As multiple political obituaries are being penned during a titanic battle over the wall, a move to have the American people foot the bill for a physical barrier between the U.S. and Mexico has taken off. And perhaps it is an idea whose time has come. In just a few short days, a new GoFundMe campaign started by an injured U.S. veteran has raked in more than $11 million – a solid start on his $1 billion goal and the maximum allowed on the platform. And this number is rising rapidly.
Brian Koflage speaking to airmen in Germany
DIY Wall
While the President and Ann Coulter are engaged in a Twitter food fight, and the folks on the hill are playing political football with the wall -- Retired USAF Airman Brian Kolfage decided not to sit idly by and watch the wall crumble. Mr. Kolfage, a triple amputee who has been labeled the most severely injured U.S. airman ever to survive, started a GoFundMe campaign so that rank and file Americans can help fund the wall. Last night in an interview with Laura Ingraham, Kolfage said his fund is receiving a good deal of donations from Democrats.
In other words, keep your money Nancy Pelosi, and I’ll raise you one.
You just have to love the Yankee ingenuity and spirit of the American people – specifically in folks like Mr. Kolfage, whose story of heroism and valor is truly inspiring. On September 11, 2004, Kolfage was on his second deployment in Iraq when his base came under attack. A 107mm rocket threw him spiraling into the hot desert air, and when he landed, few believed he would survive. And he probably shouldn’t have made it; the odds were against him. His back was literally and figuratively up against the wall. But with courage and strength of spirit, Kolfage fought through almost a year of rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Hospital. With determination and sheer tenacity, Senior Airman Kolfage rebuilt his life from the ash heap of Iraq.
Great Power
Perhaps immense power comes from profound personal difficulties. And this could be why Airman Kolfage decided to do something about the border wall after reading a New York Post article. Michael Goodwin put forth the idea in an opinion piece entitled “Why hasn’t someone made a GoFundMe for Trump’s wall?” As someone who knows how to push through difficulty, Kolfage picked up the concept and ran with it. On his GoFundMe page, the veteran wrote:
“As a veteran who has given so much, 3 limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today. Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society.
Democrats are going to stall this project [the wall] by every means possible and play political games to ensure President Trump doesn’t get his victory. They'd rather see President Trump fail than see America succeed. However, if we can fund a large portion of this wall, it will jumpstart things and will be less money Trump has to secure from our politicians.”
Brian Koflage and daughter
Today however the New York Post backpedaled their idea a bit and wondered in print if the money would be "permitted" to be used for the wall. Their position is rather speculative at this point. Noone really knows is likely the best answer to date.
As a matter of fact, this is not the first or only crowdfunding effort to raise money for the wall. The National Sheriff’s Association began a website to raise funds back in September. To date, they have raised approximately 160 thousand dollars. But, as the saying goes, timing is everything, and in Kolfage’s case, it seems picture perfect. This could be why he’s been able to raise more than $11 million in just a few days – it was just at $2 million when this article began!
You just have to love the spirit of people like Airman Kolfage and the more than 130,000 Americans who have already donated to his GoFundMe page. And it serves to remind us that “we the people” are capable of much more than the political or chattering class wants to acknowledge or admit.
Will Kolman’s effort cause the wall to be built? Who knows? But for those who believe that it is vital to our security, economy, and health as a nation, it is an imaginative and inspiring step in the right direction. And one cannot miss the irony of a man with no legs taking the first step in empowering Americans to just do it yourself.
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Editor’s note: You can find Brian’s GoFundMe campaign here and his personal website here.
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