Karin McQuillan provides us all a good history lesson in Obama is right: 'Islam has always been part of America'.
She quotes a passage from an Obama speech in which he boasts that President Jefferson hosted a dinner for the Tunisian ambassador 200 years ago. Maybe he did that to justify his own efforts to mollify Muslims rulers in the Middle East.
In any event, Ms. McQuillan talks history. The early history of the U.S., the seas were fraught with danger. There was not much left of the U.S. Navy after the revolution. And the French, who agreed to protect American merchants, didn't do such a good job.
American ships were captured at sea by Middle Eastern Muslims, and the crews were either held for ransom or put into slavery. So yes, Islam was a part of America.
Thomas Jefferson was elected president, and he took action in The First Barbary War by taking the battle to Tripoli. Note this:
A turning point in the war came in 1805 at the Battle of Derna. on the US side was a combined force of 54 United States Marines and soldiers and something like 400 Arab, Greek and Berber mercenaries. This action was commemorated by the Marine Corps in the words "to the shores of Tripoli" in their hymn. The Marines wore leather around their necks as protection from sabers, leaving them with the name leathernecks.
The U.S. prevailed, and a treaty was signed.
Why would Obama want to bring up this sordid aspect America's relationship with Islamists? Perhaps because Obama subscribes to the version of history in which America was always in the wrong. Or maybe he assumes his followers don't know much about history.
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