Border Talk

    Well many of my friends have stated that I should write about my travels.  So today I decided that I would do just that.  Because I travel a lot I run into several different characters at different times.  

    Today I was approached (as I often am) by a older gentleman (I say older but really he was only 6 older than me) who asked me if I was a driver. When I said yes, he promptly asked me if I could help another driver out.  Now I get approached a lot by different people some I help and some I don't.  This gentleman was very clean cut and even showed me his driver's license so that I would know that he truly was a driver. Now I don't mind helping someone out, but when you get approached as many as three or four times (remember I travel over 600 miles a day) a day it gets to be a little much. I gave this gentleman some money so he could have a meal he said; and he promptly asked me what I thought about the border problems. ( I was in Arizona).  I said that it has been an on going problem for a very long time, it is only now becoming more apparent.  He went into a speech about how the government isn't doing anything to close the borders and therefore the border guards should all go home.  I agreed with him to a point that yes, the government wasn't doing anything but playing golf,  but border guards are needed. To which he replied, why they aren't doing anything. I asked if he had ever been to Texas and through the ICS check station by Sierra Blanca. Sure, he said lots of times.  Well did you ever take a look at the board they have that states how much drug tonnage and money has been confiscated at that check point? To which he didn't have a reply.  I then asked if he was a veteran, thinking we could change the subject but that was the wrong question.  He was a draft dodger.  Was very proud that he had dodged the draft and didn't go to Vietnam.  Shoot I couldn't win for losing in a conversation with him.  I said well that tells me you are not very patriotic. He looked at me and said why would I go over there and get myself blown up for nothing. To which I just shrugged.  He promptly started to tell me about some of his friends that had gone to war and how messed up they are now. I said yes, I agree that many of vet's are messed up and many have a lot of medical problems from being over there. But I haven't heard any of my friends that went to Vietnam state that they were sorry they went.  Most of them have looked upon their time in the military as their duty to their country.  But I said to him, For one I am very proud of my grandsons who are both Marines, one just got out after a being in Afghanistan, the other is still on active duty, because they sure fought for your right to express your opinion.  He looked at me with a look of amazement on his face as I said "You have an awesome life" as I started for my truck.  

    Now I have meant all kinds of people from all kinds of countries but I can honestly say I had not meant someone who was so proud of being a draft dodger and so worried about keeping the borders safe.  I have to wonder how long he had been a truck driver to not see some of the billboards they put at checkpoint stations, and do think that they have nothing to do.  Oh well, it does take all kinds.