As all our readers know — except for those who just arrived here yesterday for the first time to read Geert Wilders’ article — last week was our Autumn 2013 fundraiser. Our blegs are a quarterly occasion in which we pester you every day for a week for nickels and dimes to keep Gates of Vienna going.
As promised, this is the wrap-up post for the fundraiser, which was delayed for a day by Mr. Wilders’ redesign of the Saudi flag. The accompanying article had to be translated into multiple languages, which is a time-consuming process to coordinate, absorbing all of my Sunday (and then some — I expect more languages in due course).
A fundraiser is definitely an educational experience — you can bank on it. Not only do I learn how few hours of sleep a man can get by on every night (hint: very few), but I hear a lot of stories and opinions as I correspond with readers and donors.
Below are two very different email responses that will serve to bookend the week’s exchanges. The first one is from a young Canadian woman who goes by “Der Kanadier” when she comments on our blog. She is still at university, so it’s inspiring to receive a gift from her, given how strapped for cash a college student must be.
This is what she said in her email, which is republished here with her permission:
It’s funny that today’s fundraising story was about “manly virtues”: a father passing his values onto his son. You may be surprised to know that I am, actually, a product of the public school system. Elementary, high school, and now in university. I am very much exposed to the indoctrination you know that goes on in that system, yet, I evolved into a staunch counter-jihadist. There’s probably a good number of my former teachers and professors who would need smelling salts if they ever knew I was emailing you!
But why did I not emerge a good little Marxist foot soldier? I can only credit that to my father, one of the brightest men I know. He instilled in me to always be skeptical, to never take anything at face value. He would always push me to investigate claims on my own, and to always challenge what I was being told. Though not a father-son relationship as your story described, my father was, is, critical in shaping the way I view the world today. I still hold onto that skeptical attitude instilled in me when I was just a child, and it’s the reason I can email you today. Parents are so crucial to children aren’t they? You’re right however: the public schools are an odious place. I was lucky. I’m glad your son was as well.
I apologize: look at me ramble on! You have so many things to take care of! I do enjoy conversing with you though, I think I get a little carried away (an understatement, this email is akin to my university essays). That little blurb PayPal provides with donations is never enough to satisfy the depth of my gratitude. I’m buoyed to hear of others my age who have their eyes wide open. Sometimes, it is hard not to be laden down with despair, especially when some in our movement seem so run down and defeated. But, I cling to hope, even if I have nothing else. Because I’ll be damned if I spend the rest of my 60 or so years on earth with a burka around my neck.
I’ve kept you long enough. I’m glad this fundraiser is exceeding your expectations. You have some very grateful readers and we’re only to willing to pay the deed back in kind. Happy (belated?) American Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you at Christmas.
Well, it won’t quite be Christmas. As I mentioned a few days ago, it will be closer to Shrove Tuesday — are we allowed to use that phrase? Or does it exclude someone? — which comes on March 4, 2014. Probably a week or so before that. I wonder if it will be as cold then as it is now…
The second email is from an Indian donor. We don’t get many gifts from India, so to hear from him was a real treat (also published by permission):
In India, though in practice people have successfully fought jihad for almost 1300 years, the theory of jihad is not so well understood as you Americans have got it, at least after 9/11. And though Hindus in particular are very generous in donating to temples, they do not understand that warriors like you at GoV need our whole-hearted support.
Kafirs need to understand that the doors to Liberty are closing very fast. In India, kafir population has almost stopped growing, whereas Muslim population is growing at the old rate. With their votes, they elect politicians who grant them immunity from law, who help imposition of sharia, bit by bit. Situation can only worsen as their percentage in population rises.
In the West also, as their percentage in population rises, they will elect politicians who will facilitate march of sharia. And once they are able to muzzle the US First Amendment, all will be lost.
Therefore, this Crime Syndicate masquerading as a religion needs to be collapsed by Truth Telling, within next couple of decades, if Liberty is to survive. Otherwise it will be a long Sharia night for the lovely planet Earth.
