US-Mexico Border Wall

[sally429]

I am kinda just venting...but I would like to know other's thoughts on this.

I live on the border in Texas. I work at a nature preserve along the river. The preserve was just served our condemnation papers so that this border wall can be built. That means that anything in the path of the wall and it's construction will be condemed. They offered to buy the property for some tiny fraction of what it is worth, but selling it to them would go against our mission. We sit on a vital corridor for an endangered species (maybe 50 left in the US) and other wildlife. This wall has overridden all environmental policy so it can go up no matter what stands in it's path. The office I work in will be in "no man's land" between the wall and the river. I want to know what will happen to us? How will we get to work and back. They said that they will give us a code or key to a gate...like I want that. I will be dead and it will be on the black market before I could blink. So then they said they might just put a guard. My boss lives on the property. What happens after hours, will there still be a guard? At any hour, can emergency services still get to us in time if needed? There are tons of people all along the Texas border who will be pushed aside to live in this "no man's land".

At this point I feel safe here, people do cross on occassion, but they stay far fiom the building so that they won't get caught. If there is a wall, it won't stop them, but it will create deparation. That is where I get worried. We haave a barn full of tools and tractors and whatnot, as well as an office with cash and guns. That's what scares me. People will get through but they will have to take desparate measures to do it. :gun:

Another thing that is funny to me is that they put in "wildlife openings" They are only big enough for small animlas like small reptiles and maybe mice to fit through. What will happen when they cut off access to our most vital water source. I am not sure that many of the wildlife that depend on it will survive.


Just curious have yall heard much about it? It seems that they have been good about keeping it out of the news since the decision passed. Did you know that they aren't obeying environmental law and that they are building almost a mile or more from the border in some places, leaving Americans on the other side? Parts of Mexico flooded because of the wall in New Mexico. I barely saw that in the news.

Anyway this is just a really long rant...I could go on but I'll stop.

What are your takes on it? I know there are a lot of people in support of it and many. like myself who are against it.

[rainforests1]

I'm against it. The best way to deal with the problem is to fine companies who hire illegal immigrants. Immigration is a problem but there are better ways to deal with it.

[Doktormartini]

I'm against it. The best way to deal with the problem is to fine companies who hire illegal immigrants. Immigration is a problem but there are better ways to deal with it.
This.

[dormouse]

Whether or not illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay or forced to go, I agree that a wall is probably an ineffective method of achieving anything. Hearing that environmental laws are being bypassed to allow this wall makes me pretty mad too.

[broccolichick]

Fiscally irresponsible. Ineffective.

[das_nut]

I'm against it. The best way to deal with the problem is to fine companies who hire illegal immigrants. Immigration is a problem but there are better ways to deal with it.

I'd one up this.

Give any illegal immigrant residency in the US if they turn in their company.

Problem solved.

:p

Oh, and increase *legal* immigration. It's rather silly to try to keep hard working, educated people *out* of the US.

[Skylark]

I'd one up this.

Give any illegal immigrant residency in the US if they turn in their company.

Problem solved.

:p

Oh, and increase *legal* immigration. It's rather silly to try to keep hard working, educated people *out* of the US.

:up:

[otomik]

I'd one up this.

Give any illegal immigrant residency in the US if they turn in their company.

Problem solved.

:p

Oh, and increase *legal* immigration. It's rather silly to try to keep hard working, educated people *out* of the US.well I think we can all agree that's an appealing answer. now what do you do with the illegal immigrants that are uneducated and now unemployed because of the people that turned in their company? yes rather silly to keep the hard working educated people out but what do you do with your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore?

[Tori~CL]

Freak this crap. Does anyone know how hard it is to get a USA citizen ship? Green card?

[AussieShane]

Freak this crap. Does anyone know how hard it is to get a USA citizen ship? Green card?

yes, extremely difficult if not impossible. No one should be given a free pass.

But see USA has got to the point where there's a knife in it. If you keep the knife in there, pain might remain or get worse, if you pull the knife out, blood squirts out everywhere etc.etc.

That's how it is with mexican/south american illegal immigrants and the very low wage services they provide. The economy has become dependent on them yet they are a problem to the economy.

I have no solution to stop illegal immigration, that's the job of US government.

[MrFalafel]

When I was a kid in growing up in California the local farmers would hire buses, and drive down to Mexico to gather illegal workers to pick fruit. The wouldn't bus them home however. There was a constant fear of not having enough fruit pickers which would have driven the price of food up for everyone. Its funny how times have changed.

The Mexico wall is to appease xenophobes that have found politcal voices in the US. As stated before, the US economy is quite dependent on illegal workers. Just about everyone in the US has a higher quality of life because there is some Mexican happy to work 18 hours a day at 3 jobs for $2.50 an hour because its better than where they came from. This wall will not stop this. And the US quality of life will suffer if illegal aliens are halted enmasse.

