September 11th And Pourous Borders

Most of the time when we talk about the issue of the open borders, what highlights the conversation are the Mexicans who are trying to cross into the United States seeking a better life. And while that certainly is a problem worth addressing, the real issue is the open and porous border itself.

September 11, 2001 was a day in the United States that will forever be marked in our minds, much like the day in December when Japanese fighter planes dropped bombs on our naval ships docked in Pear Harbor.

It has great impact BECAUSE the attacks occurred on American soil, directly within our borders.

Was Benghazi important? You bet it was. But it did not stick in the minds of the American people since, despite the Embassy being considered American soil, it was not an attack that occurred directly within the borders of the United States.

But it did happen on another September 11th. And it was a direct attack on America, and the American way of life. It was also meant to be a message to the upper echelon of the U.S. Government.

We are fortified. We are determined. And we are coming.

The question that I think does not get near enough attention in the discussion of the porous southern American border is that if the Mexicans get through it, why would we not be able to understand that anyone can also get through it?

Including, and especially the terrorists who wish to kill us.

ISIS has already said that they are looking at the porous southern American border as a way in. Not discounting the very real possibility that terrorists are already here, this is still a viable passage into the United States. And what they can bring in through our porous southern American border is not just the terrorist bodies who will seek out American targets to dish out their acts of terror.

It is a way to bring in weapons as well. And they can do this under the radar. If no one sees them enter, no one knows what they brought with them when they did.

And we have to bear in mind that for the terrorists who carried out the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York view September 11th as a day of victory. This is a day as important to the terrorist groups as perhaps Independence Day is to the United States. It marks a period in history when the terrorists got through, beat the American system, and beat us down.

The most concerning aspect of the entire porous southern American border issue is the discussion. When it comes to our elected officials, and especially the president, what we take away from any talk of the border issue is illegal immigration.

I don't sit in the Oval Office and I obviously do not receive daily security and intelligence briefings such as the president receives every day, and so I do not know what the contents of any real discussion behind closed doors in the White House may be.

Still, the American people do not seem to have any real worry of a threat, and that is largely because our president is not telling us what any real potential threat may be from our open borders. Again, the discussion is surrounding illegal immigrants. Terrorists are almost completely devoid from the entire conversation of our borders.

But if past history is any indication from this administration as to the future, then I fear that we are in real danger of another well-plotted terrorist attack. President Obama has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to most issues, and while I have always given him credit for continuing to go after terrorist groups (whether or not he actually calls them that is another story), he seems dangerously disengaged from the larger threat. And I believe the terrorists know this as well. The terrorists will use this to their advantage.

When do we act?

If September 11, 2001 taught us anything it was that we are not entirely safe in America from people in other parts of the world who do not like us. But it also taught us that there were very loose security protocols in our air transportation system in this country.

The terrorists were able to board our planes, hijack them, and fly them into buildings.

As such, the entire process for dealing with airport security underwent a complete overhaul. The U.S. Government took over airport security, and initiated a series of checks, balances, and other security protocols.

I have never argued that this was a good direction for us to go.

But, the threat from terrorists who wish to use planes and their method of carrying out their acts might be yesterday's news. And the discussions the terrorists are having today in planning their next major attack on the United States probably does not include planes at all.

Because the United States expects that possibility.

In other words, our airports are now more secure than they have ever been, and the chance that terrorists could use this method to carry out their attacks successfully is probably unlikely. When you talk about how to hit someone, you try to predetermine their moves, and move in another direction. You look for the areas of the most weakness, and you exploit them.

The question of when we actually become serious about the border may well be after terrorists are able to use it to enter the country, and bring in weapons. We may react to the border issue much like we reacted to the airport issue, only after we were fully aware of the real threat it posed.

We can either understand the real serious nature of the porous southern American border now, and take swift action to secure it, keeping out not only illegal immigrants, but terrorists. Or we can have the discussion about it after more Americans die.