How Times Have Changed

The President of the US of A not only campaigned on the issue in the run up to his election but almost daily since being elected, so of course those who opposed his election are naturally opposed to this issue, as they are with almost everything he does.

What is confusing to anyone who follows politics, is this was not a new idea.

In 2006 both the House and the Senate passed a bill know as the Secure Fence Act, which was a bipartisan bill during the George Bush Presidency, which provided funding for over 700 miles of double fencing and barriers along the same border.

At the time President George Bush stated that "This bill will help protect the American people. This bill will make our borders more secure. It is an important step toward immigration reform."

In the bill itself it was stated,

By Making Wise Use Of Physical Barriers And Deploying 21st Century Technology, We Can Help Our Border Patrol Agents Do Their Job And Make Our Border More Secure.

The Secure Fence Act:
Authorizes the construction of hundreds of miles of additional fencing along our Southern border;
Authorizes more vehicle barriers, checkpoints, and lighting to help prevent people from entering our country illegally;
Authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to increase the use of advanced technology like cameras, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles to reinforce our infrastructure at the border.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Begins With Securing The Border.

Since President Bush took office, we have:
More than doubled funding for border security - from $4.6 billion in 2001 to $10.4 billion this year;
Increased the number of Border Patrol agents from about 9,000 to more than 12,000 - and by the end of 2008, we will have doubled the number of Border Patrol agents since the President took office;
Deployed thousands of National Guard members to assist the Border Patrol;
Upgraded technology at our borders and added infrastructure, including new fencing and vehicle barriers;
Apprehended and sent home more than 6 million people entering America illegally;
and We are adding thousands of new beds in our detention facilities, so we can continue working to end "catch and release" at our Southern border.

Unfortunately only a portion of the planned fencing was completed before President Obama was elected at which time, the plans changed.

In 2011, addressing supporters in El Paso, President Obama jeered that Republicans "wanted a fence. Well, the fence is now basically complete." Audience members, as the official WhiteHouse.gov transcript shows, shouted "Tear it down!" and "They're racist!"

"Maybe they'll need a moat," the president added. "Maybe they want alligators in the moat. They'll never be satisfied."

In place of the fencing the Obama Administration opted for vehicle barriers, which may stop vehicles from entering but hardly serve to block anyone else from crossing the barrier.

And of course, there was existing fencing in locations where towns and major roadways exist along the border, but these too require repairs and maintenance, to remain effective. That requires funding.

So if barriers exist, and the current President wishes to improve or modernize the barriers in an effort to reduce illegal immigration into the US, why the uproar? Maybe it is simply a matter of opposing whatever the other side of the aisle wishes to do.

How else does one explain this.

This was back in 2009 and of course times change, but hardly justification for the claims of racism and anti-Americanism coming from those on the left side of the aisle. Remember it was only back in 2006 that Biden, Hillary, Schumer, and Pelosi all voted in favor of the border barriers as the first step in developing comprehensive reforms to the existing immigration policy. If it wasn't immoral then it can't be now.

Mexico has a border fence with Guatemala, Jordan has a border wall (that the US funded), so why not finish what was already approved for the US Mexico border.

Like any infrastructure project, people get hired to build it, which means jobs. Then get on with the other issues that matter like roads, bridges, schools and housing which are just as important as security to most Americans.

If it helps to secure the border from illegal immigration, and allows the government to validate and approve who gets to come in and start a new life, then get on with it.

Stop fighting over what amounts to 1/10th of 1 percent of the annual budget for something that was already approved and get it done.

There are plenty of people south of the border that deserve a chance at a better life in the US, or in Canada, but lets stop the wave of those who want to jump the queue, at their expense.