A to B to C becomes Z

It's funny how images change. To me, for years and years and years, Germany was a scary nation of Nazis, beer and sausages - then it was home & two of my kids' birthplace (Joy, I do apologize for the fact that you are forced to put "Monchengladbach" on any sort of form asking for your place of birth).

Jim Wilson was a nice quiet guy I graduated with - then he was a movie producer with Kevin Costner (and suddenly was also much taller and better looking than I remembered).

And growing up in Los Angeles, Mexico was a quiet, picturesque and colorful land of serapes, tacos, and extremely poor people.

Now. living on the Arizona border for the past ten years, Mexico is the view from my windows. The landscape has changed little, but the actual border has progressed from a simple barbed wire fence to the "wall", as we refer to it down here.

But suddenly, via national news, Mexico is

an eruption of drug-related violence, weapons trade, mass murders and kidnappings.

Military support, international government officials meeting and people suddenly finding other vacation spots.

Okay.

Now, somebody please explain to me how Jesus got translated into the Easter Bunny.

ES UN DIA MALO

Seems that individuals in New Jersey and Atlanta are much more concerned about the drug cartel activities in Mexico than I am living here three miles from the border.

I realize the violence in Mexico is particularly palpable across the line in Texas and border towns such as Nogales and Douglas here in Arizona.

And easier to videotape.

But the view from my kitchen window nicely encompasses the high chaparral of the San Pedro Mountains and the lights of Cannana and Agua Verde are only in the distance at night.

I can also see the straight black line of the border wall erected to theoretically slow down drugs and illegal immigrants. Local opinion remains that the construction of a 12' tall wall only necessitates a 13' ladder to get over… literally.

We have more than our fair share of drug shipments that come through here. Vehicles packed with drugs get caught in Douglas and Naco almost daily, which to me only begs the observation of many more do get through undetected.

My son made an obvious observation today that drugs will continue to pour across the border as long as there is a market for it here.

Anybody wanna take a stab at that old war again before we occupy Mexico and attempt to repair their gruesome state of economy and corrupt government?

DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND

Lisa, you are being kind, I know, but hey, if you can't brag on your own blog, where can you brag, right?!

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Here is the newspaper article (slightly edited) from Monday in the Sierra Vista Herald, with the particular phrases highlighted which prompted my quick response to the editor:

BISBEE — Cochise County Militia, a local group, will hold a border watch event in February … Bill Davis, founder and director of the militia (states) “Our confidential informants in Mexico say a big harvest was just completed, and drug mules are being assembled for February.”

…Davis said that people who don’t live near the border area may not realize there is a large number of illegal immigrants who enter the United States each day. And, they may not understand what kind of impact it has on homeowners living within 8 to 40 miles of Mexico.

“They lay in bed at night with their dogs barking, hearing strange noises outside, watching dark figures pass their bedroom windows, sometimes 20-50 in single file,” he said. “They hope they don’t have a home invasion, family members molested, vehicles stolen or narcotics dropped on their property for their animals and children to find.”….

He cautioned that he doesn’t want participants to “wave (handguns) around” or do any target shooting during the event. Rifles and shotguns also may be carried, he added. He suggests participants should keep the guns safeguarded in a low profile and “pray” they don’t need to use them… People can also bring pepper-gel spray or a stun gun, as these items will cause fewer problems if used, he added.


And here is my reply as printed this morning in the aforementioned newspaper:


So where did Bill Davis, founder and director of the Cochise County Militia, find these cowering border dwellers he describes in the Sierra Vista Herald front-page article of December 29th?

I have lived for the past eight years just three miles from Mexico, between the San Pedro River and the Huachuca Mountains. And I can guarantee that every single neighbor I have, if they "lay in bed at night with their dogs barking, hearing strange noises outside, watching dark figures pass their bedroom windows," are using their speed-dial to call the Border Patrol.

The Border Patrol regularly and faithfully patrols the section between the border with Mexico and Hwy. 92, at least that area around S. Kings Ranch Road. Regardless of what hour of the day or night I call, a patrol car is there within minutes.

I feel safer here that I did living in East L.A., south of Baltimore, and north of Washington D.C.

However, the thought of a militia of "patriotic people working the line" with handguns, rifles, pepper-gel spray and stun guns DOES scare the SOCKS off of me.

Bill Davis, please go defend some other area than my backyard - I'm just fine with what I already have.


Isn't it fun to be published?