Rich Ulery
On March 24, 51 members of the Quail Creek Republican Club (QCRC) boarded a bus and headed south for a day of education concerning the crisis at the southern border. Our tour was hosted by Chris DeSimone, morning radio host of Wake Up Tucson, heard on KVOI radio from 6 to 9 a.m. Accompanying Mr. DeSimone was Bob Feinman, who is a board member of a humanitarian organization that maintains 50 water stations from Yuma to Douglas, providing life-saving water to illegal immigrants attempting to cross the desert. We traveled to the Humane Border Water Tank in Arivaca and listened to Mr. Feinman describe the organization’s objective to work closely with the Border Patrol to comply with U.S. immigration laws and also treat illegal immigrants humanely and return them to their country of origin alive rather than in a pine box.
We then proceeded to the border at the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales to walk along the border wall. Our tour continued to the ZZ Ranch owned by Dan Bell, whose family has run hundreds of head of cattle, for generations, on thousands of acres bordering Mexico. Dan deals with the border crisis on a daily basis, personally experiencing drug cartel violence, human and drug smuggling, sex trafficking, vandalism, and death. He spoke with and for his fellow ranchers at the border, advocating for the completion of the wall.
The Quail Creek Republican Club ended a most educational experience with a relaxing ride back to Quail Creek, enjoying discussion and camaraderie while sipping adult libations provided by the QCRC board.