Important!
Submitted (without my nom de plume) just now to our local newspaper. We shall see if “phallic” escapes the editor’s keen, censorial eyes…
I realize some of the references in this letter are obtuse to readers not well versed in the wackadoodlery that frequents our local newspaper’s editorial section. Yesterday, a local doctor and former leader of our tea party, emerged from his “burned out” retirement from letter writing to challenge anyone to disprove his emphatic position that walls always work. Said doctor, a messianic Jew, heaped special praise on the walls that keep second-class Palestinians from sullying their first-class neighbors. His letter is included in the comments section below.
January 21, 2019 CE update: Well, blow me down! The letter was published today, exactly as originally¹ submitted, in The Sentinel Record. Now we wait for the hate…
Dear editor,
George Bernard Shaw is credited with this bit of wisdom: “If you want to tell people the truth, you’d better make them laugh or they’ll kill you.” John Naisbitt, American author and speaker, was perhaps following that sage advice when he wrote “leadership involves finding a parade and getting in front of it.”
If you’re looking for a parade to get out in front of, there’s a ridiculous one right under your noses. Day after day, and week after week, circus clowns prance and parade their blissful ignorance and brazen bigotry across these very pages. Some rise, like the mythological phoenix, from the ashes of their self-imposed “burnout” exile to ponder the preposterous. Others feel compelled to call down damnation on heathens and heretics alike. And Democrats…
Our petulant president’s next barrage of mangled tweets will soon have us chasing new shiny objects, but the latest outrage du jour is remarkable Rashida Tlaib, newly representing in the hallowed halls of Congress. Oldest of 14 children growing up in rough-and-tumble Detroit, she had the unmitigated audacity to use a common vulgarity to describe our purest President. Republicans everywhere are clutching their pearls and swooning over her disrespect of Donald Trump.
No matter that our tangerine POTUS is on record using the same language and worse. “You lie!” screamed a Congressman at Obama’s first State of the Union speech. Remember? Were your petticoats ruffled then?
Of course not. You were too busy breathlessly following Trump’s intrepid quest for The Lost Birth Certificate.
To his beguiled Dear Leader personality cult, he can do no wrong. He has never done wrong and yea, verily, will maketh America great again. He will build a big, beautiful wall to protect us from caravans of impoverished invaders in flip-flops. Mexico will pay for it.
To dream The Impossible Wall. If you can’t smell its stupidity and sheer vanity, your olfactory sensibilities have utterly abandoned you. How is a wall going to stop suicidal terrorists in airplanes? Or home-grown vigilantes with assault rifles?
They must not teach history in medical school. A recently thrown gauntlet insists walls always work. Walls alone never work. Hadrian’s Wall had garrisons stationed every Roman mile. The Great Wall of China was built to rush defenders to wherever the enemy appeared. The “wall” between East and West Germany was rigorously patrolled by shoot-to-kill soldiers. Even the much-lauded wall holding Palestine’s refugees at bay and out of sight is adorned with phallic watchtowers and remote-controlled machine guns.¹
Not all walls work. The walls of Jericho came a-tumbling down. A trick pony got past Troy’s walls. Jerusalem’s walls certainly didn’t prevent annihilation.
Walls are all about us and them. About exceptionalism. Walls are an immoral, ugly desecration of this beautiful planet. Must we continue this selfish madness until her beauty is a long forgotten fable told only in the dust of whirlwinds?
Fortress America. Is that what you want? Tell me, patriots, are walls Christian?
Jacques d’Nalgar
Hot Springs, Arkansas
¹ This sentence was slightly edited after I had already submitted this letter. The original version read, “Even the much-lauded wall holding Palestine’s refugees at bay and out of sight has phallic observation towers and remote-controlled machine guns.” The edited version has a slightly more contemptible ring to it…
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Author
The biblical wall
Dear editor:
I thank Dr. Jack Sternberg for his letter of 1-15-19 and totally agree with him. I went to Mexico last week and crossed the border two days going and coming. I never saw one person try to climb the wall or fence whatever you want to call it. I wouldn’t even attempt it because it wouldn’t be successful.
