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Feedback ForumNOW wants to hear from you! Send us your opinions, reactions and ideas about "The Border Fence"Submissions for this question are no longer being accepted. Previously submitted comments appear below. Comments may have been edited for content or space. Poster: Claude Funnston Comment: Since when has NOW been interested in property rights? It sounds to me that you are scraping the bottom of the barrel to find yet another reason for keeping the borders open to the hordes of immigrants who are literally invading the U.S. and overwhelming its carrying capacity. (No one seems to be too concerned that my local muni is going to destroy my backyard for a sewer line.) As for the Loops and the Taylors, they are invaders of sorts too. Why didn't NOW give any attention that they and their forebears destroyed what was one of the most biologically richest areas in North America (the lower Rio Grande)? Finally, NOW needs a lesson in interdiction tactics. A fence by itself will not solve the immigration problem just like a barrier minefield needs to be covered by fire Rather it should be a component in a much larger strategy that includes employer sanctions, addressing the problems associated with artificially cheap labor (which has always been the primary driving force behind immigration), and most importantly recognizing that Americans are living grossly unsustainable lifestyles. Poster: Gerard Vaello Comment: I was born and raised on a ranch in South Texas. Every rancher knows that if you don't have a fence ALL THE WAY AROUND your property, the cows will get out! He also knows that you don't build your fence two miles in from your property line. This Border Wall is a grave lesson in learning that our representatives in Washington are totally out of touch with reality. How stupid we are for allowing this to happen! There is a simple solution... DO NOT REELECT ANYONE (Republican or Democrat) THAT VOTED FOR THE WALL OR THE REAL-ID ACT. Send 'em all home! Then, lets get rid of all the special interest groups. Lets get our country back! Poster: Dick Z., Comment: What a Boondoggle! Halliburton KBR, and the like love the millions they'll make for a useless fence. Build a 16 foot fence, whoever wants to cross will bring a 20 foot knotted rope with a grappling hook and scale it - or just walk until they come across one of those strategically designed 'gaps' and sneak through at the right opportunity. And how many hundreds (or thousands) of acres of crop land are going to be walled off? We are in the midst of rapidly rising food prices as it is, and now we're going to reduce the available growing acreage as well? That certainly contributes to national security. Poster: Robert Wistrand Comment: Congratulations on one of your most worthless coverage yet. Highlighting the unfairness in the government land grab compensation (i.e. eminent domain abuse that is acutely for a government project rather than a politically connected developer) is exactly what the current administration and pro amnesty advocates want! They want to say they tried to do something, but the political opposition was too great. Even though over 80% of Americans want a complete double wall fence. So they build a border wall in patches (avoiding the rich and connected) and dole out billions in wasteful pork projects to large politically connected corporations! Billions are spent, the politicians can claim they tried, and nothing gets accomplished. Same old politics! Congratulations! Poster: Roger Fulton Comment: Every time I see a report from some place like the Deep South, or the Great Plains, you know: very red 'Bush Country' states, and in the report a long list of horrors are documented that are a direct result of Bush Administration policies, I keep waiting for the interviewer to ask the subjects of the documentary, 'Who did you vote for in the last Presidential election, and are you happy with that vote now?' Unfortunately, 99+% of the time, the interviewer never asks this question. Why do you suppose that is? The Bush Administration was directly responsible for these horrors; don't you think we deserve to know how the documentary subjects feel about those who foisted these horrors upon them? Also: I'm surprised none of your subjects raised this question: 'Where is the wall along the US/Canadian border?' Poster: Rob N Oregon Comment: Instead of invading Iraq we should have been securing our own borders, north and south, just think what we could have done with 500 billion dollars. We could have built a wall from Texas to California and from Washington to Main. As well as hired numerous boarder patrol agents, launched satellites, infra red technology, etc, etc, this would have been so much cheaper then invading Iraq. This would have employed thousands of Americans, secured our boarders; and after all, this is what George W. Bush (GWB) wanted after 911. We had the whole world on our side and could have implemented any of 100 strategies that would have secured our boarders, but no GWB invaded Iraq. Now we have no money for our own boarders and it’s only a matter of time before the wrong person crosses our boarder. Why do we (USA) have consulting contractors (Boeing) running these projects, talk about self interest, it just astounds me that there is no accountability any more. We should triple the budget of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the GAO are the only ones looking after our tax dollars. I am just sick and tired of the government wasting our tax dollars on consultants and contractors, we