THE MILITARY

You will be surprised at my position on the military.  I am for a very strong military on all fronts.  As a matter of fact, I think that we should continue to have the most powerful and up to date military in the entire world, on land, at sea, in the air, and in space.  For, what good is freedom if we cannot protect it?  And, I am proud of every one of our soldiers who risk their lives every day to carry out the missions that they are assigned to. 

Where I differ from our present political leaders, is in how we use the military.  Theodore Roosevelt once wrote, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”  I subscribe to that philosophy. 

I believe that we should only use our military in defense of our country when attacked by a foreign nation, to suppress domestic uprisings that are too large for the National Guard or the States to handle, and to protect our borders.  And, I also firmly believe that is all the Constitution of the United States allows.

However, I also believe that if we ARE attacked by another nation, then we should immediately retaliate using whatever weapon is necessary to get the job done, as long as it does no harm to other neighboring countries.  (I am not speaking of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons at this point.)  There is no sense having a big stick if you don’t use it when you need it.  If we are attacked by Indians, then we are as crazy as the Indians who attacked us if we fight back with bows and arrows.  War is war, and if a nation deliberately attacks us and does considerable harm, then it is our responsibility to our people, yea it is our duty to our people, to immediately stop such harm at all cost.  And, woe be it unto them who dwell therein if we must retaliate.  That’s why it is so important that the people of every nation be responsible enough to control their own government.  And, that includes the United States of America.

I don’t believe in playing around with proportional responses.  You must quickly and completely cripple the nerve center of those who initiated the attack in the first place so that it will not, and cannot happen again. 

I don’t think that we should ever send in ground forces, unless dire circumstances call for the necessity of it.  I think that is the biggest mistake of our military forces.  If you cripple them from the air, there is no need for using ground forces.  Sending in troops guarantees the unnecessary loss of many American lives.  If a nation intends to do you harm, then they should not expect us to come in and clean up the mess afterward either.  After all, it was not their intention when they attacked us to clean up the mess that they made.  This is a tremendous cost that was precipitated by their aggression.

Neither should it be in our best interest to occupy any territory that we have retaliated against.  Let them be.  Let them learn.  Let them heal.  Our main goal here is to retaliate in a way that they will never forget, cripple the attacker, and then leave with little to no loss of human life to any American soldier.  If our retaliation is effective, then they will think long and hard before ever doing it again.  The message will be clear.  In my way of thinking, it is totally self defeating to send in troops, stay for ten years or more, and allow thousands of Americans to die or be maimed for life in the process.  Even though you have apparently won, you have really lost.

Now that the extreme condition has been addressed and everyone is attentively listening, let us come back down to Earth and begin speaking softly again. 

As the leader of the free world, we should be careful not to ever interfere in the matters of state of other countries, even if the intention is good.  And, if I might borrow a term from the popular television and movie series called Star Trek, I believe that this should be our “prime directive”. 

If we are not interfering in the affairs other countries and we have shown that no one can mess with us without terrible consequences to them, then there is no reason why we cannot have peace with the rest of the world.  Simply live, and let live.  If we maintain the most powerful military in the world, then who can stand against us?

It is important that we allow countries and people from other countries to grow and mature at their own rate.  It is also important that we allow them to work out their differences on their own, without any outside influence from us or anyone else.  This will involve much soul searching, especially when we have the power to stop many of the atrocities that occur in this world. 

However, there have been atrocities in world ever since the beginning of mankind.  And, we are not God.  We do not have limitless resources and manpower and cannot possibly rescue the entire world.  It is also not right for the Federal Government to require that our sons and daughters fight and die in other countries’ wars.  I have no problem with citizens of the United States sending their private funds to help out other countries in need, or even traveling to those countries and fighting alongside them for their cause, as long as they are not representing the United States, and other American citizens are not required to join them.  One man’s passion may be another man’s death.  So, let men choose their own fate.  Don’t send them to war for a cause that does not have “the express written consent” of the Constitution of the United States. 

We do not know the reasons why terrible things happen and why people treat each other the way that they do.  However, we do have a clue that may help us deal with these issues when they happen.  We have but to look at “Father Time” and “Mother Nature”.

Mother Nature brings us massive storms that twist and turn the lands and the seas.  Her mood swings bring us Earthquakes, Firestorms, Volcanoes, Hurricanes, Tornados, Tsunamis, Floods, and Glaciers that cut and reshape the entire planet.  But, there are also long periods of absolute peace and stillness, as Time gradually allows Nature to slowly heal the land, reshaping it with incredibly intricate patterns, creating new lands, seas, and infinite designs of new life.  These things don’t happen overnight.  They call for long periods of gradual adaptation to the new life formations.

