http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/22602.page Public Action http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2603115 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2603115 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2602430 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2602430 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2601460 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2601460 GMT
But lately, the flow has been getting out of hand. So, what do we do?

A wall would be directly related to curb immigration. But immigration is directly related to poverty and oppression. Mexico is directly related to the US simply because we are neighbors. It is like Europe and people who migrate from Africa or Eastern Europe. However, don’t be surprised about the following statement: the majority of the people even in poor countries don’t want to come to the US. They are happy where they were raised. People that decide to risk it all are desperate people who look at this country with hope for a better tomorrow.

Mexico checks for illegal immigrants in the South so that less people from Central America try to reach the US border. Mexico has a “war on drugs” so that fewer drugs make it to our streets. In fact the US influences a whole bunch of policies in other places of the world. Should we be greedy or thankful that we are powerful? With power comes responsibility…

Now, how can the flow be controlled? A wall is a dumb idea that some “bright” politician created to earn more votes. If you want to seal the border the US has the technology to do it without a physical wall that reminds everyone of the Berlin wall. My father was in the Navy and you should know that if we want to stop people the technology exists.

But as long as there are jobs (and document forgers) the 10+ million undocumented workers are here to stay. Believe me, it’s much better to wash dishes than to be stuck in a place with nothing to look forwards to. At least there is hope that your children may one day share the responsibility of making this a better world.

The only way to control the flow is by controlling the jobs. So far we have been cynical about it. Undocumented workers are allowed to obtain a tax id number to file taxes. If the government would allow the companies that currently hire those workers to do it 100% legally everybody would benefit. If they come is because they can find a job. Instead of sealing the border seal the jobs. Forget about the wall and simplify the process of legal migration. Hard working people are what make any country great. We have the right ingredients to reap a benefit from people willing to work hard. It’s a gain-gain situation.

Lastly, don’t be afraid of them. They are human beings like the rest of us.
]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2598116 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2598116 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2600933 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2600933 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2597152 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2597152 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2596566 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2596566 GMT
I do not think that building a fence will solve any problems. I feel that this fence is going to cause many more problems than those it was 'intended' to fix. I strongly feel that congress is way off track with this move. This is not the best way for America to be a 'good neighbor' to our southern allies and neighbor's.

Peace, A Registered Voter]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2596442 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2596442 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2596074 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2596074 GMT
Thank you. JaL]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2594200 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2594200 GMT
If completed I can visualize the wall becoming the latest symbol of what the U.S. represents.]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2592365 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2592365 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2591367 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2591367 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2588161 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2588161 GMT
I was surprised to learn that we didn't have a fence. Whether it is an actual fence, a wall, or a highly patrolled section of desert, I feel that we should have our borders secured.]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2587477 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2587477 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2588199 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2588199 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2582695 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2582695 GMT
It does the same thing to communities. People cannot meet each other and shop at their usual shops, etc.