Consider this. When God brings the New Jerusalem down to the earth after the millennium it will have a wall 216 feet high; each side is 1,500 miles which makes a total for four sides of 7,000 miles total and has 12 gates. No one will be allowed in but saints, citizens of the city. There will be no liars, robbers, thieves, or murderers, greedy or wicked that will be allowed in. There will be 12 gates, three in each wall; east, west, north and south, and there will be strong qualifications for those who enter. There won’t be any sanctuary cities to protect the crooks. And they will force the rest of the world in submission; ruling with a rod of iron.
Now, hell has no walls to keep them out and there will be none but wicked there. That’s where the crowds will be going.
Now, think about this, which do you want? It’s not easy to take the straight and narrow road. Paul said that through much tribulation we will enter the kingdom. Our reward is in the future, not now. But the world will persecute you if you take the straight and narrow way. If they persecuted Jesus who never sinned but did only good; if they did this to a green tree, what do you think they will do to a dry tree? Jesus said I came not to bring peace but a sword; the father against the son, the mother against the daughter, etc. When one turns to Christ and changes his life then others will be against you but Jesus will give the individual peace. He knows where he’s going.
Clyde Edds, D.D.
Jessieville
Author
Southern border walls
Dear editor:
I haven’t written in a while due to my “burn out” concerning the present political environment. There is just so much hate and anger that I can stand from both sides and I’ve reached my limit. Life is way too short to stay irritated all the time. I’ll bet others feel the same way.
Most letters to the editor that I’ve read consist of the writer’s opinion, likes and dislikes and what they feel and think about our present local, state and federal government. I praise the Lord that I live in a country that has a Constitution that guarantees this right. But, rarely are issues discussed factually. So I would like to try to do so.
One can have a vigorous discussion concerning whether illegal immigration or unrestrained immigration across our southern border is right or wrong, moral or immoral. But that’s not the purpose of this letter. This letter is specifically to make a case for the effectiveness of a southern border wall (barrier).
When liberal Democrats claim that “walls don’t work” and “this is a complete waste of money” they clearly are wrong and just making this up. Unfortunately, many believe their rhetoric because it goes unchallenged. I have yet to hear their facts or examples proving walls don’t work. So below is my challenge.
For all of recorded history, walls work as long as they are big enough, thick enough and high enough and an invading army doesn’t breach the wall. Intact walls have always been effective. Whether it’s the Great Wall of China, which kept invaders out, or the Berlin Wall that kept East Berliners in, they work and work well.
A wall has reduced the number of apprehensions of illegal aliens in San Diego from more than 628,000 in fiscal 1986 to its current number of around 30,000 a year. It would be even lower if their wall was made higher and better and more complete.
The latest proof that walls work is the Israeli wall that keeps out its enemies, terrorists and illegal aliens. Since its completion, the number of enemy infiltrations has decreased to essentially zero wherever the wall exists. And the same is true for illegal immigration. It works so well that to protect its ports, Israel is now building a massive sea wall.
So, here’s the challenge to the liberal writers of this newspaper. Please write back and make your case if possible, using facts, statistics and examples, proving that walls don’t work. And please stick to what I have asked. Don’t obfuscate by talking about cost (which if built would actually save money spent on illegal immigrants and could be spent on our homeless and our veterans), the location of the wall or even environmental impact of the wall.
I ask you to answer specifically. Do adequate walls work or don’t they, period? And if you believe they don’t, prove it.
Jack Sternberg, MD
Hot Springs
Author
Again, the wall
Dear editor:
As expected, the reply by [Jacques d’Nalgar] doesn’t negate my premise that walls work against large groups of invaders as long as the wall isn’t physically breached. He just gives examples of how they must be supplemented to make them even more effective against individuals or small groups who attempt to illegally cross the border barrier built to prevent such unlawful activity. I agree, no wall alone can be 100 percent perfect; just close to it.
Even though I specifically asked those writing back to avoid a discussion concerning the “morality” of a wall and just prove walls don’t work, [Jacques] just couldn’t resist. He couldn’t just answer my question. So he then injected whether a wall is “right or wrong” and then, of course, asked the question “are walls Christian” as if he already knows the answer.
