Fantastic Displays of Holiday Generosity

We wrote earlier this week of the emotionally wrenching story of Rita Fernandez and her husband Humberto "Bert" Fernandez-Vargas. Mr. Fernandez-Vargas had been deported to Mexico in 2003, under circumstances where the cold application of federal law could not have clashed more harshly with the human equities of the circumstances.

One of our gentle readers framed it best, I think:

Curmudgeon said...

Let me see if I have this right.

We had a stable family, owning a home, paying a mortgage and other taxes, raising kids and running a small business. Following the deportation, we have lost a small business, a mortgage is in foreclosure, a stable family has been disrupted, and a wife and mother are about to become homeless and go on welfare to live.

I need a Compassionate Conservative to explain to me how "the people" have gained on this exchange.

In a truly fantastic display of holiday-season generosity, members of the greater community have rallied to the aid of the Fernandez family. Not only have the necessary funds been donated to cure the mortgage loan arrearages, but the sum of $45,000 has also been contributed, on very short notice, to pay off the entire mortgage, as Shane Farver reports in this morning's heart-warming Standard-Examiner story.

Whether this story would have had such a happy ending, had it occurred at any other time of the year, is anybody's guess, but congratulations are owed to the many people who reached into their pockets to help the Fernandez family.

Donations are still being accepted to finance Mr. Fernandez-Vargas's upcoming US Supreme Court appeal, whereby the Fernandez family seeks to overturn the deportation order and re-unite the family. For more details, read the Shane Farver story in today's Std-Ex.

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Marshall White Donations: Speaking of holiday generosity, and on a slightly different topic, I'll note in passing that donations can also be made to the Marshall White Center Sub For Santa Program which we discussed here on Tuesday. I spoke with program director Fritz Backman yesterday, and he'll be available until mid-afternoon today, to accept your generous donations. I'll note additionally that our gentle readers have been "coming through" on their pledges with some very sizeable contributions, and Mr. Backman thanks us all for our generosity. If you'd still like to help out the Marshall White Center kids, call Fritz today at 598-5170.

Reader comments are invited, as always.