With Friends like these….
We have all heard the stories, maybe even experienced them ourselves, of a family loss or crisis, a community tragedy, or even, sadly, the aftermath of the attacks on our nation. People no one thought cared, show up to feed the family. A community rallies to provide food, shelter and clothing to those affected. And in the case of the attacks on New York and Washington an outpouring of support within those two communities for their own, as well as a massive outpouring from the nation at large.
It is at times like those that we discover, often to our surprise, who our friends are.
Today, October 4th, our “friend” President Vicente Fox meets with President Bush. When President Fox was last in the U.S., a week before the terror attacks of September 11th, he came close to demanding an open border between Mexico and the U.S., unrestricted migration from Mexico to the U.S., and a cover of legality for those Mexicans currently in the country violating U.S. immigration laws.
President Bush has stated that the U.S. has no more important friend then Mexico. Yet, as quoted in the Miami Herald, 62% of Mexicans said that Mexico should remain neutral in the war on terrorism. This expressed sentiment while a brisk business is done in “bin Laden is my Hero” T-shirts on the streets of Mexico City. With friends like these…
As reported today (Oct.4th) in the British paper The Guardian, U.S. air strikes against terrorist’s targets were delayed because of a sudden reversal of support from friendly Arab states. The U.S. military had planned to use the state of the art command center at Prince Sultan airbase, constructed to protect Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, now find that option withdrawn by Saudi Arabia. Fear of Islamic fundamentalism and reaction in the streets were cited as reasons for Saudi cold feet. With friends like these…
Lady Margaret Thatcher, former British prime minister, was quoted in the London Times "The people who brought down those towers were Muslims and Muslims must stand up and say that is not the way of Islam … I have not heard enough condemnation from Muslim priests." These comments were roundly criticized as unfair and insensitive by British Islamic clerics. While televised Palestinian celebrations following the World Trade Center collapse remain uncommented on, Pakistanis in northern Pakistan conduct anti-American riots, Arab states fear their own Islamic citizens, and America’s Islamic population worries more about racial profiling and “hate-crimes” against individuals then they do about ferreting out those terrorist within their community. With friends like these…
Meanwhile in Tennessee, a 29-year-old Croatian man, who entered the country on a 30-day visa…in March 1999, slashed the throat of a Greyhound bus driver and crashed the bus killing 6 or more people. Although denials are flying as to any ties to the September 11th terror plots, the use of a box cutter or razor to slash the drivers throat, the Croatian originating his trip from the city of Chicago, and his illegal immigration overstay by 2 years, should cause the authorities concern.
Congress in the mean time is working to pass anti-Terrorism legislation, which focuses on new law or changing existing law in the area of civil liberties. So while congress focuses on legislation aimed at the civil liberties of American citizens, Immigration Reform that would protect the nation’s borders, provide funding for increased border patrols, and deport foreign nationals in this country illegally, languishes on a back burner somewhere. With friends like these…
Whether they are looking to a Mexico only interested in exporting labor to the U.S. during our deepening recession, or to Islamic states whose control over their state run religion is rapidly unraveling. Clearly, U.S. leaders and government officials are missing something very important.
The American people have focused their attentions on their country. Lost on September 11th was a great part of that self-absorption of the last 10-years. In its place returned that love of country and a deep sense of national pride.
America first is now on the minds and hearts of the citizens of this nation. Our citizens remember an America that controls her borders and protects her citizens. Our citizens remember an America that provides a defense of American lives and of American livelihoods. Our citizens remember an America that respects her founding principles:
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
Our nation's leaders need to act now and put the interests of America before that of our so-called friends, and learn the meaning of the phrase America First.