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Border towns are very unsafe right now. I live in central Texas so it's not really bad, but I have family down on the border. There's a lot of home invasions do

Border towns are very unsafe right now. I live in central Texas so it's not really bad, but I have family down on the border. There's a lot of home invasions down there right now. Their house has been broken into 3 times in the last 2 months. I'm sure sitting wherever you are it's easy to dismiss this as mythical, but for people living down there, it's a real problem. edit: downvoting doesn't make the problem go away.

DoreenMichele 8y ago
Their house has been broken into 3 times in the last 2 months. This may be true, but it neither supports the assertion that crime is bad in that area, nor the assertion that it's due to an "invasion." It's possible there's something peculiar to that home that is attracting problems.
- s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
  Are you serious shifting the blame to the homeowner? The only thing attracting problems is that it's near the border. What else do you suggest that the house could be doing to ask for this. Should it put on a more conservative outfit? Migrants come across seeking food/water/money so they break into homes. We should secure the border with surveillance and a wall so migrants are forced to use official ports of entry. We then should take as many as possible and coordinate with Mexico to take the rest, if neither can, the two countries should deport them back to their country or origin.
  - DoreenMichele 8y ago
    Are you serious shifting the blame to the homeowner? No. Migrants come across seeking food/water/money so they break into homes. Do they actually know who broke in? Are these solved crimes? Because if not, pinning it on migrants is called prejudice.
    - s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
      Then what was your original statement for then? The situation described in another comment: "The first was apprehended by local police while attempting to pawn the stolen TV. The second one was shot and ended up in the ER. I suppose I can't speak for the third, but if you had to take an educated guess..."
      - DoreenMichele 8y ago
        That's still basically prejudice. You don't actually know who committed the third crime, but you are all too happy to assume. I'm sorry for what your family has been through. Your approach to arguing this isn't a good approach for an environment like HN.
        s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
        Sure I'll concede to that, though I wouldn't call it prejudice, I'd call it bias. Ignoring the last one, those were two crimes that could have prevented if we secured our borders and funneled migrants through official ports of entry. There are many cases like this, even if the stats say the border counties are safer than other counties in the state. The problem still exists and is preventable.
        DoreenMichele 8y ago
        If they are illegal immigrants, what makes you think they would even cooperate with being funneled through official ports of entry? We have official ports of entry. Building a wall might make it harder for illegals to cross, but they already face substantial barriers. Some of them die every single year while crossing the desert on foot or taking other risks.
        s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
        The idea is to not give them a choice whether or not they take the official port of entry, it's to make it the only option. Currently the border either has a low height fence that can be climbed over, holes that can be crawled under, or no fencing at all. We should install the proposed wall with surveillance. After crossing the desert there aren't many people that will be able to scale a 30 foot steel fence. The current design can't be dug under or destroyed in a reasonable time. The sections that have gone up have drastically reduced crossings. https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work "For example, when we installed a border wall in the Yuma Sector, we have seen border apprehensions decrease by 90 percent." "On Sunday, when a violent mob of 1,000 people stormed our Southern border, we found the newly constructed portions of the wall to be very effective. In the area of the breach, a group of people tore a hole in the old landing mat fence constructed decades ago and pushed across the border. U.S. Border Patrol agents who responded to the area ultimately dispersed the crowd, which had become assaultive, and apprehended several individuals. All of the individuals were either apprehended or retreated into Mexico. That evening, the fence was repaired. There were no breaches along the newly constructed border wall areas."
CompanionCuuube 8y ago
> edit: downvoting doesn't make the problem go away. It does, if the problem is the public perception rather than the reality on the ground.
SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
I assume that all of those break ins have been due to immigrants, which you know for a fact? And do you think this is because the people who commit the crime are "bad hombres" or desperate?
- s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
  In my family's case, yes, they have all been illegals. I cannot speak for others. Why they commit the crime is not my point, the fact is they are committing the crime and endangering citizens living there.
  - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
    I'm surprised to hear that all the burglars have been caught.
    - s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
      The first was apprehended by local police while attempting to pawn the stolen TV. The second one was shot and ended up in the ER. I suppose I can't speak for the third, but if you had to take an educated guess...
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
tptacek 8y ago
This is phenomenally off-topic, but since it's so easy to rebut: border counties in the US have lower crime than the rest of the country.
- s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
  I was responding to the claim that Fox is pushing an invasion narrative. The invasion is real and dismissing it doesn't help anyone. Unless you live down there or have family that does, you can't comprehend how bad it is down there right now. Maybe we should have livestreams setup so the rest of the country can see it.
  - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
    https://www.cato.org/blog/crime-along-mexican-border-lower-rest-country https://www.cato.org/blog/crime-along-mexican-border-lower-r... According to the FBI it's lower. Unless it's changed dramatically in the last 2 years, at which point I'd suggest that maybe this new "tough on immigration" tactic isn't working.
    - s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
      So because the crime is lower than certain cities we shouldn't do anything about it? Maybe we should work on decreasing crime at all levels. This problem is preventable, we should work on a solution not ignore it because it's not the worst place in the world. Do not settle for "safe enough", it's an insult to anyone who has suffered a tragedy that could be prevented. edit: to the bottom poster, we should strive for the crime to be as low as possible. A mass shooting doesn't raise the crime rate by any noticeable amount, but they are preventable. The same goes for crimes committed by illegal immigrants. All of those victims could be saved by securing our borders. I wouldn't be throwing away my karma defending this issue if I didn't feel passionately about it. Step outside your bubble and have some perspective.
      - tptacek 8y ago
        No, the crime level is lower in all 23 US/Mexico border counties. And it's not "not the worst place in the world"; it's better than the both US average and the average of all non-border counties. The problem you are alluding to does not, in the actual FBI data, exist.
Nasrudith 8y ago
And yet the people most concerned about border security are those who live far away from the border. Perhaps not coincidentally because they see the real impact for good and ill of both "the problem" and the "solution" and draw their own conclusions. Or it could simply be because the people who live there would be less scared of that sort of thing and why you don't see people in California freaking out about their minor quakes. Anyone that terrified of seismic activity would have gone to a more tectonically stable place.
seppin 8y ago
> Border towns are very unsafe right now They have been for years, mostly because of drug traffickers and mafia types. That hasn't changed.

