A few of my contacts forwarded me this email today. I glanced at it, shook my head, and archived it. Then I saw a comment on my site referring to illegals, and as I was writing down some of my thoughts to reply, I felt compelled to voice my opinion. This is just my two cents, and I am always open to constructive debate – so have at it after you read what I have to say.
First, the email:
I’m a legal American citizen and I must show my ID when:
1. Pulled over by the police.
2. Making purchases on my department store credit card.
3. When I show up for a doctor’s appointment.
4. When filling out a credit card or loan application.
5. When applying for or renewing a driver’s license or passport.
6. When applying for any kind of insurance.
7. When filling out college applications.
8. When donating blood.
9. When obtaining certain prescription drugs.
10. When making some debit purchases, especially if I’m out of state.
11. When collecting a boarding pass for airline or train travel.
I’m sure there are more instances, but the point is that we citizens of the USA are required to prove who we are nearly every day!
Why should people in this country illegally, be exempt!!!!!
Why shouldn’t we guard our borders as closely as every other country in the world does?
The numbered list makes some solid points. We do have to show our ID’s when doing those activities. Some are for our protection so another person can’t steal from us, and some are so the government can keep proper track of us to ensure we’re paying our dues. I won’t even go into the plethora of reasons I think its unnecessary and 1984-ish for us to have to PROVE who we are at every turn. Just suffice it to say that as Americans we have created this for ourselves by being complacent. We have the free will to leave the country if we don’t like having to show our ID before boarding an airplane, making a large purchase at a store, or obtaining insurance.
What I take the most issue with in this email is the last statement, “Why shouldn’t we guard our borders as closely as every other country in the world does?” Now, I know this might sound outrageous, but how about the rationale that we are all HUMAN BEINGS, and every single one of us has the right to be here on this planet. I don’t ever remember learning in school that people who have identification showing they are an American citizen means they are better than people who don’t have said documentation. I also must have missed the lesson that explained the ways other countries guard their borders so tightly that they never let anyone in that isn’t a citizen.
The imaginary lines so many people are getting bent out of shape about were made by man; and they were made by man to create a system in which a few men could exploit the many. This should have never happened then, and we shouldn’t be supporting it now. The false nationalism that exists in America makes me sick to my stomach. Keep clinging to your eagles, flags and presidents, but in the end we’re all the same. No one anywhere on this planet should have special privileges when compared to someone else – and this is certainly true in the case of the people living “illegally” in America. The fact that everyone seems to forget is that we are more than happy to allow the people living illegally in this country do work for us for much less than the work is actually worth, yet we’re hard pressed to grant them the same rights we have the pleasure of enjoying each and every day. I’m sure that the people working illegally in this country would be more than happy to show their identification when asked for it, whereas legal workers find the need to compile a list and complain about the times and places when we are asked to produce identification.
Never-mind the fact that there is no way in hell most Americans would allow themselves to “stoop so low” as to even consider working many of the jobs that the undocumented workers in this country perform. Our patriotism has somehow lead us to the belief that as citizens of the United States we are somehow entitled to make at least $20 an hour sitting on our behinds. “Get them out of here, they’re taking our jobs!” Really? And why do you think that happened? Do you think that one day a bunch of people from Mexico just decided to march into the US and steal all your jobs? No way. They have the majority of these jobs because our citizens refuse to do them. The reasons why are numerous – not enough pay, physically demanding, location, seasonal employment, etc. I just don’t understand what people expected to happen when we shipped all of our manufacturing jobs overseas and started importing cheap labor to do the jobs available in the US.
Money. That’s what everyone is concerned with, right? The illegals aren’t documented so they aren’t paying their taxes, so they ultimately won’t be throwing in the pot so you can spend your 70′s and 80′s sipping Mimosas next to the 18th hole. I get it. How about this. We get rid of the antiquated tax system that is currently enslaving middle class Americans and implement a consumption-based tax. That way, anything anyone buys in this country is taxed, and those taxes go into the pot to support your golden years. While we’re at it, maybe we could even use some of that money to provide health care for hard working, self-employed people like myself who haven’t been to a doctor in over 4 years because they just can’t afford it.
Next time you eat a salad, take a moment to thank the “illegal” who slaved away for 14 hours in the field to pick the contents for you (not to imply that they only jobs they work are on farms, just the example I chose to use). Because without them you would be spending much more at the grocery store on fruits and vegetables. Without them there would be less cushy American jobs available. They’re contributing to our economy, our country, and they do it without complaining. They have the right to be here just as much as you do.
