Some of this was covered in the earlier topic of fattier customs agents (since removed); but it seems to me the primary problem at our border is an inability to measure success by the common sense goal in our post 911 world: how many Islamic terrorists did you capture today?, this week? this month, this year? the last 5 years?

I believe the answer to be zero for our port of entry on all counts. What is management to do? If you can't measure success by a direct method then other more in direct methods must be devised. That is why we have offices full of heavily armed, flack jacket wearing, highly trained border security professionals doing paperwork and fingerprinting 12 year olds.

Buck this problem up 9 or 10 levels of management and you will find the individuals responsible for requiring a guy to show his passport in order to go to work each day.

How about this solution:

Ask all agents to report to duty, line them up, have them count off by 3s and congratulate all the odd number winners on their new assignment in sunny El Paso where real work may exist.

The even number winners will have a full and busy job like they used to have before we started to look for Islamic terrorists where they ain't.

You'll have to excuse my not knowing much about the process of getting a passport. I just know I have a DWI and therefore cannot enter canada.

I wonder if any of the Bader-Meinhof radicals, from Germany, are trying to cross the border anywhere. I was looking at local crossings the other day from 2nd street and 2nd avenue and was wondering how I would be able to tell a white, light hair colored man or women with blue eyes from say about a thousand "locals" that live here in town. Back in the 60's, 70's and 80's they were very active in taking up any radical cause that was available and I understand they still are. I wonder how a white Bader-Meinhof member, that was a radical muslim, that didn't like me or my government, would be able to be identified as, well, any differant then I look or many of you look. Most Germans speak better English then most of us and I am accused of speaking with an accent every time I return from Baumholder or Nurnberg. I sure hope nobody on the bridge forgets that I was born in town.

I think we should also keep in mind a statement from ol' Ben Franklin:
"Those who give up their freedom for security, deserve neither"
While I think more stringent security is required after the easy time terrorists had taking over domestic flights in the US on 9/11, I think we also need to make sure ridiculous laws are not passed by knee-jerk politicians trying to make "brownie points" with their constituents. I sincerely hope we have permanently gotten past airport security strip-searching 80 yr old ladies!
I believe much, much more attention be given to our southern border because of its sieve status, but our northern border has had attempts to be penetrated, recalling in Washington state where a alert Customs Officer stopped terrorists with a car full of explosives (and there have been other attempts not heavily reported). As far as the Mexican border is concerned, I believe the problem could be solved with 3 words: "shoot to kill". Problem solved in about a week. And all you bleedin' heart liberals don't get your shorts in a bunch, I'm only kidding. Really.
I guess I am ******ed, though, that a drivers license and military ID are not good enough to cross into such a close ally as Canada, but the powers that be are only congressmen and such...predominantly Democrat at this point but I expect that to change shortly.
Also, Borderlanders wish for a localized id card for people who cross the border daily, but I see that idea as not getting anywhere as such a ID card would be too easily forged...I'm afraid the laws will apply equally across the board.
One nation under God