hear time and time again that our government is wasting money on these thief’s, ie Boeing, Black Water, Halliburton, Etc, Etc, Etc,.I am American citizen who pays thousand of dollars in taxes and is sick and tired of these self interest groups, our government, senate, house of rep, democrats, republicans, it’s the whole system that is corrupt. I live in Oregon and right now i am watching the news about Mike Erikson who is a Senator went to Cuba last year and expensed the whole trip off. He took his family and 20 packages along to the cigar festivle. This is just another example of Corruption in our goverment. This must stop Poster: KathyP Comment: In the NOW program earlier today about the border fence in Texas, I did not hear WHY the route goes through the middle of some property owners' land and leaves them either partially or entirely in this 2 mile no man's land? HOW was the decision made to cut some US landowners out of their country and put them on the Mexican side? They are citizens of the USA but now they won't reside in the USA? This notion is utterly ridiculous. Why don't they build it along the natural river border where Texas really ends and Mexico begins? The inmates have taken over the asylum! I LIVE IN Michigan, but I am incensed about what is going on in Texas with the route this ‘Fence’ will take; one more way that Bush has thrown away our country to people who are only concerned with profits and don’t know what they are doing, and apparently do not care if it is done right – no experts, scientists, and worst of all, no consultation with the people who live where this will take place. It is so sad to watch this short term thinking overshadowing so many areas of our lives this past eight years -- it is heartbreaking and terrifying to watch our country go down the tubes and not be able to do anything. Then, in addition allowing those in charge of the fence break federal laws, in the pursuit of “hurry up and get it done” before any body knows what’s going on, is despicable and appalling. Poster: J Polk Comment: Why isn't the fence following the path of the U.S. Border with Mexico? The U.S. has basically changed the U.S. Mexican border line. What can I do to help the American people being blocked off by the fence? The arrogance and corruption of this administration is unprecedented. Why has Bush not been impeached. We are no longer a democracy. Corporations run everything just as Boeing is running the border fence. We no longer have any recourse. This is unbelievable. Are we just going to allow this to happen to us? If this fence has to do with security, we need to build a fence around the entire United States. The way the economy is going, Americans will be needing those back breaking jobs that our Mexican neighbors are doing. The guest worker program is out of the question because large growers will have to provide living quarters and sanitation for the workers. As of now, they live in the bushes and canyons in San Diego County and the Sheriff delights in burning them out every now and then. They also delight in eating the strawberries harvested by back breaking work of the illegals. Poster: Bennie Beaver Comment: I like your PBS show NOW. But I was disappointed in segments of the show regarding the Border Fence debate. I thought that it was too biased. Not enough other points of view were presented. And statements suggesting that the one congressman was against immigration was unfounded. I believe that he is against illegal immigration. And statements that building this fence is akin to the Berlin wall is ridiculous. That wall was built to keep people in, and not out. This wall is meant to create legal immigration. The question is, is it the best way to accomplish it. And biased talk about how this is the biggest land grab since the construction of the Interstates is more nonsense. The Interstate system is probably among the most successful economic success stories in American history. And defeatist talk that it won't work is more defeatism. And talk as though this project is all about the Bush Administration and the rich is more half sense remarks. In fact, illegal immigration is more supported by big corporations and the rich and provides some pricing advantages for the American people. But at what cost? We need to control our borders for the sake of all Americans. Legal and reasoned immigration will benefit hard working Mexicans and others already here in America, legally. Yes, we need to discover the justifications for the particular designed fense and its effects on American citizens along the border areas, but congress has debated long enough. We will never satisfy everybody. Yes, we need to investigate the government and contractors to see where the money is going. Yes, land owners deserve reasonable compensation and redress. It's time to get the job done and control our borders. Truck driver's Web Page GOOGLE Keyword: Dr. Warpenstein or drwarpenstein.com Poster: Concerned Comment: Did I hear the USA is a Democracy? Well, to my way of thinking it sounds like a Dictator is sitting somewhere in the Government. Home Land Security can break any Law they like and you have no recourse? The american People need to wake up and see that there is no FREEDOM any more.A Wall to divide two countrys has never worked and is a poor way of implementing Global Economy. Who ever is thingking up that kind of nonsence? We need a brand new batch of people in the goverment. Vote!!!! Poster: McFall8@bellsouth.net Comment: WOW !! All these people against National security. I do not deny that the illegal drug