Closing The Border One Step At A Time
January 17th, 2008, 1:29 pm · 10 Comments · posted by Joaquin
Today, we present a quiz on national security, Republican Party presidential politics and some of the patriots who adorn the American airwaves.
Question #1:Â Does America want to:
A. Secure the border
B. Seal the border
C. Close the border
If you chose A, you may be a Republican presidential candidate. The “secure the border” answer is one often heard from GOP hopefuls these days. For example, John McCain, who was stung by some party faithful for his past support of comprehensive immigration reform, now says he “got the message.” McCain formerly supported a long and conditioned path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants living in our fair land, but now says he “got the message,” meaning “we must first secure the border.”
Now, there has been scant explaination as to when securing the border will officially be reached. Is it when the number of illegal immigrants, sorry, I meant to say illegal alien apprehensions reaches some sort of acceptable level, or is it when such apprehensions stop all together? Is it when we reach a certain number of Border Patrol agents? Is it when only white guys are found to be working at construction sites, farms, and in the kitchens of fancy restaurants?
Is it when we get some of our troops back from Iraq and station them along the border, (Canada too maybe?), to keep armed watch against all of those drywallers, farm workers and hotel cleaning ladies coming through?
We just don’t know because no one is defining when that magic moment comes when the border is secured. McCain is the closest I’ve heard. The Arizona senator says once he’s takes office as president that he will work closely with border governers, (would that include Minnesota and New York’s guvs as well?), and then at some point these governors will certify the border as being secure. Thank goodness.
If you chose answer B, seal the border, you are likely a conservative talk show host or caller to these shows. For example, Fox News’ Sean Hannity is always talking about “sealing the border,” and says this country ought to do “whatever it takes” to get that done. Hannity, who grew up on Long Island in New York, looks really cute in his blue jean jacket and boots when he roughs it in the wild while venturing from his broadcast booth in NYC to trek down to “the border” for some photo opps for his show.
Showing a vast understanding based on the 15 minutes he has spent on “the border,” Hannity regularly holds forth on how Jorge the construction worker and Linda the hotel cleaning lady are “violating our sovereignty” by crossing illegal into this country, (a misdemeanor by the way under current civil law), to do all sorts of dastardly things, like, build houses and clean hotel rooms.
In fairness to pugnacious Sean, all sorts of his talk show species regularly spout off about “sealing the border,” a place they haven’t been to or seen other than the television imagery of Mexicans being herded into the back of Border Patrol trucks. Sean & Co., don’t really define what “sealing the border” means or how they would do it. We can feel in the blanks, I guess. Doing “whatever it takes” sounds pretty strong, though. Maybe some of the returning troops from the surge in Iraq can be redeployed to Eagle Pass.
If you chose answer C, close the border, you may live in a small town in Iowa. During the recently concluded presidential campaigns for the GOP caucuses in Iowa, illegal immigration became issue #1 in a state that is 97 percent white in its people composition. The fact that a few thousand Hispanics now call Iowa home has unsettled some of the locals in Iowa who apparently aren’t used to that sort of overwhelming diversity. I mean, when you’re only 97 percent of the population, you can see where there is cause for concern.
Hence, the GOP candidates often heard the following line during their campaign stops in Iowa: “What are you, (insert presidential candidate here), going to do to close the border?” To which, McCain, Huckabee, Romney, etc., would go into the whole “secure the border” thing.
 Now, when an Iowan wants to “close the border” so he or she won’t to have see another Mexican in their state, does this mean that all international bridges should be closed, or that all commerce between the U.S. and Mexico should come to a complete halt, or that the affluent Monterrey crowd can no longer shop at La Plaza Mall in McAllen?
I don’t know but I think it works like this. First we secure the border with gobs more Border Patrol agents. Then we seal the border with armed military troops. And then we close the border all together, which would bring the expansion at the Mercedes mall to a screeching halt being that the DeLeon family from Nuevo Leon will be deprived of their free enterprise right to buy overpriced Ray Ban sunglasses in America.
But, you know, about 45 percent of illegal immigrants in America didn’t cross a border. They came in legally, but then overstayed their visas.
So it begs the question: When are we going to secure, seal and close the visa offices?
January 17th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
They can’t get rid of all mexicans. Who will work in this country to keep the whites alive and going.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:25 am
On your point about middle America “who apparently aren’t used to that sort of overwhelming diversity ” , let me say that it isn’t the fact that brown people are moving in, it is the fact that they don’t like the baggage that comes with it. Murder, drive-by shootings, graffitti and robbery just to name a few of the bags. You are talking about people who, until recently, didn’t even know where the key was to the front door of their house.
January 19th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
This is for taxpayer:
The longer you generalize that any immigrant, your examples follow, “diversity”, brown people”, “baggage”, is filled with just criminals is the time that you are losing from your life by deluding yourself. If we follow your logic, then every immigrant that has entered the US, have all been of “poor stock”, like the English called all the pilgrims when they left to the colonies. Do not judge ALL immigrants. Do you know how uneducated and stupid you sound? Please take the time to read and research before you open your smelly mouth. Longitudinal studies have proven that most crimes committed in the United States have been committed by second and third generations, and NOT by recent immigrants or illegal aliens. By the same token, longitudinal studies have also proven that OUR country cannot function in the work place if all immigrant staff would cease to work for even one day. WHY? Because our american-bred children are too lazy to work a hard-labor job. That is what our country has produced.
