GOP drops ball on border

Once again, the dysfunctional Republican party has put politics ahead of national interests.

Our country faces a problem on our southern border. It’s important to understand the nature of this problem. Years ago, illegal immigration across the southern border was mostly people trying to avoid law enforcement, sneak into the country and find a job. Today, immigrants are mostly trying to turn themselves in to immigration authorities, claim asylum and live in the U.S. for many years while their case slowly makes its way through our overloaded legal system.

Fixing this new immigration problem requires changing the definition of asylum. Senators from both parties negotiated a bill that required individuals to demonstrate that they specifically were endangered remaining in their home country rather than the current definition of asylum which requires that they only demonstrate danger in the general area where they lived. The bill also gave the president power to shut down border applications entirely if they exceeded certain thresholds. President Biden promised to shut down the border immediately if given this authority because thresholds are currently exceeded.

The Republicans? Trump believes that immigration is his best chance to being elected again, so he doesn’t want the problem solved. The shame of the Republican party is that they caved to his wishes and are allowing the immigration problem to continue. This deserves a place high on the list of all the shameful behavior of Republicans in recent years.

David Allen

White River Junction

A shameful comment
about Biden

Special Counsel Robert Hur’s final decision exonerating President Biden regarding classified papers found at his home was a good thing. What is terribly upsetting in his 300-page document is the part where he cast aspersions on Biden’s age and memory, even to the point of saying that Biden couldn’t remember the date of his son Beau’s death. How cruel and hateful this comment is. It is like a sharp knife striking into what is left of a parent’s heart when their child dies. How could any decent person say this? President Biden, like others who have lost children will forever mourn the date, time and circumstances of their child’s early death. There are so many of us who this has happened to and if anyone ever ask me at age 82, “do you remember the date of your son’s death,” I would tell them, “one-day you too could lose a child and should you experience this horrible tragedy in your family, I guarantee you will remember the date of your child’s death for all of your miserable life and on into eternity.”

Shame, shame, shame on Robert Hur.

Jackie Smith

Sunapee

Do as we say...

Diana Lawrence, Dartmouth’s spokesperson, stated on Feb. 5 that students are “Scholars first and athletes second,” but no one would get this impression from seeing the lamp-post banners on East Wheelock Street that extol each Dartmouth athletic team.

Has anyone ever seen such a banner on campus that publicizes the importance of academics?

Judge the institution by what it approves, not by what it claims.

Michael Whitman

Lyme

Get ready for an influx

Is Hanover prepared to accept 5,000, “Migrants,” “Refugees,” “Illegals” and “Drug Dealers”? Once dropped on the Dartmouth Common, will they be “housed” in Leverone, Thomson, Campion and every school in the area? Get ready you can’t stop the flood!

And who will pay for the invasion? You will, for years to come! And once the police are “defunded” crime will go through the roof!

Gee, thanks Joe.

Send, $19.95/month to Mayorkas, there are 500 million More, “Refugees” in line.

Jim Argentati

Lyme