J,
You can call me Shannon. It is on my profile, as you can see I do not hide behind an avatar or a fake name.
We sorta stole Texas also; fought a war for Independence with the whole intention of becoming a State in the United States of America.

None of us can change the past. I do not condone the evils of mans conduct of the past. That is a whole separate study. I am one of the most steadfast supporters of Individual Rights of every Citizen of the United States of America, and those limited rights extended to Legal Aliens.

I admit I do not have compassion for Illegal Aliens As I don’t have compassion for any other criminal. I have made that fairly clear. If any of them get killed in the commission of a violent crime, burglary, or a whole host of other crimes that place that criminal on private property I have no sympathy for them.

We all make choices. Just don’t choice to commit a crime and your chances of not being harassed or shot go way up.

It is your Christian up bringing that gives you this sense of compassion for those folks. You are taught to be your brother’s keeper. I was also..

It took me a long time to throw off that yoke. The United States of America cannot “Fix” those peoples problem. It has to be done by them in their own country. No Government stays in power without the consent of the people. Not for long term. This is why I do not have compassion for starving Nations. It is their own culture that allows the government to stay in power.

All this discussion is based on everyone honing in on my option #2. Passed right by option one, the actual one that works best.
But Hey, #2 would solve the problem.. just doesn’t set well with many folks.

Mike,
Construction in Arizona seems to be doing fine.. I have a colleague whose construction company is booming in Tucson. But maybe that is because he is a Right Winged Christian Republican and has special privilege.

How can a person be a legal resident and an alien? Simple, that's what education is suppose to be used for. There are legal and illegal aliens. Illegal means they are breaking the law, ie committing a crime,...criminals.

People with lawfully aquired guns legal, not criminals.

"Alien (law), A person who is neither a native nor a citizen of the country of residence. Person refers both to humans, which US law calls individuals as well as corporations."

Guess that's why a so called moderate supports Obama. Ain't nothing moderate about BHO. He wants to change things. Like he did in Illinois. Guns = illegal. Taxes = good.

J,
Yes, I have been stopped repeatedly for being white. In America!!!!! When I was in the 25th DIV US Army, defending yours and everyone else’s rights to have mixed up thinking, Every time I drove my car down Kala Kawa Ave. downtown Waikiki, I would be stopped and searched. Given a sobriety test. All my buddies would be frisked, the car searched. Then released. If we were to cruise the strip this would take place each time we made a pass. Finally quit “cruising the strip”. Did a lot of complaining but did not make a difference. 4 US military service members in a convertible. The Hawaiian cops and locals do not like mainlanders. Think we stole their island nation…..

When a foreign national legally lives in the United States of America, on their official documents, their title is Resident Alien. But I would suppose if you are only talking to the criminals then you would not know this.

So the biggest gangster in America has heard my Duck Story. Good for him now, I hope he goes to jail.

J,
I am glad you are not completely over the edge; we seem to agree on many things. I don’t ask for you to apologies for your beliefs or your mixed standing. A debate is a good thing. You seem to be having a hard time accepting I do not care about anyone’s race. Never have never will. If you cannot understand how I can take such a “cold” stand on Illegal Aliens and not be a “racist”, I’ll not be able to explain it to you. You seem to have a predetermined notion. I am starting to think you have a racial problem. What I hear is the same sort of “Horse Shi*” reasoning the guy used who said the term “Black Hole” is racially motivated.

One more time, I do not have any problem with anyone wanting to come to the Greatest Nation in the world, The United States of America. Just do it legally.

Illegal Alien=Criminal. First Crime, Illegal Entry.
Wonder why we have such a High Crime rate in The United States of America. How many is it 10, 20 million people who have started out with a total disregard for the Laws of The United States of America. And somehow folks expect them to respect any other law….

Ya’ll just hold my hand I’ll show you how to be a, Free thinking, Capitalistic, Imperialist, (Swaggering like John Wayne) Soldier of Fortune. I’ll take you along BIGJ. Just keep up.

BURN! lol

How does this work?
I would somehow secretly appose legal immigration and at the same time marry a foreigner???
Do all bleeding heart, Socialist, apologists, Democrats have this same type of reasoning? No wonder folks like that cannot tell if the light is on or off…..

