Sanctuary Communities

“To be, or not to be? That is the question – Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and, by opposing, end them?” ~ William Shakespeare – Hamlet

This quotation may not apply directly to what Shakespeare intended, but it works well for this article. Shakespeare means that ‘to live or die’ is the decision Hamlet faces.

We face the same choice as a republic: don’t we?

We are no longer the place we’re perceived to be by the world and by the citizenry; we are living a lie, and we seem to be OK with it; especially when viewed from a political perspective.

Our ends justify our means… so it seems.!

Stop for a moment and try to look at America through the eyes of those who hate this country.

What do they see?

Are we steadfast adherents to our constitution, or do we profess something, and then do the exact opposite.

We espouse equality, but practice social, political, racial, religious, academic, and financial segregation.

We insist that our borders are secure and closed, yet we allow 25 million illegal immigrants – invaders – into our country, and. pay them to stay? Is it any wonder that the haters refuse to accept America’s version of democracy, liberty, and freedom if those ideals create the chaos, we live every day.

Who’s Zoomin’ who?

Other countries have biased news outlets, just like ours. They see everything the way their state-sponsored media wants them to see it. They use the same interpretive license our corporate media complex does, but theirs is also biased by religious zealots and extremists.

Imagine the events of the past several years through their eyes.

o America has free speech, but jails dissenters, censors information about vaccines, and things that don’t fit their narrative.

o We have the right to protest, but we persecute and jail protesters who expose the truth.

o We have freedom of religion, but jail people that protest abortion by praying.

o We insist that all life is sacred, but promote late-term abortions.

o We openly lie to each other through the media to promote an agenda.

o We have a robust constitution defining our legal system, but conveniently ignore it when it doesn’t fit our purposes.

o America has the greatest legal system in the world where we convict murderers, but the president pardons the criminals to secure his liberal left-leaning legacy.

o Where theft is punished, only if it’s greater than $1,000.

o Where you can commit multiple crimes and never spend a day in jail.

o We berate other countries for their corrupt governments and legal systems, but use our legal system to persecute political candidates, punish dissenters, strip people of their rights, and exonerate or pardon convicted felons.

o Where the government is run by a mentally incompetent old man, that everyone swears is at the top of his game, but we allow him the power to destroy the entire planet with the touch of a button.

I submit that America is not a democracy; it’s hypocrisy.

This is the America the world sees; it’s what they see from our corporate media. Imagine the spin their politically-aligned media creates with these juicy American news-worthy tidbits.

We no longer follow our constitution, so, we’re a lawless society governed by caveat and rationalizations, expediently abnegating our legal system to fit our whims and needs regardless of the impacts, their extraordinary moral costs to the republic, and our international reputation.

Being a representative republic, implies that we have some choice in such matters of government, but I don’t recall any referenda regarding abandoning specific portions of the constitution, like opening the borders and allowing an invasion of undocumented and unvetted foreigners, many of them, being criminals and undesirables, discards from their home country. Let’s not forget the unaccompanied minors, 75% of them unaccounted for – lost – somewhere in America.

Sadly, the real numbers of unaccompanied children are unavailable from the government. Estimates are 350,000 and as high as 500,000, with an estimated 262,000 lost in America.

Is the Biden administration hiding something from us?

Obviously!

The administration hid his cognitive decline from the very beginning which begs the question, what else are they hiding?

Have we reached the crossroad, a decision point, where our systems are so defective and ineffective, that they are irredeemable and the damage irreparable? The salient answer is. it depends on who’s driving.

We live in a split society of elites and everyone else with a legal system to match. It seems that the DC swamp-dwellers are above the law and if you’re in that exalted cadre, you can act with impunity, unless of course, you’re in the wrong political cult.

The recent unmasking of the Biden Family crime syndicate is a prime example of this duplicity and corruption. They ran everything through the first-son, then Daddy – the seated prez – pardons Hunter for everything he’s done for the past dozen years, including fronting the family’s criminal enterprise, effectively condoning the crime of influence peddling; further insulating himself from future indictments and prosecution.

Doesn’t this fit the RICO, Racketeer Influence and Corruption Organizations act?

The RICO act was created to fight the MAFIA’s crime organizations in America.

The Biden Crime syndicate is a mirror of La Cosa Nostra, which means, ‘This thing is ours’, and like the MAFIA, Biden claimed the DC Swamp.

I draw the simple conclusion that the entirety of America’s partisan political edifice is geared toward self-preservation, and that in itself, indicts the political subculture and practice of corruption by extension through complicity.

Hey RICO!!! Where is Rico???

“You’re travelling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead – your next stop, the Twilight Zone!” ~ Rod Serling

Welcome to American Partisan Politics.

We the people, are held to a different standard than our leadership. This is the main problem with autocratic and totalitarian governments; leadership has different standards, and if Biden’s commutations and pardons don’t accentuate this, we have truly entered the ‘Twilight Zone’.

