|
|
MCCAIN, KYL HELP PERPETUATE A MYTH (THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER)
by Mark Andrew Dwyer - 12/12/02
This article was originally published in the December 8, 2002, issue of Alamance IndependentOn December 6, 2002, the Arizona Daily Star reported that four members of Arizona's congressional delegation, Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain, Rep. Jim Kolbe and Rep.-elect Raul Grijalva, took a helicopter overflight of the Mexican border. Here are their skeptical comments, as quoted by the Arizona Daily Star, about prospects on halting the massive inflow of illegal border crossers into the U.S.
"When you fly it in a helicopter as we just did, you are struck by the hundreds of foot trails, and also automobile tracks, running up to the border," Kyl said. "It would be impossible to cover all of that (territory) all of the time."
McCain added "We are well aware, and anybody who just took that helicopter ride is well aware, that you're never going to stop every threat or address every problem at the border." (He also said the flight showed the need to pursue potential attackers where they live around the world instead. It didn't look like he had Mexico in mind, though)
Apparently convinced that the American southern border cannot (or should not) be enforced, Kyl and McCain said they plan to reintroduce a bill that stalled in the U.S. Senate last September. The bill calls for $200 million in funding for medical facilities that care for people illegally in the country.
Excuse me?!
They want us to believe that the U.S. cannot afford to employ enough personnel and equipment to keep the illegal entrants away, but they are quick to commit a large amount of money for free health care of these very entrants (which, among other ill effects, will encourage even more Mexicans to violate the American border). The same $200 million McCain-Kyl want to spend on their proposal could add, if used for enforcement, about one extra full-time Border Patrol agent for each of 1,500 miles of American-Mexican border, including the already heavily guarded and fenced segments in San Diego area. Or, in other words, it would almost quadruple the $76.3 million increase in 2003 Immigration Budget Proposal [download PDF file] that calls for adding 570 Border Patrol Agents (half of whom would go to the Canadian border, although there is not much traffic there.)
As if it weren't enough, McCain offered this advice to the residents of the border area, some of them already forming Citizens' Militia that would do the job the government is unable (as McCain and Kyl seem to suggest) or unwilling to. "I understand the frustration - all of us do, because we don't have a secure border," McCain said. "But it's our job and our mission to try and satisfy many of their concerns."
Yeah, right.
They will claim there is not enough resources to "address every problem at the border" while at the same time diverting these scarce resources to something else. Or they will focus entirely on a secondary aspect of the issue while neglecting to protect what they have been sworn to: the United State of America.
Take, for example, another group of "concerned politicians" from Arizona: Rep.-elect Raul Grijalva, Gov.-elect Janet Napolitano, Gov. Jane Hull; and state Rep. Robert Cannell, who, according to Washington Times, "want to focus on the Tombstone Militia and other civilian militia groups and citizen patrols that have sprung up along Arizona's border with Mexico". Although they (Hull, Napolitano, and Co.) never had enough time or interest to "address" the devastating effects of massive illegal border crossings on area residents and the rest of the country, never mind calling on Feds to secure the border, now they seem to have enough of everything to scrutinize the legality of border Militia movement and to call for federal hearings that would "determine if [Mr. Chris Simcox, the founder of the Tombstone Militia] has violated any laws". That, presumably, would include an investigation of possible violations of the rights of "undocumented immigrants" and smugglers, as the presence of Rep.-elect. Grijalva in that group may strongly suggest.
Well, if you trust these politicians with the American border then I have the Brooklyn Bridge to sell for you.
| 
| 
| 
| 