I am not suggesting indiscriminate shooting. By no means, I only suggest shooting Illegal Alien foreign invaders.

Yes I am quacking, I am a law abiding United States Citizen. When I travel to foreign lands I enter their country through the passport control counter. Only stay as long as I am allowed then leave through the Passport Control counter. When traveling to Mexico I obey their laws the same. Fill out all the required paperwork. I ask no more from anyone coming to the United States of America.

My “Duck” theory as my Sons called it, does not get into your rights. Just makes sense, don’t look and conduct yourself like a gangster/illegal alien/drug dealer/thug/punk/scum of the earth type folks and you will not be treated like on. Or suspected of being one.

But I guess the police should only check those folks fitting that “Profile” after they have sold your grandchildren dope, robbed your house or raped your neighbor. Maybe I do have it wrong???

Most folks leave this topic alone because it is so “Hot”. Many folks have opinions but are afraid of voicing those opinion because the “bleeding hearts” will call them insensitive, non Christian or a host of other catchy phrases used by the Apologists. So, I’ll will tell the other side. The Right side, legal and no sympathy for criminal.
Each of us make choices, if you get you’re a** shot while committing crime (ie… Illegally entering the United States of America) you have made a bad choice. Sucks to be you that day. No sympathy from me.

I make no apologies for Success of America nor my stand.

Incentive, you damn right. I have no sympathy, none, 0, nada, nil, nine, for Illegal Aliens coming into our country.
One sided, sure is, there is only one side, the Legal Side. If you support a criminal you are guilty of aiding and abetting. Illegal Alien, criminal, first crime, enter America Illegally.

There is only one Nation's economy and standard of living I am interested in and that is The United States of America. If those people in those other countries want a better standard of living, they need to get their head out of their “Collective rear point of contact” and make a change in their Government
It is not America and our “Evil Capitalist” ways causing them to starve, it is their lack of capitalism that is starving them. Not America’s problem.

Why is defending our border Racism??? Has nothing to do with Race, the key words in the whole issue are Illegal Aliens. How many Illegal Aliens are in The US from Canada???? Shut down the Mexican problem and I bet you normal channels can handle what is left.
“Lame attempt to muddy the water”

Ruin our relations with Mexico, now that is funny. So, now we should support NAFTA??? I would imagine the Union Labor section of the Democrat/socialist party would not like that. Maybe the plan is don’t allow the Evil Corporations to export their jobs to Mexico (there is a big Democrat stand) but we will allow Mexico to import all their ILEGAL ALIEN workers to America. Be more sensitive to their suffering. More smoke and mirrors.

Swbones
Your lack of knowledge, and your one-sided argument on illegal immigration is the reason for your insensitive remarks. Using our military and private mercenaries (who should be in jail) to indiscriminately kill or maim people crossing the southern border with high caliber ammunition is a knee-jerk, irrational position that borders on sheer racism. Since when is it right to kill someone for violating a federal misdemeanor? Other than Tom Tancredo (R-CO)no representative would touch this option with a 10 foot pole. This option would kill all our relations with Mexico, Central and South America pushing our fragile economy even further into the dumps. Your marital status, has nothing to do with this option, its like “One of my best friends are.” ......That "I am 100% for illegal immigration" is just an overused slogan' often used to mask their true feelings.
One of the 9/11 hijackers came across the northern border and another terrorist came in from that same border in order to blow up the LA Airport. Not a peep, oh that’s only two. Canada has over 2000 miles of unprotected border. True, immigrants are not coming across at an alarming rate, but How many sleeper cells have been filled with those that have crossed our unprotected borders?Gonna man a .50 cal ,up there and ruin our relations with Canada Mr. paranoid Swbones?
This is America, and I(or any one else) can act, dress, talk, and write, without fear, because we do not have a police state where the police can search or detain for looking cross-eyed. Most free people are not that paranoid ,and do not want another Israel where concrete bunkers and military guard towers are commonplace.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, can be used to describe your postings.
BTW Arizona used very strong employer sanctions ONLY. The illegal immigrants left that state for Texas, and other nearby states, but many went home, since the construction industry, like our economy has seen better days.

