscribe to the philosophy of live and let live. This is a commendable trait in a civilized world. However, where the law of jungle applies, the most ferocious and the most cunning beast is always the winner. A pack of hyenas can raid a large herd of wildebeests or gazelles; kill as many of them as they want and they are always victorious. The hyenas and other carnivores always win, because herbivores are not violent. Brute force wins. Good and evil are human concepts. In nature force is what matters. This is a principle. Because Muslims are militant, and the rest of mankind is not; because they are violent and the others are not, Muslims always win.

Tolerance of intolerance encourages it. Islam must be stopped. There are two ways to do that. One is by weaning Muslims from Islam and the other is by responding to their violence with greater violence. In the humble opinion of this writer the first option is sanity while the second is war. Needless to say that the option of inaction is insanity and suicidal.

If we choose the path of sanity, the only way to help Muslims leave Islam is to discredit it. This means openly criticizing it, the way we do with Christianity or other religions. Christianity has not been spared from criticism. There has been nothing against Christianity, Judaism or Hinduism that could have been said and it hasn't. Why should Islam be spared from criticism? If there is any truth to Islam, let its apologists defend it. If it cannot be defended logically then it is a lie. Why should we bow to a lie when it is responsible for countless deaths and so much bloodshed?

The best people who can criticize Islam and discredit it are people like you and me. We know Islam inside out and it is up to us to speak out. Everyone must become a critic of Islam. However the ex-Muslims can do what others can't. Our enemies are militant, determined and proactive. We must also become militant, determined and proactive.


Here is a final passage from Ali Sina's article. His perspective is from inside the religion, and it's so different than anything a non-Muslim would say, it's fascinating and makes me think in new ways about approaching a solution to the problem of radical Islam. Listen to what Sina says about the the West's vulnerabilities (and Islam's).

You can’t win a war without knowing your enemy. In order to win this war, we must know the psychology of Muslims. Once we know his mind, we know his weaknesses and his vulnerabilities.

The weakness of Muslims is Islam. They cling to it for their identity and pride. They want you to respect Islam and with that feed their narcissistic craving. When you see millions of Muslims go berserk over a few cartoons, you know that you have touched a very sensitive cord.

This knowledge is crucial to win this war. When in war, you attack your enemy in his weakest spot. That is why attacking the character of Muhammad and the credibility of the Quran is essential to our struggle against Islamic terrorism. To win this war we must wean Muslims from it and to do that we must discredit it. Islam’s grip on Muslims is not logical but psychological. We can win this war only if we wage it psychologically. How to do that? By telling the truth! Once everyone stops kowtowing to Muslims and calls them Mohammedans and pedophile worshippers, the battle is already won. It amazes me that some non-Muslims who pretend to be fighting against Islamic terrorism are offended by these terms and think calling Muslims with such derogatory terms are gratuitous and unnecessary. Far from being unnecessary it is imperative. It is the very strategy of our war against them. These are not insults but facts. These facts, once spread worldwide and echoed by everyone, will crush the Muslim's faith in Islam and will help them cut their umbilical cord from it.

Muslims are not afraid of fighting. They are not afraid of killing or dying. They are afraid of ridicule. That is their weak spot. It is right on their weak spot that we must concentrate our attacks.

Only a fool would deny that we are in a war. Muslims have resumed their jihad against humanity. Each side has its weakness. The weakness of non-Muslims, particularly the Westerners, is their guilt. Muslims abuse the non-Muslims in their countries and violate their every human right, but when they come to the West they demand, not just equal, but preferential treatment. Not only they do not abide by our rules, they make us abide by theirs. Most of the meat served in fast food restaurants, and schools in Europe is halal. Why? It’s because the non-Muslims don’t care. And because of that, Muslims win. They win because of our indifference and inaction. The Westerners feel obliged to comply because they are bound by their guilt. Here is where Muslims have their enemies by their collars. They know our weakness and our legal system and they take full advantage of that to strengthen their position. Do we know their weakness?

The vulnerability of Muslims is shame. Having lost their identity, Muslims seek their selfhood and pride in their religion. Criticizing Islam for Muslims is the most devastating experience. For them, who literally worship Muhammad more than God, hearing him questioned and ridiculed is traumatic.

Paradoxically, this is also their salvation. The more Islam is criticized, the less sensitive Muslims become and gradually they stop clinging to it as their source of pride. Eventually Islam will become their source of shame. It’s then that the great exodus from Islam will begin. It can happen overnight.

Muslims are afraid of dialog. When they talk about “dialog between civilizations” they actually mean monologue. They want you to listen to their story, but they are not willing to listen to yours, much less to tolerate your probing questions. They demonstrated their intolerance for dialogue when the Pope quoted a Byzantine emperor saying Islam is violent. They avoid situations where Islam can be seriously examined. This is their weakness.

The Westerners cannot overcome their weakness. They can’t bring themselves to discriminate against Muslims. Their sense of guilt is too strong and too debilitating. This gives Muslims an edge. The only way for the West to overcome this handicap is to take advantage of the weakness of Muslims and this means criticizing of Islam and ridiculing its pedophile, rapist founder.

