Wednesday, October 17, 2007 (8:12pm)
Dear Mr. Pitts:
I was reading an article in the LA Times this morning. OK, so this isn't something every Pennsylvanian will do but this story caught my eye and concerned me.
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-fence17oct17,0,3378849.story?coll=la-tot-topstories&track=ntothtml
What concerns me about this story is the attitude of our Homeland Security official Michael Chertoff with his comments:
"Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is urging calm, saying that the Texas fence locations remain under discussion. He has pledged to conduct a thorough environmental review of the fence plans -- but also warned that he has the authority to ignore the results. Congress has allowed Chertoff to waive environmental rules in the interest of national security, a card he has played to fast-track fencing in California and Arizona."
He is outwardly posing as a despot that this concerns me that no matter what, we as citizens have absolutely no say in what environmental destruction he deems wanted in the name of "Homeland Security".
Please understand that I honestly believe that Homeland Security is necessary but not at such serious cost as to loose endangered species of wildlife. It is the right of all Americans to uphold that which we find precious and this story is just one instance of what could/would/will happen, I fear, if this man is left with this much power. This country was never based on a dictatorship and he seems arrogant enough to push by announcing to the country that he has that much power.
He has a job to do, but should find another way to do it. If it makes his job harder, so what. It's his job and one he must do but not at the cost of all the Americans hold dear. This article has to do with the problems of Texas and Arizona and their disgust at his demeanor of everything they've been trying to accomplish. But what next? Will he come to Pennsylvania and try to undermine something that we are trying to accomplish?
In the case of Texas and Arizona, his thoughtlessness could cause the extinction of endangered species of animals that we the people are trying desperately to save. If this should happen, what else will become extinct? Our rights?
There have been a lot of things happening in this country in recent years that has everyone on edge; the housing problems, the insanely high rising cost of energy, etc. But this scares me more than all those others. They are just money and the struggle to make ends meet. But this one man, able to strip us of what is left of our dignity, rights and privilege to enjoy that which we find as happiness is terrifying. What have we become?
He was put into office to protect us from those who hate us. Not to destroy all that we try to build. But he doesn't seem to care. It's in his way so to Hell with the American people. They will just have to grin and bear it. I don't want to grin and bear it. I want him to do his job without destroying that which we as Americans hold dear.
During the attacks on 9/11, it was the people, the citizens, who were there to help each other long before the government had time to regroup and step in. It was the citizens who gave their lives for their country and fellow humans as each and every one of us is hardwired to do. This Michael Chertoff either is unaware of this or has forgotten it or simply doesn't care.
I would like to see his power stripped, at least that he cannot make blatant, arrogant assumptions as we the American people will just have to put up with whatever he decides to dish out. I would also like to see him disciplined for making such assumptions.
I was always taught "Where There's a Will, There's a Way". It seems that Mr. Chertoff needs to learn this. The American people should keep our natural lands in tack, keep our animals in tack and keep our dignity in tack. He can look for another way to do his job. And I would expect him to.
Please do not be surprised to see parts of this letter in opinion pages of newspapers. I do plan on having it published as well. This is not a refection on you but I simply feel this strongly. I don't want to be dismissed as over-emotional on this subject. Today it is the wildlife in Texas and Arizona. Tomorrow it could be even closer to home and something that imposes on me personally. I don't trust this man, not after what I read in this article.
Thankyou for your time.
I sent this letter to my Congressman Joe Pitts. I don’t know if anything will come of it, but it voiced my concerns on how out of hand this Homeland Security is beginning to get. To destroy everything we the people are trying to accomplish in the name of Homeland Security is as bad as the witch hunts of Salem and the blacklisting of the 50's.
I might be the only one who feels this way, but I don't think so. I don't want to lose my rights nor my self respect and I won't sit back and just take this.
I guess we’ll just never learn.
3 comments:
I watched a late night show that talked about the ineffectiveness of this wall. The President of Mexico said the wall is much like the Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall and other walls meant to keep enemies out. He said this new wall would fail the same as old walls have, that it would isolate the US as a nation and send a very terrible message.
I hadn't heard about environmental arguments. Truthfully, the economy will suffer greatly with it up. The economy will suffer greatly without it's enslavement of illegals working in sweatshops. The very thing this country was build on (slavery) is what is needed to keep it going...slavery only this time they aren't killed and starved...."just" worked long hours for low wages and treated like second class humans. They're afraid for their livelihood, want food and shelter and will work for the lowest of wages to get it. Since capitalism progresses when it doesn't spend it's profit capitalist are willing to enslave workers. It's the American way, it's what will keep this country going. If you kick out the people they enslave and take advantage of this country will fall on its face. It doesn't know how to dole out freedom equally, never has. History says the US doesn't know a dang on thing about freedom and equality. Stolen land that they now had someone else work now its leaders look the other way when it comes to wildlife? You are correct, they never learn, not in the beginning and not now.
Austin (on my little soap box)
Austin, you are correct with your assumptions as well. You have your soap box and I have mine, and both of us are correct.
If this wall goes up we will lose at least two species of wild cats into extinction that are now struggling to survive. Folks, businesses and everyone essentially are trying to help these beautiful creatures carry on.
My biggest fear of all this is whether we need the Mexicans to do menial work (which we do and you are right about slavery here) or even if we manage to help the Oscelot survive, is the fact that this one person, only one person, has this much power to proclaim to everyone that he is a tyrant, a despot, a dictator. If he chooses to ignore the outcry of the American people, we are in for a nasty time ahead.
This country isn't perfect. There isn't one that is that I'm aware of. But neither was the country founded on tyrancy and I'm not sure I could cope with that.
Speaking of the Berlin Wall, it's purpose was not to keep anyone out but rather to keep people in. It was a jail wall for a city.
Anything der offiz ub der fadderland sekurity (dept homeland sec) is for, I'm against. Why the super aggressive no hold barred timetable of the end of 2008? Why run around trying to bribe people with a $3000 payment when the gov't has always just taken needed land? These guys are trying to put up the next berlin wall and they need it up before the economy crashes and we head into the great depression 2.0. They don't want any of the slaves escaping. We will have our "realid" cards by then ("may I see your papers, "please"). Welcome to the great fascist states of Amerika. The signs are all there. Don't laugh, do some googling. You will find the financial system is headed for breakdown and next will come depression and then civil disobedience. The gov't has private security forces (blackwater) to put you down. I've never seen sheeple so easily put into a pen.
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