If Mexican President Vicente Fox wants an "open border" with America, then he'd better be prepared to make a few changes in the laws of his own country.
1. Mexico had better start extraditing murderers who flee south over the border. As it is, Mexico won't extradite anyone who is facing a death sentence or any "indeterminate" prison term (such as a life sentence). As you can imagine, there are hundreds of wanted killers living freely and openly in Mexico right now.
2. Mexico must allow foreigners to own property in the so-called "forbidden zones" that encompass most of the valuable land in the country. There's a complex scheme of trusts that allow foreigners to invest in real estate, but they can't own land outright and it's very difficult (impossible) for a foreigner to invest in any natural resource development. Mexico has a closed, largely nationalized economy, and if they want more contact with America (and more prosperity) they need to open it up.
As it is, I can see why Fox wants an open border: there's nothing but upside for him. But what's in it for America? Why is President Bush so eager to accomodate Fox's desires? It's amazing to me that a former governor of Texas can be so out of touch with the American will on border policy.
WACO, Texas — President Bush yesterday said he opposes a civilian project to monitor illegal aliens crossing the border, characterizing them as "vigilantes."He said he would pressure Congress to further loosen immigration law.
More than 1,000 people — including 30 pilots and their private planes — have volunteered for the Minuteman Project, beginning next month along the Arizona-Mexico border. Civilians will monitor the movement of illegal aliens for the month of April and report them to the Border Patrol.
Mr. Bush said after yesterday's continental summit, with Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin at Baylor University, that he finds such actions unacceptable.
If you want to do something to tell Bush how you feel on the matter, consider signing Bill O'Reilly's petition to President Bush.
(HT: DeoDuce and tallglassofmilk.)
Interesting how Hispanics are joining up with
the Minutemen! They came here to get away from the misery of Vincent Fox's corrupt little country, and I guess they've decided that they'd rather not see America transformed slowly but surely into another Mexico.
I see all types of excuses for making it a criminal act for a Mexican national to cross into the United States. To be honest though, the only reason that the citizens of the United States want it to be criminal is so that they can employ Mexican labour at sweat shop wages until they finish what ever project they are working on and then turn them in to the border patrol to be evicted and sent back to Mexico WITHOUT THEIR WAGES!! It's a win, win situation for the crooked gringo's who in one breath complain about illeagal entry and then turn around and hire the poor peasants who they cause to sneak across the border! If the border with Canada can be open, their is no reason that the Border with Mexico can't be open! Stop this violation of human rights and human dignity! There is work for immigrents here in the United States! Remember that Mexicans are Americans, Natives of Hawaii are not! United States Citizens yes! Americans, NO! Citizens of Cuba are also Americans! Viva America!
Michael Williams:
You have a very distorted idea of what an American is! You seem to think that only citizens of the United States are Americans! In truth U.S. Citizens make up a very small percentage of Americans! Americans speak portugese, Danish, Inupik, French, Spanish, and several "Native American" Dielects as their native language! Again only a small percentage speak English as their National language! So now you see you do not speak for American's when you complain against immegrents from other parts of 'AMERICA'Dumb, Huh!
The united States has 353,7441 Square Miles! Mexico has 750,000 square miles! Smaller than the U.S. however far larger than the "corrupt little country" you refer to! Check your facts prior to your derogatory comments!
We need to develop a system of identifcation that cannot be counterfeited. Everyone who is a citizen of the United States, notice I did not say America, should have this identifcation in order to receive education, medical treatment, welfare, work, housing etc. This big giveaway must stop. The United States citizens can not afford to go on like this.