A Failure of Two Countries Ruben Valdovinos Cortes, October 24, 1982 – October 2, 2010
Posted by Rose in Desperate Exes, John J. Nazarian, John J. Nazarian P.I, John Nazarian, John Nazarian PI, Nazarian P. I.
On October 2, 2010 at 4 A.M. at the General Hospital in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico a friend and a son as well as a brother died of AIDS. He never got to see his 28th birthday. The story is one of the saddest that I have been involved with, and the pain I am feeling is just terrible and the only outlet I have is to tell Ruben’s story here on my blog. It is times like this that I understand that I do have a great deal of compassion I sometimes wonder if I have much anymore. For at this time I am in a state of emotional pain and devastation, and I am pleased to have these feelings. My concern, is that as I have grown older I do feel the pain of others at times, but I also feel numb to the stupidity and anguish of some of what I see and read about, both in my work as well as what I read and see in the news. These feelings of pain and anguish are normal and healthy, and most of all a process of healing, even for me.
There is a Marion County Sheriff, Salem, Oregon that should be very very proud of himself, good “police work!” Approximately 18 months ago, it was a deputy who sealed… …I had the authority to enforce the law, there was the “letter” of the law and there was the “spirit” of the law. … ….I always sided on the thought “give a break” when I could. Why do you ask? Easy, “there but by the grace of God go I.” Or, was it all the coppers who cut John J. Nazarian a break way back when I was a real “ADAM HENRY”…
…Ruben [Valdovinos Cortes] had been in the United States most of his 28 years, coming from Mexico as a child with no choice at the age of 4 (some of these kids never return to Mexico, hell some don’t even speak Spanish, the US is all they know). Attended school and graduated Mendota High School, Fresno County, California (I can remember sending Ruben money for his cap and gown, it was just the thing to do). Ruben had all the same dreams that every teenager who graduates has, onward to bigger and better things! He applied for his green card through the Catholic Charities in Fresno, California, reaching for the Dream… …All was on target and the months turned into years and one day a letter comes, the letter denied Ruben further access for a green card, his blood test came back “HIV POSITIVE”. …but he had lived here since he was 4 or 5, did that not mean anything? Graduated from school and worked hard and paid taxes, and did more to take care of his brothers and sisters than many fathers do. God Bless America, America the Beautiful, the land of plenty…well for some anyway.
Typical of Ruben, he was upset but set his goals to going back to work and seeing if in time things would change…they did in early 2009… …It would almost seem Ruben’s future was written in whatever pain and grief one life’s could be written….was it all just written in some book that this would be the trail Ruben would have to follow, was this just a sick celestial gag? He would be sent off to Arizona and be held in Federal Detention… …however some of his medical needs were being met and he was dealing with the issues at hand, he was relatively healthy and alive! But his situation soon changed….
…. Ruben tried to find work any place he could and a place to live and to just live a life in a place that was as foreign to him as it was home for his mother.. …One positive was that Ruben had learned Spanish…can you imagine if he had not spoken Spanish?
…well do not feel too bad, they do the very same things to their own people…even someone who is forced to return to his “homeland,” after living almost his entire life in what seemed like his country, the good ol’ U.S. of A. Ruben would become so sick that he would search out his mother. Funny, is it not, when we cry out it is always for the ones you hope can help, help she did in her own way. Ruben’s mother lives in her extremely humble cinder block shack with tin shutters and no running water hot or cold, and… …When I saw him I knew it was not going to be good. Ruben had a look I had seen hundreds of times, yes I said HUNDREDS of times in San Francisco and in Los Angeles. …Why am I such a SOB, there is one little clue! It is a look that we saw in documentaries of concentration camps, the bony structure of the face and the sunken eyes of the survivors. Ruben was dying and I…
…Understand this, and hear my pain, had a deputy sheriff in Salem, Oregon showed a little compassion and… …Ruben could have lived many more years. And if this miserable rat trap called Mexico could show a little compassion for its own people, perhaps Ruben could have seen a few more birthdays in his “new” country, after all he was one of its “sons” returning to his “home” compliments of the United States. Ruben Valdovinos Cortes died in Nogales, Mexico on October 2, 2010 at 4 AM, alone, in a place that was as foreign to him as it would be for you or me.
There is so much anger in my body at what happened to Ruben that I cannot clearly express it, my language is tame compared to what I want to scream towards the heavens. Ahhhh but what the hell, now we get to deal with a Mexican Mortuary… …none of these protections are available to protect the people of Mexico from the vultures in the funeral business that they must deal with, like Funerales Y Crematorio – J.G. Noriega, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. …I had my sons pay these ridiculous fees, knowing we were getting screwed to the wall…what else could I do….

…And just as I paid for Ruben’s cap and gown for his graduation from high school, I am now paying for his body to be cremated so that he can be placed with his grandmother’s remains in some far away place in Mexico. I have asked for some of his ashes to be kept here in my home…as it seems he has as much right to spend eternity here with us as in Mexico. One of the most painful things for me now is the thought, could I have done more? …I will always have these thoughts.
My final thoughts: I, John J. Nazarian hold the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, Salem, Oregon, The United States of America as well as Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos responsible for the death of Ruben Valdovinos Cortes. Many of you will have opinions as to my findings on the short life and the death of Ruben. Simple, real simple, all I have to say is tread lightly if you disagree with me, and if you agree with me I still have lots more tears to shed.