Nature and Time work together to form perfection.  The overall lesson that we must learn from this is to nurture our patience, so that we can allow the forces of Time and Human Nature to work their perfect miracle.  What seems to be right at first can actually do more harm than good if it is rushed.  Instant gratification can do a lifetime worth of harm.  It may seem good to help a baby bird escape from the confines of its shell.  However, it’s the struggle to get out of the shell that gives the newborn the strength that it needs to carry on in the early stages of its life after it finally breaks free.  Without the struggle, the weakened condition of the newborn may make it an easy meal for predators. 

The same can be applied to weak nations who are rescued and given freedom from their “shell”, only to find that they are so weak that the first predator nation that comes along consumes them.  Rescuing a weak nation requires that you protect that nation as well, and we cannot do that for every nation who needs rescuing.  Only time will bring them to the point where they are ready to make a change on their own accord.  And then it will happen naturally, by its own accord.

Too often, our leaders have also tried to force people and nations together before they were ready to do so.  I have found through many years of experience that when things happen naturally, on their own, without forceful intervention, they happen much more peacefully and much more effectively.  And, ultimately, they are permanent by their own accord.  But, when you try to force things to happen when they are not ready to happen, then more often than not, resistance at varying degrees will follow.  However, that resistance is usually equal and opposite to the force of the intervention.  Forceful intervention will most never end in a lasting peace and will most likely escalate hostilities from two parties to three.

In my opinion, much too often, our interference into the affairs of other nations is precipitated more from personal gain on the part of our leaders and their corporate lobbyists, than the pristine charity that they appear to highlight.  It may appear otherwise, but when you look at the instances where our government leaders have chosen not to get involved, when there was no obvious political, economical, or militaristic gain by the United States coming from it, then it makes one question their true motives when they do get involved.  If your goal is to save one, shouldn’t it be to save all? 

In reality, it is impossible to stop all of the atrocities that go on in the world.  However, in truth, there is only one country that our government is bound and sworn to protect and ensure its domestic tranquility, and that is our own.  That is precisely what we are electing and paying our Government leaders to do with our tax money.  And I think that they are doing a pretty poor job of that.  They spend countless dollars staffing troops which are thousands of miles away and leave our borders wide open with little to no protection.  If we were suddenly attacked on our borders or from a well organized army from within our own borders that had been laying in wait, how many weeks would it take for our troops to get home to defend us?  And, guess where they would be fighting?  That’s right.  They’d be fighting on American soil.

And, as for National Security, where do we draw the line between the protection of our National Security and violating the National Security rights of other nations by interfering in their affairs?  If other nations did to us what we do to them, then we’d be the first to scream National Security and send troops in.  Are our leaders so paranoid that they think that every little thing that happens in the world is somehow related to our National Security?  It appears so to me.  Why else would we have military bases all over the world?  I call it the “Histamine-Affect” If somebody sneezes in Beijing, then the cumulative effects of the sneeze will somehow cause mass destruction in the United States, if left unchecked.  From my perspective, this is nothing less than a paranoid delusion.  We cannot continue to live our lives this way.  It is not healthy.  It is extremely expensive.  It is costing us the lives of many of our sons and daughters.  And, in reality, it can actually bring about the very thing that we are so actively trying to prevent because it can, and most likely is, creating hostilities against us all around the world.

I personally feel that our government leaders have grossly mislead the American people when it comes to the amount of time, money, and manpower necessary abroad to protect our National Security.  I also feel that our government leaders have grossly underestimated the amount of time, money, and manpower necessary to protect our borders at home.  And, I fear that someday we will pay a dear price for our gross neglect.  I would think that 9/11 would be a wakeup call for us.  Instead of our government leaders criticizing Border States from passing stronger border laws, they should be helping them, and enforcing the ones that we already have on the books.

As advanced as we are, we should not be trying to inject our way of life, thoughts, customs, and manners into everybody else in the world as if our way is the only way.  We did this when we first colonized this nation, and we are still doing it today.  Our way is “A” way.  It is not the “ONLY” way. 

The "primitive savages" that owned this land before us turned out not to be so stupid after all.  They had their own religious values and ways.  They were one with the land and had plenty of clean water and fresh meat.  They didn't have to worry about sales, the price of gasoline, and massive bailouts.   They had no deeds, paid no taxes, didn't need attorneys, never had to worry about bills, and didn't need retirement income.  They took care of their own.  They used the medicinal herbs of the fields to heal their diseases.  They could ride all day in any direction and know that the land was theirs by birthright.  And, they had no need for modern medicine, that is until the colonists landed and exposed them to modern diseases.  We then stole their land, forced our religion upon them, tortured them, killed them, and left them to die in reservations that could not support their lifestyle.  It makes you wonder who were the real savages and who was really more primitive.