The recent 2024 election cycle offered a glimmer of hope, but the resistance to the crucial changes is monumental. American’s patriots are generally optimists, and their adversarial counterparts, the Socialists are deeply embedded in the debased and toxic fabric they created to fragment this republic.

This will not be a peaceful transition of power, as Biden promises. If there is one thing surer than death and taxes, it’s that whatever Biden promises, we must prepare for the exact opposite.

Every one of his actions and decisions from his 50-year career in politics proves this statement.

Sanctuary States and Cities:

Here’s the explanation and definition from ‘Global Refuge’ – [LINK]

‘In general, a sanctuary city is a community with a policy, written or unwritten, that discourages local law enforcement from reporting the immigration status of individuals unless it involves investigation of a serious crime. These sanctuary communities go beyond cities, though. One can find entire counties and states declaring sanctuary status.’

“These communities typically do not honor requests by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to detain undocumented immigrants whom local agents apprehend for misdemeanor crimes or investigations. Many in sanctuary cities also refuse to deputize their local officers as federal agents, a necessary technicality if those local officers carry out the duties of ICE agents. There is no specific federal law against sanctuary city policies.”

Pro: ‘Sanctuary cities encourage better relationships between undocumented immigrants and law enforcement.’

Cons: ‘Sanctuary cities harbor criminals, creating a dangerous environment for U.S. citizens.’

Bear in mind what these statements infer, that even though these Law enforcement officers swear an oath that mirrors that of others who serve this republic. The oath includes ‘support the constitution and uphold the law’, are then required to forego this oath to support the sanctuary communities’ policies that violate the US Constitution.

That means, the sanctuary policy requires the person swearing the oath to violate the oath taken, in order to service the policy.

These sanctuary policies are extraordinarily expensive. Through December 4th, 2024, illegal immigration has cost America $150.7 billion net, and $183.2 billion gross – annually. America receives $31 billion in tax revenues from these invaders; that’s roughly 17% of what we spend to support them.

The Cost information of the border crisis quoted, is from the House Budget Committee [LINK]

– Education is over $70 billion annually

– Medical expenditures are over $22 billion

– New York City estimates they will spend over $10.6 billion in housing alone through 2025

This is where some of our federal tax money goes; more of it comes from the taxes of the sanctuary communities.

There are 11 Sanctuary States, and over 170 Sanctuary Cities in America. [MAP]

If I understand this correctly, these communities, cities and states, set themselves above our constitution, the law of the land, by harboring illegal aliens, protecting them from federal agencies who are attempting to perform their duties, and are funded by the Department of Justice (DoJ). [LINK]

I’ve reread that passage several times, attempting to comprehend the ambiguity. In fact, I’ve reread that web site several times. I didn’t misunderstand.

Our Department of Justice funds sanctuary communities that prevent them from doing their job.

The best correlation I can conjure is the policy that set limits on the amount stolen before the jurisdiction will prosecute the theft, effectively condoning lawless behavior.

The data presents a stark and troubling reality: Federal funds intended to support law enforcement are increasingly being directed to jurisdictions that actively obstruct federal immigration enforcement. These results suggest that the DOJ – through its discretionary funding – is underwriting jurisdictions that are deliberately undermining the mission of another federal law enforcement agency. [Link]

Let me clarify this…

Our Department of Justice (DoJ), the government agency in charge of law and order, is paying law enforcement in sanctuary communities to defy the Constitution.

Our Government is paying local law enforcement to break the law as defined by local sanctuary policies.

Is it any wonder this republic is crumbling, when the people that administer the justice system are working across purposes – basically against themselves?

Not only did #46, Joseph Biden, and Kamala Harris, illegally open the US borders to this invasion, and allow the DoJ, a government agency, to support the sanctuary communities harboring them with our tax dollars, they continually lied about it, insisting that the border was secure and closed. This is a blatant violation of our constitution, our laws, and our trust.

– AI Overview – [Query]

– US Citizenship and Immigration Service. [Link]

If a particular community, city or state, wishes to maintain sanctuary status, they have that right, however, I strongly protest using my federal and local taxes to support and promote any enterprise that advocates, aids, and abets constitutional or other legal violations.

The Federation for Immigration Reform (FIR) estimates that it costs $150 billion annually to support these illegal immigrants.

The deportation effort will cost about $86 billion over the next 4 years.

It seems fiscally prudent to deport these illegals rather than spending $600 billion to support them for the next 4 years.

There were over 11 million illegal crossings that they report. That doesn’t include the got-a-ways and those that slipped through the net. The estimated invasion is between 12 million and 25 million people, including 300,000 unaccompanied children released to unvetted sponsors, according to the BBC during an interview with Tom Homan, incoming border czar. The article further asserts that most of the children were lured into the sex trades or are in forced labor situations.

