Good Book-The Devil's Highway

[moondancer627 0]

If you want an eyeopening account of what really happens to illegal immigrants on the US/Mexican Border read The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea.

This is a true story of an incident that happened in May 0f 2001 when 26 men came in to the desert between Mexico and Yuma and only 12 survived the ordeal.

It's really let me rethink the whole situation here in the Southwest, and something has got to be done to catch the criminals who smuggle these poor trusting souls up here and let them die in the desert.

Mexico and the US must work together on the issues and not point fingers and try to criminalize the innocent.

My opinion of course.......

Moondancer

[sparkofcreation 0]

Thanks for the recommendation. It's been very interesting having moved down here to a border state—my info still says NJ 'cause that's where we filed originally, but we're in Albuquerque now. And, not to give away my true identity (cue spooky music) but I'm in a position to deal with illegal immigrants *all the time*. (I dealt with a lot of illegals in New Jersey, but here it's almost exclusively so.)

Overall, I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised and impressed by how nuanced people's views on illegal immigration are. I was expecting to meet a lot of "all illegals should be shot and so should anyone who helps them" people, but I haven't met any. Everyone seems to be very reasonable and have thought things through carefully and balanced pros and cons and so on. It's better than being in New Jersey, actually.

Edited April 5, 2006 by sparkofcreation

[almaty 19]

people are people sister...rather they are illegal or not... i agree with you.

.most americans and legal immigrants have a legal bias against illegals, and justified so...but no one wants to harm them physically or stand by and allow the coyotes to leave them in a locked truck in the desert to die...

[Satisfaction 1]

I can understand that people have concerns about their live and future. However, I don't agree when opposants of reform take immigrants (legal or not) liable for the economic and political debacle that we're now witnessing, ills and failures that were somewhat created long ago and brought upon us. Further down the road, the same voices will be heard shouting aloud against minorities, asking for the end of welfare for the poor, medicaid or medicare for the disable and the elderly, people deemed "unfit" to be kept alive in society. The common rhetoric that illegal immigration should be blamed for wage dumping, unemployment, insecurity, high heathcare costs and tax increases, the rise of terrorism - and, why not, viruses and bad weather? - is extremely narrow minded, simplistic, and doesn't account for other important economic, political and financial factors which forces people to move in certain directions. Too bad important pieces of valuable information are kept out of the public eye. Why not blame Mongolia when we're at it?

“The exact contrary of what is generally believed is often the truth. ” - Jean de la Bruyère

“The ruling class at present, has the schools and press, usually the Church as well, under its thumb. This enables it to organize and sway the emotions of the masses, and make its tool of them.” - Albert Einstein