Look folks, we have a huge problem, Illegal Aliens, millions of them.
Most of the Mexican Nationals who enter our country illegally are here to find work. Not an argument. There is a large portion of those folks who are drug smugglers. There is a smaller number who are of Middle Eastern descent. Why are they sneaking in our country?

I presented a couple of options. Either one will reduce Illegal Aliens entering our country to the point of almost none existent. Choose one. Develop another. As long as it stops. Amnesty is not the answer.

So get over yourselves… I don’t have and will never have any sympathy for folks who make bad choices and get killed as a result of their choice. I do not have any sympathy for folks who die in the attempt to illegally enter our country.

I am married to a legal resident alien. I support Legal Immigration 100%.

The reason most people leave their home country to come to The United States of America is because their home country is screwed up!!!!! Their cultural habits, rituals, beliefs and all other actions of their culture have created a wreck in government, economic and social life. So don’t come to America and attempt to bring your bag of “Broken Crap” with you…
Come to America and become an American. Just do it legally.

All you Americans stop apologizing for the success of America.

If the Fed passes my Option #2, (that would be the Barrett .50cal option) where do I signing up to be one of the shooters?

J, I have said it before, I don’t give a rats a** what color a person is. I know it is hard for some folks to understand, but there are those of us who really don’t care about the color of a person’s skin.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, lays eggs and shi* through feathers, most likely it’s a duck.
So, anyone who looks like a gangster/illegal alien, acts like a gangster/illegal alien, talks like a gangster /illegal alien, well don’t be surprised when the COPS pull you over and check you out. If they find a bag of dope in your car or find that you are on probation and not suppose to have a weapon, and low and behold both are in your lap….. To jail/INS you go.
Now who made the choice in that???? It’s not profiling, don’t be a criminal and you won’t go to jail.

That “anti-profiling” horse shi* is why little old ladies are searched at airports at the same or more frequent rate as the section of mankind that the bulk of terrorist come from.
The next large scale Islamic Terrorist attack on American soil will not be as tiny as 9-11. The shame in all that, is the Apologist in America will not be a ground 0.

John, I agree with your statement: "I don't make my statements lightly nor do I hide myself, but those images that people are offended by serve a purpose beyond selling papers, they are a warning of the direction our country is going."
This is why we are not seeing images of flag draped coffins coming from Iraq being unloaded from planes.

There are those who thrive on the misery of others and enjoy, to an unhealthy degree, viewing that misery as well as reading about it. Hence the popularity of "Slasher" movies.

I begrude no one's making a profit from their business. Nor is there any suggestion the VA should not cover news stories. Covering a news story and abusing a news story are two entirely different things. The paper is abusing this story. There is nothing new to add to the story. We all get it. It was a tragedy. It hurt many people and affected many others psychologically. WE GET IT.

The VA is exhibiting absolutely no empathy for the victims or their families. There is a point where newsworthiness ends and exploitation begins. The VA has milked all the newsworthiness from this tragedy.

The self-elected geniuses responding to my comments are easily ignored. They make a business of attacking the commenter rather than justify their position on a story. I am totally not impressed with the arguments they made here or, actually, not with their arguments most of the time.

I do appreciate explanation of the term "funnel", which Mr. Martinez and others assumed everyone was intimately familiar with the term. The condescending manner in which it was explained could have been averted. There is a segment that exhibits a "I'm smart and you're not" line of thinking in the discussion forum. Even geniuses don't know everything. They just think they do.

I did not need the advice of the Geniuses to quit paying for the VA. I dropped my subscription after the esteemed news purveyors ignored majority opinion that this story needs to be relegated to history and memorials to the event are acceptable. Dredging up horrible pictures and stories to sensationalize is abuse of the "news".

Have you ever encountered the expression "that person is as boring as yesterday's news"? NEWS is NEW information, not recycled information told by a different person. The NEW editorial staff at the VA are in the business of stirring up controversy, and are becoming quite adept at it. They have taken the pulse of the Victoria community and zoned in on their "this'll tick 'em off" buttons.

I will purchase a copy of the VA, however, when the pictures of the VA staff's loved ones who have died tragically are printed (in their deadness).

OK, I concede. Since the VA is in the business of making a profit, they can make a goodwill gesture and donate only a portion of their profits from their expose of the peasants' plight to their kinfolk. Their families are probably still paying off the coyotes who smuggled the victims across the border.

To those who would equate this with the OK City bombing, shame on you. The only parallel is that the victims of both are dead. A conscious choice to take their kids into a deadly situation at no time was part of the OK City bombing, 9/11, Columbine, or any other true American tragedy.

I will continue to log on to this site periodically. Some of the blogs are quite well written and newsworthy. It is also more interesting to read the public's take on news stories. Wish more people other than the self-appointed geniuses would weigh in on matters though.

The Billboards in Mexico are put up by the Mexican Government, they Say “sneak into America, they have free health care, housing, food stamps and education for you”!!!!! “They even require government services to be doled out by Spanish speaking people so you don’t even have to worry about speaking the language” !!!!!

Build the damn fence. Pass laws that prohibit any person Government or Private from aiding and abetting, in any form, Illegal Aliens!!! Arizona took a big step in the right direction. Texas needs to also. The Fed won’t so the State must.
Stop the demand and the supply will dry up.

Another option is to set towers every 2000 meters with a Marine/Army/BlackWater Sniper and a Barrett .50 cal.. shoot anyone who attempts to cross in any other place than the Official crossings.

It could have been prevented. Billboards in Mexico should have these pictures on them with a warning to what can happen to them. Mexican radio, tv and print should have endless reminders to the NOT So wonderful life they may find in the US. We have radio broadcasts to other countries, why not send out warnings to illegals, that they could be used as slaves of all kinds including sex, they could be underpaid and abused if they come here. The US should not be seen as a income wonderland, but a place of great danger to them.  Enter at your own risk...even your life...

"Fatal Funnel" refers to the two major highways, both used as significant points of entry and as routes of "escape" for the movement of illegal aliens. Those highways converge in Victoria "funnelling" much of the illegal alien traffic through or near our city. Picture the word "funnel" as a verb rather than a noun and perhaps some of you will begin to pick up on the analogy. And yes, it's a catchy headline. And yes, the newspaper likes to sell newspapers. It's their business and they're not a non-profit company. They are a private enterprise and therefore required to make a profit while, hopefully, at the same time providing a public service; i.e. finding and reporting news. ("news", "newspaper". Get it? Stick with me here. It'll come to you.)

Illegal immigration is currently a very emotionally and politically charged issue. (It's an election year, remember.) The tragedy that occured in May '05 is very indicative of what can go horribly wrong when those who choose illegal immigration join forces with those whose only motivation is to profit from a sad state of circumstances.

The "Fatal Funnel" story bears repeating just as do the OKC Bombing story oft retold in OK newpapers, just as the Mt. St. Helens tragedy in WA, just as the 9/11 story gets retold or mentioned frequently in newspapers all across our country. Lest we forget.....

I find it practically incredulous that the VA gets castigated for covering the news at every opportunity. If they print "hard news" they're not sensitive enough. If the print "fluff pieces" they're not hard nosed enough. If they print pro-religion pieces they're hypocrites or promoting religion (God forbid! Pun intended); anti-religion pieces make them heretics.

A newspaper is supposed to print news. (See, I knew it'd come to you.) "News" may be defined, at different times and to different people, as the tragedy of 9/11 (interesting and relevant) and as Aunt Lily and Uncle Claude's 75th anniversary party (eh... unless it's MY Aunt/Uncle)and as which team is ahead in the SW Conference (I could really care less).

Another job of a newspaper is to get people actively and emotionally involved in local events. They sure seem to be doing a good job on the latter!

Yeah, they have some issues. No one's perfect and no organization is either, being made up of several imperfect people.

But I swear, it appears some of us would complain if we were hung with a brand new rope....

Ernie

The paper does not publish what they want to. They publish what the readers want to see. Otherwise it would not remain in Business, So get over it, death, bodies, shocking stories, all those things will forever be in the paper and for that matter on TV and any other Media outlet. The public wants it!!

