Federal agents hunt for guns, one house at a time

So the feds are going door to door in some Texas towns looking for illegal guns.  I’m not opposed to this.  People have a right to own and carry weapons, but buying them on behalf of militarized criminal Mexican drug cartels is something that ought to be prevented.

What bothers me is that this has the appearance of treating a symptom while ignoring the root cause. And in this case, there are two root causes.  The first is overwhelming American demand for Latin American drugs. The marijuana trade alone is worth over $30 billion per year.  It’s comparable to the movie industry in size.  Seriously, even though it might be a distasteful, stupid habit, it’s becoming obvious that AMERICA WANTS WEED.  If by legalizing marijuana we can generate legitimate private entrepreneurship while alleviating pressure from violent drug gangs on the Mexican border, why not?

The other cause is weak border security. Our government has tacitly approved of migratory workers crossing the border.  We don’t know who comes in.  We put systems in place to allow employers to verify employee eligibility, but then not compel anybody to use it.  Republicans are beholden to businesses that want cheap labor.  Democrats want to grow the poor, hispanic underclass who represent a large, illegal voting bloc and who they hope will subscribe to free social services.

Closing the border and verifying who comes across increases our personal security. It reduces strain on social services.  It reduces strain on our legal system.  It reduces strain on our hospitals.  It reduces fraudulent voter registration.  It reduces the ability for dangerous drug gangs to operate across the border.  It encourages the people who come here to work, to work within the laws of our society.  It encourages the people who come here to live to adopt our culture, values, language and way of life.  And it’s because of these very positive effects that it’s going to be next to impossible to ever get done.  Liberals and progressives NEED the strained systems, the fraud, the violence, the crises.  Having 10 million uninsured illegal aliens around helps them make the case for expanded government health care.  Illegal voter registration gets them votes.  Violence on the border gives them an excuse to peek in your windows and ask your neighbors about you and confiscate your guns.

So while I applaud law enforcement for doing their jobs, I can’t help but continue to shake my head at the leadership in this country that lets these problems continue to develop and fester.