John Botefuhr, says:

Tell me why we are putting up over 90 million dollars for a wall in S. Texas again?

John Botefuhr, says:

Bear with me, but I think George Bush is really the only one making sense on this issue. Here in this area, we have been dealing with immigration from Mexico since this state was a republic. Hell, Mexicans stood AGAINST Santa Ana at Goliad and the Alamo. Our culture is entwined with northern Mexico from the food to the music, to the overall culture and I kinda resent the xenophobic northern, republican and democrat stance on this issue. To me this issue has really only come up as the cheap labor of immigrants is only now threatining the high cost of Northeast Union labor.

And I don't buy the way some people, mostly the far right, try to piggyback the terrorism and security issues on top of immigration. If it is terrorism that you are really worried about, then deal with terrorism. I think the U.S government will find the Mexican government much more accomidating to help us stop a nuclear weapon being smuggled into Mexico to the United States than smuggling people who are coming here to simply earn money for their families back in Mexico. Afterall, why would some alien spend their life savings to get into the United states only to get blown up? It certainly would not help the Mexican economy to see the U.S. go through another 9/11. The devastation to the travel industy alone would strike another huge economic and political blow to the delicate Mexican economy and political state. We should be more worried about weapons coming from Canada as there have been numerous plots thwarted from that direction allready.

These people come here to earn money, provide for their families and seek a better life (Isn't that the American spirit?) and aside from not going through the lengthy, expensive, and arduous immigration process, they are law abiding, hardworking, and family oriented people who contibute to our economy at least as much as you may feel they take away. We need cheap labor to compete in this global economy.

Hey, I am all for deporting drunk drivers, murderers, and any illegal alien that commits a felony. Do whatever needs to be done with them. But to scream "But they are illegal!" and every one of them needs to be deported makes about as much sense as throwing everyone who drives one mile over the speed limit or everyone who lights a cigarette in a Dallas restruant/bar in jail and I don't see people advocating that.

But I really think that building a big wall is a stupid idea. Legal Citizens who actually live in those border counties don't want to see some big gnarley wall traversing through their landscape and hunting/fishing grounds and will tell you they could certainly put the money that can be used build a wall for much better purposes like hospitals, roads, etc.

The culture is always going to change in this country. It is not static. With every foriegn war or upheval, there is always an influx of immigrants. It seemes to me growing up, Dallas was a White, Black, and Hispanic city. Now, we have a huge Asian population. There are pockets of Persian, Russian, African, and many other cultures here now. The 2 big political parties are in disarray. I believe The Hispanic population values fall allot more in line with the republican party then the democrat party and perhaps Bush is reaching to exploit that. Smart idea for either political party.

-John Botefuhr

John Botefuhr, says:

I recognize that SOME see it as a deeper problem. Probably a prejudical problem. I and I would argue about the "Asian Assimilaton" as there are a few that branch out but in my experience of having been engaged to a partially Vietnamese woman, I found that most stick to their own culture in conducting business. But it really does come down to economics and money. It always does. Texas now has the lowest unemployment rate since 1976. We need workers, whether skilled or unskilled. A fair, equitable immigration policy is important. But the last legislation propsed required an alien take off work a week, two weeks, or a month (or longer) to return to their home country to renew a visa. The recent passport mess created by Congress, makes it nearly impossible for even U. S. citizens to leave and enter the country. Most illegal aliens have been paying into Social Security under fake SS cards, thereby enriching the U.S. Treasury with no prospect of receiving anything back. I would rather see money that goes for bulding a wall to set up English immersian(sp?) programs. My only personal problem as a doctor, is that I find that the language barrier is a wall in and of itself. I encourge "Spanish Speaking Only" patients to learn the English language if at least for an Emergency situation. Perhaps if people would concentrate and encorage immigrants to learn the language and stop trying to throw other issues like terrorism, health care, drain of U.S. economy etc., we would see that this "Culture" issue is not really a big deal as SOME would believe.