I do understand why people support this bill. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind. I was ready to support it as well as the best compromise we could get until the Corker amendment. That was just too much for me to swallow.

I could post about how unnecessary it is. But I think you know all about that. Both Schumer and McCain have called it a waste of money. Just a bribe to try and get the tea party to support the bill.

Double the Border Patrol agents? For those who live here its bad enough with the number we have now.

It really is a tough call. Most in this area think the path to citizenship way too onerous. Some see the plight of the 12 million people without legal status to be so bad that any compromise, anything at all that will give them legal status is acceptable. I see their point and if it was just about that I might agree. But its also about the militarization of the border and how it, selfishly I admit, affects me.

I've had BP walk up to my house several times, on private land, for no reason what so ever and point their guns at my dog. Its especially scary when I've been told of pets being killed in similar situations. Fortunately while my dog will bark, she's not at all aggressive. But I do still worry every time the BP points their rifles at my dog.

We have biologists that work on this land as its an ecological protected area and a restoration project. Once while hiking 2 BP agents jumped out with rifles pointed at them screaming, "down on the ground, down on the ground." Scared the crap out of them. These are lily white 60 year old scientists. I'm wondering how the BP could have been confused. If this is how they treat 60 year old lily white scientists I also wonder how they treat any immigrants they find.

I've had BP tearing up fields with 4 wheel drive trucks to question tourists camping here, in tents. They had to rush across the fields so the "possible illegals" wouldn't run away. Immigrants don't camp in tents. The owners are attempting to restore this privately owned land and BP is tearing it up for no reason at all.

I could go on about the times I've been hassled. I could also tell many stories about No More Deaths workers being hassled just for putting water, food, and blankets out so immigrants don't die. When NMD held a fund raiser at a local restaurant the BP staked out the parking lot with the police lights flashing for over two hours. When a local Mexican American family came they stopped them and questioned them for 30 minutes. These are legal American citizens of Mexican ancestry that live here. The BP is like cops on steroids.

When I got here I attempted to be friendly. I just want an easy going stress free life on this beautiful piece of wilderness. After a year of trouble instigated by the BP I decided to make it so uncomfortable for them with confrontations and angry shouting matches that they would be reluctant to enter. I made it so entering this piece of land was too much trouble and little to gain, so now they generally avoid coming in. Most others with private land here do the same.

I really shouldn't say too much as I don't think the owners would want any negative publicity. Though I mentioned it before, I'm not going to mention the name of this place in this thread. I'd appreciate if anyone remembers they don't post the name so it doesn't come up in some search.