Enough Is ENOUGH!

          Why have borders if they are not going to be enforced?  What is the point?  Why call people who come here without citizenship, “illegals” and then act like it is no big deal?  Why even have INS anymore?  Hey…  I get it!  I understand that some of the people that come here are coming here to escape a bad situation, violence, drugs, poverty, and so on and so forth.  However…  as cold as this may sound, that is not our problem and we need to stop making it our problem.  As a mother of three amazing children and a person with a huge heart and giving hand, I feel bad for any child put in an undesirable situation but unfortunately, we can’t play caregiver or hero to every child in a bad situation in this world.  If you think otherwise, then get on the list to adopt a child from one of these situations and stop expecting the government and other US taxpayers to support these children, people, orphans, and illegals!  The government wants to be so stern on some issues and get us further into debt over certain things but… maybe if there weren't all these extra undocumented mouths to feed then that may help.  Just a suggestion.  Now I know that won’t fix it and by all means I know that  lack of border control is not what caused the National debt, but… it certainly isn't helping any. 

            As far as “pathway to citizenship” goes, oh don’t even get me started on that!  I think that is just absurd!  To me it is just like teaching my children that if you want something you can get it one of two ways.  The first and easiest way is that you can earn it the honest way by doing your chores and we go buy it with your allowance.  Or if you are too impatient and selfish then just steal what is not yours and then ultimately you can get it after you just do a few chores; never mind the fact that you stole it and it wasn't yours from the get go, we will just let that go.  That is just ridiculous and I think that by letting people that came here illegally gain citizenship (no matter how long they have been here) is just showing them that the US doesn't care and does not mean business like they say they do. 

            Rules and laws are set in place for a reason in this country and our citizens are expected to abide by them and are given consequences if not followed and I think that if you are not even a citizen here yet, that makes it even worse!  We already have so many US citizens in poverty and in bad situations that need our help and I think we need to focus on them before we start worrying about helping others, as I also feel that along with the intake of all the illegals comes all the problems from which they think that they are successfully escaping. 

            On the subject of the unaccompanied children that come here, I feel bad for them.  I still don’t think they should be allowed to stay here, but someone needs to hold their parents or guardians accountable for allowing them to do so.  Any adult that would allow a child to cross a border without them is a disgrace to the human race as far as I am concerned and that makes the government even worse for letting them by with it. 

            The government needs to look at putting a much higher concrete wall with razor wire and or barbed wire all over it and have it go 5-10 ft under ground all along the border (I really don’t care how expensive it is it will save in the end).  Until it gets built they need to put most of the man power on the US/ Mexico border and not as much on the US/Canada border.  Hell… pull our troops out of the “fight against Ebola” in Africa and get them there, and pull all the troops from overseas.  Make a base there for the active duty (not National Guard or Reserves) to be there at all times!  At least we know they will get the job done right!  I don’t know that I have the right, or sensible solution but darn-it… something needs to be done.  Let the Mexican Government deal with the problems they have going on there and stop trying to make their problems into our problems.  Please do not get me confused with a heartless individual.  I care very deeply and passionately about people, and helping them especially children!  However, I just know that we have an overwhelming amount of poverty here that needs to be tended to before we should even think about helping other countries!  

To Trust or Not to Trust?

In the USA Today, found in the Opinion section is an article, titled “Americans Short on Reasons to Trust: Column” written by Glenn Harlan Reynolds.  This article points out and backs up with valid reason why the citizens of America find it hard to trust our own government.  

When you look at it, Reynolds brings up some significantly strong points and reasons to show for a lack of trust from the American citizens for the government.  I think that I agree with everything he said in this article and when he talked about the CDC and Secret Service being in the top of the trusted areas of the government until recently, I was far from hesitant to agree.  I say this for a few reasons, some of which he discussed in his article as well; the security breaches in and at the white house, the prostitution mess that was going on with the Secret Service in 2012 and now with the Ebola outbreak.  There have been cover ups and lies and as always, we the people are only given what the news and or government wants us to know.  

