Our Humanity

By Shannon

Last night I watched this week's episode of Harry's Law.  Four albinos were seeking asylum because in their homeland "albino hunters" cut off the arms and legs of albinos and leave them to die.  The limbs are used in potions and amulets for good luck.  Not so good for the albinos.  The problem was that the four had already been in America illegally for two years which makes asylum almost impossible.  The law requires that you declare your need for asylum immediately.  I expected that the judge in the show would grant them asylum anyway when Harry finished her emotion plea.  She said, "If you send them back, you can't tell your grandchildren what you did at work today because it would shock their conscience."  When the judge ruled he said that we must rely on the attitude of the nation.  He said our "house" is a mess and American's don't want to help anyone right now.  He ended by saying, "Americans are good and I'm sure many will pray for you."  Then he sent them home.  I cried.

Those who have read this blog for awhile know that I am a God-fearing girl.  I pray and I believe God hears, but the judge's words rang so hollow in my ears.  Our humanity demands we do more than pray.

All attorneys eventually feel the futility of what we do.  There's always one more to help.  There's always one more fight to be won.  What we do for one doesn't save the many.  That's why I had to stop doing child abuse cases.  I could get guilty verdicts, but I could never heal the children.  I'm still haunted by their precious faces years after the fact.  At the end of the episode of Harry's law, as Harry watched the four albinos carted off she said, "This makes me want to quit."  Her friend said, "THIS is why you can NEVER quit."  Our humanity demands we help the "one" because that's the only way to save the "many."

Harry objected to the federal attorney's mention of Mexican illegals.  He mentioned them not because they were relevant, but because they were a hot topic button.  I work on the Mexican border specifically on border-related crime.  Here's how this U.S. border-dweller sees it:

You and I cannot imagine what it is like to live in Mexico right now.  This once beautiful historic nation full of vacation spots has been torn to shreds by violence.  To do business, you must pay the cartel a "tax" and if you fail to do so you and/or your family will be violently murdered.  To be a journalist, you must print only what the cartel sanctions and if you fail to do so you and/or your family will be violently murdered.  You cannot send your children to parties because if the cartels roll down the wrong street, your children will never come home.  They will be violently murdered.  To come into this country illegally, you must pay the cartel's coyotes and if you fail to do so and are discovered you and/or your family will be violently murdered.

By "violently murdered" I mean that if you are shot or stabbed you are lucky.  I've seen the pictures of bodies devoid of arms, legs, and heads.  I've seen pictures of heads without bodies.  I'll never forget the first picture I saw.  She was a Mexican defense attorney, younger than me, who was just a naked torso.  Her head, arms, and legs had been severed after she'd been raped.  She'd been alive when they began severing limbs.  I've seen and heard the video of a Mexican beheading.  The sound rang in my ears for several nights stealing my sleep. 

We can all agree we don't want the criminals immigrating, but what about the law-abiding business men and moms and others?  Their nation is not safe.  If they ask for permission they can be told to wait in their country while the process takes place or they can be held in a prison-like facility pending a hearing.  I wonder what I would do if it were me.  I wonder what you would do if it were you.  The other side of the coin though is this:  If we open our doors to all law-abiding Mexican nationals who want to come here then what have we done to Mexico?  There would be few or none left to fight against the evil within that nation and evil has a tendency to spread and multiply rapidly.  What do we do?  I don't know what the answer is.  I really don't.  But I do know this:  on Harry's Law this week, the judge made the wrong decision.  The judge's decision should shock our consciences and offend our humanity.