Mexico offers GPS units to illegals to aid crossing journey into the US

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http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_print.asp?art_id=35131&sid=11554548

 

Mexico offers satnav to illegals crossing into the US

Would-be illegal immigrants planning to cross the desert and enter the United States on foot are to be given hand-held satellite devices by the Mexican authorities to ensure they arrive safely.

Justin Stares

Monday, January 01, 2007

Would-be illegal immigrants planning to cross the desert and enter the United States on foot are to be given hand-held satellite devices by the Mexican authorities to ensure they arrive safely.
Those who get lost or fall sick during the dangerous four-day crossing will be able to activate the device, to alert frontier police on both sides of the border.

The satellite tracking service will require would-be illegals to register their intentions before setting off - a paradoxical move, given that secrecy is necessary for success - but Mexican authorities are predicting that about 200,000 devices will be handed out when the project is launched formally in the coming year.

"Our intention is to save lives," said Jaime Obregon, the coordinator for the state commission for migrants in Puebla, the Mexican state which is behind the project. "There are lots of people looking to cross and we are working with the US authorities to make sure they do not die on the way."

Between 20 and 30 migrants succumb to hellish temperatures and insect bites while trying to cross into Arizona every year. Heat exhaustion sometimes causes short-term memory loss, with trekkers wandering into the desert.

The route into Arizona, known as the Sasave Pass, is both the most common and the most dangerous way into the United States. According to Mexican state migrant authorities, up to 75,000 try the crossing every month, of whom 50,000 to 60,000 are caught by US border patrols and sent back.

The chance of success depends greatly on the knowledge of the guide, known as a "coyote" or "desert fox." They charge US$2,000 (HK$15,600) to US$10,000 per person.

Coyotes are merciless if a member of their pack lags behind. "If you cannot keep up they will abandon you." Obregon said. "Alone, you have about 36 hours to live. It is in this period the satellite device makes a difference."

A spokesman for US Customs and Border Protection said: "We do not have any information about the Mexican government providing satellite trackers to people, but we strongly discourage encouragement to people who are attempting to cross illegally into the United States."

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Well, well, well, how do you like them apples?

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[freedomburns]

I'm guessing that this money would be better spent on projects inside Mexico to actually make them a livable country.

Ding ding ding!  We have a winner!

[freedomburns]

I'm guessing that this money would be better spent on projects inside Mexico to actually make them a livable country.

Maybe their plan is to send all the poor people to the US so they'll only have middle class and wealthy people there and thus a livable country?

That's actually a pretty reasonable theory.  I can't honestly think of any other reason why the Mexican government would be so keen to get rid of their own citizens.

I can, and anyone who bothered to read the article rather than just jump straight to writing a kneejerk response formatted to fit their political philosophy could, too.

Illegal immigrants come here for economic reasons, nothing else.  They die by the thousands trying.  The US gov't doesn't do enough to try to keep them from dying of thirst in the desert.  It is a humanitarian gesture to help keep very poor people from starving while trying to make it to a better life. 

Sitting in your pious righteousness while you sip a latte and watch your big screen TV, you probably have no concept of this.  You pass judgement from inside  the castle on the poor peasants trying to scale the walls and falling to their deaths in the moat below.  Admirable.

No thought is given to the root causes of the economic injustice which perpetuates this problem.  You simply seek a convenient target to blame.  "Oh, it's all the Mexican government's fault."  No thought is given to why they would be willing to risk their lives to escape abject poverty, or why that poverty exists in the first place.

Ever think that the Mexican government might actually have some concern for their citizens who are wandering and dying in the desert??  Duh!!

'Coyotes are merciless if a member of their pack lags behind. "If you cannot keep up they will abandon you." Obregon said. "Alone, you have about 36 hours to live. It is in this period the satellite device makes a difference."'

Think more.

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[freedomburns]

Why do I have a feeling that Mexico and the US will eventually go to war over this?

Because you are an idiot.

[freedomburns]

Illegal immigrants come here for economic reasons, nothing else.  They die by the thousands trying.  The US gov't doesn't do enough to try to keep them from dying of thirst in the desert.  It is a humanitarian gesture to help keep very poor people from starving while trying to make it to a better life.

'Humanitarian gestures' may apply just so long as they adhere to our laws of the land.  If they can't respect that, why should we respect them?

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Oh quit the 'holier than thou' attitude.  It's tiresome.

Also, give me a good reason why I should care about the 'peasants' you speak of.

Not intertested.

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You're not "intertested" (sic) in debating an issue you brought to light?  How very lazy of you.

Ok fine, you should care about the well-being of other human beings because it's the right thing to do.

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[freedomburns]

You're not "intertested" (sic) in debating an issue you brought to light?  How very lazy of you.

