HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

I read with interest the three negative responses to Val Clifton’s article in the 1960 Sun about the Precinct 4 Constable’s Race. In the last few months the illegal immigration issue has exploded into a hotly contested one in the local area. But not so much because of local residents as by what seems to be a group that is mostly populated by outsiders, U.S. Border Watch.

You know, perception is everything. No matter if you view U.S. Border Watch as a hate group or a bunch of patriots or whether you view the men who gather at the gas station on Steubner-Airline as criminals or just men desperate to provide for their families or whether you view those trying to help those men as unpatriotic criminals or missionaries doing the work of Christ, one thing is clear; we are all blessed to live in a country where all of those people can openly protest about whatever they want without the fear of being arrested or persecuted in any way by the government or police.

But persecution and retaliation is common practice by us private citizens isn’t it? It is being said that the Border Watch group wants to drive the gas station where the workers congregate out of business by scaring away its customers. It has been said that all the protesting has already hurt other businesses in the area. It has also been said that the Saturday morning antics being displayed have negatively affected home values in the adjacent neighborhood. I can understand being upset about how ineffective our federal government has been about controlling our borders. But, how is this solving the illegal immigration issue? Isn’t this adding to the problems not alleviating them?

There are other groups protesting as well. One of those groups represents a coalition of churches whose goal it is to minister to those men who need it regardless of who they are. One of their original goals was to move the laborer site away from those businesses and homes to prevent the very thing that is now happening to local profits and property values. But USBW somehow was able to put a stop to that. I’ve been told the church group extended the proverbial olive branch to USBW recently by requesting that all demonstrations by all parties at that site cease to bring an end to the damage being done to the local businesses and residents. USBW refused.

How can USBW call themselves patriots when they are deliberately hurting businesses and residents who have nothing to do with the issue they are angry about? Why aren’t they protesting outside the offices of our U.S. Congressman? Aren’t they the ones that can actually DO something about this mess? Isn’t that how the American process is supposed to work?

One of those letters to the editor in the February 27^th edition of the Sun mentioned twice how prostitution has become rampant in the 1960 area. He stated that “more than 3 dozen houses of prostitution that have popped up along 1960 are primarily made up of Asian girls illegally in this country being held against their will.” WOW!!! That’s horrible! Human trafficking in the 1960 area? Sex slaves in the 1960 area? Why the heck aren’t they protesting that???!!!!