The level of violence is almost unreal... must be terrifying.
Help me understand what is tearing families apart. Is there anything stopping people from crossing the border as frequently as they want? I understand it's gotta be inconvenient*, but it's not like it's new or anything.... that border has been there longer than most of the people crossing it have been alive.

I don't particularly want illegal aliens here either... it's not so much the 'undocumented workers' I have a problem with, it's the violent gang-bangers from mexico and central america that have no intention of being anything but a danger to the rest of us that really bug me... But at the same time, I think that if the border was actually secure I would have no problem offering amnesty to every illegal alien in the country that goes and gets signed up with Social Security immediately. But we can't have what's going on now, with the uncontrolled border and welfare state together. The math just doesn't work - see not enough $$ to train AZ cops properly etc.

*I just watched a show about a Canadian border town, border right down the middle of town, residents having to cross several times a day. Prior to 911 they just waved to Bob at the gate, now it's a whole thing with security everywhere. Pain in the ass but they seem to have a sense of humor about it, on both sides.

Yeah, I remember a roadblock checking for illegals when we left San Diego years ago, heading north. Had to be almost 20 years ago now...

it is certainly much harder now, and more harrowing to travel--in Juarez, not here. There's a lot of movement around, as people are moving their families here, or moving some of them around from outlying areas, like Fort Hancock. Certainly the violence has puts a toll on families and caused untold suffering and separations, but I'm thinking more in terms of families where the parents are here and are the breadwinners, but illegal, but their children were born here. The kids are citizens--what should they do when the parents are arrested and deported? I'm sure there are other scenarios, and I suppose some of you will simply say, well, they weren't supposed to be here at all, send them and their kids back. But back into a war zone?

I don't know what the answer is, but I don't agree that these people don't have rights, or that we should just dismiss them without considering the human viewpoint.

No.
link

The bottom line is that until we find a sensible alternative to the drug war we won't have a reasonable chance of resolving the illegal immigration issue.

Quoted for truth.

I'd love to hear one.
Personally, I'd like to see home-grown drugs (specifically pot, no one should be dying or going to jail over pot) controls relaxed, freeing up money to spend on stopping the imported poison. Asking nicely won't work unfortunately.

The various wars in central america have sent us millions of people, many trained guerilla fighters with no other skills. What are we supposed to do about this?

Well since they are already trained, let's give them teaching credentials and set them up in our inner city schools.
It might improve test scores.

Har.

no one likes to think their friends and cow orkers are insensitive bigots.

I'm disappointed.

who's an insensitive bigot now?

others.

Yeah, I hate others. jerks.

Cite.

Cite.

Those Damm employees. Fire those workers now and end this disparity!