Peter Speaks...

The key to national security is to replace the current spirit of fear which has sometimes been used for political purposes with a spirit of boldness and innovation. We can begin by fully implementing the 911 report which was drawn up by a bi-partisan group led by Thomas Kean and former Congressman Lee Hamilton. If a terrorist attack should occur again in this nation today, it will be because we failed to fully incorporate the critical recommendations of the 911 report. We must act quickly and responsibly. We need to provide funds for our first responders on the local level and then on the state and national level. Practice drills must be carried out by our fire, police, and medical emergencies to ensure coordinated and shared communications have been tested for worst case scenarios and eliminated all shortcomings.

Allocate budget appropriately with greater emphasis in urban areas, and the protection of vital resources, such as bridges, power supplies (national grid) and our water ways and food sources.

We need to use the U.S. Coast Guard to maintain maritime domain awareness. Pushing our borders out across the sea to ports where cargo is being put into containers is where the first line of defense is and this responsibility rest primarily with the U.S. customs and border security. The federal government must honor its prior commitment to the states bordering Mexico and fully fund the hiring of more border patrol agents to man the long border that we share with Mexico. These kind of unfunded mandates from the Feds must end. In addition we must make available modern equipment both in early detection systems and defensive gear along with enough firepower so that our agents are not out gunned and out maneuvered by armed aliens or drug dealers. We have lost one to many lives at the border.

Make available to the appropriate channels or government agencies, a comprehensive study on how terrorist can penetrate and undermine our food chain. The U.S. Government must work to develop greater trust in its own citizens rather than spying on them like the former Soviet Union tapping their phones when calls are made abroad to their friends or loved ones under the pretext of tracking the conversations of Al Queida. The Executive branch must never abuse the permission that congress gives it in the name of national security. In each case, they violated their pledge not to use this vital component of our national security apparatus for purposes other than what they were intended for. This has caused distrust in the American people and the concern of the 'big brother mentality'

We must remove the names of our senior citizens and grand mothers whose names where mistakenly recorded on a so called list of potential terrorist or security threat by the law efforcement agencies of the United States. Innocent citizens of this great country for reasons unknown to them have had their travels delayed because of this list. The NSA or FBI must move quickly to correct this problem.

America must develop a new defense strategy, to reflect the changing Geo-political landscape and the rise of new emerging powers. Our war colleges must go beyond studying past wars and current conflicts to understanding the thinking and unpredictable ways of the new rising powers in the world. Equal emphasis must be placed on both modern warfare and first class diplomacy. We must learn that some wars are unnecessary and are not always in the strategic interest of the United States.

We live in a world in which people are always on the move. It is impossible to speak of national security without including immigration. Unfortunately this topic has become one of the most divisive issues in America. I'm deeply saddened that our beloved country have turned this particular challenge into a political sport fought with bitterness and anger in our nations capital. As a first generation American, one who has walked the walk and talked the talk. I have some ideas, that can bring common sense solution to this contentious issue. America has been divided too long. Some of our current politicians and media pundits have become experts in dividing America. For more on immigration click - immigration

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