Drowned by Hate

Oscar and his family before the tragedy.

Who killed Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez?

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Listen to broadcast or download at Who killed Oscar

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Did hate kill Oscar?

If so, then whose hate?

Oscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez, 25 years old, and his wife Tania Vanessa Ávalos and their daughter Valeria, 23 months old, arrived from El Salvador in the Mexican city of Matamoros to supposedly ask for political asylum in the United States. Oscar and his daughter died while trying to swim across the Rio Grande as Tania watched helplessly from the shoreline.

The tragedy occurred Sunday afternoon on June 23 in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, approximately one kilometer from the new international bridge.

The "U.S. authorities recorded 283 migrant deaths last year." Many others die in Mexico on the long treacherous journey. We just do not get pictures. Thousands more are abused, robbed, raped and devastated. Unfortunately, these people are not just victimized by criminals along the way but have also become political pawns used to further bids for political power.

Hate is the fuel that runs the political show that moves and motivates too many people.

A column by Dahleen Glanton appeared in the Chicago Tribune entitled “The drowning of father and daughter crossing the Rio Grande shows migrants’ desperation for asylum, and U.S. determination not to grant it.”

This is literally politically motivated "hate speech" in the form of an article. Unfortunately, Dahleen is not alone. Twitter and Facebook are alive with comments of contempt, judgment or any viable regard for facts or truth.

The placing of blame without cause or reason is often little more than a pompous prevarication for political purposes. The harm it does by feeding hate in others with falsehoods and fabrications serve no good.

I searched drowned migrant trump and all the stories were blaming Trump for Oscar's death. This is amazing because almost all the Trump administration policies are the same claimed by previous presidents. Most of the laws and practices were before his time. The situation is worse because many people and the press are often pushing a narrative and promoting, selling, and even financing mass migration to the US as if that is the only way to a better life.

That, of course, is racist. South American people should be able to produce an economy as robust and thriving as the US. They do not want to go the way America has been going in the last 100 years but what it did when it rose above all other economies around the world. What did Alexis de Tocqueville see as "great" that he would not see today?

People like Oscar

Dahleen goes onto say things like:

• “before leaving El Salvador in April that people like him and his family were not welcome here “ Dahleen Glanton

What does she mean “people like him”?

That is simply not true. People like Oscar come to this country every day, work, live and even become citizens but they do it legally. They get in line, work together and are well received by the vast majority of people. My family and I have worked side-by-side with people like Oscar for decades. Some did come in illegally but many of those later went back and applied and got status legally.

People who make statements like this are promoting hate and add to the myth of pervasive, widespread hate and racism in America which is simply not true. It is a bigoted and bias approach to spread real hate.

People like Oscar are more than welcome to come to America but he should get in line with all the thousands of others who want to come here. If people really cared about Oscar and his family they would not just want wide-open borders under the present social, economic and political circumstance.

People could do what America used to do in the days of Tocqueville Tour. They would all be better off and wiser for their trouble.

Or they can leave the matter to the politicians and political pundits grasping for pomp, power and ratings. They can continue to allow an overwhelmed and underfunded border patrol who actually intercept tons of drugs and countless victims of human traffickers abusing people along the borders.

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• “Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom.” ― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

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But instead of actually dealing with the problems, they would rather elect rulers and then complain about the overworked and underfunded laborers enforcing decade-old laws made by men they or their fathers elected. Anything but attend to the weightier matters the way America used to do when it was free.

But the lies go on

• “Did he think the stories about young children being abused and neglected at detention centers run by the U.S. government were a scare tactic designed to convince foreigners that they would be better off at home?” Dahleen Glanton

People often try to get caught once they make it across the border because once on this side and in the hands of the American Border patrol they are far safer than they would be anywhere else along the trails. The threat of violence and abuse is greater everywhere else other than in custody. If there was more help coming from Congress to support the boots on the ground in the way they have requested they might stem the flow to a manageable level and everyone would be better off.

