Hello, all.


I've got a friend who has just become an American citizen. Originally from Ethiopia, he decided to move here after experiencing some difficult times in Somalia--i.e., war, famine, etc. East Africa is no playground. Trust me--I've been there. Did he want to come here simply to find a job? No! He wanted to become a citizen, contribute to the country, and be proud to be American! Did he sneak across the border like a cowardly rat in the night? No! He and his family came here the legal way, waiting years in Africa to acquire the proper documentation and to save enough cash for travel. He learned English before arriving. He flies the American flag with dignity, and is proud of his ancestry. He is a legal immigrant.


I've got another friend who was originally Canadian. She felt the US had more to offer her, and subscribed to the american ideal. Did she come here simply looking for a job? No! Did she sneak across the border? No! She joined the Marines, and is proudly serving her new country; willing to die for us (as are hundreds of LEGAL immigants from Latin America)! She is a legal immigrant.


I know another person who's not an American citizen. He has no aspirations to become one; he is here simply to get paid. He does not understand what it is to be American, and does not care. He does not know English, and has no great desire to learn. He entered this country not with pride, but invaded us like a child invading his mother's cookie jar. He leeches off the social infrastructure, costing taxpayers billions of dollars every year. He flies the flag of his country, but it is not Red White and Blue. He thinks the United States would fail if it weren't for him, but fails to realize that if it weren't for America, he would fail. He is an illegal immigrant.