[rainforests1]

Oh, and increase *legal* immigration. It's rather silly to try to keep hard working, educated people *out* of the US.
I can't say I agree. We are at 300 million and will hit 400 million rather easily at the current rate. Some places are already having water problems, so that's expected to become much worse over time as the human population rises. Wild animals in the US are struggling a lot today, so they'll struggle even more as the human population continues to rise and animals are forced out of their habitat. Therefore, I feel you have to decrease illegal immigration to basically nothing while putting a quota on legal immigration. Let's say 10-20,000 per year. The large human population today is causing many problems and we owe it to future generations that this is addressed.

[codemonkey]

A wall isn't going to stop anyone. It would be really, really bad for wildlife though. There have been reports along the Arizona border (and pictures) of jaguars (which have been extinct in the US for decades) coming into the US from Mexico. If they build the wall, the jaguars won't be able to cross the border, which would be unfortunate since they're just starting to come back.

There are a few things they can do to decrease illegal immigration:
1. Increase the penalties for hiring illegal workers. Sure, they would have to pay minimum wage and would have to follow the minimum standards for job safety, and prices would go up, but if more Americans have jobs and fewer people would be on unemployment and welfare so people would be able to afford it. People wouldn't come here illegally if there are no jobs when they get here.

2. Make it easier to come here legally. If companies (like farms) truly can't find enough workers, they should be able to hire non-citizens on a seasonal or temporary basis (maybe have a system where if you work in the US for a certain period of time, you become eligible to apply for citizenship.)

That way, the people who are here just to get a job, won't have any reason to sneak across the border. Then the border patrol would be able to focus on chasing real criminals coming across the border illegally.

[sally429]

I agree with yall that it is a problem. I just think a wall is just going to cause different problems without solving the immigration problem. Especially since they are leaving a gap across a large country club (How they managed that I'll never know ...$$$ :deal:). That is going to turn in to a flood gate.

[beansarefruit]

My opinion on illegal immigration of Latinos aside, I am at a loss to understand why jaguars immigrating into the US would be a good thing.

[sally429]

My opinion on illegal immigration of Latinos aside, I am at a loss to understand why jaguars immigrating into the US would be a good thing.

There actually are some here already. They are native in the Southwest but were killed off by hunters around the 40s and 50s. Aside from cougars and bobcats, we are losing a lot of our cat populations. Such as ocelot and jagarundi. They are important predators.

[kazyeeqen]

My opinion on illegal immigration of Latinos aside, I am at a loss to understand why jaguars immigrating into the US would be a good thing.

I like to picture jaguars getting their passports and getting citizenship classes... ****ing english as a second language jaguars!

[codemonkey]

The jaguars are supposed to be here. It's their natural habitat.

[das_nut]

I can't say I agree. We are at 300 million and will hit 400 million rather easily at the current rate. Some places are already having water problems, so that's expected to become much worse over time as the human population rises. Wild animals in the US are struggling a lot today, so they'll struggle even more as the human population continues to rise and animals are forced out of their habitat. Therefore, I feel you have to decrease illegal immigration to basically nothing while putting a quota on legal immigration. Let's say 10-20,000 per year. The large human population today is causing many problems and we owe it to future generations that this is addressed.

How does keeping humans on one side of a line instead of another improve the population problem?

Or do you think that human population will grow slower on the Mexican side of the border?

[Skylark]

How does keeping humans on one side of a line instead of another improve the population problem?

Or do you think that human population will grow slower on the Mexican side of the border?

Naw, see, when people don't have access to health care, they don't live as long, and hence, they can't keep popping out kids at the same rate. :p Although, that would lead to an emphasis on childbearing while one can, so you'd end up with lots of orphans.

Oh, wait, we already have that. Workin' real well now!

[gingerlove]

i would like to thank bush for making this wall possible *sarcasm

here is a video explaining why walls. streets, highways and such can be built w/o the consideration of local wildlife

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VME9cGkm_TA&feature=channel_page

[sally429]

thanks for that link...I subscribed :)

[rainforests1]

How does keeping humans on one side of a line instead of another improve the population problem?

Or do you think that human population will grow slower on the Mexican side of the border?
The United States government should have discussions with other governments. Maybe more aid as a country places more emphasis on birth control. Iran has had success with this, so it shows education is the key. The United States government really hasn't done close to enough, and it's a shame.

[Scythe]

I'm sure something makes this amazingly difficult if not impossible to achieve, but can't their wall just... go around?

[sally429]

Go around what...Do you mean why can't the people go around the wall?

If so, they could go through the few spots that they are leaving open (country clubs and upscale neighborhoods...hmmm) but other than those spots, it is going all the way to the gulf. Although the beach where the mouth of the Rio Grande meets the Gulf is very near here and it looks easy to wade right there from one side to the other...so that could become a high traffic area. I think that it only isn't now because there is little cover to hide in.

That is our tax dollars at work with this darn wall