To the read the complete article of two countries failing in a moral responsibility to this young man you can read the full article at Desperate Exes.com.
http://desperateexes.com/2010/10/06/ruben-valdovinos-cortes-october-24-1982-october-2-2010/.
©John J. Nazarian
October 7, 2010
Used with the permission of John Nazarian P. I. – writer
All Rights Reserved, do not reproduce in whole or in part without the express written consent of the author.
The expressions in this blog article are based on the opinions of our featured author, John Nazarian, please remember we are not lawyers and those opinions expressed here are each of our individual opinions and should not be taken as legal advice and/or legal opinions. The comments following this blog article are the opinions and sole property of the blog site members and do not necessarily reflect those of the site owners.
Please also read our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.
Tags: ADAM HENRY, AIDS, America the Beautiful, applied for his green card, Arizona, bony structure, California, cap and gown, Catholic Charities, concentration camps, could I have done more, Desperateexes.com, documentaries, documentaries concentration camps, Failure of Two Countries, Federal Detention, Federal Detention Center, Fresno California, Fresno County, Fresno County California, Funerales Y Crematorio, Funerales Y Crematorio - J.G. Noriega, General Hospital, God Bless America, good “police work, green card, green card denied, HIV, HIV - Green Card, HIV death, HIV only the rich, HIV patiend refused medical treatment, J.G. Noriega, John J. Nazarian P. I., Los Angeles, Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Marion County Sheriff, medical needs, Mendota High School, Mexican Mortuary, miserable rat trap, Nogales, Nogales Mexico, Nogales Sonora Mexico, October 2 2010, Oregon, Ruben Valdovinos Cortes, Ruben was dying, Salem Oregon, San Francisco, scream towards the heavens, sick celestial gag, Sonora Mexico, speak Spanish, sunken eyes, the land of plenty, there but by the grace of God, United States, United States - Mexico, “letter” of the law, “spirit” of the law
Entries (RSS)
John, my condolences to you and the family of Ruben. Such a sad loss of a young man with so much to give.
Anyone here in the U.S.A. since the age of 4 should be allowed to stay. Let them get their citizenship, work, pay their taxes and continue to contribute towards the betterment of all. Our country is made up of those who have come from other countries to better their lives just as we continue to better ours.
I’m sorry for your loss.
Sammy1
John,
This breaks my heart. I am one who believes in the American dream and that the sky is the limit, however, the dream sometimes seems out of reach for many. I pray that he’s at peace and won’t ever have to worry again. God bless his family and friends.
Oh John so much pain and frustration with these idiots in your story…Bean Counters are running the world these days and the free movement of people is more and more monitored.
I live in a country stuck on stupid when it comes to Boat People, but I had reason to travel into town to buy a cable and I was walking behind a brother and his 3 sisters from Sudan. They walked so proud and were dressed beautifully and I just smiled.. we made that happen. The UN Refugee system.
So many arguments for and against.. but where in this is the humanity. And what percentage are illegals to how many immigrants they take each year.. and I know we can’t look after our own let alone illegal immigrants but for fuck sake they are humans not cattle…
My condolences for your friend John. I hope you turn your grief into a positive thing and try and stop this same story happening again and again. You are lucky in having a platform with your Blog that has an audience. A landslide starts with a pebble.
John your article bought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat that will not go away.I am so sorry for your and his families loss.Things like thus should not happen in this country.The divisiveness this country is facing IMO has not been felt since the civil war. How people can treat others this way is a crime and a sin.These fake christians say this is the thing to do,well than let them face the same circumstances.Things like this and the suicides of young men of late breaks my heart.
Thank you guys, it is odd that I dont know any of you, still your kind words are nice to read, thank you.
John
I’m sorry for your loss John. When we loose someone we are close to it doesn’t matter the circumstances we become angry. Maybe somewhere somehow something good can from from this situation. I would have no idea how to change the laws about things like that but it sounds like something needs to be done. Being booted out of the only country you have ever know after having been here LEGALLY all that time just isn’t right. HIV Positive being the “excuse” to do it is sickening. We have the best available care here in this country and Mexico doesn’t have shit. It’s heartbreaking he was sent back there knowing he would die. I do hope he is at peace and that you and his family can find that as well.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_bullying_one_town;_ylt=ApBTjgdlnDVvsicqI.wuao79xg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTMybDVxZ2JzBGFzc2V0Ay9zL2FwL3VzX2J1bGx5aW5nX29uZV90b3duBGNjb2RlA21wX2VjXzhfMTAEY3BvcwM2BHBvcwM2BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDMW9oaW9zY2hvb2w0 saw this story on yahoo today and it really relates to this story.I don’t know how to shorten it so Help Ken thanks
Oh so it automatically goes to link if it is long??? Glad to know that.
The Lord will hold all of Ruben’s loved ones in His arms until you are ready to stand on your own again and we all send you our strength and caring thoughts to help you. You, John, hold Ruben’s legacy in your heart. Use the love you have for him and he won’t have died in vain.
Having said that, may we join you putting a few fists through a wall? I don’t know the answers to our immigration or other conflicts right now. All I do know is that we have to find the right balance of compassion and effectiveness and the wisdom to know what that is.
Again to all of you, thanks for the kind words,
thanks so much, John & Sons