Today is not a lot different. I personally feel that the greed of the power brokers in this country can no longer be contained by the borders of our country.  I see them looking into other parts of the World now to supply our eternal lust for energy sources that can fit into our existing oil industry program.  It is cheaper than retooling.  In my opinion, their eyes are beginning to look to the rich oil fields in Canada and the oil production facilities of Mexico.  I see them looking at the shipping lanes in Northern Canada, the uranium fields, and the many natural resources that can be found there.  And I see them doing whatever it takes to gain access to these vast resources.  Of course, this is all my opinion.  However, all one has to do is look at our history and the pattern that we have set.  Study the overall history of the growth of the United States and how our leaders have gradually built our military up to the point that they are making their presence felt throughout the world.  I fear that this global dominance of our military is setting the stage for a much bigger acquisition by these power brokers in the possible controlling of the entire world’s economy and possibly even the nations themselves.  I fear my perception of what we have become.

I am very much against a new world order because I am afraid that it will be used to fuel the rich power brokers at the expense of the workers.  The rich continue to get richer and the poor continue to get poorer.  If they had demonstrated over a long period of time a pattern of using their power and influence to improve the living conditions of our country and other countries in the world, then I may feel differently.  However, that is not what I see.

In the United States, one percent of the people control one third of the wealth of the country.  History has shown us that our leaders are not interested in the improvement of the living conditions of its people.  They appear to be interested more in our tax money that funds their mega expensive programs that support big business.  So, guess who gets the most benefit from the resources and assets that we acquire? From my perspective, it is not us.  I see a snowballing effective of degenerative diseases coming from the foods that are allowed to be sold and consumed.  I see our Government leaders protecting Prescription Drugs, which have a long list of symptoms and side effects.  I see the Medical Industry trying to push Alternative Medicines and Healing Methods out of business.  I see products being designed to break down so that consumers must purchase new products every few years.  I see failing infrastructures, roads, bridges, dams, etc.  I don’t see the American people at the heart of our leader’s interests, no matter what they claim. 

Our Government leaders seem to demonstrate the characteristics of a small child, who is in desperate need of a good spanking.  They want something.  They must have it. They must have it their way.  And, they must have it now.  The biggest problem is that this child is in an adult body.  And when it doesn’t get its way, it is extremely dangerous to anyone and anything in its path. 

A mature Government would understand and respect the fact that there are other nations out there with rights and needs as well, and they feel just as strongly about their country as we do ours.  A mature Government would not try to force its will and philosophy of life on everyone else.  A mature Government would understand that the world does not revolve around them and them only.  A mature Government would feel confident in its ability to defend itself without having to staff military bases all around the world, just in case they might attack us.  Nobody else does that.  If they did, our paranoia would certainly rise up its ugly head and we would force them to back off.  A mature Government would live peaceable within its own borders, focusing on its own problems, rather than trying to police the world. 

A mature Government would be looking after the needs of its entire people equally, rather than just the chosen few who are wealthy.  A mature Government would realize that increasing the well being of its citizens is better for the entire nation.  A mature Government would know that the better educated the people are in their country, the better quality of life there is, and the resultant decrease in crime rate would reflect that dramatically.

A mature Government would make sure that its Checks and Balances are always working properly and that there is adequate oversight at all levels of government to protect its citizens from the corruption of corporate, Government, and private industry predators.  And, it would not consider voices from the people telling them that, to be a threat.  It would welcome their observations and suggestions, ever looking for ways of improving themselves.  A mature Government would never overstep its bounds and always be working to make this a more perfect union.  A mature Government would not keep its people out of the loop and in the dark, unaware of the many problems of the world.  A mature Government would never consider itself greater than the people who created it, nor would it simply refuse to listen to its own people.

We need real leaders in office who are responsible and dependable enough to realize just why the Constitution put them there.  We need leaders who will look at the intent of the Constitution and realize just why there are boundaries between them and the other Branches of Government, as well between them and the States themselves, and honor that separation of powers.  We need leaders who respect and honor our Constitution enough to not even come close to abusing their power, and who are smart enough to know the difference.  We need leaders who understand that “We the People of the United States” means just that, and not “we the people of the United States and all its visitors”.  And, we need leaders who respect and will vote for the will of the people above the will of their own political Party, and yea above their own will as well.  Furthermore, if they find that their will is constantly at odds with the will of the people whom they represent, then they should voluntarily step down, even if they think that the people are wrong.

If our leaders were doing their job, then we wouldn’t need to send delegates from the States back to Philadelphia to “fix” the Constitution and establish oversight of the Federal Government and make our leaders accountable for their actions. 

We need leaders who will serve, not dictate and dominate.

BORDER SECURITY

If you want to talk about National Security, Home is the place to start.  You don’t start in Korea.  You don’t start in Viet Nam.  You don’t start in Iran.  You don’t start in Afghanistan.  You don’t start in Iraq.  You start at home with your own borders.