DoreenMichele 8y ago

Their house has been broken into 3 times in the last 2 months. This may be true, but it neither supports the assertion that crime is bad in that area, nor the assertion that it's due to an "invasion." It's possible there's something peculiar to that home that is attracting problems.

s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
Are you serious shifting the blame to the homeowner? The only thing attracting problems is that it's near the border. What else do you suggest that the house could be doing to ask for this. Should it put on a more conservative outfit? Migrants come across seeking food/water/money so they break into homes. We should secure the border with surveillance and a wall so migrants are forced to use official ports of entry. We then should take as many as possible and coordinate with Mexico to take the rest, if neither can, the two countries should deport them back to their country or origin.
- DoreenMichele 8y ago
  Are you serious shifting the blame to the homeowner? No. Migrants come across seeking food/water/money so they break into homes. Do they actually know who broke in? Are these solved crimes? Because if not, pinning it on migrants is called prejudice.
  - s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
    Then what was your original statement for then? The situation described in another comment: "The first was apprehended by local police while attempting to pawn the stolen TV. The second one was shot and ended up in the ER. I suppose I can't speak for the third, but if you had to take an educated guess..."
    - DoreenMichele 8y ago
      That's still basically prejudice. You don't actually know who committed the third crime, but you are all too happy to assume. I'm sorry for what your family has been through. Your approach to arguing this isn't a good approach for an environment like HN.
      - s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
        Sure I'll concede to that, though I wouldn't call it prejudice, I'd call it bias. Ignoring the last one, those were two crimes that could have prevented if we secured our borders and funneled migrants through official ports of entry. There are many cases like this, even if the stats say the border counties are safer than other counties in the state. The problem still exists and is preventable.
        DoreenMichele 8y ago
        If they are illegal immigrants, what makes you think they would even cooperate with being funneled through official ports of entry? We have official ports of entry. Building a wall might make it harder for illegals to cross, but they already face substantial barriers. Some of them die every single year while crossing the desert on foot or taking other risks.
        s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
        The idea is to not give them a choice whether or not they take the official port of entry, it's to make it the only option. Currently the border either has a low height fence that can be climbed over, holes that can be crawled under, or no fencing at all. We should install the proposed wall with surveillance. After crossing the desert there aren't many people that will be able to scale a 30 foot steel fence. The current design can't be dug under or destroyed in a reasonable time. The sections that have gone up have drastically reduced crossings. https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/12/12/walls-work "For example, when we installed a border wall in the Yuma Sector, we have seen border apprehensions decrease by 90 percent." "On Sunday, when a violent mob of 1,000 people stormed our Southern border, we found the newly constructed portions of the wall to be very effective. In the area of the breach, a group of people tore a hole in the old landing mat fence constructed decades ago and pushed across the border. U.S. Border Patrol agents who responded to the area ultimately dispersed the crowd, which had become assaultive, and apprehended several individuals. All of the individuals were either apprehended or retreated into Mexico. That evening, the fence was repaired. There were no breaches along the newly constructed border wall areas."

