Comments on: Children Behind Bars in America http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:48:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Kasper http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-52117 Kasper Mon, 12 Nov 2007 05:11:52 +0000 http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-52117 Interesting how after this "horrible" experience they still want asylum in this country. Interesting

how after this “horrible” experience they still want asylum in this country.

]]> By: Maria L. Leyba http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-25561 Maria L. Leyba Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:12:56 +0000 http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-25561 Why have God's little children been forgotten? I can't nor will I accept the thought of children being incarcerated. Prison is horrible enough without having to torment & traumatize innocent children. These children & their families only want a better life and we must do something to stop this nonsense. Why is this not featured on the front pages of all newspapers, etc. Why have God’s little children been forgotten?
I can’t nor will I accept the thought of children being incarcerated. Prison is horrible enough without having to torment & traumatize innocent children.
These children & their families only want a better life
and we must do something to stop this nonsense.
Why is this not featured on the front pages of all newspapers, etc.

]]> By: John Wheat Gibson http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2810 John Wheat Gibson Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:09:03 +0000 http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2810 Unfortunately, our media have substituted labels and simplistic ignorance for public information about immigration. "Simple as that," say our politicians. "They are illegals," say people who get their understanding of immigration from television news. But in fact "illegals" is not a useful term, since it includes people who have violated the law and also people like many of the families in the T. Don Hutto Frauenlager, who have carefully done everything possible to comply with the law. So why don't these prisoners just become citizens? Alas, again popular mythology replaces reality. It is no easy matter to become a citizen. It is true that many of the jailed children, especially those from Palestine, are better off in prison in Taylor, Texas than they would be on the streets of their home towns, where the Israeli occupation troops are murdering them. But what kind of person would want to send them back in these circumstances? Furthermore, in the current climate of xenophobia created by Bush and Chertoff, the U.S. government is busily trying to strip native born U.S. citizens of their citizenship, simply because they are Hispanic. I hope the Texas observer will follow up on the story. Hispanic citizenship stripping has been the topic of various lawsuits in the last couple of years. John Wheat Gibson, Sr., Immigration Lawyer Unfortunately, our media have substituted labels and simplistic ignorance for public information about immigration. “Simple as that,” say our politicians. “They are illegals,” say people who get their understanding of immigration from television news. But in fact “illegals” is not a useful term, since it includes people who have violated the law and also people like many of the families in the T. Don Hutto Frauenlager, who have carefully done everything possible to comply with the law. So why don’t these prisoners just become citizens? Alas, again popular mythology replaces reality. It is no easy matter to become a citizen. It is true that many of the jailed children, especially those from Palestine, are better off in prison in Taylor, Texas than they would be on the streets of their home towns, where the Israeli occupation troops are murdering them. But what kind of person would want to send them back in these circumstances? Furthermore, in the current climate of xenophobia created by Bush and Chertoff, the U.S. government is busily trying to strip native born U.S. citizens of their citizenship, simply because they are Hispanic. I hope the Texas observer will follow up on the story. Hispanic citizenship stripping has been the topic of various lawsuits in the last couple of years.
John Wheat Gibson, Sr., Immigration Lawyer

]]> By: Billie http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2794 Billie Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:53:31 +0000 http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2794 The point, of course, is in the last sentance. There is no morality in imprisoning children. Would this place be suitable for your own children? Why then these children? They have committed no crime. You cannot just write them off with the word 'illegal'. They and their parents got here legally with visas and passports. They became 'illegal' when their visas expired before their appeals for sanctuary were dealt with by the courts. Suffer the little children ...... The point, of course, is in the last sentance. There is no morality in imprisoning children. Would this place be suitable for your own children? Why then these children? They have committed no crime. You cannot just write them off with the word ‘illegal’. They and their parents got here legally with visas and passports. They became ‘illegal’ when their visas expired before their appeals for sanctuary were dealt with by the courts. Suffer the little children ……

]]> By: Madeleine http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2650 Madeleine Sat, 10 Mar 2007 04:12:44 +0000 http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2650 Thank you for publicizing our own government's response to people from other countries who recognize the potential for peace and happiness here and have the gall to take steps to attain it. We are not under a state of martial law . . . are we? And, are we really in such dire straits that we can no longer recognize as citizens those who are born on U.S. soil, and we can no longer treat their families like the families of U.S. citizens? When did this happen? Thank you for publicizing our own government’s response to people from other countries who recognize the potential for peace and happiness here and have the gall to take steps to attain it. We are not under a state of martial law . . . are we? And, are we really in such dire straits that we can no longer recognize as citizens those who are born on U.S. soil, and we can no longer treat their families like the families of U.S. citizens? When did this happen?

]]> By: Jane http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2649 Jane Sat, 10 Mar 2007 04:01:39 +0000 http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2649 Most of the detainees at Hutto HAVE sought American citizenship; they are asylum seekers who have been denied and are incarcerated pending deportation. Most of them have sought refuge from impossible living situations in other countries. Why else would you give up everything you know and try to build a new life? Sandy, you have a lot to learn about your government. Ask why the US has more prisoners per capita than any other country, even the most repressive dictatorships. Ask why the private prison industry has suddenly become one of the most profitable ways to make a buck. Ask who was behind the "three strikes and you're out" draconian sentencing legislation of twenty years ago. Ask who's getting rich from the $95 per day per inmate that your tax dollars are ponying up at Hutto, and ask how much money an impoverished county is making by allowing this prison in its territory. Please try to learn a bit more about your subject before you "export" anyone. Most of the detainees at Hutto HAVE sought American citizenship; they are asylum seekers who have been denied and are incarcerated pending deportation. Most of them have sought refuge from impossible living situations in other countries. Why else would you give up everything you know and try to build a new life? Sandy, you have a lot to learn about your government. Ask why the US has more prisoners per capita than any other country, even the most repressive dictatorships. Ask why the private prison industry has suddenly become one of the most profitable ways to make a buck. Ask who was behind the “three strikes and you’re out” draconian sentencing legislation of twenty years ago. Ask who’s getting rich from the $95 per day per inmate that your tax dollars are ponying up at Hutto, and ask how much money an impoverished county is making by allowing this prison in its territory. Please try to learn a bit more about your subject before you “export” anyone.

]]> By: Sandy http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2644 Sandy Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:35:44 +0000 http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/?p=152#comment-2644 I don't see the logic. If they are illegals, send them back to where they came from. We don't need to feed, clothe, and house other countries' citizens. In all honesty, they are getting better treatment there than they would in their own country. Plain as that. Export them now. If they want to move here then let them seek American citizenship, then we will welcome them with open arms as U.S. citizens. I don’t see the logic. If they are illegals, send them back to where they came from. We don’t need to feed, clothe, and house other countries’ citizens. In all honesty, they are getting better treatment there than they would in their own country. Plain as that. Export them now. If they want to move here then let them seek American citizenship, then we will welcome them with open arms as U.S. citizens.

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