Tom Brokow scolds those who question illegal immigrants who become dead U.S. Marines

NBC News | 3-24-03 | eBay Artist

[eBay Artist]

NBC News ran a background story about Jose Guiterrez, killed U.S. Marine. He came to the country illegally from Guatemala in a freight train. Lived in a foster home, became a U.S. Marine and died in the last few days in Iraq. Brokow follows up with: "Think about that before you rail against illegal immigrants again!"

[FITZ]

What portion of those coming illegally into this country on freight trains would you estimate have registered with the Selective Service as required by law? I would guess a small handful at best. If some illegal has a matricula card but no draft number ----deport him, if he does have a draft number, I think there should be some consideration of that. The whole immigration system needs to be reformed because too many legal immigrants are coming in by family sponsorship but will never work or contribute anything and some illegals are at least self-sufficient and should be let in instead.

[Jhoffa_]

PS: I want to modify my earlier statement.

This guy who was killed was 50 times the American Brokaw ever was.

I propose a trade.. You give us all the decent, pro-American immigrants you want and we'll swap you even for liberals.

Offer vaild to any country on the face of the earth, afaiac.

[KG Peiper]

Remember, legal is good and illegal is bad , check the dictionary or Los Angeles if you need help with this.

[FITZ]

The guy was a criminal

I wouldn't call this guy a criminal ---he is a hero ----and he's proof of the need in immigration reform ---the whole system needs changing. If he had relatives here, he could be the worst low-life and be "sponsored", he could be 65 and in need of expensive medical care and nursing homes and have a relative sponsor him. We're keeping out some better ones, letting in way too many welfare losers. This guy learned English quickly, there are legal immigrants who after 20 years of living here still refuse to learn the language but instead expect their welfare benefits to be handed out to them in their own language.

[invenire]

Roger That He's Got My Blessings

[n1f2ns]

sad, but you spoke the truth

[El Gato]

Somehow this guy got the legal right to work.

I believe the process is easier for those who come as minor children with their (illegal) parents. Most likely this was the case for this man, although I don't know that. This man was proud enough of his adopted country to die for it, regardless of the paperwork, something too many native born are not willing to risk, being "too good" or worse "too important" to wear the uniform of their country. Their attitude being "Let George do it" or in this case "Let Jorge do it". (I know his name was Jose, but George and Jorge are the same name in different languages)

[El Whino]

must be something about the wide open plains..

The sheep?

Wet keyboard alert...LOL

[KG Peiper]

Your logic shows your ignorance, we didn't have any trouble putting uniforms on in WW2 before Jorge or Jose got here, amigo.

[IronJack]

In order to become a Marine, he had to be a legal citizen. But he entered the country illegally. His later courage doesn't change that fact one iota.

Do you see a lot of other illegals legalizing their status, joining the Marines, and dying a hero's death?

I didn't think so.

[Joe Hadenuf]

This crap hardly deserves comment......

[Porterville]

Sorry for not checking my spelling. ;)

[m18436572]

Those who lie with dogs...

catch fleas.

[El Gato]

This man was a Puerto Rican who grew up in New York. He extended his tour in Veitnam twice to acheive US Citizenship.

Hmm something doesn't compute. Puerto Ricans ARE US citizens by birth. We have two of them in our office. Puerto Rico has both an Army National Guard and an Air National Guard. The ANG of Puerto Rico flies C-130s, although that is their first transport. Previously they flew P/F-51s, F-86s, F-104s, A-7s and F-16s.

[JudyB1938]

My daughter-in-law, who was born in Guatemala, and my 1/2 Guatemalan granddaughter were at my house while ago. They are so proud of this young man. So am I.

His body is being returned to Guatemala where a huge funeral awaits. I hope a representative from our military is there.

My FRENCH grandfather whose parents had migrated to Canada sneaked across the border and enlisted in the US Army during World War One. He gave his life for this country. But because of his "Frenchness", I guess the idiots who are saying bad things about this Guatemalan young man would put my grandfather down, too. To you people, I say ... SHAME ON YOU. To sacrifice oneself for this nation is the ultimate love one can have. They laid down their lives just as much as any citizen did.

[El Gato]

Your logic shows your ignorance, we didn't have any trouble putting uniforms on in WW2 before Jorge or Jose got here, amigo

That was then, this is now. I know is that I see proportionally many more brown faces amoung our military "customers", both officer and enlisted, than I ever did when I was on active duty a few decades ago. And BTW that's Captain Amigo, USAFR(ret) to you! Also BTW, I'm not hispanic, I can barely understand the language, rather I'm mostly German (Kunz, 1860s immigrants) and English (Lee and Harrison), with a large fraction of who knows what, but pretty sure nothing from south of the border. And I'm a CornHusker Alum.

[El Gato]

Do you see a lot of other illegals legalizing their status, joining the Marines, and dying a hero's death

Depends on what you mean by a lot, but there are plenty like him. But whatever the case, what others do or did does not reflect on him or what he did. His memory should be honored, just as we honor the memory of the others who have made the supreme sacrifice for our country.

[NewYorker]

LOL

[Revolting cat!]

Most people here at FreeRepublic encourage legal immigration and are grateful for those who want "to breathe free" and become Americans. This Marine hero was one of those.

What we don't want here are immigrants who come here illegally for the purpose of taking advantage of our social programs and who refuse to attempt to assimilate or who continue to support their homelands MORE than the United States.

Bears repeating. What this thread illustrates, however, is that many of us are unable to make distinctions and tell the difference. All (most) immigrants are more or less bad, yes? Is it too subtle?