Exporting Danger: Venezuela's Gain, America's Burden
Exporting Danger: Venezuela's Gain, America's Burden
Venezuela is now a safer country while the United States deals with its criminal elements.
Thirty years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, thieves entered our home and tied up my father. Terrified that my mother would return from running errands and encounter the intruders, he indicated the location of our safe. They hastily left with her jewels, family silver, and my college graduation present: a beautiful gold necklace. My father was unharmed other than his peace of mind and a few shredded silk business ties, cut to pieces.
For years, the wide net of personal insecurity was cast until it captured our family. First, there were street muggings in "those" areas; carjackings to "other people," or armed robberies in beauty salons or restaurants. Progressively it became only one or two degrees of separation: break-ins to “a friend of friend”, intruders in one of my classmate's homes (she died of a gunshot wound, and her sister was raped)… In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before it happened to us.
Who has the audacity to rob a home on a Sunday at 4 PM? The answer is: Venezuelan thugs. What happened to our family was the straw that broke the camel's back. Soon after my parents sold our home, moved to an apartment with security, and plotted their next move. It was bold. My father divested his very profitable distributorship, sold their other properties, and left Venezuela for good. This was in 1991.
At the time, the Venezuela I knew and am grateful to have experienced was one of the top ten economies globally. Despite its oil and mineral abundance, the country's wealth was used to enrich the pockets of politicians, not to elevate the lives of the population. The middle class served as a cushion between the top and the bottom of the socioeconomic strata. For a few decades, this worked until it did not. Although we enjoyed a privileged lifestyle, the personal security cost was not worth it. We left early, a generation ago. Now approximately 25% of Venezuelans are scattered around the globe.
The numbers in the above chart depicts the exodus of those who were escaping the Nicolás Maduro regime. I shudder to think what kind of thugs are now crossing our open border. The ones from 30+ years ago were pretty audacious, but after a generation in a dictatorship strife with corruption and lawlessness, I'd venture it's a completely different criminal.
This is my urgent message: the Venezuelans entering under Biden’s open-door policy are not the entrepreneurial, hardworking escapees of the unlivable Maduro regime. Instead, they are gangsters, violent criminals, or drug traffickers - products of a society strifed with lawlessness, corruption, and cronyism.
Once again, the net feels dangerously close. Just a few years ago, I penned a memoir, guided by Jack Watts, a best-selling author and University of Georgia alum. My best friend and her daughter are both Bulldogs. This young lady is the same age as Riley Laken and her tragic story is a reminder of how close we are to suffering a similar loss.
Elections have consequences. Under Trump, our border would have been secure. These aren’t migrants, they are the worst kind of criminals. Government’s duty is to protect its citizens. This mass invasion was facilitated by the current administration’s policies. What do you think? Is this incompetence or treason? Could it be the execution of a broader agenda to broaden the shrinking base of the Democratic party? I submit, the only thing standing between a conspiracy theory and the truth is time.
Nonetheless, we must demand action from our representatives. They must close and secure the border immediately. Our lives depend on it. What’s the point of legislators, laws, and acts of Congress if you are maimed or dead?
Father God,
We lift up the Laken family in our prayers, along with all those who have suffered at the hands of violent crime. May your divine justice be swift upon the perpetrators and those complicit through neglect or breach of duty.
Lord, we beseech you to encircle with your protective embrace all those who remain steadfast in their faith. Grant wisdom and fortitude to those with the power to effect change in our nation. Bless with health and resilience those who stand against darkness and evil in the ongoing struggle for righteousness.
In Jesus name, our savior, we pray.
Amen
It is in vain to expect our prayers to be heard, if we do not strive as well as pray.
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