“Thousands of migrants from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, but also from Cuba, Haiti and various African and Asian countries, have entered Mexico from October into several caravans across the southern border.” LaPrensa June 24, 2019

Cloward and Piven along with people like George Alvin Wiley and others like George Soros used a “crisis strategy” to successfully bring about an agenda through bankruptcy of municipalities and governments.

They have steadily been bringing about socialism and the welfare state through "a federal program of income redistribution."

Since capitalism cannot produce enough poor people to drain the system at the pace they desired, the plan is to import poor socialist-thinking people from other countries by creating porous borders, even though the same politicians promised to secure the borders; They secretly or indirectly finance large caravans, making promises, offering cash and funding food and transportation, while politicians who hope to win power entice with offers free education, medical care, ID on demand, and protection from prosecution to bring as many needy people to the country as they can find. This way they not only bankrupt the nation on a fast track to economic failure and chaos by preventing voter fraud legislation, but they will also seize political office where, through an impotent, bias, or just incompetent press, they are allowed to rake in huge personal profits.

There are thousands of reasons for these people wanting to come to America. Whatever the reason, people need to deal with this situation on a case-by-case basis. But again, Americans either take responsibility to manage this migration through free association or they leave the job to the government and then complain about the results. When a partisan congress refuses to fund the mandates they create, disaster will be the product.

Personally, I would prefer more open borders and less government control, but not under the present circumstances with the push toward a welfare state. There is a large criminal element also coming across the border. Where a wall was established, crime plummeted in urban areas on the American side.

The blanket, and sometimes politically motivated, encouragement to come to the US is not the same as it was in the 1800's. There was no welfare by the State. Most education was not in public school automatically provided by the State. There was no free medical care through the state. Alexis de Tocqueville described an America that strengthened the poor, where the diligent grew strong.

What we do for immigrants today and how we do it is not the same as early immigrants because the US does not understand the wisdom of charity and the truth that governments, while they offer many benefits, are not in the charity business. Modern welfare does not strengthen the poor. It often weakens them and makes them dependent.

Most of these people, in order to be better off, should stay in their own countries and make those countries a better place. Because Americans can no longer remember the wisdom and ways that brought them an unsurpassed national prosperity they should not offer unbridled welfare to immigrants. That is not the way for legal immigrants who are required to have sponsors. Americans need to learn what made America great and apply them to their own countries. That would make the world great again. Unfortunately, many of us here need to learn those same lessons again.

Erroneous Asylum

• "Maybe some have not heard about how gangs run rampant in El Salvador, targeting women and children simply because they are the most vulnerable. Maybe some have not read about the open confrontations that occur between criminal gangs and the El Salvadoran government. Perhaps some have not paid attention to the tales of rape, torture, executions and extortion at the hands of violent gangs that have taken over large swaths Martinez’ country.” Dahleen Glanton

There is certainly a lot of gang and criminal activity in Mexico and many South American countries. According to Rosa Ramírez, Oscar's mother, their neighborhood of about 40,000 has had problems with gang violence. But so does Dahleen's Chicago. Rosa states that these days it “is calm,” adding that Oscar never had any problems with gangs but the family left for economic reasons.

• “How could he not have known that granting U.S. asylum to people fleeing danger in Central America is a pipe dream?” Dahleen Glanton

There are very clear criteria to claim asylum.

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To make a claim for Asylum: "First, an asylum applicant must establish that he or she fears persecution in their home country. Second, the applicant must prove that he or she would be persecuted on account of one of five protected grounds: race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or particular social group."

They also must be a refugee which is generally defined as "a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster." Which in the United States means they have to be persecuted at home "on account of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinions."

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Oscar was certainly not a refugee nor did he have any cause to claim asylum. Dahleen Glanton, like so many other news outlets, is just making up stuff and offering "fake news" as if it is "real news". She is playing on the gullibility of an ignorant and naive population to score emotional points to advance a political agenda.

