La Plaza Mall incident a wakeup call
The recent robbery attempt at La Plaza Mall by seven Mexican nationals should be a wakeup call to all who oppose the border wall. These men were able to cross the river, plan and execute a robbery attempt.
Next time, it may not be thieves but terrorists, and not jewelry but a soft target with mass casualties.
Sept. 11, 2001, was 17 years ago, we forget so easily that terrorists are looking for any opportunity to inflict mass murder, and without a border wall we make their job that much easier.
Jake Longoria, Mission
Asking the tough questions
To voters on the left, Beto O’Rourke’s platform is appealing on many fronts — immigration, healthcare, prison and sentencing reform, etc. Unfortunately, his vote in favor of the gargantuan 2019 military appropriation bill works in opposition to many of his stated social goals.
Where does he think the money will come from for necessary but costly programs he advocates — such as universal health coverage, increased public funding for schools in low income communities, and rehab for prisoners — since more than half of the U.S. discretionary spending budget goes to the military?
Realistically we must recognize that if we are to accomplish ambitious peacetime goals we need to convert from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy. It can be done. Lots of countries have done it successfully: think of Germany after World War II.
Beto has not discussed his vote in favor of the largest military budget in history. Maybe he hopes that, if he doesn’t mention it, nobody will notice? At his Brownsville town hall meeting on Aug. 19, those who reject perpetual war need to ask hard questions concerning an issue that he seems reluctant to focus on.
Terry Church, McAllen
