ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA NEWSPAPER-New Immigrants
This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points...
For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions.. This lady made the argument pretty simple. NOT printed in the Orange County Paper...................
Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace!
From: "David LaBonte"
My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:
Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.
Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.
They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.
Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of America as one people.
When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.
And here we are with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.
And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty , it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.
(signed) Rosemary LaBonte
KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING. FOR THE WRONG THINGS TO PREVAIL THE RIGHTFUL MAJORITY NEEDS TO REMAIN COMPLACENT AND QUIET!! LET THIS NEVER HAPPEN!!
I sincerely hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across the nation!!
I have a multitude of nationalities coursing though my blood, English, Irish, German-Dutch, Comanche and Apache, those are no in any particular order, it's just how I memorized it as a child. Even though my ancestors came from many countries/nations, I was born in the USA and when asked about my nationality, I state that I am an American, nothing more, nothing less.
All written text and audio podcasts from this blog are copyrighted and owned by Wretha unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved, You may download or copy for your own personal enjoyment, but please do not distribute (text or audio) without written permission. You may post a portion of this (or any) message from this blog on another site as long as you include a link back to this site and the original message. Wretha, properly pronounced wreetha, (included for the text reader), Thanks for visiting!
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This letter is spot on! Back in early 1900's we didn't have as much of a problem with ILLEGAL's . Everyone came, was documented, worked hard to get a job. Never asked for handouts. The new immigrants want everything handed to them on a silver platter and they don't want to work. Send them back! This country is about working the grind, and hoping to have some flour when your done.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Arizona's Governor's new law. I fully support it. I wish my state would do the same!
Another good one that I will pass along.
ReplyDeleteI really like this blog and I enjoy reading about things that you and others are doing to live your life the way that you want to. That said, this post and the Moving to Mexico post made a few days ago are getting silly.
ReplyDeleteI hear a lot of complaining about social systems like Welfare and Labor laws, and public schooling, bilingual government forms, and the like. Those are issues with systems, not people. Let's absolutely have a discussion about those broken down systems and what we can do to fix them. But if you want to talk about immigration lets really talk about it and all of its complexities.
Lets go back further than the 1900s to the 1400s. If most of our ancestry dealt with legal immigration into the United States, what was legal about it before the territory was called the United States? Let's talk about the 1800s, What about before the Treaty of Hidalgo when California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, and ARIZONA where not United States, but when they were Mexico.
What about the current conditions in Mexico where people are immigrating from. Moreover lets talk about the reasons why they have become that way. Lets talk about NAFTA, and shoot, let's even talk about Cortez.
How many people commenting on this situation have experienced living in Mexico, or any other country with so few options that your success depends on packing up and getting out?
How many of us have ever LEGALLY immigrated? I would wager very few, if any.
That said, we're here by blind luck, or the grace of God, or the sweat of our Great-Great-somebody's brow. We're here by chance and not everyone gets that same chance.
These are people just trying to do right by themselves and their families. Living their lives the way they want. A lot like the folks involved in this blog and survivalist and off-grid cultures. Some would argue, just like everyone.
I would steal feed my family. I would kill to protect them. I would have absolutely no problem immigrating, illegally if needed, to give them a chance at a better life.
What would you do?
Lets talk about it.
White Guy in South Texas, I'm glad you like my blog, and you are right, it is silly, that was the point, it illustrates how ridiculous it is that any of this happens at all. It's ridiculous that people are protesting Arizona for what they did, it's ridiculous that Obama has ANYTHING to say about it, it's the LAW and it's state's rights, he should have no say about it.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, I have no problem with legal immigration, since you live in south Texas, I'm sure you have seen this, where I used to live, the city turned into little Mexico, many of the people who lived near us were illegals, living 3 and 4 families to a house, yet driving brand new trucks, many of them had no insurance, something I would thrown in jail for not having (after my car was impounded). They were popping out one baby after another, don't tell me they couldn't go to one of the planned parenthood places and get free birth control, but that's their choice to do or not do, as long as they can afford to care for all of those children. Many of the businesses in our neighborhood were going to all Spanish language signage, not even bi-lingual, again that's their choice, but it certainly alienated the English speaking customers, as well as letting the Spanish speaking customers know that it's OK to not learn English.
I am not anti-Mexican, I am not anti-immigrant, I am anti-illegal, especially when it is draining the resources of the cities. If our laws were similar to other countries laws, there would be no anchor babies, there would be no "political correctness" about asking someone to prove they are a legal citizen of that country, and if they couldn't, or it was proven that they were using counterfeit documents, they are immediately deported, after a stay in jail.
I would hope that people who live in less fortunate situations/countries could improve their own country, if enough of them would band together and give even half the effort into improving their piece of the world as they do illegally entering the USA, things would change, and perhaps it would be the US citizens who would be looking south to get away from an oppressive government.
