The construction of a wall that will separate the US from Mexico is scheduled to be started sometime in the next few months. Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff says he will deny local US communities any opportunity to veto the construction of this approximately $60-million endeavor. However, he does plan on consulting local cities on the wall’s design. Despite the continuing threat to national security, many citizens and officials believe the border wall will harm the reciprocal relationship between the US and Mexico. In protest, residents from both sides of the border will create a human chain along many international bridges. El Paso mayor John Cook urges community members to show their solidarity by going to take part in the protest.
Hands Across el Rio will take place on many different occasions during its 16-day run, culminating on September 9th, 2007. The scene will take place not only in El Paso, but at many ports of entry that lie along 1,250 miles of border between Texas and Mexico, including Del Rio, Brownsville and Laredo.
The protest is a manifestation of a much larger issue. Policy makers living far away from Mexico do not understand the issues as well as those living on border cities. Their lives are not directly hindered by their own policy changes the way those of nearby citizens are. Hopefully, the voices of all those who attend the protest will shed some light on the determination to maintain the unified culture between the two countries.
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If I disagree with the thrust of your protest will you allow it to be posted? Having 12,000,000 illegal inhabitants in our country make this issue much bigger than an isolated border problem. 12,000,000 is our own fantasy (made up number) The government of Mexico says the number is closer to 40,000,000. The impact on the United States is being felt thousands of miles from the border. We simply cannot absorb an infinite amount people seeking work. Sure Business loves it this way, they can exploit these people for their own gain. Unions like it too, they can sign up new members to their ranks. (edited for post policy) But none of these institutions make up America. The People make up America and the People are just beginning to be heard.
ARRIBA!
An open border does a lot more than a wall.
A.) It is humanitarian - let’s face it, isolation is no longer an option. It amounts to open borders and fair trade or blatant exploitation.
B.) Open borders benefit America but making the needed labor available. This provides us the opprtunity to employ and educate migrant workers! We have the work for them if we allow the opportunity and education. Look at the growing number of outsourced labor. From a strict capitalistic since it makes sense to employ more people in close proximity to a business.
C.) An open border benefits Mexico by placing a strain on the Mexican government to overcome its corruption and establish a stable governments that seeks to create and maintain jobs, thus benefiting the Mexican economy and decreasing migration.
I will grant that these are large idealistic umbrella-points, but this is the time of big ideas.
And may i stress once more, it is humanitarian. Sell your god forsaken yacht and employ a few unfortunate folks.
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