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It's a one way war for the time being. Sadly, IMHO it is going to take an event 10 times the destruction of 911 to change the situation and cause the U.S. to wage total war on the enemy....whoever and wherever they are. It is clear that 3000 dead is not enough mayhem to cause our congress to make a declaration of war.

I think it is generally accepted that the next attack on America will be perpertrated by some group that crosses the American border...most likely from Mexico. So...it just makes sense to me that is where we make a stand to stop illegals from coming in to our country. I don't think it would take much either. A high fence with signs that state clearly that anyone breaching that fence will be shot. Liberals clearly won't like the fence nor the signs, but our present enemy has promised to kill all Americans, and did not exclude liberals.

A fence along the entire Mexican border would be too expensive and would accomplish nothing. People who are determined to cross would cut holes in the fence or dig underneath it. If we had the border patrol agents available to shoot anyone coming across, we would have the agents available to arrest them now. Other ideas that have been often stated would have more value. They include the following.

We need to stop payment of all entitlements to people who are in this country illegally. If poor people think that they can receive free stuff somewhere, no barrier will keep them from going there. On the other hand, if they can't receive free stuff, then they have less reason to try. Stopping the payment of entitlements should include all education benefits and medical care.

We need to punish companies that hire illegal aliens. Again, I don't blame poor people for going where they will find work. I do blame those who hire illegal aliens and provide a motive for poor people to break our laws. If the risk of being caught were greater than the profit from hiring illegals, then companies wouldn't contribute to the problem by doing so.

We need to stop shielding people from the natural consequences of trying to break our laws. If someone tries to cross the desert illegally and dies of thirst, his death is his own fault. I can understand his motive for crossing that desert, but we shouldn't try to protect people from the natural barriers that protect this country.

We need to allow reasonable commerce between small communities along the border. There are small towns on the border that have carried on cross-border trade for years because the desert has isolated them from the "outside world" in either country. Modern transportation has lessened this isolation, but these towns still have symbiotic relationships that cross the border. We should shut the border to those who want to come into the rest of America illegally, but we should create legal means for people to carry on traditional relationships with those who live 200 yards away. Cutting off this trade only gives the people on the Mexican side more incentive to go further into America finding work when their towns can't survive.

Bill

Two fences, 250 yards apart, with antipersonnel mines between them. Mexico-side fence clearly marked with signs in English and Spainish that the zone between the fences is mined and those that wish to cross will probably die. Fences to be topped with concertina wire.

I say mines because we would not need as many people manning the border (mines don't sleep or get distracted), but put guards every so often in case the mines get avoided somehow.