I agree with you that a major fence/barrier has to be the first step in a real solution to the border problems. Without a barrier to slow the flood, nothing else we do will work. Those who don't understand how serious the problems really are promote new laws and some sort of band aid amnesty. Those of us who deal with the border problems every day know that there will be no easy fix and most of what is now proposed as a solution will make the problems worse not better.
Those who think protesting at Crawford is wrong, I would like to know what they think those of us who live on the border should do? I am open to suggestions, I have contacted my elected officials and even wrote a letter to President Bush directly to voice my concerns. I totally supported President Bush in both elections, but I haven't felt any support from him on the border issues, everything I have heard from him would make the situation worse. I lost a lot of respect for the President when he called the Minutemen vigilantes. It is easy to tell someone what they shouldn't do- but I wish those who are doing it here would tell us what they would do. I am open to suggestions, but I resent the fact that those who don't live on the border act as though we should just sit down, shut up and take it.
Tough words, but they need saying. I frequently find myself frustrated by the total lack of knowledge exhibited by folks who don't live down here, but are intelligent enough to at least have an inkling about what's going on.