What is the day’s most polarizing issue? Why, funding the proposed Trump Wall on the nation’s southern border, of course. You’re either black or white on the issue; there are no “in between” shades of gray. If you’re for the wall, you’re all in; if you’re against the wall, you’re all in. The generalizations offered in this debate have totally flushed down the toilet anyone occupying the middle ground.
Except when it comes to political labels.
Did you know that eight Republicans in the U.S. House figuratively crossed the proverbial aisle to vote “no” on the recent Continuing Resolution that included $5.7 billion in wall funding? CNSnews.com identified the double-crossers as Justin Amash (Michigan), Ken Buck (Colorado), Carlos Curbelo (Florida), Will Hurd (Texas), Erik Paulsen (California), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida), Fred Upton (Michigan.) and David Valadao (California). These eight now can rightly be identified as RINOs – Republicans in name only. They’re on middle ground – registered with the GOP, but prone to line up at will with the Democrats.
Back to the Continuing Resolution: Despite the political fence-jumpers, the CR ended up passing in the House, 217-185. Then the bill containing the wall funding went to the U.S. Senate, where it hit a roadblock because to pass, the Republicans by rule need 60 “yes” votes out of the 100 votes possible. The GOP holds a majority of 51 seats in the Senate, but that leaves them a couple of votes short of 60. The result is the current partial shutdown of some non-essential parts of the federal government. For those victimized 25 percenters, it probably was an Unmerry Christmas!
Battling any justification behind the shutdown, President Trump argued that the wall is a necessary part of our security at the border, which might as well be Swiss cheese in many areas. Illegal immigration costs the nation’s taxpayers an estimated $275 billion a year. Trump says more than 90 percent of the heroin infecting our nation comes by way of our southern border, and that heroin-related deaths have tripled since 2002. In the past two years alone, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have arrested criminal aliens already charged with or convicted elsewhere of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes, and 4,000 murders. Finally, Trump points out that every day, U.S. Border Patrol and federal Department of Homeland Security agents identify at least 10 known or suspected terrorists trying to gain entry into the USA. It takes only one of that kind to precipitate a catastrophe.
Here’s another fascinating report: In October, U.S. Treasury officials stated that the federal government disbursed nearly $5.9 billion in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program coupons. (SNAP also is known as the food-stamp program.) Then in November, according to Treasury officials, the federal government spent another $5.4 billion to provide food stamps. In other words, the monthly cost of food stamps nearly equals the one-time appropriation for the border wall that Trump seeks.
Moreover, the latest figures show that food-stamp fraud amounts to more than $593 million a year. If that loss could be stopped and redirected, Trump’s wall could be paid for in fewer than 10 years.
But take heart. Despite all this weeping and gnashing of teeth over nearly $6 billion, all appears to be well in the land of the free and home of the brave. How can we tell?
Well, a new survey commissioned by a group called EdenFantasys has found that seven in 10 adults surveyed typically have sex on Christmas Day — even if they’ve traveled home for family festivities. Nearly half (44 percent) of the 2,000 adults who took part in the “holiday hanky-panky” survey said they even had a Christmas Day romp in the hay penciled in on their calendars. But that should come as no news to any of us. Statistically over the past four decades, more babies are born in July, August or September than in any of the other nine months of the year.
In the words of Mad magazine cover-boy Alfred E. Neuman: What? Me worry?