To the editors:



Re: “Sophomore Takes on the Border,” magazine, May 3:

Something is truly upsetting about Kyle De Beausset and his story. I’m not upset about the plight of migrant workers; I’m simply upset about the twisted truth of the entire story. I have relatives that hire migrant workers to work on their farms. Each worker legally entered the United States and has the required documentation to work here. If you ask any one of them how bad their trip to the U.S. was, you would get the same story: The journey didn’t involve escaping bandits along a highway. It was, at most, an uncomfortable trip on a crowded bus.

So, what did Kyle really learn? He gained insight into what it takes to enter the U.S. illegally. Gee, it was scary. It is probably just as scary to deal drugs or rob banks. De Beausset was trying to get a feeling for what it’s like to break the law, not to be a migrant worker. In fact, there are many migrant workers in the U.S. that did everything the legal way. Personally, I find it offensive when someone tries to make me feel sorry for the plight of a criminal.



LINDON T. HOGNER

Bixby, Okla.

May 5, 2006