Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced to the (real) world from the University of Texas at El Paso that "border crime and illegal border crossings" have "fallen sharply" over the past two years. Really? Have you not been following Mexico's War, Ms. Napolitano? In the same newspapers that cited Ms. Napolitano's amazing announcement, we read that Cuidad Juarez has just seen its bloodiest weekend in memory, with over fifty people murdered from Thursday to Sunday night, just past. And these are only the KNOWN murders. And on February 4, 2011 the latest police chief of Nuevo Laredo, who had been in office just over a month, was shot dead gunmen believed to belong to one or another of the cartels. Of course he lasted longer than his predecessor, who was gunned down the same day he took office. So, border crime is down? Sharply??
Ms. Napolitano also asserts in this speech that illegal border crossing are down by thirty-six percent over a period of two years. This information is supposedly based on the numbers of people detained by the Border Patrol (ICE). The one border patrolman I know personally has not mentioned a decrease in the number of border crossings. He has noted, however, that it has become quite a bit more dangerous for the "illegal border crossers" to make the trek through Mexico and into Texas. In addition to the usual dangers associated with illegal border crossings, Mexican citizens are being robbed and killed as they make their crossings by various means.
After announcing that border crime and illegal border crossings are down "sharply" Ms. Napolitano proceeds to accuse Republicans of "politicizing" the Border "issues." Again, Ms. Napolitano...WHAT WORLD ARE YOU LIVING IN?? (pardon my grammar.) Guess what...the Border "situation" and "problems" ARE POLITICAL ISSUES, MADAM SECRETARY. The federal government has opted not to respond to the DEMAND from United States citizens throughout the border states, other than prosecuting state and local officials who ARE trying to protect their jurisdictions. After years of pleading for help, state officials took action. Ms. Napolitano and her boss, Mr. Obama, chose to ignore the roar of the crowd. So now, OF COURSE these are political issues, and I believe the "winner" will be the politicians or officials who take action. By the way, Ms. Napolitano, if you think that border crime is down "sharply" I urge you to go spend a few days along the border and let us know what you find "first hand."
More than fifty people killed in one weekend, including several officers. One US agent murdered just two days ago, the other injured badly, by drug cartel members. Nuevo Laredo needs ANOTHER police chief. I don't know about you, but somehow I do not find Ms. Napolitano's words very comforting. And after her speech, I don't find her credibility very comforting either. If the Chief of Homeland Security believes the border is safer now that it was two years ago, I wonder how safe we will be in another two years? So Ms. Napolitano, please go back to that planet from which you come, maybe Planet Disney, but I think more likely Planet Denial. I choose to entrust my safety to those officials and officers grounded in reality, and to those who are "politicizing" border "issues." It seems to me that the federal government is, as usual, prosecuting the wrong "offenders." But then again, how many other problems have been "solved" by the federal powers that be? On, THAT many?
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