No. 1187 -- TOO GOOD TO LEAVE!

No. 1187

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

TOO GOOD TO LEAVE!

I have an idea that would go a long way in helping the United States of America solve our massive immigration problems, but to be sure it would be a whole lot easier said than done. The idea is simply this: Use some of our great resources and brightest people to help improve the economy, safety and living conditions for the citizens of Mexico to a point where they would no longer want to leave.
Now that sounds simple enough, but what a challenge it would be. When you consider the billions of dollars we are spending each year on interdiction, fighting the war on drugs, and the heartache of parents being separated from their children, why not at least give it some thought.
The country of Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, has a population of just over 120 million people and is bordered on the north by the United States, on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean, on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea, and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. The capital is Mexico City, the official language is Spanish and the government is a Federal Presidential Constitutional Republic. The legislature has a Congress made up of a Senate (upper house) and a Chamber of Deputies (lower house.) Mexico declared its independence from Spain in 1810 that was officially recognized in 1836, with the First constitution being adopted in 1824.
Now the problem with our neighbor to the South is something that either directly, or indirectly, affects every single American. It is nothing other than the massive amounts of money being spent every year. All I am asking you to do is give my idea some thought, and who knows, this idea may find its way to someone who can move it forward and put the wheels in motion. I truly believe our great country has the people and the resources to make a difference in the culture and the thinking of the Mexican people over a long period of time. I would like to see a national campaign in our southern neighbor to instill a new sense of patriotism and pride that makes Mexicans want to stay home and help improve their own nation; to improve it to a point they no longer want to leave.
This is a county that has a history of graft and corruption in the government, and only the people can change the situation. This could be followed by a nationwide movement to improve education, where the very poor are lifted out of dire living conditions, and jobs become available to improve their standard of living.
Big job? Yes. Possible? Yes. How? American ingenuity. According to Forbes Magazine, as of January 4, 2018, there were 574 billionaires in the United States. I have to believe that many of these people would be willing, if called on, to lend some of their key people and resources to develop a long-range economic plan to bring this about.
Further, if we were to develop a plan to bring this about over time and reach out in the spirit of being a good neighbor, officials in the nation of Mexico would embrace it. While we know that we only get good for good, we just have to make sure our motives are right, and helping these good people would come back to our nation many times over.
While I realize this idea sounds like a pipe dream, with the right people behind it, it could happen. Further, wouldn’t it be fantastic if the people of Mexico, with help from the United States, could catch the spirit of the late Walt Disney when he said, “It’s kind of fun doing the impossible.”
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(Editor’s Note: JIM DAVIDSON is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist and founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated to over 375 newspapers in 35 states, making it one of the most successful in the history of American journalism.)