As you know, I tend to stay out of the political arena. However, a dear friend shared the following with me and I believe Rosemary has verified some key points. I'd like your opinion.
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From: "David LaBonte" My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the Orange County Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet.
Dear Editor: So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.
Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.
They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.
Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defening the United States of America as one people.
When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here.
These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl. And here we are with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.
And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty , it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.
(signed) Rosemary LaBonte
8 comments:
I wish I could say things so eloquently (sp?)! I don't even trust my own spelling these days. I agree with every word she wrote! Amen! I'm all upset today about the National Prayer Day. This country was founded on "In God We Trust".
Thank you so much for printing an opposing side to this issue. I salute your courage.
Well, here's my 2cents. First off, this country was NOT founded on "in God we trust". All that religious stuff was added later. Our founding fathers were from a variety of faiths and wanted to make sure that our new country did not have an official religion. So to those who keep trying to make Christianity our official religion, I say phooey.
As to illegal immigrants...they come here to find work. If the fine upstanding American businesses would stop hiring them, they would stop coming here. Contractors, meat packing businesses, agra-business, and motels can pay these people below minimum wage with no benefits. I say enforce the laws against hiring illegals. Make the fines huge so that those that hire them are afraid to get caught. As long as we allow the businesses to get away with it, these desperate people will continue to sneak into our country. Punishing them won't work. Stop the flag waving, American businesses from hiring them.
I think Rosemary said it quite well.
If 20 or 30 men were crossing your private property carrying machine guns, I think you might be willing to vote for immigration reform. Arizona is not anti-immigration. We are anti-illegal-immigration.
I think Julie was right that American businesses need to stop hiring them. The problem is most other Americans that could work these jobs think they are too good to work the jobs these people are working because we have been fed a load of c-----p about what we "deserve" by our government. We don't deserve anything except what we work for and what we have prepared ourselves (with education) to have. A high school education, or less, will only get a job in meatpacking, farm laborer, motel, roofers, construction, and most other minimum wage jobs. I agree that the businesses should not hire illegal immigrants but some of them would not have workers if they did not. It is a vicious circle and until our government stops rewarding laziness with give away programs it will never stop.
I am so glad to read Rosemary's comments. I'm the daughter of an immigrant. We never learned my father's native tongue because only English was spoken. He fought in WWII, raised a family and worked hard. He loved the country of his birth, but he called himself an American. I remember a time when you had to request permission to come here. You needed to show you had a sponsor and work. Many people took work far below their capabilities while they learned English and how things worked here. Then they sent for their family members, who did the same. I realize life is horrible in places like Mexico, but one has to wonder what their government is doing - why aren't they helping their own people? As for Americans being too proud to do minimum wage jobs ... that's a crock. I can't tell you how many people I know who are currently unemployed or are going on summer break from school, who would welcome even a minimum wage job, although many would have to find 2 or 3 jobs to pay rent, etc. My biggest peave is people who come here and don't speak English and don't try to learn. My neighborhood was once Canadian French. I never saw signs in English and French (although some stores put a notice in the window that there were French speaking employees) and we had one French TV station. Now everything is in English and SPANISH and I pay for 5 TV stations in Spanish! What about the Vietnamese refugees our city sponsored - there were never English/Vietnamese signs! I need to stop. But I thank Rosemary. For those who are immigrants and those who are naturalized ... living in this country is a privilege. You don't like it - find some place else to live, please!
Well said! My husband's family came thru Ellis Island, worked hard, learned English, and have been productive citizens of this country. No free lunch for them- nor did they want any!
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