Take this week's cover story, by Leo W. Banks. Regular readers know that Leo has a fondness for those who live along the border and have found themselves living in what has essentially become a battleground. This week, he reports on what border ranchers (and others) think about legislation, sponsored by Rep. Raúl Grijalva, that would designate a large swath of border-area land as federal wilderness. Such a designation could possibly limit what the U.S. Border Patrol can do in the area, as they attempt to--among other things--catch the bad guys.
Leo's story is an amazing piece of journalism, a must-read for everyone who cares about what's going on in Southern Arizona. Having said that, this does not mean that the Tucson Weekly is coming out against Grijalva's bills--just like it didn't mean we came out in favor of them in September, when Tim Hull wrote a piece praising the proposed wilderness areas.
I'll repeat something I wrote back in 2005: "We plan to keep on covering these and other border issues as much and comprehensively as we can, while letting our writers express their own viewpoints, using their own words. As always, the Mailbag and Guest Commentary sections are open for feedback and response. ... If you have something to say, say it. In the meantime, keep an open mind, and analyze the situation with both heart and mind. That's what we'll be doing. That's a promise."
