No one is "illegal"

Last week I attended a rally in City Hall Park for immigrant's rights. I had a wonderful time. It was very peaceful rally there were great speaches by politicians, union leaders and immigrants who wanted to speak out. I strained out my voice with the croud while "Sí, se puede" (Yes, we can do it") This rally and other rallies was in response to the passage of H.R. 4437 the law passed by the House of Representatives last December that makes illegal immigrants felons and anyone helping them whether it is a person or organizations of people illegal. It also places a 700 mile wall along the U.S.- Mexico border. What kind of law is this? A better question should be asked : What is wrong with this country? I know there are some who will say that we need border security in the post-9/11 America that we live in. I agree with border security in that we need to protect our borders. I also agree we need to enforce the immigration laws of the country however, we as society do not punish people who want a better life. Currently there are at least 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country doing jobs that a few Americans don't want to do. For those we need to grant them citzenship status after they pay the price for not being documented. Americans often forget their history and forget that we are a nation of immingrants when they lash out at immigrants for "stealing their jobs" or racially attack them for who they are. This fear of immigrants has come up often in our history usually by the very powerful people who have some agenda in keeping the nation free of immigrants.


There should be a more proactive approach to the immigration problem. Instead of a "guest worker program" which is equal to slavery we give special quickie visas that want to work and live here. If they intend to stay in the country the must follow the same procedures that documented immigrants take to become citzens. Also impose sanctions on countries that incourage illegal immigration to improve the lives of the citizens. We want America continue to be that melting pot and that land of immigrants that it is. No human being wanting a better life is "illegal"