There is no right “asylum” because someone wants to save money for a house, desires more economic prosperity than they have at home or what free health care at the expense of American taxpayers who are already borrowing beyond their capacity to pay back in order to fund their own welfare state.

The Ramírez's knew they would never get political or refugee status. But, by claiming that, they could stay for free in the refugee camp on the Mexican side of the border. International law is clear that you must apply for asylum in the first country you come to. What people need to ask is why the Central American dream a “pipe dream”.

What people need to do—and what is the only practical solution—is to do what it takes to make El Salvador great again. This goes for every community or country in the world. You start with yourselves and then your family and local community and then your nation. Looking to the government to solve all your problems has always proven to be a mistake that is almost as bad as blaming all of your problems on the government.

• “Still, some of us lucky enough to have been born in a country where we are taught that even what seems impossible is attainable if we work hard enough might find it difficult to fathom the hopelessness that led Martinez to this river.” Dahleen Glanton

So how desperate was Oscar?

Martínez worked in a pizzeria and Ávalos as a cashier in a fast-food restaurant. Rosa Ramírez, Oscar's mother, had given the young couple the big room in her two-bedroom home. She asked her son to "not pursue the American dream," because crossing the border is neither safe nor easy.

He worked at Papa Johns and supposedly earned only 350 a month. Minimum wage is only 1.25 an hour in El Salvador. But a driver at Papa John's can earn almost 2000 dollars a month. His wife was also a cashier and his mother offered them a place to live and child care.

Dash to tragedy

According to his mother Rosa, “Óscar wanted to go to work in the United States and buy a house for his family.” That desire to prosper was good but it tempted the family to head for the United States in early April. Because they were not fleeing oppression or gang violence they would not get "political asylum" but would have to enter illegally.

In May, the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained more than 144,200 people, the highest figure in thirteen years.

By June, the Ramírez family had spent 2 months in a migrant camp near the border knowing full well they would not get asylum. They had grown impatient to cross the border illegally even though the flood gates were open.

Why did they suddenly try to cross?

“On Monday, the Government of Mexico announced the deployment of more than 20,000 troops, including soldiers, sailors and members of the National Guard, on the northern and southern borders of Mexico.” LaPrensa June 24, 2019

Oscar had gotten his daughter across first and left her on the bank so that he could go back and get his wife. The child became frightened and tried to go to her father and fell into the water. When Oscar tried to save her they both drowned.

This was a tragedy.

This tragedy was everyone's fault and no one person's fault. Oscar was probably a great guy and a loving father and husband but he made mistakes. He was not driven into the water by gang members or by cruel policies made by governments. If you want to make the world great then you have to come up with viable solutions to the problems you encounter.

There are going to be risks with everything you try. Everyone needs to be responsible for their choices. The more responsibilities you give government the more power they will have to control their borders. The more responsibilities you accept as individuals the more rights you will have in resolving the weightier matters of law, justice and mercy.

Enrique, Oscar's cousin, explained that Oscar set out on the road to the United States to get out of poverty. "It breaks my soul, to see my family that way. We have asked for help for the cost to bring the bodies of my cousin and his little daughter who considered my niece, are too high. They are charging us $ 7,000 to $ 8,000 for bringing their bodies," Gómez tweeted on Monday.

“Officials have said the bodies were expected to be returned to El Salvador on Thursday. Ramírez said she wasn’t sure when they would arrive, but that the government was paying for it.”

Rosa Ramírez warned, “I would say to those who are thinking of migrating, they should think it over because not everyone can live that American dream you hear about.” The dream we should really pursue is the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God, not only for ourselves but for our neighbor. That kingdom was at hand and for the living. It was not a place where you looked to Caesar or a place where you judged and blamed Caesar. It was a way where you took care of one another in faith, hope, and charity according to the perfect law of liberty.

Rosa said it best when she proclaimed “We can put up a fight here.” Unfortunately, she is left muttering, “How much I would like to have my son and my granddaughter here.”

Wherever you are at you should be seeking the way of Christ which is the way of righteousness, of love and of charity. In that faith there is hope.

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