Migration mismanaged: The rest of the story

By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist

As many of you know, Laura and I are involved in mission work in the western highlands of Guatemala.

We recently received correspondence from one of the missions we support – La Casa de la Paz, The House of Peace. This mission works with mothers with children whose husbands have abandoned them, a common practice in Guatemala. Men abandoning their families has been a societal practice in Guatemala for a long time.

Now, it has a new twist.

Due to the notoriety of the ease of entrance to the United States through our porous southern border, the mission reports that in many of the villages of western Guatemala, there are hardly any men left. They have all gone north, cut off communications with their families, abandoning them.

Those left in the western highlands are children, mothers and the elderly who cannot travel.

But there is more. Now some of the mothers have started to leave, abandoning their children. In one reported case, two sisters, mothers, after being abandoned by their alcoholic husbands have now left for the U.S., leaving nine children with a grandmother who is an alcoholic. This is just one example.

The government of Guatemala has no resources to take care of these problems. The children are left with the oldest ones trying to take care of their siblings. Food is found by rooting through garbage piles.

Spare me the comments from the politicians here concerning the United States welcoming with open arms. The U.S. policies are destroying adults and children in places like Guatemala. How can Guatemala be encouraged to have an honest and democratic government when we are doing this to them? How many other countries are experiencing the same problems solely caused by our politicians?

It is time our politicians start acting like adults. It is time all of us started acting like adults. The matters we consider difficult, or a problem are nothing when compared to conditions in a place like Guatemala.

I’ve stated here before that, for a large portion of the population in places like Guatemala, living under a bridge crossing a U.S. interstate highway would be considered luxurious. No wonder such people are coming here.

Unfortunately, our politicians are telling us these people can meld into our culture and society. They can, but it will take years of training. Some may never learn for when you are used to stealing and day-to-day subsistence living, habits are hard to break.

What’s the solution to all of this? We have to start acting like adults, as I stated earlier. We have to vote like adults and elect adults to every office from dog catcher to president. It is time to get serious.

Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press. He may be reached at jthompson@taii.com.