Howard Zinn...

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Howard Zinn 8.24.1922-1.27.2010

Words are not enough

Blessed are the GUNmakers?

For years, many Islamic clerics have been arguing that the US's war on terror is a "holy war" against Islam.

Now, those critics of US foreign policy have more ammunition to argue their point.

A Michigan supplier of sights for high-powered rifles has long been etching subtle references to Jesus on equipment it sells to the US military, possibly in contravention of army regulations that forbid religious proselytization.

Trijicon Inc., of Wixom, Michigan, describes itself as a company that "strives" to follow "biblical" morality, and the company is not shying away from its controversial and long-standing practice of enscribing references to New Testament passages on its rifle sights.

The news that Trijicon etches biblical quotes on its sights was first reported at the Accurate Shooter blog on Friday, and expanded upon by ABC News on Monday.

The company sponsors God's Great Outdoors, a radio ministry for Christian hunters on which the company's sales director, Tom Munson, has been interviewed. Trijicon's wordmark is listed as a "featured sponsor" on the radio show's Web site.

Trijicon reportedly has a $660-million contract to provide rifle sights to the US Marine Corps, and a number of smaller contracts including a $33-million deal to provide machine gun sights to the Navy.

Trijicon's director of sales and marketing, Tom Munson, told ABC News that the inscriptions "have always been there" and do appear on weapons sold to the US military. Munson said there is nothing "wrong or illegal" with the practice of etching the Biblical passages on rifle sights, despite a ban on religious proselytization by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"US military rules specifically prohibit the proselytizing of any religion in Iraq or Afghanistan and were drawn up in order to prevent criticism that the US was embarked on a religious 'Crusade' in its war against al Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents," ABC News reports.

Weekly Moment of Zinn

Don't Make No Sense, Joe

As tough as he is on humans,
that's how nice he is to animals.
He runs a no-kill shelter called MASH
(Maricopa Animal Safe Haven),
which is air conditioned,
as contrasted to the blistering

swelter of his jails for humans.

He saves puppies and kittens.
Go figure.