THE WALL: A Black Eye For America

For over two centuries the United States had leaders who were capable and committed to find the resources to protect our country and its borders without building Walls.  They even did so during the cold war and even now against terrorists.  And no WALL would have prevented the tragic attack on 9/11.  But the United States had leaders who learned from that attack and our homeland has been safe.  Wisdom puts a lot of things in proper order.

East Germany built the Berlin WALL that divided the people of East and West Berlin in order to stop the flow of East Berliners to the West who were seeking a better life for themselves and their family.  That WALL of division tore family and people apart.  The WALL no longer exists and served no purpose of progress or advancement for humankind.  The WALL did not stop the dreams of the people in East Berlin to seek a better life.

Now the United States has a new President in Washington who wants to build a WALL on American soil to keep people out.  Unlike past American Presidents who found a way to keep America safe, even during the nuclear age, President Trump does not have the wisdom or character to find a way to keep our southern border safe without building a WALL.  The self proclaimed greatness of Trump is no where to be found.  The truth of the matter is Trump and the republicans in congress do not want immigration reform because minorities usually vote democratic.  President George W. Bush wanted immigration reform during his term in office but his own party in congress blocked it.  They did the same during the Obama administration.  So after 16 years of do nothing on immigration reform, they found a brilliant idea, a WALL to no where.

Real immigration reform and the use of technology and other resources would protect America's borders and at the same time help our relationship with Mexico because they have a stake in the matter and input that would help the situation. WALLS that divide countries also divide people on both sides of the WALL and is unAmerican at its core.  Trump's threat to impose a tariff on Mexico to pay for the WALL is childish at best and shows no original thought.  Mexico could easily answer that threat by imposing their own tariff on every American manufacturing plant in Mexico.  And if that happens then the American taxpayer would pay for the WALL twice.

President Trump obviously is not a great thinker and lacks wisdom and understanding.  His corrupt practice in the business world can not be allowed from the White House.  As President he stated he was a great builder and he would build a great WALL.  A great WALL that past Presidents would never build because they understood what America the Beautiful was all about and they found ways to protect our country without building such WALLS.  

This commentary written by Joe Lorio  

Who Will Be The Next Supreme Court Nominee?

The Trump administration and the President himself said he will announce his choice next week and described his nominee in glowing terms.  He also said the anti abortion people will be happy with the choice.  The republican party in general would like to see Roe vs. Wade overturned, not because their moral values are higher than others but because it translates into votes and one of their divisive tactics.

Over the years President Trump had no stand on the issue until he ran for President.  He choose the matter as a campaign issue like his party and catered to the religious right.  His extreme actions with women show he has no real claim on the issue and since the campaign, promised to nominate supreme court judges who would over turn the status quo on abortion.

This writer believes a so called conservative court may not even over turn Roe vs. Wade and for good reasons.  First the law is well established and prior to Scalia's death the court was conservative for a number of years and did not over turn the decision.  Also, it was a conservative court that made the decision possible and a conservative supreme court that upheld the challenge to the Affordable Care Act and chief justice John Roberts who was appointed to the court by former President George W. Bush, cast the deciding vote.

The big problem Trump and the republican party have today fall on the extreme ideology, and today most conservative judges do not use ideology from the bench as a whole.  And most people do not understand that cases that reach the supreme court are not cut and dry cases.  Also in the case of Roe vs. Wade, this writer is not aware of the testimony in that case to be refuted.

So after the announcement next week look for all the hype that will take place on both sides and for Trump to put his nominee up on a pedestal, because Trump does nothing but great things.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio