🚀 go-pugleaf

voter wrote:
> mrmcafee(nospam) wrote:
> 
>>
>>
>> gringogirl wrote:
>>
>>> I wonder if American Citzens can get free smoke detectors from the
>>> chicago fire department?
>>>  remember this "tradegy " happened to an illegal  mexican  who was in
>>> the United States for 16 years and found time to give birth to 9 anchor
>>> babies-
>>>  she had plenty of time to buy a smoke detector
>>>
>>>
>>> Mindful of tragedy, consulate offers smoke alarms
>>>
>>> By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons
>>> Tribune staff reporter
>>> Published October 11, 2006
>>>
>>>
>>> While applying for an identification card Tuesday at the Mexican
>>> Consulate in Chicago, Marta Mendoza received a free smoke detector from
>>>
>>> a firefighter.
>>>
>>>
>>> She said she was relieved to have one after six children of Mexican
>>> immigrants died in a Rogers Park fire a month ago.
>>>
>>>
>>> "It is my first one," Mendoza, a Mexican immigrant with two young
>>> children, said in Spanish as she held the smoke detector. "I've been
>>> scared. I don't want the same thing to happen to my family."
>>>
>>>
>>> The Chicago Fire Department began a program Tuesday to distribute fire
>>> detectors at the consulate, 204 S. Ashland Ave., to educate the city's
>>> largest immigrant population about fire safety.
>>>
>>>
>>> "We don't want another tragedy," said Consul General Carlos Manuel
>>> Sada, referring to the Rogers Park fire as he passed out more than 70
>>> boxes. "These are necessary."
>>>
>>>
>>> It is important to make sure every household has a smoke detector
>>> because there have already been 29 deaths in Chicago this year in homes
>>>
>>> without one, said Eve Rodriguez, a Fire Department spokeswoman.
>>>
>>>
>>> The department, which already provides free fire detectors at 100 fire
>>> stations and 50 ward offices, added the Mexican Consulate to the list
>>> of locations after receiving a request from the staff. The program is
>>> funded by private donations to the department. Fire detectors come with
>>>
>>> batteries and instructions in Spanish.
>>>
>>>
>>> Six children died Sept. 3 in a fire caused by a candle in a home that
>>> had been without power for months because the family could not pay the
>>> bill. Chicago fire officials have said they found no smoke detectors in
>>>
>>> the unit.
>>>
>>>
>>> The Mexican Consulate in Chicago flew the children's paternal
>>> grandparents from Mexico to attend services and provided them with a
>>> humanitarian visa, consulate officials said
>>>
>>>
>>> Fire detectors will be available at the reception desk at the Mexican
>>> Consulate, and the Fire Department will begin holding weekly classes to
>>>
>>> teach people how to use them this month, officials said.
>>>
>>>
>>> The service is a part of the consulate's attempt to reach out to the
>>> more than 1.5 million Mexican immigrants in Illinois beyond just
>>> issuing documents and filing paperwork, said Ambar Gilmore, a
>>> spokeswoman for the consul general. According to the 2000 U.S. census,
>>> there are 582,028 Mexican immigrants living in Chicago.
>>>
>>>
>>> The consulate offers free legal advice and a class on opening a bank
>>> account, along with providing flu vaccines and testing for sexually
>>> transmitted diseases, Gilmore said.
>>>
>>>
>>> "It's an office, but we help them out with every problem they
>>> encounter," Gilmore said. "We want to educate our people and give them
>>> a home away from home."
>>>
>>>
>>> Maria Gomez, a Mexican immigrant who lives in the Irving Park
>>> neighborhood, said she plans to tell family members to go to the
>>> consulate to get a smoke detector of their own. Many Mexican immigrants
>>>
>>> do not know they need one because fire detectors are less common across
>>>
>>> the border, she said.
>>>
>>>
>>> "Sometimes, you have so many things going on. But these [smoke
>>> detectors] are good at grabbing your attention," she said. "I'm going
>>> to tell my children this sound means danger."
>>
>>
>> I learn something every day! I had no idea that a smoke detector could 
>> serve as a US visa. Who would have figured!
>>
> A rotting fish or lettuce leaf with shit on it will serve as a US Visa 
> for Mexicans.

What serves for the Mexicans as a US Visa really doesn't count now ,does 
it? What I'm interested in is why does "gringogirl's" Subject line read 
that the Mexican Consulates are handing out US visas and then all she 
talks about is smoke detectors. Does she not know the difference? Is she 
a liar? Maybe ADD? What?

-- 
*******************
  Michael R. McAfee
      Mesa, AZ
*******************