“Letter from a Grandmother on Our Children’s Health”
March 9, 2005
This is a letter from a grandparent who's grandchild has been affected by ASARCO and their pollution in the soil of El Paso.
Written by Letter to the Editor, El Paso Times
Dear Editor:
I hope you will print the following letter in its entirety. If it needs to be edited, I would appreciate doing the editing myself.
Thank you
Margaret Ramirez Bishop
My daughter and her husband moved to El Paso four years ago to be near my husband and I in Southern New Mexico. El Paso was the closest place my daughter’s husband, a career military officer, could be posted. It meant so much to me to have her and our year old grandaughter close by. Although we have two older grandchildren, it brought my husband and I new life to be part of our baby grandaughter’s life. I have loved my children more than words can express, but my grandchildren have a special place in my heart.
A year after their move, we heard about the EPA findings of soil contamination. When these findings were made public my daughter had her child tested. I cannot describe the pain when I found out that our precious granddaughter had very high levels of lead in her blood, or the anger, that my daughters’ home for which they had worked so hard, was the site of contamination from ASARCO.
To this day, my daughter who is so righteously angry about the harm that was done to her child, continues to publicly speak out about it. Although I am always willing to support my daughter, I cannot attend any of her rallies or speeches, because it is far too painful for me.
I cannot forgive El Paso for being the place that allowed my grandchild to be harmed by lead and arsenic in the soil. I cannot forgive the politicians, the health officials, the people who knew that these industrial pollutants were harmful—I cannot forgive them not only for allowing my grandchildren but any child in El Paso to be harmed.
How many of the futures of your children and grandchildren will continue to be compromised before you El Paso parents and grandparents take action.
To other parents and grandparents who never knew the danger of the industrial contaminants from ASARCO, I say, let’s get together, let’s learn the facts, and let us stand up for our future generations.
GRANDPARENTS AGAINST ASARCO
Margaret Ramirez Bishop
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