Current Events

From the Desk of John Rourke – March 1st, 2017

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I can see many Republicans and Trump voters freaking out over Trump’s comments about a “compromise” regarding bringing forth an immigration bill. I’ve said it all along that rounding up 10-20 million illegals is impossible. Border security must be handled ASAP or the discussion of a possible immigration deal will increase the flow across our southern boarder.

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Beretta may have lost to Sig to win the US Army’s new pistol contract but it won the 2017 Ugly Pistol of the Year contest:

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From the “If I Could Go Back In Time” file: I wouldn’t haven’t gotten such good grades. I would have had a lot more fun.

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I see that one of my favorite knives – the CIMA-1 Fixed Edge knife – is on sale for $22.99 and ships FREE. Use Promo Code: CONEGB and get it for $20.99. Great deal!

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Weekend Homesteader – April

Sewing for Beginners

The United States Constitution

Best Jokes of 2014 – we all need to laugh, right?

Beekeeping for Beginners

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20 Comments

  1. CaptTurbo says:

    I get so tired of hearing that rounding up all the illegal alien trash is impossible and to hear it here makes me scratch my head. Our country has done this several times before so … BS! We can and should find every last one of them and put a boot print on their ass.

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      CaptTurbo – We can agree to disagree. I am not aware of any time in the United States history that we have gathered up all foreign illegal immigrants and deported them. Minor small efforts in the past would pale in comparison to the embedded problem we have here now. Hey – maybe I am too compassionate but taking a kid/individual that was born here or brought here as youngster and knows nothing of Mexico and pushing them across the border – I just don’t think it is needed nor justified. There are illegals that need to be deported – millions of them. There are also illegals that should be provided a path to citizenship. As stated Step #1 is to STOP further illegal immigration now.

      Reply
    2. Oren says:

      And here’s the truth….darn it. Wish it were otherwise, but…this is from FactCheck.org. I guess we will doing good if we can but sift thru them and find the welfare moochers and criminals and get rid of them. There are some really good folks who have come in as far as being family oriented and hard workers. Those we should keep.

      FULL ANSWER
      This distortion of history has been going around for some time, but has picked up momentum as the immigration debate has heated up again. So we contacted researchers at the Hoover, Truman and Eisenhower libraries to ask if the historical record backs up the claims that these presidents ordered mass deportations. It doesn’t. We also consulted the Office of the Historian of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and a leading academic historian as well. We got the same answer. This e-mail message is bogus.
      The true history of presidential policy toward illegal immigration, and of deportations, is neither as simple nor as successful as claimed.
      Hoover did not use immigration policy to “create jobs” and never “ordered the deportation of all illegal aliens.” During his four-year presidency, roughly 121,000 persons were officially deported or induced to leave through threat of deportation, according to our analysis of official statistics. (We explain our sources and analytical methods fully in the “Where We Got The Numbers” section below.)
      Truman did not try to “create jobs for returning veterans” by ordering deportations. In fact, he signed legislation protecting the rights of Mexican migrant laborers recruited legally to help harvest U.S. crops, and was unable to win congressional approval of measures to crack down on employers of illegal immigrants. During his nearly eight years in office, about 3.4 million were deported or left “voluntarily” under threat of deportation.
      Eisenhower did not deport 13 million Mexicans. Only one-tenth that number was ever claimed by the federal officials in charge of  “Operation Wetback,” and even that figure is criticized as inflated by guesswork. Officially, just over 2.1 million were recorded as having been deported or having departed under threat of deportation.
      Historian Mae M. Ngai calls the message “a most interesting distortion of history,” and our research backs that up. Ngai, now at Columbia University, told us that “none of these presidents presided over any general deportation campaign.”
      So this e-mail’s claim that a president could “sure do it today” — that is, easily deport all the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants now in the U.S. — is a conclusion based on false evidence. No relocation effort nearly so large has ever been attempted, let alone accomplished “in two years” as this e-mail states.

      Reply
      1. JR says:

        Appreciate it Oren. Here’s some more truth: Our elected(by us) leaders have screwed us for decades when it comes to immigration and illegal aliens. Now “we” have to clean up the mess. The reality is the mess may get cleaned up to a certain point – but there will be evidence of the mess left for all to see for years to come. kinda like coming home and knowing the kids cooked as wrappers, food particles, and spilled ketchup are all over the counter.

