Misguided? I Think Not!

July 4, 1882: A child was born. Born on the 4th of July. Independence Day in the United States of America.


This child was not born in the USA. She drew her first breath on an ocean steamer, the daughter of Irish emigrants en route to a new life of freedom in America. So, in addition to her Christian first name, "Sarah," her parents made her middle name the same as the ship on which they sailed, "Arizona."


What dreams did Sarah Arizona's parents harbor in their bosoms as they traversed the mighty ocean? What hopes? What aspirations for their infant daughter who would live her entire life in the land of the free? Could they have fathomed that their baby girl would become the matriarch of a pioneering family making its own legacy in the state that also bore her middle name? Could they imagine that their child would become a living example of the American dream, where hard work, perseverance, and ingenuity reap rewards for oneself and those who follow?


Like most European immigrants, Sarah's parents entered the American melting pot legally through Ellis Island. They did not sneak across its borders under cover of darkness. Did not hire a coyote to smuggle them in. Did not bring illicit drugs or contraband to sell on a black market. Did not bear arms. Did not kill anyone.


They came with whatever possessions they could bring, and with their hopes and dreams, and their determination to labor as hard and as long as it may take to carve out a life for themselves and their children in the land of freedom.


Some ten years earlier, a twenty year old man named Julius Ignatius had emigrated to the USA from Alsace-Lorraine. He also entered the country legally, and settled in St. Louis, MO, where he became established in the meat industry. He had three sons, with whom he eventually moved to Arizona as meat industry pioneers. One of those sons, Frank Ignatius, married Sarah Arizona on October 9, 1904. Together they had 12 children, nine of whom survived to adulthood. One of those nine was my dad. And his nephew, my cousin, was murdered last month on his own land, apparently by an illegal alien.


Frank and Sarah founded a ranching business that has endured for over 100 years. In every respect it epitomizes the actualization of the American dream: A son and daughter of immigrants make a free and profitable life for themselves. Their offspring and the offspring of their offspring reap the rewards. But those rewards were earned, through hard work, perseverance, and committment to a legal business that produces food to keep Americans healthy. Those rewards were not stolen, not connived; not procured through illicit trade in mind-altering substances that destroy the health not only of individuals, but ultimately of a whole society. No, theirs were just rewards spawned from and nurtured by honest labor.


This family's legacy is just one example of the rugged pioneer spirit that built my home state of Arizona. Growing up there, I learned the value and necessity of being both fiercely self-reliant yet generous to my neighbors, to both protect and share, defend and give away. So I fully understand why - in the face of armed invasion by illegal traffickers in substances of destruction - this state would adopt rigid and aggressive protections to preserve that freedom so hardly won by those early pioneers.


I consider it extremely offensive that the leader of the free world - who should be quite familiar with the evils of organized crime and the extraordinary struggle to control it - would patronizingly use the word "misguided" in reference to this state's latest effort to protect its citizens...especially in light of the long history of rhetoric-only federal engagement.


Make no mistake. I love Mexico. I love Mexican people. I happily spent 3 1/2 formative childhood years living in that fine country. I fondly recall my parents' enthusiasm and warm memories of our sojourn into to the heart of its rich culture. And I never hesitate to return to Mexico when the opportunity arises. But I do so legally with passport in hand. This issue is not about Mexico or its people. It is not about the millions of legal Mexican-Americans whose contributions to this nation have been so deeply powerful. It is not even about those who wish to legalize their current questionable presence in this country, to be afforded the same opportunity as any other citizen to labor in pursuit of the American dream.


No, this is only about those who would steal that freedom from others, by taking their goods, their property, their land, or worse, their lives. It is about those who capitalize on our generosity and egalitarian nature to violate our citizens and their freedoms. They are the worst sort of criminals, and as a society we must not allow them to prey upon innocent Americans of any ethnic background. How can it be any more misguided to adopt strong measures to fight organized crime across our southern borders today than it was to aggressively fight back when similar criminals owned the streets of Chicago?


We correctly tout that freedom is not free. We could also avow that the long, winding road to freedom cannot be circumvented. There are no shortcuts to the American dream, least of all at the expense of our law-abiding citizens. For states to put obstacles in the way of modern bandits and thugs who would steal freedom from legal travelers is not misguided. It is prudent. It is right. And absent honestly genuine effort from national leadership, it is inevitable.

Solidarity

This much I know for sure: A criminal killed my Cousin Rob.


