http://66.225.205.104/JR20091231a.mp3
The attempted attack on an airplane arriving in Detroit Christmas Day has given Charlotte Congresswoman Sue Myrick another opportunity to raise the alarm in her efforts to combat the threat of terror on U.S. soil. WFAE's Julie Rose reports: Representative Sue Myrick has been releasing ominous statements about terror plots - particularly those being hatched in the U.S. - for several years. And she's frustrated that people seem surprised each time another attack is thwarted or a plot uncovered. So now she's begun a series of online videos to raise awareness. Her inaugural post references the Christmas Day terrorist attempt. "There are people who literally are willing to blow themselves up like this guy did to commit jihad because they believe in a bigger cause and that cause is what they want to do to us - they want to destroy western democracies, they want to bring down America, they want us to live by their rules," warns Myrick. "This is something that nobody ever tells you. You don't hear about." Myrick's approach has come under criticism from the Muslim community. Jibril Hough of the Islamic Center of Charlotte says her statements cast a shadow on all Muslims. "I'm kinda confused what message she thinks is not getting out," says Hough. "I think the message about radical Islam has been spewed all over the airwaves - especially on talk radio. Our message needs to get out about what real Islam is." Myrick says she is trying to make the distinction between mainstream Muslims and those who have become radicalized. But as a member of the House Intelligence committee, she's also convinced the government downplays the threat of homegrown terrorism in an attempt to be politically correct. So Myrick is doing a series of online videos about the issue, and she's created an e-newsletter, too, because as she says in her video, "if the American people don't know what's going on, we might as well hang it up." Last month Myrick agreed to hold a town hall meeting with Charlotte area Muslim leaders to address their concerns about her approach. They have yet to set a date for that.