What do you think about the border fence? Good idea, or pointless waste of money?

Question

Some people feel that actually constructing a physical border fence/barrier along the US/Mexico border would help to reduce a lot of problems america's facing right now with crime and drugs etc. What's your opinion, turn america into a large 'gated community' or embrace our neighbor and spend billions to support them?

Answer 1

after spend many years in New Mexico and Texas, i want a high, electric, guarded fence. while i worked at a tax preparation office, i lost count of the mexicans trying to palm off fake social security cards and numbers for 9 non existent children.
if they want to live here, come legally. and speak english.

Answer 2

Actually...

Richard W Has A Good Idea

If The Military Set Up LIVE FIRE TRAINING Centers
Along The Border
That Would Serve As A Quasi-Fence

There Would Be A Constant Military Presense At The Border
And The Crossfire From The Ballistics
Would Make It Virtually Impossible To Cross In Those Areas

Combined With Fence Projects In POPULATED Areas
Our Border Would Be MORE SECURE Than It Is Now

The Real SOLUTION Is In lucky2balive's Answer

Answer 3

well, i have the privilege of working at USCS (Customs), which affords me a bit of insight on this subject. Let me first say that the prospect of building this 'gated community' around the US is completely intractable; neither DHS nor any other part of our government has a budget anywhere close to what would be needed to build a fence much less a wall around the US or even on the southern border.

If this were even possible, keep in mind that a huge portion of drug smuggling comes straight through the border crossings. We do not search every vehicle, often do not have records on multiple crossing vehicles -- we track by state/tags and they simply switch them or put temporary tags on the cars; furthermore, 99% of vehicles that cross are first-time crossers, meaning we have NO information on those vehicles.

The drug trade has a huge budget -- one that dwarfs that of customs or Homeland Security. It is a sad reality, but one that it seems few people understand. Hearing these unsophisticated ideas is nothing new to people at DHS, but if the MSM is any indicator, most people do not have a clue what actually would deter drugs from coming into America; they're simply talking about the wrong things.

Answer 4

The US will never be a gated community, the fence is some fantasy of crusty isolationists. More lights, more policing, yes, but a multi-million dollar enclosure is just plain stupid. All countries have now and always will have crime and drugs. They can be controlled but never wiped out, the war on drugs will never be won. Mexico is in the midst of a burgeoning economy, more industry, more jobs, skilled laborers are busy building businesses and condos all along its coasts. There may come a time when Mexico can support the US, just give it another 100 years.

Answer 5

Fencing the borders is just another imbecile, ignorant idea. The fact is, most immigrants don't run wild through the desert or cross the river by foot. Most illegal immigrants actually enter the country with either studying, vacationing, whatever visas and they overstay them. A big fence (which people can climb anyway) is NOT going to solve the problem if we continue to give people visas left and right. That's just making yet another uninformed decision.

Yet another point where people are ignorant is the fact that, while most immigrants do come from Mexico, Mexico is NOT the only country brining in immigrants! There are immigrants here from ALL over the world! While at my citizenship ceremony, there were immigrants from countries from A-Z! What are we going to do? Place ourselves inside a HUGE bubble? We can't do that!

Throwing money at countries and at the problem is not going to solve anything either! We need to actually stop spending so much money ALL over the world and spend money within our own country, to help our own people, and solve our own problems.

In order to solve the problem of immigrants from Mexico, we need to help the people of Mexico correct their Government's situation. The leadership in that country needs to be revamped. True Democracy needs to be re-established. Mexico's Democracy was not "true" for almost 100 years, and now, just in it's infancy it's flailing. Why not help? We're helping a far away country who didn't want our help, we're bombing them, helping them establish a Democracy...why not help our direct neighbor?

By helping the people of Mexico feel more secure, confident and with more of a voice in their own country, we'd be helping ourselves. More people would feel better about their country and find ways to be of value to it; instead of only having one way out. Helping to make their own countries more attractive to potential immigrants is the only way to keep them at home (if that's what the U.S. REALLY wants.)

Answer 6

Funding was denied however National Guard troops were sent to HELP BUILD it. Funds from donations are coming in from all over the USA. This fence won't alone keep all illegal invaders out, but along with the Minutemen, Border Patrol, the National Guard and other volunteers we can sure reduce it immensely. With penalties to companies who hire them and states refusing them welfare, many will cross the border heading SOUTH on their own.

The difference in this fence and the Berlin Wall is great. This fence is to keep illegal people OUT, not fence innocent people IN to be slaughtered. No one is 'restricted' other than they must cross LEGALLY. It has always been the law, it is just that now it is being enforced strongly.

Answer 7

it actual relies upon on no matter if or not they make it so as that no one can get over, lower than or by potential of it. in the journey that they don't attempt this, then sure it truly is a finished waste of money. in case you question me, the fence should be 3 parallel fences separated by technique of about 10 to fifteen ft. The fence contained in the middle should be 12 ft extreme with dense razor cord connected alongside the bottom on each and each and every aspect and razor cord strung alongside the accurate too. Plus, the entire center fence with each and each and every of the razor cord should be electrified with very extreme voltage. I propose, we are speaking adequate to fry all of us or some thing that comes into contact with it. on the outer 2 fences signs and indicators should be revealed each and every 20 ft or so caution human beings no longer to enter the section, and it ought to even use symbols to get the photo in the time of when you can't study. regrettably, i do not imagine our authorities has the balls to do some thing like that!

Answer 8

I think it's a horrible waste of money and I shudder to think how expensive it would be to make. And like that one governor once said, "If you build a 50-foot wall, they will build a 51-foot ladder".

"bitto luv" is obviously very informed and has a good point...building a wall will not stop the people who fly in here right over that wall legally, and then overstay their visas.

They should crack down on those who overstay their visas before they do any silly wall-building. Poor Mexicans swimming through the Rio Grande is just a small fraction of illegal immigrants.

Answer 9

Waste of money and a bad idea. The money could be better spent by stationing troops along the border armed with machine guns and orders to fire at will.

Answer 10

If you look into the world's history, the only wall that seemed to keep anyone out is the Great Wall. I don't think a fence would help.