Our border laws were passed to protect American citizens and our country from non-citizens entering our land illegally.  This includes the protection of legal immigrants, who have been a great asset to our county as well.

But, let’s look at the greatest danger in not protecting our borders.  People talk about our greatest fear as for some terrorist organization to get its hands on one of the missing nuclear warheads that apparently disappeared after the fall of the Soviet Union.  I too, am concerned about this.  However, I am not quite so concerned about one of them being launched from thousands of miles away by some terrorist group who has not had the years of training, experience, and technology required to actually deliver it accurately to its target here in the United States.  I am much more concerned about an individual simply walking across our Southern border with a suitcase-size missing Soviet atomic weapon and manually detonating it in one of our major cities.  That sends shivers up and down my spine because, from the readings that I have done and the documentaries that I have seen about the subject, this act could actually happen.  In fact, the general feeling that I came away with was that the question is not if it will happen, but when it will happen. 

Even if someone did launch a warhead from that far away and had the capability of accurately delivering it, there is still the possibility that we could intercept it.  There is no way to stop a suicide terrorist who is sitting in one of our cities with his finger on the detonator.

The border problem is a problem because our Federal Government has failed to enforce our border laws for years.  It makes no sense at all for them to ignore these laws.  What good are borders if they are not protected? What good is our National Security if we allow hundreds of undocumented illegal aliens to cross the border undetected every week?  For all we know, some of them could be terrorists.  Instead, we send troops all over the world, creating many hostilities.  As much as we do to make enemies around the world, it disturbs me greatly to think about their total lack of responsibility when it comes to Border Security.  I commend any State that enforces the border laws and applaud those who want to make those laws even tougher.

I also believe that if a law enforcement officer has any question at all in his mind about someone being illegal, that he should be able to check that person’s ID.  I would consider him to be negligent in his duties if he failed to do so, especially in a border State.  It has nothing to do with racism and discrimination.  This has been blown way out of proportion by the news media.

However, it has everything to do with National Security. 

Any true American who believes in National Security should have no problem with simply showing their ID.  I take my ID with me everywhere I go.  And, if I lived in a border town and fit the description of a possible illegal alien, then I would want law enforcement officers to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am a legal citizen.  I would not be stupid enough to think that everybody would know that I am a true American.  I would proudly show my citizenship card.  That should be common sense.  It’s certainly better than having them watch every move that I make until they find a problem to stop me for.  I would even make friends with the enforcement officers and speak to them, letting them know that I appreciate the fact that they are really trying to protect me, as a true citizen.  They are not against citizens of the United States and they are not against those undergoing the naturalization process for citizenship.  They are searching for people who are violating our laws and trying to prevent harm from coming to our people.

On the other hand, people who refuse or resist showing their ID will most certainly arouse suspension.  In my years of experience, I have found that people, who don’t have anything to hide, don’t usually try to hide it.  And where there is a border problem, people should expect to be asked for ID from time to time.  However, another great thing about America is that we can move to another State any time that we want to if we get tired of dealing with the problems of the State we are in.

If more people would simply get over their paranoia, and realize just how difficult the job of a policeman or border agent is, and do their civic duty by cooperating with them, it would make for a much better society.  Some people would prefer to allow three drug smugglers remain in their neighborhood rather than simply show their ID.  Finding criminals is hard enough without citizens protecting them.  My suggestion is that if you are stopped by a law enforcement officer, do everything you can do to cooperate with him.  First, be sure to carry your ID with you at all times.  Remember, if you are legal, they are duty bound to protect you.  Once you show them that you are legal, you will have a much better relationship with them than you would have had otherwise.  How would you feel if the guy standing next to you was not questioned because the enforcement officer was reluctant to ask him for his ID?  Then the man followed you home and raped and killed your wife that night.  Had the enforcement officer checked his ID, he may have found out that the man was an escaped convict who had been serving time for rape and murder in Mexico. 

The border agents have a really tough job to do.  They are normally in or near a border town.  In most cases, it is really difficult to tell a legal resident from an illegal one.  Just remember, they are there for your protection.  Don’t take it personal, or as an insult if they ask you for your ID.  Take it as a sign that they are doing their job.  Be respectful of that.  Remember, the alternative to having a border agent around, is not having a border agent around.  Or, just as bad, the alternative is having one around who doesn’t do his job.  Now, image how tough your life would be if you had no protection at all.  We should be very appreciative for what they do.

We should also be much more careful about who we let into this country in the first place.  And, I personally salute the State of Arizona for taking such a strong stand against illegal immigrants in light of the apparent indifference of our Federal Leaders.

