Have you heard the one going around Far Right-Wing Talk Radio? It goes like this:

Liberia was founded in 1821 by The American Colonization Society as a settlement for freed American slaves. Ebola struck that nation and will be smuggled to our shores as a sort of punishment for past sins. And guess which high African American official is responsible for this sinister plot?

Never mind that Ebola has been around for decades. Never mind that Liberia has been wracked by civil war and has little or no governmental infrastructure. Never mind that there were less than 50 doctors in the entire country when the disease broke out. Never mind that the people of this largely illiterate and superstitious nation tried to hide sick family members because of fear of the unknown. Never mind……

First ISIS and now Ebola have morphed into the discussion of border security as conservatives attempt to create an election year crisis. (Did anyone see the California Republican Congressman who went in front of the TV cameras and stated that border agents had caught 10 ISIS militants trying to enter the country—totally not true).

We’re not talking about mothers, fathers and children looking to enter the country searching for a better life. We’re talking about truly evil people.

Let’s be realistic. For 30 or 40 years this nation has engaged in a War on Drugs without being able to “secure the border.” We are now dealing with an enemy that is just as vicious and ruthless as the drug cartels. It’s going to take a lot more than blustering politicians trying to make political points to stop them.

It’s time to ignore those who say “Vote for me and I’ll secure the border.” Fear is not the answer—intelligent action is.