September 20, 2008
Vicariously visit the Texas mexico border?
Here's a book review for Vanishing Borderlands. This is said to be a collection of travel essays and photographs of the very dangerous Texas and Mexico border. Sure sounds like a bad place to vacation:
Bottom line: These borderlands are "not a safe place." They were always primal Wild West territory, but now Border Patrol and DEA agents — even tourists and National Park Service rangers — have been killed here. Deserts, once protected by remote locations, deadly cold or waterless, searing heat, are routinely torn up by smuggling activities and off-road pursuits. They are littered with abandoned vehicles, test-range targets and downed aircraft, ripped-up airstrips, trash and urban pollution. The $2.4 billion Secure Fence Act of 2006, which provided a 698-mile barrier meant to curb immigration, has created an ecological nightmare, a detriment to delicate habitats and easily reduced to pointlessness by ladders, ramps, steel bracing, demolition, tree limbs, ropes and human determination.I guess that means if I want to 'see' this area I'll be buying the book...
And not to get too political, but I'll take the risk - why bother building a wall that is easily climbed over?
Posted by James Trotta at September 20, 2008 9:25 PM | TrackBack
Living in Texas and within 150 miles of the border, I have to take exception with this interesting article. The problems at the border lie with the drug cartels, at odds with the Mexican police or Federales, not with immigration or a fence. In fact, people have been killed in border towns and in villages near and around the center of Mexico's drug trade; i.e., the Pacific coast and in close proximity to Mexico City. The drug cartels are targeting people crossing the border from Texas, Arizona, and California, who may be or are attempting to smuggle drugs or weapons to or from the U.S. I would suggest that if you are not into the drug trade, or are not carrying illegal weapons, there is no problem. Unfortunately, the U.S. has created the high demand for these drugs, and is in fact the main source of revenue for illegal drugs. In retaliation, the drug wars will continue betwen the government of Mexico and the cartels, as long as the demand remains. So, we might ask, who created the problem? I would suggest, however, that tourists go beyond the border towns and the problems that may be there, for Mexico is much more than a book to read.
Posted by: Sharon Slayton at September 21, 2008 1:51 PMTo clarify, I don't think I'd go to the area described in this article, but I would certainly be willing to visit other parts of Mexico and Texas. In fact, I have visited other parts of mexico and Texas...
Posted by: James Trotta at September 21, 2008 9:43 PMI guess we weren't meant to have a sovereign country with a border that is maintained to protect it. The writer believes we should be "more compassionate"-Code words for open border. I think we need better aim.
Posted by: Rod J at September 22, 2008 12:53 PM