Monday, July 14, 2008

A letter to the Editor......

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!

My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the Orange County 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 lette rs 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 h ad 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 in 2008, 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

Note from Lucy: This is not something I usually put up on my blog, but it pretty well describes how I feel about Immigration.

Have a great week everyone.

17 Comments:

At 8:28 AM, Blogger Granny Annie said...

Lucy, that is a great letter. I have read it over and tried to pick out something the Orange County Register may have found offensive about it. It is factual and concise and extremely thought provoking. Evidentially they could only object to the PIC (political incorrectness) of it. Whatever happened to PATNOYF (Plain As The Nose On Your Face)?

 
At 1:56 PM, Blogger Oh great One said...

What a well thought out letter. Kudos for getting it out there. I think she can speak for me. I have no problem with people wanting to come and make a better life for themselves and their families just FOLLOW the RULES!

 
At 3:19 PM, Blogger OldLady Of The Hills said...

Hmmmm. An interesting letter. I don't know if I agree with all that it says...I will have o give this some thought.

 
At 4:53 PM, Blogger Eve said...

If I had any writing skill, that is the letter I would write. I found myself nodding in agreement with every word. Thanks for posting this.

 
At 5:57 PM, Blogger Granny Annie said...

I sincerely hope oldoldladyofthehills will come back after giving this thought and tell what, if any, objections she might have. Then we might know what the newspaper found objectionable. I still cannot see what any citizen could find fault with.

 
At 10:50 PM, Blogger zztop357 said...

Hi Lucy.
Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoyed it and will visit again.
I really liked the letter and would like to post it on my blog word for word.My ancestors were Native Americans,and I still agree with this lady.I would like permission to post it if you don't mind.
God bless you.Donna

 
At 6:57 AM, Blogger Lucy Stern said...

Granny Annie - PATNOYF is exactly is exactly what this letter is about. They didn't print the the letter because it wasn't their political agenda. PAS (Plain and Simple).

Oh Great One - I feel the same way.

Naomi - It couldn't be any plainer.

Eve - I put it up on my blog because I was nodding too as I read it. She said it exactly as I feel. American citizenship is no free lunch, you have to want it enough to work for it.

Granny Annie - It really is hard to rebute, isn't it?

ZZop357 - Be my guest, I would love to see this spread around for all to see...A friend of mine had sent it to me as an email and I forwarded it to a ton of people. I hope John McCain reads it! Obama too, for that matter.

 
At 9:32 AM, Blogger Putz said...

i still personnally believe there's is still enough room in the country for manny more, so hate me, i belive the more we get inside this country the more likely we will convert them all to correctly living the true gospel and the only reason we even romotely belong in iraq is to convert people

 
At 10:36 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

My parents were legal immigrants from the early 1900's. Two of my brothers served during WW ll,one on each continent at the same time.
I can identify with all that is written here. Thank you for expressing my thoughts to a T.

Theresa

 
At 11:43 AM, Blogger Fred said...

I would have written the same letter myself. I find it hard to understand why people support "illegal immigration." Do they also support everything else that's illegal?

 
At 1:26 PM, Blogger Mountain Mama said...

Yes this is a good letter and I totally agree!Too bad the newspaper wouldn't print it, but you know how it is. Freedom of speech and of the press is only for a selected few.
Thanks for posting it.

 
At 1:31 PM, Blogger Lucy Stern said...

putz - Here we disagree... Even in the thirteen articles of faith, it says that we are to obey the laws of the land. The missionaries do a good job of converting people in other countries, there they can spread the word and do more to make their own countries a better place to live.....As far as them coming to America, more power to them, but do it the right way.....

theresa - Thanks for your comments, I totally agree.

Fred - I don't mind people coming here to live doing it the RIGHT way, either. The illegals want all the benefits (free education, free health care, etc.) but they don't want to do their fair share in paying taxes.....Please just follow the immigration laws. Yep! I agree.

 
At 8:33 PM, Blogger Big Dave T said...

I'm not sure we've already lost the battle against illegal immigration. Both candidates for President are courting the Hispanic vote by proposing plans for "comprehensive immigration reform", another way of saying they want to grant amnesty to illegal aliens.

 
At 8:47 PM, Blogger Lucy Stern said...

mountain mama - Typical "drive by" media with their own agenda....

Big Dave - It's scary to think that both of our canidates believe that way. We have the extreme liberal and the "wolf in sheeps clothing" running for president. I don't know how John McCain got the nomination.....All we can do, as citizens, is to continue to scream at Congress and pray that they listen.

 
At 9:13 AM, Blogger Cliff said...

Yep, a good one here Lucy.
Nothing to disagree with. However the security risk posed by folks sneaking into our country is what worries me most.
Also, You've been one of my favorite reads for quite a while now but I just hadn't added you to my list. Done.

 
At 7:38 PM, Blogger Rachel said...

Great letter and I agree with it. They shouldn't come here illegally and expect a free ride. If they want to come here let them do it legally and right.

 
At 12:03 PM, Blogger Beverly said...

I'm so glad I came by your blog today. That is a great letter!

 

Post a Comment

<< Home