January 20th, 2008 at 10:26 am
You know you people are arrogant idiots. Apparently you didn’t live in New York on 9/11. That’s what this border deal is all about. For example: Hawaii has no “border problem” and no illegal aliens … yet they seem to get those jobs done and their white populations “alive and going.” Just more liberal sloganeering (In the vein of Bill Maer) without addressing what some consider serious concerns on both sides. The real problem is that the problem has not been addressed by the Federal Government. Those people are stealing their paychecks for all legislation they come up with. Just think for a minute… Global warming, Gas at $3.00/gallon, uneducated schoolchildren disadvataged as against the world’s educated people, 20 million illegal immigrants, 5 years of war in Iraq, no health care for millions, highest government deficit in history, universally weak dollar … I could go on. And which “Presidential” candidate has mentioned a single one of these problems? Which legislator has introduced a single serious piece of leislation to correct any of these problems? If you said none you get the Kewpie doll. So what do we do? Answer: Re-elect them again and again. It is truly said of our American people .. We get the government we deserve.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:49 am
Joaquin,
I wanted to take time out today to thank you for bringing to light issues in the insightful way you do.
January 21st, 2008 at 10:17 am
This is for BJTaq. A true idiot is the one that believes what he hears from the very first person he hears it from and does not read and research. You are the epitome of the chicken little phenomenon. You go screaming and screaming the south Texas border is falling to terrorists. The south Texas border is falling to terrorists. The south Texas border is falling to terrorists. HELP!You assume that one such as myself has only lived in the SOuth Texas and never elsewhere. I have. And for your information, the terrorists entered through the Canadian Border and not through South Texas or Californian border. Yet, where is it they want the border wall? Here. THus, it is not because of border security, it is because of discrimination.
January 21st, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Vanilla…you are a typical Liberal Democrat…you can’t defend your positions with rational thought, you have to resort to name calling and making up facts. Three quarters of everything you said was made up. I never said any of it. It does not take a rocket scientist (thats the guys who make the metal tubes that go into space) to figure out that when wetbacks…oh sorry…undocumented workers move into an area, the kind of crime we all know and enjoy in the RGV skyrockets. Petty thiefts, drive by shootings (usually brown on brown)and graffitti to just name a few. These are documented facts, and when the writer of this blog made these comments, ” If you chose answer C, close the border, you may live in a small town in Iowa. During the recently concluded presidential campaigns for the GOP caucuses in Iowa, illegal immigration became issue #1 in a state that is 97 percent white in its people composition. The fact that a few thousand Hispanics now call Iowa home has unsettled some of the locals in Iowa who apparently aren’t used to that sort of overwhelming diversity. I mean, when you’re only 97 percent of the population, you can see where there is cause for concern.” I simply made the observation that it wasn’t skin color that made these folks uneasy, it was the fact that 3% of the population spiked the crime stats. Vanilla, quit playing the victim and go down and buy a couple good conservative books and educate yourself. I would suggest something by Ann Coulter or Pat Buchannan.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:50 am
as a mexican american for many generations on both sides of my parents, I would like to remind all racist, prejudice people whether mexicans indian or white, my american children and grandchildren and great grandchildren are not lazy.
If I wanted them to work as low skill labors doing menial work I would send them to mexico, because as we know in mexico the rich mexicans don`t care about there mexican citizens because school in most cases is only provided for 1/2 day and for most workers the pay if you can find a job a couple of penneys an hour.
mexican people if your such hard working people and (mexico lindo) is such a great country stay in mexico demonstrate in the streets and complain to your corrupt government officals and hire lawyers to bring lawsuits against mexicans that violet your human rights
I`m sure all this people that support you here in the united states would help out by sending money and hire lawyers to sue the corrupt mexican governmet that won`t take care of its mexican citizens by providing a decent job and the necessary social services that are required.
the problem is not the united states its the rich ruleing class mexicans along with the mexican government officials that don`t want to take care of its own mexican citizens in mexico.
February 6th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I just love it how everyone gets so totally off track when speaking about this subject. It is not about race, jobs, crime or anything else. And, it’s not just about the Mexican border, it’s the Canadian border as well. What this is truly about is SECURITY. We have a right to know who is in our country and we have the right to screen them. Why should our border policy be any different than any other country’s? Our policy is the most lax (and most potentially dangerous) policy in the world.
February 6th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I largely agree, Kathy, but when are we going to do something about cracking down on people who overstay their visas? If about half of illegal immigrants are people who came in legally, but overstayed their visas, then why is all of the talk about the southern border and building fences, walls, etc?
I think few would dispute a good part of this issue is about SECURITY, (thanks for the upper case treatment, we might have missed the point), but how do we go about it? When nearly all of the heat on this issue is about the southern border, building fences, etc., it makes some of us wonder about true motives.