The prevailing myth that "it's all about the borders" just got shot in the heart today.
The Arizona Republic
practiced journalism today with their article titled violence is not up on the borders.
Queen Peggy Noonan says it's all about the borders.
USE THIS LINK FOR PEGGY'S ARTICLE
http://online.wsj.com/...
John McCain says it's all about the borders.
My Friday night diary http://www.dailykos.com/... had me questioning whether the border problem might be a lot worse than I had thought. I was seriously questioning Janet Napolitano's remarks to a Senate commmittee saying, "the borders are secure as they've ever been."
Today, the Arizona Republic shows us just how wrong this train of thought is and pokes a plethora of holes in the "it's all about the borders" way of thinking. Napolitano is right.
Uniform Crime Reports and statistics provided by police agencies, in fact, show that the crime rates in Nogales, Douglas, Yuma and other Arizona border towns have remained essentially flat for the past decade, even as drug-related violence has spiraled out of control on the other side of the international line. Statewide, rates of violent crime also are down.
In fact, according to the Border Patrol, Krentz is the only American murdered by a suspected illegal immigrant in at least a decade within the agency's Tucson sector, the busiest smuggling route among the Border Patrol's nine coverage regions along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Cochise County's crime rate has been "flat" for at least 10 years, the sheriff added. Even in 2000, when record numbers of undocumented immigrants were detained in the area, just 4 percent of the area's violent crimes were committed by illegal aliens.
"There's no violence here," said Francisco Hernandez, 31, who works in a sign shop and lives on a ranch along the border. "It doesn't drain over, like people are saying."
Leo Federico, 61, a retired teacher, said he has been amazed to hear members of Congress call for National Guard troops in the area.
"That's politics," he said, shrugging. "It's all about votes. . . . We have plenty of law enforcement."
Okay, I will continue my subscription to the Arizona Republic as long as they produce stories like they did today.
Oh wow, just saw this commercial for John McCain.....gag
turkana's diary is a must read!