Prone to wander.

A lot of people have asked me if I regret the path my life has taken the past year.

It's hard for me to regret any of it, because I know who I am now more than ever. And especially now understand what I want and deserve.

It is hard to not regret the times I gave up so much of myself to something that wasn't worthwhile or lasting, but I think that's the way life can be, especially because it was a path I choose and not another path that was the best that God chose for me. 

Our selfishness leads to pain. And that's hard to swallow, especially coming from a place of hurt. It doesn't excuse the behavior of others that has led to such hurt, but in the big picture it's very humbling to accept responsibility to God and God alone that I messed up, and he knows best. That trust is hard. Especially when you're handed something on a silver plate that looks so appealing. But we have the Holy Spirit in us that allows us to know right from wrong. I know that I should've followed that feeling a year ago, but I was selfish and not listening to what God had for me that was better. This is the hardest thing I've ever been through and walking through this process of healing isn't easy, but I'm humbled and glad to serve a God who is full of tender mercies and loves the crap out of me regardless of my selfishness and my heart that is so prone to wander. 

Net Migration Falls to Zero- and Perhaps Less.


This article talks about the simple fact that migration from Mexico to the United States has decreased rapidly over the past five years, and simply states that the decline is a result of  "many factors, including the weakened U.S. job and housing construction markets, heightened border enforcement, a rise in deportations, the growing dangers associated with illegal border crossings, the long-term decline in Mexico’s birth rates and broader economic conditions in Mexico".  These factors are no doubt all to blame, but the major factors that have changed in the past five years (SEE GRAPH), the year of huge decline, are the economy and policy on immigration.

The economy has been effecting migration for decades, as the need for workers fluctuates according to need. However, since 2010 when the US economy has been looking up, the number of migrants has continued to decline even though the demand for labor has increased. This is no doubt because of policy on immigration. It makes sense that no more than before the risk is greatest to enter the US illegally, and often even legally, as many migrants come to the US and stay past their visas allow, and face deportation by ICE, who has a goal number of migrants to deport per year. 

The thing I do not understand is that even if you are a hater of people, especially migrants, is how you can just ignore the needs of our economy and the needs it has for labor in order to continue to grow and boom. (I am not a people hater, so I do not agree with that stance, but want to make the point that people who are so harsh about immigration are just too stubborn and need to be kicked out of office.) The ultimate result of this huge decline in migrant, on the side of labor, is that the economy is going to suffer without this cheap labor that we rely so heavily on and that we have relied on for decades. 

In conclusion, immigration policy needs to change, if no other reason that for the economy. But also because people are people, and we, as a nation, need to get over the fear that our white-ness will slowly become obsolete.

Misguided frustration.

Beyonce and JayZ are more controversial than Dennis Rodman?

What:
This article talks about the recent trip by Beyonce and Jay-Z to Cuba and the pending investigation as a result. This investigation was instigated by three republicans politicans in Flordia, including Marco Rubio. The other representatives were quoted saying, "“Cuba’s tourism industry is wholly state-controlled,” Ms. Ros-Lehtinen and Mr. Diaz-Balart wrote in a letter to the Treasury Department on Friday, “therefore, U.S. dollars spent on Cuban tourism directly fund the machinery of oppression that brutally represses the Cuban people.” 

The couple traveled to Cuba on a 'people to people' license, which is meant to grant Americans entrance into Cuba solely for the purpose of  “educational exchange activities that will result in meaningful interaction” between Americans and Cubans.

The whole investigation is whether or not educational exchange actually took place.

This comes barely a month after Dennis Rodman, of all people, visited Kim Jong-un and was singing his praises, which seems to only be at the dismay of people who understand human rights and the violations of such in North Korea.

This issue with Cuba and Beyonce and her husband is not one of borders, as portrayed, but rather is another publicity stunt of politicians. Yes, the issues between Cuba and the US are serious and need attention, but the strong remarks made by the three politicians do nothing to curb the fact that Beyonce and Jay-Z spent their time watching little girls dance in bumblebee suits.

