Sparks a'flyin' at the Border

This Dallas Morning News article requires subscription, but it may be worth it in this case.

Our border with Mexico is porous, folks. Has been forever. But suddenly, well... Suffice it to say, I don't like the steady upbeat tempo of the war drums being pounded. Talk of tightening the border has infuriated Vincente Fox, I hear...

I recall back in my teenage years working with a guy who was Iranian-American. He said people often confused him as a Mexican. Which baffled me.

However, whenever people talk about the possibility of Muslims easily crossing over through Mexico, I am reminded of the conversation.

Read the article if you can, and tell me what you think.

Also read today that Bush is calling his immigration reform a "Guest Worker Program." Puh-leeze! Can't he see how well that's served Europe? It's insulting to intelligent Americans. Guess it sounds good to somebody.

The latest goings on are about drugs coming in, but they have prompted calls such as this:

U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a frequent critic of the administration's border security efforts, called Tuesday for the federal government and the governments of southern border states to immediately deploy troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in light of what he termed "recent armed assistance Mexico's military has given to drug smugglers."

"Our border has literally turned into a war zone with foreign military personnel challenging our laws and our sovereignty," Mr. Tancredo said.

"The only way to deal with this dangerous situation is to tap the resources of our own military," Mr. Tancredo said. "I call on President Bush and the governors of border states to immediately deploy military personnel to defend our borders against the Mexican military."

U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, called on Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to initiate a formal investigation on the reported border crossings and to begin a dialogue with Mexican officials to prevent further occurrences.

"These illegal incursions are a violation of our sovereignty and pose a significant danger to U.S. law enforcement officials and citizens near the border – especially if all parties involved are armed. The potential for violence is significant.

Mr. Kyl noted that the Department of Homeland Security released figures that indicate that there have been 231 documented incursions along the 2,000-mile border with Mexico since 1996.