Bob,

I'm sorry I didn't got back with you right away on the e-mail where you asked me to share some of the things that had happened to me and my family. I was concentrating on health reform. Well, lets see...

I come from a country we believed to be "democratic"... I moved out of it at the age of 13-14 but at that time I had seen so much that when the consulate said our trip had being approved I thanked the heavens and send blessings to the consulate. I come from poor and mostly poorly schooled people so I have seen the bottom of the pot. That country has the so-called health for everyone. It does not work.

The hospitals became bankrupt and the treatments for the sick are a joke... the poor know that the best remedies are the plant-based ones because the real medicine can only be afforded for the ones who have money and they can pay on their own or travel some where else to get treated.

Once the government runs out of money, people get stuck with bankrupt hospitals that will ask you to pay for treatment before you can be treated because they can't support helping people with out the money. This makes things bad, like for an old lady who needs treatment for a life or death illness who died while being transferred from hospital to hospital because she didn't have the money the hospitals were asking for her to be seen. At first people see it as a great thing being leeches to the government but this is like making a pact with the devil and the price is you give up your freedom. Is it really worth it?

The corruption in the government gets worse and no one can say anything about it because big brother is there to make sure you never speak again. Many people who dare speak against government corruption are found dead with clear signs for the other people to see and learn to be quiet (tongues cut off, and worse). I had my mother in-law come and visit us some time back, and when she heard my husband and I talking about government stuff, she started to freak out telling us to be quiet that the walls had ears and we were to be in trouble, so we understood and kept ourselves quiet because she could not understand how could we have that freedom (even though we tried to explain it). I don't think Americans want to be like that.

Then there is martial law; oh that is another thing you learn to live with. It becomes second nature and the government makes sure you stay in line.

These are only two examples of what could happen here in America and when things go down the drain people start losing hope. They start getting used to expecting things to always be bad. The government starts doing more and more to break the people's will, until they have, if not all, at least most of the power... until people react, and then violence becomes the every day news.

You know what worries me besides all this is that my new country America has open borders which will make it even worse. Imagine having only some of the problems described above and then having to deal with open borders (which the other country doesn't have) if the amnesty passes. You can bet in one year we will have triple the amount of illegals crossing that border and not all of them want to come and make this country better. Rather, they want to transform our land into what they left behind.

You know, when I made it here I promised myself as soon as I could I would become a citizen. Not because I wanted the "freebies" like many though, I just wanted to be part of this great country and work hard to repay this nation for what she has given me - freedom and the opportunities that in that other country I would have never had.. People who have had all of this all their lives don't know how it feels to me to be able to talk and to write and not be persecuted because of it; to dream and know that with a little work I can be all that you can be. It hurts to see that all the freedoms and opportunities given to me in America might not be there for my kids and that they might have to see what I never wanted anyone to see. I hope this gives you an idea as to why this country means so much to me and why I consider it my country.

Sincerely,
Maria

Edited for my spelling error

[edit on 23-3-2010 by WWJFKD]

I would be very interested to hear more stories from immigrants or from people who can share their experiences and stories. I believe in peoples personal testimonies and I believe we can all learn something from those who have gone before us. Are we going to be the exception to the rule? Are we somehow going to overcome the mistakes of others past or are we traveling down the same slippery slope? I welcome your testimonies both positive and negative. Thank you in advance for your participation.