Josey Kakaty clearly witnessed some of the complexity of life on the Mexican border during her trip reported in Saratoga Today (“Saratoga Mom Experiences U.S./Mexico Border,” Nov. 21-29, 2018). However, her quoted statement, along with the fact that she was invited on the trip on the basis of her role in a Fox News Security Moms panel, suggests that the trip was intended to promote building The Wall — an impractical, simplistic solution to the complex problem of criminal behavior and border security.
The complex truth is that some people with legal permission to cross the border use that permission to perform criminal acts, such as drug smuggling or human trafficking. Building a wall will not stop them.
On the other hand, some people without legal permission to cross the border nevertheless do so because they fear becoming the victims of criminal acts — including murder — if they remain in their home country.
I wish the Security Moms in the U.S. would find common cause with Moms in other countries who are also seeking security for themselves and their families. If Ms. Kakaty felt the lives of her loved ones were threatened, wouldn’t she be willing to cross a border if she thought it would save them?
- Terry Diggory