18 die in the pursuit of happiness

Ivo Skoric ivo at reporters.net
Sun May 18 08:40:46 CEST 2003


We all agree that terrorism is unacceptable. But is it acceptable 
that people die because they are forced to take the dangerous 
route, because they have to hide, because sometimes their only 
option for survival is to cross the border to the rich world, which 
does not want them?
It is interesting that this trucker is not charged with the involuntary 
manslaughter. But then, those were just illegal aliens.
ivo


*1. 18 DIE IN TRUCK TRAILER

Early on May 14, Sheriff's deputies found 17 people dead in and
around a tractor-trailer abandoned at a truck stop in Victoria
County, South Texas. A dozen more people were hospitalized; one
died at the hopsital on May 14, and another died on May 16,
bringing the total death toll to 19. The victims were immigrants
from Mexico and Central America who were being taken to Houston
under an arrangement made with a smuggler. They died from heat
exhaustion. The driver, Tyrone Williams, unhitched the trailer
and fled in the truck cab after discovering the dead bodies; he
was arrested later on May 14 and was charged on May 15, along
with three codefendants, with conspiracy to smuggle, transport
and conceal undocumented immigrants. Six of the survivors
remained hospitalized as of May 16, and 49 others are held as
material witnesses. [AP 5/14/03; Dallas Morning News 5/14/03; 
New York Times 5/15/03, 5/16/03]

On May 13, two brothers drowned in the Rio Grande river near
Brownsville, Texas, while trying to cross the border from Mexico.
[AP 5/13/03] Statistics show that from Oct. 1 of last year until
May 12, 80 people died trying to cross the border from Mexico.
[EFE 5/15/03]






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