Guns, Drugs, and Illegal Boarder Crossings

[Indy Lurker]

Did I miss something, or has the whole Republican anti-immigration boarder security issue morphed into the Democratic anti-drug smuggling and gun running boarder security issue?

Without a physical barrier, (such as a fence like the republicans wanted) who is the flow of guns and drugs going to be reduced?

[pinto]

1. I think they're separate issues, 'though the border is a common element.

One has to do with illegal border crossing by people in search of employment here - and the issues surrounding all that. One has to do with the illegal border crossing by people carrying cocaine & guns - and the issues surrounding all that.

While there is likely some overlap on reasons why people do what they do - they remain two separate issues, imho.

Both need a two nation approach and a two nation solution, as much as possible.

[jody]

2. What is emerging is an aggressive gun-grabber campaign to ban all semiautomatic firearms using

the War on Drugs as a cover.

That's the strategy cloaked by the War on Terror used by neo-cons to erode many natural, inherent, inalienable/unalienable rights.

Note none of those rights reduced by Bush have been restored by Obama and I don't expect whatever president follows Obama will restore any rights reduced on Obama's watch.

[damntexdem]

4. Shouldn't need the overflow of drugdealer violence to justify sensible gun control.

But if it works, so much the better.

And the issue is the overflow of violence, not the 'war on drugs.' That latter is a failure and largely responsible for the former -- although now that violent gangs exist, even were drugs to no longer be so profitable, for example if they were decriminalized, the gangs would still look for other ways to profit (as they already do with extortion and kidnappings). Thus, ending the 'war' on drugs is actually less critical than gun control in addressing the Mexican violence and its overflow into the U.S.

[damntexdem]

3. They're sure not by a border fence.

The GOP has no viable answers for anything.