Re: Allan Wall's article Memo From Middle America | Sgt. Tahmooressi’s Imprisonment And The Big Border Picture
From: Grey Stalwart [Email him]
I've just finished watching the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere hearing on C-SPAN concerning the U.S. Marine being detained in Mexico.[Watch it here on C-SPAN.]
The two hour meeting could serve as one long advertisement for tighter borders and strict immigration control, as it cast Mexicans in such a negative light.[Official transcripts and video]
The central theme of the hearing was retrieval of a military hero with testimony by men who had served with Sgt. Tahmooressi and impassioned input from Montel Williams.[PDF | Lieutenant Commander Montel B. Williams, USN, Retired] This lent an unbiased air to the discussion as abuses and failings of Mexican society and government kept popping up.
The Marine has been subjected to physical restraint bordering on torture and emotional abuse. His mother, Jill, gave scathing testimony about corrupt lawyers and an obstructive court system. She was forced to contact the U.S. Embassy for a list of acceptable lawyers after one coerced her son to give false testimony. During ALL court hearings, she was made to wait in the hall for no reason.
Despite clearing the final hurdle of verifying the Marine's PTSD, his release remains in question. I recall an episode of Charlie Rose in which a Mexican diplomat admitted that his government is rooted in "negotiations," i.e. payoffs, rather than the rule of law. The process is undefined, therefore the end is uncertain.
Representatives contrasted Tahmooressi 's plight with the regal treatment that Mexican invaders receive here. A committee member polled those testifying on whether they would approve of a child, even an adult, going to Mexico. All of the respondents replied, “No.”
I was quite disheartened at how impotent or rather acquiescent the U.S. Government appears toward Mexico after six months of frustration.
Regarding the border and illegal immigration, I wondered why any American would surrender their society to inhabitants of such a corrupt, lawless country. A sudden influx of 11 to 25 million people is a significant dilution of everyone's voting power and not in a direction beneficial to the U.S.
