Age Old Questions

Who’s in charge? What’s the difference between policy and law? What points of agreement do we share? How are we different from one another? Does the difference really make a difference? Where does the government’s authority come from?

Is abortion a wrong or a right? What makes a person a citizen of any nation? What is the difference between a legal and an illegal alien? How do we protect each other from threats? How do we protect our nation and its people from terrorism? What do we give up in order to have any protection.

We all have insurance policies protecting what we feel is valuable. Home owners coverage helps us recover from damaging storms, fires or other catastrophes. The coverage doesn’t prevent the damage from occurring, but it does financially reimburse us, at least in part, for the cost of recovering from the damage. Same for auto insurance: protection from financial ruin in the event of an accident that causes great property damage, or physical injury, or worse – death. And the legal ramifications of all of that: the lawsuits and whatnot.

Protection of a nation’s liberty, freedom and self determination as a nation, usually calls upon a group defense of those people – be they a tribe, a state, a nation or whatever. The larger the group the larger the defense. The military is such a defensive mechanism for nations. The military, because it contains so much lethal power and might, can be used for offensive purposes as well. Such is the threat of maintaining a military force for defense. A nation can lose control over military purpose. It is a hidden cost of defense.

So, just because we have the ability to press an offensive military option, do we? Ought we? Another age old question to add to the list!

Citizenship and its legitimacy is a critical question for America because the melting pot of global cultures is the unique history of America. We are not of one bloodline. We are of many cultures, nationalities and ethnicities. It is what makes us strong. We are of broader mind and sinew because of this coming together of mankind within our borders.

This is the most important single issue for me and my pride in my nation.

Whether we were born here by circumstance or chose to adopt this land as our own having been born elsewhere, makes no difference. Our heritage is the same – humankind.

Legitimacy of citizenship may be argued. It is the result of process. It is the fruit of policy. But in the end it counts for little. It truly only matters that you are here because you want to.

Now, in a free society such as America’s, it is difficult to determine the purpose of a citizen. If you are legal, you are able to do damage to the nation because of your beliefs and actions borne of those beliefs. Just look at domestic terrorism – Sandyhook elementary school massacre; Oklahoma bombing by Timothy McVey; Columbine High School shootings; and so many more. Terrorism functionally seeks terror as statement. It is home grown as much as external forms of terrorism.

The threat politically from ISIS, communists of yore, or any nutcase wishing harm to America for any reason, is the same threat as our own domestic perpetrators of terror.

Knowing what we are dealing with is not easy. Blaming everyone in sight for this state of affairs does little good. America has trained personnel to handle this. The military is one; National Guard is another. And of course Homeland Security, FBI, CIA and countless other intelligence agencies and their personnel help along with local police, sheriffs and first responders to keep us all safe.

All of these people work hard to protect us. They succeed most of the time. Some of the time they are unable to discover the threats in time to prevent a terror event. That is no reason, however, to lament that ‘we can do better.’ Let us celebrate the good we do and bad we prevent. We will mourn the failures, too, as we must. But let us not beat ourselves up for those failures.

No one has all the answers. What really matters is what we agree on, and then work for common goals for the common good.

I deeply believe this is the core strength of our nation. And at that core is the historical fact that we are all immigrants. Celebrate this reality.

Now, let’s move on to other important matters that need our attention. Might I suggest checks and balances in our governance structures?

I thought that might get your attention!

February 20, 2017