Now those folks are dead because of a choice they made. There is no evil master plan where white Americans want to cause the death of illegal aliens.

Hopefully the bleeding heart jerks in the Texas legislature and the Fed will start to see what is going on and do something about it. Build the damn fence; pass strict laws preventing aiding and abetting illegal aliens and act on those laws. Shut down the demand.

For the American people not to be sympathetic towards folks who die committing a crime is in no way related to the atrocity of the Holocaust. Don’t even attempt to connect the two. Not even on the same planet…..

If you don’t like what is in the paper, don’t buy it.

"Thanks for all the comments. We really believe in the power of this story, the Fatal Funnel, and we've committed the next year or so to telling it. Over that time, you'll read many untold stories -- some heroic and some tragic -- related to it. We'll also frame the tragedy in the current debate about illegal immigration. When it's over, and you look at the whole scope of the Fatal Funnel, I believe you'll understand why we've done this project and how powerful it is. Thanks for reading, and commenting."
Mr. Martinez still fails to explain what the HAY "Fatal Funnel" has to do with anything. Just a catchy title? Mr. Martinez does, however, give us hope that one day he, Chris, and Gabe will tire of this folly and cease to write any more or print any more pictures.  
 Will they finally bring their expose' of this event to a final close. Mr. Martinez says they will (in a couple of years). You (the VicAd brains) seem to be having a problem understanding that the majority of people feel you are using the death of these people to sensationalize a tragedy. Could you find a few pictures of some of your close relatives (that you like) who have died tragically and print them along with some tasteless comments about how important it is to picture them in all their dead detail? Maybe Chris and Gabe can find some dead family pictures to sit alongside your own family tragedy recorded in picture for all posterity to view and "ooh" over.
You are commercializing an event that should have never happened. Shame on you. Perhaps its because they were poor Mexican peasants; therefore, open game. If your purpose were to forewarn potential illegals of the dangers inherent in breaking the law, good for you. But that is not your purpose.
How about you send any profits made for the days these perpetuated stories of human suffering were splashed across your pages,  to all the families of the dead. Don't forget to include their dearly departed whose pictures you have arranged so "artfully" in their state of deadness. Then for the next two years, you can also send any profits made, and the stories/photos will have served a good purpose,. Otherwise, you really suck on your alleged reasoning for dwelling on this morbidity. 
Profitting on human suffering is your only motive for sensationalizing the details of this event. The adults knew the chances they were taking; shameful that a five year old child was dragged along by thoughtless adults. And shameful that a heartless VicAd photographer captured the worst and last moment of this child's life while emergency personnel frantically tried to save lives. They didn't have time to capture this Kodak moment.. Good thing the VicAd had a dedicated photographer on the job. Don't forget to include some of his dead family members pictures (in their state of deadness) along with your others.
Ugly and totally inappropriate all the way around to keep dwelling on this. Stick around. Victoria might have another tragedy you can exploit in the coming years.

darian:
Hopefully after you complete your FIRST YEAR of high school, you IQ and knowledge will increase significantly. Until then, you would do well to study history in it's entirety. When you and others of limited experience try to equate my ancestors to those who sneak across our border illegally today, you do yourself a major disservice. My ancestors were held in quarantine at Ellis Island, were treated like pieces of meat, and were turned loose in America with no more than they had brought with them. Some other members of my family enslaved themselves in indentured servitude to gain passage to America.
And here is the beaming difference between then and now - immigrants back in the 1800's and early 1900's did not became a societal drain or liability. You want to know why? Because it was impossible! There were no social programs that provided for them. The systematic theft through taxation from able citizens to care for unable citizens had not yet begun.
Maybe you should locate the library at your school, and study the percentage disparity of hispanic immigrants from 100 years ago to today. You see, 100 years ago hispanics weren't streaming across the border in record quantities.
Why? It's simple. 100 years ago, the US had not one stain of Socialism in its' federal laws. Without the freebies, those 19 people would be alive today.

lolz leftthistown no not you! ;P

I'm olive....should I be offended?