Let’s start my answer by defining the population wanting to emigrate to the U.S. for a better life. If the populations are those who live in countries with far inferior lifestyles, freedoms and safety compared to the U.S., then we are talking about most of Central and South America including Mexico, the Middle East, much of Asia, China and India. Hundreds of millions if not over a billion people might desire to emigrate if we had open borders and no wall. [Jacques], what is an acceptable number that you would allow and be happy with suddenly flooding the U. S.? How many could we realistically absorb without becoming a country just like the ones they left? I personally like my America and don’t want it “fundamentally changed.” Accepting legally, as we do now, over one million immigrants per year is generous; one hundred million is insanity.
As to the biblical/Christian thoughts on a wall, what you are really asking is about accepting all foreigners in need. In the Old Testament, the same God as the God of Christianity, God insists that His Jewish people and the country of Israel/Judah not allow the surrounding nations to be part of Israel lest Israel be destroyed from within. Often quoted are verses such as Leviticus 19:33-34 — “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong and he shall be as a native among you.” I believe legal immigrants are so treated. Nowhere do I find verses saying let’s let all strangers in to Israel so we can treat them well.
We all know Jesus was all loving and kind. But, I don’t remember a verse where He invited outsiders to come to Israel. I don’t believe He was happy that Greeks and then the Romans controlled His Israel and influenced His people with their pagan beliefs.
Jesus helped many who were ill and healed them. He fed 5,000 who came to listen to Him. But, He didn’t heal everyone or feed all those hungry and poor in Israel even though He was capable of doing so. Should we accuse Jesus of not caring for those in need because he could and didn’t?
So, are walls Christian? You decide.
Jack Sternberg, MD
Hot Springs
Author
The scariest person
Dear editor:
To [Monsieur d’Nalgar’s] “Everyone loves a parade” (1-21-19), flip-flops? Really? We must be watching two different caravans. People living in the streets here would wrestle the guys in the caravan for the sharp attire I’m seeing. Too bad we can’t see the “flip-flip” wearers at night and the women’s treatment. Many are raped by the “impoverished” men.
[Monsieur d’Nalgar] served us up a huge plate of garbage, the most stinking being the acceptable language of the Muslim lady who would be beheaded in the country of her heritage if she used it against her leader, as “common vulgarity.” I am a tough conservative, therefore will state, firmly, that language used by President Trump or anyone else is not defended as “common vulgarity” by me.
The person in our government who frightens me most is Nancy Pelosi. It was a done deal; she was not going to get the votes. Nancy had different ideas and there she was, with raised gavel and her twitching mouth, like she was ready to bite!
She is so scary that if the grizzly hanging in my garage saw her coming, he would tear the doors down, even though he’s been dead for 50 years.
I have great-grandkids who would beg to clean their rooms if Nancy showed up at their front door.
The rattles off the rattlesnakes my husband killed would begin to quiver with fright if Nancy came too close.
I would miraculously be able to run once again if I were ever to be in close proximity with antsy, fancy Nancy.
To Mr. Vogt, there is one that I hate and that is Satan, the great deceiver and enemy of the living God. He is busy in the U.S.A. today. My mom, who was a Democrat, would totally reject the “everything free,” liberal socialist Democrats of today. She believed in hard work and did plenty of it to provide for her kids! God bless her. I can still see her, at bedtime on her knees, thanking her God, when she was visiting us.
As for Mr. Barack Hussein Obama, I am not convinced that the guy who partnered with the Russian Vladimir Putin couldn’t produce a phony Hawaiian birth certificate. Stranger things have happened. Hillary is good at making things disappear. Would it be that much more impossible to make something “appear?”
Please, liberal readers, don’t act so insulted. President Trump has been a target of poisonous darts unmatched in our history! Only the blind don’t admit this!
President Trump is willing to work with the other side, but he is always turned down because the liberal socialist answer is always the same: “Give us what we want, then we’ll give you what ‘we’ want you to have.”
Remember Nancy’s “We have to pass the bill so we can see what’s in it?” Now its “reopen the government, then we’ll talk.”
Fool me once, Nancy, shame on you. Fool me twice, Nancy, shame on me.
Thanks to Arch, L.J., Clyde, Donald and others! Keep writing! God bless America!
Mary Robinson
Hot Springs
[…] not following his rules of engagement. You can read his letter in the comments following “Everyone loves a parade.” That’s the inference in much of the opening […]