Letter to the Editor

Our border is not secure

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

At the WIFE National Convention in Billings, Montana, last month, Mary Jo Rideout and Sheila Massey from Arizona and New Mexico, women who live on the Mexico borders gave real-life stories of what is happening in their area. Their lives are in jeopardy every day and they dispute that our borders are more secure than they have ever been.

The U.S. Government has put up signs that read "Travel Caution -- Smuggling and illegal immigration may be encountered in this area." This area is called "The Corridor."

"The Corridor" is all territory south of Interstate 10 and I-8 or approximately 80 miles north of the actual border between Mexico and the U.S. Both ladies' farm and ranch property lies within that area.

It is estimated the value of drugs crossing the border every day is about $80 million. The drug cartels are moving into the United States.

Sheriff Babeu, President of the Arizona Sheriff's Association says "Every day, there are paramilitary, squad-sized elements that are out escorting drugs or human illegals with AK-47s. They have scouts on top of high points of terrain and hilltops, and literally control movement in these areas for miles and miles. The scouts have high tech equipment to watch the area and communicate with the coyotes (the name for people escorting illegals into the U.S.) and drug runners telling them that the coast is clear and to come on through." It is impossible for the Border Control and local law enforcement to control the rugged country and do so safely. His department does not even have a helicopter to make the job easier.

More than 20 percent of illegals passing through this county are other than Mexicans (OTMs) and are coming from nations known for terrorists such as Iran, Yemen, Somalia and Jordan.

Not only is the safety of the farmers and ranchers and their families in the area in jeopardy but the impacts on their operations are great. Repairs to fences, broken waterers, destruction of property and theft and clean-up from volumes of trash left behind are at the landowner's expense. The ladies told of fires being set to get attention and when people go to investigate them then their homes are broken into and the family's possessions are stolen. Theft of vehicles occurs often -- even in broad daylight and in front of private homes.

Rideout and Massey stated in their presentation that "On the national level, you get the sense that our leadership could care less about the safety of U.S. citizens along the border and on the local level they're more concerned about not offending specific groups."

The ladies directed us to two websites for additional information. www.restore our border.org and http://border invasion pics.com.

The immigration issue is one affecting the economic stability of our nation in many ways. National WIFE convention gave us an opportunity to hear from those living on the border and directly affected by illegal border crossings.

This has been Pam Potthoff for Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics.

Pam Potthoff

Women Involved in Farm Economics

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  • *

    Legalize Drugs, problem solved.

    -- Posted by Damu on Sun, Dec 19, 2010, at 3:57 PM
  • Seems to me the only way to ensure security in the area is to set up ambushes along known routes and kill every good for nothing that crosses the border. Kill enough of them and they'll get the idea.

    -- Posted by old grouch on Fri, Dec 24, 2010, at 9:16 PM
  • Damu has it correct. Remove the profit motive anbd these cartels will dry up and blow away. Actually seal the border with troops, isn't that what the Fed is really suposed to do not worry about MMGW, which ios what Napolitano said DHS is going to be working on now. Go after all Illegals and deport them and at the same tiome go after anyone that employs them. No jobs no illegals.

    -- Posted by Chaco1 on Sat, Dec 25, 2010, at 11:09 AM
  • *

    Legalize drugs - new problems develop.

    -- Posted by Mickel on Fri, Dec 31, 2010, at 2:03 PM
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