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Signs That Indicate An Impending Terrorist Attack

BELOW IS AN excellent list, compiled by Somerset County. If you see any of the following suspicious activities, it could indicate the planning of a terrorist attack or other illegal activity. Call 911 to report it, and officers can check it out. If the people are doing something perfectly legal, no harm was done. If they weren't, your action may have helped authorities uncover a terrorist cell or plot.

It has happened before. Observant ordinary citizens have noticed something and alerted authorities, which led to the foiling of a terrorist plot. This is what to look for:

1. Persons or vehicles being observed in the same location on multiple occasions not previously seen in the area.

2. Persons sitting in parked vehicles for an extended period of time for no apparent reason.

3. Persons observed near a place of interest, using or carrying video equipment, still cameras, or other observation devices.

4. Persons showing interest in security positions at important buildings and facilities.

5. Persons observed with maps or blueprints of important facilities or infrastructures.

6. Persons drawing pictures or taking notes of places of interest not normally known to have such activity.

7. Persons not fitting in with surrounding environment, such as wearing improper attire for the area.

8. Persons exhibiting unusual behavior such as staring or quickly looking away from individuals as they enter or leave an area.

9. Persons wearing bulky clothing that may not fit with weather conditions.

10. Persons engaging in behavior that appears to be in preparation for future activity such as “dry runs”.

11. Observation of recently damaged areas not permitted to general public.

12. Observation of abandoned vehicles, or stockpiles of materials in areas near key facilities.

13. Observation of multiple persons working together engaging in surveillance of places of interests.

14. Loitering near restricted or sensitive sites.

15. Rental, delivery or utility vehicles parked in unusual locations, such as fields, vacant warehouses, schools, or other secluded locations.

16. Complaints of unusual fumes, liquids, residue or odors.

If you notice one of these signs of suspicious activity, call 911. Law enforcement agencies are all tied into a network, so your report will be passed on to the FBI and whoever else needs to be notified. All you have to do is call your local 911.

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Halt Terrorism — The Top Seven Things a Citizen Can Do

Much of the work of fighting terrorism is done by governments, security agencies, and the military. But there are practical things an ordinary citizen can do to make a significant difference in defeating terrorism. If you're ready to do your part, here are the top seven ways a citizen can help halt terrorism. Each principle links to an article about it.

1. Be observant and report suspicious activities. First you need to learn what to look for. Then you can use your eyes and ears as you go about your daily activities. If you know what to look for, being observant doesn't mean being paranoid. Most activities are not suspicious. But a few specific kinds of activities are. Follow the link above to find out what those are, and then...be observant.

2. Share DVDs with your friends. This may be the most useful thing you can do. It is such a simple and natural thing to say something like, "I saw a really interesting film last night." And then talk about one of the most interesting or surprising things in the film. When the person you're talking to is interested, you can say, "I own it on DVD. Would you like to borrow it?" This is a great way to get valuable information into the heads of the other members of your country. The ideas in their heads has a significant impact on how successfully we collectively fight terrorism; it determines what policies and which politicians they vote for. Go to the link above for our suggested DVDs to share.

3. Steer conversations to the topic of terrorism. Improve your ability to start casual conversations and gently open those conversations to the topic of terrorism, and improve your ability to do it in a way that prevents others from being turned off by it. Terrorism can be an ugly and scary subject if not approached in the right way. Influencing opinions is a vital task you can do to fight terrorism. Ideas and opinions are the driving force behind world events. You can change someone's opinion about terrorism, but you must first be talking about terrorism. Follow the link above and begin today.

4. Learn more about influencing people. Once you have someone in a conversation, how can you change their opinions? How can you successfully influence them? This is also a skill you can improve with know-how and practice. Skill can win people to a new way of thinking. A lack of skill can entrench them more solidly in their old way of thinking. Skill is all-important, and it can be improved, no matter how good you are already. Follow the link above and get started.

5. When you find a good article online, share it. This is one of the easiest ways to make a difference. If you do it well, you can enhance the impact of what you share. Follow the link for some good tips on how to do it well.

6. Help people see the URL WhatYouCanDoAboutIslam.com. The domain name goes to our master list of things you can do. Add the domain address to your email signature. Print it on business cards and post them on bulletin boards. Get a bumper sticker with the address on it. Not everyone is interested in the topic, but those who are will be curious when they see the URL, and you've just sent them to a good resource. Another one to send people to, which has been especially designed as a gentle introduction to Islam is InquiryIntoIslam.com.

7. Take the pledge and read the Koran. There are many good reasons for doing this. First of all, you will find out for yourself what Islam is about. But also, when you're talking to other people, you'll have an authority others just don't have when it comes to Islam. Anyone can read it. Follow the link above to get a good recommendation for a modern-English version (many versions are written in Old English for some reason, which isn't very easy to read). Take the pledge and do it.

And read about Islam. Become familiar with the subject. Read The Sword of the Prophet and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (two of my favorites). There are many to choose from. Not all books are created equal. When you find a really good one, get it in an audio format and listen to it while you drive. This way you can easily listen to the same material many times. When you share information or perspectives with someone, you have a good opportunity to really illuminate the subject for them. If you have only a vague understanding of something you read only once, you'll find it hard to be lucid or convincing, and you'll fail to persuade. Part of persuasion is knowing what you're talking about. The other part is skill with people.

