Border reasoning
Re “A fitful flight from a Salvadoran scourge,” Feb. 16
El Salvador, like many other poor countries of the world, suffers from the maladies of poverty, which manifest themselves in many different ways but have the common denominators of political corruption, violence and high unemployment.
Although stories such as that of 16-year-old Mauricio Gomez — who was threatened by gangs in his native country and whose refugee status in the United States was jeopardized by the Trump administration — encourage empathy and compassion, we should exercise emotional self-control to effectively reform immigration policies in a way that is fair not only to those interested in coming to the United States, but also to the American people.
Sentimentality is a poor guide for making policy, and if we let our emotions take over, we would open our doors to the 40% of Salvadorans whose lives are also in danger and who hope to leave the country. Could the U.S. take in these 2.5 million people? Berta Graciano-Buchman Beverly Hills
This article describes the plight of a Salvadoran family with U.S. relatives who voted for President Trump. Why do so many immigrants from despotic regimes appear to like autocracy?
I am an immigrant of the post-World War II era. I, as well as most of my fellow immigrants, was grateful for the opportunity to live in a civil society and felt that liberal democracy gave us the opportunity to live a better life.
This has not necessarily been true of later generations of immigrants who fled despotism and violence. Some in Mauricio’s family voted for Trump, as I know other immigrants from Iran and the former Soviet Union did. From speaking to these people, I gather they that feel tolerance for opposing opinions is a sign of weakness.
I find it ironic that many who escaped autocracy yearn for it here. As for the undemocratic regimes abroad, how well has that worked out for their people? Michael Telerant Los Angeles