When traveling, you go through a common scenario where you meet immigration officers and customs agents. They ask you specific question as to where you are traveling, how long, and why. You are told to fill out a form noting your belongings, and an estimate of how much cash you have with you. You are also expected to give the location of where you are staying, and a possible phone number of where to be reached. Then, you are told for how long you can stay. Your passport is then stamped and you are sent on your merry way. Whether it be to a plane, a boat, or a train; the system for entering a different country from the one you are in is rather the same, it takes work.
It is always a personal confusion to hear then of American citizens traveling to foreign countries and being obtained by authorities with a certain shock present among them and their families. In most cases, they have entered the said foreign country illegally, sometimes citing it as an accident; nonetheless it is against the law. The United States is currently going through quite the predicament along the Mexican and Arizona borders. Seeing that, what would Americans expect elsewhere?
In the past two years, there have been three well-known incidents of American citizens being jailed by foreign authorities. In Iran, three American hikers are sitting in jail for making “an innocent mistake” of crossing the Iranian border; they have also been charged with espionage. Then there were the two American journalists jailed in North Korea, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Employed by a television stated owned by Al Gore, the two were filming a documentary on North Korean women being trafficked to China; the two were sentenced to twelve years of hard labor. However, American authorities immediately took action and were able to have amnesty permitted at the hands of former President Bill Clinton. While the two aforementioned stories have parallels to them, only the pair of journalists has been granted amnesty.
This week brought the release of American native Aijalon Mahli Gomes. Gomes’ particular release was secured by former President Jimmy Carter during a humanitarian trip focused on his capture. Gomes was arrested in North Korea this past January for entering the country illegally. It is believed that Gomes was in the country to denounce humanitarian rights, while protesting the imprisonment of Robert Park, an American Christian missionary. It may be noted that Robert Park also entered North Korea to denounce ill effort humanitarian conditions, while protesting political prisoners and demanding the resignation leader of Kim Jong Il. In a state of irony, Robert Park is from Arizona.
These particular kinds of amnesty are tricky. If Americans would like to sit home and complain of illegal immigrants essentially stealing their jobs and wasting taxpayer’s money, so be it. Would that not in turn root the common sense in them that in turn, they should not be entering foreign countries illegally themselves? Do the consequences not go both ways? They do, so why the confusion?
It is a nice thought that in the past months, three American citizens have been given the ability to return home to their families with the aid of former United States Presidents. However, the thought would have been better if the return was under different conditions. All that is proved now, is how hypocritical American citizens can truly be. The three are still criminals; they were proved guilty of something but let go free. Of course, this something was not murder but it was still illegal. You also must consider that the three released were there not to glorify North Korea, but to essentially denounce it and its government practices.
Of course, Aijalon Mahli Gomes was ill. This factor certainly pushed his release. His illness? A supposed guilty conscience, meaning, he knows he did something wrong too.
As a food for thought, the following is what neighboring country Mexico does to those considered illegal immigrants:
- Illegal entry into the country is equivalent to a felony punishable by two years’ imprisonment. Document fraud is subject to fine and imprisonment; so is alien marriage fraud. Evading deportation is a serious crime; illegal re-entry after deportation is punishable by ten years’ imprisonment. Foreigners may be kicked out of the country without due process and the endless bites at the litigation apple that illegal aliens are afforded in our country
Oh yes, and in Italy:
- A new law in Italy seeks to impose harsh penalties on illegal immigrants in a country that has been considered a bastion for safe, illegal refuge in Europe in years past, Jon Rosen of the World Politics Review reports. Possible penalties include a fine of $14,000 and three years imprisonment.
Now, North Korea’s punishment does not seem so far off. Then, why the amnesty? Is it a mere proof of the successful foreign relations the United States has been seeking? It’s hard to tell.
I am sure the next week will bring Aijalon Mahli Gomes to the morning talk show circuit. There, he will be praised as a hero, a man who has done no wrong. But, he is not a hero, he did do something wrong, in the eyes of many countries what he did is a criminal action. Even in our own country, illegal immigration is considered a punishable action because you know, that’s what illegal means.
August 27, 2010
The Release of a Degenerate
When traveling, you go through a common scenario where you meet immigration officers and customs agents. They ask you specific question as to where you are traveling, how long, and why. You are told to fill out a form noting your belongings, and an estimate of how much cash you have with you. You are also expected to give the location of where you are staying, and a possible phone number of where to be reached. Then, you are told for how long you can stay. Your passport is then stamped and you are sent on your merry way. Whether it be to a plane, a boat, or a train; the system for entering a different country from the one you are in is rather the same, it takes work.
It is always a personal confusion to hear then of American citizens traveling to foreign countries and being obtained by authorities with a certain shock present among them and their families. In most cases, they have entered the said foreign country illegally, sometimes citing it as an accident; nonetheless it is against the law. The United States is currently going through quite the predicament along the Mexican and Arizona borders. Seeing that, what would Americans expect elsewhere?
In the past two years, there have been three well-known incidents of American citizens being jailed by foreign authorities. In Iran, three American hikers are sitting in jail for making “an innocent mistake” of crossing the Iranian border; they have also been charged with espionage. Then there were the two American journalists jailed in North Korea, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Employed by a television stated owned by Al Gore, the two were filming a documentary on North Korean women being trafficked to China; the two were sentenced to twelve years of hard labor. However, American authorities immediately took action and were able to have amnesty permitted at the hands of former President Bill Clinton. While the two aforementioned stories have parallels to them, only the pair of journalists has been granted amnesty.
This week brought the release of American native Aijalon Mahli Gomes. Gomes’ particular release was secured by former President Jimmy Carter during a humanitarian trip focused on his capture. Gomes was arrested in North Korea this past January for entering the country illegally. It is believed that Gomes was in the country to denounce humanitarian rights, while protesting the imprisonment of Robert Park, an American Christian missionary. It may be noted that Robert Park also entered North Korea to denounce ill effort humanitarian conditions, while protesting political prisoners and demanding the resignation leader of Kim Jong Il. In a state of irony, Robert Park is from Arizona.
These particular kinds of amnesty are tricky. If Americans would like to sit home and complain of illegal immigrants essentially stealing their jobs and wasting taxpayer’s money, so be it. Would that not in turn root the common sense in them that in turn, they should not be entering foreign countries illegally themselves? Do the consequences not go both ways? They do, so why the confusion?
It is a nice thought that in the past months, three American citizens have been given the ability to return home to their families with the aid of former United States Presidents. However, the thought would have been better if the return was under different conditions. All that is proved now, is how hypocritical American citizens can truly be. The three are still criminals; they were proved guilty of something but let go free. Of course, this something was not murder but it was still illegal. You also must consider that the three released were there not to glorify North Korea, but to essentially denounce it and its government practices.
Of course, Aijalon Mahli Gomes was ill. This factor certainly pushed his release. His illness? A supposed guilty conscience, meaning, he knows he did something wrong too.
As a food for thought, the following is what neighboring country Mexico does to those considered illegal immigrants:
Oh yes, and in Italy:
Now, North Korea’s punishment does not seem so far off. Then, why the amnesty? Is it a mere proof of the successful foreign relations the United States has been seeking? It’s hard to tell.
I am sure the next week will bring Aijalon Mahli Gomes to the morning talk show circuit. There, he will be praised as a hero, a man who has done no wrong. But, he is not a hero, he did do something wrong, in the eyes of many countries what he did is a criminal action. Even in our own country, illegal immigration is considered a punishable action because you know, that’s what illegal means.