Letters for April 13, 2006

Don’t blame the border jumpers
I don’t know why we are blaming the Mexican border jumpers. It’s not their fault. They are just seizing an opportunity. It’s not their fault that we have business leaders who spent millions lobbying our congress, governors and mayors to look the other way while the Mexican border jumpers flooded into this country, undercutting our labor rates and forcing many American small business men to go out of business. Governors urge the state police to ignore the flood of illegals, and mayors urge the police force to do nothing.

This is an Immigration and Naturalization Service problem. I.N.S. can’t do much because their budget has been cut to the bone. All are culpable as we, the American people, elected all these representatives to Congress. We, the people, trusted them and look what it has gotten us. Now who is Congress listening to? That’s right, the 11-20 million illegals who have the Latino (Mexican) organizations to resist the government’s actions.

Robert Berry
via e-mail

Hire a marketing firm
Re “Peacemongers, get organized or stay home” (View from the Fray, March 30):

Here in Reno, according to Deidre Pike, the peace movement consists of “vigils that attract only a handful of regulars.”

Of course, in San Francisco, things must be better. (It’s a blue state.) Except the vigils are larger only because they draw in all elements of the Bay Area’s much larger loony left, including those Pike finds somewhat troubling. The Venceremos/isn’t-Castro-cool crowd. The Free Mumia folk. Those crazy but fun-loving pro-Palestinians, together with their bizarro-opposite crazy but fun-loving pro-Israelis. Still, hope springing eternal, you presume they must all be “progressives.” (Just like you!)

Can’t we all just sit down together in the same street and sing ‘Kumbaya’ about Iraq? she seems to ask.

Sorry. That’s just not the way S.F. works. That’s just not the way the “Left” works. Still think the “Right” is so homogenous? I mean, Deidre traveled to Cancun for margaritas and anti-WTO fun. Ever hear that phrase, herding cats?

Simple solution: Turn it over to the marketers. Set your talking points. Stick to one subject the ignorami can wrap their compact little brains around, and voila! Peoria is now blue. So simple. So easy. “Tastes great. Less filling.” With your newly discovered O’Reilly factor, you should now be able to pump up the volume of your vigils.

Frank Patten
Reno

Illegals go home
I do not have an issue with anyone who comes to this country through legal means and tries to make a better life for themselves and/or their families. However, I do have major problems with those that don’t!

Where are the immigration agents when these so called rallies and marches take place? Agents should be there in force, checking for U.S. citizen status—if they find people not legal, arrest them and send them home!

These people do not have the right to demonstrate on American soil. Try to demonstrate in their countries with illegal status and get shot dead! Hell, half the countries would shoot you dead even if you were a citizen.

I resent my tax dollars being spent to house, feed, educate and pay for medical costs for illegal aliens. They are taking jobs (sometimes two or three) from citizens that should have first dibs. Illegals take full advantage of any welfare or benefit program this country has to offer.

Every year, the school board has a bond to build new schools, and now they want exclusive Spanish classes for those that do not speak English. Sure I agree, it’s not the kids’ fault, but the parents have a responsibility to their own children, and I resent having to pay the price for their irresponsibility.

I have a few suggestions for Congress: Levy a $25,000 per person fine for anyone found on your employee payroll without legal documentation. Additionally, if a business is fined for more than 10 percent of their employees, they lose their license, along with another huge fine of say $5 million.

For those illegals already here and who have been here 5, 10, 15, even 25 years, get with the program and get legal documentation, or go home. The free ride is over. This issue is not going to go away. The past few weeks have rubbed salt into an old wound, and the U.S. citizenry as a whole is angry.

The rest of us have to follow the laws of this country, and if you want to stay here, you should, too! Just because you have gotten away with it for this long doesn’t mean you have the “right” to continue to do so. The tide is changing, and not in your favor. And if this angers you, good, you’re thinking like an American, even if you don’t have your green card.

name withheld
via e-mail

Editor’s note: This person requested anonymity because she believes at least one of her bosses is an illegal immigrant who might take exception to her opinions.