dealers, terrorists and families just looking to give birth on American soil and get on welfare will always find a way to invade the USA. As for people being prevented from visiting their relatives - what's wrong with leaving & entering legally? I do NOT think that this situation can be compared to Soviet ruled Russia or the Berlin Wall. Patriotic Americans just want visitors to come & go LEGALLY. The fence is a necessity. PERIOD. Times have changed. Gone are the days of Plymouth Rock and Ellis Island. Back then we needed increased population. Now our cup is running over with Immigrants legal OR illegal. Ellis Island was no Cinderella Story anyhow. The people who came through Ellis Island had to be screened for diseases, etc. They were detained and scrutinized. Many were rejected and sent back. That is what the U.S. History book on my shelf says, and the internet has a good website on the realities of Ellis Island. It was akin to something between a State prison and a State hospital. No fairy tale and no guarantee of entry - they had to meet criteria. We have more illegals/legals here NOW than our welfare systems can support. Getting 30 million illegals deported or more preventedcoming in would save gasoline consumption, relieve welfare drain, improve our schools, and neighborhoods, so that English speaking American citizens don't have to be proficient in Spanish to get a job. And they are ALL pregnant ALL the time, WHO PAYS for all the endless birth of foriegn babies that never stops - WE DO. My neighborhood (in Atlanta) has been RUINED by Hispanics, and it's just about impossible to sell a home here without suffering a huge loss in order to get out. I cannot go to Wal-Mart and hear a word of English. America is a free country - translated: Come to America and get everything free. The poor in America need the jobs that are going to the Hispanics. Poster: T.Sanford Comment: It IS kind of pathetic. This border 'them and us' attitude is stupid, narrow minded, protectionist and hurting the overall North American (and the Americas generally)economies! We should follow the experience of the Europeans who have come together into their EU despite their experience with several bitter wars in less than the last 100 years! And who ever thought that the Berlin Wall/s would come down within our lifetimes; although Putin is a worry! And guess what other countries, as large as Turkey or as small as Malta, are clamouring to get into the EU. Even those with governments that some consider to have a religious bias seem to be prepared to make the changes to human rights legislation, working practices and finances reqired to become members. Yup. This isolationism, together with the mistakes of the present US administration which have virtually destroyed any earlier US moral authority in the world, is allowing North America and particularly the USA to fall behind economically and socially. The next few (maybe 25 to 30) years are not going to be kind to a paranoid country cowering behind it's border walls, pointing guns at others! Thank goodness I live elsewhere than the USA! Poster: kelly Comment: This is ridiculous. This 'wall' won't stop Mexicans crossing any more than the East German one did, & that took barbed wire & guards ordered to shoot to kill. (Wait for it.) And it also proves neither McCain nor Obama are qualifed to be president, since both voted for this farce, McCain wants to make Bush's tax breaks for billionaires permanent, & Obama is spouting the same lie Bush is (it was an intelligence failure there were no nukes found in Iraq, not a lie, since there never were any). Do the country a favor. Vote for Ralph Nader. He has no hope of winning, but it'll sure get the winner's attention. Poster: Ned Isaacson Comment: Build the fence fastr. The Mexican invasion must be stopped! Poster: Debbie Comment: I work in Blaine Wa. where home land security took several homes for less than market value, and was outraged that our goverment could do that to it's people.I had no idea of what the fence was doing to peopel in Texas it's a goverment gone crazy and what can we as americans together do to stop the insanity.How will peopel get an ambulance or fire truck in if their home is on the south side of the border,in a timely fashion.Where can we call or write and to whom to help our brothers and sisters to the south of us? Is it possible to stop this? Poster: James Lane Comment: This story was onesided and biased. This why I quit donating money to PBS a long time ago. Poster: Bryce Vilchuck Comment: The fence (Wall) is barbaric, ludicrous and a burden on all... If America would make it a Law of Treason to hire an illegal immigrant (Big Business).. this could help balance or stop continuous stupidity that presently face, even some Hoosier's... Wake up America !!!! Poster: G Clayton Taylor Comment: Concerning the Border Fence. Like most everything this corrupt president (Bush) has touched, this bridge is tainted with mismanagement, unexplained expenditures and basic, spend a lot of money, but get nothing done, syndrome! Why is it that no one is saying aloud that Bush is a thief and a crook? Between the war, with it's BILLIONS of dollars unaccounted for, the no-bid contracts to companies affiliated with Bush's family members, Chaney's employer and the plane loads of $250.000.000 in cash money that was sent to Iraq and disappeared without a single receipt, I cannot, for the life of me understand why Bush is not seen for the thief he is! This fence is just another hole in which our president enriches his friends in family, while perpertrating