"Mexican illegal immigrants in the United States face a higher risk of illness and death from limited access to health care, according to a new study announced this week by Mexico's health ministry ." Don't you love it when the other half of the comparison is left out? Higher risk compared to what, or whom, or where? Those left behind in Mexico? Right. Because Mexico's healthcare is so wonderful, no one would want to leave that country.

The Mexicans also endure higher rates of drug addiction, HIV/AIDS and mental health problems when they move to the United States. "While in Mexico addictions average 0.9 percent of the population, among Mexican migrants in the United States addictions affect 6.2 percent of members of that community, which is six times more than what is found in Mexico," said Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos.

Words are such slippery things. Illegals here "endure" drug addiction, HIV, or mental health problems. What a colorless verb, "endure," active voice but passive in connotation: there's nothing the illegals do that accounts for their drug addiction, HIV, and mental health problems. No, no, just more of the discrimination visited upon them by the gringos. First they pay coyotes thousands of dollars to lead them across the desert, often robbed and raped in the process, then the gringos force them to take drugs and infect them with HIV. "And regarding mental illnesses, in Mexico they affect 6.4 percent of the population and in the United States 15.4 percent of the migrants of Mexican origin." In Mexico they're just crazy about going north. Their dream achieved, they really do go crazy. Gee, sounds so dire north of the border I guess no one wants to come here anymore.

"One in three Mexicans lack access to medical care when they move to the United States and only one-fifth of them have health insurance." How is it that even one-fifth has health insurance? Sounds pretty high to me. I mean, once they've stolen a Social Security number and a new identity, wouldn't they all be clamoring to make payments to an insurance company? And one in three lacks access to health care? Whenever healthcare "advocates" whine about "access," the word never includes trips to the emergency room. No, Americans just step over those dying in the streets because we're too cold hearted to admit them to the hospital.

And Mexicans are fed up with our attitude: "Results of the health study were announced at a time of growing resentment in Mexico about demands in the United States for a tougher political stance against illegal immigration." Yes, "growing resentment in Mexico": we're the ones with the attitude problem. Where's the UN when you need them? Time for that august body to pass a resolution declaring that crossing the US border is a universal human right.

Don't worry, though, Jorge Bustamante, professor at the Northern Border College in Tijuana, Mexico, "suggested that the U.S. government work more closely with the Mexican government to resolve illegal immigration." So it's our fault. I guess the Mexican government has been "reaching out," to use one of the favorite locutions of the diplomatic community, while we've been slapping the hand away. Because surely the Mexican government wishes to "resolve" this issue, if only we would "reach out" to them. Now that's the solution. Why didn't some gringo think of that?

Henry Percy is the nom de guerre for a technical writer living in Arizona. He may be reached at saler.50d@gmail.com.