Security

Republicans are constantly talking about national security and the need to fund the costs of protecting the security of Americans.  However, what they fail to take into consideration is just what threats Americans face.  For example, a person in Chicago is far more likely to be killed or injured from street violence than from an ICBM.  A citizen living in any state is far lore likely to be killed by another American citizen’s gun than from the Taliban or al Qaeda.  More Americans will die from malnutrition or from lack of healthcare than from the hands of some foreign enemy.  The country is spending billions on weapons that do not work and additional billions for weapons to fight wars we will never again fight.  This is money that could be invested in people and infrastructure.  Republicans need to answer why they only look at threats from other countries and fail to look at threats to the health and lives of citizens from inside our borders. Instead of waging war on noon-existent enemies that only exist in the minds of a few NeoCons we need to wage war on poverty, unemployment, and illnesses. Just this past week, more Americans lost their lives because of the oppressive heat wave than from any activity on the part of a terrorist.  How many of those people could still be alive if the government spent money in America rather than Afghanistan.  For too long we have been misled by Republican rhetoric claiming to be the party of national security.  For too long, the “self-proclaimed party of national security” has not only failed to protect citizens from threats at home but has actually increased the threats with the Republican fiscal and tax policies.  The challenge to the Republican leaders therefore is “make me safer” not just from threats from across the ocean but also from threats across the street.