24

There are only 24 hours left until former US Border Agents agents Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos begin their 10+ year sentences. Thus far President Bush has ignored hundreds of thousands of emails and the pleas of 55 Congressmen to pardon these two men. Please contact your US representatives and the White House with your requests to have these men pardoned.

This from the Canada Free Press:

"If it can happen to them, it can happen to any one of us. It has definitely had an adverse affect on agents involved in border security." -Mark Parsons, President, Fraternal Order of Police in El Paso, Texas, Customs and Border Protection agent.

President Bush has shown no interest in pardoning these two agents whose sentences will surpass many murderers, rapists and even drug smugglers they have put behind bars. In addition to the obvious, however, the situation involving Compean and Ramos is having a "rippling effect" among border patrol agents and other law enforcement officials who have the increasingly dangerous and difficult task of protecting American citizens.

This will have a chilling effect on border security. And I believe that Bush wants exactly that.

Mr. Parsons stated that the aggressive prosecution, replete irregularities pertaining to the arrest and trial of the two agents, including but not limited to venue issues, restriction of exculpatory testimony and evidence, government corruption and jury misconduct "has made a lot of agents on the front lines 'gun shy' and afraid to do their jobs." He added that "if this can happen to agents Compean and Ramos, it can happen to any one of us."

It is also sending a strong message to illegal aliens, drug smugglers, and potential terrorists illegally crossing the border into the U.S. everyday. Those involved in illegal border activities see this as a victory for them, endangers the safety and welfare of the officers on the front lines and compromises the safety and security of every man, woman and child in the U.S.

These men and women are the first line of defense for our borders. The two agents were not acting in a manner to delibertly deprive an innocent human being of his life and liberty. They were protecting themselves from a perceived threat from a drug smuggler.

Make no mistake, the southern border of the U.S. is a virtual war zone being exploited by enemies of the United States. The demoralizing affect of this lack of prosecutorial discretion in a time of war is questionable at best, begging the questions: how serious are we in securing our borders, and why isn't the U.S. Department of Justice exercising the same zeal in the prosecution of illegal aliens as they are in punishing those front-line agents who are understaffed, out-gunned, and hamstrung by rules of engagement favoring the criminal?

I'm just so disgusted by this. And Sandy Berger gets probation for destroying national security documents!