All kafirs need to come together. We may not follow same religions, but at least we do not kill/enslave each other for following different religions. We can happily live together, as persons equal in law. Something not possible at all under sharia.
That is why I love you and try to do whatever meager help I can do. Within one year I hope to put mechanism in place to send you much bigger gifts.
Carry on the biggest, sacred fight. Never give in, Never give up. We shall win.
We shall indeed!
Attitudes like this man’s inspire great hope in me. With your help, we’ll continue the work we do as long as the Lord permits, and then pass the torch to dedicated young people such as Der Kanadier.
As Dymphna said the other day, we’ll see you “at the end of winter when afternoons return.”
Donors to our autumn fundraiser arrived from these places:
Stateside: California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and W. Virginia
Near Abroad: Canada
Far Abroad: Australia, Austria, Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK
Our greatest thanks to everyone who contributed.
I wonder what Der Kanadier studies…
Insights in matters such as Islam and other world problems have changed the way I view my life and my take on study choices, which is why I’m curious. I have stopped my own studies (economic IT engineering) last year because I felt they wouldn’t live up to my goals in life. One of which would be to be able to add to the pro-European (or Western, not EU) counter-Islamic debate and struggle in some form or another. On top of that, I realised that I dindn’t want my focus to get narrowed down too much too early. I’ve decided to stall my philosophy studies for now and start working as a firefighter as soon as possible. I can study when I’m 40 just as well as I can now. Becoming physically and technically skilled is an entirely other matter.
When the [excrement impacts the circulation device] in Europe (which I believe it will within the next decades if no drastic measures are taken), I want to be ready for it, rather than being some alienated white dude scared of losing his wealth.
I just happen to be a History major (and yes, yes, I’m well aware it’s one of the dastardly liberal arts degrees that amounts to nothing in the “real world”). I know what you mean about Islam and what’s happening in the West so profoundly shaping your thinking that it’s hard to regard anything outside those lens. I sit in my History courses and everything, in some way, seems to relate back to the current state of the West. I suppose it doesn’t help my area of focus is European history.
I think being a firefighter is a noble, practical, and useful profession: both now and when things inevitably start spiraling in Europe. As for myself, as I am finishing up my studies, and only very recently decided to involve myself in the counter-jihad movement, have no incentive to switch my degree. Yet, for all it’s apparent “uselessness”, I think having a background in History (this fight is very much based in history, culture, identity etc) will only add to the skills I can provide in this struggle, as will any of your skills as a firefighter and whatever else you chose to pursue. We all have something to contribute.
I’m assuming that you’re closer to my age, so I wish to extend my sincerest happiness in meeting another youth with their eyes wide open to what’s going on, and who, like me, is willing to readjust their life for what really is a struggle for our very survival. I wish you all the best going forward.
Haha, somehow I kind of expected it to be in that direction.
In fact I had some trouble making my mind up last year and actually attended History classes at my university myself, because of a fundamental interest in history, but also because of the relevance to the struggle in which we find ourselves. And I must acknowledge that, as you mentioned, history, culture and identity are probably the most important keywords here. One of the factors that helped made me decide the way I did was that the subjects (women studies from middle ages to modern history) didn’t appeal to me as much as I’d hoped. I guess it takes a little more to fully spark my interest, knowing how dire our situation can become in the not so far future. I know that these were classes from just the first year and that a lot more in-depth issues would be handled later on, but I ended up deciding that my priorities at this point in time lie elsewhere.
I too have to admit that I was amused by reading your reply. Of course the similarity of our ‘history’ is quite entertaining to discover from someone on the other side of the planet, but also your eloquent writing is a pleasure to the eye. I guess that’s an obligatory trait for a major in History, but still, I must give credit where is due. The fact that English isn’t my mother language becomes clear in comparison.
