Ever wonder why so many folks are teeming at our southern border today?
It is because we have been such a bad neighbor to Central and South America for the past 175 years.
In the first place, we started a war with Mexico in 1848, marched our troops down to Mexico City and made a deal to withdraw if Mexico gave us California, Arizona and New Mexico. We took away nearly half of Mexico’s land and more than half of their wealth.
Since then, America has been busy exploiting other countries down south by forcing economic policies favorable to big business and big banks in the U.S. Quite often we supported dictators who were willing to implement our economic policies, but at the same time took away citizens’ freedoms.
If this mess is our fault, maybe we should take a little more responsibility to make it right. If we don’t, China will replace us as big brother in the Americas and our grandchildren will be working for Xi Jinping.
Kimball Shinkoskey
Woods Cross, Utah
Rejecting
handouts
Our attention was directed toward government “largess” in a letter published in February. It brings to my mind how far we have come and suggests the question of how much farther we will go before the corrupting influence of receiving something for nothing completely destroys our feeling of self worth and the freedoms our Constitution assures us. To whom do we now delegate our freedom?
Few if any of us can claim to have never received some of those “rewards.” We vary from being wards of the state to enjoying the icing on the cake.
No one would expect the destitute or drowning man to reject the rope that brings him to safety. No one appears to expect the man who reaps rewards without lifting a hand to select labor and perhaps insecurity.
Many may question the man who receives luxury beyond his needs, but human nature being what it is, none of these “gifts” can or will be retracted without an uproar of complaint and rebellion at the polls. Few who promise less will ever be elected. This, by necessity, will bring greater promises and larger outlays of money to assure elections, for, realistically, what are great ideas if there is no way to implement them?
But, unfortunately, not all of those who make promises have lofty ideals or even an interest in others, and those who receive are not always interested in the character of those who promise more.
Regardless of the motivation of those who promise or those who receive, we have set our goals by the dollar and have lost sight of our original goals and our clear vision of our destiny. We have chosen materialism and wonder why our ideals, morals and standards have deteriorated.
Seeking worldly gain, with no concern about its cost to our higher ideals, we seem to have chosen a different destiny with more limited goals than those upon which this country was founded. Is there a way we can find our way back, or are we on a path of no return? Do we plan to follow other civilizations that became corrupted and destroyed themselves?
Norma Christian
Raymondville
LETTERS — Limit letters to 300 words; all letters are subject to editing. Mail: P.O. Box 3267, McAllen, TX78502-3267; Email: [email protected]
