This past week America watched with shock as events unfolded at the U.S. southern border. Near El Paso, Texas, uniformed soldiers stood watch over razor wire barriers as hundreds of illegal migrants began gathering, demanding entry to the United States. The crowd shouted, jostled, and began grabbing at the razor wire, pulling it aside. A line of U.S. soldiers attempted to block the way, but the unruly mob far outnumbered them, eventually shoving the soldiers aside in the rush to the main wall!
It was madness! It was dangerous. It was everything we’ve feared. We’re just lucky that this time none of our troops were killed or injured. I say “this time,” because the danger isn’t over. We risk losing good men and women of law enforcement, the military, or law-abiding citizens who are overwhelmed at our border. They need help.
People can only be pushed so far. Often in an attempt to keep the peace, or to somehow avoid more punishment, people will allow themselves to be pushed for a bit. But often, allowing oneself to be pushed just results in the pusher pushing more. At some point good people have enough and start pushing back.
How many visual reminders have we had of this concept from Hollywood?
One of my favorite movies is the 2016 remake of “The Magnificent Seven,” sporting an all-star cast including Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke. It’s actually a much older story spun off of a legendary Japanese movie, “Seven Samurai,” about a team of brave men who rescue a village.
In “The Magnificent Seven” a town is beaten down by a cruel tyrant who terrorizes the people, abuses them, and robs them. Good men are killed, and the townsfolk are finally pushed too far and go looking for someone who can teach them how to push back.
The townsfolk just wanted to live their lives. They weren’t spoiling for a fight. But they were pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and finally pushed too far. Seven men from all walks of life answered the call to help the people push back, resulting in an epic tale of good people simply wanting their lives back – good people getting pushed too far and beginning to push back with some help from others.
But what would they be willing to give? That was the real question. “The Magnificent Seven” is not so much a story about seven men as it is about a bunch of good folks who were pushed too far and were willing to stake it all in an effort to stop the pushing.
Early in the story one of the main characters from the beleaguered town approaches Denzel Washington’s character, lawman Sam Chisholm. Showing him a bag of money, she tells him that the town pooled together everything they have. “I’ve been offered a lot for my work, but never everything,” Chisholm responds.
Are we willing to offer everything we’ve got to get our country back? That’s not a rhetorical question. What sacrifices are we willing to make? What price are we willing to pay? What level of effort is too much? We have everything, but everything is at risk. Are we willing to pay everything to get everything back?
The scenes from the border this past week need to be put on a loop and replayed in every law enforcement training course, every Customs and Border Protection roll call, every congressman and senator’s office, and definitely in the White House situation room. Every state needs to answer Texas. Every governor needs to call Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and ask how they can help. Most importantly, every citizen needs to demand better from their government.
We are being pushed in many ways by the Biden administration. Some of Biden’s policies may appear to be left versus right. Some may seem foolish, some are frustrating, some are unnecessarily burdensome or expensive. But the border crisis is deadly.
Good people are dying, property is being lost, public resources are getting strained, and national security is threatened. The invasion at the border is presenting an uptick in crime, an increase in public health issues, a loss of public monies, and the threat of terrorism from parties who cross the border with evil intent.
We have been pushed too far. The question is, what are we going to do about it? What are we willing to give? Will we commit our resources, our manpower? Are we willing to commit everything to save literally everything?
The southern border might not be where you live, but it still matters. The troops and law enforcement working in Texas might not be your personal neighbors, but they are still yours. One does not have to live on the border to know that the border needs to be defended. Because if we don’t, we could easily become a byline in history. History will reflect how we handled this moment. Did we stand? Or did we meekly fade into obscurity for failure to take risks, failure to push back?
At the end of “The Magnificent Seven,” the same character who previously told Sam Chisholm the town was willing to commit everything reflected back on the big fight they won. She spoke of the men that came to their aid:
Whatever they were in life, here, at the end, each man stood with courage and honor. They fought for the ones who couldn't fight for themselves, and they died for them, too. All to win something that didn't belong to them. It was magnificent.
We have been pushed too far. Our sovereign border demands a magnificent response.
To contact Phil or request him for a speaking engagement, go to www.rightsideradio.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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