I have been frustrated watching the debate about building a "wall" between the USA and Mexico. None of those in the debate appear to understand the law enforcement paradigm of the USA. This might be a repeat, so don't exit.
Most people are not really aware of how our legal system works. They have been watching and experiencing it for so long that they accept it as "the way it is". When confronted with a new situation that calls for a different approach, they just keep applying their old methods and wonder why they don't work. What they do is to try to apply more force in the same old direction rather than change direction. If this is s little confusing, let me explain.
Historically, our total legal system is based on "fear of punishment". Even as a parent, we spanked our kids if they did wrong and expected them not to repeat their act because they have a "fear of punishment" if they ever did that again. That is how it worked and the principle was applied at all levels.
Where this principle got out of bed was when we were confronted by Radical Muslim Terrorists. The reason that our law enforcement system did not work with them was because they had "no fear of punishment". These people were willing to strap bombs to their bodies in order to kill their enemy. How do you arrest them after they have killed someone with a bomb? Do you sweep up their body parts and put them in a bag and send the bag to jail? As I think you can clearly see, our "fear of punishment" system does not work with these kinds of people.
We already know that our "fear of punishment" system does not work with people with mental problems either. With people who have mental problems, it does not help if we arrest them after they have killed your child. The only way to save your child from a mental case is by "prevention" before the act, not after. Now, what does this have to do with the Wall?
In the case of the wall, we are having to deal with people from countries that are so "bad" that the they see getting arrested and put in jail in the USA better than continuing to live in their home country. As long as the punishment for coming here is less comfortable than staying home, people will continue to come. Notice that people from Switzerland don't try to cross our border illegally? That is because the "fear of punishment" is greater than the discomfort of remaining in Switzerland. That is not the case for people from places like Venezuela or El Salvador that are "hell holes".
What we all have to understand is that there are some situations and some people who have "no fear of punishment" and our normal law enforcement system does not work for them. What we have to do for them is to make sure that they never get into the USA in the first place. The other thing about our legal system is that it is the most expensive of any legal system or country in the world. When you realize that it is both not effective and costly, we need to look at "prevention" and understand that it might be both more effective and less expensive and that mean a "wall" that keeps illegal immigrants out is the best.
Do you now have a better understanding of the situation and see that we need a wall?
Most people are not really aware of how our legal system works. They have been watching and experiencing it for so long that they accept it as "the way it is". When confronted with a new situation that calls for a different approach, they just keep applying their old methods and wonder why they don't work. What they do is to try to apply more force in the same old direction rather than change direction. If this is s little confusing, let me explain.
Historically, our total legal system is based on "fear of punishment". Even as a parent, we spanked our kids if they did wrong and expected them not to repeat their act because they have a "fear of punishment" if they ever did that again. That is how it worked and the principle was applied at all levels.
Where this principle got out of bed was when we were confronted by Radical Muslim Terrorists. The reason that our law enforcement system did not work with them was because they had "no fear of punishment". These people were willing to strap bombs to their bodies in order to kill their enemy. How do you arrest them after they have killed someone with a bomb? Do you sweep up their body parts and put them in a bag and send the bag to jail? As I think you can clearly see, our "fear of punishment" system does not work with these kinds of people.
We already know that our "fear of punishment" system does not work with people with mental problems either. With people who have mental problems, it does not help if we arrest them after they have killed your child. The only way to save your child from a mental case is by "prevention" before the act, not after. Now, what does this have to do with the Wall?
In the case of the wall, we are having to deal with people from countries that are so "bad" that the they see getting arrested and put in jail in the USA better than continuing to live in their home country. As long as the punishment for coming here is less comfortable than staying home, people will continue to come. Notice that people from Switzerland don't try to cross our border illegally? That is because the "fear of punishment" is greater than the discomfort of remaining in Switzerland. That is not the case for people from places like Venezuela or El Salvador that are "hell holes".
What we all have to understand is that there are some situations and some people who have "no fear of punishment" and our normal law enforcement system does not work for them. What we have to do for them is to make sure that they never get into the USA in the first place. The other thing about our legal system is that it is the most expensive of any legal system or country in the world. When you realize that it is both not effective and costly, we need to look at "prevention" and understand that it might be both more effective and less expensive and that mean a "wall" that keeps illegal immigrants out is the best.
Do you now have a better understanding of the situation and see that we need a wall?
