Posted on 04/20/2003 11:06:26 PM PDT by JackelopeBreeder
Well, Baghdad fell, and Uncle JackelopeBreeder finally had time to do something besides work and sleep. For the better part of a month I had to put my participation with American Border Patrol on hiatus. My work schedule (12 on/12off, every day of the bloody week) simply would not allow it, so I ended up cruising the highways, canyons, and the frontline of the Border on my own. I still needed to unwind after work and you can’t drink rum, browse Free Republic, and surf for nekkid jpegs of Anne Coulter, Michelle Malkin, and Belly Girl all the time. (If it weren’t for geography I’d probably be in jail for stalking various unrequited love objects.)
My schedule also put me right out of primetime for the smugglers and coyotes, so mostly I was just looking at the impact that our misbegotten border policies have on my neighbors here in this odd corner of the country. It was a rude awakening despite the fact that I have been totally immersed in the problem for some months. Le Corbusier was right when he ranted about “eyes that do not see”. I never cared much for most of his architectural designs, but the man was dead on about human capacity for perception – or maybe lack thereof. If he was still alive, he’d be smacking me upside the head.
In the beginning I started close to home. My house is 13.2 miles north of the border and within the limits of the City of Sierra Vista. I already knew of one smuggler trail within a half mile of my house. In the last week I found four more branches of that trail, one of which passes just 250 yards south of my front door. Garden Canyon Wash is thoroughly “awash” with Mexican-label trash in any spot that affords cover and concealment. I wouldn’t know this much about Mexican brands if I spent all my time watching Univision on TV. This trail has my house surrounded by a full 180 degrees from southeast to northwest.
Sound bad? It ain’t. Freeper Spiff is only about seven miles north of the border and has “visitors” constantly. The trails I mentioned earlier lead to pick up points within rock-throwing distance of the “in town” urban dwellings of Freepers HiJinx and SandRat. One of our female coworkers lives out in the canyons just south of town; she’s a big time tree-hugger and honcho of our local conservation efforts – and packs a .44 magnum out of necessity. Ugly picture? It gets a lot worse.
Let’s go a little bit further south. Dig out your map and look at that strip of land south of Highway 92 and north of the Border. That is the real Cochise Strip. It would be only marginally more dangerous if we went out and placed mine fields. (Believe me, right now I’m sorely tempted.)
Let me describe the average homestead/hacienda in that area. Standard one-story house with whatever sheds or additional outbuildings are required for equipment, cattle or horse feed, etc. Totally normal so far. Now let’s add the Stalag 17 touches. Almost ever house is surrounded with 8-foot chain-link fence, frequently topped with barbed wire or concertina. All gates locked. All cars or trucks pulled up close to the house. Floodlights illuminating everything after sundown. Several extremely large and unfriendly dogs within the fence and any barking after dark brings the owner out with gun in hand – and he or she knows how to use it.
On Saturday night, the night before Easter, I finally had another chance to go out with my buds from American Border Patrol. My partner and I obtained permission to set up on the southeast corner of the property of a personal friend, one of our local Mexican-American ranchers. He is well into his 90s. This is a man who has reason to be bitter. His late wife’s grave is just 200 yards north of his house. Her tombstone has been tagged with graffiti in the recent past; last week her tombstone and memorials were toppled by unshod smuggler horses.
Is this any way for any American to live?
Sounds like the junk yards in South Phoenix, except that no one lives in them or sticks around at night, except the dogs! The words of this old song are going through my head right now.
DON'T FENCE ME IN
(Cole Porter)Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me inLet me be by myself in the evenin' breeze
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me inJust turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies
On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains riseI want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And I can't look at hovels and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in
The "Fox" is in the hen house and Atzlan is a-coming.
As a famous politician (FDR?) once remarked, nothing on the international stage happens by accident.
Complaning about a situation to those that are planning and implimenting it is an exercise in futility.
Napolitano just met with Mexico and signed a big Environmental agreement for the border region. The Giai philosophy and the UrthFirst nuts religously believe that man is second to animal and plant life.
As JB as pointed out, the Nature Conservancy, hypocritically ignores the damage when they should be leading the band. They ignore fires that occur in these areas that are most likely the result of aliens enroute or stranded there. But they attended a 5 day forest management conference by Napo to oppose logging. I have copies (from a friend) of the special quarterly magazine they send to donors, with pretty pictures of their 5 conservation preserves in Arizona. When I stoped lurking here and began posting on the "Environmental Extremists Exposed" research threads, I posted a link to a TNC page where you could sign up for a "free trial copy" of a magazine for your state. A couple of months later, this offer was stopped! The articles in these rags were aimed at the sheeple, not for the public!
They list donors by the amounts given. It's a very long list, beginning with $500,000 donations. There's often write-ups of people who donate their estates.
If it was made public that there were piles of trash and human waste on land they are "stewards" of, donors might realize they've been had! At this point, if there's nothing left to lose, maybe offer 4-wheelers clubs, or better yet Gun/Rifle clubs, the use of your land for recreational use. They are few places left where they are allowed.
Do you think Willie Nelson is up for another benefit concert? :)
she attempts to add levity
Answer:
"We met in a revolving door
and we've been going around together ever since."
Ba da bing!
July 4th - Independent's Day
So true!
I went to St. Mary's, downtown Phx. 9 years in the choir. Music teacher had a doctorate, we sang the Mass as written by the classical composers and Gregorian Chant, thanks to the unlimited finances of the church. When they started saying mass in english, I stopped going and became a folk singer, lol.
WE can't be bothered with this - we are too busy boycotting French wine and complaining about Canada - after all, they were our friends and they hurt our 'feelings' and that is more important than actually trying to preserve the country.
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