Brian Terry

Brian Terry

Amidst the political theater being played out this week in Washington in what historians will note as the “Fast & Furious” fiasco, there is tragically a noticeable dearth of recognition for the individual most directly at the center of the entire issue.

Brian Terry.

Brian was a United States Border Agent when he was murdered with a weapon that was part of the United States Justice Departments’ program called “Fast & Furious”. The core issue of the failed program is not in dispute: Agent Brian Terry was murdered with a weapon that was sold by the United States government to Mexican drug cartel members. The purpose of the program and its intended goals are not the issue, despite the best efforts by those of both political extremes who present that perspective in any media coverage they are given. Their concurrent arguments follow along the line that serving in a position such as border agent carries with it the scope of danger.

A specious argument at best; outright stupidity, ignorance, or political cowardice at worst.

Brian Terry.

The concern is that the American government sanctioned arming drug cartels knowing that those weapons would, by definition, be used to commit crimes. The parallel issue is that the officials responsible are opting to obfuscate on the pertinent facts about the processes that led directly to Agent Terry’s murder.

The President invoking executive privilege is what has elevated the entire matter to the level it has attained. The congressional investigations have centered on the Justice Departments specific lies to a congressional oversight committee. For reasons unexplained, the Justice department has been allowed to “retract” their assertions that they were never involved in gun running operations.

Brian Terry.

Elected officials - political liars - and their accompanying mass media sycophants attempted two primary deflections to explain the entire affair, opting of course to ignore the central individual. The first attempted lie was to blame the Bush administration for the Fast & Furious operation. The fact of the matter is that the Bush administration did indeed attempt a similar endeavor, but it failed and was terminated before the Obama administration took office. Attorney General Holder initially attempted to explain that the Fast & Furious undertaking was implemented by his predecessor, but was forced to recant that when the facts were presented to him. The second attempted obfuscation relative to the contempt vote on Attorney General Holder in relation to the Fast & Furious fiasco was presented by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Her premise was that the Republicans were attempting to thwart attempts to address voter limitation and intimidation cases handled by the Justice Department by threatening general Holder with the contempt charges.

The silence was deafening by supporters of Pelosi on this ridiculous and disgraceful charge.

Brian Terry.

Both Justice and the White House have from the beginning forcefully asserted that the President had no knowledge, direct or indirect, on the Fast & Furious operation. Absolutely none has been the claim.

The media has failed to ask the obvious follow up question: if the President had no knowledge or connection to this particular operation, what exactly is the basis for invoking executive privilege? The right is reserved for communication between the President and his advisors, cabinet members, etc. that center on direct communications. If the President had no knowledge or involvement, how can there be any communications that need to be protected?

The future of this entire process is still unclear as of the posting of this blog, but it is important to remember that the United States government provided the weapons used in the murder of a United States Border Agent, an agent struck down in the execution of his duty and has subsequently thwarted all manner of attempts to discern the facts in connection to that murder.

The facts must be ascertained, or Agent Terry’s death will have been in vain.

That is not the way America works and the American people, en masse, must join together and demand answers or hold our elected officials accountable at the ballot box.

Brian Terry.