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Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Welcome. If you’re legal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s talk about immigration.
Unless you are a Native American, you are descended from immigrants. The reason that people immigrate to the U.S. is because of the wonderful opportunities offered to those who are willing to work hard. Too, there are some countries out there (more than we should tolerate) who oppress their own people, who kill, torture and maim their own citizens because of differing values, attitudes, beliefs and creeds.
No country enjoys more freedom, no country is more just than the United States. People from foreign lands admire us and to want to take a part of what we, and those before us, have created. We are far from perfect, but we are the best of the rest. I don’t think anybody would argue with that.
And yes, immigrants have built our country. They worked in our mines, they built our railroads, our houses, our city buildings and our highways. Immigrants were and are instrumental in creating our culture. China and India have existed as a culture and society for well over 5,000 years, longer than anything in Western Civilization. Egypt, the Middle East, they are the cradle of Western Civilization. Cultures and countries have existed in Europe going back 2,500 years.
America is 230 years old. Nothing in our culture is inherently American. Our music and dance finds its roots in African culture. Art comes from Europe and from Native Americans. Our cuisine is a hodgepodge of everything. The Melting Pot absorbed the best of everything, cooked it all together, and created what we now know as American culture. Our culture is bold, it is brash, it is hopeful, and it has a chip on its shoulder. Just like its citizens.
The common theme to all of this is that immigrants have given to America as much as they have taken. They became Americans. They learned to speak English. They abided by and helped to create our laws. They may have congregated in communities united by a shared heritage (Little Italy, Chinatown), but they paid their taxes to the United States, which fund Social Security, Medicare, schools and roads. Immigrants fought for the United States in times of war, and they built the United States in times of peace.
The greatest thing about America is its sense of fair play. It is our highest ideal. Oftentimes, we (more our government than our citizens, I think) fall short of this ideal, but we always aspire to it.
The issue of immigration today is whether or not those who come into our country are willing to hold up their end of the bargain. If they enter this country illegally, then they start off by cheating. And Americans, no matter what, do NOT accept cheaters. Nothing makes us angrier than a cheat. Illegal immigrants take advantage of services to which they do not contribute. Medicine, schools, housing. By entering this country illegally and by advancing themselves accordingly, they violate our sense of fair play. It’s that simple.
THIS is the issue. Not how many come, not from whence they come, but HOW they come. Set up your drycleaners, nail salons, restaurants, import companies. Whatever it is that you want to do to succeed and make life better for you and your children. By all means do so. Hispanic, Asian, African, European, it doesn’t matter. Welcome to America, and good luck to you.
But do it legally. Give back to this country that which you take. If you can’t do that, go home. If you won’t go home, we’ll make you go home. If an immigrant comes illegally, then they don’t get what America is about. They will never be able to make the contributions necessary to what makes America as great as it is because they cannot fundamentally understand it. If the very reason that you are here is because you broke the law, then you have no business being here.
It’s that simple.
What do you think?
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