For the most part, I pay little attention to events outside of our state and Lewis County.
Quite frankly, mundane events in other states do not interest me that much and have little impact on me, my family and friends. Lately, unignorable events around the country have grabbed my attention.
About 7 million people from 140 or more countries traipsed across our southern border in the past two years. Fewer than 1% landed in New York City, a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state, and New York’s mayor is pleading for help.
City services, parks, schools and neighborhoods are overrun with “asylum seekers” threatening to overwhelm infrastructure and bankrupt the city.
Why does that concern me? Where did the other more than 6 million “asylum seekers” go? How many were shipped to Washington? How long before our own sanctuary cities become overrun and bankrupt?
The governor of New Mexico recently signed a public health emergency directive banning open- and concealed-carry of firearms in certain “high crime” counties. To be fair, the public health emergency directive did direct funds to test wastewater in areas with numerous fentanyl-caused deaths, and that is a positive move.
On the other hand, suspending United States constitutional rights ensconced within the second amendment is not a power a governor holds. Why does this concern me? If this directive stands, we as a constitutional, representative republic are destined to repeat the history of the last great republic: Rome.
Whoop-de-doo, you say, another gun nut complaining about yet another reasonable response to gun violence. Whoop-de-do indeed! What happens if COVID-19 comes to Lewis County and Gov. Jay Inslee decides to suspend all 10 rights in the “Bill of Rights” to fight the obvious health emergency?
First off, I would go to jail without trial for daring to write a dissenting letter to the editor of The Chronicle.
The governor might confiscate all my property, throw my wife out on the street and quarter the National Guard in my house to keep an eye on all my neighbors. Whoop-de-doo indeed! Wake up, pay attention, get involved and vote for ideals — not wit, charm or popularity.
Gregory Riplinger
Centralia