You want to do something about terrorism. You want to halt the terrorists in their tracks. Excellent! Choose one of the seven ideas above — the one that appeals to you the most — and do it. On behalf of all of us, I thank you for your intention and effort.

In the comments below, I have added other ways a citizen can help halt terrorism, and I will keep adding them as I get new information. I encourage you to add to the list yourself.

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How to Fight Jihadis by Sharing Online Articles Via Email

The use of violence is the jihadis' strength. To fight them, we'll have to use violence ourselves, but that's the military's domain. There is something civilians can do that exploits the orthodox Muslims' weakness and plays to our strength: We can use freedom of speech as a weapon against jihad.

The internet is an especially fine tool for exercising freedom of speech. The internet makes sharing information easier than it has ever been in history. And the spread of information between non-Muslims can help unify and educate the team, and can help clarify what needs to be done.

So when you're on the internet and you find a good article about jihad, one way you can help defeat the third jihad is to share the article with your friends. Simple, right? I have a few suggestions that will make your sharing more effective:

1. Be sparing. We all know someone who sends lots of mass emails of varying quality. And how do you react? You start to devalue that person's emails. So I suggest you only send very good articles, and only once in awhile. Once a week at most.

2. Try to choose articles that will penetrate. In other words, if you have an atheist friend, don't send him an article praising Jesus. It will turn him off, and the information won't penetrate. It might even turn him off to potentially influential articles from you in the future. Think of where your friend stands on the issue, and where you want him to stand, and try to choose articles that persuasively will move him over toward the goal.

3. Don't just send bad news. Most bad news leaves the reader feeling helpless, and we don't need to spread helplessness among our teammates. If you do send bad news, send along with it something your friend can do about it — either another link to an article, or a short paragraph from you.

4. Don't send the whole article. Send a link. Many links are eight inches long, however, and don't work on the other side. Several places online provide a service that makes the link much shorter. Use one. Here's one: Tiny URL.

5. If you do a mass mailing, hide everyone's email address. It's the courteous thing to do (it doesn't expose the addressees' addresses to other people). Put all the addresses in the BCC section and then put your own email address in the main address section. The only address that shows will be yours. Ideally, and to make the email more personalized (and therefore have greater impact) you would not send mass mailings but would write to each person individually. It doesn't take that much longer. You can copy and paste most of your message.

6. Tell them the most interesting part of the article and why you think the article is illuminating. This only needs to be a paragraph or two.

7. Before you send it off, re-read your message and improve it if you can. Small improvements can help give your message greater persuasive force. Small mistakes, overstatements, or clumsy sentences can distract your reader from the message.

Sharing articles via email is easy, but you can make it more effective by taking the time to do it well. This is a valuable opportunity to influence your friends. The cost in money and time is little enough, but the potential opinion-changing, educational impact is very great indeed.

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How to Steer Conversations to the Subjects of Jihad and Sharia

TO INFLUENCE SOMEONE about Islam, you have to talking about Islam. Of course, jihad isn't a normal topic for casual conversations. So if you want to talk about Islam, you're going to have to deliberately bring it up most of the time. But how?

The easiest and most natural way is to mention something you just learned.

But let me backtrack a moment. You should not try to influence anyone until you know what you're talking about. I'm sure you know that already. But what this means is that you're always learning something.

When you're reading (or watching a DVD or listening to an audiobook), be on the lookout for something really unusual or interesting or surprising. Those little nuggets are precious. When you find one, you've got a ticket into a good conversation.

Then it's as easy as, "I was reading a book last night and I learned something really surprising." Of course, the person you're talking to will be curious. You've opened their mind.

Share the nugget. Let them respond. If they have an opinion about it, listen to them thoughtfully. Don't immediately argue with them, even if they say something stupid. That doesn't help the educational process. But if what they say reminds you of something else you've learned that seems fitting and interesting, tell them about it.

I've used this "technique," if we can call it that, hundreds of times, and it works every time. It gets the conversation on the subject of terrorism, and gives us fellow teammates (members of our country) a chance to talk about something important that affects all of us. And it gives me a chance to share vital information.

The most important part of the whole process is to find those nuggets when you're reading, and to remind yourself of it a few times, so you'll remember it.

It's important to remember the details of the nugget. Have you ever heard someone trying to tell a joke, but they can't remember quite how it goes? The joke is spoiled, isn't it? The same principle applies here. The details help make your nugget interesting and persuasive. The lack of details makes it fall flat.

When you've found a good nugget, you'll be talking to several people over the next few days who haven't heard it, and you can tell each one of them about it, and your delivery will improve every time you tell it.

This is a simple way to make a difference. You're already shooting the breeze with people, making small talk. Here's a way to make it count.

One of the most important tasks that needs to be done to defeat terrorism is the education of our teammates. This can best be done in person and face-to-face. Your participation is vital. We need every soldier we can muster. Defeating the third jihad is in large part a war of memes and you are on the front lines.