 Illegal immigrants in America should be glad that the United States doesn’t have the same illegal immigrant laws that Mexico has.  If we did, then they’d all be in jail.  In Mexico, it is a felon to be an illegal alien and can land you in jail for an extended period of time.  Aiding an illegal alien will land you in jail as well.  Also, legal aliens must be of good moral character with no criminal record, must be able to support themselves financially, are banned from interfering in the politics of the nation, and must be recorded and accounted for.  Violation of any of those things by a LEGAL ALIEN will land you in jail in Mexico.  If President Calderon of Mexico calls the new laws of Arizona racist and discriminatory, I wonder what he calls the laws of his own country.

And, does anybody remember how our fearless leaders actually invaded an entire Middle Eastern nation, killing thousands of people in the process for what a few terrorists with box cutters from the Middle East did here in America?  Isn’t that racism and social profiling at the very highest level?  And, while they were in the neighborhood, rather than first properly checking to see if there were weapons of mass destruction in that country, they declared war on Iraq as well, killing thousands more people because of what they think they might do with something that they think they might have, but didn’t.  And, in destroying that nation, they created a complete vacuum of power in the area, thus leading to civil war among the three warring factions, who had been living there in relative peace under the last regime.  By the way, we are still in both countries.  Can anybody spell Hypocrisy?

That makes me wonder, if a handful of illegal aliens crossed our Southern border and set off bombs in one of our major cities, would we invade Mexico as well, claiming it was orchestrated by a drug cartel? 

But, let’s get back to hypocrisy.  In the name of National Security, our Congressmen passed the Patriot Act so they can search homes and listen in on conversations of people in this country, but they don’t want police to stop suspected illegal aliens and ask them for their IDs.  (For those of you who don’t know, the Patriot Act also allows the Federal Government to monitor your emails, your web surfing, your reading records from the library, and search your homes and offices without your knowledge, etc.)  I guess if you don't know they are checking your ID, then it's O.K.  Hmmmm.

Apparently, the hypocrisy of our leaders has no bounds!  What am I missing here?  They create the conditions that allow millions of illegal aliens to enter this country undetected.  They hinder the efforts of the States to question them.  And then they pass a law that allows them to not only spy on them, but us as well.  Why would they want illegal aliens in this country?  Why would they want to give them amnesty?  Why would they pass a law that allows them to spy on them and us as well?

The Federal Government has clearly voted too much power for itself.  For what purpose, I don’t know.  But, I am very uncomfortable with it.  I have read about this type of thing happening before in other countries and each time it has led to the same thing.  For those of you with inquisitive minds, I will leave the research of that subject to your own discretion. 

I only hope that our Government uses this power wisely and only for the protection of its citizens.  But, since the Constitution does not call for oversight and accountability of the Federal Government, then there is literally nothing that actually guarantees that.  In my opinion, we definitely need to call the States back to Philadelphia and put measures for oversight, accountability, and possible immediate removal of any and all of our government officials into the Constitution where it could be used if need be by the American people.  And, this oversight must come directly from the States.

Is there anybody else out there, who see’s the actions of the Federal Government as being totally irresponsible?  It’s like 9/11 all over again.  Who would dare to attack us?  Are we so arrogant to actually believe that our borders are secure when hundreds of miles of our border are not under surveillance?  And both of our political Parties are to blame for this.  As stated in an earlier article, we have had six Democratic Presidents and six Republican Presidents since World War II, and neither Party has had the stomach to do what it has to do in order to stop the intrusion of our borders.

I think it’s time to bring our troop home from all around the world and set up permanent bases along our Northern and Southern Borders.  It’s time to build a wall that is big enough to deter anyone from actually trying to scale it.  (And don’t hire illegal aliens to build it just because they will work for less.)  We should put up electronic fences on both sides of the wall and have either security cameras or satellite surveillance 24 hours a day along the borders.  There should also be troops manning the entire border.  Anyone able to get through two electronic fences and a huge wall should be considered a direct threat to our National Security and dealt with at the Federal Level by whatever means they deem appropriate. 

Furthermore, we should put up nuclear detection devices along the border at strategic points.  There should be more tracking of people legally entering our country.  And, there should be immediate jail sentences given to anyone who hires an illegal alien.  That means you had better do a proper background investigation, before hiring someone.  That would not solve all of the problems of border security.  However, it would dramatically cut down on a vast number of illegal immigrants entering our country unlawfully.  It may even keep a handful of terrorists with box cutters from crossing the border.  And, it would most certainly dramatically cut down on the chances of someone walking across the border with a bomb in a suitcase.  Monitored border crossings should have radiation detection devices to identify nuclear devices.  We should spare no expense to secure our borders.  After all, if the United States can spend a trillion dollars a year keeping our troops overseas and maintaining our “Global Empire”, then they should have plenty of money for this if they bring our troops home.

Some of you may be laughing at such extreme measures.  My guess is that many of the same people laughing now would have also laughed if somebody would have told them that a handful of terrorists with nothing but box cutters could destroy both of the World Trade Center Towers, part of the Pentagon, and kill over 3,000 people in the process without firing a single shot, using weapons of mass destruction, or chemical or biological weapons.  After all, this is America.  What could happen here? 