the biggest frauds this country has ever seen! Open your eyes America! This man is not stupid, we are! Poster: Pat Comment: This program was biased and did not address the issues fairly. The root of the problem, for the most part, are illegals seeking employment and for others to sell drugs - all because our southern neighbors refuse to fix their economic problems for their people due the very wealthy not wanting to be taxed and corruption. Why should our southern neighbors fix their economic problems when the U.S. government refuses to enforce our immigration laws? The U.S. government needs to go after the illegal employers who hire cheap labor for slave wages with heavy fines, which the U.S. Border Patrol states repeatedly is what needs to be done. As for the U.S. - Mexico border drug war, a border fence is needed to, as much as possible, reduce the flow of illegal drugs. As part of that securing our border and ports is needed. Why should America's tax dollars financially support businesses who illegally hire illegal aliens at slave wages? It is immoral, illegal, and unethical. Our southern neighbors are losing out by losing their young adults to their northern neighbor - a valuable loss since many of Mexico's towns are now ghost towns. Yes, renegotiate NAFA as a fair trade deal so labor, environment, etc. issues are economically better for all instead of just better for businesses. California is a poster child for illegal immigration and as as state is already $20 billion in debt, which $12 billion supports illegal aliens with benefits of various types. This situation needs to end. This is why many states have passed legislation because of the financial bleeding. Federal, state, and local governments have limited financial resources that must not pay for foreign nationals in our country illegally. One last note, there have been hundreds of hospitals along the border with Mexico who have needed to close their doors because of illegal aliens using emergency services. When this happens American lose because they no longer have the needed hospital services in their communities. Poster: mallarde Comment: There is a fundamental difference between the Berlin Wall and our new border fence. The Berlin Wall was built to keep people IN. We are forced to build a wall to keep people OUT. Anyone that does not believe that we have a right to take whatever action is necessary -- including building a physical wall -- to keep millions of uninvited people from illegally entering the country does not take our national sovereignty seriously. Maria Hinojosa's reporting saddens me. Reporters should not have agendas that color their reporting. She should consider becoming a commentator or starting a PAC. The flaw in her perspective in the report is clear. Public works frequently upset particular landowners. They often devalue certain property. Even if the fence upsets 5,000 landowners, it will benefit 300 million American citizens. Poster: Catherine Schneider Comment: As a resident of San Antonio, Texas I am aware of the concern there is for security at the border. I don't think the fence is the answer or even part of the answer and the placement of it boggles my mind. We need to think about why the people in Mexico come to the U.S. legally and illegally and go on from there. Poster: L. Swilley Comment: You did not explain why the fence had to waver into U.S. territory rather than follow exactly the border. You did not examine the situation all over the U.S. where illegals work openly. If the present laws were applied - severely fining those who hire illegals, picking up illegal workers who stand on street corners waiting to be taken to a job - there would be little problem. The truth is we take advantage of the cheap labor illegals provide; we don't want to stop it. I wish you would look at the whole picture rather than just the silly partial fence. (I'd appreciate a response to these remarks.) L. Swilley Poster: gravely concerned Comment: Thanks for the great program. This fence project is an unbelivable obvious stupid idea. Our government is an embarrassment. Corruption and incompetence have permeated our entire society as our broken systems breed this behavior. This country is going down and fast unless we change our ways. We THE PEOPLE have got to stop funding these projects and corruption and blatant stupidity. We have to stop all this madness. Poster: Chris Holtz Comment: Ronald Morris, I must say you saw what you wanted to see. They showed the interview with border patrol and it was obvious they knew that the fence wasn't going to make much of a difference. the guy was throwing out statistics that sounded good. he said the fence will stop 90% or I mean 99% of illegal immiigration. like someone actually took a scientific study to determine how much illegal immigration this half a**ed attempt at homeland security will actually prevent. there really is not too much positive you can say about the fence. what should they do make stuff up like Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity? If the farmers had contributed to the RNC they would get 4x the value of the property. Just ask some of McCain's supporters in Arizona, he's got lots of money for his friends on land deals like this. Poster: Mary Boyd Comment: The people who will be left south of the border will have no resources left. Not only will they lose the value of their land but will also lose entry to the US, as a US citizen. They will have to come from Mexico thru whatever gate (locked or otherwise) they can. What a foolish idea - to build a fence with loop holes - this will never work. what is worse is the decimation of the work The Fish & Wildlife Service have done (for the last 50 years) to restore the damaged areas in the very area where these fences will be installed. This is President Bush at his worse. Everything we gained in environmental and protection for our citizens comes to an end with this fence. AND IT WON'T WORK. Poster: Robb Comment: Can't believe our goverment is so jacked up and wasting both money and time. i say nuke mexico Poster: oldsport Comment: Regrettably you neglected to mention that Boeing, the largest contractor(and unaccountable) has aa a primary Board member, one Lynn Cheney. Perhaps that places the story in proper context. The shame of it all. Poster: Sylvia Comment: Mr. Bush and Congressman Hunter--TEAR DOWN THAT WALL! Poster: Chris Nelson Comment: My husband and I travelled along the Texas border in January. We were dismayed by the police state feeling. If you stopped to look at birds some border patrol would be watching you with binoculars until you left. The area along the Big Bend National Park was really sad with threatening postings from Homeland Security warning people not to buy the small items set out by artisans from the Mexico side. We also became very concerned about the wall and the fact that all life depends on the water in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo. What will happen to wildlife that are fenced away from water? The border communities are ancient intact communities and it is insane to put up this artificial division to fracture people and the environment. Thanks for airing the Border Wall story! Poster: Jeff Comment: The information was great. My only question is how do we contact people to help stop this? Poster: Lindsay Comment: This wall is just another demonstration of the administration's incompetence and the uncaring Congressional control by the security industry. Lets elect a new batch and see if we do better! Poster: Mr. Fair Comment: Do you know how many gaps there are in the fence? Lots, this is also true, another land grab in Texas, the Trans-Texas Corridor (I.E. NAFTA Super Highway) debacle made me sick to my stomach as a true Texan. Wake up inland Americans, your over hyped fears of illegal immigration are tales a kin to the boy who cried wolf. Let's stop being donkeys..ya? Poster: Frank Foster Comment: I was 7 years old when the The East German Government built the Berlin wall Sunday August 13, 1961. It seperated me from my family members living in East Berlin. I have been able to visit one uncle in 1974, My great aunt died before I ever got to see her again. At least 136 people were killed trying to cross. I personally know the hardship a border wall/fence will have on families that have ties to both side of the border. We already know these type of barriers will not stop people from coming across. Land grabbing of this type is locking American people in or out depending on which side their home is. This plan DHS has come up with will have negative results for many good people. What next a fence across the American Canadian border? Poster: rONALD mORRIS Comment: No doubt about it, NOW went to great lengths to show only the anti-fence side of the issue. After watching the the show all I knew was that the coverage was completely biased. If an attempt had been made to bring out both the advantages and disadvantages I would have been able to make an informed decision. No such attempt was made. I remember now why I rarely watch NOW. Poster: claudia larsen Comment: I lived in Mexico on the border for over two years. The wall or fence will not solve the problem of people crossing the river to the united states. It is absolutely wrong to build this wall. People on the border in the u.s. do not need this wall and do not need to have their homes, lives, and farms taken from them. We will just end up taking it back down. The people in Mexico who have visa's and work in the u.s. every day do not want this fence. They have families and friends in the u.s. who now to cross the border into Mexico have to have a passport. If there are 7 members in the family, that is a lot of money to spend to visit grandma in Mexico. Grandma can't get a visa to visit them in the u.s. There is a lot of money changing hands in this whole home land security business. We are losing our civil rights more and more every single day. All of the questions raised in your program tonight need to be answered now. We all know you don't mess with Texas. I don't live there, but I have been there, these folks need help now. Walls and fences have never solved problems. There has to be another way to do this, and work with Mexico to help solve it. Poster: islander14 Comment: We made the soviet union and the east germans into worlds pariah, who would build a wall to keep people by force to stay put. Now we outdo them by building a 2000 mile wall to keep out poor people, who by the way are for the most part victems of our forcing their government to accept free trade agreements that in reality ruin their own businesses and create millions of desperate people looking for work.I believe that most people would prefer to stay home where they are from. But when living in your home means slow (or rapid) destitution, what are people to do to survive? The supreme irony is, is that Texas used to be Mexico before it was stolen. Mexicans have been crossing that border for five hundred years. They are north americans just like the canadians. They are family. Like it or not. Peace an american |
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