Thread: Who will lead us?

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-rev ... 26972.html

By Dimitri Vassilaros
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, February 24, 2006

There will be a pro-immigration march on Washington next month in opposition to legislation that makes illegal entry a criminal offense and authorizes constructing a security fence on the U.S.-Mexican border, according to The Washington Times.

An open letter to America:

This republic needs a hero. Someone to galvanize the movement to stop illegal immigration. America's citizen foot soldiers are at the ready in every state, county and neighborhood waiting for their marching orders -- waiting for a someone to fill the leadership vacuum. A Gandhi, a Churchill or a Spartacus.

America is seething.

Frustration and anger about the invasion of more than 11 million illegal aliens overrunning the border with Mexico is as deep as the Grand Canyon and wide as America's six time zones.

America's virtually open border policy has welcomed vicious criminal gangs, drug trafficking and hundreds of Mexican military incursions into the United States. And caused shellshocked Border Patrol agents, unemployed Americans, depressed wages and Third World countries with the gall to accuse this melting pot of xenophobia and racism.

Citizen fury is white-hot. But it is not aimed at Mexico City. The blame lies inside the Beltway. Republicans want cheap labor. Democrats want new voters.

Americans want their borders protected.

There will be a tragedy along the Mexican border -- soon. Border Patrol agents and private citizens probably will be killed. The inevitable slaughter of innocent American life will ignite a national firestorm of blind rage. Then politicians from both parties will try to outdo one another to show how deeply they care about protecting national sovereignty.

It will be too late for the fatalities, of course. And after going through the motions of drawn-out congressional hearings, precious little will be done because the R's still will want cheap labor and the D's, new recruits. Neither will do anything controversial near an election year.

America's next hero probably won't be a politician. He or she is more likely to be someone like a Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, Michael Savage or another national celebrity. Maybe he will be a multimillionaire like Ross Perot. Maybe a Powerball winner.

Or maybe you.

Whoever the next American hero, he will be poised to lead a multimillion-man march on Washington -- say, a march on the Fourth of July -- to end illegal immigration.

And then he could help unify the seemingly hundreds of organizations opposed to illegal immigration into some sort of big-tent confederation that would put the fear of God Almighty into any politician who had hoped voter anger would dissipate about the defenseless border.

Almost overnight, there would be sufficient money to build an impenetrable wall, hire enough Border Patrol agents and deploy the National Guard along the Mexican border. There also would be enough money to prosecute employers of illegal aliens and companies such as banks and other mortgage lenders who aid and abet the illegals by giving them loans -- backed by the American taxpayer -- to buy houses and cars.

And no one would care what Mexican President Vicente Fox thought about it.

The marches of the supposedly million men or moms on Washington would be a fraction of the size of a march against illegal immigration.

Who is ready to lead America?

Dimitri Vassilaros is a Trib editorial page columnist. His column appears Sundays, Mondays and Fridays. Call him at 412-380-5637. E-mail him at dvassilaros@tribweb.com.

America's next hero probably won't be a politician. He or she is more likely to be someone like a Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, Michael Savage or another national celebrity. Maybe he will be a multimillionaire like Ross Perot. Maybe a Powerball winner.

LOU DOBBS, the Next American hero.

I think it is funny to mention the PowerBall Winner. I thought the other day, if I win. I Promised, myself and God. That half my winnings will go to fighting Illegal Immigration.

LOU
DOBBS
FOR
PRESIDENT

I think that leaders are rising all across America as good citizens realize their is a silent disaster taking shape in our nation. Although we love the comfort of one hero rising for all of our hopes and aspirations to surround, that is not the case.

More like the founding fathers and mothers of this nation, people from many different regions and walks are coming to the table.

This crisis will not be solved by any lone hero. It will take an army of men and women that are leaders and heros in their own right.

W

It does however take only 1 to occupy the White House where the problem actually begins and ends.

Just a Thought.