Phil Williams Commentary: Texas border crisis calls for 'magnificent' response
Columnist Phil Williams looks at the southern border and how Hollywood might have the solution to the situation. Phil Williams has called for a "magnificent" response to the crisis at the U.S. southern border, where hundreds of illegal migrants gathered near El Paso, Texas, demanding entry to the United States. Despite efforts by U.N. soldiers to block the crowd, the crowd began pushing, shoving, and overwhelming the troops. Williams argues that the danger of losing good law enforcement, the military, or law-abiding citizens who are overwhelmed at the border needs help. He urges a comprehensive response from all parties involved in the crisis. Williams compares this to a recent remake of "The Magnificent Seven," a Japanese movie about a town where people were pushed too far by a tyrant who terrorizes its people and then pushed them too far. He asks: Are we willing to sacrifice everything to get our country back?
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This past week America watched with shock as events unfolded at the U.S. southern border.
Near El Paso, Texas, uniformed soldiers stood watch over razor-wire barriers as hundreds of illegal migrants began to gather, demanding entry to the United States. The crowd shouted, jostled, and began to grab at the razor wire and pull it aside.
A line of U.S. soldiers attempted to block the way as the unruly mob began grabbing, pushing, shoving and eventually overwhelming the troops. The crowd far outnumbered the soldiers and eventually shoved them aside and rushed to the main wall.
It was madness. It was dangerous. It was everything we’ve feared. We’re just lucky that this time that none of our troops were killed or injured. I say “this time,” because the danger isn’t over. We run the risk of losing good men and women of law enforcement, the military, or law-abiding citizens, who are overwhelmed at our border. They need help.
People can only be pushed so far. Often in an attempt to keep the peace, or to somehow avoid more punishment, people will allow themselves to be pushed for a bit. But more often, allowing oneself to be pushed just results in the pusher pushing more. At some point, good people will have had enough and start pushing back.
How many visual reminders have we had of this concept from the world of Hollywood?
One of my favorite movies is the 2016 remake of “The Magnificent Seven” with an all-star cast including Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke and others. It’s actually a much older story spun off of a legendary Japanese movie, "The Seven Samurai," which is about a team of brave men who rescue a village. In "The Magnificent Seven" there is a town, beaten down by a cruel tyrant who terrorizes its people, abuses them, robs them. Good men are killed, and the people of the town are finally pushed too far and go looking for someone who can teach them how to push back.
The townsfolk just wanted to live their lives. They weren’t spoiling for a fight. But they were pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and finally pushed too far. Seven men from all walks of life answered the call to help the people push back. What happened next is an epic tale of good people simply wanting their lives back. Good people getting pushed too far and beginning to push back with some help from others.
But what would they be willing to give? That was the real question. If you study the storyline "The Magnificent Seven" was less a story about seven men, and more about a bunch of good folks who were pushed too far, and were willing to stake it all in an effort to stop the pushing.
Early in the story one of the main characters from the beleaguered town approached Denzel Washington’s character, lawman Sam Chisholm. She showed him a bag of money and told him that the town had pooled together everything they’ve got. Chisholm responded, “I’ve been offered a lot for my work, but never everything.”
Are we willing to offer everything we’ve got to get our country back? That’s not a rhetorical question. What sacrifices are we willing to make? What price are we willing to pay? What level of effort is too much? We have everything, but yet everything is at risk. Are we willing to pay everything to get everything back?
The scenes from the border this past week need to be put on a loop and replayed in every law enforcement training course, every Customs and Border Protection roll call, every congressman and senator's office, and definitely in the White House Situation Room. Every state needs to answer Texas. Every Governor needs to call Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and ask how they can help. Most importantly, every citizen needs to demand better from their government.
We are being pushed in many ways by the Biden administration. Some of Biden’s policies may appear to be left versus right. Some may seem foolish, some are frustrating, some are unnecessarily burdensome or expensive. But the border crisis is deadly.
Good people are dying, property is being lost, public resources are being strained, national security is being threatened. With the invasion at the border we are seeing an uptick in crime, an increase in public health issues, a loss of public monies, and the threat of terrorism from parties who come across the border with evil intent.
We have been pushed too far. The question is, what are we going to do about it? What are we willing to give? Will we commit our resources, our manpower? Will we be willing to commit everything to save literally everything?
The southern border might not be where you live, but it still matters. The troops and law enforcement working in Texas might not be your personal neighbors, but they are still yours. One does not have to live on the border to know that the border needs to be defended. Because if we don’t, we could easily become a byline in history. History will reflect how we handled this moment. Did we stand? Or did we meekly fade into obscurity for failure to take risks? Failure to push back.
At the end of "The Magnificent Seven." the same character who had earlier told Sam Chisholm the town was willing to commit everything reflected back on the big fight they had won. She spoke of the men that came to their aid.
“Whatever they were in life, here, at the end, each man stood with courage and honor. They fought for the ones who couldn't fight for themselves, and the died for them, too. All to win something that didn't belong to them. It was — magnificent.”
We have been pushed too far. Our sovereign border demands a magnificent response.
Phil Williams is a former state senator from District 10 (which includes Etowah County), retired Army colonel and combat veteran, and a practicing attorney. He previously served with the leadership of the Alabama Policy Institute in Birmingham. He currently hosts the conservative news/talk show Rightside Radio on multiple channels throughout north Alabama. The opinions expressed are his own.