Ok fine, you should care about the well-being of other human beings because it's the right thing to do.

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I'll care about their well-being provided they respect the legal channels that are in place to deal with their desires.  Otherwise, I honestly don't mind if the buzzards feast on a bunch of criminals.

To be fair, bunch of criminals or not, many of them are probably perfectly decent human beings.  And I don't believe that their crime means they deserve to die.  I don't have sympathy for their action of breaking into the country, but I can separate that from the reality that they are human beings outside of that one thing.

I didn't say that they deserve to die; I simply don't have sympathy for the plight of law-breakers.  If they only went through the proper legal channels, I'd welcome them to our country and wish them luck for their individual American dreams.

Whether you agree with the specifics of those legal channels is a different story.  But choosing to ignore the law because it's inconvenient is a pretty terrible way to behave.

You did say you don't care if they die.  That is not a human position to take.  It upsets me that I am even debating with someone who would say something like that.  Do you even have a heart?  That is evil.

big thumbs down for you

If that is not straight out evil, then it is right on the borderline of it. 

YUCK! 

UGLINESS!

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[freedomburns]

Just the other day you not only said that you wouldn't care if Bush died, you were positively orgasmic over the idea.

That's not true.  I don't want Bush to die.  He should be put on trial and then handed over to the Sunnis.

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Just the other day you not only said that you wouldn't care if Bush died, you were positively orgasmic over the idea.

That's not true.  I don't want Bush to die.  He should be put on trial and then handed over to the Sunnis.

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Uh, yes it is true.  On Christmas Day, you created a thread discussing that documentary profiling a hypothetical assassination of President Bush.  You reveled in the very idea of it; saying it was political pornography for anti-Bush folk like yourself.  The thread was deleted, but you can hardly deny it ever existed.

I did not revel in it at all, and I resent that accusation.  You are acusing me of a federal crime.  I have asked the moderators to deal with you.  I love everybody, even my conservative brothers and sisters. 

That video was posted for reference purposes.  If you read the post, you would realize that.  There was no "reveling" going on, except in your fevered imagination.  You are welcome to any opinion you like of the movie.  You should not lie about people and go accusing people of federal crimes.

Anyway, nice distraction from the fact that you are not a human being and have no care if I, or some Mexican, lives or dies.  I, on the other hand, have great compassion for every living thing.  I have respect for life, unlike you!  I value everyone.  I value our President just as much as anyone else.  Would you want him to have a GPS satelite to help him find his way if he were wandering in the desert and would die within 36 hours if he could not find water?  Yep, I would, too.

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Why do I have a feeling that Mexico and the US will eventually go to war over this?

Because you are an idiot.

Well isn't that the pot calling the kettel black!

That isn't even an answer to my question.  There is so much bitterness over Mexicans coming over the border and so much anger fueled by both sides of this issue that this could be the breaking point for America.

Next time before you give a piece of $#!t response like you do, look at it reasonably before you give a childlike answer. There is no need for name calling!

There is only bitterness and anger coming from a tiny fraction of bitter, angry people like you.  I'm sorry I called you an idiot.

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I'm pretty sure that the ton of witnesses on this forum who read and responded to that thread before it was deleted by the moderators would back me up.

You're doing a bang-up job of spinning your way out of your hypocrisy, by the way.  I'm also a little flattered that you think I care if you think I'm a terrible person for not caring about the wellbeing of criminals.  (That sentence was a bit of a mindbender.)

What?  You want to debate this instead of the fact that you just said that you don't care if people live or die?

I am stating, clearly, that I would not revel in the President's death.  You are welcome to any opinion that you like of that movie.

So what is the point?  You are a monster, and I love everybody.
 

end of discussion

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I'm pretty sure that the ton of witnesses on this forum who read and responded to that thread before it was deleted by the moderators would back me up.

You're doing a bang-up job of spinning your way out of your hypocrisy, by the way.  I'm also a little flattered that you think I care if you think I'm a terrible person for not caring about the wellbeing of criminals.  (That sentence was a bit of a mindbender.)

What?  You want to debate this instead of the fact that you just said that you don't care if people live or die?

I am stating, categoritcally, tha I would not revel in the President's death.  Ok? 

end of discussion

The truth is, you did just that.

No I didn't.  You are welcome to whatever opinion you like of that movie.

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What?  You want to debate this instead of the fact that you just said that you don't care if people live or die?

I'm not even attempting to deny what I already said, just so long as we're clear that I'm referring specifically to criminals such as those who attempt to cross our border illegally.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Ok, but you kinda already did.  I'll take that as a retraction from Christmas Day, however.

Good, I'm glad you admitted that you are a monster.

I see no need for further discussion with you, even if you attempt to tarnish my with your silly lies.

