Lott Bombshell: Put Troops on U.S. Borders

NewsMax.com ^ | 11/08/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., shook up the homeland security debate Thursday afternoon by saying his supported deploying the U.S. military to guard America's borders.

Lott dropped the border bombshell during an interview with Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly on O'Reilly's nationally syndicated "Radio Factor" program.

O'REILLY: Why not back up the Border Patrol with military, whether it's National Guard or straight troops - why not do it?

LOTT: Well, I think we should do it. And I would be for....

O'REILLY: Do you really?

LOTT: Oh, absolutely.

O'REILLY: You're the first politician I've heard....

LOTT: Well, look. Most politicians run around worried about civil libertarians and being sued by the ACLU. This is not only a porous border in terms of illegal aliens. It's also a porous border in terms of crime and drugs. (End of Excerpt)

O'Reilly noted later on his TV broadcast that 79 percent of Americans told a recent Fox News survey that they supported military deployment along U.S. borders, though leaders on both sides of the political fence - including President Bush - oppose the idea.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Homeland/Civil Defense
Immigration/Borders
War on Terrorism

[nanny]

[The US military is not intended to be guarrisoned in our towns, and cities, but it IS intended to defend our shores! Read YOUR constitution. Mine states their specific mission! and has no provision for an IRS!!!!!]

Absolutely!

Now my father is dead, so I can't ask him where he was 'garrisoned' during WWII - but he guarded the border then. Somehow we managed to survive that and so the that macho military everyone thinks couldn't or wouldn't do the job.

[FITZ]

Not just the Southwest.

[The Other Harry]

I am curious about your statement - what exactly is a proper use of the military?

I already anwered that. To kill people and to break things.

You want more border patrol officers, go hire them.

[janetgreen]

Nanny, there are schools here in southern California that are 90% Mexican - a friend of mine works at one, a grammar school. By law, the school cannot even ask about immigration status, they just admit them. Some are legal residents, of course, but most are not, and none of them speak English. Now we are being asked to build new schools via property tax hike because of overcrowding. No one, not one newspaper that I've read, not one TV anchor person, dares mention the real reason for the overcrowding, which is illegal immigration.

A few years back, voters passed Proposition 187 by a large margin (Prop 187 would have denied social services to illegal aliens, but we would still have had to school them). A liberal judge overturned the decision of California voters, saying it was "unconstitutional", and the welfare train not only continued but increased. They all know that they can collect almost anything from us, and if they're lucky enough to have a child born on American soil, they collect for that too. All at the expense of American taxpayers.

Bush obviously likes it this way, or he would have done something about it before now. I see my own kids struggling to pay their bills and raise their families, and it makes me sick to know that even they are being forced to support the families of illegal aliens. Our own President has demanded it!

[Reaganwuzthebest]

You may be seeing troops on the border in the near future. Lott mentioned the idea AFTER the election, which makes me think it's going to happen, something's in the works. If he brought it up before last Tuesday I'd dismiss it as posturing.

The other good news is several pro-immigration reform Senators were elected, and even McCain said recently he supports putting troops down there.

Now if we can only get them to start deporting those illegal aliens who don't belong here??

[janetgreen]

Now if we can only get them to start deporting those illegal aliens who don't belong here??

I hope so, all zillion of them, the huge elephant in the room that our own government ignores. I'm sick of putting up with their mess and paying their bills. Much of California is becoming unrecognizable.

[TheBattman]

We are not being invaded by the Wermacht, just a bunch of poor wetbacks trying to improve their lives. It is a police problem and should be treated as such. With a good fence and enough guards.

Using the military for this is like opening paint cans with a good chisel. Wrong tool and you will dull the cutting edge. The military is for when we need to kill people and break their stuff, not for arresting illegals.

What about the incursions by heavily armed Mexican police and military escorting drug runners (and by some reports loads of illegals)? What about the "coyote" illegal runners who are alos often heavily armed? Obviously the INS/border patrol is not equipped for such actions.

[Rifleman]

Quote:
What about the incursions by heavily armed Mexican police and military escorting drug runners (and by some reports loads of illegals)? What about the "coyote" illegal runners who are alos often heavily armed? Obviously the INS/ border patrol is not equipped for such actions.

Reply:
The Border Patrol has been dealing with smugglers and coyotes for decades. Look up Bill Jordan's bio or his book, "No Second Place Winner", a tome about gunfighting. The BP is fully capable of dealing with armed dopers and wetbacks if we fund them and set appropriate policies. These guys are not pussies. Just give them resources and direction and the border would be secure.

[Dajjal]

Here's a good idea!

U.S. Cuts $100 Billion Deal To Buy Great Wall Of China -- To Protect Our Borders!