Look for those interesting and surprising tidbits. Go over them a couple times. Then bring it up with people and let the conversation go where it will.

A good primer on creating interesting conversations is How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good Communication, by the master of interesting and meaningful conversations, Larry King.

A good example of a conversation is this one: Modern Revelations About Islamic Revelations.

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How To Stop a Terrorist Attack

THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM a review of Daywalt's new DVD, and it's about something important a citizen can do to help halt terrorism — be observant and know what to look for. You can learn how to recognize the kinds of events that lead up to a terrorist attack, and to report them to the proper authorities. Security professionals cannot be everywhere all the time.

"Your eyes and ears and those of your friends, family, and co-workers," says the narrator, "can be of enormous help in preventing terrorism. You are the only one who knows best what activities do or do not belong in and around your community.

"...your inputs are immediately shared with law enforcement agencies for rapid assessment and investigation, as necessary. As part of your daily routine, being observant and reporting anything out of the ordinary could be the crucial first step in preventing a possible terrorist attack."

How many times have you seen the "heightened alert" sign? Do you know what to do during heightened terrorist threat levels? The DVD lays out for you exactly what you should do: Look for "indicators of terrorism." There are seven things terrorists often do before they launch an attack, and those things can be spotted by a citizen better than a uniformed police officer. Here are the seven indicators of terrorism:

1. Surveillance
2. Elicitation
3. Test of security
4. Acquiring supplies
5. Suspicious persons
6. Dry runs
7. Deploying assets

These are actions terrorists often take before they launch an attack, and they are usually in plain view of regular citizens. If those citizens are paying attention and know what to look for, they can report it to the local police, whose system is now tied into national security agencies.

The DVD explains details of each indicator. For example, the first one is surveillance. Terrorists often scope out a potential target first. Things to be aware of are note-taking, recording or monitoring the routines of the target (say, a nuclear facility or stadium), using cameras, drawing diagrams, drawing on maps, using binoculars, possessing plans or blueprints of the site, etc.

If you see something like this and you've never seen it before in your area, you can report it to your local police. They can then investigate. If the apparently suspicious people are innocent and their activities are for a legitimate purpose, no harm was done by checking them out. But if they had ill intent, the discovery of their activities can lead to the identification of a terrorist group. You've just saved lives.

"If you feel you've observed something suspicious, do not dismiss it," urges Daywalt. "Many criminal and terrorist plots have been averted just because someone was observant enough, and reported what they saw to the authorities."

Here's another good list of what to look for: Signs That Indicate An Impeding Terrorist Attack.

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New DVD on What a Civilian Can Do About Terrorism

I've just finished watching a new instructional DVD called Terrorism - You May Be The Target.The DVD covers three things:

1. How to help prevent terrorist attacks from happening in your area.

2. How to protect your life if you're involved in a terrorist attack.

3. How to prevent being a target yourself.
Here on CW, we are focused on what civilians can do to prevent terrorism, and this DVD is packed with good information on just that subject. "It's up to each of us," the narrator explains, "to play an active role in the fight against terrorism."

We cannot and should not rely on others to protect us. Terrorists are targeting civilians. Israel has been dealing with terrorist attacks on civilians much longer than Americans, and they've learned from hard experience that when citizens pay attention and know what to do, lives can be saved. Terrorist attacks can be thwarted. "With the active participation and involvement of every citizen," says James Daywalt, the author of the DVD, "we have a good chance in successfully fighting terrorism. And you are a vital part in that fight."
The DVD covers everything from simple everyday safety precautions to remote possibilities, like what to do if you are taken hostage by a terrorist.

The DVD is a good overview of the subject of terrorism and is very organized. It has a section on a brief history of terrorism, a section on how terrorist cells are organized, sections on how to protect yourself from different kinds of attacks, such as hijacking, kidnapping, bombing, etc.

There are two things I don't like about the DVD: First, Daywalt goes out of his way to avoid saying anything bad about Islam, which in itself isn't really a bad thing, and many people would probably think it's a good thing, but the Islamic kind is the only terrorism most of us are worried about. The KKK has failed to strike fear into my heart in a long time. The IRA hasn't bothered me in months. But Islamic terrorists are out to kill me and everyone I know, and they're blowing things up right and left all over the world, and they're growing in number. It might be interesting to learn about other terrorist groups, but right now it's not necessary or practical.
The other thing I didn't like is that some of the film clips have poor resolution, partly, I think, because the DVD uses clips from the last 40 years. On the other hand, it has a huge collection of clips showing hijackings and bombings and all kinds of different terrorist-related clips, which makes the film more interesting.

But there was a lot I really liked about the DVD. Its emphasis is on ordinary citizens and what we can do about terrorism. The most important thing is to learn how to recognize the kinds of events that might lead up to a terrorist attack, and to report them to the proper authorities. Security professionals cannot be everywhere all the time.

"Your eyes and ears and those of your friends, family, and co-workers," says the narrator, "can be of enormous help in preventing terrorism. You are the only one who knows best what activities do or do not belong in and around your community.

