I had been out of town since last Friday with no internet, so I definitely have missed a lot. I am going to respond here to what has been posted lately. I have not thought about the content of my response here, which is rare for me because I tend to overthink everything.
It is my experience on this forum that threads go off-topic frequently and then tend to get back on track. I never had any issues with it. This thread was no different, and even though we have a "no religion, no politics" forum rule, the fact is that this rule can easily be violated, and has been violated. Religion and politics intertwine with everyday life in so many ways that it almost cannot be avoided.
If somebody mentions "Jesus" or "Buddha", that is not violating the religion rule in my opinion. They are historical figures. If somebody mentions that a country is defined by its borders, like I did, that does not violate the politics rule in my opinion. The same goes for immigration, whether legal or illegal, as long as facts are stated. However, if a discussion turns to immigration policies, then it starts delving into dangerous territories that might start bickering in our forum.
I have never wanted to over-police this forum and it has been my personal policy to let conversations flow as long as we are respectful to each other and Alizee and her loved ones. Disagreements can add a little spice. Time and time again our members disagree while discussing something and it passes and we move on and no hurt feelings.
Now on to the responses I have earlier in this thread. There has been a story that the media circulated for a while that the way the US treats those crossing our southern border is similar to "concentration camps", and that was brought up by a member in this thread. The similarity was not started by the member, but echoed what had been the mantra of the media who is very hostile towards our sitting President. Getting a little personal here, I am am immigrant's son. Both my mother's and father's families immigrated to the U.S. thanks to the Displaced Persons Act of 1948. My parents did not know each other in the "old country" which is modern day Belarus, but each family had to endure having their villages razed by the Nazis and being shipped by train to Germany to labor in real concentration camps. They were not Jewish but that didn't mean they were treated differently. They just worked you until you died. I've heard all the stories and it was real hell. If it weren't for the American soldiers that liberated their camps, neither parent would have survived.
I would have defended the US treatment of illegal immigrants no matter who was president because using the words "concentration camp" alludes to the atrocities of WW2. While by definition you can use it synonymous with "detention center" which would be the preferred term, the former term is used by the media for the sole purpose of tainting the public opinion of the current administration. I'm sure I fed the fire by my post saying the cages were started by the prior administration. While it is actually the case, I should have held my emotions in check but sometimes they get the best of me.
And for the record, just in case anybody misunderstood what I said in an earlier post. I have absolutely nothing against the average Mexican person. During my decades living near Houston, I have had countless Mexican friends and acquaintances. They have helped shape the Texas culture, which is truly unique. It is true though that Americans are the favored targets of crime in Mexico. I don't think there is any revenge factor associated with it other than the illusion that Americans are likely to have more money than other tourists.
If I offended anybody by my posts in this thread, let me assure you that it was not intentional.
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