Almost three weeks have passed now since that unidentified and still unapprehended gunman shot and killed Rob and his dog on his own ranch. Like the rest of my extended family, I was shocked and outraged by the despicably senseless murder of this gentle giant whom we all dearly loved. None of us will heal easily from this trauma, least of all those who lived with him every day.


Our family tragedy occurred during my current forward deployment on a U.S. Navy warship thousands of miles and several decades away from the Arizona of Rob's and my youth. So I was especially jarred one day to unexpectedly view images of this man and the 100+ year old family ranch repeatedly scrolling across the TV screens here, courtesy of satellites and the national media.  And on the Internet it didn't take long for pundits -- liberal and conservative alike -- to seize upon this poignant event as fodder for promoting their particular causes.

Aside from periodic visits too far apart, I've been away from Arizona for many years. During the last 18 years I've been serving in the U.S. Navy. So my awareness of the debate about border security came mostly through my cousins' eyes and rhetoric, and - ironically - to a lesser extent through my Michigan-born wife's nephew who serves in the U.S. Border Patrol. From personal perspective, I do realize that the ranch I last visited when we buried my Dad seven years ago was not the same carefree place where my cousins and I rode horses and frolicked in our youth. Beyond that recognition, the border security issue did not concern me much. Until that criminal murdered my cousin and devasted his loved ones.


A city boy since toddlerhood, I don't really know ranching. I've always admired my cousins and their families who worked that ranch after acquiring it from my Dad and uncles. They often struggled mightily against the vagaries of weather, the unpredictable fluctuations of a dynamic market, the fickleness of a society that can't decide if it wants or doesn't want their product, and the indifference of politicians. I proudly doff my cowboy hat (I do own one) in deep respect to these fine men and women for their perseverance and loyalty to a cherished family legacy.


Drugs I do know. I know them all too well, not from personal use, but as an emergency physician treating the worst downrange consequences of their seductive ways. Often in the middle of the night, I have seen, touched, and smelled not just the direct effects of those illegal substances on the tortured bodies of their users, but also the indirect effects from the violence and mayhem to life and flesh that too often accompanies their illegal use and sale. Saddest of all, as a father I have personally grieved when more than one of my seven children fell prey to drugs' malicious appeal. Thank God they are no longer caught in that evil grip!


Plenty of reasons exist to hate drugs and those who purvey them. The often unwitting users who get sucked into embracing the products of this multi-billion dollar international industry are the most pitiable of victims. The monsters who prey on those victims for personal wealth are the most heinous of criminals. If it is true that illegal drug trafficking across the Arizona/Mexico border was the root of Rob's murder, there truly can be no limit to our justifiable family outrage.


I could not attend Rob's memorial service because of my current assignment in the Western Pacific to a component of our nation's continued struggle against terrorism. How ironic that my cousin whose memorial I missed may have been killed by another species of terrorist...on his own land, in his own nation, within his own free society...the very society whose Constitution I have solemnly sworn to protect and defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic.


So, not as a naval officer, but as a father, and a cousin, and an American I stand fully and squarely in solidarity with my extended family in support of the most eloquent and unselfishly appropriate message of any that I've read since Rob's death:


On March 27th, our Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother and Uncle was murdered in cold blood by a suspected illegal alien on the Ranch.


This senseless act took the life of a man, a humanitarian, who bore no ill will towards anyone. Rob loved his family instilling in them the importance of honesty, fair dealing and skill managing all aspects of a large 100 year old ranching operation producing food to make our country strong and healthy.


He was known for his concern and kindness helping neighbors, friends and even trespassers on his ranch with compassionate assistance in their time of need.


We hold no malice towards the Mexican people for this senseless act but do hold the political forces in this country and Mexico accountable for what has happened. Their disregard of our repeated pleas and warnings of impending violence towards our community fell on deaf ears shrouded in political correctness. As a result, we have paid the ultimate price for their negligence in credibly securing our Borderlands.


In honor of everything Rob stood for, we ask everyone to work peacefully towards bringing credible law and order to our border and provide Border Patrol and county law enforcement with sufficient financial resources and manpower to stop this invasion of our country.


We urge the President of the United States to step forward and immediately order deployment of the active U.S. military to the Arizona, New Mexico Border.


Thank you for all for honoring Rob. We want the truth known.


This much I know for sure: A criminal killed my Cousin Rob. And changed the lives of all who knew and loved him. He should not have died in vain.