Opinion

Liberty or Security?

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

The news of the day mostly involves the horde of illegal immigrants swarming across our southern border. At the moment our facilities provide temporary shelter for all those people to allow time to process them, check their identification, fingerprint, check DNA, or even check to see if they have the Covid 19 disease are full to overflowing. It must be overwhelming for those charged with the job of attending to our Southern Border. A thank you to President Biden.

We can speculate that living conditions in their native countries must be so bad that they, the illegal immigrants heading this way, are willing to risk all to come to the United States. They have to know that the journey north must be hazardous. Then too, the Mexican Cartels collect large sums of money from the travelers probably with the promise of being smuggled into the U.S. and avoiding our Border Patrol. What then is the attraction?

Possibly those people that send their young children ahead and those who come as families are given the dream of free education for their children, free health care and government handouts to sustain a minimum but poor lifestyle. Then there is the assurance that, at the moment, once they get north of the border they will not be sent back to their prior homes. Currently, their new “freedom” also includes free transportation from the border to a place to live until they can get a bit established in their new home.

Then too there is the idea of chain migration to get their relatives, yes parents too, into the USA eventually. Actually, all those incentives seem pretty valid under the interpretation of the law according to the Biden administration. There is little mention though of who is going to have to pay for all of it.

Recently I have heard a commentator on TV, a learned man, posit that maybe there is a principle in life, all our lives, that is now taking priority and that may be the concept of security. This country, the United States of America, was founded on the concept that this nation should be self-governing. The concept of liberty free from the dictates of the King of England was inherent in our Declaration of Independence. We see it in the pledge that we all render to the flag of the United States: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Our Constitution mentions liberty many times and does not embrace the concept of a personal security. The security understood by the framers of our country meant that it was our government’s responsibility to keep our territory free from the invasion of other countries but that, thank you, we as a people were responsible for the security of our own lives.

When I first came aware of such things it was family that cared for their elderly. My own great-grandmother lived with her youngest son. No assisted living, no nursing homes then. For those in dire circumstance, the county maintained a “Poor Farm” where people lived and worked for their keep. Somehow there was a stigma attached to that and getting sent to the poor farm was universally thought not a good thing. Then too churches took care of their own by helping with food, shelter, and other needs. Still, those that gave to the church tended to provide oversight to such largess and were reluctant to encourage laziness in those who received the help.

During the Depression of the 1930s the government, under FDR, Democrat, created projects like the WPA where men could work and be taken care of all at government expense. Our own McCook Auditorium was one of those WPA projects. Then WWII came and it became necessary that most men of age enter the military with a few essential industries such as farming were excepted. Then ever so many women then went to work in the defense industries for the first time.

Eventually after that war the government, local, state and federal, began to accept the responsibility of caring for the poor and indigent. Thirty years ago when I was a county commissioner the county was charged to care for the indigent but only for the bare necessities. Boy how that has changed. A giant step forward in that direction was LBJ’s 1964 Community Action Act to Stamp out Poverty. It was paid for by grants from the Federal Government filtered down through the states. That program is still in effect today and the present percentage of people in poverty is still about what it was in 1964.

Evidently it is the dream of many in big government today that tend to crave more and more power and have found that they can buy more and more votes by handing out money for all who seek security (i.e. don’t have to work) over the liberty of taking care of their own affairs. Unfortunately, it isn’t their money, it is the money that you and I pay in taxes that is handed out, no strings attached, to those who are reluctant to earn their way in life. The dream is socialism with them in charge, of course, and never has socialism been a success.

I do fear for our country’s future but then Grannie Annie and I will probably not live long enough to be much affected. It is our children and their children who will have to suffer the consequences of the poor decisions made today. There is not much we can do to prevent the turn to the left but to listen up and vote responsibly.

That is how I saw it

Dick Trail

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  • *

    Nice try, Dickie. You're a good, little propagandist, aren't you?

    Now for the facts.

    According to CBP, U.S Customs and Border Protection, you know, the people actually documenting this stuff, the current uptick in U.S./Mexico border crossings began on...

    ...wait for it...

    Trump's watch.

    See here: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters

    Note the upswing start in April 2020? See how it continues to today? Yeah. Pesky facts.

    So Biden inherited the problem that started on Trump's watch, among all the others that Biden's fixing. You know, Making America Great Again, President Biden is.

    That's how reality saw it.

    -- Posted by BlueWillow on Tue, Mar 23, 2021, at 4:49 PM
  • Sounds like BlueWillow has their mask over their eyes. Biden welcomed with open arms migrants as he cancelled the Stay in Mexico order put in place by Trump...IT'S BIDEN'S FAULT and we're paying for it.

    In January, CBP expelled 4,546 family units under the Trump-era health order, Title 42, out of 7,294 encounters. That is the equivalent of just over 62%.

