We have watched the protests at some airports across our country done in response to the detainment of a small number of people for the purpose of vetting or security. I am sure, for those that were detained and their families, that this was inconvenient. Making America safe is a daunting task. We, the American people, hold our president responsible to do everything possible, to take the necessary steps to keep us safe in a world where the problem of evil exists.
I met a young man about 15 years ago. This man’s desire was to become a U.S. citizen. At first he was here on a student visa and then a work visa. There were times that his visa expired and he had to go back. With the proper paperwork, he would return, continuing his journey to citizenship. After 11 years of doing what was required, this man was sworn in as a United States citizen in Baltimore and my wife and I were there. My point is that there is a right way and a wrong way to enter this country. Some have come with the proper paperwork, but when that paperwork expired, they stayed. There are others that have crossed the borders illegally. I have no issue with people that want to come here legally, as long as they do not come to do evil.
I have traveled to Central America, Canada, South America, and Africa. I have had layovers in London, Amsterdam, Italy and Ethiopia. My experiences in the many different airports have been varied. Some of those experiences have gone smoothly, while others have not. I have always been flying with others, and I have been the team leader on most of these journeys. As a team leader, I consider it my responsibility to watch out for my team members. Where everything was in order, passports and visas, things usually went well. If there was an issue, then there were delays. I know that you may think that what is happening is apples and oranges to what I am talking about, but other countries do much more than what we do in America. I recently flew from Kenya, through London, back to America. At the airport in Nairobi, we had to get out of our vehicle and go through an individual pat-down and security check while the vehicle and driver were searched. When we entered the airport, our bags were immediately scanned. Before we boarded the plane, our carry-on was checked two more times. My carry-on got kicked out in London because there was a full water bottle in the bottom of my backpack, a water bottle that I had completely forgotten about. You can say that it was my fault that I was delayed, and you are right. Airport safety is a serious thing, and we must realize that the state of our world has caused the increased safety measures.
Terrorism should be unacceptable at all levels. This is a worldwide problem, with it visiting some places in our world more frequently than others. It is hard to know those who intend to harm others, making detection like finding “a needle in a haystack.” If you have walked through a large international airport, it is truly a place where the nations are represented. Who would have ever thought that four airplanes would be hijacked and used as weapons of mass destruction? Who would have thought that people would place bombs near the end of the
Boston Marathon? Who can fathom the use of a large truck to drive through a crowd at what should have been a celebration?
Countries can say that they have open borders, but is that really true? Tell a Canadian border agent that you are going there to work and see how well that goes. All countries have the right and responsibility to protect their borders. It is a privilege to travel to other countries, and it is a blessing to be able to come back home, and may I never take any of that for granted. Our enemies have declared war on our way of thinking. In my opinion, this is a war of religions. I remember speaking to an English class, in an Africa school, and the teacher asked, “How is it that every American is a Christian?” I would hope that this was true, but America is a nation of many beliefs. We are praying for our president as he seeks to make us safe.
