Each thread is to be at least 250 words, cite at least 2 sources, and demonstrate course-related
knowledge. In addition to the thread, you are required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply
must be at least 100 words. Acceptable sources include the textbook, peer-reviewed journal articles,
government sources, professional association websites, etc. Each original discussion will also require a
biblical reference/quote (which is not a part of the original source count).
Topic: What does Homeland Security mean to you, and why is it important?
Based on your opinion and your references answer the following questions in your thread.
Homeland Security might be viewed as one agency, that being DHS, but for the purpose of
this forum view homeland security as a verb with all the stakeholders who carry this action
out.
What does homeland security mean?
What is the mission of homeland security?
How effective and efficient is homeland security?
What interests you the most about homeland security (what part of it) and why?
If you could fix any 1 thing completely within homeland security, what would it be
and why?
Finally, apply at least 1 biblical passage to the concept or practice of homeland security.
Explain why you picked the passage and what it means to you.
In my opinion, homeland security, although viewed as one entity, is similar to the civilian
force of the military in the protection of the American borders against terrorism. The
Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) mission is very imperative, and according to their
homepage, it is “to secure the nation from the many threats faced” (2019). In order to be and
remain effective and efficient, the composition of homeland security “requires the dedication of
more than 240,000 employees in jobs that range from aviation and border security to emergency
response, from cybersecurity analyst to chemical facility inspectors” (2019). Although not
perfect DHS is quite effective and efficient for only being around for the past 18 years. Being
the third-largest department, DHS was established in 2002 combining over 22 different agencies
into one.
What interests me the most about homeland security is the rank structure, its design, and
what made the creator of it determine that it was necessary and at that time. According to our text
terrorism is not new to America. “Throughout the centuries, even up to the present day, we can
see that terror has been a tool for those wishing to maintain the status quo as well as those
wishing revolution. Hence, it is imperative to remember that the American justice policy has had
a historic understanding and relationship with terror throughout most of history” (Nemeth, 2017,
pg. 13). If I could fix one thing completely within homeland security, it would be the
clarification of its positions and jobs.
For instance, I will use counterterrorism as an example. “DHS is, at least theoretically,
the department primarily responsible for protecting the homeland from terrorist attacks -except
that it is not” (Bruggeman, 2020). It is also known that the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) is the number one agency that manages counterterrorism among other things. So
ultimately, the overlapping positions and jobs portray a power struggle from within. I. e., the
DHS “cybersecurity (DHS v. National Security Agency v. FBI), immigration enforcement (DHS
v. the Department of Justice), preventing attacks by weapons of mass destruction (DHS v. the
Intelligence Community v. the Department of Defense v. the Department of Energy v. DOJ), and
so on” (Bruggeman, 2020).
I chose to apply Job 11:18 as the biblical passage that encompasses the concept of
homeland security. It says, “and you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around
and take your rest in security” (English Standard Version). I chose this verse because the Lord is
letting it be known that what we are going through is not permanent and that we shall find hope
and be confident with DHS. It also allows us to remember that we are the land of the free and
that we should not feel stressed out or be afraid and apprehensive about terrorists or others
wanting to cause harm unto because we have hope and faith in the DHS just as Job relied on the
Lord.
References
Bruggeman, N. (2020, February 7). Congress needs a bipartisan commission to fix Homeland
Security. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/481450-congress-
needs-bipartisan-commission-to-fix-homeland-security
Facts About the Department of Homeland Security. (2019, January 15). Retrieved from
https://eligibility.com/visas/facts-and-figures-about-department-of-homeland-security
Homeland Security Enterprise. (2019, February 25). Retrieved from
https://www.dhs.gov/topic/homeland-security-enterprise
Jeffry,
Good job on this week’s discussion board! Very interesting that you mentioned
immigration in your thread because although the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is
compromised of 22 other departments with a wide range of missions. “Despite this broad and
critical mission set, DHS’s public focus seems to fall back inevitably to immigration enforcement
and Southwest border security” (Bruggeman, 2020). To be effective and efficient is certainly a
major feat and for the size of DHS, it is proving to be an internal issue and frustrating for its
employees alike. Over 22 agencies have been absorbed under one umbrella with over 240
thousand workers which prove to be structurally unmanageable in and of itself.
In your thread, you mentioned one of the main concerns that you would like to fix would
be the people that come into the United States that are not here to better the country. Could you
elaborate more on what you mean by that exactly? Considering the facts how do you determine
who is in the United States to make it better or not? The foundation of America is based on
people wanting better opportunities, therefore, resulting in migrating here for one. Not to
mention some born and bred Americans do not make the country better so what would you
recommend doing with them?
Both Ted Kaczynski and Timothy McVeigh, American born and raised citizens,
“sought to destroy what they perceived as a corrupt culture and government” (Nemeth, 2017, pg.
22). Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I respect that however, there is a laundry list
of the same people that you described in your thread that are Americans who are here for the
wrong reasons and carry out illegal activities so what do you suppose we do with them? Where
should we send them, and I am not referring to prison because that’s where immigrants go as
well and then deported, so I would like to hear what you would suggest? On the other hand, the
bible scripture that I correlate with DHS can be found in Ezekiel 3:17, which states, “Son of
man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give
them warning from me” (New International Version). This means to me that God chose Ezekiel
as a watchman over the people of Israel just as DHS was designed to be the watchman over
American people. Thank you for your contribution to this week’s discussion.
References
Bruggeman, N. (2020, February 7). Congress needs a bipartisan commission to fix Homeland
Security. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/481450-congress-
needs-bipartisan-commission-to-fix-homeland-security
Erin,
Good job on this week’s discussion board! In your discussion, you mentioned fusion
centers and reminded me that the Department of Homeland Security is a responsible entity for
creating them. You are absolutely correct and “DHS has provided liberal funding sources for the
creation of data fusion centers in a host of states and increasingly in major metropolitan areas.
The crucial dynamic for the fusion center is its potentiality for sharing and dissemination”
(Nemeth, 2017, pg. 257) of information and its accessibility to local agencies throughout each
state. Like you have also stated with the good there is also some bad that critics will find in
things and the Department of Homeland Security is not exempt from that.
When you cited that DHS is accused of violating the civil liberties of the American
people’s privacy it reminded me of Matthew 4:4 which states, “Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (New King James Version). In
this case, DHS acts similar to the Lord who basically tells us that our well-being should be
accepting what they tell us is right and wrong, and that we should live accordingly to what they
say, but as the people of the nation, we should not challenge what they are doing by calling them
out on it. All in all, “it ultimately falls on Congress to step in and prescribe solutions as well as
implement them. The problems with DHS are not new; indeed, they trace back to the very
creation of the department.” (Bruggeman, 2020). Just like Rome was not built in one day, fixing
the issues with DHS will not get resolved in one day either. Thank you for your contribution to
this week’s discussion.
References
Bruggeman, N. (2020, February 7). Congress needs a bipartisan commission to fix Homeland
Security. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/481450-congress-
needs-bipartisan-commission-to-fix-homeland-security
Nemeth, C. P. (2017). Homeland security: an introduction to principles and practice. Boca
Raton, FL: CRC Press.
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