Looks like our leader, President George W. Bush is going to go out of office without pardoning two of America’s brave warriors, who put their lives on the line for the men, women and particularly children of the United States as well as for President Bush, and got railroaded to jail as a result.
The names of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean should ring in Bush’s ears for the rest of his life for such callous and downright un-American treatment of their cases.
You may recall that back in Feb. 17, 2005 a smuggler, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, an illegal Mexican alien was attempting to bring 750 pounds of marijuana across our southern border with Mexico near Fabens, Texas, when two border security guards interceded and attempted to arrest the criminal who was guilty of trespassing and hauling illegal contraband, drugs, into our country.
In this incident they fired on Davila who was fleeing back into Mexico. The action of firing on the alien and striking him in the buttocks is the entire case against these two brave border guards and citizen family men. Had they not fired a weapon to stop the drug smuggling intruder he would have escaped back to Mexico only to return within days with more drugs. This action should have merited a citation for bravery and preventing a dispersal of those drugs to the children of our nation.
Instead, the two brave public servants are in solitary confinement in federal prison, serving 11- and 12-year sentences respectively; put there by an overzealous district attorney named Johnny Sutton, who happened to be a friend of our president, George W. Bush, who will not rule against his old Texas buddy and at the very least, pardon the two brave border guards.
Had Bush not pardoned several other criminals guilty of equal or even more egregious crimes than shooting a fleeing criminal trespasser in the buttocks, smuggling drugs that could seriously endanger our children had he succeeded in getting past those guards, I guess we could give him a bit of restraint from criticism. But that is not the case and he has pardoned quite a few that deserved far less accommodation than Ramos and Compeon.
This serious injustice being committed by our President brings shame to his entire eight year term in that revered office. It will also have negative effects on the recruiting efforts of our border guard program. How will young men feel about working with an agency whose leaders reward efficiency with trumped up charges and jail sentences? It will sour my and many others’ memories of the outgoing president and erase any memories of the good things he may have done.
And also, to rub salt in the wound, our departing chief executive just hours ago, said to the press about his successor, Barack Obama, “I like him.” Talk about misguided loyalties and feelings; it reminds me of a time many years ago when then President Harry S. Truman, a similar blunderer, said about Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, a known butcher and murderer of even his own people, similar to Saddam Hussein, “I like old Joe.”
Some legacy Mr. Bush: appreciativeness and good feelings for undeserving individuals and derision and unfair treatment for good people worthy of praise.
In interviews on television during this past week, Bush admitted that he was disappointed that his views and desires that illegal aliens in this country be granted some form of citizenship; this in direct opposition to the views of around 70 percent of America’s legal citizens. Bush, who I have supported and backed for most of the past eight years, let me and my fellow Americans who want to see illegal aliens either punished or just sent home to their native countries south of our borders, down and disappointed.
The 12 to 20 million of the trespassing criminals are in this country illegally, many robbing and committing atrocious crimes and causing honest residents much grief and expense. They are taking jobs away from legal U. S. residents with their willingness to work for slave wages. But our president likes them and wants them to stay. I wonder how many of them will be living near his ranch in Crawford, Texas???
You still have seven days Mr. President to rectify an unjust error; you said you were compassionate; here’s your chance to prove it.
Gerald A. “Jerry” McConnell, 92, of Hampton, died Sunday, February 19, 2017, at the Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill, Mass., surrounded by his loved ones. He was born May 27, 1924 in Altoona, Pa., the fifth son of the late John E. and Grace (Fletcher) McConnell.
Jerry served ten years with the US Marine Corps and participated in the landing against Japanese Army on Guadalcanal and another ten years with the US Air Force. After moving to Hampton in 1957 he started his community activities serving in many capacities.
He shared 72 years of marriage with his wife Betty P. (Hamilton) McConnell. In addition to his wife, family members include nieces and nephews.
