Press Secty Tony Snow and Mexican fences

For those who like to watch politics with a smile, I’m sure you have seen the Jon Stewart Show. But in-between those laughs there are some solid items to be found. In this case I’m referring to the recent episode (I believe it was Thursday May 18, 2006) where comments from the new press secretary of President Bush, Mr. Tony Snow, were featured. Now while there were nice jibes at his demeanor and easy going speech style, something else truly caught my attention, and obviously those of Mr. Stewart et al. In responding to a question, Mr. Tony Snow responded “I don’t want to hug the bar baby...” What the hell was that? What possible reason could he have for that statement. What possible implication could he mean besides the one I am alluding to. I am VERY offended. I cannot fathom one possible reason for such a statement. I do thank Mr. Stewart et al. for catching this despicable comment, and I now have an incite to the mind of this individual. And it is very important to understand Mr. Snow, as he is the voice of the Presidency. His comments are the comments of the highest office of this nation, and the meanings are felt throughout the world. To know that such an offensive and derisive thought can flow from his mind in such a casual manner is maddening. I can only hope that others see either this post or the actual program from Jon Stewart.

Why there has not been more information and question over this I do not know. Where are the liberal and other governmental watchdogs after this comment? Where are the supposed Black community leaders [whose legitimacy I dispute in any case]? Why didn’t the reporters on hand at this outburst not make comment? Is it so mundane, so commonplace, or worse yet so acceptable to make a derogatory racial comment, as the voice of the President and therefore the sanction of the United States, without any counter-comment? I really look forward to someone giving me a legitimate, solid, reasonable argument that can explain why such a comment by Mr. Snow was required.

On another matter that I have some thoughts, there has been a lot said on the matter of the U.S. border with Mexico. I agree that there has to be more done to protect our borders (note that I used the plural), and to slow the number of illegal immigrants in this nation. Isolating the nation with a fence on one border is not an answer. Let me detail why.

A fence is hardly a hindrance to those seeking to enter this nation. Tunnels, similar to those found under San Diego some years back, are not hard to build. Ladders and other structures have been made to overcome obstacles such as this since the days of castles and forts. Cutting tools from the industrial to the household exist in every nation and do not depend on a Lowe’s to be bought. A fence will not work, just as the Berlin Wall did not stop people from getting across, and that had armed soldiers, dogs, possibly mines, and was far shorter in distance that this proposed one. Perhaps the only fence that did function properly was the Great Wall of China, which is debatable, and the expense and requirements for such a wall is unreasonable. And even if it were feasible, the implications of such extreme isolationism is far reaching and terrifying.

I won’t even address the feasibility of troops manning our border. I have mentioned before, and friends are aware of my thoughts regarding using troops to perform police actions. I feel troops are ill equipped to act in a manner needed for this type of activity. It is not part of the dogma of the military. It will lead to additional problems, and I will not blame the troops for the bad command decisions made to place them in an inappropriate situation.

What is more important is the fact that all attention has been focused in one place, creating a false sense of security. I mean that with all the focus being driven to the Mexico border, where there has been no evidence of terrorist activities ever nor terrorists crossing the Mexican border to my knowledge, no attention is being place on the Canadian border. We do know that terrorist have come via Canada to the United States. Yet there is no fence nor troops being stationed to our northernmost border. There is no cry to secure our border with Canada, and I have to ask why. There has been a clear and continues to be a present danger expressed at the Canadian border, yet all eyes look south. This creates a question of why this is the case. What is the difference?

Yes there are immigrants coming into this nation from Mexico. This is not new and has been happening all of my life at the least, and obviously far longer. Businesses have complained, and many have flourish on the cheap labor of Mexican immigrants. It can be argued that as many benefit from these illegal immigrants exist as problems. Given that, I do not agree with granting them the same privileges as a citizen. The price of the higher wages, obtained without taxes and the cost to the nation in having to investigate and remove these individuals, is that they do not have the benefits every citizen has. This is no surprise, and I am sure expected by these immigrants. It is no difference in expectation than from 20 years ago, or 5 decades ago.

The last real question is drugs. While many drugs enter via Mexico, far more enter via Florida, and Canada. Florida is more accessible via water, and the Everglades allows ample hiding places. Canada is idea because the border is quite lax, far more than Mexico. I am unaware if any studies have been done, but I would guess that the Canadian border exceeds any other entryway into this nation, for drugs or non-Mexican immigrants.

So overall, what reason are we left with to draw so much attention to our Mexican border? Possibly that Mexican immigrants are far more identifiable and numerous targets to be used via political games. That is not to say there are not concerns, and that those concerns need to be addressed. But half-hearted, misguided [my view] legislation that creates more problems and fails to see or acknowledge the scope of a problem makes me agitated.

This is what I think, what do you think?