Introduction

Hello and welcome to Riots and Reasons. I have finally consolidated my posts, observations, thoughts, and musing on one location here. I created Riots and Reason to post topics on touchy and controversial issues (Riots) and a different perspective on those and many other issues (Reasons).  I make every effort to discuss each topic from an objective perspective even if I may personally disagree with some of the subjects I write about only to draw conversation and discussion.

I also understand that matters I bring up may not always go the way I agree with.  To be truly objective in the full sense of the word, one must start from an absolute standard. Being that an absolute standard is nearly impossible for all people to agree on, a standard must be set somewhere and the one I set is based on my personal value system and experience, because this is my blog and not yours.

Just to mix thing up, I will occasionally throw in some of my personal observations and rants to avoid getting to focused on only one perspective and lose focus on the purpose of my blog.

The majority of my posts will revolve around Border Security, drugs in general, Mexico, border violence, a touch of politics, and topics surrounding those issues.  As a soldier, I may include some military stuff because, well, that's what I do.

My military career started on a cold January night at Ft. Dix, NJ. Now, being born in the year round warmth of the deep south that was quite an experience in itself. After graduating top in my class, I later served in the infantry as an M-2 Bradley crewman and anti armor specialist, (I blew up enemy tanks). I then transferred to Ordnance where I served as an electronic repairman for TOW and Dragon antitank wire guided missile systems. Later, I shortly served with a Civil Affairs unit then finally ended up in a Military Intelligence unit, (Not just an oxymoron).

It was in my MI career where I served in the last 10 years of my career and experienced the fascinating and creepiest aspects that border security had to offer. I was fortunate to be stationed near my hometown along the Texas / Mexico border on a border security mission where I learned things about border life in one month than the whole time I lived here before.

I'd like to share some of what I learned on this blog about border issues that you won't hear on the news or politicians discussing. Of course operational security prevents me from disclosing certain specifics to protect the mission and my buddies still on the mission but, I'll gladly provide you with any open source site links to help you confirm or verify anything I post. Also, please feel free to comment or reply with any sources you may find which may contradict or deny anything I post to support your commentary. I want this to be a civil and open forum and not a pissing contest so let's not go there and don't even try trolling me.

Listen, after 21 years in the military, jumping out of perfectly good aircraft, under several leadership styles, 14 countries, several deployments, leading over 80 troops, married for 25 years, you can't win no matter how hard you try behind the anonymity of the internet. I can just as easily verbally rip off your head off, jump down your throat and kick your ass from the inside until you grand kids feel the pain. Let's not go there. We cool? Enjoy your tour here then.



Look sharp troop!

eModicus