[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 34 (Thursday, February 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     LAW ENFORCEMENT LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDER. ARE THEY GUN SHY?

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                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 26, 2009

  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, one element lost throughout the 
fight to free Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean is the weakened 
morale it brought throughout the entire ranks of the Border Patrol and 
its possible detrimental effects on border security. Everyone in the 
agency knows it could have been them standing guard along the border in 
Fabens, TX that February day in 2005. Faced with a similar situation, 
would they have made the same call as Ramos and Compean? The question 
is an important one because when placed in future similar situations, 
agents will pause and hesitate and will think long and hard about what 
course of action to take and if they take a certain course of action, 
will their government back them up or will they face scrutiny and 
prosecution? The border is a dangerous place full of dangerous bad guys 
who don't contemplate these things. Their job is to get their drugs 
across the border and will fight with everything they have to 
accomplish that task. Agents are taught to use their training to help 
them in the face of danger but even the most trained agent is human and 
most if not all will pause long and hard with thoughts of Ramos & 
Compean. Officers who hesitate to act not only risk safety to 
themselves but they risk losing control of our border to the bad guys. 
The problem is, the other side knows this and their behavior has been 
growing ever more hostile and ever more assaultive to see the length 
they can take.
  Agents who take aggressive action to hold their border line and 
protect themselves and their fellow colleagues are constantly looking 
over their shoulder. The Mexican government has aided in that fear. 
They constantly are directing pressure from their consulates to local 
and national offices of the U.S. Attorney's office and FBI to stomp out 
what they consider are aggressive Border Patrol actions against their 
citizens, even if they know those citizens are there to commit crimes 
against the United States.
  Our government needs to be on the right side of this border war. Our 
government needs to defend our agents who face hostility from a violent 
enemy. Our government needs to be less concerned with protecting 
criminals and more concerned with how agents actions will prevent 
further crime. Enemies throughout time respect only one thing and that 
is action and defiance. If we allow our agents to show that force and 
take it to the enemy instead of being gun shy, perhaps we will once 
again restore order on the border.

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