OPINION:
There is a rising belief that Mexico is fast becoming the new Colombia and we need to deploy our military on our southern border. Many experts have said that conditions inside Mexico mirror those that were found in Colombia prior to and during the reign of the Colombian Medellin Cartel created by Pablo Escobar.
Although I personally think putting our military on our southern border is warranted, the act would beg questions and a comment. Do the conditions along the Mexican border warrant military intervention? Is it strictly a civilian law enforcement responsibility?
If the U.S. military is deployed along our southern border with Mexico, left-wing activists on our side of the border would protest. They would become a problem for our military and repeated confrontations between the military and these anti-American groups would eventually lead to a violent incident where someone would get hurt or killed. Such an incident would blow up into a legal battle that would hurt our nation and would give aid and comfort to the drug cartels in Mexico.
If President Obama and Congress put our military forces on our border with Mexico, I would think they would have sorted out all the possibilities, dangers, consequences and legal strategies. If not, then a well-intentioned move to safeguard our nation could well become our worst nightmare. Either way, we cannot put our heads in the sand and pretend this violence along our border will go away. America has to come to grips with this huge problem sooner rather than later.
JIMMIE L. HOLLIS
Millville, N.J.
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