Deploying the Guard on the Mexican Border is Wrong!!!

[OneAngryDemocrat]

Deploying the Guard on the Mexican Border is Wrong!!!

by Del Wasso

There is a reason why President Bush wants to deploy the National Guard on our southern border, rather than deploying the Regular Army, or simply increasing the personnel who serve with the Border Patrol...

There is a reason as to why Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo characterized any potential Guard deployment to our border with Mexico, when he said, "We train National Guard all over the country, and there is no reason why we shouldn't be conducting that training on our borders,'' despite the fact that this ''training'' would include un-planned live-fire exercises with Mexican Coyotes, and drug smugglers...

Soldiers in the Regular Army receive more benefits (Veterans Administration housing, and business loans, a beefed-up GI Bill college program, as well as family medical care, etc) than either Reserve component, or National Guard, troops.

Deploying the various states' Guard units would enable the Bush administration to place America's Citizen Soldiers into harm's way, for two week tours, without having to honor these dedicated warriors with all of those benefits that Congress has seen fit to bestow upon those who serve their nation, full time.

Soldiers serving in the Reserve, and National Guard, must be on Active Duty for 90+ days to be considered for those benefits which Active Duty soldiers receive as a matter of course.

The President's planned deployment would not give these Guardsmen the 90+ days they would need to qualify for these Active Duty benefits.

In other words, George Bush plans to endanger the lives of those men and women who have volunteered for the Guard, by placing them into the line of fire, without actually owning up to the dangerous service that they would be asked to perform.

The President's plan is, therefore, shameful, and a complete disgrace.

Visit my anti-war website, www.shockedandawful.com

[electropop]

1. Not to worry; they're all over in Iraq, so they won't be available

for any actually necessary functions. I agree though, we have an organization specifically designed for patrolling the border. It's the -er- Border Patrol. Is this too complex for Chimpy to understand?

[Turn CO Blue]

2. I oppose anything that soulless, scumsucker Tancredo approves of

[joemurphy]

3. Tancredo's a hypocrite. Your instincts are correct. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Same here

[treestar]

4. The situation has not changed in 30 years so why suddenly this

is necessary, supposedly, proves it is all just political garbage designed to distract us from something evil they are doing.

[joemurphy]

5. I would support it only if we embed Lou Dobbs with a unit

indefinitely in the Sonoran Desert.

[Dr. Jones]

6. There's alot more to it than that...

I'm kinda disappointed in that article. It may be true, but look at what Bush is doing: Federalizing the National Guard (which unfortunately is legal although hard to believe) and placing them on the border. Remember, Bush has been itching to destroy Posse Comitatus, and I think this is a first step in doing this.

Having said that, we do in fact need to have SOMEBODY policing our borders. It has been a well known fact that drug dealers, gangs, and potential terrorists have been easily pouring through our open borders. Something needs to be done about this. Apparently the states are the ones who are supposed to call up the National Guard, but according to some "defense officials," the states have ASKED the federal government to call up the National Guard to protect the borders. Whether this is really true or not is debatable.

The best scenario IMO would have been if the Federal Government wasn't involved at all, and the States were the sole entities calling up the National Guard to deal with border security.

[Disturbed]

7. Busholin's appeasment to the Extreme RW.

Busholini could have increased the number of Border Patrol to s substantial level for the past 5 years. He has not done so. He wants the scam of Guest Workers. This is merely another desperate move.

[elehhhhna]

8. dag. you are smart. good point.

[Minnesota Libra]

9. Are you able to..........

....:hide: or put on a :nuke: suit real quick for that stance? Around here secured borders is treason you know?? :shrug:

Having said that much, I distrust it simply because I know by now one thing the WH Idiot does id designed to cover up something else. So my question is what is he/Cheney up to this time??

[OneAngryDemocrat]

13. I appreciate your insight...

...but my commentary wasn't meant to indicate that I had decided to take one side, or the other, concerning The Posse Commitatus Act, or America's developing police state.

I see EXACTLY what you see, and concur.

My point with the commentary was to provide another point of view, aside from all of that - something that a Bush-bot would have to agree with: George Bush is NOT honoring the Guard's service, by placing him/her in harm's way, without full active duty compensation.

[madrchsod]

10. had a little excitement the other day?

i read about it on the trib`s online edition..crap it`s just down the road.

what no one has brought up is, that besides not having that many guard troops, how in the hell is a national guard unit from northern illinois going to train in the desert? green uniforms and vehicles will be real easy to spot. then add in the supplying of the guard in the middle of no where when it`s over 110 degrees. this isn`t training in wisconsin now is it? even if he deployed ng`s from the southern states the problems would be the same. this is a joke as is his whole illegal bullshit. he will do anything to divert attention from the slaughter house in iraq.

[Ms. Clio]

12. IVAW applauds the strength and courage of undocumented immigrants!

In the name of human dignity and rights, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) proudly stands in solidarity with the masses of undocumented immigrants as immigration policy persists on rearing its hypocritical head. As veterans who signed enlistment contracts and accepted commissions to defend the Constitution of the United States, we see clearly the racism inherent in the existing immigration policy. We have served with, and many of us are, the children of undocumented immigrants who are being feverishly recruited to protect the country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. IVAW knows that an escalating proportion of the military lives sacrificed and taxes paid are coming from undocumented immigrant families, even while those fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers are being denied the privileges of citizenship and the dignity of justice.

We, the members of IVAW, still hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. IVAW seeks an end to our nation's turn toward more racist immigration, military recruiting, and taxation policies. IVAW applauds the strength of courage and character of undocumented immigrants in the ongoing struggle for justice.
-- Iraq Veterans Against the War