I spend a lot of time out and about in Happy Valley.
From Gold Peak to Walmart to the Gore Range Brewery in Edwards, and dozens of points in between, I casually encounter a wide variety of locals every week. And though some might find it hard to believe, their political opinions spread across a very colorful spectrum.
Yet when it comes to our current government shutdown, the vast majority of those opinions are of one mindset: Both sides are actually in favor of increased border security, and both sides are being childish as to how to go about accomplishing it.
The nuance behind the details are, of course, splattered all over the map, but the mutually agreed upon objective of reopening the government and working together on some sort of compromise is always the main focal point.
And it has virtually nothing to do with a literal wall.
Those clamoring for open borders are the same number of people who say we need less snow – they simply do not exist.
And a physical wall?
A wall would prevent none of that, no matter if it were constructed of concrete, steel or carbon nanotubes.
I’m not aware of any Americans trying to escape, and the religious nuts simply toss their bombs over the other wall.
America’s border security will always be needed to keep illegal immigrants and contraband from illegally coming in to the US, and includes not only fencing where logically feasible, but border agents, drones, electronic surveillance, cameras, tethered blimps, helicopters and much more.