The Sands of Time and Crime

Yep, this is where I live. Well, close by. Not sure anything is living in this landscape but diamondback rattlers. Remind you of Iraq? Me too. For the life of me, I can't figure out why the folks in covered wagons just didn't keep going. They must have been REALLY tired!

I don't know much about the dust bowl, but I think what little I do know, I am relating to. For some crazy reason, instead of building housing here, they are building motels, dozens of them! Which, when the "boom" is over, will sit empty and decay and make the town even uglier. (As is evidenced by falling down motels left over from previous countless boom cycles.)

Guess I'm feeling frustrated because I thought I could make a difference coming here to work in government. But it seems to be the "same old story." Haul out the resources, leave the land a dustbowl and the buildings empty. Do not provide for families. Come on in folks, to work in the energy fields. Buy a new huge diesel pickup and make it roar when you go down the road. Yeh, you're a stud, alright.

A Mexican National was recently arrested in the State for bringing 100's of pounds of meth in to sell to whites and Indians both, (this particular drug czar likes to destroy Indians particularly), more meth to kill our children. He got life, but is appealing of course. Meth is running over the borders with many nationals who are looking for a better life alright - and selling the number one murder drug is more profitable than working in the fields. Beware the propaganda............

Once when I lived here before, I worked for a newspaper and began to write a story on illegal immigrants. It was a huge problem 25 years ago, but law makers and government had their heads conveniently in the sand of the dust bowl all the way up to the top levels of government. I received a call and a death threat. I did back off the story, it wasn't worth my life or the lives of my children. Now, that I'm older, I'm sure that taking a risk to expose criminals who bring Mexican nationals across the border to work cheaply would be even less welcome than it was 25 years ago. Greed is greed and stays the same through the decades. In my research I found that nationals bought into this area often did not leave with any money, as they were charged for writing letters, for translating, for all the things they could not do, and the greed mongers got their wages, so what was the use to enter illegally?

Enough - I should have strong legs from climbing on soap boxes!