Who's Coming Across Our Southern Border?

The southern border of the United States is extremely porous, despite what this administration has been telling us about it being as secure as it's ever been (which isn't saying much anyway).  When Republicans talk about securing the border, Democrats and the butt-kissing press that supports them scream about Republicans hating Hispanics and immigrants in general.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Republicans in turn too often shrink from talking about stemming illegal immigration for fear of totally alienating Hispanic voters.  Is there anyone out there who has the courage to stand up for doing what's right and protecting our borders?

While it's impossible to completely halt illegal entry into the country, the federal government could do a damn sight better at controlling the border than it's currently doing.  This is not a matter of hating immigrants or Hispanics; it's a matter of national security.  In this day and age of terrorism, with the rapid spread of ISIS (or ISIL if you prefer), isn't it just common sense to suspect that there are more than just poor Mexicans coming across the border into the U.S.?

Indeed, there is evidence to support the contention that those who would love to kill Americans are indeed entering the country via the southern border.  
The Tucson Weekly reports that the Bureau of Land Management estimates that there is a total of eight pounds of trash per day, per person dropped in Arizona by this invasion of illegal immigrants.  Alarmingly, prayer rugs, juice boxes in Arabic, and an Arabic diary have also been discovered, among other things.  An illegal female migrant knocked on the door of an Arizona rancher one night, asking to use his phone.  He complied; the call she made was to Libya!

Obama talks often of "fairness".  How fair is it to the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are going through legal channels to enter the United States, only to see the president allow millions to enter through the southern border illegally?  Republicans need to remember the legal immigrants who are outraged at the illegal entry so many people make into this country.

Improving border security is not discrimination.  It would be a step toward bringing order to a chaotic situation, enabling us to know who is entering the country and where they are going.  This would be of benefit to everyone living here; the failure of our government to do so is a dereliction of duty.  

The Morphing of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security was formed during the George W. Bush administration in response to the attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001.  National Strategy for Homeland Security defines their mission as  "a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur". Because the Department of Homeland Security also encompasses the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), they are also responsible for preparation for and response to natural disasters.

It should be clear to every thinking person that our main threat from terrorism comes from Muslim fanatics. There have been numerous attacks by Islamists against Americans and other westerners:  the attack on the Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, and the ultimate attack on our own soil on September 11, 2001, to name a few. Not all Muslims are terrorists, but the vast majority of terrorist attacks on this country have been by Muslims.  

During the Obama administration, a couple of things that raise red flags have occurred. Janet Napolitano, head of Homeland Security, has made it clear that she considers returning veterans and conservative political groups to be dangerous and possible terrorist threats. At the same time, the administration twists itself into knots in their efforts to avoid labeling violent acts as terrorism, and in particular terrorism perpetrated by Muslims.  For example, in 2009 Major Nidal Hassan went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. Hassan had clearly displayed signs of growing fanaticism, carried cards identifying him as a "soldier of Allah" and shouted "Allahu Akbar" as he murdered 13 people and attempted to kill 32 others.  Yet, in spite of this, Obama has insisted on referring to this horrible incident as "workplace violence".  

On the other hand, there were protests yesterday by tea party members outside several IRS offices across the country in response to the IRS' admission that they unfairly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status.  Despite what Obama and other left-wingers would have you believe, tea party gatherings are not known for being violent or disruptive, yet armed Homeland Security agents were highly visible at these protests.  Why not have the local police there instead? The answer is that tea party members are usually conservative and clearly Napolitano considers them a threat to the security of this country.  

This shift in attitude is, to my way of thinking, alarming.  Add to that the fact that Homeland Security has recently purchased 2,700 armored vehicles for domestic use and it starts to get creepy. Last, but certainly not least, DHS has also gone on a buying spree for ammunition, stockpiling an astounding 1.6 billion bullets.  Makes one wonder what they're preparing for, doesn't it? 

President Cool

My thoughts and prayers, like that of many Americans, go out to the victims of yesterday's bombings in Boston.  If any good comes of this, it will be to remind all of us of the need for constant vigilance.  

President Obama likes to project a cool image, an illusion of being above the fray to which we mere mortals are subject. For me, however, the cool act is wearing very thin.

There are circumstances in which it is wholly appropriate to feel, and show, anger and outrage.  Yesterday was one such instance, but there was the president making pronouncements in his usual robotic manner.  Where is your anger, Mr. President?  Why aren't you totally outraged that terrorists would make such a bold attack on a major American city?  Instead, we get the usual cliches that he speaks after every untoward event:  "let me be clear", "make no mistake", etc., etc., etc.

I suspect that Mr. Obama doesn't show these emotions because he doesn't actually experience them as most normal people would. He can appear above the fray because on an emotional level, he is above the fray, lacking the empathy needed to put one's self in another's shoes. He is detached from these horrible events, as if he were watching a fictitious movie. The only time I can recall seeing him show a flicker of genuine anger is when a reporter asks him a tough question (and that doesn't happen very often).   

I want my president to be angry about these attacks on America and to show that anger.  I want to see the emotions that most Americans are feeling now reflected in the president.  What I see is Mr. Cool, but I have to wonder:  is Obama really cool, or just cold-hearted?

Act for America

I went to a presentation last night by Brigitte Gabriel, founder of Act for America. She has appeared on several occasions on the Fox News Channel, and has addressed audiences at the FBI, the U.S. Special Operations Command, members of Congress, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the British Parliament's House of Commons, as well as other prominent groups. She herself is a victim of terrorism, having lost her home in Lebanon at the age of 10 to terrorists, subsequently living in a bomb shelter until she was 17, when she and her family escaped to Israel.

Her speech was compelling and she convinced me that it is IMPERATIVE that we put pressure on the government to drop political correctness and seriously address this issue. The drug cartels in Mexico are being paid by Al Qaeda to smuggle terrorists and weapons across the border, and these terrorists live among us, quietly training right under our noses to destroy us. There are 35 known training compounds in the United States, many of them in states surrounding Washington, D.C., but also as far flung as my home state of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, California, and Washington state, and still our government does not effectively enforce border security.

The executive director of Act for America also spoke briefly. He said if Americans knew even 1/10 of what he knows about terrorists in this country, we'd forget the economy and focus on this as the #1 problem in America.

National security has to be priority #1. We could have the best economy in history, yet if we are not secure from attack from within and without, it could all be destroyed in the blink of an eye. Please visit Act for America's web site and take action to help protect us from this enormous internal threat. Just as the NRA has successfully fought gun control with a large membership that donates small amounts, Act for America is trying to follow their example in their fight against radical Islam. Please do whatever you can to help their efforts.