Dear Editor,
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggest 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 immigrants 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 may learning English a primary role in their new American households and some even change their names to blend in with their new home.
They had waived goodbye to their birthplace 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 that 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 alongside men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these first-generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country they're parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Empire of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people.
When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French and American or at 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 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 the new kind immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country.
I am sorry, that's not what being an American is all about.
I believe the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 19 hunters 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 illegally 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 were voting on immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.
Rosemary LaBonte
Obviously this does not described the immigrant who decided that it was too much trouble to apply for citizenship, stand in line, study and learn the language of the land and go to the front door like everybody else.
Nope. These people feel that it was much easier to just cross the borders illegally and congregate in large masses in hopes that history would repeat itself by offering blanket amnesty as Ronald Reagan did.
Personally, I think the reaction over the Arizona law surprised a lot of people on both sides.
As much as the media and government tries to portray the laws unpopularity, the people are saying otherwise with their letters to the editors, comments to articles and on the blogs.
it is very unfortunate that the LEGAL immigrant is being drug into this because of the laziness of their former countrymen who are just too lazy to do the right thing.
The message being sent is quite simple. Be legal and be welcome.
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