DUTY, PRIVILEGE, SACRIFICE & HONOR

While this is the traditional weekend when we attend to the graves of loved ones and relatives who have passed on, it really is the National Holiday set aside to remember and Honor those men and women who accepted the responsibility of "defending our country against all enemies foreign and domestic." Does that phrase sound familiar? It should. It is part of every oath of office taken not just by those being sworn into political office, but those who become peace officers (police, sheriff, border patrol, troopers, parole agents, probation officers, FBI, CIA, etc.)as well as those sworn into military service (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, National Guard and the Coast Guard).

No longer are this country's enemies located on foreign soil or fighting us from foreign ports. They are right here in this country - and working night and day 24/7 to get into the USA, crossing our borders both legally and illegally. They don't necessarily "look" any different than Americans because Americans can be of any national heritage, any race or have any religious inclination - or no religious inclination. The enemies of our country may - or may not - speak English. In truth, while we used to think of "sleeper agents" as spies put in place years ago by Russia during the Cold War years, or China now in what has become the technology war of computer spies, "sleeper enemies" are now being infiltrated into this country from Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen and other points from that part of the world. They cross the borders of Mexico into Arizona, California, New Mexico, etc. and from Canada into Maine, New York, Washington state, etc.

They can try to explode planes via bombs in their shoes, their underwear, by commandeering planes and then flying them into national landmarks, etc. And they can use places from the west coast to New York to right here in Maine and New England to hide and plan.

Here in our small towns and rural communities we have the same Duty and responsibility to be alert and serve our county as those men and women who wear any one of the uniforms of service of this country. We have the Privilege of living in a country that, for the most part, is free. We can travel from one place to another - from coast to coast - freely without restriction. You can not do that in almost any other place in the world. Travel to France, you turn in your passport when you check into your hotel. You get it back maybe the next day. In the meantime, the French police know where you have registered and have had time to check you out. Don't think you can travel throughout Europe without your passport or be stopped and required to show your Visa (not the credit card) authority to be in the country if you plan to be there for an extended period. Here in the USA, all you need to carry is a valid driver's license or proof of identity with a photo identification.

However, we do have citizens here who work very hard to sneak around even these minor requirements. They insult the Sacrifices that men and women for over three hundred years (300 years) have made to provide these freedoms. They are the employers who "hire" illegal aliens to work in the fields and other day jobs and often pay illegals under the table. And we have American citizens who help illegal aliens get across our border. Anyone who is coming into our country illegally is a threat to our national security. And anyone who helps them, American citizen or not, is a criminal, undermining the very sacrifices our men and women have made to protect our country.

We cannot excuse the illegal alien who claims poverty as the reason for slipping into the country. That individual may be held hostage to the fear of discovery by a watching terrorist and subsequently will do something that will endanger some vital component of this country. Perhaps he/she will be hired illegally to work in some capacity which will enable the terrorist to poison some major waterway, disrupt some important communication system, distract some critical response system while another vital system is destroyed. The phrase "a chain is as strong as its weakest link" can be applied to any employer who hires illegal aliens just as easily.

We all have a Duty to protect our country whether we live right here in Maine or know of illegal activities going on in our area. We have the privilege of living in the USA. We have no right to take the sacrifices of those currently serving or have served in years past for granted.

It really is a matter of Personal and National Honor.