Excellent post and rebuttal... and I agree 100% !!!
ReplyDeleteI was born and raised in California, and I can remember my mother objecting to the school system (in the 60's) not just encouraging us to learn Spanish, but "requiring" it as part of the curriculum. Mom didn't object because she didn't want us to learn the language, but rather because we were told that Spanish was necessary, so that we could learn to converse with our classmates in 'their' native language. Mom thought (and I agree wholeheartedly) that the onus was on the Mexican children and their parents to learn English. Fair enough, IMO.
I now live in Australia (but I'll be going home to CA soon)and when I came over, I went through 2 years of processing and paperwork, to EARN the right to stay here. Things I did gladly, because it's the way the system operates. I follow all laws, I've assimilated into society and the culture, I've learned to write words like color as 'colour', 'favorite as 'favourite'... and I've done it because it's what they DO here. Even though I'm a legal resident, if I were to break any major laws, my butt would be kicked back to America in a heartbeat - and I'm happy for that to happen. This may not be "my" country, and admittedly my heart will always be 100% American... but I respect this country, the people and the laws enough to do the right thing.
It is truly saddening to see the spread of such bigotry, such hatred as this post represents. It also serves as a reminder of just how poor the government "education" system is, or perhaps just how effective it is. When the Grand Experiment was begun, there was near universal acceptance that there was to be a place here for all, without government interfering. This neo-con appeal to a particular era overlooks the nature of the founding, which rightfully recognized that part of respecting persons was to refrain from restricting travel. It ignores the best years of the US, in favor of a bigoted, fear mongering era of petty bureaucrats and strong statist leanings which run counter to the ideals of justice and liberty. It celebrates the USSR more so than the US, in essence demanding a new Iron Curtain.
ReplyDeleteI am first generation born in the US, but since my skin color is correct I get no flack. No one bemoans that I choose a life which is not 9-5, and no one dares accuse me of stealing from others (Because I would not, and because only "they" do that sort of thing, so folks like this letter writer clearly believes).
The principle is wrong headed, and I guarantee that no one who agrees with it would be willing to actually live up to the greater principle at work. IF ANY of those who support this nonsense really believed that something being illegal makes is wrong, then I suggest that they turn themselves in immediately and condemn their own lives as they are condemning the peaceful, helpful, productive lives of others. Why do I say this? Because it is not possible to live legally in the US. Just looking at the tens of thousands of different federal laws, they are contradictory, arbitrary, and enforced capriciously. Add to this the multitudes of state laws, regulations, local ordinances, and bureaucratic nonsense and there is no element of our lives which is not strictly governed in such a way as to make it impossible to live legally. To make matters worse, it is impossible for anyone to even know all of the laws that apply, and so for all of the arrogance and posturing, these folks condemning others have no clue whatsoever whether they themselves are abiding the law.
While I have enjoyed the blog in the past, I have to admit that I would be ashamed for anyone to know I subscribed to posts such as these.
Storm
Storm, you might be surprised to see your comment approved. I'm sorry if you think I'm a bigot or that I hate anyone, I suppose nothing I can say will alter that image now. I don't apologize for what I believe, while borders are not always fair, they are here for a reason. It would be nice if we all lived in a utopia, don't see that happening.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are good laws and bad ones, but there is one thing for certain, it's against the law to enter this country illegally, just like it is in every other country, the difference being other countries don't reward those who enter illegally. There are reasons for limits on immigration. Sovereign nations have the right to decide who and how many foreign people can immigrate. I can guarantee that there are many who immigrated legally that are resentful of those who ignore the law and procedures by coming in illegally.
Am I annoyed when a different culture moves in to my neighborhood/city and takes over? Am I annoyed when the stores I have gone to most of my life not only goes bi-lingual but goes to primarily non-english signage? Am I annoyed when I can no longer understand most of my neighbors? Am I annoyed when I am condemned because I want to celebrate my American heritage and my American heroes? Am I annoyed when the street names I have grown up with are changed to celebrate foreign heroes? Am I wrong to want to keep my heritage alive and want to keep my neighborhood from changing to a foreign flavor? There are far too many apologists for this country, I am not one of them. Here is what I say to anyone who wants to immigrate to the USA. I have no problem with LEGAL immigration, just don't try to force your lifestyle on me, if you move here from a foreign country, learn English, keep your heritage but don't force me to have to live it, you moved here to become a USA citizen, so act like it, if you want to keep your life as it was before you moved here, then WHY did you move here? Why not stay where you came from and improve your life there? I don't understand why someone would come to the USA, then try to change it to be like where they came from. This doesn't make me a bigot, it makes me a realist.
I don't want to hold anyone down, I want everyone to succeed, I wish everyone the best, I wish the all countries would be as prosperous as possible.
