Activists, mayors protest U.S.-Mexico border wall

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Activists, mayors protest U.S.-Mexico border wall
Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:29PM EDT


EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) - The mayors of the Texan city of El Paso and the Mexican city of Juarez led a protest by dozens of people on Saturday against a planned border wall to stem illegal immigration into America.

The protesters held hands across the Paso del Norte Bridge, which spans the Rio Grande and connects the downtown cores of the two cities.

Resentment against the wall runs deep in the border areas of Texas. Landowners are concerned it may cut across their property, conservationists see it destroying crucial riverside habitat, and some activists see it inflaming ethnic tensions.

El Paso Mayor John Cook and Juarez Mayor Hector Murguia Lardizabal embraced at the top of the bridge.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2538602420070825?rpc=401&

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El Paso Mayor John Cook and Juárez Mayor Héctor Murguía Lardizábal

[liberal N proud]

1. I was trying to explain this to a guy this week

I had heard this story and about some of the people whose property borders Mexico and their views.
This guy just couldn't believe anyone living along the border wouldn't want to stop those brown people from coming across the border.

I guess some people just don't get it.

[pingzing58]

2. Like Betty White's character in Bringing Down The House (2003) said:

the only Mexicans I want to see in this neighborhood are those wearing leaf blowers on their backs. Yea, some people just don't get it.

[ScottytheRadical]

3. Just a note about immigration and not about this specifically....

I did a study recently on violent crime in major US cities, and I was surprised to find that the violent crime rate in many cities with high numbers of immigrants is actually *lower* than the violent crime rate in many other cities. New York City, for example, has a fairly low violent crime rate. Relating to El Paso specifically, El Paso, which is right on the border and has a large number of immigrants, has a *much lower* murder rate than other cities in Texas such as Houston.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the right-wing argument I've heard before - that undocumented immigrants contribute to crime more than American citizens, etc, is complete bullshit.

But yea - glad to see locals in Texas opposing the border fence. I'm proud to be pro-immigrant - immigration is what our country was founded on, and it's part of what makes our country strong. People are scapegoating them for economic problems when they should be looking at corporate America.

[Fearless]

4. A breath of fresh air...

At least some of us can understand. It's frightening how divided we are today in our own party about a great many things, this included. Frankly, I'm amazed that we've been able to win anything at all. It seems that every other time I open my mouth this summer that I get attacked for just this sort of view. Sigh. Hopefully we can get to a consensus on something before next November.