First, I certainly agree with your statement that we are all human beings and have an equal right to life, health, happiness and lots of other words used to describe everyone. I absolutely agree that we should have the right to reach for our goals and attain them, if possible. That being said, if a person’s goal is to become a US citizen, then by all means they should go through the channels that many, many other people the world over go through to become citizens of the US (or any other country they desire). I currently work with a woman who recently became a US citizen (she is from Finland). I also have some very good friends who have a daughter that has lived for several years in Guatelama and is trying desperately to return to the US with her boyfriend and father of her child. The Guatemalan govt. will not let him leave and it has taken close to two years at this point. I am glad everyday that people are achieving their dreams of a “better life” no matter where they originated from. There are a good number of honest people that are here, working and paying their dues (from every nation) and I support them whenever I can. I am proud to be a US citizen and thank God everyday that my ancestors were able to come to this nation many years ago and realize their dreams and that I live in a country that is as free and welcoming to everyone as we are.
However, I don’t believe that simply since we share a border with another nation that we are wrong in establishing some rules when it comes to crossing that border. There are many statistics that show the number of known criminals that cross the border on our south. They are not looking for jobs, they are looking for suckers and they’ve found them in the good ole USA. We happily dole out our money and resources (medical care, education, etc.) to help them along. Quite frankly, a great deal of it does come down to money. As a long-time taxpayer I am appalled that any of my money goes to support illegal aliens (I don’t care where they’re from). We would have far more resources to spend on our own citizens if that’s what we used our money for. Perhaps we would have a health care system that regular, common working people could afford.
Again, I have a friend that works for Career-Link in PA. His sole job is to find work for our “citizens”. He has told me horror stories of the kinds of individuals that go through that system. The majority are not interested in working, I assure you, they are interested in knowing how to stay on our welfare system. (Again something that is supposed to be in place to help our own legal citizens). One woman had her “boyfriend” punch her in the face repeatedly before her “interview” so that she could say she was a victim of domestic violence. Her first question was not for help, but whether she could stay on welfare for another 6 months.
Just my two cents (or maybe three).
here is the problem friends.
http://www.pitchinteractive.com/usbudget/img/budget_vs_media_full2.jpg
don’t let them distract you with a nationalism agenda…address the real problem and you’ll all have nice retirements…the mexicans aren’t spending/using diddly squat.
don’t let them take your money and kill people with it and you will have a better world.
Thanks for responding! It’s always refreshing to know people read my rants/raves are are willing to offer their perspectives.
First, with regard to money. I will dig up all kinds of facts and figures if you want, but the amount of money people living illegally in this country are costing us is a drop in the bucket compared to how many of our tax dollars go toward war spending. Frankly, I’m much more appalled that my tax dollars are going to support this war than I am about it helping to support people in this country who are here illegally.
It is our human nature to want to exact change and make peace with the things we see in our day to day lives that we view as injustices. Our country would have never been founded if we were a bunch of people that were ok to just lay down and take what we’re given. Our government and the mainstream media know this, and that’s why we hear 10x more about the immigration issue than we do about the war. They know how much easier it is for us to focus on/get revved up about money going to help support undocumented persons, because we encounter them in our day to day lives. By diverting our attention to the immigration issue they’ve been able to further detach us from the injustices and crimes against humanity that go on over in the Middle East on a daily basis. I find it no coincidence that the Arizona immigration law news got big right around the time that a number of documents dealing with the war became publicly available.
Second, being born in this country was enough to make me a citizen. Since being born I’ve done nothing more than obey the rules and pay taxes to maintain my status as a citizen. That’s it. I guess my point here is that – if anyone can be born here, why all the fuss about protecting our borders, and making it extremely difficult for adults to establish citizenship?
As for people abusing welfare, as long as there is a system like welfare in place, some people are going to take it upon themselves to take advantage of and manipulate said system. I am sure each individual has their own reason for wanting to stay on welfare as long as humanly possible. Laziness and selfishness run rampant in consumer based economies, and ours is no different. Until we can take some sort of measure to control the rampant sense of entitlement gripping our nation we’re going to be hopeless in even thinking we can prevent people from abusing welfare.
Your example shows just how skewed some people’s priorities are, and you really have to wonder what life circumstances lead them to that disposition. I’m pretty embarrassed to be of the same species as someone that thinks a punch in the face is worth 6 more months of welfare. At the same time, I can sympathize with the feeling of hopelessness that probably accompanied that decision.
Just to be clear, I am not counting on the government to provide me with a nice retirement. I count on myself. Also, don’t think that illegals are using any resources. They most certainly are. And, you are right, this outrageous sense of entitlement that most people (not only Americans – check out the europeans having a fit over their retirement packages) have, is unbelievable!