Evidently, also, it is ugly; it ruins some people's views.]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2582034 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2582034 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2581931 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2581931 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2581141 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2581141 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2578097 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2578097 GMT The fence is necessary to keep people from going through the back door. ]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2576223 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2576223 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2575441 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2575441 GMT
Either way, the fence can and will be breached if it hasn't been done already. I don't live there, but I can guarantee you a determined person will find their way around the fence either physically or by procedure fraud (i.e. phony documentation going through customs). ]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2575330 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2575330 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2574793 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2574793 GMT
We and the countries south of the US border need to do some serious development and economic work (and get rid of government corruption both here and there) so emigration isn't necessary.]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2573353 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2573353 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572594 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572594 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572578 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572578 GMT
That said, this is not a patriotic, emotional (easy to say), or security issue. This is an economic issue. At the end of our discussion we both agreed on one thing that we found to be true. The notion of earning US dollars and living in Mexico is very attractive, which is why so many come here and send dollars home to be converted to pesos and provide a decent living for their families. It's not a mystery or anything evil, it's simple economics. Mexico is a huge country with a large population and happens to border the United States. Their per capita income is drastically lower than ours and so is their cost of living. So if you can double or triple-up in a rented room, earn dollars, and ship those dollars back home, you are solving an economic problem for millions of families south of the border. On our side of the equation is the millions of cheap man-hours we get in our agricultural fields (pickers), our restaurants (bus boys/cooks), our hotels (maids, maintenance staff) and so many other of our service-related industries (and there are a lot of them now that we are essentially a service economy). The trade-off for our direct (wages) and indirect (uninsured motorists, emergency room visits) costs are lower prices at the register. If we want to shut the border down, that's our right as a country, but the American taxpayer should be informed up front what the direct costs of that action will be (say, $5 for a head of lettuce due to the combined costs of American labor, benefits, retirement, etc. which may or may not be available to an immigrant). The dirty little secret, as it were, is that economically it is not in the United States' best interest for either Mexico's economy to substantially improve as it relates to wages or for meaningful immigration reform to pass in Congress. Were either of these events to occur, our cost of living in the United States would likely increase as our labor pool was reduced, thus pushing wages up in the US as immigration was either reduced from Mexico (legal or otherwise) and/or Mexico's economy made it more attractive for citizens there to remain and work in Mexico. Had the United States been serious about reducing/eliminating illegal immigration it would have been (and still is) easy to do so. Simply shut down any business that employees undocumented workers. Enforce that law without mercy and you will soon all but eliminate illegal immigration. Business reacts quickly to lethal threats to its existence. But we have not and likely will not do that because of the greater threat posed to our economy. No one in Congress can afford to put things quite so starkly because it is politically hazardous, especially given the demographic fact that Hispanic citizens are becoming a voting bloc to be reckoned with.

Comments abound in this discussion and others about how Mexicans don't assimilate American culture, that they merely come here, earn dollars, and either return with them or send them to Mexico. There is a simple reason for this. Mexican culture is beautifully rich. It's not better or worse than ours, just different in ways that make it very attractive to those who are raised there. Heck, it's attractive to those of use who were raised here, if you spend enough time there. Speak to any American living in the Mexico (retirees, for example) and they will tell you that Mexico's culture is a big part of why they enjoy living there. More importantly, and unlike those who immigrate for distant countries, Mexican immigrants to the United States can easily return to Mexico and so maintain close ties to Mexican traditions, celebrations, and the like. Further, there are so many Mexican immigrants in the United States now that most communities where they live have surrounding familiar to them. Carnicerias (meat markets), panaderias (bakeries), and other Mexican specialty stores are popping up anywhere there is an appreciable number of Mexicans either residing or working there. As such, it's easy to see where assimilation may be less likely, especially for first generation Mexican immigrants. This isn't a bad or a good thing, it's just the way it is. Whenever a particular culture penetrates a particular area in terms of their presence, shops and other services catering to their specific needs will be created. It just happens that Mexican immigrants have big population numbers in many major metropolitan areas of the United States, especially in the southwest.

In the end, it's all economic. To litter the discussion with moral, emotional, or patriotic appeals, while providing fun reading, really has little to do with defining the problem; assuming there is one.]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572566 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572566 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572497 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572497 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572278 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2572278 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2570681 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2570681 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2568174 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2568174 GMT Either build it along the border with Mexico now, or you will be building it along the Mississippi River later.
DO YOU LOCK YOUR DOORS AT NIGHT?
Show me one person who leaves their house doors unlocked and open with a sign reading, "Take my stuff, take my children, take my spouse."
Of course not.
There is no difference.

]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2567330 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2567330 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2565689 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2565689 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2564747 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2564747 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2559166 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2559166 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2559122 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2559122 GMT i feel we are regressing,We just got rear of the Berlin wall
and people see only mexicans coming to usa.
The wall should also be for americans and canadians going to mexico. mexico is invaded by gringos
who only change mexico for the worse. economic and culturaly.]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2558807 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2558807 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2558248 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2558248 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2557826 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2557826 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2556837 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2556837 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2548675 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2548675 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2548117 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2548117 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2546538 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2546538 GMT
So, are you suggesting we invade and annex Mexico? That would solve the problem - kinda stupidly though.

]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2539812 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2539812 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2533823 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2533823 GMT Nola Lamken, Skagway, Alaska]]> http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2516412 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2516412 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2471420 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2471420 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2463622 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2463622 GMT http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2456456 http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/theworld/posts/list/748412.page#2456456 GMT