Last night the Phoenix Suns wore the "Los Suns" jerseys. In part to support cinco de mayo. (I ate Mexican food for lunch) The other motive was to show solidarity against the new Arizona law. This law has brought forth great anger in this country. There were bunches of people that boycotted the game. I am glad that I live in a country that allows us to voice our opinions and also have a say in the laws that govern us.
I think I fall on both sides of this law. I was in Brasil for 2 years, I was there legally with documents. I was not working, I was there on a LDS mission to teach people about my church. I had people all of the time treat me badly because I was a foreigner. I was asked for my documents by a police officer. I obeyed the laws. It is scary and not always fun to go somewhere different.
This country was founded on giving immigrants a chance. A chance at a new life and new opportunity. Just as if an American wants to go somewhere else they should be given a chance. That said it should be done legally. Mr. Government needs to make that process easier, let people move around. Let them be successful. Now Legally means paying the proper taxes and obeying the law. If you have a job you should be legal and pay taxes just like the rest of us. Your health care should be your responsibility not our government. If you do not do things legally then you should be punished. That should be the federal governments responsibility not each states. Thosee laws should be universal that way an immigrant in Utah or Texas knows what he should do to be legal. Punishment should fit the crime. Drugs, violence, etc. should be punished the same as a citizen. If you send them back they will come back and do it again. Lock em up, make them pay the price just like Joe Blow would. Arizona has made it so their police officers have the right to see if you are legal, that can be a bit of a grey area. If the person commits a crime and then they find out they are not here legally then you should punish, being in the country should not be the crime. The good ole USA is about chances. Let them in I say and give them a chance.
Just as there are bad people all over this world there are lots of good people that want a chance. they want a chance at a good life. They want a chance to be happy. One of my favorite scriptures is in 2 Nephi 2:25-27 it says we are free to choose, but we pay the consequences of those choices. What if one of these immigrants comes over and is a positive influence on his neighborhood and has the smarts to cure cancer. I say lets give 'em a chance.
2 comments:
This law makes me so angry...and I grew up in the state of AZ. It is almost impossible for Mexicans to come here legally unless they are wealthy enough to bribe the right person to get their paperwork done. That's sad, but it is true. And yes, there are immigrants that come and break the laws. But most of the immigrants that I know came here so their children could have a better life. Most of them work so hard and they are good people. Often they are not very educated and they don't have the same opportunities most of us have. And frankly, our economy, our country depends upon these people for their cheap labor. No one seems to want to talk about that, but they will take jobs that our spoiled Americans won't. Americans who don't have jobs will collect unemployment or welfare, sometimes for generations, rather than get a job. One of my good friends married a man from Mexico. They tried to get him here legally and it is impossible. So now she lives in Mexico, away from her friends and family, because they tried to be honest and go about everything legally and the bureacracy and red tape and legalities are almost impossible to overcome...and she's American and educated. (She of course can come back here...just not her husband.) And don't even get me started on the ineffectiveness and craziness of deporting people. They split up families regularly when they deport people, because the kids are US citizens. So little kids are left here and their parents are shipped off. Insane! (Plus, ineffective, because the parents will do whatever it takes to get back here and are usually back within a week!) Yes, there are problems, but AZ's law isn't going to fix them. Thanks for your post.
Sorry for my ranting. Immigration is a hot button topic for me. I agreed with most of what you said and I appreciate your thoughts on immigration. Some of what I hear people say just makes no sense. Especially from a lot of politicians.
And to clarify, I don't think getting unemployment is bad. But I do think being on welfare for years and years is.
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