Beaufort County blows 911 responsibility

I find Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Col. Neil Baxley’s statements regarding the inability of citizens to contact emergency dispatch (911) deplorable.

Attempting to justify his (non) responsibility with statements such as, “I cannot write a plan for every eventuality …” and “I cannot anticipate everything that can possibly go wrong …” is to shirk the authority of the position. What does one in his position do if not anticipate and correct the unforeseen?

As the commander of the Beaufort County Emergency Management Division, it is his duty to anticipate all aspects of emergency response.

The division has done a good job of handling predictable events – storms, hurricanes, etc. – but, as a retired fire captain, I suggest that the very basis of day-to-day emergency response is 911.

It is 2018. Systems exist to bring Beaufort County into the 21st century. How is it that in his years of service the emergency dispatch system has never been reviewed and/or updated?

Trump great for America

You do not have to like President Donald Trump, but you have to respect what he has accomplished for the country.

There is no rule that says he, or his family, must be liked. You may not approve of his personal appearance, or the way in which he speaks, but, you do have to give the president credit for “making America great again.”

Most working people are much better off than they were just a few years ago. The America economy has been tremendously energized by removing restrictions that were impediments to creativity and growth.

But this president goofed when he defeated the Democrat’s princess, Hillary Rodham Clinton. That caused many of her party associates to implode. Unreal.

Thanks to Trump, many European countries are now on notice to resolve their own financial and security issues. He has also put the world on notice that the United States will begin focusing on American bridges and roads instead of re-building and re-energizing foreign villages.

And, as promised in his campaign speeches, the president is attempting to address the illegal immigrant problem. It is a sad fact that we have a few liberal “pseudo-intellectuals” in key governmental positions, who are in favor of porous borders and limited jail time for illegal bad guys. Go figure.

Trump may be called many things, but like him or not, he is 100 percent American.

Biggest threat to America is GOP Congress

I grow weary of people saying we have lived in a lawless country for years regarding immigration. President Barack Obama sent hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants packing, in a humane manner without bragging.

Obama’s vision was broad and focused on issues that were important to all of us … which did not include an expensive “wall” and a self-aggrandizing military parade.

Obama faced adversity from a Congress instructed by the Senate majority leader and the Speaker of the House to obstruct every proposal that he presented to Congress. And the Democrats are perceived as the obstructionists? Really, Republicans? You own both the House and Senate.

The biggest threat to America isn’t the undocumented immigrants, ISIS, Al Qaeda, or North Korea. It is a complicit Republican Congress that is enabling an oppressive, treasonous, bigoted, lying president.

Shame on them.

US veers away from its Founders

The foremost ability of a gifted politician is to disguise narrow self-interest into the greater good of society. This ability is crucial, for how else can you get millions of people to vote for you unless you can convince them that your personal interests benefit them as well?

Our Founders were genuinely concerned with the welfare and prosperity of the nation instead of themselves. Unfortunately, we have drifted gradually but inevitably to the politician more concerned with “me” than with “we.”

This corrupts and aborts the design and intentions of the political system our Founders created. Politicians, to keep themselves in power, will say and promise anything, no matter how much it costs or how impossible or ridiculous the claims may be. They feed on people’s gullibility and needs like parasites.