In this "news" report from Shreveport station KSLA, we learn that if the US were attacked, martial law might be enforced. And if it were, it could look a little like the 1998 film "The Siege." Oh, Auntie Em! I may become frightened!

But wait -- KSLA has more for you to worry about than just a hypothetical military enforcement which follows a hypothetical attack and hypothetically resembles a largely forgotten Denzel Washington/Bruce Willis vehicle that was a critical and financial washout. Because, my friend, the clergy are coming.

It happened after Hurricane Katrina, and it could happen again -- groups of clergypersons, moving among us during a crisis, and telling us to stay calm. Well, to be fair, they'd also be telling us to shut up and do whatever the cops and soldiers were asking. And you know how and why they can do it? 'Cause they've got Romans. Romans 13, that is, the part of the New Testament that tells you to submit to the Man. Egads! No! Anything but Romans!

Yes, there are a couple of facts buried in the hyperbole -- gun confiscation after Katrina, revocation of the Posse Comitatus Act. What they have to do with the white-collared menace of the encroaching padre army, though, I couldn't tell you.

Next week: The shocking story of what could happen if all the Jews, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists who are immune to the Vulcan Nerve Pinch of the New Testamant rise up and overthrow us all, in a manner to be illustrated with scenes from some movie other than "The Siege."

One of the great things about this job is that, as I don't consider myself a "real journalist," I don't feel obligated to keep my opinions to myself. When I cover a political video, sure, I try to be fair, but I also feel free to give my own personal take on the contents. As long as I also give you the opportunity to view the video and form your own opinion, I feel I've done my job.

One of the other great things about this job is that every once in a while, I come across a video that makes me want to shut the hell up.

This dynamic spoken word performance by a (perhaps fittingly) anonymous Marine -- the full text of which can be found here -- is a breed apart from the armchar analysis of most political videos on YouTube. Yes, it's got passion, it's got politics, but at its core is a powerful reminder of a simple truth: that the men and women of our all-volunteer armed forces have all willingly given up their own safety and freedom to serve what they believe to be a greater purpose.

We all have our opinions -- about the administration's actions around the world, about the current state of the military. But there is no opinion involved in knowing this: it's a brave and extraordinary thing to choose to serve -- to choose to leave your life and family behind and go wherever called, whatever the risk, and to do it without question. To serve your country.

I'll have more opinons tomorrow. But today ... Semper Fi.

Last week, Barack Obama announced his intention, if elected president, of bringing US troops to the Pakistan border if Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf did not take appropriate actions to prevent future al-Qaida attacks. Hillary Clinton didn't condemn this statement at the time, but after American flags were burned in Pakistan following the remarks, she changed her tune, and at last night's AFL-CIO debate, she let loose her full wrath on Obama and his big talk.

"I think it is a very big mistake to... destabilize the Musharraf regime, which is fighting for its life against the Islamic extremists who are in bed with al-Qaida and the Taliban," Clinton said. She then unleashed this soundbite, the gist of which seems to be: "maybe if you're a little one-term senator without much foreign policy experience, you should keep your big trap shut."

Obama struck back at Clinton and fellow critic Chris Dodd (who both voted for the Iraq invasion)by saying, "I find it amusing that those who helped to authorize and engineer the worst policy disaster in our generation are now criticizing me for making sure we are on the right battlefield."

Ouch.

Dodd quickly replied with, "I know you are, but what am i?" Okay, no, not really. But stay tuned.

Thanks to the priorities of American news coverage, you may not have heard this, but on July 19 -- for context, around the time that Lindsay was getting out of rehab and Britney was frigging up her OK cover shoot -- 23 South Korean aid workers were captured by Taliban militants in Afghanistan. Since then, two of the seven male hostages have been murdered, and according to the captors, two of the 16 female hostages are gravely ill.

The Afghan government, which has a non-negotation policy when it comes to terrorists, has ruled out the possibility of meeting the militants' demands and releasing jailed insurgents, though a face-to-face sitdown may still be in the works.

But the families of the hostages are taking an extraordinary action. They are posting videos online on YouTube, reaching out to their imprisoned loved ones and appealing to the captors. In this video, Ryu Hang Sik sends a message to his wife, Kim Yun-yeong. He tells her how much he loves her, how proud her children are of her, and asks her to hold on just a little bit longer. Watching him read his letter aloud, his fist clenching in his lap as he reviles himself for sleeping and eating when he knows his wife doesn't even have those simple privileges, it's hard to imagine anyone would not be moved.

More videos will follow. Let's hope that somehow, they reach both captives and captors, and maybe it'll be hearts and not heads that make the difference in this crisis.