No American can be left uninterested about what is happening on our U.S. southern border with the multitude of children literally walking through the border into the U.S.
Indeed, the emotions are running high. Some speak about America's borders which cannot just be open and porous like a bucket with the bottom full of holes so that it cannot hold any water. There is no nation in the world that can sustain its identity and its sovereignty if its borders are not secured. They ask, "Why call yourself a nation if your borders cannot be protected?"
On the other side of the debate, advocates for these children, women and families are speaking about America having to feel sorry and have sympathy for these children. They say that these children are running away from crimes and hunger and poverty and all the evils taking place in their countries. They say that we, Americans, ought to welcome them and accommodate them in our communities.
As this crisis heats up, we must, we need to make some sense of it as to what is really happening. Thus, it is good that we do as one of my favorite journalist and TV reporter, Tim Russert, the master and the irreplaceable King of Meet the Press, used to say: "Let's go to the map!"
Look at the map and see where the U.S. is and what does the U.S. share its southern border (the bottom of the map) with? Well, Mexico, of course, is our Southern neighbor. Do you see any other country bordering the U.S. in the South? Beside Mexico, all we see is water -- the Gulf of Mexico, this water is called.
Now, observe how vast or "long" Mexico is, going from its border with the U.S. to the South where it meets the two countries of Guatemala and Belize. Further south-east of Guatemala, as it curves a little bit, it borders El Salvador and Honduras. Honduras borders Nicaragua, which borders Costa Rica, which borders Panama, which smacks on its south with Colombia.
Looking at this map, I beg for the reporters and investigators and everyone else speaking on this flood of mostly children to America to speak to us as if we are intelligent and knowledgeable people. Do not talk to us like we are dumb.
I mean, on TV they show these children walking on foot through the U.S. border. They tell us they are running from crimes and violence in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Yet, we read reports of an illegal mother living in the U.S. paying $8500 for her child to be brought to her from El Salvador.
Alright then, just tell us that this is a smuggling enterprise taking place on our southern border and we can talk and debate. I mean, are we to believe that these children are walking all the way from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, crossing their countries on foot (since they are poor), then crossing the entire Mexico on foot (which even adults must fly airplanes to cross), and then casually walking through America's border with Mexico, as if they were walking across Brooklyn bridge going from Brooklyn to Manhattan?
We are not that dumb, you know? Come on!
Our government which has the duty to protect our homeland security and our borders must not fall for these catch phrases such as "running away from violence", etc. Again, just "go to the map!"
Just look at this map again and tell us how are these kids and their moms walking across Mexico, "running away from crimes and violence", without themselves falling victims on the way?
As Americans we need to encourage our government and elected officials to pass and implement comprehensive immigration legislation. That's the right thing to do!
President Obama must hold the governments of these countries responsible for letting their people loose and not insuring the safety and the well-being of their people. What are these governments for, anyway? They should be caring for their citizens in their countries, not in the U.S.!
As these appear to be human smuggling operations, let us deal with them for what they are. Whether one feels sympathy for these "migrants" or not, this is a debate we can also have in America. But, for the sake of sanity, stop treating us like we are tweeds and that we cannot read a map and see that Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala are NOT next door to the U.S. so that these people can just casually walk in this country as if they are just crossing from the next street.
Every American interested in this issue ought to follow Tim Russert's advice in order to understand it: "Let's go to the map"!