What to me is the biggest surprise though, is that not only are you about my age, you’re also female. I hope I’m not giving the wrong idea here, whatever that could be, but from my perspective, the issues discussed here and on other similar blogs is so incredibly hard to talk about in my direct environment. I can only come up with a handful of people that I know of who would approach these topics with an open mind. And all of them are male. It just seems so hard to find and get to know the right people who are actually worth talking to on the matter. Maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places, or not looking enough, but if I consider my own social environment, I estimate the percentage of people interested in this debate to be under 5%. At least regarding a proper, open and intellectually honest debate or conversation. I guess the topic itself just isn’t that accessible, but still. It seems as if the mainstream perception doesn’t allow for such controversial discussion, or doesn’t seem to bother with it at all. Not to mention that out of precaution I don’t use Facebook either (future employment being a major factor).
Considering how tough it is for me to find people my age to talk to about these subjects, I was wondering whether you could somewhat recognise my situation.
If that would indeed be the case, I was thinking it might be interesting for us to be able to contact eachother outside of GoV, considering how impractical it proves for direct interaction. Anyway, you can contact me at rombouts.louis(at)gmail(dot)com should you ever feel tempted. I’d be more than happy to engage in further conversation.
Regards from a little country called Belgium.
Ah, students. I dearly love that age – especially the conservative variety. When the future Baron was in school, he managed to get a dorm suite with 3 other conservatives during his last year. It saved him much aggravation from sputtering socialists who felt no compunction to be courteous when they demanded to know his political beliefs. Might as well have been the Spanish Inquisition, minus the torture instruments.
Today there is a news story about the profits the government is pulling in from those students too poor to pay for college – the ones who took out student loans. The avenue to “working your way through college” is closed given the enormous rise in the costs of tuition, even at state schools.
http://www.freep.com/article/20131125/NEWS05/311250021/Federal-government-profits-on-student-loans
The $41.3-billion profit for the 2013 fiscal year is down $3.6 billion from the previous year …
It’s a higher profit level than all but two companies in the world: Exxon Mobil cleared $44.9 billion in 2012, and Apple cleared $41.7 billion
Of course the Secretary of Education says it’s not the same, though he has refused to discuss the subject with the media. Just part of that transparent Obama administration.
And if you don’t pay it back, the Department of Education has its own armed branch, prepared to getcha -but that only happens if you’re involved with some kind of fraud regarding your loan, kids, so don’t worry. The Chicago gangs murder rate rises, but they come after you fraudsters with both barrels…
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Fortunately, back then the Baron was working so we were able to pay much of the fB’s tuition but we were foolish not to pay the whole thing – the school talked him into those small “loans” at the beginning of each semester as I recall, telling him he was ‘eligible’ for them and that assuming part of the debt was the grown-up thing to do. But the remainder he was left with is a now a compounding albatross in his otherwise debt-free life.
No wonder the govt is raking in the profits.
OTOH, he never realized that the post-college world would be pretty much job-free. Oh, except for government jobs that is. If he wanted to work for the ever-increasing monolith, he could move to the city and get one of those.
He is fortunate: he’s been able to find work and hasn’t had to return home, but the level of work is pathetic. And when he gets more skills, he’s then told he’s over-qualified…
…Insane.
In my Catholic high school we were once required to memorize a poem. I thought the one about the coppice gate was too stupid for words and the alternative was Polonius to his son from Hamlet – so I memorized that and especially loved “Neither a lender nor a borrower be, for loan of loses both self and friend, and borrowing dulls the eduge of husbandry.” Didn’t totally understand it at the time but I did realize it meant borrowing was a bad idea.
I ate a lot of tuna fish while in college but never borrowed a penny – thank goodness. I always realized that there would be interest to pay and that the jobs in my field don’t pay well. Would that more people would learn that, how is it that so many people don’t know that? What are they learning in college? Not much evidently.
It is really good news that there are young people that read this blog.