In the latest hubbub surrounding the border security debacle, another controversy has bubbled to the surface, adding to an already steaming pot of political tension. The point of contention? An alleged shooting by the Border Patrol, leading to yet another unfortunate fatality. As expected, the investigation has been launched, spearheaded by the interagency cooperation involving the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. People are up in arms, as usual, wanting to place blame without missing a beat to understand what actually happened.
Director Kash Patel of the FBI has expressed his support for law enforcement, asserting that any attacks or threats against officers—whether in person or online—will be met with firm repercussions. It sounds like good old common sense to those of us who still believe in law and order. Strangely enough, it needs repeating in today’s topsy-turvy world where cameras roll at every opportunity to catch so-called “atrocities” that are often anything but. Indeed, Director Patel is processing evidence with his team, including the recovered firearm, which will undergo forensic examination. Apparently, joining a protest now equips one not just with a smartphone but also a sidearm, two full magazines at the ready. Imagine that!
The uproar doesn’t stop there. Certain quarters, including a governor whose name rhymes with “pauls,” have been stirring the pot even more. Encouraging residents to whip out their phones and film enforcement activities has been branded by some, not entirely unfairly, as fueling the flames of discontent. It’s a free country, after all! But maybe the line between civic responsibility and rabble-rousing has gotten a bit blurred. Rhetoric, it seems, pulls people away from rational discussions into the realm of unbridled emotion and actions that can lead to regrettable consequences.
In what might be breaking news only to the uninformed, protests in Minneapolis are heating up, with folks mad as hornets at I.C.E. and clashing with Border Patrol. It’s a logistical nightmare that puts law enforcement at a crossroads between protecting public peace and being criticized for doing their job. Rest assured, Director Patel knows that President Trump stands firmly with law enforcement officers, guiding them with his admirable leadership. The bedrock of our democracy, the venerable Rule of Law, is not about to be shaken by clamorous protests, no matter how many tweets are hashtagged about it.
Meanwhile, despite the noise, the FBI under the wonderfully competent leadership of Director Patel, has been capturing fugitives faster than a sheriff in an old western film. From drug traffickers to murderers, the catch count is up, and the criminal count down. We have even seen a robust boost in the arrest of violent offenders. Yet the other side can’t seem to bring themselves to acknowledge these triumphs. It’s almost as if the disagreements they have with President Trump are more important than uniting to support the nation’s safety. Let’s just say that numbers don’t lie unless they’re in the hands of certain political jesters who still can’t get their heads around trusting the good guys. But fear not, because the FBI, with unwavering diligence, will continue to safeguard our streets while the clamor rises and falls around them.
