Pubdate: Thu, 26 May 2005
Source: Summit Daily News (CO)
Copyright: 2005 Summit Daily News
Contact:  http://www.summitdaily.com/home.php
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/587
Author: Dara Lillis

MINUTEMEN PEERING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

Mike McCraken ("Frisco man among Minutemen," May 23) describes himself as a 
"free market capitalist."

One might assume, therefore, he has a good understanding of the law of 
supply and demand. The tacit support of the government for the employment 
of illegal immigrants, for extremely low wages and often under harsh and 
abusive conditions, in a variety of industries (fruit picking and meat 
packing, among many others) creates a huge demand.

It is foolish and inefficient, as the continuing failure of the "war on 
drugs" demonstrates, to attack such a problem at the supply end.

Mr. McCraken and his Minutemen companions would do better to redirect their 
energies to campaigning for an end to this distasteful 
turning-of-a-blind-eye in order to keep the price of orange juice etc. down.

To characterize this as a national security issue is plain wrong. The 
terrorists of Sept. 11 came into this country with visas and plane tickets, 
not across the Rio Grande and the Arizona desert.

Dara Lillis

Frisco
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MAP posted-by: Beth