In last 13 years, in Texas alone there were:

299,000 illegal immigrants arrested for 513,000 crimes resulting in 187,000 convictions.

Now, extrapolate this over the other 49 states and the magnitude of this problem peaks over the horizon, like the rising sun.

I know I’ve voiced this in past articles; I am a staunch constitutionalist and firmly believe in allegiance to its principles and tenets. AND, since the leaders of this republic swore an oath to serve and protect it, as many of us did, they should honor that oath or be prosecuted for violating it; but who has the stones to take this action.

What’s the value of swearing an oath if there is no retribution for betrayal – aka, treachery.

– FYI: AI tells me that, “In the United States, the punishment for treason can include: Death, A minimum of five years in prison, A fine of at least $10,000, and A lifetime bar from holding any federal office.”

We’ve crossed the threshold into the new year – 2025, and this is my initial offering. I have no idea where this year will take me, or what lies ahead for this republic. Like all of you, I have hopes, serious concerns, and cynical fears about this next presidential term, but I cross the threshold to the New Year hoping to be proven wrong, but expecting to be unfortunately right.

I see land mines and booby-traps being laid for the newly elected leader and his team. There is too much pent-up partisan angst between the parties for a smooth, amicable, and peaceful transition. The casualties will be the citizens of the republic. These lunatic actors (politicians) are well insulated from the fall-out of their choices.

We the people will suffer for their folly.

However, if by some caprice of human nature, things work out and the republic thrives from our choices, the politicians will take full credit for their foresight, skills, and chutzpa for pulling this off.

We the people, are nowhere in that calculus.

We’re frequently the goat, but never the hero.

The initial interactions in congress – the opposite of progress, indicate that the partisan lines are well defined, and that there will be little blurring of those lines or potential for cross-pollination; there may be infidelity in the ranks, but the sides are chosen, and the battles already begun.

Look past what you hear from the media, and recognize the under-currents; then acknowledge the intrigue. The partisan politicians and their respective parties are ready to brawl in any venue available for control of this republic; rest assured that the media will play a major role in the disloyalty.

The cult-like fealty of the partisan political parties are alarmingly strong for some, and a few MAGA-republicans are cracking under the stress from the election, yet their constituents’ demands for progress and change are still all too clear from the recent election cycle for them to commit immediately; they’ll spend time testing the waters before declaring.

Many of these elected representatives, in both major parties, rely on the voter’s absentmindedness, providing ample opportunity to evade campaign promises and assurances that their actions are altruistic, not self-serving. These con artists have a plethora of excuses ready to deflect attacks from any side – it’s always someone else’s fault, never their bad judgement or arrogance that created the complication, issues, and abject failures.

Do 11 sanctuary states, and over 170 communities signal the impending downfall of America?

There are other complications in our republic, many of the same things that also troubled Greece, Rome, and most of the other fallen empires. If they did fall to external influences, it was due to internal weaknesses from strife and instability, you know, the enemies within.

It’s time to clean-up on aisle 11, and all the other places within this republic that undermine our resolve by distracting us from the importance of internal stability and unity. We are our own worst enemies.

“The enemy is within our gates; it is with our luxury, our own folly, our own criminality that we have to contend.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

Since our elected representatives seem determined to spend our republic into receivership, all we can do is grab a lawn-chair, a six-pack of beer, and watch the show from the front row – courtesy of the Corporate Media Complex, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on one of countless sources for what passes for news and information. We each spend an average of 143 minutes per day consuming the CMC’s bullshit, and 175 more minutes average per day watching TV.

AI had no response regarding the average amount of time we spend reading since there are no meters on books, like there are on broadcast and streaming services. Too, bad.

It seems that our bombastic and self-centered elected representatives still have much to learn.

If they would only grasp history’s lessons; not on how to conquer, but how to prevent and avoid being conquered because of their errant decisions, the republic would be much better situation.

Maybe more reading would help.

As Pogo said. “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” ~ Walt Kelley

Or in the words of the great Aretha…

January 3, 2025

~ The Author ~
Charles R. Dickens was born in 1951, is a veteran of the Vietnam war, for which he volunteered, and the great-great grandson of the noted author, whose name he shares.

He is a fiercely proud American, who still believes this is the greatest country on the planet, with which we’ve lost control and certainly our direction. He grew up in moderate financial surrounding; we’re not rich by any stretch, but didn’t go hungry – his incredibly hard working father saw to that. As most from that era, he learned about life from his father, whose story would take too long to tell, other than to say that, he is also a fiercely proud American; a WWII and Korean war, veteran Marine.

Charlie was educated in the parochial system which, demanded that you actually learn something, and have capability to retain it before you advance. He attended several universities in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, and chased the goose further to a master’s, and has retained some very definite ideas about education in this country.

In addition, Charlie is a retired blues guitar and vocalist – a musician. This was his therapy career. Nothing brings him as much joy as playing music, and he wishes that he could make a living at it… but alas… life goes on!