    There were 19,246 total encounters with migrant families on the southern border in February. Of those encounters, 7,915 were expelled from the country under Title 42, and 11,331 were allowed to stay.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Thu, Mar 25, 2021, at 2:31 PM
  • *

    Nice try spinning, Rural Citizen, but you failed. Bad.

    Here's the data, again: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters

    Now look at the FY Comparison by Demographic graph and it's clear to see month to month, President Biden, who continues to Make America Great Again, outperforms the last guy in every aspect.

    Ouch.

    -- Posted by BlueWillow on Thu, Mar 25, 2021, at 6:58 PM
  • -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Fri, Mar 26, 2021, at 11:07 AM
  • no spinning needed when the facts are there.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Fri, Mar 26, 2021, at 11:08 AM
  • *

    Typical Rural, allow me to explain it to you.

    You cherry picked a stat about expulsions. The crisis which is the last guy's crisis, concerns the INFLUX of non-citizens.

    You understand math, right?

    Now you actually cite Fox "News?" That would be as silly as me citing MSNBC.

    Still reading? I hope I didn't lose you yet.

    I'll repeat the ACTUAL facts for your reference:

    Now for the facts.

    According to CBP, U.S Customs and Border Protection, you know, the people actually documenting this stuff, the current uptick in U.S./Mexico border crossings began on...

    ...wait for it...

    Trump's watch.

    See here: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters

    So, yeah, you can and will continue to spin. Why? Because you can't accept reality, like the rest of your minority. The future is going to really sting if you don't evolve, Rural Citizen, but that's on you.

    -- Posted by BlueWillow on Fri, Mar 26, 2021, at 4:31 PM
  • Retired LtCol Trail sure knows how to bring out the comments. The Gazette must love it.

    -- Posted by dameister on Sat, Mar 27, 2021, at 9:39 PM
  • Oh I evolve Mr BlueWillow. I'm not a CNN lover, leftist higher than though righteous activist who thinks their poo don't stink. I also don't feel sorry for people who aren't working, but are capable of because there's thousands of jobs available instead of being the person who loves to take the government's money of which I pay into daily. You my dear, really need to get a grip on reality and stop playing pity or sending pity to those not deserving. People need to grow up, accept responsibility and doing for themselves instead of waiting for a handout.

    Nice Try

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Mon, Mar 29, 2021, at 11:19 AM
  • *

    Ah, Rural Citizen lost the logical debate so he/she desperately resorts to ad hominem attacks.

    Nice try.

    Back to the original point. More people coming in (not going out).

    Simple math.

    And again, as the CBP makes clear, this started with the last guy, you know, the failed one term guy now finally and surely facing the music. I'll make the popcorn!

    -- Posted by BlueWillow on Mon, Mar 29, 2021, at 5:04 PM
  • LMAO Mr/Ms BlueWillow. You too have drank way too much koolaid to believe that the current President is going to do good for "our Country". Opening the borders, releasing immigrants so that they can take away jobs from hard working people who PAY TAXES (that soon will be raised). Hope your bank account is well stocked because everyone's future is in limbo...and it doesn't look good.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Wed, Mar 31, 2021, at 9:44 AM
  • *

    Rural Citizen, are you capable of staying on topic? It seems you are triggered easily, snowflake, and then you just rant about unrelated propaganda fed to you, just like Dickie's original post.

    So much fear.

    #Sad

    -- Posted by BlueWillow on Wed, Mar 31, 2021, at 5:06 PM
  • I'm good and definitely NOT a snowflake. I'm not a Democrat, haha. It's not propaganda when it's the truth backed up with facts. Go back to bed.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Thu, Apr 1, 2021, at 11:59 AM
  • *

    But you are. Your words betray you here, time and time again. You certainly know the truth is not on your side but you persist, doubling down, lashing out when cornered, showing your deep fear of what's coming, not logic or even a willingness to understand the future is bright.

    It's called "Willful Ignorance." Look at the last four years spilling over into today for plenty of illustrations. Again, you can evolve and be happy, but this suggests you will continue to drill yourself deeper and deeper into the ground of oblivion and maybe, unfortunately, that's nature.

    Google "natural selection" and "Darwinism" or don't, as those you associate with become more and more the minority of Americans (not locals - nationals).

    It's been fun playing with you! Get your prize at the door upon exit. I'll be watching!

    :)

    -- Posted by BlueWillow on Thu, Apr 1, 2021, at 6:10 PM
  • Dear Willow, you're too funny. Hope you enjoy laughing at yourself. I'm not the one with my head in the sand. I'm a proud true American flying my flag in this land of the free. Just sick to my stomach how so many others like you could care less about those freedoms and honoring our forefathers.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Tue, Apr 6, 2021, at 12:00 PM
  • *

    The propaganda you constantly recycle only dumbs down Americans. If you're sick to your stomach now, wait until more and more in your midst wake up and reject you. No, you're no true American. You're anti-American and by your own words, anti-Christian.

    -- Posted by BlueWillow on Wed, Apr 7, 2021, at 5:47 PM
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