CompanionCuuube 8y ago

> edit: downvoting doesn't make the problem go away. It does, if the problem is the public perception rather than the reality on the ground.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago

I assume that all of those break ins have been due to immigrants, which you know for a fact? And do you think this is because the people who commit the crime are "bad hombres" or desperate?

s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
In my family's case, yes, they have all been illegals. I cannot speak for others. Why they commit the crime is not my point, the fact is they are committing the crime and endangering citizens living there.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  I'm surprised to hear that all the burglars have been caught.
  - s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
    The first was apprehended by local police while attempting to pawn the stolen TV. The second one was shot and ended up in the ER. I suppose I can't speak for the third, but if you had to take an educated guess...
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]

tptacek 8y ago

This is phenomenally off-topic, but since it's so easy to rebut: border counties in the US have lower crime than the rest of the country.

s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
I was responding to the claim that Fox is pushing an invasion narrative. The invasion is real and dismissing it doesn't help anyone. Unless you live down there or have family that does, you can't comprehend how bad it is down there right now. Maybe we should have livestreams setup so the rest of the country can see it.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  https://www.cato.org/blog/crime-along-mexican-border-lower-rest-country https://www.cato.org/blog/crime-along-mexican-border-lower-r... According to the FBI it's lower. Unless it's changed dramatically in the last 2 years, at which point I'd suggest that maybe this new "tough on immigration" tactic isn't working.
  - s_y_n_t_a_x 8y ago
    So because the crime is lower than certain cities we shouldn't do anything about it? Maybe we should work on decreasing crime at all levels. This problem is preventable, we should work on a solution not ignore it because it's not the worst place in the world. Do not settle for "safe enough", it's an insult to anyone who has suffered a tragedy that could be prevented. edit: to the bottom poster, we should strive for the crime to be as low as possible. A mass shooting doesn't raise the crime rate by any noticeable amount, but they are preventable. The same goes for crimes committed by illegal immigrants. All of those victims could be saved by securing our borders. I wouldn't be throwing away my karma defending this issue if I didn't feel passionately about it. Step outside your bubble and have some perspective.
    - tptacek 8y ago
      No, the crime level is lower in all 23 US/Mexico border counties. And it's not "not the worst place in the world"; it's better than the both US average and the average of all non-border counties. The problem you are alluding to does not, in the actual FBI data, exist.

Nasrudith 8y ago

And yet the people most concerned about border security are those who live far away from the border. Perhaps not coincidentally because they see the real impact for good and ill of both "the problem" and the "solution" and draw their own conclusions. Or it could simply be because the people who live there would be less scared of that sort of thing and why you don't see people in California freaking out about their minor quakes. Anyone that terrified of seismic activity would have gone to a more tectonically stable place.

seppin 8y ago

> Border towns are very unsafe right now They have been for years, mostly because of drug traffickers and mafia types. That hasn't changed.