By Akos Kovach
At the links below, you can view a classic example of point-counterpoint: the argument? Border Safety vs. Border Security.
Is the US-Mexico border safe? YES!
Is the same US -Mexico Border secure? NO.
- State Sen. Sylvia Allen tours areas of high trafficking and the border near Palominas.
- The Pinal Sheriff Department works with the Border Patrol on stopping trafficking.
- The Arizona Daily Star reports on a bus line that giving tours of the border with the intent of separating fact from fiction.
It is crucial to note the difference between these two terms. Families living along the border, travelers, visitors, tourists – crossing back and forth is safe.
But with billions of dollars worth of demand for illegal drugs, criminal cartels battle each other and anyone who tries to impede their trade routes and product delivery.
Much can be done to improve security, and it will not happen until the BorderPatrol (BP) sits down at the same table with local ranchers and sheriffs. Claims of complicity between the BP and cartels are destructive and unproven.
Meaningful dialogue with swift and appropriate action would solve many problems. Stories about ‘armies of illegals’ coming over while BP avoids contact are simply not documented; these are legends repeated so often they are believed.
If indeed it was true BP will not intercept undocumented aliens then it is equally well known one call to any Sheriff in the area — Cochise, Santa Cruz, Pinal or Pima counties — brings immediate reaction.
Sort out the facts and separate the fiction; we must address these issues together in order to truly bring security back to the border. In the meantime we must also beat the drum loudly and clearly – visiting – shopping – staying at any of the border cities is safe, enjoyable and provides bargains galore.
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California, and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California’s expansive Central Valley. With a 2009 estimated population of 489,676, it is the sixth-largest city in California.[1] Sacramento is the core cultural and economic center of the Sacramento metropolitan area which includes seven counties; with an estimated population of 2,927,123.[2] Its metropolitan area is the fourth largest in California after the Greater Los Angeles Area, San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Diego metropolitan area as well as the 25th largest in the United States. A city attaining global status, Sacramento was cited by Time magazine as America’s most ethnically and racially integrated city in 2002