Compassionate Water Tanks — What’s Their Purpose?
©Bert Gildart: I wasn’t real happy with my posted image showing a water tank, essentially because I wanted the words AGUA and WATER to leap out. The unintentional exclusion of the last letter of each word diminishes the impact.
Blame it on the fact that I had ridden my bike almost 20 miles on a day that approached the 100 degree mark and my mind could have been a bit addled. But the upside is that I now know something about heat, dramatized by the presence of the tanks.
Compassionate water tank just north of Mexican border near Agua Caliente
The tank is referred to as a “compassionate water tank,” and it is one of a number of barrels located south of Agua Caliente, meaning that they are located just a few miles north of the Mexican border. Each of the barrels contains jugs of water and virtually all will be consumed by undocumented immigrants, most of who are trying to find a better life for themselves in the US.
Ignoring the politics that engulf the issue of undocumented immigrants, groups who place the barrels here do so because they believe in human rights, and such compassion is significant. In other words, these humanitarians are simply expressing the belief through their actions that people should not die of heat exhaustion and dehydration because they want a better way of life.
Several years ago over two dozen illegals died, and none in this group was a drug runner. These people died horrible deaths in the desert, and might have survived had water been present.
In no way, however, should this posting be construed as one endorsing the presence of undocumented immigrants. The issues seem so complex and so nuanced that I have no real opinion, just simply trying to explain what is here. I’ve reported a bit on this subject before and if you also click the associated links you’ll see that I do recognize the compassionate aspects – but also the downside of undocumented immigrants, particularly as it has been affecting one of our national parks — and when it includes illegal drugs!
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October 25th, 2012 at 9:49 pm
[...] For five gloriously sunny days and clear nights, we enjoyed hiking, relaxing, and dining under the stars, while delighting in our camaraderie and thoughtful discussions. For example, we discussed the magnificent aspects of the desert and life that adapts and thrives here, and the importance of preservation efforts as noted in Bert’s article, “The Politics of Preserving Time“. We also discussed social issues, diversity of life, and the importance of water and compassion as noted in Bert’s article, “Compassionate Water Tanks — What’s Their Purpose?“. [...]
November 18th, 2012 at 11:45 am
[...] art“) and we took off on a short side trip for another opportunity to photograph the compassionate water tanks that Bert saw and photographed just last month, but they had mysteriously [...]