My Opinion

I continue to believe that our government leaders are making the wrong decisions. I could go back decades but will limit this to the last two, Bush and Obama. Bush After 9/11 he could have bombed the training camps and follow up as others were created. Instead he led us into a 12 year debacle costing a Trillion dollars and from which there appears to be no end. At least in Vietnam we withdrew and ended the commitment. Then he invaded Iraq over false pretenses costing other Billions. In both cases many American lives were lost as well as innocent Iraqis and Afghan civilians numbering in the hundred thousand. Obama He did everything he could to keep American troops in Iraq. He was forced to remove them when the Iraqi government would not grant protection from their court system. Guess what, he didn’t bring them home. For the most part they were relocated to Kuwait. He increased the troop level in Afghanistan. Now as his commitment to leave by the end of 2014, he is doing everything to keep 10,000 troops there forever it would appear. Americans are tired of these continuing farces but regardless the occupation of this country continues unabated. Not only that but he has agreed to provide $4 billion in support for ten years after 2014. We have been spared bombing Syria only by the intervention of Russia. How humiliating that is. I am sure, if he can find an excuse, he will follow through on his crossing the red line pledge of August 2012. I continue to believe that under his “leadership” every step we take leads to more chaos in this region. Khadafy kept the brotherhood under control. We removed him for humanitarian purposes. What a sick joke. Now the armed militias are creating havoc the government has not been able to control. Mubarak also kept them in check. The brotherhood gained control with our blessing. We continued to provide billions in weaponry. When Morsi turned to strict Sharia law the people rebelled. The military agreed and removed him from power. Obama objected and has now cut back on military support. They are now reaching out to Russia. What a negative turn around that is. Our relationship with Israel is at an all-time low. They are left to fend for themselves. How tragic to abandon them now in these critical times when even just yesterday Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that Israel was “the rabid dog of the region”. Since taking office Obama has treated Netanyahu with disdain. He told a deliberate lie about Benghazi being a spontaneous event instead of the terrorist event, which all in power recognized. I believe he left them to fend for themselves when a rescue mission could at least have been attempted. The major news media for the most part continue to provide cover confusing Americans. With his continuing stranglehold on the military and homeland security he does not allow any mention of Muslim terrorists. To deny that there is a worldwide mission to convert all to Islam is to deny reality. I have even read that American Mosques are not to be placed under surveillance as all the rest of us are through intelligence gathering activities. You cannot convince me that he has not done all in his power to advance the goal of Islamists. Whether he is a Muslim or Christian is not the question. Explain the mystery of the recent firing of nine high ranking Generals? What does that mean? Is there a litmus test they must agree to, to continue in service? He clearly showed his admiration for Islam in his February 2009 Cairo speech where he lauded Islam as a great religion. Under his leadership, with the continuing compliance of the press, we will continue to stumble around without a common objective other than to advance his goals which I can assure you, are not mine. Do your own research if you believe my assessment is flawed. Jack B. Walters November 21, 2013

One If by Land by William R. Daniel

(What every American needs to know about our border) This book was recommended to me by a good friend who is a Mexican American and a true patriot of our country. It is well written, easy to understand, well researched and documented. As a 20 year resident of Southern Arizona and an avid hiker I have hiked in all of the locations mentioned. When I started the trails and mountains were pristine. As time went on we saw more and more devastation with trash thrown everywhere. As the author points out in recent year’s signs have been posted warning us of the danger of hiking these areas. That has made me angry, warning me as a citizen to stay out of these beautiful places, in effect ceding to illegal immigrants and drug smugglers. How shameful that our government has not done their job of stopping these activities. It is clearly shown that since the nineties whether under Republican or Democrat Administrations, the process has been politicized to the point that the government only pretends to control. There are many clear cut examples of pretending to enforce our laws but merely wasting resources. With great fanfare National Guard troops were brought to the area but not allowed to serve as soldiers, only observers and paper pushers. The ranchers reported constant activity across their lands with what appears to them to be lukewarm responses. Ranchers who detain illegals have been brought to Court for threatening illegals due to the fact that they were armed. I can remember reading some years ago when after a trial the Judge took the ranch and gave it to an illegal whose “rights” had been violated. From my perspective I believe they have acted with considerable restraint having to live with the constant threat and damage to their property without compensation. The gun running projects were done during Bush and Obama’s administrations. It all began in 2004 with a program called “Gunrunner” under the ATF. This had the blessing of Governor Napolitano of Arizona and Bill Richardson of Mexico. The purpose was to locate straw purchasers. This evolved into “Operation Wide Receiver” which operated between 2006 and 2007. Altogether over 300 guns were allowed to be purchased from licensed gun dealers. This time the object was to trace the guns to leaders of Mexican drug cartels. Fast and Furious was the next program. It operated from 2009 to 2011. In this one over 2,000 semi-automatic rifles were sold to straw buyers. One of these was found at the site where Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed. This created the outrage that Congress found Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt for not sharing records; President Obama supported him by claiming executive privilege. It was later confirmed that 150 Mexicans were also killed by weapons found to have been purchased under this program. Supposedly these programs no longer exist but personally I don’t trust the Federal Government on this and many other issues. I want to add the story about the murder of rancher Rob Krentz by a smuggler who fled to the border and has not been identified as of the publication of the book. It is alleged that this incident was the impetus for the Arizona legislation called SB 1070. We are all aware of being called racists for supporting. I believe I can assure you that Arizonans as a majority still approve and would vote again for similar types of legislation if given the opportunity. If you are interested in learning the facts of the border issues read these accounts from many ranchers who live South of Tucson and still strive to live normal lives with the continuing invasion of illegal immigrants and drug runners, whose activity continues unabated and will continue if we double the agents and pour $40 billion as the U.S. Senate bill would do should the House agree. An excellent, easy to read and absorb book you should read. Jack B. Walters November 7, 2013