U.S. Cites Rise in Violence Along Border With Mexico

Wow! We finally made the New York Times. The drugs and the related violence that we have watched over the years grow and grow here on the border is being made note of in the nation's paper of record and the halls of congress. I can remember when some chamber of commerce types told me that it was all part of my imagination and that I was doing a disservice to the community by bringing up the subject. Where are they now? Probably cowering behind a gated fence while other less fortunates are forced to confront the cold realities that they once denied.

Now the violence and the spread of drugs has reached such proportions that it has silenced the critics. No, now they are hiring public relations firms to cover-up the drug related violence that runs through our streets. I just couldn't believe it when I read that story. Rather than attack the root of the problem which they once denied existed, they now bring in spin doctors to hide or shade the truth.
That truth that continues to grow has not changed, drugs, its violence and organized crime are slowly eating away at our social fabric and society and if effective action is not taken immediately, even at this late hour, irreversible damage will be done to a significant part of this nation.

I call upon those early critics to read here -- truth -- from our nations paper of record:

"Mexican criminal syndicates are stepping up their attacks on American agents patrolling the border as officials of the Homeland Security Department intensify efforts to stem the flow of immigrants and drugs into the United States, American officials said this week."

Or perhaps they should read about the violence committed against the brave journalists who confront those once unspoken realities.

"At least four unidentified assailants fired a hail of bullets from assault rifles and tossed a grenade into a building housing a newspaper in the violence-wracked border city of Nuevo Laredo on Monday, wounding one reporter seriously."

Don't stop there read about the explosives, bomb making materials and assault weapons flooding into our community:

"Two homemade bombs and supplies to make 33 more were found in Laredo in a series of narcotics and firearms raids by a federal task force, officials disclosed Friday."

Inevitably when I write about this growing cancer facing our nation, I am confronted with suggested solutions. All should be on the table. What we can no longer tolerate is denial or avoidance of the realities we confront. Covering up these realities with public relations campaigns is not a fruitful solution. We must address the core root of the problem with action. At its core, this is a human problem. One that affects millions on a deep personal level. Before we go looking at corporate profits or downturns in our local economy our primary concern must remain with people. In the early stages of this problem, I fear this was not the case. Wasted years have passed that could have been spent addressing the problem. Let us therefore recommit our efforts to finding a solution to help our fellow man from the evil that now inhabits our nation.

Post Script: This representative would like to thank the Dallas Morning News for being one of the first papers to consistently report on the problem in depth from its early stages. This organization has been a shining example of journalism at its best.