re:
http://www.charlotte.com/294/story/654433.html
"This tide of meanness needs to stop."
Dear Ms. Schulken,
I agree with your title completely but for a different reason than you. I am a member of ALIPAC. I joined because of my wife (now former wife) and our son. My wife was a legal immigrant from the Philippines. We met while she was working as an aide to the trade minister at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles.
When she became a naturalized citizen, we petitioned one brother and three sisters to come to the U.S. legally - just as she did. And when the time came for their petitions to be approved (and we found they hadn't been approved), we asked the immigration department why. Their answer was short and not so sweet.
The State Department keeps fairly accurate estimates on the number of aliens entering the country illegally. And based on these estimates, they adjust downward the number of petitions that can be approved each year. My ex-wife had to wait three years longer than estimated to see her siblings ... and my son had to wait those same three years to see his uncle and aunts. And these "meannesses" are repeated hundreds to thousands of times each year since they affect other legal petitioners as well.
But, the meanness doesn't stop there.
Your article had this paragraph, quote, "But they also perform jobs that are vital to our economy - and our communities. Most of those jobs are hard, dirty, repetitive and dangerous. That's why most of us don't want to do them."
Pardon me but I've heard this nonsense parroted so often it makes my skin crawl. Guess what my brother-in-law and sisters-in-law did when they FINALLY got here? Three of them became farm laborers and one got a job as a maid in a local hotel ... the same jobs you claim nobody wants. Well, I've got news for you. Those jobs are wanted by a number of legal immigrants IF THEY COULD ONLY GET HERE TO DO THEM!
In short, the "meanness" of illegal immigration took 3 years of income out of the pockets of my ex's siblings ... and the pockets of hundreds to thousands of other legal aliens who only ask to be accepted by us - and are willing to obey our laws to BE accepted.
Like I said, I agree with your article's title - this tide of meanness needs to stop. And the only way we're going to stop this "tide" (your word, not mine, but more accurate than you may know) is if our public officials from the Federal government all the way down to municipal governments are on the "same page." Those who obey our laws must be treated with respect (legal aliens). Those who disrespect our laws must treated with contempt (illegal aliens) - and this goes for the people who enable lawbreakers to disrespect our laws.
It can't be made any simpler than that ... and there isn't an ounce of racism involved.
Sincerely,