Courtesy of the Red White and Blue…

The ol’ black Ford rolls on towards the next rolling rise in the road as Toby Keith sings his patriotic anthem through the Delco in the dash:

Hey Uncle Sam
Put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty
Started shakin’ her fist
And the eagle will fly
And its gonna be hell
When you hear Momma Freedom
Start ringin’ her bell
It’ll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Ah brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue…

Uncle Bubba smiles at the corny lyrics that stir so many. I guess that is the beauty of music and the arts; it transcends the artist, in this case an entertainer that is making his living potentially pretending to be something he may not. Oh sure he’s patriotic and I like that cause I am too; but what are his true beliefs? When he’s not Toby Keith the entertainer, who is he?

We put so much enthusiasm into blind ambition that Mr. Keith’s song stirs but do we put any thought into the effort it takes just to decide how we will fight our enemy? After September 11, 2001 we were all united and behind the President’s decision to take the fight to Osama in Afghanistan. Since that time however, we’ve had time to access the course that this fight has taken and where we can make some improvements. It’s no secret that Bubbie is fightin’ mad over the state of our boarders and our inept ability to secure them. Heck, as we keep hearing from our fear mongering leaders, we’re in a war! Sure, as Toby Keith’s songs allude to is the old school adage that a good offense is the best defense but in a war with sneaky terrorists, this doesn’t work so well. Kicking in doors with guns-a-blazin’ doesn’t work on a devious cave dweller.

We’ve had a 911 Commission recommend 41 urgent remedies to prevent another terrorist attack on our shores. (Most of which have not been addressed.)
“Recommendation: Targeting travel is at least as powerful a weapon against terrorists as targeting their money” (911 Commission Report, p. 385).

“Recommendation: The U.S. border security system should be integrated into a larger network of screening points that includes our transportation system and access to vital facilities, such as nuclear reactors. The President should direct the Department of Homeland Security to lead the effort to design a comprehensive screening system, addressing common problems and setting common standards with systemwide goals in mind. Extending those standards among other governments could dramatically strengthen America and the world's collective ability to intercept individuals who pose catastrophic threats” (911 Commission Report, p.387).
Department of Homeland Security spokesman Jarrod Agen claims that customs agents at the U.S.-Canadian border accept up to 8,000 different documents, often a birth certificate and driver's licenses that are prone to counterfeiting. The US Congress passed legislation to require anyone entering the country to have a passport that includes American citizens that leave the country on vacation and return home. The law--called the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative--was passed in 2004 to tighten border security by limiting the number of documents U.S. Customs agents can accept was to take effect as of January 1 2006. Members of Congress, influenced by the tourism and travel agency lobbies are now retreating in their war on terror by crafting amendments that would delay implementation of the law until at least June 2009. How is that not an act of treasonous terrorism—sabotaging the abilities of our US Boarder Patrol and leaving our own national boarders open and unprotected?

Bubbie marvels at the beauty of the blue sky in contrast against the lush green tree line on the horizon. The sun beats down through the F-150 windshield and bakes the dashboard. Bubbie drives over the rise and breathes deep the smell of freshly cut hay as the road winds down among the large rolls of spun grass. He’s glad he lives in America. He’s thankful for the men and women of the Armed Forces that give so much so he and the rest of us can experience a blessed daily life.

Take action, write your Congress Person today.