My guess is that all the laughing would stop one morning if we were to wake up to the shocking news bulletin informing us that several major American cities had been vaporized and melted to the ground due to suitcase nuclear weapons that had been carried across the border and manually detonated here in the United States.  According to my readings and documentary viewings, not only is Congress aware of it, but Homeland Security has contingency plans in place for just such an event happening.  However, once again history has shown us that we will most likely do nothing about the prevention of such a potential threat until the threat actually comes up and bites us on the posterior side.

This is serious business my friends, and we need serious people in office who will put the protection of our country above the economic interests of corporate lobbyists.

IMMIGRATION

Legal immigration is great for our country and is what has made us so strong and diverse over the years.  It brings in many different cultures, talents, skills, ideas, and wonderful people who want to pursue a better way of life here.  Being a ballroom dancer, even I benefit each day from the many wonderful dances stemming from other cultures.  Long live Rumba, Salsa, Bolero, Tango, Bolero, Cha Cha, and Merengue, etc.  Some of my best friends have come here from other countries.  And, this country accepts more immigrants as citizens than the rest of the countries on our planet combined each year.  This includes China, Russia, India, England, and all of the countries put together.  I think we are doing an incredible job of diversifying our country and we are much the better for it.  And, I think that anyone who criticizes our immigration and border security laws should be utterly ashamed of themselves.

Each and every one of these immigrants have been carefully screened and approved before gaining citizenship.  Some of the qualifications to be naturalized are as follows.  A candidate must be at least 18 years old, have a permanent residence here, be registered, be of good moral character, with no murder, aggravated felon, or criminal convictions in the previous five years here, must demonstrate knowledge of our history and principles of government, must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English, and must swear an oath of allegiance to our Constitution.  Furthermore, for the most part, legal immigrants have worked very hard for a very long time to get here, and are proud to be citizens.

On the other hand, illegal immigrants have NOT been properly screened for these things and represent a potential threat to all U. S. citizens and to our way of life.  Simply giving them amnesty would give unknown drug dealers, murderers, felons, gang leaders, possible terrorists, and other criminals the full rights, benefits, and protection that American citizenship offers.  And another thing, if our leaders decide to give them amnesty, it will fuel our leaders efforts to continue to extend and pass new laws like the Patriot Act that are in direct  violation of our civil liberties that are given to us  in the Bill of Rights.  In other words, their actions to allow questionable immigrants to enter the United States and become citizens will serve to strengthen their need for and their case for their ability to spy on American citizens in the privacy of their own homes.  We cannot allow this.

Even if we don’t give them amnesty, but allow them to stay, we still have the problem of paying millions of dollars daily just to pay for the incarceration expenses of the many documented illegal aliens in our correction facilities.  Taxpayers would also have the expense of paying for the hospitalization and medical expenses of illegal mothers and their children.  And, don’t forget the property damage reported by border ranches on a daily basis.  The list doesn’t stop there.  Just ask the American citizens who live in border towns.

Simply saying that the purchases that they make at our stores helps our economy, does not justify the potential problems that they bring with their unscreened presence.  It is wrong to allow illegal immigrants to stay here and it is also illegal.  What’s worse, they are giving a bad name to the many good and honest people who are properly waiting in line for their turn at U.S. citizenship.  Some Americans are now beginning to think of all immigrants in a negative light because of the actions and protests of the illegal immigrants.  If they are going to protest before they even become citizens, then what will they do to get what they want after they become citizens?  And what message are we sending them if they break the law, protest, and then get free citizenship through amnesty for their efforts?  I would like to see legal immigrants and those properly going through the naturalization process step forward and speak out against the ones who are breaking the law.  Once again, legal immigration is a great asset to this country.  It is illegal immigration that causes the problems.

In my opinion, after bringing our troops home, we should give all illegal immigrants 90 days to go back home, with no extensions outside of medical emergencies.  Any illegal aliens who are found here after that date should be immediately jailed, deported, and be banned from entering the United States again.

Why our leaders have failed to stop illegal immigration is a great mystery to me. And, there are other things that don’t make sense on the surface either.  But when you combine other pieces of information, and look beneath the surface, we get clues as to other possibilities.

Has anyone heard of the proposed NAFTA superhighway that many people feel is already under construction in America?  It would run from Mexico, through the United States, to Canada.  From what I have read, it is being constructed under the radar, without the formal blessing of Congress.  I do not know if this is true or not.  However, one of the sources that I read this from was a current United States Congressman who serves in a border state.  Why would we want to do this? 