"...your inputs are immediately shared with law enforcement agencies for rapid assessment and investigation, as necessary. As part of your daily routine, being observant and reporting anything out of the ordinary could be the crucial first step in preventing a possible terrorist attack."

How many times have you seen the "heightened alert" sign? Do you know what to do during heightened terrorist threat levels? The DVD lays out for you exactly what you should do: Look for "indicators of terrorism." There are seven things terrorists often do before they launch an attack, and those things can be spotted by a citizen better than a uniformed police officer. Here are the seven indicators of terrorism:

1. Surveillance
2. Elicitation
3. Test of security
4. Acquiring supplies
5. Suspicious persons
6. Dry runs
7. Deploying assets

These are actions terrorists often take before they launch an attack, and they are usually in plain view of regular citizens. If those citizens are paying attention and know what to look for, they can report it to the local police, whose system is now tied into national security agencies.

The DVD explains details of each indicator. For example, the first one is surveillance. Terrorists often scope out a potential target first. Things to be aware of are note-taking, recording or monitoring the routines of the target (say, a nuclear facility or stadium), using cameras, drawing diagrams, drawing on maps, using binoculars, possessing plans or blueprints of the site, etc.

If you see something like this and you've never seen it before in your area, you can report it to your local police. They can then investigate. If the apparently suspicious people are innocent and their activities are for a legitimate purpose, no harm was done by checking them out. But if they had ill intent, the discovery of their activities can lead to the identification of a terrorist group. You've just saved lives.

"If you feel you've observed something suspicious, do not dismiss it," urges Daywalt. "Many criminal and terrorist plots have been averted just because someone was observant enough, and reported what they saw to the authorities."

The DVD covers lots of different scenarios beyond this, and some of them seem to be remote possibilities, but if you're worried about things like this, it sure doesn't hurt to know what experts would suggest you do in case of a gas attack, for example, or what to do with suspicious mail packages, what to do in case of a bombing outside your building, what to do in an arson attack, what to do if you're attacked with firearms or a grenade, what to do at the initial moments of capture by terrorists, what to do during a rescue to avoid being hurt, and what to expect during a rescue attempt.

Daywalt goes into some practical detail. For example, in the section on what to do if someone throws a grenade in your vicinity, the experts' advice is to throw yourself down on the ground, your head away from the grenade, your feet facing the grenade, with your legs closed tightly and your hands over your head. Grenades explode in an upward cone shape, so you have a good chance of avoiding or minimizing injury by doing this, whereas if you started running and the grenade exploded, you increase your chances of being hit by shrapnel.
I just went to the web site for the DVD and they had this:

For private citizens. It’s absolutely imperative each citizen has a basic knowledge of terrorism and how to recognize and report indicators of terrorist activities; know the basic protective measures against terrorism; and know how to protect themselves in an event terrorist act does occurs. This DVD is an excellent tool and provides viewers with all the basics information each citizen should know and practice here in the US and while traveling on business or pleasure overseas. A must see for every citizen.

For students. As part of educational curriculum in the field of Terrorism and Homeland Defense. Students and faculty will greatly benefit from this DVD as it details such areas as terrorist structure, terrorist organization, terrorist hierarchy, perspectives of terrorism, profile of terrorist, terrorist tactics, history, the five major events/factors that defines modern day terrorism, and much, much more.

For businesses. Both small and large as an Anti-terrorism educational tool. Businesses, just like private citizens, are in a unique position to spot terrorist activities. Such activities may include theft, unusual purchases, elicitation, and myriad of others activities that may indicate terrorist activities. Every business employee should be aware what constitutes a suspicious behavior and emphasizes the importance of reporting terrorist activities to proper authorities. DVD serves as an excellent, Anti-Terrorism awareness/training tool for every type of business. It may be used as an initial Anti-Terrorism training or an annual refresher for every employee.

The DVD is one hour long. It covers basic, fundamental, and practical information you can use to halt terrorism.

At the end of the DVD, a soldier tells his first-hand account of being in a terrorist attack. A bomb went off in a cafe in Bagdhad where he was eating.

Overall, if you're interested in protecting yourself from terrorists and playing a part in helping thwart terrorists' plans, Terrorism - You May Be The Target is a rich resource.

Read more about what to do for each level of Homeland Security Threat Advisory.

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Is a Terrorist's Culture as Valid as Any Other?

THE MUSLIM TRADITIONALISTS in Afghanistan, who are hell-bent on keeping people in the 7th century, have taken to attacking teachers who teach girls, and even have gone so far as to lie in wait and shoot girls on their way to school.

Read the story of Hashimi. She's been a teacher, even when the Taliban was in power and women were forbidden to teach. She was caught several times and beaten severely. But she was not deterred. Although now the Islamists are not as free to harass women teachers or female students, they still do, going so far as to kill them.

Why did I give you such bad news, and what can you do about it? I want to emphasize the importance of spreading information about terrorism. And to underscore the reason we cannot allow Islamists to take hold of Afghanistan, Iraq, or anywhere else. These people are relentless, deadly serious, and totally committed.

What can you do about it? You can vote, of course, but you can also make a difference in your everyday interactions. You can help by sharing what you know with others, and by working to improve how well you articulate what you know.

