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Community Voices: Immigration -- an issue of morality

10:02 AM CDT on Friday, July 15, 2005

Sue Richardson

I am deeply concerned about what illegal immigration is doing to our country, and, more particularly, to us as a people.

Illegal immigrants are seeking a better life than what they can get in their own country and bypassing immigration laws. Note that they are not fleeing some evil tyrant and seeking asylum. They are causing overcrowded schools and draining resources that fund education, to say nothing about their strain on other utilities and services right here in Irving.
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We teach our children to obey and respect the law, only to be contradicted by our government when it comes to people circumventing immigration laws. Those sorts of inconsistencies can cause all sorts of societal problems.

Why doesn't our government enforce the laws? Most elected officials don't want to lose votes. The issue has become emotionally charged and, although they were elected to protect our laws, these officials are waiting for the citizens to settle their morality debates: Is it morally right to close our borders and deny people a better life? Is it morally right to send people home after years of being here illegally, or should we give them amnesty? Is it morally right for people to trample on our laws to come to America, and is it morally right to expect someone else to pay their way once they're here? Is it morally right to expect people to pay more for water, electricity, education, roads, health care, etc., because people here illegally are not contributing to these services, even though they're putting a great strain on them? Isn't that the same as stealing?

Cities and states are beginning to have a hard time planning ahead. How can a hostess plan a dinner without knowing how many to prepare for? It is the same with running a state or city. How do we plan ahead for building schools? Is it morally right for children to be denied a good education because of overcrowded classrooms caused by illegals the schools didn't know were coming? How do they plan for expanding services like water, garbage dumps, power plants, etc. if they do not know how many to prepare for?

I don't have all the answers, but I know that God is a God of order, and resentment and chaos is not of God.

Although Americans have historically been the most generous people in the world and possess understanding of people wanting a better life, they resent being taken advantage of and having the laws they respect be disrespected and seeing human beings dehumanized.

One answer is, of course, to close our borders, send illegals home, and develop a guest worker program that works. This just might be the catalyst needed to truly help Mexico. People on this continent should not have to leave their country to find work and a better life.

The goal should be that people will eventually pay their own way, hold their heads high, take ownership and learn to be Americans as our ancestors did. We should help them to make an orderly and smooth transition into our society as fully vested Americans. Illegal immigration offers nothing but pittance wages and inhumane hardships.

Mexico is our neighbor, and, as Christians and God-fearing people of faith, we are to love our neighbors. But while love is sacrificial, it isn't always hugs and kisses; it is also boundaries, teaching and training.

Yes, we should help our south-of-the-border neighbors, but they also need to help themselves, understand our needs and culture and respect our laws.

Sue Richardson is a longtime Irving resident and community volunteer. Her e-mail address is sue.richardson@verizon.net.