Personally, I would consider such an undertaking to be a tremendous security risk to our country.  There is an extreme advantage in military combat if you can divide the forces of your enemy.  It is sometimes referred to as “divide and conquer”.  If someone were ever to try to conquer the mainland of America, it would be vastly important to divide it in half.  The projected maps that I have seen show the NAFTA superhighway basically splitting our country down the middle.  Check it out on the internet for yourself.  The highway is reportedly ten lanes wide and spans the width of several football fields.  Whether this is true or not remains to be seen.  However, if it turns out to be true, it would be plenty of room for a large force of tanks and armored vehicles and supplies to navigate and divide our country from both sides.  And, if there was a sudden shutdown of our power and/or communications grid in this country for any extended period of time, the effects could possibly be devastating.  In my way of thinking, it would be just such a time that our enemies would choose to strike us.  But, that’s not all?  The vast majority of our military would be thousands of miles away.   Is the National Guard staffed well enough to handle such an uprising and put it down?  There are reports that they have been understaffed since the war in Afghanistan began.  If you want real National Security, you must consider every possibility.

Others focus more on the possibility of our country preparing to become a part of a much larger union, say between Mexico, The United States, and Canada.  Now, why on Earth would the United States be interested in Mexico?  Many Americans seem to think of Mexico as composed of peasants who are constantly falling prey to the many banditos who ravage the countryside.  Not hardly.  Mexico is the eleventh largest country by population in the entire world.  Mexico City is the third largest metropolitan area in the world, with well over 20 million people.  That is more than New York City, which is fourth with just under 20 million people.  Mexico is the sixth largest oil PRODUCER in the world.  The United States is the top oil CONSUMER in the world.  Mexico is also rich in silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber.  With all these resources, it makes you wonder why so many people are so desperate to get out of Mexico and come to the United States.  Maybe it has something to do with 60% of the country being poor, while 10% have 38% of the income.  Hmmmm.  It sounds similar to another country that you and I both know and love.   Mexico also happens to share almost 2,000 miles of border with the United States. That is a whole lot more to defend than if the new border were in Central America at Guatemala and Belize.

Well, how about Canada?  Many Americans still think of Canada as being mostly desolate with Mounties roaming the countryside in their bright red coats.  Even though Canada is not noted for boasting a huge population, it is second only to Saudi Arabia in the world's largest oil reserves.  Need I say more?  It also has huge off shore deposits of natural gas, and other resources such as gold, nickel, aluminum, lead, and timber.  (Remember gold because that will becoming increasing more important as time goes on due to its superior qualities and uses in electronics and other critical areas of our society.)  Oh yeah, and by the way, Canada is also the largest producer of uranium and zinc.  Now, can anyone guess what uranium makes?

And, as the North Polar ice continues to melt as a result of Global Warming, more shipping lanes along the Northwest Passage are opening up for travel.  The Canadian government claims these shipping lanes to be in Canadian territory.

All three governments deny that there is a plan to unite the three countries into the North American Union.  Of course, how many times have you heard denials that are later overturned when somebody uncovers the truth?  And, our leaders have been known to do things before they actually get approval by the American public first.  After all, it’s much easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission.  And, why not?  Oversight and accountability of our leaders seems to be a mute point now.  Who really cares how the American people feel about it?  The important thing these days seems to be how their Party feels about it.

But, let’s not forget one thing.  Something of this nature would create an enormous protest in this country from people who feel that we fought for our liberty from the English to set up our own free, sovereign country, not to be dependent on anyone else.  I would be included in this group.  A union is somewhat different from people applying for statehood to become a part of our country.

However, as I see more and more people flooding across our borders, it is obvious to me that it will become increasing more difficult to send them back the longer we wait.  There are already hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens in this country now and I’ve read estimates of over a million.  If we wait much longer, a situation could develop where there would be so many of them that uncontrollable riots could break out if we tried to send them back at some point in the future.  Therefore, if the strategy of the Republican and Democratic leaders is to wait it out until we have no choice but give them amnesty, then what a convenient time to do so. After all, how could we enforce sending them home with our troops tied up in wars abroad. 

From my perspective, history has shown us how our government leaders tend to take advantage of seemingly “unforeseen” circumstances to advance their own agendas.  9/11 was a terrible event.  But look what has happened as a result.  We now have military bases in two countries in the Middle East that we didn’t have before.  Also, our leaders were able to successfully pass the Patriot Act, with public approval as well.  These two things may not seem like much, but it is extremely important to anyone trying to maintain a Global Empire, as well as control of its own people.  

If we want the United States of America to remain a sovereign and unique nation unto itself, then in my opinion we had better act now.  Illegal immigration must stop and we must also immediately send those who have violated our sanctity back home, where they should be protesting their own government instead of ours anyway.  Mexico and the United States are both totally controlled by the wealthy.  A merger or union of some sort would only be advantageous to the rich rulers of the two countries.  The rest of us would remain poor, yet working as glorified slaves to keep the rich in power.

