Texans Split on Border Wall

The Dallas Morning News Editorial staff announced the results of a survey that found 47 percent of registered Texas voters oppose building a border wall, while 45 percent favor it.

It seems like most things in politics, we are evenly split. Lamar Smith is a champion for building the wall, and his fellow Texas Republican’s disagree with the idea. Oddly, Rick Perry and John Cornyn make some good points on why the wall is a horrid idea.

Gov. Rick Perry is one of those Texans who believe a wall isn't going to solve anything. We agree with him, both because of the time the construction would take and the immigration problems it would leave unsolved. Sen. John Cornyn has called the fence a "19th-century solution to a 21st-century problem."

The Dallas Morning News also highlights the simple resolve of people trying to cross the boarder. In its most simple terms it can be classified as the, “were there’s a will there’s a way” motivation.

Such costly efforts will only divert migration through underground tunnels, through more desolate and dangerous crossing points along the southern border and through Canada. Consider that when sections of walls were erected along the California border, people began crossing through other states, like Arizona. Of the 472 bodies recovered last year along the border, about half were in Arizona.

All in all, there are too many incentives for people to cross the boarder. American jobs pay better than Mexican jobs, American’s want cheap goods and producers want cheap labor, and American’s are not willing to do the type of labor that is essential to this countries economic survival.

A multi-million dollar wall is not the solution to this problem. Better equipment for our boarder patrol, a better Mexican-American economic plan, and a policy of Fair Trade will all curb illegal boarder crossing. And 47% of Texans already know that. Now all we need is the policy and politicians to stop being so fixated on The Wall.