A story that must be told — again
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You might disagree with our decision to re-explore the tragedy of May 14, 2003.
Nineteen illegal immigrants died that day after suffocating, dehydrating and overheating inside a sealed tractor-trailer.
Some of you already oppose the long-term project. An online commenter wrote:
Leave it alone. What is the purpose of reliving “any” gruesome horror like this? These were humans who have or had loved ones and who had hopes of a better life.
Why “prostitute” this tragedy or any other? Forget it.
The commenter poses relevant questions.
Lost in the gruesome details — in the worldwide media focus of the tragedy — are the stories that have never or rarely been told.
What type of boy was the 5-year-old who died? Why did his dead father risk the dangerous trip para El Norte?
How has that fateful morning changed your neighbors, the responders who awoke to an unimaginable horror?
Have we learned anything since then?
Stories about Sept. 11, the Holocaust and the Oklahoma City bombings are retold. They need to be. If we don’t learn from history, as is often said, we are doomed to repeat it.
The immigrants’ story — regarded as the worst known human smuggling tragedy in U.S. history — is no different.
Not everyone agrees, though.
Another online commenter notes:
There is nothing to be gained by revisiting this tragedy in detail. After so much retelling of the same story, it begins to smack of crass commercialism. Print for profit motive or morbid curiosity or both would be the only reasons to carbon copy this tragic event five years later.
Richard Streeter, however, offers a different view. This 48-year-old volunteer paramedic was inside the trailer. He sidestepped the dead to find the living.
His compelling story is featured in today’s Advocate.
“Friends asked me why I’m sharing this story,” he said. “If we didn’t talk about the Holocaust, you’d forget it. This is important for those 19 who died. I want their story told. The story needs to be reported forever.”
Streeter’s views about immigration changed that morning. His story only scratches the local surface.
Many other responders offer similar tales.
No matter which side of the immigration debate you stand on — or whether you agree with this story’s retelling — you are bound by an inescapable fact.
U.S. Highway 77 lives. The roadway that delivered these immigrants to a truck stop in south Victoria County breathes today.
The highway winds from Mexico to your backyard, delivering commerce, crime, hopes and heartbreak.
Victoria County Sheriff T. Michael O’Connor said his deputies chase crime there daily, sometimes hourly.
The highway is a paved reminder that humanity’s international dark side is not a world away.
Together with U.S. Highway 59, the roadway funnels Mexico’s desperate and countless crimes through Victoria.
One highway begins on the U.S. side of Nuevo Laredo. The other starts this side of Matamoros.
A gulf borders this funnel on its east side, and a treacherous desert touches it from the west.
While dangerous, this funnel is often the straightest path to Houston, a destination for many immigrants and a launching point for trips farther inland for others.
In 1956, Advocate audio news director Bill Clough began collecting quotations.
In poring through his anthology for a quote fitting for a related online video — posted today at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com — Clough found a Nigerian expression.
The expression may not sway you to re-explore the immigrant tragedy with us — or the lessons learned and lost. But at the very least, we hope it gives you pause for thought:
Not to know is bad. Not to want to know is worse. Not to hope is unthinkable. But not to care is unforgivable.
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Comments
Yup Bighorn, I use to know a person that had lost his job, he was offered one at $10 a hour, he refused, said he needed at least $15.
November 13, 2008 at 7:35 p.m.Long story short, he ended up homeless out of work ect. ect.
Can you say "exploitation"? There is a huge difference between profiting and reporting.
Or perhaps the "slippery" subject of underemployment and "natural unemployment".
In a nutshell, natural unemployment is unemployment under 5% (see Macroeconomics 201, refers to folks who are changing jobs per their own preferences) and the excess demand for labor.
Underemployment refers to folks who refuse work that is "below" their training, skills, or education level.
Do many of you understand these economic pressures on immigration? Legal, or not?
November 13, 2008 at 7:23 p.m.OH, mikey,
I am more aware of the hole's in our system than you will ever understand. A few decades of looking at it. And if we could get those of your party on the left to get on board instead of trying to get more voters for them we could get enough to close the Southern border and get it under a controlled LEGAL immigration and worker system. Along with a total control of ALL borders and port of entry's.
A controlled border system, controlled port system, controlled immigration and worker program has been blocked totally by our politically system. The voice to stop this blockage has come from only one side. Some biparitisn help would have helped and will help but after this election one thing is for sure, it ain't gonna get any better.
It will all be a soon to come "We told you so" fest no doubt.
