By Timothy D. Naegele[1]

Our magnificent nation came into being as a result of the Revolutionary War, in which the British were defeated by heroic efforts, despite enormous odds against it happening.[2]  Our Declaration of Independence is a timeless document.[3]  We were challenged again in the War of 1812, and prevailed.[4]

Next came our Civil War, which pitted Americans against Americans, in the bloodiest conflict of our history.[5]. Two heroes stand out: Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.  The scars of that war remain with us today, as our nation is once again confronted with racial strife.  Perhaps Grant said it best with respect to the former slaves:

He was brought to our shores by compulsion, and he now should be considered as having as good a right to remain here as any other class of our citizens.[6]

Today, we are faced with invaders from an estimated 170 countries, who have been crossing our border with Mexico primarily.  Many bring small children; and their heroic efforts cannot be denied.  My first ancestor in America came from Bristol, England in 1770; and through hard work and the Grace of God, he became very successful and wealthy.[7]

Next, from Rottweil, Germany, a husband and wife arrived in 1849, who had sixteen kids.  They traveled across the Atlantic, and settled in New Ulm, Minnesota—near Minneapolis where my parents were born and raised.  In 1860, the husband had assimilated enough that he joined the Minnesota Regiment, and served in the Civil War.  Other ancestors came from Ireland and Scotland in 1850.

In recent years, we have seen waves of refugees fleeing from the war-torn Middle East, and traveling through Greece and other countries to the heart of Europe.  Others have fled war-ravaged Ukraine, seeking better lives in Europe.  As with every conflict, many women and young girls have been preyed upon by sex traffickers, and ended up in lives of prostitution.[8]

Why repel and defeat the invaders who have crossed our southern border?  Aren't they this century's counterparts of my ancestors who arrived in the 1700s and 1800s?  Yes, and no.  Many are criminals who bring deadly Fentanyl and other drugs into our country.  Others are members of the Mexican cartels, who sow lawlessness and havoc in our country.  Still others are unaccompanied children who are being used and abused.

Inscribed on our Statue of Liberty in New York's harbor are the words:

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"[9]

If we honored these words literally, the United States would be overwhelmed and torn asunder, while those who have waited patiently to come here legally would be denied[10]—which has been happening.  However, as the 2024 elections approach, brain-addled Joe Biden's administration is reversing course and ostensibly closing the border, which they had opened wide.[11]  How very callous and hypocritical.

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© 2023, Timothy D. Naegele

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[1]  Timothy D. Naegele was counsel to the United States Senate's Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and chief of staff to Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal recipient and former U.S. Senator Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass).  See, e.g., Timothy D. Naegele Resume-21-8-6  and https://naegeleknol.wordpress.com/accomplishments/   He has an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as two law degrees from the School of Law (Boalt Hall), University of California, Berkeley, and from Georgetown University.  He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon, where he received the Joint Service Commendation Medal (see, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commendation_Medal#Joint_Service).  Mr. Naegele is an Independent politically; and he is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, and Who's Who in Finance and Business. He has written extensively over the years (see, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/articles/ and https://naegeleknol.wordpress.com/articles/), and studied photography with Ansel Adams.  He can be contacted directly at tdnaegele.associates@gmail.com

[2]  See, e.g., https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War ("American Revolutionary War")

[3]  See, e.g., https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence ("United States Declaration of Independence")

[4]  See, e.g., https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812 ("War of 1812")

[5]  See, e.g., https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War ("American Civil War")

[6]  See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/21/ulysses-s-grant-an-american-hero/ ("Ulysses S. Grant: An American Hero")

[7]  See, e.g., https://scottsvillemuseum.com/esmont/esmonthomes/plaindealinghome.html ("Plain Dealing, Keene")

[8]  See, e g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2009/12/28/human-trafficking/ ("Human Trafficking")

[9]  See, e.g., https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty ("Statue of Liberty") and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Colossus ("The New Colossus")

[10]  See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/illegal-immigration-the-solution-is-simple/ ("Illegal Immigration: The Solution Is Simple")

[11]  See, e.g., https://apnews.com/article/border-wall-biden-immigration-texas-rio-grande-147d7ab497e6991e9ea929242f21ceb2 ("Biden administration waives 26 federal laws to allow border wall construction in South Texas") and https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/oct/5/i-cant-stop-joe-biden-says-he-must-build-border-wa/ ("'I can't stop that': Hamstrung Biden says he's required by law to build border wall")