Letters for November 18, 2004

Boot illegals out
Re “Don’t legitimize illegal aliens,” (RN&R, Right hook, Nov. 4):

Why would any sane person with an IQ above 60 believe that illegal immigration can be solved by rewarding illegal behavior with amnesty, work visas and driver’s licenses? Why would our politicians?

Politicians, please, please do whatever it takes to focus.

Fact: More than 70 percent of Americans want you to fix the critical problem of illegal immigration because it risks our national security and hurts our daily lives. Studies show that illegal aliens take good jobs from the middle class, negatively impact wages and overburden our schools, hospitals and social services.

Solution: President Bush should sign an executive order that gives illegal aliens 60 days to leave the United States. Thereafter, all individuals found to be here illegally would be immediately deported and, being lawbreakers, would no longer be eligible for U.S. citizenship.

Meanwhile, the immigration process should be streamlined, and priority status given to those individuals who follow Bush’s executive order and leave the U.S. voluntarily. After the 60-day deadline, Mexico should be fined for each of its citizens found illegally inside the U.S.—a just punishment for President Fox’s seemingly encouraging Mexicans to cross our borders illegally.

Leslie Williams
Sparks

Those who forget history
Re “Don’t legitimize illegal aliens,” (RN&R, Right hook, Nov. 4):

I am reminded of how ahistorical we Americans are.

If we can legitimize the 1848 conquest of the northern half of Mexico, why can’t we deal with the legacy of conquest? Even Mexican War veteran Ulysses S. Grant called it a war of conquest pure and simple. Places like the present state of Nevada were not “acquired,” to use the school history book term. They were invaded by the first illegal aliens, speaking English.

So now, yes, we have a “Mexican problem.” Like England has an Irish problem. Like Israel has a Palestinian problem.

Mexicans have been taking jobs that Anglos clamor for, such as picking fruit and washing dishes and roofing houses. But it is a small price to pay for a real estate transaction involving seven Western states.

Ted March
Fernley

Hook’s gay bashing
Re “Flying the business friendly skies,” (RN&R, Right hook, Oct. 28):

Like many readers of the Reno News & Review, I welcome the diversity Mike Lafferty’s column brings to your paper. But I have little patience for those who are careless with facts.

In his Oct. 28 column about America’s ailing airline industry Mike wrote, among other nonsense, that “Things are so bad for Boeing that it recently closed its manufacturing facilities in Seattle and outsourced them out of state.” Unfortunately, there is not a shred of factual basis for this comment.

I think Mike was trying to say that raising Nevada’s minimum wage would destroy our tourism industry. He probably should have said that if he believes it. I don’t believe it any more than I believe Boeing would gain a competitive advantage by closing its Seattle plants.

This week, Mike has chosen to confuse abortion with infanticide. He declares that Joe Sixpack—a slanderous characterization in itself—can’t identify with John Kerry because of a bunch of “prancing gay activists.” Why, that’s not much better than an ethnic slur. Maybe I missed the prancing (read: effeminate) gay activists during the campaign. Or, maybe, as a gay Republican who respects John Kerry but voted for Bush, maybe I’m just appalled at such ignorant bigotry.

We all make mistakes, and I wish Mike well. But I fear Mike may not be able to tell the difference between compassionate conservatism and an Airbus A319.

Frank Patten
Reno

Fray’s gay bashing
Re “Look before you loath,” (RN&R, View from the fray, Nov. 11):

Deidre Pike makes a reasonable argument for more tolerance of the religious conservative. She encourages us to visit a more conservative church and lists some “good deeds” that those of us on the left might find worthy of praise—recycling, park clean ups, food drives and “classes for recovering from homosexuality.” Hhmm … Last time I checked, homosexuality wasn’t a disease. My two cents to liberals and conservatives alike: Stay very, very far away from any religious organization that wants to make human beings sick and wrong for being who they are—that doesn’t fall into any ideal that Christ had in mind. Next thing you know, you’ll be invited to join the group for those recovering from accepting and loving their homosexual children, parents and siblings.

Rebecca M. Thomas
Reno

Editor’s note: As point of fact, Pike didn’t find “classes for recovering from homosexuality” worthy of praise. She suggested that those who were surprised at Bush’s reelection might gain some insight by hearing some perspectives that differ from their own.