Don't get me wrong, I am not an "open borders" advocate in the traditional sense. Frankly, our borders ARE open, all we ask is that you obey US law to get here.

But I do have compassion for illegal aliens who have crossed the border from Mexico, as long as they're here for honest purposes. After all, these are men and women trying to provide the best opportunity they can for their family. Most know what they are doing and assume the risks; when they are casualties of those risks, they don't get my sympathy, but they do get my understanding.

I am a firm believer in civil disobedience. But with civil disobediance comes the responsibility to pay the penalty if your actions are discovered. If the situation were reversed, I'd be across the Mexican border in a heartbeat, if that's what it took to provide the best opportunity I could for my family.

While I do sympathize, I don't advocate putting water stations in the desert. I DO advocate for programs like the minutemen program that try to apprehend illegals, so long as the law is followed in their apprehension. But I cannot help but understand the mentality of many of these workers.

When I first worked with a good number of illegals, in the mine, I didn't understand. But through the months, these men became more than just coworkers; my life could well depend on the trust that had to develop between us. As I came to know their stories, their families, their hopes and dreams, one thought struck me above all others:

We weren't so different after all.