So you say it is not the apparent bigotry, but mere inconvenience and a desire to control everything around you? Is that really any better than straight forward bigotry, for that matter is it any different?
ReplyDeleteAs for American Heroes, do you include Santa Anna? A quick look at a map will show that he was in charge of one of the nations in America (North).
Yes the laws are there for a reason, not a good reason, not a justifiable reason, and not a reason which can be supported by either the ideals upon which the US was founded, or by the Constitution, but I do agree that there is a reason: Control.
As for rewarding those who come here illegally, well first of this is complete nonsense. Sadly it is commonly believed nonsense in some corners. Here again if the position is going to be taken consistently, then why no complaints about paying immigrants and guest workers less than minimum wage?
Perhaps the most hypocritical aspect is that it is not as if you are arguing for first nations culture or heritage, but rather are just picking that of one of the invaders to proclaim is somehow holy and sacred. Why not condemn the English speaking peoples for not changing to Cherokee, Cree, Navajo, Pueblo, etc? Or are these too to be condemned simply because they are different and make life inconvenient for those who do not speak these languages?
As for utopia, I am arguing for no such thing. This is a clearly unConstitutional practice, it is harmful to the economy (yes that means white folks are also harmed), severely prejudiced (no worries about the Canadians coming over.. except from one politician in Colorado), and of course contrary to liberty. To believe that you have a right to control everyone else in order to hold onto your own personal image of a perfect world, well that is not utopian I will grant, it is dystopian.
Finally, if you do not obey every law and agree with every law, then this appeal to the law is hypocritical at best. Since you are a religious person, look to St. Augustine's remarks on laws, as they are very applicable in this context.
It boils down to simply respecting others as inherently morally worthwhile and equal.
Storm, I suppose we will have to agree to disagree. Yes, I do want to control what goes on around me, just the same way I control who comes onto my property and into my home. If you don't play nice, then you have to leave, you don't get to bring your whole family and move into my home, no matter how nice a person I might (or might not) be. You don't get to move into my neighborhood and take over, changing everything I grew up with, sorry if any of that offends you, it's just how I feel. The "you" I am referring to is a collective "you", not you specifically.
ReplyDeleteI realize we can't completely close off our borders, I don't like the fact that anyone is getting paid less than minimum wage, heck who can even live on minimum wage? As I have stated ad nauseum, I have no problem with LEGAL immigration, come over though the right channels, get a REAL social security card, pay taxes, don't expect to live on government sponsored freebies and handouts, work hard and contribute to the community, learn English and make some sort of attempt integrate into American culture, don't lock yourself in a bubble of your previous culture, stop expecting the schools, businesses and government agencies to cater to your culture at the expense of the American culture.
There are many injustices in this world, and in our country. Life is not fair. It used to be survival of the fittest, if you weren't strong, healthy and had some sense about you, then you didn't survive, again it might not be fair, but it was how things were.
One major problem is the number of illegal (or undocumented) people coming into this country, working for less money, living 3-4 (or more) families to a house/apartment/trailer and sending most of their money "back home", they are not paying taxes (those who get paid under the table), they are not contributing to the society or community in which they live, they are draining the resources of the communities where they live (medical care, food stamps, and all the other government handouts and freebies they get). I'm not making this up, I'm not merely repeating what I have heard, I saw this with my own eyes, I lived with this for many years, and yes, I dislike every part of it. I watched my neighborhood change from what I grew up with into a culture that is foreign to me, I don't like that, not any more than I would like someone coming into my home and changing everything against my wishes.
I want to thank you Storm for what you have written, it has made me really think about my position and opinions, it has made me stronger in my beliefs and more willing to do what I can to change the trends that have been going on, trends toward political correctness over riding what is common sense, trends toward coddling those on welfare, who take and give nothing back, no matter what their skin color or nationality, trends toward socialistic government. The majority of this great nation are conservative Christians, we haven't been the most vocal (as the leftist, socialist, liberals) so right now it would seem that is changing. I have more libertarian leanings, leave me alone and I'll leave you alone sort of thing, but this is really pushing me back to my conservative roots. :)
This may alienate me from some of my readers, and of that, I am sorry. I'll do my best to keep the politics down as much as I can, I might even make a new blog to talk about my politics and leave this blog as it was, my off grid life.
The example of letting people into your home is not apt, neither is the comparison to "not playing nice." There is nothing harmful about crossing a border, with or without papers. Assuming a right to control the peaceful lives of others, is assuming a right to slavery.
ReplyDeleteEveryone who acts, including you, changes how things exist. Life is not static.
Again, the idea that immigrants live on government handouts and freebies is simply wrong.
Most immigrants come here to work, and do contribute far more than most who are born here. They contribute more than I am myself, because I have opted not to work that hard, and instead live my life on my own homestead working occasionally to cover what few expenses I have. So here again, your premise is simply wrong.
