I am astounded how President Donald J. Trump has put the country in a partial shutdown over border security. His view is to have a great beautiful wall and in a sense similar to the great wall of China or the Berlin wall. But, I am reminded of the 2016 political debates where he emphasized that he wants a big, beautiful wall to protect our southern borders from illegal immigrants that wreak havoc on our countries job placement and promote evil gangs such as MS-13 from killing our citizens and putting some communities in total fear.
It kind of bothers me that a U.S. citizen killed his wife and children in Colorado and buried his wife in a shallow grave and then threw his two beautiful daughters in a vat of oil where he worked. I get that, but what about the immigrants that come here have to do farming, hospitality and low pay jobs that no one else wants. I have experienced that first hand from farmers I have known and never had any problems from immigrants.
Do you remember in the debates that he spoke of the wall he wanted to build and promised that Mexico would pay for it? Now, it is American citizens through taxes paying for the wall or he will shut down the government and no mention of Mexico's financial obligation.
I am not saying that we should not have border security but there are electronic means of doing the same thing that would relieve the stress on our border agents at a much lower price than $5 billion. I am sorry that I have to promote a differing view of border security and really don't want to be slammed by opposing views that I don't understand. Our own senators are against this.
The whole country did not vote for him even though he got the most electoral votes but his ego driven narcissist views where he considers himself the most popular and intelligent human being to ever be elected in his own eyes, scares the heck out of me. When you have cabinet members either resigning or being fired, who have vast knowledge in their respectful fields, leaving he just shrugs his shoulders and says he is smarter than they are. As an example the FED chairman that he put in place after relieving a competent woman with knowledge of our economy is doing his job, he then looks for a way to fire him because he raises interest rates because Trump knows more than he does.
If you want an administration that is made up of complete FOX News show hosts that have no military, economical, journalistic or political backgrounds to lead our country and deal with other countries, then vote for him and let them be his cabinet members. If you want professionals where a president listens to their experience and their sage advice, then reconsider on the next presidential election day.
Clifton W. Duggan
Dayton, Tn.
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You’ve worked hard and followed a civil society’s rules. You’ve made enough to own property. You have a nice open yard and a video security system for portions of your property. You don’t need a full system because you have a nice gate at your front walk. You sit on your porch and enjoy the fruits of your labor. But you just don’t like to cut your grass. You can do it, but you don’t want to. And darn those Millennials, you can’t find a neighborhood kid to do it.
Which would you prefer?
A person, who respectfully opens the gate to your front walk, knocks on your front door and offers in a common language to do yard work in exchange for a fair wage which contributes toward his own self-support. He offers contact information if you like his work and want to re-engage him.
Or do you prefer the person who cuts the corner into your yard regardless of your inviting gate and walk. The person decides to encamp himself out back and trim the grass to enhance his camp surroundings, then demands compensation from you. And schooling. And health care. Do you provide it? Is the compensation equal to the minimal grass service you receive around his encampment in your back yard?
How’s that video surveillance working for you when his friends and family come cutting the corner and walk to the back in spite of that inviting gate and walk that goes to your front door? They may cut more grass with more people but not all of them and ask you to pay more labor for a service that doesn’t enhance all your yard. You may get angry and ask the police to help. But you live in a sanctuary city. The police can’t make them leave because you let them in your open yard. They now have a “right” to be there.
You say “But I have a video security system and a front gate.” The experienced law officer with a weathered-eye asks, “Why don’t you have a full fence?”
Don’t be fooled by the open border crowd. A virtual presence is an actual absence. Good fences make good neighbors. Build the fence.
Bryan Bowen
Cleveland, Tn.