As I discussed in a previous post about the security breach at the White House, if we can’t count on the Secret Service to thoroughly protect our president and tell him the truth of what is going on and when it is going on,  how can we trust the government to tell us “dumb citizens” the truth and keep us accurately informed?  Lastly, I have to agree when he quotes Matthew Continetti in saying, “It is not Ebola I am afraid of. It is our government's ability to deal with Ebola.

Lack of Communication

     Upon hearing that the security of the White House was breached, I didn't know rather to laugh, drop my jaw, or be mad!  I thought it only appropriate to write this post on the issue of interest.  Come to find out, someone with the Boston Globe feels the same way I do.  On 1 October, 2014 in the Editorial section of the Boston Globe, an article was published titled "Resignation Won’t Fix Secret Service Woes." If you can't tell from the title alone, you can see the way the author (and I) feels about this issue.  (I believe it was written by J. Scott Applewhite)
     So, on Sept 19th, a former war vet by the name of Omar Gonzalez not only scaled the fence, but made it all the way into the White House without a single bullet wound!  That is not the worst of it either.  Secret Service Director Julia Pierson is said to have resigned from her position (can't say that I blame her) since this all has happened.  The way I see it is that if she can't see to it that the security measures that have been proven to work for years, remain in place and are followed 100% of the time each and EVERY time, then there is no need for her anywhere near the White House.  She can just go work at McDonald's or mall security.
     Turns out they are adding extra layers of security to the security that was already in place.  However, like it even says in the article "What’s needed is a reexamination of an internal culture that permitted serious security breaches and a failure of communication with the members of Congress who are supposed to oversee the agency."  Which is a great point I think considering all the facts when you lay them all out on the table.
     1. Alarms that were supposed to go off once he scaled the fence were "muted" and never went off!
     2. Secret Service did not even communicate with the House Committee that the intruder had a
         knife.  In fact.  They told them the exact opposite!  That he in FACT did NOT have any
         weapon at all!!!
     3. Private (ARMED) Contractor Security Guard with 3 prior assault and battery convictions
         was allowed to ride in the elevator with the President and within arms reach of him just 3
         days prior to the intruder.  And you guessed it... Obama was not briefed on this direct breach of
         Secret Service protocol.
     There was a hyperlink in the article about the new security measures which I found to be a really important bit of information.  According to this one, Gonzalez "had been questioned in the past few months by Secret Service personnel outside the White House after they noticed him loitering. Mr. Gonzalez had not been arrested, nor was he told to stay away from the White House."
     I don't know... too much just isn't adding up here and something is smelling really fishy here and it seems to be screaming inside job to me! I am just not convinced that all of a sudden all the security measures that have been in place and worked for years just failed that one day for this one guy and for this one president.  Even more so... two separate incidents within three days of each other.  It just does not seem right.
     The guy really has hit it spot on in this editorial when he says, "The Homeland Security inquest may reveal a need to tweak the rules here or there. But above all, the Secret Service simply needs to carry out current policies — and own up to its failures, before both Congress and the general public."  I also agree with the fact that it is humiliating that a guy was able to scale the White House fence, but very troublesome that the whole truth and facts about the events and any security breaches is being withheld from the ones who have a right to know.  The ones who's lives are at risk.  The ones whos jobs it is to protect and serve the President, alongside him and the Country.  It is an utter disgrace.  The Secret service is NOT a job to take lightly and I think that everyone who was on duty the day of the breach and on that side of the mansion should be without a job.

Just for closing sake... I feel the need to post this last quote from this other article (non commentary) in the Washington Post on this issue about contact made Gonzalez before the incident.  This is just crazy.

"On Monday, federal prosecutors alleged that a man who jumped the fence and ran into the White House on Friday was keeping 800 rounds of ammunition, two hatchets and a machete in his car, which was parked blocks away.

A prosecutor also said that the man, Omar Jose Gonzalez, 42, had been arrested in Wythe County, Va., in July while carrying a sawed-off shotgun and several other firearms, as well as a map with a line pointing toward the White House. And in August, Secret Service officers saw Gonzalez near the south fence of the White House, carrying a hatchet in the back waistband of his pants. Gonzalez agreed to let the officers search his vehicle, where they found camping gear and two dogs, then released him, a prosecutor said."