These are only possibilities.  However, who can explain why our leaders are doing what they have done and continue to do?  From my perspective, the people of this country had better wake up fast, and do some serious thinking about who they are going to vote for in the future.  And, I would suggest voting for people who truly represent the people rather than the corporate powers that be.  I would also challenge the Middle Class to unite, and form a new political Party who will represent our interests. just as quickly as possible.

We must return control of our country to the States, where the people can make these decisions, before it is too late.

CITIZENSHIP

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States tells us that all people born in the United States are American citizens.  It doesn’t matter whether their parents are citizens of the United States or not.  They could even be illegal aliens. 

When you consider that there are estimates of hundreds of illegal immigrants coming across our border every week and the United States Government is doing little to nothing about it, this presents a problem.  When you consider estimates of anywhere between thousands and millions of illegal immigrants already in the United States, it presents an even bigger problem.  When you consider that of those who are already here, many of them are having babies, who become instant citizens at birth, it presents an even greater problem.  When you consider that the United States Government will allow the parents of these babies to stay in this country to take care of them, it is easy to see how this problem will be getting exponentially worse each year that we don’t effectively take action to prevent it.  And, don’t forget, this applies to visitors to this country as well, not just illegal aliens.  Their children become instant citizens as well, if born here.

Because of the nearly 2,000 mile border between the United States and Mexico, it is not that easy to secure.  This is especially true when you consider that the Rio Grande serves as a natural border between Mexico and Texas.  Most of you have heard or read how hundreds of Mexican women cross the river on a regular basis to have their babies born in the United States.  Well, we are not talking about a simple river crossing at one point.  The Rio Grande extends for several hundred miles from the southern tip of Texas all the way to the western tip of Texas.  And, Texas is the second largest state in the country.

I read a story on the news that detailed a scenario where pregnant women were actually waiting to the last possible time to cross the river and come to the US for free delivery and instant citizenship for their children.  The article commentator went on to say that the dresses of some of the women were still wet when they entered the hospital, after crossing the river.

Whether they wade across, swim across, or take a small boat, it makes no difference.  They are still here, and they are directly violating our laws.  This cost to the border states is enormous.  Yet, the Federal Government turns a blind eye to it.  On the other hand, they are quick to throw an American citizen in jail for the most menial offenses.  The inconsistency of our Federal Leaders is appalling.

The point that I am trying to make is that the Federal Government appears to be selectively enforcing the law.  What!  Are we back to discrimination again?

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States should be rewritten.

Emergency births in this country should not automatically make the newborn a citizen of the United States.  This is a direct circumvention of the law, and everybody knows it.  In my opinion, only a baby who is born in the United States to a mother who is an American citizen at the time of birth should be given automatic and instant citizenship.  Any baby born to a mother, or by any other means than by a mother who is an American citizen at the time of birth, should not be considered to be a citizen of the United States.  Test tube babies and/or babies manufactured through some other means than being born through the womb of a mother who was an American citizen at the time of birth, should not be considered to be an American citizen by birth.  Don’t forget that citizenship is one of the qualifications for someday serving as the President of the United States.

I DO believe that one of the qualifiers for naturalization should be the possibility of immediate revocation of that citizenship at any time if the Immigration Board deems that circumstances warrant that action.  It is sad to have come to this point.  However, the irresponsibility of some of our government leaders has made this necessary, especially if they throw gasoline on the fire by giving illegal aliens amnesty.  We had better make a provision for such an occasion, in case partisan politics leads us to such a travesty of justice.

However, on the other hand, I DO NOT believe that a natural born citizenship to a mother who is an American citizen at the time of birth should be subject to revocation by anyone or any government for any reason. 

Citizenship is a wonderful and precious thing.  And, it is not cheap.  We may not always agree with the decisions that the leaders of our country make.  We may not always agree with what our leaders do in the name of America.  We may not always agree with how, at times, our leaders seem to mock and abuse the very freedom that we were given by the Constitution.  But, our citizenship does guarantee us the right to at least voice our opinions against their decisions.  It also gives us the right to vote them out of office, to the very last man or woman, if we decide to change things.  IT IS TIME TO EXERCISE THOSE RIGHTS, before it is too late.  We desperately need immediate changes.  There is an ill wind blowing around us.  And, it is our responsibility, yea it is our duty, as good citizens of the United States of America to heal our land, while we can.

This concludes the first two groups of issues.  I had hoped to close out this series of articles on June 10, 2010.  However, it looks like an additional issue will be needed in order to finish up the last two groups of issues and the final remarks as to how we can make things right again.  Therefore, look for the June issue on the normal publishing date of the 10th of the month.  Then look for the final closing issue around the end of June.

  ------ Rocky Hanes

               Author: Common Sense Reborn