The Road of Bones

Dr. Burgess,

I begin this letter first with a passage from The Bible, a book I hope you are familiar with. You will be hearing more of this in the very near future.

"You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God."

Leviticus 19:34

With that in mind, please take note:

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is OUT Of CONTROL.

The detention of children, and the repeated separation of children from their parents, in the name of the "rule of law" is sickening.

I am specifically talking about the prisoners being held in the T. Don Hutto "residential center" in Taylor, Texas. I know, it is outside of your district; but what is happening there affects your constituents directly.

The T. Don Hutto prison camp is currently holding over 400 immigrants netted in ICE stings. A number of American citizens have been picked up in these raids, which zero in on workplaces and "detain" anyone that appears to be foreign. Many of these people are held for weeks without legal council.

A crowning achievement for President Bush: Habeas Corpus is unknown to them.

About one-third of the people currently being held in Taylor, Texas are under the age of 16. In some cases the parents, spirited away to other locations, are not found and reunited with the children. The state you are a part of is now making orphans, not just in Iraq, but on our own soil.

Do you not remember the April 9, 2006 immigrants' rights protest in Dallas?

Do you want a crowd twice the size, and angry, wreaking havoc in your district?

We certainly do not! But make no mistake: unless something is done about this situation, we will see it. There will be hell to pay. That is a vision, not a threat. I sincerely hope no such thing occurs, thus my letter.

Likewise, your constituents - the bible believing, God fearing, human rights-respecting people of District 26 - would be appalled to know that you remained silent on something so heinous as Concentration Camps on American soil.

As surely as the sun rises in the morning, in this day and age, silence equals complicity. Would you have us remember you as one who "went along" with this affront to humanity and America's values?

Or do you really think it is okay to imprison children?

I dare say Congressman, people want to see your party change. You may have managed a majority among your own supporters, but your party did not. Our nation is angry with your ideology, but you could be part of that positive change. You must have the courage to speak the truth.

This could be your issue. You could stand up for these children and help put an end to this abuse. You could truly be a doctor, and in the war against illegal immigration, you could insist that we as Christians, as humanitarians, must first do no harm.

They are not terrorists. They are your neighbors. They cut your steaks, clean your bathroom and sweep your kitchen. This is not a fight to the death with the Democrats.

This is a clearly defined moral choice; a stark, glowing white line.

Are you really going to let DHS and ICE treat them like animals?

Are you really going to step across that line?

Do not let the President and Mr. Chertoff commit such atrocities in the name of the Constitution you swore to uphold and protect.

If you do, I can only wonder what segment of our society will be next to the camps.

I pray no person in your family is Gay.

Stephen C. Webster

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker at Friday, December 22, 2006 | Permalink | Comments