“Oh, grow up”

Call it “opposition research” or call it masochism, but I regularly look at the crazy right-wing websites.  Even the not-so-crazy ones are clueless about the border economy.

I’m not sure its even worth trying to respond to people who have already made up their mine, and don’t want confused with the facts.  When I point on (on this site) that there are serious economic and other concerns about a border fence, the best anyone can come up with is “well, you should want your local economy destroyed, put up with federal agents and environmental degradation.”

Ignorant comments like this (from this site) are common enough:

 I would think that every true re-blooded American citizen would have no problem, or even appreciate the fact, that the federal government has finally gotten off their collective asses and are doing something to secure our southern border. But, that’s only the feeling of one true red-blooded American citizen.

The poster “thinks” without knowing a damn thing about the people who live here, their lives … or much of anything apparently.  And, what really amazes me is that even in “mainstream” media, people are so willing to eschew their usual reasoning to twist their minds around the concept of a Mexican border fence.  The same people who were arguing for local control, or who back environmental preservation… or who believe in the free flow of goods and services… suddenly concoct an exception to the rule to justify denying us the same rights and expectations they have for themselves.

As a “thought experiment” I used to point out that if “terrorists” (and they usually mean foreign ones, not our homegrown ones, that are never spoken of)  we’d be stopping British and Canadians from crossing the border, not Mexican farmers.  At best, you hear that there is a “potential” threat (in which case, you’d think the government would seal off the known threat first).

Even people who should know better will ultimately resort to bigotry:  “PressOne for English” is “immoral” or “they” aren’t like us.  So — neither were my German-speaking ancestors, nor the masses of immigrants who came into the United States AFTER the Mexican-American War.

It’s not the “terrorist” threat at all, but local economic worries in a few places about “illegal immigrants” (and it’s dubious whether “illegal immigrants” are screwing up the economy even in those few sectors like home construction or restaurant services).  Of course, people are going to look at their own pocketbook issues (and so are we).

Is it too much to ask better from our government officials?  Yup:

Our Department of Homeland Security is an example of the federal government’s ignorance about what’s really going on along the Mexican border.

It’s just the latest example.

When we contact Washington and say, “Knock, knock,” Homeland Security doesn’t say, “Who’s there?”

No, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says, “Grow up!”

This is in connection with new security measures that go into effect at U.S. ports of entry. That has to happen; we must secure our borders, and real proof of citizenship when entering the U.S. is a necessary step.

Meanwhile, even before the new rules, wait times on bridges have become too long. In El Paso, that hurts the flow of commerce, thus is a negative hit on the economy.

But when concerns about even longer wait times were aired, Chertoff told us to, “Grow up.”

Mayor John Cook had a good retort. “I take that personally, when he says we need to grow up. I think I understand the border and I understand border security.”

Said Monica Weisberg-Stewart of the Texas Border Coalition’s immigration committee: “It comes across as a bullying, hard-handed insensitive way of dealing with a very serious problem.”

Beginning Jan. 31, and we’ve known this for a long time, we will be required to present either a passport or a photo ID along with proof of citizenship (usually a birth certificate) to cross back into the U.S. on foot or in a vehicle.

This, we all understand, means that more “paperwork” will be involved, and that Customs and Border Protection will have even more to do.

However, from Chertoff’s statement, it doesn’t appear Homeland Security is very far along with implementing ways to check those documents without causing even more bridge glut. Instead of saying, “Grow up,” he could have at least said the government was working hard on ways to get the lines moving faster.

We just don’t think either Chertoff or Congress has much of an idea what really goes on at the borders. El Paso is a major import city. If commerce is forced to idle on a bridge for up to three hours, goods do not move effectively to their destinations.

At least twice now, U.S. Congressman Silvestre Reyes has invited fellow lawmakers to come see border crossing in operation. He hosted a recent seminar at the Chamizal, where a handful of lawmakers heard concerns.

But when it comes to addressing our major concern — we rely on commerce from Mexico — we’re told to “grow up.”

We have a message, too. In fact, it’s a message we’ve sent all along to Washington, D.C. — get educated on border concerns.