If These Were My Last Remarks

 The following are the remarks I made at the conclusion of the Renaissance Weekend on September 6, 2021 in Monterey. California, on the topic of "If These Were My Last Remarks".

On the topic of "If These Were My Last Remarks", if these were my last remarks, they would be "Wake up!"

This Summer, we have seen horrific events occur in a distant land and thanks to the book The Afghanistan Papers, we have come to learn that the horrific events we have witnessed have come at the end of twenty years of duplicity -- of lying -- by our political and military leaders.  Wake up!

For the past twenty years, the United States has had a military ally -- Pakistan -- which, for twenty years has aided, abetted, and sheltered the ones who we have called our enemy.  Wake up!

For over thirty years, Saudi Arabia has founded and funded madrasas -- Muslim religious schools -- in which the Wahhabi brand of Islam is propagated around the world.  The Wahhabi brand of Islam gave us Osama Bin Laden, 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers, and has greatly influenced such groups as Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, ISIL, ISIS, Boko Haram, and Abu Sayyaf.  Saudi Arabia is considered to be our friend.  Why then is Saudi Arabia giving birth to so many groups whose members hate us?  Wake up!

To all who can hear my voice, for the sake of our children, for the sake of our country, for the sake of our world -- for heaven's sake -- please Wake Up!