Border Control

[mousepod]

I know this is going to sound naïve, but wouldn't it make more sense to spend our money on protecting our ports (air and sea) and helping Mexico become a more economically stable country. It seems like most of the border patrols on our southern border is focused on keeping drugs and poor people out. We don't have those kind of issues with Canada, because they're a wealthier country.
Whenever I hear a politician on either side of the aisle say "protect our borders," I don't hear terrorism, I hear "keep the Mexicans out."
Maybe it's just me...

[wendybeth]

Canada is more of a problem, at least going by past experiences. Several of the 9/11 terrorists were from Canada, living on public assistance while they plotted away.... The would-be millenium bomber also entered the US from Canada, and was caught by a border agent.

[mousepod]

That's my point... it seems like the new push is for the southern border - so it's not really about terrorism, I guess.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Originally Posted by mousepod

That's my point... it seems like the new push is for the southern border - so it's not really about terrorism, I guess.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but it seems as if you are insinuating that the only reason that someone could possibly have to want to secure our southern border is due to racism. I'm hoping that's not what you meant.

To be clear, I don't think we can afford to have anyone sneaking into our country, especially right now. I think that equal efforts need to be made to secure both borders. Not because I don't like the people, but because I think it is very dangerous considering the times we live in.

And again, I'm not basing my opinion on what the politicians are telling me. I'm basing it on what the agents themselves are saying.

[mousepod]

Originally Posted by Motorboat Cruiser

Please correct me if I'm wrong but it seems as if you are insinuating that the only reason that someone could possibly have to want to secure our southern border is due to racism. I'm hoping that's not what you meant.

To be clear, I don't think we can afford to have anyone sneaking into our country, especially right now. I think that equal efforts need to be made to secure both borders. Not because I don't like the people, but because I think it is very dangerous considering the times we live in.

That's absolutely not what I meant. Looking at my post, I can certainly see how my clumsy language could read that way. Sorry.

Let me try again: I'm concerned that the government is saying "we're protecting our borders" because it's easy to say. Putting lots of officers on patrol on the Mexican border is very visible and makes Americans feel good, but probably does less to prevent terrorism than a host of other less visible and more expensive things we could do. Most containers that come off ships and planes go uninspected. Tons of potential foreign terrorists come into our country on airplanes every day.

Fighting terrorism by tightening our border with Mexico is like fighting the drug war by tightening the border with Mexico. It looks good, but it seems like it's basically ineffectual.

I hope that makes more sense.

Maybe I need another try to express myself...

[Motorboat Cruiser]

No apology necessary! Your follow up post makes sense and you raise lots of good issues. In fact, I can't find anything that I disagree with really.

Here's my perspective (and I may be just as bad a conveying my thoughts tonight. I'm a bit fried in the brain). I think we can agree that another terrorist attack is a concern after 9/11, especially since our actions since then (right or wrong) haven't exactly endeared us to the people that want to harm us. So as I sit and ponder what we can do, the thing that makes the most sense to me is make sure that we know who is coming in and out of our country, whether it be by land, sea, or air.

Maybe this isn't the best analogy but if you were robbed at home, I bet the first thing you would do the following night is make sure your doors were locked and you wouldn't let anyone in without seeing who they were first. That's just common sense. Now there may be other ways to enter your house that you haven't thought of but that doesn't mean you shouldn't make some sort of increased effort to protect yourself.

I do realize that the war on drugs teaches us that we will never solve this problem completely. Our borders are huge and I respect that. I think we need to listen to the guys on the front line though. They give the impression that things are getting worse and I don't think we can afford worse.

But, it just may be that there is really nothing that we can do to prevent another attack. I don't like that idea but it is a possibility.

[Mousey Girl]

Wow! This thread is an excellent example of debating an issue.

[Name]

/stands..... :applause: