To all those who believe The Durango Herald is a liberal rag, please, see the editorial on Jan. 3, headlined “Biden’s re-election depends on urgent border action.” With this piece, the editors have adopted wholesale the latest Republican talking points for the 2024 election cycle.

Red Congress members, candidates and others currently claim that 1) The situation on the southern border is an existential threat to our country; 2) Republicans had nothing to do with the creation of the current immigration/asylum system, or with the political/economic/social problems in Venezuela or Guatemala or other source countries; and 3) This is now President Joe Biden’s problem to fix, or else.

Yes, our border policies and practices need big changes. And yes, Democrats are integral to making those changes happen. But the reality is that the current hyperventilation about border issues is a calculated political ploy to distract voter attention away from the endemic shortcomings of the Republicans, and to blame Biden for problems that have been decades in the making.

Don’t believe it.

Tim Schaldach

Durango