THE CLOCK IS TICKING

US Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi is sitting in a Mexican jail for the crime of accidentally entering Mexico at a legal entry gate with three completely legal firearms in his vehicle. According to his phone call to his mother, he got into the wrong lane and could not turn around quick enough. The Mexican authorities pounced upon him and hauled him off to their jail. That happened two months ago. As I write this column there has been no resolution and he is still there.

I think it is important to report that Tahmooressi was in San Diego for medical treatment. He had just returned from several tours in combat. It has been reported that he was being treated for PTSD.

If you are like me you are probably wondering where are the people we pay to handle situations like this? Well, our US Senate has been extremely busy. Not working on this marine’s situation, no, they have been diligently working on a letter signed by fifty intrepid US Senators. That letter was directed to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell demanding that the Washington Redskins, a privately owned professional football team, change their name. It seems these politically correct morons believe the most important thing on their agenda is not that an American hero has been kidnapped by a foreign government and held for two months. No, the most pressing item in their thoughts is not offending a few American Indians. Is it any wonder that the Congress of this great country has the reputation that it has? I’ll bet if you polled Native Americans across this country the vast majority would think this is just political nonsense.

Here are some interesting facts. Illegal aliens in this country send twenty-two billion dollars to Mexico every year. US tourists spend more billions in that country annually. US companies are building manufacturing plants in Mexico and employing thousands of their citizens. What if all that came to an abrupt halt?

Here is what should happen and should happen immediately. Our Ambassador to Mexico picks up his phone and calls the Mexican Ambassador and gives him this simple message. You have one hour to deliver Sgt. Tahmooressi and all his possessions, including his firearms, to the US border. Failure to do so will activate a plan designed to bring Mexico to her knees. Tourism will end. Illegals will be rounded up and returned to Mexico and our border will be sealed. American companies will be faced with tariffs that would essentially eliminate any possibility of a profit. Mexican agricultural products will rot in the fields. And the clock is ticking.

There is another option of course, and that is for the Marine Corps to go in force and retrieve their brother marine. I’m pretty sure Mexico would not like that.

Now some may feel these are extreme measures and I can understand how you would come to that conclusion. But here is a reality. Mexico, as well as all countries, should understand who they are dealing with. We absolutely will not tolerate this kind of treatment of our citizens, period.

To Senator Harry Reid and to the signers of the infamous letter to Goodell, remove your collective heads from the dark places where they dwell and face the real world. We are not paying you to go to Washington to interfere with private businesses and their choice of brand names. You have real problems to deal with. Deal with them. Get your job done and get this Marine home. Oh, and your clock is ticking also.

Ron Scarbro