"Why Border Violence Spillover Needs To Be Defined."

Here's an excerpt from my latest article for Homeland Security Today's Correspondents Watch:

"If you asked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano or El Paso Mayor John Cook if the violence associated with Mexico’s bloody drug war has spilled over into the United States, their answer would be a resounding “No!” But if you asked Southwest border region sheriffs and ranchers whose properties run along the border, some would answer with a resounding “Yes!” So who’s right? Unfortunately, no one can say. Because there is no official, standardized definition of spillover border violence spillover, its existence is in the eye of the beholder. During a time when US agencies and politicians are struggling to figure out what a secure border looks like and how to make it happen, the disagreements over spillover violence is tantamount to throwing fuel on a fire."

To read the rest of the article on HSToday.us, please CLICK HERE!

Comments

[anonymous_superhero]

Would decapitated bodies qualify?

http://www.krgv.com/news/expert-says-beheadings-in-u-s-look-like-work-of-cartels/

In this age of moral relativism spillover is whatever the progressive liberals in power say it is.

If you're OK I am OK. If you are not OK then you must be an extremist...

[Beltonwall]

@anon;

How do you define 'spillover'?

Eagerly awaiting your definition. . . .

[anonymous_superhero]

"@anon;

How do you define 'spillover'?

Eagerly awaiting your definition. . . ."

Whatever Janet and Barak tells me it is this week.

[Beltonwall]

@anon;

You decry those in power for not adhering to your standards or any standards at all. Yet, when challenged to provide a standard, you cannot.

I am very disappointed in you, anon. I expected a real answer, not a wishy-washy reply befitting a moral relativist.

Perhaps you have more in common with moral relativists than you care to admit?

Still waiting for your definition of 'Spillover'. . . .

[DanielR915]

Violence is making it's way in gradually in my opinion. There has being many reports of bullet shots coming from the border to El Paso. Last year a bullet was said to had hit a building at the University of Texas at El Paso

[Beltonwall]

@anon,

William F. Buckley would be disappointed that one who claims conservative values would shy away from the opportunity to provide their insight and intelligence to an audience.

By now you have had a couple of days to craft your definition of "spillover". We are still waiting patiently and respectfully . . . .

[Slow POKEY]

From my personal experience on the border I found this paragraph to be my favorite.

"The bottom line is that the Southwest border is a dynamic place with a lot of smuggling - and sometimes violent - activity occurring in some places, but virtually no goings-on in others. The notion that parts of the southern border are extremely safe is just as valid as the notion that parts of it are extremely dangerous. But sometimes the people on one side of the argument won’t acknowledge the validity of the other side. So, the real answer to the question of whether there’s spillover border violence is, “It depends.” It’s foolish to characterize the Southwest border’s 2,000-mile length as if it’s a homogenous place."

I believe arguing over the definition of "Spill Over Violence" is useless, there is no "Spill Over Violence", only drug violence, and the severity of it seems to be growing world wide.

[Beltonwall]

@Slow Pokey; A dead body is a dead body. There is no need to argue over the definition of Spillover; violence is violence- in this you are correct. The reason that law enforcement needs to understand what spillover is (and isn't!) is much the same as why local police need to know if a homicide is a one-off event or the work of a serial killer. Knowing and understanding the perpetrator gives them guidance on how to investigate and prevent more violence and death.

Comments like those from ANON who complain yet refuse to offer a better solution bring nothing to the equation. Instead of constructively representing their world-view they complain how their world-view isn't shared by more people.

[anonymous_superhero]

Another non-spillover event:
Mexican Cartel Tactical Note #9: Decapitated Adult Male with Hands and Feet Removed:

Found on Side of a Dirt Road Near Marana (Pima County) Arizona.

http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/01/mexican-cartel-tactical-note-9.html#comment-form

[Slow POKEY]

Beltonwall Thanks, you make a good point, a drug related crime committed by T C O's must be handled differently then a drug related crime committed by say a local gang.