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[freedomburns]

There is only bitterness and anger coming from a tiny fraction of bitter, angry people like you.  I'm sorry I called you an idiot.

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FB - Despite what you may think I am not a bitter or angry person at all.  I only get mad when I, or any other poster is dismissed or disrespected on this Forum because of their beliefs. For myself, nobody owes me anything - End of that discussion

Back to the topic - We can not deny that this is an issue. I don't like either side's anger over illegal immigration however something needs to be resolved.  The problem with GPS systems by the Mexico is only going to add more fuel to an already big fire.  

The challenge is how to quell both side's anger and get a solution?

Pretty good points, and I respect your opinion.  The solution shoud keep in mind that these, are almost all hard-working, honest people with little education and little money.  They don't deserve to die just for trying to make it to a better life.  They are good people, with similar values to us.  They are mostly Christians.  

I think there is too much hyped whipped up about how they are different, or bad for America, when they are very much the same and we were all immigrants once. ('cept the injuns)

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[freedomburns]

I'm pretty sure that the ton of witnesses on this forum who read and responded to that thread before it was deleted by the moderators would back me up.

You're doing a bang-up job of spinning your way out of your hypocrisy, by the way.  I'm also a little flattered that you think I care if you think I'm a terrible person for not caring about the wellbeing of criminals.  (That sentence was a bit of a mindbender.)

What?  You want to debate this instead of the fact that you just said that you don't care if people live or die?

I am stating, categoritcally, tha I would not revel in the President's death.  Ok? 

end of discussion

The truth is, you did just that.

No I didn't.  You are welcome to whatever opinion you like of that movie.

The fact that the whole topic was deleted damn near proves it was vile and dangerous enough to be removed, I remember what you said, its ok really, I don't understand the anger you have against him, but I get upset too.

On the other hand, these people, the illeagals, I know how you feel, they are for a vast majority, good people, who want to work, and want to have freedom. But, they simply can't do it in this fashion. Mexicans have options, they really do, they government is useless, revolution is an option. Legal immigration is an option. Improving thier own country is an option too.

They deserve (sorta) so much more, everyone wishes people could have it as good as we do, but when the question is asked, will I subject my citizens to the crime and danger brought by these people, the answer is most definetly no, even if it means they suffer.

Good points.  But I don't think they bring all that much crime and danger.  Maybe some.  I live in a border state, so yeah, some.  The solutions will be complex, but they should be humanistic in my humble opinion.

[freedomburns]

I'm pretty sure that the ton of witnesses on this forum who read and responded to that thread before it was deleted by the moderators would back me up.

You're doing a bang-up job of spinning your way out of your hypocrisy, by the way.  I'm also a little flattered that you think I care if you think I'm a terrible person for not caring about the wellbeing of criminals.  (That sentence was a bit of a mindbender.)

What?  You want to debate this instead of the fact that you just said that you don't care if people live or die?

I am stating, categoritcally, tha I would not revel in the President's death.  Ok? 

end of discussion

The truth is, you did just that.

No I didn't.  You are welcome to whatever opinion you like of that movie.

The fact that the whole topic was deleted damn near proves it was vile and dangerous enough to be removed, I remember what you said, its ok really, I don't understand the anger you have against him, but I get upset too.

On the other hand, these people, the illeagals, I know how you feel, they are for a vast majority, good people, who want to work, and want to have freedom. But, they simply can't do it in this fashion. Mexicans have options, they really do, they government is useless, revolution is an option. Legal immigration is an option. Improving thier own country is an option too.

They deserve (sorta) so much more, everyone wishes people could have it as good as we do, but when the question is asked, will I subject my citizens to the crime and danger brought by these people, the answer is most definetly no, even if it means they suffer.

Good points.  But I don't think they bring all that much crime and danger.  Maybe some.  I live in a border state, so yeah, some.  The solutions will be complex, but they should be humanistic in my humble opinion.

The situation in MY border state is considerably different, the border is occupied by two very different areas, massive private ranches, and large cities. Both present a huge problem. In the ranch case, the sheer size of the land allows the illeagals to make deep penetration into the state. In the urban areas like Laredo and Brownsville, crime is massive, and police actually lack control of some areas.

There has to be a balance between humanistic efforts and reality, and unfortuneatly in this case, they must deny these people what they want.

Hmm, this is educational for me.  Thanks.  It seems like is a vastly different problem in your state. 

It makes things even more complex, because a large-scale solution to this problem will probably come on a federal level, and not be nuanced.  This country is so huge, it's hard not to do things ham-handed, in a general fashion, without subtlety.

I haven't really formed a firm positin on amnesty, but I am leaning that way.  It seems to sort of make sense, but it is more complex than I thought.