205 migrants die hard, lonely deaths (Barf Alert)

AZcentral ^ | Oct. 16, 2003 | Susan Carroll

[f7Oshawn]

It is a lonely place to die, out in the soft sandy washes. The desert floor, with its volcanic rock, can reach 160 degrees. Most people go down slowly.

Blood starts to seep into the lungs. Exposed skin burns and the sweat glands shut down. Little hemorrhages, tiny leaks, start in the heart.

[RoughDobermann]

Particularly considering the fact that you can't prove that any of the illegal immigrants referred to in this article had the intent to murder anyone

Exactly. I don't know what their intentions are. However, I DO know that, by crossing illegal, they are willing to break our laws. Therefore, I would err on the side of caution.

[FITZ]

I would also be in favor of the death penaly to those human smugglers who are taking these naive people through a desert in the first place. These are nothing more than greedy criminals who risk peoples' lives for their own financial gain. We're very soft on the smugglers.

[swarthyguy]

Compassion would be acknowledging that these people don't deserve to die a horrible death simply because they come here illegally (as Theo seems to believe). How's that?

A sentiment sadly lacking here. Truly a shame.

evidently they deserved to die in such a manner.

[RoughDobermann]

That argument, when taken to its logical extreme, is pretty shallow, isn't it?

No. Making a comparison between a teenager having a beer and criminal entry into our country is, however.

[FITZ]

I live near the desert ---- if I decide to go out hiking in it when it's 108 degrees ---- and I die --- do I deserve to die? If I agree to pack myself into the back of a locked semi-trailer with no ventilation and 100 other people ---- to commit what I know is a crime --- or not for a crime but just because it's a cheap way to travel --- do I deserve to die? If I try to get a free ride somewhere by hanging under a train car and fall off and get run over --- do I deseerve to die? Maybe not but I'm doing things that cause my own death. Who can I blame that on?

[FITZ]

Yes, the so-called 'coyotes' should be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.

Yes --- because they are the ones convincing these often very naive people to go that route. And they are taking their money to put their lives at risk. They are the ones who are at fault. Capital crimes deserve capital punishment. I never really understand why people would consider going through the desert ----except that many of these are people from the tropical south that don't know what a desert is. It's easy enough to cross in safe places.

[traumer]

And WHAT ? Am I supposed to cry ??

[RoughDobermann]

If you can't make the distinction between someone entering our country illegally (some would call that invasion) and a teenager having a beer, well...

[Gottwnz]

Exactly, If they are starving in their own country maybe they need to revolt and make changes to Mexicos government and not dragging their nasty a**** over here. personally I'm sick of looking at them, their like roaches and they breed twice as fast.

[PuNcH]

Why does it have to be blamed on someone?

It has to be blamed on those who support illegal immigration. Ignoring the rule of law and our constitution has disasterous results. Those that promote anarchy have blood on their hands.

[bat1816]

You are correct, the author dramatically exaggerated the conditions of death. First, it doesn't get anywhere near 160 degrees in the deserts of the Southwest. I work on the border and have seen over 400 corpses and hundreds more of people who have been rescued before death. And I have never seen anyone hang themself, cut their own throat, or dig into the ground to die in a cooler spot.

In almost every case, the migrant sits or lays down under a tree or in a wash to cool down. But without water, their body temperature doesn't cool down and eventually they lose consciousness and organs begin to shut down until they die.

[RoughDobermann]

If you can't make the distinction between illegally crossing our border and murdering someone, well.....

I don't consider it murder. I consider it defending our country against invaders. If you don't, fine.

[ought-six]

"Has in occurred to you that the only thing that distinguishes you from those who dies in the desert is luck?"

Luck? Luck has nothing to do with making the choice to illegaly invade another country. It is a conscious decision, and with it comes consequences.