NEW AMERICAN TRUTH: October 2007

Letter From The Editor
October 2007

Welcome to the fall season. As the temperatures (slowly) cool off, I find myself fantasizing about visiting warmer climates. On the cover of this month’s issue is a beautiful picture of a beach with choppy blue water. It almost makes you think about a tropical island, warm sand, clear water… but looks can be deceiving. In this case, that is Chapel Beach in Michigan. I somehow don’t think the sand is warm. I’d be willing to bet that the water temperature isn’t in the 80s. That choppy water indicates some winds moving along. What our eyes first see our mind can perceive as one thing – until we look a little closer. This is a lesson I’ve learned (or thought I learned) repeatedly through my life.

In our country today we have many citizens who are thus afflicted. What ten people see, ten people perceive differently. What I view as a problem someone else simply considers not their business. What I view as a blessing, someone else sees as a challenge. What I consider actionable, someone else sees and ignores. Live and let live… just give peace a chance…

“Everything is a matter of perception.” – Shawn Davenport.

As I’ve said before, I argued that in the late ‘80s. Since then the good Mr. Davenport has been proven right more times than I’d care to admit. But perception is entirely personal and how each of us views anything depends on our up-bringing, our education, our experiences, our outlooks, our opinions, our culture and more. It depends on the integration of all of these things and how what we’re viewing specifically relates to or affects us as individuals. The most simple things in life can demonstrate this concept: on days where I’m comfortable outside in shorts and a t-shirt, my daughter is chilly in jeans and a hoody.

Why do I type about this today? Well, our country is going through some challenging times and how we view the challenges is a matter of perception. A couple of hot topics that come to mind are the Iraq War and Illegal Immigration. Where some citizens feel that we have no business in Iraq and think that the entire war is about oil, others recognize that we needed to take action against a genocidal dictator and now need to support the formation of a new government to develop peace in that country. Remember that peace is not just the absence of conflict but also the presence of justice. That is going to take some time.

Illegal Immigration is a huge political quandary right now. There are those who think it is purely a racial topic while others view it as one of national identity and preservation. What should be a simple question of CRIME becomes one of humane considerations and human rights.

I view both as directly related to the war on terror. And yes, I feel that we are at war against terrorists. If YOU don’t think so, I encourage you to rewatch the videos from the morning of September 11, 2001 and realize that there are still thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands of terrorists out there in the world waiting to fulfill their dream of killing Americans. And, oh by the way, they don’t want to kill just a few thousand… they want to kill us by the millions. To make matters worse, they don’t want to kill millions of our soldiers (we only have about 1.4 million of them) and they don’t want to just kill politicians. They want to impact our country emotionally and financially by killing millions of CHILDREN.

Now, while some sit back and have long deep discussions about why it’s wrong for us to close our borders, or how we shouldn’t be in Iraq trying to build a democracy, I sit and think about the reign of terror that could well be visited on our country if we don’t pay attention and act appropriately. If you think that our borders are sufficiently secured then I ask you how more than 8,000,000 illegal immigrants have entered our country over the past 20 years? That’s 400,000 per year or more than 33,000 each month. Think about just that last number: more than 1,000 illegal immigrants (on average) enter our country EACH DAY. You think there aren’t ANY terrorists among them? How many is too many? My answer is ONE.

One terrorist can kill lots of Americans. Homicide bombings, shootings, cars swerving into crowded streets… there are many ways that a single terrorist could do us greater harm. TEAMS of terrorists get worse still. What does this have to do with our perception?

On any given day millions of Americans go about their business. They either see what they want to see or they simply ignore things they feel powerless about. THIS HAS TO CHANGE. Instead of having deep philosophical discussions about whether or not American has a right to close the border, let’s just start paying attention to those suspicious things we see every day and ACT ON THEM. Make a phone call. Write down a note and call later. Email your local PD or Sheriff’s office and let them know what you’ve observed, when and where.

The power of America is not in its politicians or military might. While our fighting forces are truly formidable, they don’t keep us safe domestically. They certainly protect our country, but INSIDE the borders we depend on public safety professionals – some 900,000 (approximately) law enforcement professionals nationwide. How does that number of 900,000 compare to 300 MILLION Americans? If our CITIZENS become a line of first observation and warning then our response forces can operate much more efficiently.

So, as you go through your day, don’t walk along with your head down. Walk tall and keep your eyes open. Greet your fellow citizens kindly and appreciate being an American. Look for what’s out of the ordinary and don’t IMAGINE it’s something else. It is what it is. Report what you see accordingly. Above all, commit to yourself and your children RIGHT NOW that you won’t be a willing victim of crime or terrorism.

Stay Safe!

Frank Borelli
Editor-in-chief