I watched a very sad movie on Netflix recently, titled “Which Way Home.” It was a social and cultural documentary about the plight of the children of Mexico and Guatemala, left behind when their families travel to the land of opportunity to find work.
These children decide to take it upon themselves, to “ride the rails” of Mexican trains, atop railroad boxcars.
Many of these children are as young as 10 years old. Their destination is the same as their relatives before them. It is illegal for people to hitch rides on these boxcars; however, Mexican authorities claim they do not have the manpower to police the railroads.
Most of these children fail in this attempt at a better life, and are captured and returned to their Mexican or Guatemalan homes. Many others are found dead in the desert. Many of the young girls are raped, by older riders of the rails.
It seems that our federal government has no correct solution to stop any of this illegal immigration from our Southern border, yet we spend billions in support of the desert dictators, where this black gold that the world depends upon, lies miles beneath the desert dunes.
The fence does not appear to be the correct solution, unless, perhaps, you take all the troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and post them all along this fence of many a mile.
Instead of supporting the desert country dictators, our government should concentrate on a solution to our Southern border.
It has been stated that the Mexican government is not very helpful with the immigration problem, but are they any worse that the desert dictators? We need to work with this government, and encourage them to find industries that could be established in Mexico, and Guatemala, to encourage their people to find work at home. After all, these workers are no different than we are; they are looking for ways to support their families.
Just as bad, or worse yet, is the illegal drug activity. It just makes one’s blood boil to know that many a life of our young has been snuffed out due to the use of illegal drugs.
Wake up, Washington, and spend that deficit-depending billions where it is needed most, on our Southern border.
Hugh Buchanan
Peachtree City, Ga.
