Posted by
Charles Riley on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 6:48:06 PM
One of the worst events I have ever witnessed in real life or viewed on Television with the exception of terrorist acts and old film footage of the holocaust was an event on the evening news. I have seen my share in real life and more. I watched and listened closely as a family of 5 including a mother and father with 3 children all under the age of 8 cross the river that separates Mexico and the United States. I watched the father and mother holding hands with their children leading them across the river and what had to be in their minds a chance for a better life. The camera that caught this event was filming in the dead of night and was not able to focus in on their faces or the little bodies of those kids. Thank God for that mercy. As the father reached out for the river bank the worst thing one could imagine happened. The father's grip gave out and his wife and three kids caught by the river's current went to their death. They drown during the evening news in front of anyone willing to watch.
There is nothing like the evening news when it comes to making a point. I hear about tragedies of this type everyday and after more than a year I still think about this family and the senseless loss. This story and the images presented by the news were meant to cause a reaction from those of us who were watching. The reaction of course is meant to stimulate our thinking or motivate our behavior. This horrible loss of life and its memory has not caused me to change my attitude regarding the need for controlled borders. This horrible memory has help me as a Christian understand my responsibility more clearly to the poor and needy. As one who follows Christ I cannot ignore the poor and those in need. I cannot close my eyes or look the other way so as to avoid seeing children going without food, clothes, medical care and education. Reaching out to those in need and those who want to work and help themselves does not stop us from controlling our borders and protecting our people. I will never forget those people being swept away by the river while their father reached out wildly for just one of their hands. I will also never forget our brothers and sisters jumping to their deaths from the upper windows of the Twin Towers to escape being burned alive.
It is hard for me to believe there is one sane American of any race who does not want our friends, families and people in our country to be safe or protected. This would include protection from anyone who would cross our border illegally with the intent to break our laws. There is no reason or excuse why we cannot protect our borders and demonstrate the traditional values the American people have had for those in need.
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I believe anyone in this country legally we have invited in by our laws who encounters trouble and needs help should be able to seek any help our country has to offer. If people have gone along with the program of legal immigration or involvement with an established guest worker program then we as a host country should help people who run into unforseen problems. We should not become a cash cow for those people who are here that are not legal or here just to take advantage of our welfare system. We should help those with real emergencies and real need. Our government has a policy of turn and look the other way and wink while people have poured over our borders. These people have been given status even if not legal. If these people find themselves in need it is our obligation to help since our government has allowed people to be here. Those people in need should also be referred to the Mexican Embassy or given assistance to return to Mexico where friends, family and the Mexican government can be responsible for their people's care. There is nothing wrong with asking those responsible to be responsible.
I blame our government, the Mexican government, American employers and certain political parties for our immigration problems. The everyday person wants the borders controlled but our leaders haven't the will to represent the people of the United states because of greed and the desire for power. I fear until we control the borders we will see people suffer who are desperate for a decent life for themselves and their children. I also fear another wicked attack on the innocent people of this country. Our country is a great country with some of the brightest men and women in the world. How can we not solve this problem unless we haven't the will.