Voice of the people another view

the Karen president’s Kelley

Brawley

visit

I am writing after a long layoff, so here goes. I wanted to reiterate a special experience that my husband and I had a few weeks ago.

We found out that President Trump was coming to Imperial Valley to meet with the Border Patrol in Calexico and then survey the new part of the wall. Well, a visit from the president of the United States to the Imperial Valley is certainly not an everyday experience, and I began making inquiries as to how to go about seeing him. This proved to be quite involved.

There were three options, it seemed. Go out to the Naval Air Base, meet with others at Seeley, or go on down to the Calexico Border Patrol and try to see him there.

We opted to go to Calexico. Since all, or almost all of the streets were blocked off, due to the president’s arrival, it took us a good two hours to find where everyone was congregating at the Border Patrol. There were several hundred others waiting there and we joined the crowd.

You might think this was getting to be a wild goose chase. I know my husband did. However, as time went by, we all became acquainted, and it became fun to meet and share the experience with others. My husband enjoyed himself as much as I did. And a truck pulled up beside us from the San Diego TV crew to cover the story. We were interviewed by them but never saw the broadcast since we don’t get the San Diego TV stations.

Finally, the Border Patrol agents who were watching every move we made, announced that his entourage was approaching. There were at least 20 limousines that made their way into the confines of the Border Patrol offices. And we didn’t get a glimpse of the president. But when they left again to go to the border wall, they came by us again, and one of the cars slowed down and we saw the president. He waved to us and gave us a “thumbs up.” What a thrill.

It doesn’t matter which side of the political spectrum you are in a case like this special day.

We wanted our president to know that we welcomed him and were so happy that he came to our Imperial Valley.