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The rest.........

It is said that he joined the Marines to give thanks to the United States of America for what it had permitted him to do, to become a solid contributing human being.

These three immigrant men died for us, regardless of whether or not we support the Iraq war. They died in combat, they died as Americans. The "green card" father of Suarez del Solar told us his son was an Aztec warrior.

Marines Garibay and Gutierrez may have died as "green card" immigrants, but they are being buried as American citizens, as United States Marines who gave their lives for this country, not Mexico, not Guatemala. They made the ultimate American sacrifice.

Compare that to vehement critics of immigrants, legal and illegal, who bravely give out interviews about how they are protecting America from hordes of immigrants and those dirty illegal aliens. Especially illegal immigrant ones like Jose Antonio Gutierrez, United States Marine, born a Guatemalan in1977; died an American in Iraq in 2003.

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U.S. Marine Cpl. Jose A. Garibay, who was killed Sunday March 23, 2003, after encountering Iraqi troops near An Nasiriyah, Iraq (news - web sites), is seen in this undated photo provided Tuesday, March, 25, 2003, by his family in Costa Mesa. Garibay was a native from Jalisco, Mexico, whose family moved to the United States when he was a baby. (AP Photo/Garibay family) Mar 25 3:39 PM

Marine Lance Cpl. Jesus Suarez Del Solar, 20, of Escondido, Calif., is shown in this undated family photo. Suarez, part of the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, was killed in combat in Iraq (news - web sites) Saturday March 29, 2003 his wife said Sunday, March 30. 2003. (AP Photo/Del Solar Family via San Diego Union-Tribune) - Mar 30 10:46 PM

The casket of Lance Cpl. Jose Antonio Gutierrez, one of the first American casualties from the war in Iraq (news - web sites), is carried from St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church April 7, 2003 in Lomita, California. Gutierrez, a native of Guatemala, was killed in combat during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. He was named a U.S. citizen posthumously. Leading the way at left is Cardinal Roger Mahoney. REUTERS/Jim Ruymen - Apr 06

I wonder if this fellow would like some cheese with his whine?
Speaking of hatred, illegal immigrant criminals is one topic, tourists are another. I stopped going to Mexico as a tourist. The anger and hatred is palpable.

Not looking like I am hispanic (and can understand) makes a world of difference.
What we have here is another "soldier" with mixed loyalties and definitely a chip on his shoulder.

I find it insulting that he resents Americans responding to threats with caution.

Obvioulsy the point the author of the article was making was that you can't paint an ethnicity with one giant brush. I'm on board with that statement. Why then, did he chose to paint all people that aren't rushing to Douglas, AZ. to hand out desert survival kits to people breaking in to our country as horrible people? And I personally think that when you have a movement in the southwestern United States to 'reconquista' lands that were acquired in the mid 19th century it is a perfectly valid question to ask which side you would fight on. But i am obviously just a biggoted white guy that hates everyone south of the Rio Grande

"If Mexico (the country of my birth) and the United States were fighting each other in a war, which side would you be on," he smugly asked. He didn't realize that such a question was and is an insult to me and thousands like me who have served and do serve in the American armed forces.

I can see where this type of question can be construed as an insult. I see it like this. Many Americans wonder about those in the US of Muslim faith because it does not seem that the vast majority of them have rose up and state - hey, we are not a part of those who want to kill you. With certain organizations within the US that loudly talk about annexing parts of the US back to Mexico, with Vincente Fox encouraging Mexicans to illegally cross over, with the Mexican army guarding their southern border; the rest of America does not see those immigrants who want to be Americans raising their voices in protest to these actions.

The question is not asked to Italians, Irish, etc., because those groups do not have some "spokesman" demanding a part of the US to house Italians, etc. When a black American boxer is fighting a white non-American boxer, I do not cheer for the white guy. I cheer for the American. When Americans see an Hispanic team cheered more than the American team in a soccer match, something is wrong.

One of their shared views is that illegals (and all Hispanic immigrants) come to America to suck off the public trough; to suck up welfare; to steal jobs, and to otherwise simply live off the fat of the land.

All one needs to do is look at the extremely high rates of welfare useage along the border to realize very many are coming to suck up welfare. In some border counties the welfare rate is 35-50% and even higher. 34% overall for Mexican immigrants ----that's very high. Opinions would change if more illegals bothered to buy their own health insurance instead of expecting this be given to them at no cost except to the taxpayers.

That is not true. First, a huge number of Hispanics are less than 18 years old, thus, the percentage of the general population that military age Hispanics comprise is far lower than 13%.

How much?

Moreover, over half are women.

Over half of whites, blacks and Asians are women.

Secondly, Hispanics comprise a huge percentage of the armed forces that are defined as "combat arms," AKA fighting men.

Huge? Personally, I don't care about the numbers, it's not very important, but since the author brought the subject up, he ought to try to get it right.

One of my best friends in the Air Force was hispanic. His parents came from Mexico, but he was American. There are many hispanics in the military and they would often ask him if he was Mexican (since there are also, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, etc..). He would point to the patch on his arm (U.S. Air Force) and ask rhetorically, "Does that say Mexico? If I were Mexican, I'd join the Mexican Air Force." This would generally be returned with virtiol which probably would have led to a fight were he not so big.

I can't count how many Mexican flags I saw flying on the cars of Mexican American servicemen while I was in. I now live in Japan where I don't see many Americans of any persuasion, but I doubt things have changed for the better. If the author wanted to fully address the problem, he would be a bit more objective. I believe that most Mexican Americans serving in the armed forces are good Americans, but assimilation requires you leave the "Old World" behind and scratch the Mexican to become American, no hyphenation. That is all we ask, and doing so will win more support than they probably imagine.