There is no national emergency at the United States-Mexican border. Having visited El Paso, TX (3/15/19 – 3/17/19), the same place our president visited recently before he declared a national border emergency, I saw no problems at the border fence or the port of entry. There was no massive invasion. There was no violence. There was no bloodshed. There was no emergency.
What I did see was a vibrant border town that embraced its neighbor. The market I visited to buy the paper was clean and well kept. Everyone spoke Spanish. The bakery was full of delicious-looking traditional Mexican pastry. The pork, beef and chicken were tastefully displayed in the meat section. Posole was on sale in the deli. The place smelled wonderful. It could have easily been in Juarez. We visited multiple Mexican restaurants while in El Paso. Each one was better than the next. The food was fantastic. The atmosphere was friendly. The service was great. On Sunday, we attended a catholic mass in Anthony, New Mexico, a few miles north of El Paso. It was an English mass, but they had multiple services in Spanish each day. We were welcomed with open arms. Lastly, we visited a neighborhood directly adjacent to the border. The modest houses were painted bright colors. The streets were immaculate. The local Panaderia was bustling. It was filled with countless delicious items including the best Flan that my wife has had in years.
We visited Nogales, Arizona a few years ago, another border town. We had an identical experience during our weekend stay there. The people we met were welcoming even though we were foreigners to their town. My Spanish is not very good, but the citizens I met in both of these border towns did not judge me. They did not look at me as an outsider. Everyone we encountered was excited to meet us. We were treated more like family than foe.
I encourage everyone to visit our border with Mexico to discover the truth. It’s liberating. The truth will set you free.
GREGORY JARRIN
Arizona Daily Sun March 25, 2019
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