Lack of respect for the rule of law vastly increases the possibility of tragedy. That axiom was proven on a fateful day in October after one American family's tragic encounter with an immigrant who had made a mockery of the rule of law by coming to America illegally.
Because of that choice to evade the law, lives were shattered.
In her own words, Mona Kilborn of Marshalltown, Iowa described the tragedy her family suffered in a letter in the editorial section of the Times-Republican. In her own words:
"Looking for a better life?" By Mona Kilborn
"Many of us have heard the often repeated phrase, "They are just looking for a better life," referring to the illegal aliens flooding into the U.S. That may be true for some—we don't know—but for some it is absolutely false. Case in point—our family's experience with an illegal alien.
"The date: October 7, 2007. Place: 18th Ave. and Anson St., Marshalltown. Event: An illegal alien with a fake driver's license ran two stop signs, crossed three lanes, and broadsided us at a high rate of speed and rolled our van over.
"My Mother . . . Dead. My husband . . . Broken back, broken hand, four broken ribs, many lacerations, including glass still embedded in his face. My Dad . . . Eight crushed ribs, abdominal injuries and surgery, dead spouse. Myself . . . Dead Mother, lacerations, broken ribs. Another passenger with us . . . lacerations.
"Now for the consequences. For the illegal alien driving—a stop sign violation. The fine—$0. Apparently, when one is looking for a better life there is no money for fines!
"For the owner of the vehicle allowing someone to drive without a license—fines and court costs totaling $182. Apparently, I.C.E. (Immigration Customs Enforcement) took the driver, and we assume she was deported.
"We have no closure, as we don't even know what happened to the woman who killed my mother. The court record states that she no longer requires supervised probation (for a prior charge), since she is out of the country. We do wonder if she is back in the U.S. with new fake papers. We probably will never know.
"When others have been deported, we hear wailing about families being separated. Our family was broken. In our case the illegal alien was into family disruption—our family. So we are left holding the bag—medically, emotionally, and financially.
"The consequences for our family have been somewhat higher! Already the medical costs are approaching a half million dollars. The amount of pain, both physical and emotional, is beyond description.
"Family and friends have to deal with the loss of my mother—a very vibrant and active woman. My Dad has lost his soulmate and now lives with us as he recovers. Dad spent two weeks at the University of Iowa and endured surgery, I.C.U., and unbelievable pain. My husband had surgery for his broken back, spent two weeks in the hospital and now, two months after surgery, is still working hard to recover.
"The lifelong implications are still unknown. I took a month off work and still provide care for my Dad and husband. As for the teen with us—who knows what the psychological consequences are? Plus the amount of paperwork for insurance is nearly a full-time job. Another hidden cost is the disability that my husband's employer pays while he can't work.
"So the next time you hear the phrase "they're just looking for a better life," you might just wonder at whose expense. We accessed the Iowa Court online public information. What a list of charges we found for the driver and the owner of the vehicle that hit us! There was a long list, including but not limited to, methamphetamine, O.W.I. twice, assault causing bodily injury, child endangerment—multiple charges, passing a stopped school bus, disorderly conduct, failure to have a valid license (to solve that she got a fake license), multiple charges for the owner of the vehicle, serious assault, no insurance, failure to have vehicle registration, etc.
"When illegal aliens break the law to get into the U.S., why should anyone be surprised when they continue to break laws?
I do feel sorry for the families fleeing a totalitarian type of government. Our forefathers were there more than 200 years ago. Our answer was to throw off the yoke and make this country a good place to live. I suggest these illegal aliens use their energy to do the same in their home country.
"At this point many yell the word "racist." Not so. Our family understands how to legally bring someone to the U.S. We adopted four children from other countries. We followed all the rules—getting fingerprinted at the police station, filling out numerous documents, paying all fees—in other words, following the laws of the U.S.
"Our first international adoption was in 1974, and at that time all aliens had to report to the post office to show the alien registration card yearly. Of course, we did that as it was the law.
"We also fostered children from other countries who came to the U.S. for medical care. Paperwork was difficult, but again we did it. I can't imagine trying to sneak them into the U.S., even though some came for lifesaving open heart surgery. There is a process in place for coming to the U.S., whether it's for adoption, immigration or even a tourist visa.
"There were some good parts in the past few bleak months. The tremendous outpouring of love, support, and prayers from many friends and relatives was unbelievable.
"The local police have been fantastic—they are brilliant and caring. What a comfort Marshalltown Police Officer Rick Lang was at the Emergency Room. An off duty policeman (Officer Hanken) arrived soon after the accident and was a godsend to me as he took over attending to my Mom before the EMT's arrived. That let me help others injured in our van.
"The firefighters came with the "jaws of life." So many at M.M.S.C. and the University of Iowa Hospital were wonderful. After two weeks in the hospital, my husband needed medical equipment—walker, wheelchair, etc. We were so surprised that we could borrow the items from Hellberg's Jewelry Store—they store and check out the items for the American Legion Post #46.
"Friends brought food and offered to help in any way they could. Many put us on prayer chains. Ladies who didn't even know me handmade a prayer shawl. Our children appeared to do all Fall yard work, firewood for the winter, etc. Neighbors tended to our home while we were gone. The list goes on and on.
"As for the rest of the story, we continue to heal and grieve. We count our blessings for what we still have. As for the people responsible for our grief, you may wonder if they ever contacted us to express any sorrow. The answer is no. Perhaps they were busy 'looking for a better life.'"
The New American magazine plans to cover this very soon and is hoping to document how often this occurs, but even once is too many.
In the meantime, Congress has brought forward the S.A.V.E. Act of 2007 (H.R. 4088), which to us, is inadequate as a means for solving the illegal immigration crisis, and which includes some dangerous connections to the Real I.D. Act. Contact your elected officials today, and tell them we expect effective Congressional action to solve illegal immigration.
If you're interested in helping further, consider helping us raise awareness of the even bigger problem of which illegal immigration is just a part: the North American Union. Spread the word by downloading a free P.D.F. of our "Merger in the Making" issue of The New American magazine or donate to our million magazine fundraiser.
Thank you for your help.
The John Birch Society
Standing for Family and Freedom Since 1958
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