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NATIONAL SECURITY

There are two dominant attitudes in Washington D.C. The first is that the external threats to the United States are over exaggerated. The second is that the threats are best handled by lots of talks, negotiations and unthreatening dialoguing. For the following reasons, I respectfully disagree.

The threats from outside of the United States are many, varied and real. Perhaps you might recall how Islamic terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in 1989, then they went quiet for twelve years. Too many people in Washington D.C. are allowing the proper posture of vigilance to be compromised. Al Qaeda is still out there. They are still planning other criminal acts, and we must never forget that if we drop our guard or become complacent, they will strike. Southern Nevada is regarded as a high-probability attack site for future acts of perversion of the Islamic faith. It is imperative that Southern Nevada be represented by someone who is both realistic about the threat from terrorists and hard-charging in his advocacy of strong policies to prevent future attacks.

Terrorists are not the only external threat to Southern Nevada and the United States. Mexican drug dealers are spreading across the nation like a cancerous wildfire, laying waste to lives along the way, bring death, destruction and violence everywhere they go. Too little is being done to secure our border against the trade. Too little manpower, money and intellectual firepower are directed toward the problem. The failure of our representative to form a powerful coalition with the representatives of the other states of the southwest is inexcusable. California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas combine for some serious clout, Yet nobody from Nevada's delegation has exercised leadership on the issue. Rather, they have engaged in gamesmanship. The problem is now well beyond the point where mere management will suffice.

These drug cartels have an easy time getting their product into our country. So do the illegal aliens who choose to enter our nation on a daily basis. So does anybody else who might have a desire to enter our nation for evil purposes. One of the fundamental and few jobs a national government MUST perform is to secure the borders and protect the people. I am certain that there are a variety of excuses or talking points as to why the federal government has failed to secure our borders. I cannot fathom, however, that there is an intelligent argument to justify it. The people of Southern Nevada need to be protected from drugs, thugs and other law-breakers who illegally traverse our nation's porous borders.

Negotiating is a wonderful thing when it is an actual option which makes it purposeful and prudent. There are some people, organizations and nations which are willing to enter into good-faith negotiations with other nations, and who have a sincere intent to honor the results of them. This is not true of all. There are people, organizations and nations who will negotiate in bad faith, writing a promise with one hand while stabbing you in the back with the other. The "talks" concerning North Korea's nuclear program are an example, as is Iran in regards to their nuclear program. It needs to be understood that dishonorable nations, organizations and people cannot be treated nor though of in the same way as those who act in an honorable and decent manner.

There is a discernable lack of balance in the "leadership" from our district on such matters. I too would love to sit down with the President of Iran, sing a chorus of Cum Baya, hug and believe that they are not going to build atomic bombs: peace is always the preferred path. However, all of the evidence points to the inescapable conclusion that they have been building and presently operate the infrastructure for nuclear weapons manufacture. They are an extremist, fundamentalist regime and they support terrorism. This is a most dangerous state of affairs, especially given the fact that Southern Nevada is such a vulnerable target. We need STRONG, FIRM LEADERSHIP that is not afraid of nor averse to the idea that all terms of negotiations require verification and that violations must have consequences. We need a representative who will counterbalance any limp-wristed policy discussions which might compromise our state's security. We need strong, forceful leadership that understands the need for keeping all options on the table at all times.