| My wife and I moved to the border city of | | | | taking away jobs from legal residents? Is violence |
| Brownsville, Tx, 6 years ago. We are both fluent | | | | on the rise? Are we safe in our homes? Can we |
| in Spanish, a necessary skill if one is to be | | | | cross (gasp!) the border into Matamoros (our |
| accepted by the local Mexican-American | | | | sister city) without running the risk of kidnapping, |
| community. I accepted a job as a special | | | | rape or murder? |
| education teacher in the local district as a sort of | | | | Try telling that to the thousands of winter |
| active retirement for a senior citizen. | | | | Texans who regularly flock to our border year |
| In my high school, there are several Teach For | | | | after year; they love to drive to Progreso, a small |
| America teachers who signed up for a 2-year | | | | Mexican town close to Brownsville that has the |
| stint at the district. They are mostly the WASP | | | | highest percentage of dentists and doctors per |
| type with impressive college credentials. They also | | | | capita in the U.S. Well, a root canal on this side will |
| make excellent mentors for their student | | | | cost you a few thousand dollars; in Mexico, |
| population, 98% of whom are Mexican-Americans. | | | | maybe one hundred. Quality of care? The |
| These imported teachers are also the most | | | | unanimous consent is..better than on the American |
| active in protesting against the border wall; they | | | | side. Want to have an excellent meal in |
| urge their students to participate in marches and | | | | Matamoros for half the price, or cheap car repair, |
| manifestations against the project. | | | | or buy fruits and vegetables that will not empty |
| The Wall (of shame) will split private property, | | | | your wallet, or even gasoline nowadays at $2.70 a |
| prevent access to a University golf course, affect | | | | gallon? The border certainly has many advantages |
| the migration of endangered species and, of | | | | and attractions. The Mexican army is there in |
| course, provoke international ridicule from both | | | | force to prevent violence, but the local drug lords |
| friendly and hostile countries. Will it stop illegal | | | | are the first ones to want peace; killing American |
| immigration, drug trafficking, official corruption on | | | | citizens is bad for business, of any kind. |
| both sides of the border, cross-border violence? | | | | So don't believe the alerts from the State |
| No, of course not. Those billions would be better | | | | Department; they are written by Washington |
| spent promoting the education of both poor | | | | bureaucrats who never set foot on the border. |
| parents and children in the border area (American | | | | Life here is much cheaper than inland and I could |
| and Mexican sides). | | | | not survive without my (illegal) gardener, my |
| To the average American not familiar with life on | | | | (illegal) maid, my (illegal) handyman. That's the way |
| the border, the Wall may seem like a good idea. | | | | it has been ever since the United States became |
| Life must be very hard, they imagine, for decent | | | | an independent nation and no border wall is going |
| American citizens who are trying to cope with the | | | | to change that (so why build it?). |
| influx of undocumented immigrants. Are the latter | | | | |