I've said it before: This is a war of memes and you are on the front line. What the majority of people believe about terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism will decide how things turn out. You can't change what everybody believes. But you can influence what your friends believe.

I urge you to influence your friends, especially the ones who think the U.S. should try to appease terrorists and pull out of Iraq. Read how here: Influencing Your Friends.

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Make Your Voice Heard

If you are a U.S. citizen, write to your representatives and senators. Let them know what you think. This is an easy way to make your opinion known.

Since such a small percentage of people write to their representatives, the representatives consider each message as representing thousands of people. It makes a difference.

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Ideas

Here is a growing list of ideas. Either you can apply them yourself, or you can share them with people who can apply them. Either way, it is something you can do about terrorism. Good ideas make a difference. When you think of a new idea or hear a good one, please send them our way so we can publish them here.

1. Support womens' rights. The possible ways of accomplishing this are very large, and over the long run this is probably the best course of action we could take. When women have basic human rights, they have greater influence on men and their influence tends toward calmer, more inclusive, less violent solutions. Besides, it is simply right that women have human rights. Read an article on this.

2. Incorporate your commitment to defeat terrorism into the work you do for a living. For example, Steve Penny is a corporate trainer and a consultant. He has blended his commitment to foil terrorism with his work, so he gives Citizen Warrior Basic Training to employees of businesses, to help them deal with their fears and eliminate any last trace of defeatism from their thinking. In his work, he is helping to make a strong and healthy population — the kind of population that is highly immune to terroristic bullying. Steve is helping to make the free world a poor medium for the growth of terrorism. How can you incorporate your commitment to defeating terrorism with your livelihood?

3. Write to your representatives and senators. Let them know what you think. When the government is doing something you support, let them know. If you have ideas about what ought to be done, let them know. This is an easy way to make your opinion known. You can also send these addresses to your friends and encourage them to make their opinions known to their representatives. Put the pressure on. Your message is more influential than you'd think. Very few people write to their representatives, so to the representatives, every message you send represents a large number of people.

4. Promote values. Some values are universal, believed in by anyone of any religion and appreciated by every nationality: Kindness toward others, determination, honesty, etc. This is a level at which all sane people can unite. By promoting the values themselves, you are helping people of different ethnic backgrounds and believers of different doctrines find an important common ground. Read more about that at Values In Action. Take the VIA Signature Strengths questionnaire and learn what your strengths are at authentichappiness.org.

5. Participate in civil defense. The American Civil Defense Association is a non-profit, non-political organization dedicated to providing strategic civil defense, disaster preparedness and disaster mitigation solutions to all sectors of American society and abroad, and to promoting reasonable disaster preparedness activities and sanctity of life for all.

6. Here is an extremely easy thing you can do to help the cause: Put a signature in your email program that points people to this site. We have several signatures to choose from that you can copy and paste. This is an easy way to get the word out.

7. Therapists, counselors, and advisors across the nation could begin a purpose campaign, helping their clients become purposeful and take actions that defeat terrorism. A sense of purpose is psychologically healthy. Responding to terrorism with purpose is a mentally healthy response.

We received a note from C.G., Certified Coach . She is taking actions that defeat terrorism. She wrote:

I found your website while searching for articles to share with my clients and newsletter subscribers regarding yesterday's news. I have never come across a more useful site in my years of doing research over the internet. I haven't yet read every word of your site, but I can start planning my strategy now.

As a Certified Coach (personal coach), I can (a) write about your articles in my newsletter; (b) urge them strongly to visit your site; (c) ask them to forward my newsletter to every person they know, and encourage the same of everyone who, in turn, receives it; (d) start a "Purpose Campaign" with my subscribers (who span many areas of the globe); and (e) encourage them to send their good ideas to your site.

Your site has inspired me and strengthened my sense of purpose. With my writing skills, BS in Psych, coach training, and a strong desire to serve others during these uncertain times, I have confidence I can carry forth your work.

She not only thought about it and planned it, she executed her plan. This result is the purpose of CitizenWarrior.com: Motivated action that defeats terrorism.

8. If you are a promoter, and advertiser, or a salesperson, you can use your expertise, just as entertainers did to raise money for families of the victims of September 11th, and do something you are uniquely qualified to do: Come up with ways to help win the propaganda war, and in this way help defeat terrorism. Even if the U.S. is takes honorable actions, if the terrorists reach more people more effectively with their message, we can lose international support. The battlefield of the war on terror is the human mind. That is your field.

9. Help the Freedom House, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization working for democracy and freedom around the world. Through a vast array of international programs and publications, Freedom House is working to advance the remarkable worldwide expansion of political and economic freedom.

10. Just as we have national monuments people can visit, how about making Jerusalem an international monument. People from all over the world could come and visit, just as they do with the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Monument. People of all kinds can visit monuments and enjoy them without having to agree on its value. By making Jerusalem an international monument, much of the dispute over that small piece of real estate could be settled and could be taken out of partisan hands and put into the hands of the world community. If you like this idea, promote it. Send the idea to your representatives. Send it out in emails. Send it to members of the U.N. Get it talked about on the radio.

