Make Some Noise to Rescue Marine Vet from Mexico!
Marine Corps veteran Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, 25, had recently arrived in the San Diego area to seek care from the VA for PTSD. Honorably discharged in November 2012, he spent four years in the Marines including two tours in Afghanistan. On his way to dinner in San Ysidro on March 31st, he missed the last U.S. turnoff and ended up at a border crossing point in Tijuana. If you’re familiar with Interstate 5 and the non-stop construction in the area, you can see how someone new to the area could make the mistake.Last week, California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, the first combat veteran of either Iraq or Afghanistan to serve in the U.S. Congress, sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry asking for him to secure Tahmooressi’s release. When the Congressman appeared on Fox News he was clearly frustrated with the lack of response from our government. The fact is, Mexico has no fear of the United States. Just like Russia, Iran and North Korea, they know they can essentially do whatever they want and unless stopping it personally benefits the Obama administration, they get away with it.
The congressman said he intended to deal with the Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam and that he “is in a position to deal with Andrew’s case and ensure its quick resolution.” Rep. Hunter sent a letter to the attorney general and 21 members of Congress from both parties also signed it. Hunter wrote, “We fully respect Mexico’s right to enforce it’s laws, but we believe Andrew is not a criminal or weapons trafficker. He is a Marine Corps veteran who served his country honorably, and simply got lost in an area he is unfamiliar with.”
Why aren’t people more angry and vocal about this? I was disheartened to find only 12,730 signatures on a petition to get the White House and State Department to wake up and do something for Sgt. Tahmooressi on We The People, the whitehouse.govpetitioning system. I believe it’s because people don’t want to make an account there, which is required in order to sign up. But, really people, they already have your email address! Granted, the site is a joke. According to an investigation by NextGov.com, they only respond when they want. There was even a petition to make them answer the petitions!
With all the recent news about Benghazi, I can’t help but relate the cases. What happened to “never leave a man behind,” or “America takes care of her own?” How pathetic that we have to beg the White House to get their butts in there and save our veteran. I’m not suggesting we patrol the world and get involved in every skirmish, but for gosh sakes, what the heck is wrong here? The Mexican government should be so terrified of us that they wouldn’t dare imprison an American. Tweet, spread the word on Facebook and call your local lawmakers. Tell them we want Sgt. Tahmooressi home, now.