I agree with recoveringgasaddict...This letter was obviously about the use of a dead baby picture and how the image was disturbing and disrespectful. If you didnt find it disturbing you have a lot of problems. The advocate has their reasons for showing these particular images and its sell more copies and rile up the crazy internet gangsters who sit back behind their computers and say ugly things. Immigration is a big issue all the brown and lighter brown people get offended whether they are illegal or not. so focus on the issue at hand. Was it appropriate to show the images that were shown?

shame shame...this letter was inregards of human life not being respected. and look at all of the heated racially charged conversation it has turned into. human life is human life regardless the underlined issue. no one should ever forget those common life lessons, we were all taught as a child. despite how the world is today, tragity should never just be an accepted issue. good for you, to all of you kindhearted humans that are still around.

Quote from john:
"These people illegal or legal have a "Dream" too, the "American Dream" of "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness".
 
Do the illegal immigrants actually have the "American dream" on their mind when they come across the border illegally or is it just come here to make money to take back and spend in their country?
I would hope to think if they had the "American dream" they would want to do it legally, not start their life in their hopefully "new country" as criminals.

I still disagree with your comparison as it wasn't Jews killing Jews. The illegals are being dehumanized by their own people.

I don't agree with illegal immigration but I do see the people as humans & I don't wish them death.

Thanks for all the comments. We really believe in the power of this story, the Fatal Funnel, and we've committed the next year or so to telling it. Over that time, you'll read many untold stories -- some heroic and some tragic -- related to it. We'll also frame the tragedy in the current debate about illegal immigration. When it's over, and you look at the whole scope of the Fatal Funnel, I believe you'll understand why we've done this project and how powerful it is. Thanks for reading, and commenting.

Now I agree with you darianv.

John, you really cannot compare that tractor trailor to Auschwitz. They went into that trailor on their own, hoping to come to America the easy way. The Jews who were murdered, were kidnapped & drug into those gas chambers against their will, they were not allowed a choice.

my ancestors were certainly not criminals either,all I am saying is that podunk sounded very racist and uncaring for human life. I do know it is illegal to enter our country without proper papers and citizenship. I just wanted to make a point, we pretty much all migrated at one point or another. These people are so desperate for a better life,they dont know any better. It just sounds like some people think that are not people also.They did wrong,but it is sad that some people think they are not human.

darianv, maybe you will learn in Government that entering our country illegally is a crime. Though I do not agree with Podunks assertion, I do understand that what they were doing was illegal & extremely dangerous.

I am going to be a freshman in high school,and I am mexican-american. I just learned recently in school from my U.S. History teacher, that in actuality, we are all immigrants,that really the native american (indians) are the ones that are not immigrants. So my question is to podunk, so aren't we are criminals? I guess it is a crime to want a better life, and it's not a crime to live in the U.S. and not want to work and get help from the government. All these people wanted was to take the hardest lowest paying jobs that we dont want.

I only think of tornadoes & cake (not necessarily together though)

They were still people & I wouldn't wish that death upon my very worst enemy!
I personally wish the Advocate would let this one go, but if they don't then please do something tasteful instead of feeding into peoples baser instincts. This is the Victoria Advocate not Telemundo.

Txbohemian...do you see the Advocate acknowledging those anniversaries? I don't. So how is running all the stories & publishing pictures of these dead people any less discriminating?
I didn't mean to imply that the family members would forget about their lost loved ones, just that maybe they can try to remember them in a way that doesn't involve them dead in a trailor. Let them rest in peace & dignity.

Leftthistown; I kinda don't think not putting this in the paper will let it fade away from the memories of the loved ones. If it does they weren't loved that much anyways!

That would be terribly discriminating if the names of these people would appear in the paper and not the names of the 2800 people that dies on 9-11 or the sailors that died on the Cole, etc...

I agree with the writer. I don't see this as a tribute to the deceased. Splashing the pictures of the dead as they were found in the truck, stripped of life & dignity. Let them rest in peace, allow the graphic & inhumane way they died fade from the memories of the families & those first responders.
A more resectful tribute to these poor souls would be to print their names every anniversary. No graphic stories, pictures, reliving every second, just the names. Much more tasteful if you ask me.

????

Is this about the illegal immigrants that died at Chubbys?