Immigration: Look into a mother's eyes

Letter to the editor: Post Crescent, May 21, 2008

Look into the eyes of a mother who faces the agonizing decision of choosing between her children. Two who made the difficult decision to leave their homeland of Mexico in search of an escape from poverty, and the other who chose to stay and try to eke out a living in a country whose poverty rate escalates, as does the cost of living, due to their policies and ours.

Either decision she makes, she loses a child. In this case, she chose to come to America, facing the untold terrors of crossing a border and coming to a strange and often unfriendly land. She joins her son and daughter and struggles every day to make a living and send money back to her family.

She has not seen her beloved son for two years; she does not dare return to Mexico and he, like most Mexicans, cannot get a visa even to visit her here.

She does not see her son, her mother or her brothers, and knows that she may not see them, ever again. I've looked into her eyes and, as a mother, felt her grief.

When you look into her eyes, thank whatever higher power you believe in that you were fortunate enough to be born here, where you don't have to make decisions that break your heart and realize that it is indeed only fortune that separates you from her.

Look into her eyes when you think about how we will solve the issue of immigration. I hope you can feel compassion for her and urge our politicians to make just and fair decisions as they ponder this issue.

Help them make decisions that will no longer tear families apart but allow paths to citizenship for those already here and opportunities for their loved ones to join them.

Connie Raether,
Appleton