DEVILGRASS IN AMERICA

My family and friends know that my yard is my pride and joy, a source of much pleasure for me. It grows lush and green, and flowers bloom brightly. It requires a lot of care, more than I can provide by myself. Eddie mows and edges and does the weekly manicuring. Then there's Joe, who designed and constructed the peripheral beds, the island beds, the fishpond, who advised and guided me in the selection of the permanent plantings, who installed a drainage system with a sump pump so the back corner is no longer a swamp, and who put in an irrigation system so that things I plant have enough consistent water to keep them thriving. Ted built the arbor and installed power sources so the pond pumps can function, and strategically placed lighting can provide beauty and security. I try to keep weeds at bay, and plant annual "bloomers" in their season, to add color and interest. It takes us all, and the end result is worth the effort.

Now and then, weeds creep in. There's the miserable nutgrass, which I call "devilgrass". There are the little pecan tree upstarts, the result of the burying habits of the local squirrels. (Just try to pull one up!) The lawn grass, a mix of Bermuda and St. Augustine, sends runners into the rich earth of the flowerbeds, and must be pulled and cut back often. Several other weeds, whose names are unknown to me and I don't care, try to establish colonies from time to time. Obviously, these intrusions must be dealt with, or they will overtake the entire landscape. They enter without invitation, and flourish without encouragement.

When these invasions come, I go forth to do battle, and pull and spray and dig, and sometimes am successful in crushing the enemy. More often than not, however, it just takes more than I can do on my own. At these times, I marshall my forces, call Joe and his crew, and they descend on the yard, ready to root out the enemy and subdue him yet again.

Last week was such an occasion. The devilgrass had sprouted and spread, seemingly coming from nowhere, and had established thick colonies in both the big island behind the pond, and in the rose island. Mixed into the devilgrass was that wretched little clover-like plant, the one that's so tender and brittle that it's impossible to pull. It just breaks off, and lives to spread again in a few days. It's all ugly, destructive and overwhelming if not brought under control.

Joe and his helpers came, and through their efforts, all the weeds were sprayed and killed, and rooted out, bagged and hauled away. Fresh soil and compost were put down, and pretty little petunias were planted in the big island. In the rose island, pruning was done and the entire bed cleaned up and refreshed. New hardwood mulch went down everywhere. The yard looks fresh, clean and cared-for once again, but I know I can't afford to be complacent. I must keep watch, and when the first sprig of devilgrass rears its hateful head, I must attack it, keep it subdued, lest it once again gain a foothold.

And so it is with our America. It is beautiful, our democracy is a fertile ground where our children and grandchildren can flourish and grow. We provide for their physical needs, of course, with food and clothing and shelter. We provide for their spiritual needs, by teaching them the things of God and making sure they know to Whom they belong. We provide for their emotional needs, by letting them know they are loved and wanted and respected as individuals.

We must also provide for their future, by being vigilant and watchful, for there is a devilgrass that keeps trying to gain a foothold in this country. The soil and compost and water that encourages my flowers to grow, unfortunately also gives the devilgrass a place to grow as well. So do our country's guaranteed freedoms allow the weeds of this world to take root here and flourish, and they are here, and growing.

Islam is a weed that has taken root here, and it is spreading. Unchecked, it will eventually tear down the very freedom that allowed it entry in the first place, and will put this country under the same stifling, crushing laws that exist in its lands of origin. This being America, our laws do not allow us to root it out and send it home. Unfortunate, but true. It is here, and we are going to have to deal with it.

There is a saying in football-loving America - "The best defense is a strong offense." We absolutely must rekindle the fires of patriotism and God-loving in this country, or we will regret it to the longest day we live. If we are strongly patriotic, and vocal and open about our love for God, it will make it much more difficult for the Muslims to make inroads. Weeds rarely grow in thick, healthy grass. They search out the voids, the bare spots in the soil, where nothing else is competing with them.

If there is anything more dangerous than Islam in America right now, it is apathy. Far, far too many Americans do not see or recognize the danger that is sprouting in our land like devilweed. Too many of us are caught up in singing Kumbaya, and loving everybody, and we just don't recognize that Islam cannot, WILL not, co-exist with our Judeo-Christian culture. Islam hates us both - Jews and Christians alike. If you doubt this, then please explain to me why they will execute a Muslim who tries to convert to Christianity. Explain why they consider it an honor to kill a Jew. Explain why anyone caught with a Bible in many Islamic countries can be killed. Let them get strong enough in this country, and we will be overtaken, stifled, and if they have their way, we will convert or die. They have absolutely no objection to lopping off the head of anyone who gets in their way.

I realize I sound like an over-reacting alarmist, but it has happened in some countries, is now happening in others, and if we are not very, very careful, it will eventually happen here. It's their plan, and we had better not forget it. Just as I looked out my window a couple of weeks ago and saw little but devilgrass, the day can come when we will hear the five calls to prayer every day, and we'd better be on our knees with our foreheads to the floor and our backsides in the air, or be executed as an "infidel".

I can't do this alone. Neither can you. None of us can. But all together, just as Joe and his crew and I restored beauty and order to the yard, we can squelch this invasion of devilweed in our country and restore America to the serenity and beauty that we all grew up with, before the weeds took root. We must return to our churches and synagogues, get on our knees before our Lord, and rededicate ourselves to His service.

Then we must stand and look the devilweed in the face, and make it absolutely clear that Islam will not be allowed to overtake this country. We must stop them at the polls, being very careful whom we elect to legislative positions. We must refuse to allow them to dictate policy in the workplace and the schools, both of which they are already doing in some cases. We must be watchful, to the very edge of paranoia, because they are very skillful at insinuating themselves into the fabric of our lives. Apathy is our enemy, watchfulness is our ally. We need to wake up, look out of our windows, and spot the weeds so we can stop them before they get started.