A town I lived in as a child has changed dramatically, and for the worse. It is suburban hell now, with the same restaurants that are in every town, the same "architecture" and the same blandness that has taken over the US. Do I blame immigrants for this? No that would be absurd. Do I demand that everyone else conform to some narrow minded view I have? Nope. I recognize that though what is now popular culture is contrary to all that I value, it would be not merely hypocritical of me to force others to live as I see fit, it would be immoral. Other people matter, even when they live lives different from my own. That is what liberty is about; that is what it means to be an adult.
As for all of that ranting on the fictional harms immigrants cause, do some research. Workers with false documents pay in several BILLION dollars annually in payroll taxes, which they cannot recover even a dime of. They pay billions more in sales taxes and local taxes. As for the "entitlement" programs, again check your claims against reality to discover that they are simply wrong. Immigrants (legal because illegal are not eligible) account for about 1.5% of the recipients.
As for the majority of this nation being conservative christians, again you are mistaken. The majority are secular, not practicing any religion.
As for conservatives being the majority, well the fact is that the majority abstain from politics. The majority realizes either that it makes no difference, or that it is immoral to assume a right to own another person. As for being vocal, yes conservatives have been extremely vocal, making up the loudest voices for the last 30 years minimum.
I am sorry that instead of getting the facts, and respecting others, my confronting you with the hypocrisy and self-defeating aspects of this position has led you to simply dig in. Reality alone determines what is true. Reason is how we learn it.
Respect other people is the core of morality, no ideology can trump that.
And I will leave off, for I fear if I continue we will see this downward spiral of hatred descend even further.
I sincerely hope that you are never victim of the state you desire.
Thanks Storm, I'll give you the last word, even though technically this is the last word, I'll not try to explain my position any more, at least not here. :)
ReplyDeleteI did hit publish on your last comment, but it doesn't seem to be coming though, so I'll copy and paste it here, exact with no changes. Please feel free to repost it if you want.
Storm replied:
The example of letting people into your home is not apt, neither is the comparison to "not playing nice." There is nothing harmful about crossing a border, with or without papers. Assuming a right to control the peaceful lives of others, is assuming a right to slavery.
Everyone who acts, including you, changes how things exist. Life is not static.
Again, the idea that immigrants live on government handouts and freebies is simply wrong.
Most immigrants come here to work, and do contribute far more than most who are born here. They contribute more than I am myself, because I have opted not to work that hard, and instead live my life on my own homestead working occasionally to cover what few expenses I have. So here again, your premise is simply wrong.
A town I lived in as a child has changed dramatically, and for the worse. It is suburban hell now, with the same restaurants that are in every town, the same "architecture" and the same blandness that has taken over the US. Do I blame immigrants for this? No that would be absurd. Do I demand that everyone else conform to some narrow minded view I have? Nope. I recognize that though what is now popular culture is contrary to all that I value, it would be not merely hypocritical of me to force others to live as I see fit, it would be immoral. Other people matter, even when they live lives different from my own. That is what liberty is about; that is what it means to be an adult.
As for all of that ranting on the fictional harms immigrants cause, do some research. Workers with false documents pay in several BILLION dollars annually in payroll taxes, which they cannot recover even a dime of. They pay billions more in sales taxes and local taxes. As for the "entitlement" programs, again check your claims against reality to discover that they are simply wrong. Immigrants (legal because illegal are not eligible) account for about 1.5% of the recipients.
As for the majority of this nation being conservative christians, again you are mistaken. The majority are secular, not practicing any religion.
As for conservatives being the majority, well the fact is that the majority abstain from politics. The majority realizes either that it makes no difference, or that it is immoral to assume a right to own another person. As for being vocal, yes conservatives have been extremely vocal, making up the loudest voices for the last 30 years minimum.
I am sorry that instead of getting the facts, and respecting others, my confronting you with the hypocrisy and self-defeating aspects of this position has led you to simply dig in. Reality alone determines what is true. Reason is how we learn it.
Respect other people is the core of morality, no ideology can trump that.
And I will leave off, for I fear if I continue we will see this downward spiral of hatred descend even further.
I sincerely hope that you are never victim of the state you desire.
I see that it did come through, Blogger glitch...
ReplyDeleteWretha, I agree with what you said/say.
ReplyDeleteI have seen what you have seen.
The issue is Illegal Immigration. Nothing else.
Legal is ok with me.
Illegal is not. It is a federal crime.
Enough. This will not be settled on your blog.
The issue is Illegal Immigration. Nothing else.
Not who owns what or where it was or is now.
The issue is Illegal Immigration. Nothing else.
Are you in the United States Legally?
And it is important to know about this.
Important to keep up with what is going on around us.
I am frustrated with this, it is so simple.
You are here legally or you are not.
If you are legally here, ok.
If not, that is a crime.
Enforce the laws. Period
Selene