A powerful 5-letter word

TRUST - Yeah that's it. A word many of us have nightmares about, while others disregard the meaning all together. Is the true definition of this word weakening? It seems to be. Government scandals are common and numerous, which is so ironic because isn't the government supposed to have a reputation of dependability and honesty?

If the Eliot Spitzer case wasn't enough to prove my point, In today's NY Times, there is a story that features the numerous corruption charges brought against border patrol workers. Many are taking bribes from Mexican immigrants to let them through the border, or allow them to smuggle guns and drugs.

Here are a few examples of those who have been charged (from NY Times):

In one of the new corruption cases this month, at a border crossing east of San Diego, a customs officer allowed numerous cars with dozens of illegal immigrants and hundreds of pounds of drugs to pass through his inspection lane, investigators said.
The officer, Luis Alarid, 31, had worked at the crossing less than a year, and the loads included a vehicle driven by Mr. Alarid’s uncle, the authorities said. Mr. Alarid has pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to smuggle. Investigators found about $175,000 in cash in his house, according to court records.

The smugglers use any ruse available to lure border workers but seem to favor deploying attractive women as bait. They flirt and charm and beg the officers, often middle-aged men, to “just this once” let an unauthorized relative or friend through. And then another and another.
Prosecutors believe this is how smugglers ensnared Mr. Gilliland, who eventually pleaded guilty to taking $70,000 to $120,000 in exchange for letting hundreds of illegal immigrants pass through his lane. He was sentenced last year to five years in federal prison. Two women he had befriended also pleaded guilty.
The case against Mr. Gilliland, 46, stands out for the number of immigrants he helped and the shock of a respected veteran gone bad.

The Villarreals would meet illegal immigrants near the border. The doors of their government-issue truck would swing open and Mexicans and Brazilians would climb in. Off they drove, Border Patrol agents at the wheel, but not to a station or jail, investigators said.
Instead, they said, the migrants were taken to a drop house in San Diego and later transported by others in the smuggling ring to cities and towns far from the border.

Juan Luis Sanchez, 31, a Border Patrol agent, pleaded guilty May 20 to drug, bribery and fraud charges. He admitted transporting at least 3,000 pounds of marijuana in his Border Patrol truck from summer 2002 to January 2004 in exchange for $45,000 in bribes.

-Did you notice that almost all of the names of those charged were of Mexican/Spanish decent? Therefore, I ask this question:
Do you think people of Mexican/Spanish decent should be allowed to become border patrol officers? Are they trustworthy? Or are they easily swayed?

Also, if this spurs your curiosity, then I recommend watching the Frontline Documentary tonight on PBS @ 9 PM. It will look at the corruption within border patrolling.