Re(14): On Trump's Declaring a National Emergency over the Border wall Posted on 2/4/2019 at 20:27:02 by Richard Raymond
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2019 11:17 AM
To: ROA Letters
Subject: Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Submission
The submission id is: 5011
Contact Information
First Name:
Richard
Last Name:
Raymond, III
Address:
823 Duke of Gloucester St SW B
City:
Roanoke
State:
VA
Zip Code:
24014
Phone:
(540) 344-0736
E-mail Address:
ddnomyar@verizon.net
Your Letter
Type Your Letter:
In the spirit of Swift's "Modest Proposal", I would like to offer a possible solution to the problem of persons attempting to sneak into the United States by climbing over or tunneling under the existing rather ineffective barrier fences. I refer to the Trebuchet, an ancient battle-machine now modified and used by modern 'punkin-chunkin" hobbyists to hurl pumpkins some 500 yards into a farmer's field. Surely in this great nation there are designers and builders capable of constructing a device, probably hydraulic-powered and truck-mobile, at a cost approximating that of one of these large industrial cranes, able to hurl a 150-pound human body back over the fence into our southern neighbor. Just consider the possibilities. If our brave Border Patrol officers were to have a fleet of these roving catapults, perhaps no more than a few dozen, at a cost of $100,000.00 each, which is far less than the 5 billion required for new fencing, and if it were known that every person who succeeded in penetrating our barrier would instead of being kindly received, fed, sheltered, and allowed to remain on U.S. soil for indefinite periods, be placed on the spoon-arm of the trebuchet and given a swift aerial boost back into Mexico--why, who would want to risk such a journey? Of course there may be objections to this plan. It can't be the cost--that's a mere fraction of the price of building more wall. Civil rights litigators may argue that it amounts to summary execution. Not so--the subject would be in good health when they left our soil, and whether they landed in a cactus patch or pile of rocks, would be a foreign government's concern. A government which, be it noted, has for years promoted, urged and facilitated this continuing invasion across a defined international border. The deterrent effect would be immediate. No distinction would be made for sex, age or ethnic origin, but all would simply be rounded up, marched to the trebuchet wagon and returned homeward, initially in one piece. I earnestly commend this plan to our legislators, as a fair solution to a most vexing problem.
