Letter to the editor
Posted April 28, 2010 at 9:23 pm in Opinion
Illegal means illegal
I’m writing in response to the article written by Angad Singh on April 26, titled “Immigration Debate Needs Humanization.” Singh wrote: “No one is illegal. A human cannot be illegal.” He went on to write, “We have to understand the plight of illegal immigrants entering our state,” and that “amnesty should be granted to the present illegal immigrants.” To say I found his article offensive would be an understatement.
My great grandfather came to this country legally. He came through Ellis Island, submitted his paperwork, and the only English he knew was “Hey mister, ya gotta job?” Like most Americans, he struggled during the Great Depression to provide for his family, but he managed to do so ethically — without cutting other people in line. He never took a dime of welfare and still sent all three of his children to college. He was grateful to America, the land of opportunity. He was a man of integrity and had a work ethic.
Similarly, my neighbor back in San Diego is sponsoring his brother, his wife and three children from Vietnam. They waited seven years to come here, making a lot of personal sacrifices to do so. And while there are thousands, if not millions, around the world who are still waiting in line to come here, Singh thinks rewarding current illegal immigrants with amnesty is an acceptable solution. This idea is anything but fair.
Singh wrote, “Are [illegal immigrants] really doing the wrong thing in trying to provide basic necessities for their families and provide better lives for their children?” My answer to this is, “Yes, if they are cutting other people in line to come here.”
Since when did one human being’s right to provide for his family take precedence over another human being’s right to provide for his family?
Is stealing an apple from one person’s hungry child to feed another person’s hungry child wrong?
Of course.
To disagree with the law recently passed in Arizona is one thing, but to defend the criminals — yes, criminals — who cut other hard-working human beings in line for entrance to this country is ridiculous. And while I also disagree with several phrasings in the recently passed Arizona immigration bill SB 1070, to make the jump from disagreeing with this bill to supporting illegal immigration is absurd.
I support legal immigration — if you take the time to come to America legally. But if you sneak across the border, you are trespassing. You are a criminal. And you deserve to be punished.
Yes, illegal immigrants are not commodities — they are human beings. But so are those who they cut in line.
Blake Spencer
Sophomore, business administration
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The government made a huge mistake allowing this problem to continue to fester for years.. Arizona had to do something to protect it’s LEGAL citizens/Americans..One only has to spend some time there to see what they are up against, the crime, the kidnappings, the murders, the drugs that are all out of control. About 70% of Arizonans ( dems and repubs!) are for it. About 65% of all Americans in this country (legally), are also for it. It is time for us to stop bending over backwards, protecting the ILLEGAL (illegal means you have broken the law, OUR laws..), immigrants and start protecting us, the citizens of this country, especially in crime ridden places like L.A. that have illegal immigrant gangland murders every day , of innocent children, hit and run murders, rapes, kidnappings, you name it..we are going through similar problems that Arizona is having..so when is enough, enough!? I am asked to show my Driver’s License many times through the week when doing transactions, at stores, banks, if a tail light is out, etc. I do it gladly. Why is it too much to ask of EVERYONE, no matter what race, color or creed, to also have to display some sort of I.D.? This is racial profiling? If I have to show my I. D., shouldn’t it be the same for ALL? For there to be ‘justice for all”? Why me, and not everyone else too? Heck, if I have to show my I.D. and I AM an American, what do we call it if illegals DON’T have to show anything because that is not politically correct…But I do?? Let’s come up with some politically correct name for that kind of ‘profiling”…Americans have to show I.D. but illegals don’t and shouldn’t have to because we are worried it might be perceived as racial profiling..give me a break!
Meghan
Ras, one of the main reasons Mexico is “pathetic” is because of NAFTA and our continued ratification of it. This act has crippled the agricultural business in Mexico and made life there terrible. It makes me livid when I hear people complain about how Mexicans are crossing the border to simply escape their own, self-made third world country. The US does need significant immigration reform for fisical reasons, but until quit adhering to NAFTA, we have absolutely no right to condemn people who flee to the US to seek a better life.
The main issue is Mexico is so pathetic even Mexicans do not want to live in it. Mexico is allowing it’s 3rd world problems to spill over the border. I thought Latino Pride actually meant something but it seems to mean “run away to another country”
It’s not just about -waiting- either, it’s about following the law and meeting up to the standards America sets. We expect immigrants to share our basic values — hard work and personal responsibility, tolerance for other races and religions, respect for women, and respect for the rule of law — and the screening process is a way of making sure that we only allow immigration from people willing to adopt the American way of life. (This doesn’t exclude anyone, because of course, anyone can adopt these values if they want to.)
Illegal aliens, by definition, do not share all of our values… at least not “respect for the rule of law”. They are all criminals and it is no surprise that so many of them turn to violence, theft, drug dealing, and other crimes after arriving. To give them the gift of citizenship that so many others are waiting and WORKING to earn is a great injustice and sends a terrible signal. It says to the world, if you break our laws and manage to stay hidden long enough, we’ll give you the greatest gift in the world for free. If you follow the rules and adhere to our values, though… good luck!
Rob, you’re missing the point of Blake’s article. It’s not a matter of cutting down time for those trying to enter the country legally. It’s a matter of fairness. By granting amnesty to current illegals, you are rewarding them for sneaking across the border and breaking the law. Maybe cutting in line isn’t the right phrase. Rewarding illegal behavior is more along the right lines.
My intent was indeed to critique that bit of terminology (used 4 times in the article) rather than disagree with the entire article.
Will giving illegal immigrants amnesty affect the length of time it takes other people to legally immigrate? Probably not, so only in a very abstract sense is anyone “cutting in line.”