        Then again – the mess may not get cleaned up at all. Time will tell.

        Reply
  2. keebler says:

    Illegal is Illegal…no matter what—WHY do some want to feed & clothe Illegals—good, take them in YOUR home you feed & clothe them. NOT MY TAXES.

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      All – understand I am absolutely against illegal immigration. Regardless of “internet rumors” the vast majority of illegals are NOT on public assistance and DO pay taxes. Look it up – do your own research. The propaganda machine has been hard at work convincing those that will listen the opposite. Again – I am NOT for illegal immigration. People should know that I am surprised to think anyone would think different. Illegal immigration is a significant problem and all I am suggesting is that rounding up every single last person that is technically illegal is not realistic nor needed.

      Reply
  3. Brad M says:

    Just my opinion, but I agree with Rourke about securing our borders first. I believe that an electronic frontier would be the best way to start, and would offer our military some training and experience before shipping them to a war zone. using UAV’s that are able to detect and then dispatching forces to intercept would be better than having to maintain a physical fence. The only exception would be where a town or city butts up to the boarder. As for those who are already here, I say if they are here illegally, then if they are arrested for any offense or infraction that would be the point to deport. the great Socialist Republik of Kalifornia used to do this when I was younger. They would even go around to large farms and make un-announced inspections and deport illegals.

    And what is with all of the hype about using the term Illegal Alien? If they are not here legally then they are ILLEGAL.

    Like I said, just my humble opinion. “Please Press 1 for English”

    Reply
  4. JohnP says:

    Brad M, I agree with you on all counts, but there are some places on the border that only human patrols will work, in the 80’s the government put ground suvialence radar along the border but it would not work in all terrains and made patrols a necessary part of the border security, thankfully though drones will make for fewer troops from being put in danger.

    Reply
  5. JustAnotherVet says:

    JohnP is 100% correct. I was part of one of those radar units through the 90’s. Tech is greatly enhanced now, but there are areas in southern Arizona that beat even the drones. My hunting friends remind me that they encounter cross-border activity quite regularly. And many of those crossing were well armed.

    Reply
    1. Brad M says:

      Don’t get me wrong I believe we will always need boots on the ground to protect our borders that are well armed. Being a vet myself, I just know how much of a force multiplier this type of intel can be to put those boots where they are needed most. Having lived in SOCAL I have seen where fences, and walls are compromised all of the time and the costs are pretty high to maintain them. I believe that a face to face interdiction is much more effective.

      Reply
  6. goingray58 says:

    well.. healthy debate is good. If someone is Illegally in the US .. How can they afford to stay? Because someone pays them to be able to. If it is better here than there then why would they not come here ? Want to stop that, and make Legal immigration a necessity for being here ? Do two things in addition to border security and deportation. And it can be done right now. 1.) STOP providing State or federal funds as benefits for illegal Immigrants. 2.) Provide significant disincentive (penalties) for any employer that cannot prove their employees are and remain legal immigrants, or citizens.
    If you want to BE American then BE ONLY American. Will there be false documents. Yup. Will criminals that can pay themselves stay here or come her ? Yup. It shoudl make them easier to report when caught though, and consistent with the above policy ideas. Further, IF they are ever caught and deported, they are never eligible for legal immigration. We take away voting and gun ownership, among other things, from citizens caught, so why not ? Now continue to secure the borders as suggested… BTW once south is done the Northern border will be MUCH harder.. (It aint ALL about Mexico). There are some great big lakes with Canadian borders and boats and shores .. You can’t build walls in those lakes.
    Make it NOT pay to be here or chance doing it wrong and lose the opportunity forever, and ENFORCE IT! Filter the crap out and keep the good stuff.. and they will pay for themselves, so I don’t have to.. IMO
    GG58

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      Great points GG58. There is an entire underground black market where illegals work and conduct commerce. I’ve see n it firsthand living near Charlotte, NC.

