When the name Andrew Tahmooressi comes to mind, many have no idea who I am speaking about. Andrew Tahmooressi, long story short, is a decorated marine who served two tours in Afghanistan in an infantry role. He was meritoriously promoted through combat to the rank of Sergeant. Now, why does he stick out, many may ask?
On March 31st of this year, after being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, he planned on meeting some friends for lunch. After missing an exit, he soon found Mexican authorities surrounding him. He called 911, saying, “Hi, I’m having a little bit of an emergency here…I’m at the border of Mexico right now. My problem is, I crossed the border by accident and I have three guns in my truck, and they’re trying to…take my guns from me.”
All three guns and the respective ammunition were legally owned by Andrew Tahmooressi. However, the Mexican authorities would have none of that. Not sure if he had even crossed the border or not, Andrew Tahmooressi was taken into custody and imprisoned in Tecate, Mexico. He has been there since March 31st, 2014 – nearly 7 months.
The United States gave over $265 million to Mexico in foreign aid alone in 2013. Thousands of alien Mexican children are educated in our public school systems every year. Thousands of workers come from Mexico legally every year to ship the money they earn back home to Mexico. So my question is, with all the help that we give Mexico and the Mexican people every year, shouldn’t the release of one marine who went to Mexico unintentionally be a no-brainer?
The problem is that Mexico is currently attempting to show off on the world stage. Many “political actors,” defined as anyone or any group that influence the international political climate, are attempting to use Sergeant Tahmooressi, a war hero, as a pawn for their own personal gain. This only complicates his releasing.
According to Tahmooressi’s mother, he attempted to take his own life in April since he was scared he would be tortured and raped by the Mexican prison guards. From his experiences in Afghanistan, Tahmooressi suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. This experience can only add on to his already pent-up mental angst.
I would make the argument that Andrew Tahmooressi probably feels abandoned by the country that he risked his life for. If the administration in power had any kind of backbone, he would have been released on April 1st. Regardless of the politics of the situation, Chardon High School can help make a difference in Andrew Tahmooressi’s life.
Therefore, upon the release of Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi, Chardon High School will send over 1000 letters expressing our gratitude for the sacrifices that he has made in his 25 year life. We will also be sure to find out his favorite sorts of snacks (i.e, candies, other sorts of comfort foods) and send time what could be considered a lifetime supply. He will know that the Chardon community has not given up on him.
In order for this to work, the entire school needs to be onboard. Therefore, I ask for every reader’s support in this project. We will make this work.