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Return to Article: Bush signs homeland bill; fills top jobs in department

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  The department, and by extension, homeland security itself, is doomed to failure unless official Washington stops glossing over a key component of security: the integrity of our borders. My home is about seven miles from the Mexican border, so illegal immigration is not an abstraction to me, as it is to the majority of folks in our national government. The Border Patrol, on foot, in their cars and helicopters, is everywhere, but they cannot stem the tide if the rest of government makes it easy and desirable to sneak in here. What do they not understand about human nature? When you reward something, you get MORE of it. Thus - bottom line - our border defenses are so ineffective and overworked, they cannot be expected to keep out terrorists.

  Anonymous Posted March 3, 2003 12:06 PM
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  The new Homeland Security Department is a farce. It will take several years to implement. It's a huge bureaucracy. Meanwhile, we are in dire need of securing our borders, shipping ports, coordinating intelligence, etc. to prevent or prepare for another terrorist attack.

  Anonymous Posted March 3, 2003 12:06 PM
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  One of the first priorities of Congress and the new Department of Homeland Security should be to honor funding commitments made to the cash-strapped state and local communities for security training and equipment. After an attack, local coordination of first responders is critical in preventing chaos, saving lives and catching the attackers. More than a year after 9/11, state and local officials have been left dangerously "dangling in the wind" and ill-prepared for further terrorist actions.

  Paul C. DaVia Posted March 3, 2003 12:06 PM
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  The new Department of Homeland Security gives me a sense of personal security to know that my government is making a concentrated effort to stop terrorism. I predict all the ballyhoo over employees losing their rights will in fact have good results. Most government employees never exercise those rights anyway. Might be good to be a part of an organization where managers have more discretion rather than walking in fear of employee retaliation. Injustice and inhumanity can usually be righted without calling in outsiders. And, in the defense of our homeland, it must be.

  Glenda Burns Posted March 3, 2003 12:05 PM