First, the Secure Fence Act (a law) calls for completion of a total of 854 miles of fence, but so far, only 17.9 miles have been finished. The deadlines are 392 miles by May 31, 208 and another 30 by December 31 2008. If it took them this long to build the 17.9 miles, you can imagine how long it will take them to complete the job!
Second, the Act calls for a double layer fence, and the one being built is a single one, much easier to breech.
Third, Bush is asking border agents to volunteer to build this fence instead of doing what they are paid to do: protect our border.
Fourth, $800 million has been allocated for fence building. According to Congressman Duncan Hunter, who estimates that even at “$3 million per mile, that’s 266 miles of fence funding which would be a great start” in a letter to the President according to Steve Elliot of grassfire.org.
Someone somewhere is falling down on the job. If an ordinary citizen were to break the law, they would face the consequences. Why not government officials? While I recognize the enormity of the task of finding out whom specifically is to blame, and who broke what laws, it can’t be any harder than trying to get the fence built.
Someone somewhere does not want this fence built. We know the Mexicans and others who immigrate illegally through this border do not want it built, but what about President Bush and others lower in the echelon that should be doing the work? When FEMA didn’t do their job with Katrina fast enough, heads rolled. Why is this issue any different?
Someone somewhere needs to find out why the law is not being carried out, and those individuals need to be held accountable. Certain news agencies may slant the news to look like the majority of United States Citizens are for amnesty, but this is not true. We want the fence; we want secure borders; and we want the shilly shallying to stop. Only then can we know the illegal immigration problem is not going to continue growing as we deal with those already here.
That someone somewhere should be the citizens of the United States wherever they are as we continue to join Congressman Duncan, Steve Elliot of grassfire.org and others in shouting “Where’s the fence!” It is our border, and if we protest loud enough, maybe we can get another foot or two completed before the end of the year. Maybe we should also ask ‘Where’s the $800 mil?’