Majority not worried about border
By The Helena IR - 10/01/07
The Independent Record’s series “Big Sky, Big Border” focusing on challenges at Montana’s northern border was followed this week by a federal study showing that terrorists could easily bring radioactive materials into the U.S. via the Canadian border.
Even so most readers answered “no” to our Question of the Week “Are you worried about the security of the northern border?”
By Friday afternoon, the tally was about 55 percent “no” and 45 percent yes in the unscientific poll.
Of those who said no, many thought the biggest border problems lay down south.
“No, I’m not worried about the Canadian border, but I am concerned about the U.S.-Mexico border where illegals cross every day,” said one reader.
“The problems at the Canadian border seem theoretical,” said another. “You just have to look at the Mexico border to see where the real problem is.” In a similar vein, some readers thought the news reports about the Canadian border were overblown.
“Am I worried about security on the northern border?” asked one reader. “Not much. If we all worried as much and about all the things the media says we should, we would all be staying home armed to the teeth peering through our shuttered window.
“After doing a rational risk assessment, I believe this ‘expose’ is more about getting a large slice of the federal pork pie than national security.”
Other readers disagreed.
“Yes,” said one. “Anyone who read the IR’s series on the subject last week would be foolish to believe otherwise. As Robert Frost so aptly put it, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
Another reader agreed that the sparsely populated northern border is ripe for smugglers and terrorists.
One difference between the Canadian border and the Mexican border, he said, is the motive of most people crossing them illegally.
“The majority of illegals crossing our southern borders are coming because they are economically disadvantaged or repressed...
“The illegals who cross our border in the north could be categorized as having illegal or terrorist intent, and that makes them a real threat.”
Even so most readers answered “no” to our Question of the Week “Are you worried about the security of the northern border?”
By Friday afternoon, the tally was about 55 percent “no” and 45 percent yes in the unscientific poll.
Of those who said no, many thought the biggest border problems lay down south.
“No, I’m not worried about the Canadian border, but I am concerned about the U.S.-Mexico border where illegals cross every day,” said one reader.
“The problems at the Canadian border seem theoretical,” said another. “You just have to look at the Mexico border to see where the real problem is.” In a similar vein, some readers thought the news reports about the Canadian border were overblown.
“Am I worried about security on the northern border?” asked one reader. “Not much. If we all worried as much and about all the things the media says we should, we would all be staying home armed to the teeth peering through our shuttered window.
“After doing a rational risk assessment, I believe this ‘expose’ is more about getting a large slice of the federal pork pie than national security.”
Other readers disagreed.
“Yes,” said one. “Anyone who read the IR’s series on the subject last week would be foolish to believe otherwise. As Robert Frost so aptly put it, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
Another reader agreed that the sparsely populated northern border is ripe for smugglers and terrorists.
One difference between the Canadian border and the Mexican border, he said, is the motive of most people crossing them illegally.
“The majority of illegals crossing our southern borders are coming because they are economically disadvantaged or repressed...
“The illegals who cross our border in the north could be categorized as having illegal or terrorist intent, and that makes them a real threat.”
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