Our President traveled overseas last week making stops in several countries and doling out our money to some of our enemies as foreign aid.

In a single week, he provided over $20 billion to countries that are actively conspiring against United States. Currently, two thirds of our foreign aid goes to Muslim countries and one third goes to Arab countries. Funding for these Islamic states can only result in more terrorist attacks and American deaths. These countries actively promote the murder of Christians and burning of churches.Again last week, another church was torched and an Arab girl who converted to Christianity was murdered in an honor killing. So much for peace in the Middle East!Muslims have a double standard. It is okay to lie, steal and kill in the name of Allah. When Muslims convert to Christianity they can expect a death sentence placed on their heads by the Imams. When Christians convert to Islam, there are no repercussions. Christianity is a religion of love and forgiveness. True Christians open their hearts and their homes to anyone in need regardless of their faith.It is time for us to recognize that we are at fault for the spread of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorist attacks. We purchased Saudi and Middle Eastern oil for decades. In turn, these countries used our oil money to fund terrorist organizations around the world. When they used an oil embargo against our nation, we forgave them and rewarded them for their transgression by buying even more oil at higher prices. The oil profits fund Muslim schools (madaris) that teach children to hate America and all things American. These schools are breeding grounds for terrorists.Our dependence on foreign oil can only result in increased terrorism against Americans and American interests. Saudi Arabia actively supports terrorism against the United States. Venezuela is threatening to cut off oil shipments, which is approximately ten percent of the oil we use. Our addiction to foreign oil threatens our nation. If the OPEC nations raise prices or cut supply, our economy will plummet.As I have mentioned in previous articles, we have sufficient oil and gas to power our nation for hundreds of years. Our government needs to approve permits to enable the exploration and development of these vast energy resources.In the last two years, the Marcellus shale deposits have been partially opened up. The numbers are now out. Extracting petroleum products from the Marcellus shale created 48,000 jobs, 35,000 of them in Pennsylvania. Domestic energy exploration and production not only reduces our dependence on countries dedicated to the destruction of America, but it creates jobs here in America.Wake up President Obama! It is time to issue the permits we need to exploit our own national resources and create jobs here in the United States. Stop giving money we do not have to Islamic nations that are hell bent on our destruction.Individual citizens can also reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Last year, we installed solar power to supply our household energy needs. Currently we are producing more electricity than we use with the excess power going into the grid.Our small contribution is minimal, but if a million households produced their own electricity, it would drastically reduce the nations electricity requirements. Solar power has many benefits beyond free energy. When outages occur, our lights do not even flicker, as the batteries support our household energy needs.Last week, our solar contractor performed our normal maintenance. While he was here he mentioned that the state continues to fund alternative energy. At this time, the best value is in geothermal heating and air-conditioning. With federal and state grants covering 65 percent of the cost, this is a good time to consider replacing existing electric heating and air-conditioning with a geothermal heat pump.To maximize the benefits, I'm told that it is best to power your geothermal installation with solar panels. Again, there are federal and state rebates available to assist with the cost. If our President refuses to grant drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico or off our eastern and western coasts, then each of us can make a significant contribution to energy independence by producing our own energy to power and heat our homes.At the present time, only a few of us have started to produce our own energy. This morning, I saw a report that solar power projects are expected to rise dramatically. Not only will the number of installations go up, but the cost of solar panels and inverters will come down as economies of scale are achieved.Waiting for Congress and the President to solve our energy crisis can be compared to waiting for the government to respond when rioters are attacking our homes. Some of us have guns to protect us from criminals intent on taking our processions or harming our families. I believe that energy self-sufficiency is a critical part of a family's survival plan.I know many people who are or have prepared a household disaster plan. They have stockpiled food and prepared their homes in case of an economic downturn or civil disruption. For some, this preparation has already proven beneficial when they lost their jobs. They were able to support themselves from their food caches during their stint on unemployment.Now, back to my original theme. As our foreign aid to Islamic nations that detest "The Great Satan" (The United States of America) increases, I believe we will see one or more significant terrorist events.These events could be dirty nuclear bombs, chemical weapons or biological contamination of our environment. I do not believe that it is possible for government to prevent all of these attacks. Despite the best efforts of our intelligence agencies and military some attacks are bound to succeed.Each of us must be prepared to ensure the survival of our families. Even our government suggests that we have the necessities to support ourselves for at least three days. (http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html).Personally, I believe we should be prepared to support ourselves for several months or even longer. There are some firms which provide survival packs for use in an extended emergency (https://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/foodpak1.aspx). For those on a tighter budget, I suggest canning food just as our grandmothers did, as a means of providing long-term food storage. I started doing this last year.This year we will be expanding our efforts as well as growing some of our own vegetables in our small garden. There are other benefits of your own garden beyond survival.My wife harvested several varieties of lettuce the other day and we made the best salad I have ever tasted. I was truly surprised by the taste of fresh lettuce, feta cheese and some vinegar oil and spices. Being prepared can actually lead to a tastier diet!Let me summarize the main points of this article. It is up to each of us to reduce our dependence on foreign energy. We must convince our politicians to stop funding countries intent on the destruction of America and our way of life. Prepare your home for disaster by setting aside stockpiles of food, water, and medical supplies. Be prepared to defend your family and your property.But most of all recognize that we must ensure our own survival as we cannot wait for the government when disaster strikes. To be truly prepared for economic or environmental disasters, we need to be self-sufficient in energy, food, and personal defense.If you fail to prepare now, you and your family will have to rely on the government and charities to survive in the days following a disaster. Be prepared, save yourself and save your family. (For further information, go to

http://www.tnonline.com/node/85298).© 2011 Gordon Smith All Rights Reserved