11. Help Amnesty International stop the human rights abuses of Saudi Arabia. Start here. This organization is dedicated to helping specific people in specific places, and their successes are abundant. You can help. Read more about Saudi Arabia's human rights status here.

12. We received the following from Christopher Cross:

We no longer have the luxury to sit idly or silently by; relying upon others to protect our communities and the citizens. Citizen involvement is critical and we must collectively work together if we are to safeguard our homes and our nation. Coinciding with this, the Direct Intervention for Victims of Emergencies (D.I.V.E. TEAM ©) program was created to not only increase the viable pathway for citizen involvement during massive emergencies, but also to ensure effective utilization of resources and manpower. It is the first national response program of its kind and the first to have been written by a citizen for citizens. Unfortunately, getting governmental support for more in-depth and valued citizen involvement on a national level has not been easy and because of this, I need your help in letting our officials know that this program is an immensely valued tool in the overall responses to any given massive emergency. For a free copy of the program outline, please email me at christopherstjo@yahoo.com and write to your city and state officials to request their proactive review of this program for trained citizen involvement beyond the limitation of city limits.

Respectfully,
Christopher Cross
Program Founder and Developer

We encourage you to support Mr. Cross's efforts. Go here to learn more about the D.I.V.E. Team.

13. Jim Sanders just sent in an idea that is so far out of the box, it might work. Read his idea here and you can write to him and/or add your comments.

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Finding and Supporting Our Common Bonds

ONE OF THE MOST important benefits of religious and spiritual practice is the encouragement to exercise certain values — compassion, honesty, kindness, etc. This is a fundamental core of all religions and spiritual practices.

There may be a few values that exist in one religion but not another, but overall, there is a huge overlap. In other words, there are many important values that almost all religions respect. And these same values are respected by all psychologically healthy people all over the world.

If you talked to any healthy person from any country or any religion, any race or any political denomination, they would very likely tell you what they aspire to be is more compassionate, kinder to others, more honest, wiser, etc., and what they want their children to grow up to be is honest, wise, fair, etc.

So maybe an emphasis on the values themselves might be a sort of antidote to religious clashes. Because each shared value would be a point of unity.

If you agree with this, check out the following two resources. The first is The Foundation For a Better Life. This organization has no affiliations with any religion. It only promotes values. And the organization literally promotes values. They put the values on billboards and television spots.

You can see their TV ads and billboards and a list of all the values they promote on their site. Click on any of the values and you'll be able to read a true story that illustrates that value. Take a good look at that list of values and I think you will see that everybody you know would agree that those are good values. Those are the values we feel are important, no matter who we are, and those are the values we want our children to respect when they grow up.

You can help make this world a better place by promoting values. Or help The Foundation For a Better Life promote values by sharing it with your friends and family.

Along the same lines is another resource I'd like to tell you about. A group of well-respected psychologists, mostly top researchers, decided that the whole field of psychology has spent the vast majority of its effort and research money on getting rid of what's wrong with people. The DSM (the standard book psychologists and psychiatrists use to diagnose their patients) is all about mental illness. It's about how to help people get rid of problems. There is a place for that, of course, but this group of psychologists wanted some of that funding and research effort to go into building human strengths. They wanted to strengthen and encourage the best in people. What about a "DSM" for mental health?

The question is, how do you define sanity? What are its "symptoms?" What constitutes mental health? Can character be strengthened? And if so, how?

Using scientific methods and very thoroughly studying the questions, they came up with a list of virtues or character strengths. They call these strengths "values-in-action." They are universal values. They studied history and an enormous number of cultures, they looked at polls, scientific surveys, every major holy book of every major religion, etc. They narrowed the list down to only those character strengths that are universally admired and aspired to. They used a strict set of criteria to determine which character strengths to include and which to leave out. You can read their Classification of Character Strengths here: Values in Action.

They also wrote a book to sit beside the DSM on every mental health professional's shelf. This is perhaps the first book of virtues with scientific authority. The work is based on research — on what is known. There is very little speculation, and when it occurs, it is clearly admitted to be speculation. The book is over six hundred pages and it's expensive, but if you're interested, here it is: Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification.

If we promoted universal values, and focused on the values themselves that we hold in common as human beings, perhaps people of all faiths and nations and races could find a very important common ground. It would certainly be a good beginning.

The promotion of values successfully requires some skill in influencing people. Learn more about influencing people with integrity here.

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Cyberspies Against Terrorism

SHANNEN ROSSMILLER lives in a little town in Montana. She has a good job. But in her spare time she visits chat rooms and tries to befriend potential terrorists. One of her discoveries led to the arrest of Ryan Anderson, an American National Guard soldier (and Muslim convert) who was about to be deployed in Iraq. He was willing to reveal American troop vulnerabilities to Rossmiller, who Anderson believed was a fellow militant Muslim (an Islamist).

Many cases have been cracked or aided by regular everyday citizens who want to do something about terrorism. What started out as a group of unrelated individuals trying to do something has organized itself into the 7Seas web site, a "global security and intelligence team." And they have a track record of successes.

