Guns cross borders illegally, too

In the editorial Guns cross borders illegally, too, the editorial board at the Austin American Statesman remarks on our border security and the dangers of not only what is coming this way over the border, but also what is traveling into Mexico. In this case, a gun used to kill a law enforcement agent in Mexico was traced back to Dallas, Texas and was transported into Mexico illegally. Lately we, as Texans, have not stopped hearing about the dangerous conditions in Mexico and near the border. This is an interesting look at how the state government is failing to protect its population by allowing firearms to enter a danger zone. By not having better restrictions on what is leaving our country at our state's border, we are providing fuel to a fire of drug violence. As a nation, we should have the right to control what leaves our country, especially when it comes to items such as firearms.
I agree with the case this editorial is making. There are legal ways to transport firearms if necessary, and it is dangerous to turn a blind eye to this illegal and dangerous act simply because we are gaining financial revenue from these purchases. Texans who live at or near the Mexican border are greatly affected by the drug violence going on in Mexico and it is wrong of our government to allow the smuggling of firearms into Mexico at the risk of this population's safety. The border between Texas and America represents a place of international travel and should be treated as such. We, as a state, need to crack down on the sale of firearms, making sure that this is done in a legal manner, and then we need to establish regulations for the transport of goods over the Mexican border. The editorial board makes a claim in this article that 'anything that even hints at interference with Second Amendment guarantees of fun ownership is likely to run into well-organized resistance." While this is generally true in a state like Texas, I believe if the case was put forth as more of a safety matter than a second amendment matter, people would see reason to support it. Every Texan understands the desire to feel safe and feel that their family is safe. By humanizing this issue and bringing the families affected by the violence at the border to the forefront of the move to increase security in buying and transporting guns in Texas, I believe many Texans will fully support this movement. Like the editorial board, I believe legislation needs to be put into place and enforced well that protects us from the violence in Mexico and that limits our aiding in the expansion and increase in severity of that violence.