By Ray Cardello for March 10, 2024, Season 1 / Post 16

It seems like this should be a concise article. Obviously, a Chinese Cartel is far more dangerous, and every effort should be made to eradicate it. Well, you would be wrong. Why would I write an article comparing the real threat of Chinese Cartels and the myth of parents who protest school boards as terrorists? I am using this space to shine a light on Merrick Garland and the Justice Department for the priority they placed on the parents and their alliance with the Chinese.

I have written numerous articles about the Chinese Pot Farming Cartel that have quickly spread throughout Maine and many other states. We have also pointed out the efforts of local and state law enforcement teams. We have also reported on the pleas of the Maine federal delegation and then the letter from 50 Senators and Representatives sent to Attorney General Garland asking for help. These calls for help have been made since August of 2023 and remain unanswered. I have a letter from Senator Susan Collins and one I just received today from Representative Jared Golden telling of the frustration experienced as they wait for a response from Garland. So, how does this antipathy by the AG compare to his response to the call for help with the parents or domestic terrorists?

The pandemic introduced many challenges to our lives, and the decision to shut down our schools may have a more significant impact than masks, shelter in place, or vaccines in the future. Parents were frustrated and became active and vocal about protecting their children. Their presence at school board meetings was an opportunity to voice their concerns. Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, saw these parents as a threat to teachers and administrators. She reached out to Garland and Biden for help. Weingarten must have pushed the right button because Garland and Biden jumped and had the FBI jump in unison.

Randi Weingarten not only got the attention of the Administration with one letter but was invited to assist in how the FBI would proceed at targeting parents who would be labeled as Domestic Terrorists. The threat of vocal parents was deemed an immediate threat requiring a quick response, yet the Chinese Cartels have yet to get the attention of the President and AG in eight months.

When I first wrote about the illegal Chinese pot farmers, we thought it was just a Maine situation. We now know that the issue is far more severe than pot, and the problem is national. In addition to the 270 farms identified in Maine, there are thousands in California, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Nevada. These pot farms are causing an environmental problem as they illegally grow and distribute pot. Still, these Chinese nationals, many identified as illegal aliens, are also involved in human and sex trafficking, money laundering, and drug distribution and, in many cases, are funded by cash from federal migrant programs. That fact means that many of these illegal farms were set up with your tax dollars.

This article is not about the specifics of the Chinese Cartel but about the confused priorities of the Administration and Justice Department. It is about letters from 50 members of Congress asking for help but screaming into a void. The longer they ignore requests for help, the more they need to explain why they are complicit with these Chinese operators. We do nothing about spy balloons, Fentanyl, the buying of land around our military installations, TikTok, illegal pot farming, human trafficking, and stealing intellectual property. The inaction indicates the Chinese have this president and Administration in their pocket. I told the story, you decide.