First, read this article about illegal immigration and then get back to me. Although I disagree with some of what Ruben Navarrette Jr. writes, I happy to see that there's a voice of reason out in the press. Lately, everything has been so black and white that I appreciate Navarrette's stance that illegal immigration isn't about racism. I'd like to know about his thoughts on what the law should be for children of illegal immigrants--specifically children who weren't born here in the United States. If you were 6 years old and your parents came to the U.S. as illegal immigrants and still are, where does that leave the 6 year old 10 years from now?
I believe in smart laws rather than ones that make us feel safer so that we can protect our "American-ness" and be apart from those different than us. What really distrubs me are people who just classify an entire race as "lazy" or corrupt. In my experience, people of all races and creeds can be lazy or corrupt. Shouldn't we not judge an entire group of people?
Related to the illegal immigrant issue is the racism that muslims are facing in the world today. Heck, you can be on an airplane and think two muslims look suspicious and if you tell the cabin crew the plane will be turned around. There's a point in which we need to take a step back and understand that we're fearful of terror and of those taking what we have.
I believe that overcoming fear is to first accept that we're afraid. We're afraid that others will come into our country and make Spanish the national language. We're afraid of immigrants taking away our jobs. We're also afraid of immigrants coming into the U.S. and actually being terrorists who will attempt to harm our way of life.
Our path is simple: We can try to border ourselves up (like American tried after the first World War) or we can work smart and deal with our fear. Having open borders so anyone can come into the U.S. at anytime isn't a great idea, but at the same time, there are millions of people living here illegally. What are we going to do about it? Ship those millions of people out of the country? That's a bit drastic in my opinion.
If you've not thought about these issues, then maybe it's time to take a stand or at least to turn reality TV off and look around. Are you in favor of people being forced to speak English when ordering a steak sandwhich in Philadelphia? Is it right for muslims to be pointed at and held as criminals overnight for looking "suspicious" on an airplane? What should be the fate of the children of illegal immigrants who are growing up here in the U.S.?
Oftentimes in life, the Golden Mean--the path of moderation--might be best. Keep an open mind, question your beliefs, and realize that others disagree with what each of us believes. Question and learn. Education is the key.
I believe in smart laws rather than ones that make us feel safer so that we can protect our "American-ness" and be apart from those different than us. What really distrubs me are people who just classify an entire race as "lazy" or corrupt. In my experience, people of all races and creeds can be lazy or corrupt. Shouldn't we not judge an entire group of people?
Related to the illegal immigrant issue is the racism that muslims are facing in the world today. Heck, you can be on an airplane and think two muslims look suspicious and if you tell the cabin crew the plane will be turned around. There's a point in which we need to take a step back and understand that we're fearful of terror and of those taking what we have.
I believe that overcoming fear is to first accept that we're afraid. We're afraid that others will come into our country and make Spanish the national language. We're afraid of immigrants taking away our jobs. We're also afraid of immigrants coming into the U.S. and actually being terrorists who will attempt to harm our way of life.
Our path is simple: We can try to border ourselves up (like American tried after the first World War) or we can work smart and deal with our fear. Having open borders so anyone can come into the U.S. at anytime isn't a great idea, but at the same time, there are millions of people living here illegally. What are we going to do about it? Ship those millions of people out of the country? That's a bit drastic in my opinion.
If you've not thought about these issues, then maybe it's time to take a stand or at least to turn reality TV off and look around. Are you in favor of people being forced to speak English when ordering a steak sandwhich in Philadelphia? Is it right for muslims to be pointed at and held as criminals overnight for looking "suspicious" on an airplane? What should be the fate of the children of illegal immigrants who are growing up here in the U.S.?
Oftentimes in life, the Golden Mean--the path of moderation--might be best. Keep an open mind, question your beliefs, and realize that others disagree with what each of us believes. Question and learn. Education is the key.
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