That column wasn't by this Doug Wells of Hayden
In response to the Guest Opinion of Friday, November 27th: I preface my remarks with the following disclaimer... My name is indeed Doug Wells and I do reside in Hayden, Idaho. However, I did not write, nor submit the piece entitled: “Less suffering would lead to a safer world!”
My first indication that something was afloat was a rather strange phone message received Friday night on my answering machine. From the call I surmised that someone had issues with the current debate surrounding allowing Syrian refugees into the U.S. — and more specifically into Idaho. Soon emails and Facebook messages were lighting up my phone with varied responses to “my” article. The next morning as we were driving into Coeur d’Alene, my mind was wandering through the past day or so, searching for clues to this growing mystery publication, of which I had no clue.
I asked my wife to do a Google search on *Syrian Refugees, *CDA Press, *Letters to the Editor and *Doug Wells. Wonder of wonders, up popped “my” article — first hit! Now my mind was reeling; had I ingested tainted mushroom soup and gone on a mind-altered writing spree? Frightening thought indeed! I asked my wife to read the article aloud, as I was still driving. The more she read, the more I relaxed, realizing that mushroom soup or not, this was nothing that would have even hitched a ride on my thought train!
Arriving at our destination, I found the comments of friends had gotten into full swing. There were the confronters (“How did you become such a flaming liberal overnight?”); the confused (“epidemic obesity” and “religious superiority” — shaping the county’s reaction to the refugee discussion?); and of course some comedians (“So now you are ghost writing for Obama?”)
Returning to a more serious approach; my guess is that there really is another Doug Wells, and he may well live in Hayden. I’ve have had interesting introductions to this reality in another time, and another town far, far away.
Perhaps the “Safe World” author Doug and I will meet some day as well. We may even be surprised to find that there are three of us?
By way of introduction — I moved to this area as a kid in 1954, attended school through graduation at NIC and went away to complete my university studies. After 40 years away, in a much less desirable land — but where educators were paid a living wage — we packed up and headed back where we belonged. It has been good to be “home” for over 10 years now!
In summation, I must state that I have read the aforementioned article several times. The continuous threads of Obama socialism as recorded in his books, Dreams from my Father and Audacity of Hope, as well as from myriad speeches easily found online, appear to permeate the “safer world” column. Those are the primary areas where my thoughts would clearly differ from the “other Doug’s.”
I support our governor, who along with a majority of others, understands that one of their most important tasks resides in the duty to provide safe states for their constituents. To open our borders to thousands of refugees, for whom there are no records, no vetting (and with none even available at this time) would be sheer foolishness. Should our policy be to keep them out indefinitely? NO! Admit them intelligently, when their background information can be fully retrieved and verified.
Just to be somewhat cruel, I will close with a “back at you” quote from Barack Hussein Obama himself. Sept. 9, 2007 — in a Democratic primary debate on Univision. In his own words he called for more “elements of border security because we’ve got to make our borders more secure.” (His logic — not mine). He ends his remarks with this evidently forsaken bit of wisdom: “We can’t just have hundreds of thousands of people coming into the country without knowing who they are.” — BHO
With due thanks to POTUS, I rest my case.
Doug D. Wells is a Hayden resident, but you now already know that. And yes, there are at least two Doug Wells in Hayden.