      You’re correct there are(and have been) ways to deal with illegal aliens and stopping the lure of coming to the US. Our fearless leaders have failed to utilize them.

      Reply
  7. barney0101 says:

    JR, I agree with you too about rounding everyone up and taking them out of the country. I just can’t see it logistically, unfortunately. Get the border sealed up, job number one. I also agree that anyone arrested for any reason should be deported, period. As for the “dreamers” and their families, what I don’t hear enough as an option is that we can allow them to stay, but give them no path to citizenship. If you got into this country illegally, there is no pathway to citizenship, period. You can apply for legal status without citizenship (visas, green cards, maybe a new category for these people specifically), which gives you the ability to work, pay taxes, and “come out of the shadows” as they like to say, but you will never be allowed to vote. I think one of the biggest fears with all of these illegal immigrants is that, given the opportunity, they will vote mostly Democrat and put them into power in perpetuity. So, don’t give them the opportunity to vote. The riled up folks on the left get to let the non-violent illegals stay, and those of us on the side of the Constitution get to keep the integrity of our election process (as much as possible, anyway). I don’t see why I never hear that as an alternative. All I hear is about a pathway to citizenship. Negative. Giving them legal status to stay, and giving them a pathway to citizenship, are mutually exclusive. One does not have to include the other. Just my two cents.

    Reply
    2. Uncle George says:

      Take a guess who is the most ticked off group regarding giving illegal aliens a path to citizenship… the folks who immigrated here legally. I know several, and it is not a simple or fast process. I like Barney’s idea of giving them legal status, but not the right to vote. They should also have to pass the same vetting process that legal immigrants had to go through. I’m not sure if illegally entering this country is a felony, or not, but it should be. That would keep them from voting most places (I know Virginia lets felons vote).

      Reply
  8. Capt.Michaels says:

    Joining the fray late, but here goes anyway. Trump’s “Immigration bill” is only what he’s already said he was going to do. That is…at first he said all must go. Then it changed to..okay if your here illegally, if haven’t committed any violent, drug, etc offenses, and you’ve been productive person in society. Then there will be a path for you to to stay. Well, It was repeated via Trump, by Mike Pence.

    Some people say all illegals must go. They tried this in Alabama. Everyone in Alabama overwhelmingly voted….all of you Get out! Created a law, and It crashed the economy in many cities/towns that literally, never recovered. Which then resulted in the Alabamians “modifying” the law..THEY voted,..and they pleaded for them to come back…to late. This is fact and you can look it up or I can send you the links if you would like. Rather, than make the illegals here working, pay an “I’m sorry” fee,(More money into the system) get legal paperwork, and then legally have their taxes put into the system. They just ran em all out.

    Obama on the other hand..didn’t offer to fix anything, he tried to destroy the economy in anyway..he opened the doors WIDE open to everyone, stopped deporting people, and made monkeys out of the USA.

    Now Trump says..let’s do this in a way that would mitigate the impact on the economy, try to find some middle ground, decrease if not stop the flow of those still coming in, and start kicking out all the violent illegals. However, some people are hell bent to demand, No..ALL Must go!

    At minimum,…Trump has closed the doors, done far more, and is trying to fix this. If you think just kicking all of them out the door is the answer and you still refuse to budge in that perspective, okay. I respect your view and understand. However, in reality I watched in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina when I moved in 1 year after the Hurricane. Not only could they not get someone to work at Taco Bell for $12/hr. I’ve seen what happens when you “make em all, get out!” It devastated the economy, not to mention those liberals finishing it off. No imagine this happening all over the US. I’m sorry, but your wrong in my opinion, as frustrating as it is and pisses me off. I would rather at least see the “productive ones” stay,..if you will and the rest of them get the hell out. Than watch the country fail.

    Reply
  9. John Gault says:

    There are a number of legal roadblocks that would prevent mass deportation. I won’t bore you with the details. We can however deal effectively with illegal immigration. Secure the border using barriers and technology. Initiate and mandate a nation E-VERIFY system for all employment. Finally we must deal effectively and compassionately with the illegals who remain here and are living off of our various safety net programs. Grant them permanent status if we must, but no path to citizenship and no right to vote unless they serve in the military.

    Reply

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