November 13, 2008 at 6:25 p.m.Exactly my point Legion.
November 13, 2008 at 5:17 p.m..Overstayed visas accounted for 1/2 of the undocumented in the the US...I am also for comprehensive immigration reform...need to get the biometric cards in place to help the employers identify the legal worker and keep better track of those here on visas..We could also update our SSA database and merge it with the one at Home Land Security...Many,many reforms needed.
A good point Mike,
November 13, 2008 at 5:09 p.m.However the southern border is a good place to begin. one reason I support a comprehensive immigration policy.
The biggest problem that occurred with the 9/11 hijackers, IMO, was that most of them entered the us legally on visas, then they where lost track of.
Where they really going to classes on a student visa? Did they over stay there visa? Yes they over stayed there visa, and no they where not really students ( except at flight schools).
Once they where in the country they where simply forgotten about.
The exact point most of us immigration topic people have been trying to make.
November 13, 2008 at 4:03 p.m.If it was that big of a deal(we had the military back then)...The border would have been sealed September 12,2001...One hijacker came in from Canada and another terrorist came in from that same country to bomb LAX....Canada has 2000 miles of unprotected border.
Perhaps that's why "immigration topic people " have failed in making their point.The porous southern border should be sealed ,but it is not for security reasons..That's just an uniformed fear reason.
If you only knew how unsafe our seaports are...Chemical plants have lobbyist that keeps the government from mandating a more secure plant but steering everyone's attention to the southern border will work just the same for the terrorist....Richaed Clarke said our southern border should be the least of our fears.
Hey romonak,
I felt much the same way - leave it alone. But, when I read Gabe's Falfurious story about the corpses found from muliple countries, I e-mailed that all over. In my opinion, that was important investigation reporting. I commended him then, and do so again.
November 13, 2008 at 3:36 p.m."You know, 9/11 is also a reminder of why we need to protect our borders, and in MY OPINION, a much bigger disaster that this illegal stuff."
The exact point most of us immigration topic people have been trying to make. You control immigration, borders and enforce the laws and another 9-11 would be extremely hard to do. You get fat and lazy and see what happens?
November 13, 2008 at 1:52 p.m.You know, 9/11 is also a reminder of why we need to protect our borders, and in MY OPINION, a much bigger disaster that this illegal stuff.
Gee...I hope ya'll dont' catch on to that or we'll probably have to read hundreds of articles on falling and burning bodies of our own people from the twin towers. Wonder why ya'll haven't done this? I find it to be very interesting.
On another note, LEAVE THIS STORY ALONE. It's getting very old. It doesn't take 5 years of reminders to teach an idiot not to get into a hot truck and try to sneak into the states. They knew good and well what they were in for.
Tragic? Yes. It's very tragic how stupid people can be and even more tragic that they drug innocent children into it.
November 13, 2008 at 12:45 p.m.Nettie: Do you suppose that all the people trying to get here realize the danger in what they are doing? Do you suppose that the young people sold into slavery after they
November 13, 2008 at 12:43 p.m.get here know the danger in what they are doing. Avoidable tragedy? No doubt. Will these illegal immigrants continue to try to get here? Again, no doubt. I repeat: something must be done to protect our borders. Isn't that the job of Homeland Security?
This was an avoidable tragedy.
November 13, 2008 at 12:27 p.m.OMG1,
November 13, 2008 at 12:13 p.m.That's EXACTLY what it will take. A few weeks ago, VicAd reported on the Texas Border Volunteers, and that they had 51 OTM, (other than Mexican). That means 51 different nationalities have been apprehended. Within the past few months, 33 Chinese were apprehended. The Chinese don't come here to for a better life, or to learn. They are sent by their government with a task. Their disguise might be as a college student, & they'll attend class, but they have a task which they report the findings of back to their country.
What other nationalities have gotten through that HAVEN'T been apprehended? Extremist Muslims? The ones responsible for 9/11, the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Tanzania & Kenya, the USS Cole in Yemen? Read about the Beslan Massacre:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breslan_...
All were carried out by radical islamic muslims.
I heard someone saw Oprah's ghost inteviewing the victim's ghosts. They said Oprah said she is going to come to the truck stop and do a story.
November 13, 2008 at 11:22 a.m.This story never fails to horrify me. If nothing else, it should serve to remind us of a problem that will continue to exist until our government begins to protect our borders. Will it take a terrorist act to get Homeland Security's attention?
November 13, 2008 at 8:30 a.m.