There is a lot of discussion going on these days about immigrants, legal or otherwise. I'd like to say a few words about the amount of hot air going up in the States on this subject. From the pages of the blogs I read, I pick up a deal of resentment about Mexicans sneaking across the border illegally, and subsequently given all the perks that many Americans lack: housing, healthcare, social security and so on. Without speaking a word of English.
Call me a bloody-minded European, but I'm allergic to this manner of talk. First of all, virtually nobody in the United States has any right to moan about immigration. Why? Each and everyone of you is descended of immigrant stock. Whether that's going back to the times of Christopher Columbus or to last week, that is the simple truth of the matter.
The only people in the US who have a genuine right to complain about illegal immigration are the native Americans, often referred to by that misnomer "Indians". They reached the American continent 30,000 years ago, across the Bering Sea landbridge, which linked Asia to America. The native Americans lived in their vast continent without hassle until about 1500 AD, when the Spaniards, Portuguese, English, French, Dutch and many others thought they had a god (sic) given right to invade, occupy, murder, slaughter, pillage and rape for all they could.
However, we should not live in the past, and I genuinely do not bear any ill will to the America of 2010. Even as recently as 1995, we could see what happens if you do hark back to events from centuries ago - the Balkan wars of 1991-1995 were justified by referring to a battle in 1389. I would suggest however that the USA should continue to welcome immigrants as it always has. I appreciate that the world continues to change, as it always has, and that there are groups of people about that you can do without.
If there are folk in the States who feel hard done by, because the illegals get things that they themselves are entitled to, but not getting, well - speak to your Congressman.
Well said!
ReplyDeleteGood post Guido and you echo some of my thoughts and discussions I've had recently, I might expand on it in a post(heavens..lol)
ReplyDeleteTake care
Yasmin
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Great post Guido....here here is what I say.
ReplyDeletesybil x
There are many differences in our ancestors coming over to this country, Guido, than the Mexicans coming over the border now. Our ancestors didn't come over here and lay back and let the government take care of them with hospitalization, food stamps for groceries, and money, like the illegal Mexicans are doing. AND they learned to speak English and tried to fit in. The banks and other businesses didn't have their signs and instruction manuels printed in the language of the new people, like every business today has to have 'spanish speaking people' to work so they can talk to the Mexicans who WON'T speak English.. You know the adage, 'When in Rome....' We are not asking them to do anything we don't do. If we go to another country where we aren't citizens, we must take passports with us in case an officer of the law asks to see it. And we work and pay money in to the social security account for our retirement, not to give to people who come in just to get it from our government. I do agree with you about the Native Americans being the first ones here, and when the English came over to settle this country they brought their own language rather than learn the Native dialect. Most of the original settlers were from England and Ireland, so in reality most of us should still live in those countries. If they come over here legally, learn to speak English, and try to fit in, and don't come looking for a free hand out,I don't mind them coming here.
ReplyDeleteHere here Frances.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I read your post because you said about everything I was about to.
The people that came to Ellis Island had a tough time getting their American citizenship.
And they came with skills to earn their own living,they did not take jobs from those already here for a lesser wage.
They started their own businesses.
They did not come pregnant and expect that when the baby popped out on this soil that they too would have a right to be citizens since their child was born here,which BTW does not make a child a citizen of foreign countries if we go there and pop out a baby.
Please take the time to hear first hand from a resident of Arizona where the illegal aliens (NOT immigrants) have invaded their everyday lives.....
http://gerry-daughters-of-the-shadow-men.blogspot.com/2010/05/most-illegals-enter-arizonas-tucson.html
Thanks Connie. No one can fully understand what we are going through unless they are here and see it first hand. The Mexicans aren't trying to fit in here and be citizens, they want to make this a part of Mexico. As evidence, the school kids in California,who took the American flag down and replaced it with the Mexican flag, then put the American flag up underneath it. And the Mexican 'coyotes' who smuggle people into the U.S. and kill any American who catches them. We don't have this kind of problem with the French, Germans, or any other country, just Mexicans and Muslims, who are both trying to take over our country. Wonder if they realize that when they take over the U.S., it will cease to be the 'land of milk and honey', as it is now, it will be just an extension of their own country.
ReplyDeleteThere is a vast difference between coming here legally, and illegally. And unfortunately our government coddling illegals fans the flames of resentment until the average Joe can't see a difference any more between the two. Legal immigration has always been embraced by America and I hope it always is. But the illegal immigration is a growing, compounded problem that is basically two fold. First you have people pouring in who respect us and what we stand for so little that they don't care how they come, then you have our own government enacting programs and extending rights to them as if they were actually citizens. Mexican Americans should be as angry about all of this as anyone, as every illegal who is allowed to stay and who given "rights" they never earned cheapens the true citizenship of each person who did immigrate and naturalize to be a legal resident and then citizen.
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