What The U.S.-Mexico Fence Means To Us, Others

By now, most people will know that President Bush signed a bill, authorizing 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants and possible terrorists from entering the country.

According to the Associated Press, no money has been allocated for the fence, which is only going to cover 700 miles of the 2,100-mile border. However, there is a $1.2 billion down payment.

The question that needs to be asked is this: Is this worthwhile? It certainly is not a cure all by any stretch of the imagination and it would be foolish to think so. Yet, it cannot hurt and it is a good preventative measure, if done right. And that also means having enough money for surveillance equipment and guards to patrol this divider. This will cost a pretty penny indeed but something that will help. After all, it's not like our Mexican neighbor wants to help out.

While the whole issue is causing debate, outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox is upset over this. He has wanted a new guest worker program (and that topic is for another blog, for another day) and he also wanted millions of Mexicans who are working illegally in America to be given citizenship. (It's safe to assume these people are in the country illegally as well.) And what does he say about the whole affair of this new barrier? "Shameful," according tot he Associated Press.

What's shameful is that he's passing off his own unwanted citizens and making them someone else's problem, while not doing enough to stop the corruption in his own country and fixing a severely broken Mexican economy, two main reasons why his people are leaving in droves.

America is a country that welcomes all nationalities with open arms but by no means should we turn a blind eye to those, no matter where they hail from, who come here illegally. There are thousands who go to the Bureau of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become citizens legally and it would be a crime to make their trials all in vain by giving a free pass to illegal aliens.