Mr. Iglesias, The director of a dance company that Beyonce visited while in Cuba said it best. “If to come here and share ideas and emotions isn’t a legitimate exchange between peoples, I don’t what is". 

Sheriff Joe.

What the situation is:
On February 27, the sheriff and his team arrested a 35 year old man named Javier. He was arrested because he was apart of a human-smuggling ring out of Oaxaca, Mexico.  In the official report, Sheiff Joe makes a statement about the case saying,

“It’s a real tragedy knowing that multiple members of this smuggling operation 
have been deported a number of times each,” said Arpaio. “Martinez, the 
ringleader of this syndicate, had been deported eight times by the U.S 
Government,” Arpaio continued. 

“How can the federal government oversee all the different aspects of millions of 
people on a ‘pathway to citizenship’,” asked Arpaio, “if they can’t manage to track
and deal with people coming and going now? Also how can the US government 
track the 300 illegal immigrants which were released yesterday if they can’t keep 
track of Martinez who has been deported eight different times? I hope they can 
figure that out while they sort out immigration reform.”

In this sweep, the other members recorded included a man who had been deported four times, and another man who had been deported five times. The report also includes that Javier had been in a gun battle in 2010, and has a child in Arizona receiving DES benefits. 


The bigger issue:
While Sheriff Joe is speaking based on his world of immigration, maybe even based on the recency effect, his world is not always the real world. While his complaints about deporting one person eight separate times is valid, he also doesn't see how reform could solve this problem. While Javiers 'gun battle' past could effect his permanent residency status, the people who are trying to come here, that are being smuggled across the border, could benefit from reform so much in that they could come here legally, to everyones pleasure. But, this reform would also cause the Sheriffs Human Smuggling Unit to not continue to receive their 1.6 million in state funds to fight these crimes that no longer exist. It is a sad reality when the priority of existing jobs takes over what should actually be done to reform our broken system.


Also, just for giggles, Sheriff Joe tweeted this on March 1st.

President Nieto already making hard decisions.

An article was published in the New York Times today titled, Hand of U.S. is Seen in Halting General's Rise in Mexico. This article starts on the basis of the U.S. stepping in to prevent General Moises Garcia Ochoa from becoming the Minister of Defense in Mexico, as nominated by Mexico's new president, Enrique Pena Nieto. The article goes on to talk about why or why not the general should be promoted. The part that is most interesting to me is that Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont, is withholding $230 million dollar, under the Merida initiative, from Mexico because of fears of the general and his possible future within the cabinet of President Nieto. 
                 When it comes down to it, the article is pointing out how the U.S. flexes its power of involvement when it can. This makes sense, because under the Merida initiative, the U.S. government is providing Mexico with so much funding to "fight organized crime and associated violence, while furthering respect for human rights and the rule of law" (Source: U.S. State Dept.). This whole initiative is based on "mutual respect" between the two countries, something that seems to exist as President Nieto chose not to appoint General Ochoa as the Minister of Defense after meeting with U.S. officials, including the U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Whether or not that was the deal breaker is debatable  as the job went to one of the Presidents close friend instead, the NYT reported. I think that it is very smart of President Nieto to pursue positive relations with the U.S., especially under this Merida initiative. Though I have the feeling that the President feels a little bit like a puppet, as some Senator from some state far away from the border is choosing to personally withhold $230 million dollars because of the issue with the general. It is also interesting to see that President Nieto has been so hush on the issue of the drug 'war' and violence relating to drugs. From our side of the border, those issues are most frequently what issues we see as important in Mexico. But maybe it's refreshing to know that outside our little american bubbles that Mexico is a nation that is looking forward, as the President has addressed education, fiscal and energy reforms. This is a far difference from former president Felipe Calderon would flaunt captured drug lords as a means to intimidate the drug cartels. It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds during President Neito's next six years. 

Day 1.

Here we go.