FBI spokesman Bob Wright said, "We've always relied on our good relationship with citizens as our eyes and ears in the community. This is just a new twist on an old theme. It's sort of like a cyber Neighborhood Watch."

Because new surveillance technologies now make it difficult for terrorists to communicate via phones, they have resorted to using the internet. But 7Seas is out to disrupt this. They pretend to be fellow jihadists (or Islamists) in chat rooms and bulletin boards. They gain the confidence of terrorists, who then reveal their plans and identities. 7Seas then turns this information over to the FBI or the Department of Home Security.

Rossmiller goes by another name online. She learned the name of the nearest mosque and put a reminder on her computer when it was prayer time, all in an effort to appear to be a genuine Islamic terrorist.

Todd Stewart of the National Academic Consortium for Homeland Security said, "This is really an intriguing phenomenon. What you're seeing is people taking to heart the calls for increased vigilance."

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What Can I Do SPECIFICALLY About Islamic Supremacism?

BY FAR THE MOST COMMON question we've received at CitizenWarrior.com is, "Can you be more specific? What kinds of things can a person do to help defeat the third jihad?"

The question has become so common, we now have a growing list of practical actions you can take. But the best contribution you could make is probably unique to you. The best way to find out what to do is think. And the best way to think is with paper and pen. Read more about that here.

Specifically, write the following at the top of a blank sheet of paper: "What are my interests and talents?" Make a list of what you're good at, what you are knowledgeable about, and what you like to do.

Then get another piece of paper and ask, "What problems need to be solved? What is needed?" Make another list. Depending on how serious you are, this process could take fifteen minutes, or many hours.

Put your list in order from most important (or most interesting to you) to the least.

Now pick the number one problem (or need) and head another sheet of paper with this question: "How can I use my strengths, interests, and knowledge (from the first list) to solve this problem?" Make a list. Write the numbers one through ten. Force yourself to fill in all ten spots with an idea. Tomorrow do it again. Do it every day for a week.

Now look through your list and pick the best one. Then tell someone your idea. Write an editorial and submit it, tell your friends about it, send the idea to your senator or some other political person working on the problem, or send it to us here at CitizenWarrior.com and if it has merit, we'll post it. What does an ordinary citizen do who wants to do something about terrorism? Here are some examples:

Example number one is an accountant, a father of two kids, and recently divorced. He is good with people, energetic, and loves to both learn and teach. The biggest problem he saw (right after September 11th) was the safety of planes. He has decided to use his energy, his desire to learn, and his people skills to learn what he can about airplane security and think up ways it can be improved. That will become his part-time passion. He can't devote himself full-time to it. He still needs to work and spend time with his kids. But he can work on the problems, learn about the situation, and brainstorm for ideas during some of those hours he normally spends watching TV.

"But," you might ask, "how will he come up with something the airplane experts haven't thought of?" Well, maybe he won't. But then again, maybe he will. Of course, he never will if he assumes he can't. But if he tries, he can surely come up with some ideas, and he can send them out on the internet or to the editor of Aviation Safety magazine or to his representatives (this is where his people skills and interest in teaching come into play).

People outside a field can sometimes come up with solutions that the experts in the field didn't think of.

Example number two: A woman with sales experience is now a hairdresser. She's good at organizing, has a strong ability to focus, and good at managing her personal finances. The problem she is most interested in is how to prevent another Jihadi terrorist attack, but that is too big. The goal is too broad. No one person can accomplish that goal. She could become a motivational speaker and motivate others to work on the problem or even simply interact with her hairdresser clients and get them fired up about it, handing out brochures from AFA to those who are interested, for example.

But in her case, she got more specific. She asked herself, "What part can I play in preventing another attack?" She had been reading a lot and concluded that part of the reason Jihadis are so powerful is that the U.S. government gives too much support to non-democratic governments like Saudi Arabia. She thinks there is a better way to deal with the situation, so she starts learning more about it, thinking up ideas, and discussing them with her clients, who enjoy the involvement and who contribute some original ideas.

She starts writing to her representatives regularly, making well-reasoned and educated arguments in favor of new foreign policies. She is fighting jihad at its root, as far as she is concerned. And if only one idea she suggests makes it into congress and gets adopted by the government, it could make a difference in the long run to millions of people.

But if she makes the assumption, as most of us have, that "little ol' me can't have an effect on national or global events," then she needs to straighten out her thinking before she goes any further. She should undemoralize herself by reading Morale For The Citizen Warrior, because her pessimistic assumption will remove any impulse to try, and if she doesn't try, she won't accomplish what she could really accomplish.

Do these ideas seem too vague, too distant? Perhaps you're looking for something you could do that might be more immediate? Easier? Something you could do right now? Go to: What Can a Civilian Really Do To Stop Islam's Relentless Encroachment?

And you can generate new ideas by doing something most of us don't like to do: Think.

It's not that thinking is an unpleasant activity. In fact it can be very enjoyable, especially when you come up with something ingenious. But it takes some discipline and persistence. Most of us would prefer it if someone just gave us a good idea and we could just go do it. That's why I ask you to please send us ideas you think of.

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