An Unpopular Opinion-but it is my opinion

I fully understand my opinions on some topics are likely to be criticized and not agreed with, however, we all are entitled to our opinions and these are mine.

America was once considered a melting pot. A place for immigrants to come and start a new life and chase the American dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In doing so the immigrants often struggled to learn the American ways, the language, and a way in which to merge their traditions and beliefs with that of Americas. They worked hard, studied long hours and eventually most of them became naturalized Americans. That seems to have changed, or at least the immigrants willingness to learn American ways including the language seems to have changed.

I find it upsetting that in a country I was born and raised in there are places of business I can not do business with because of a language barrier and the unwillingness of the people operating the business to learn the English language in order to do business with those of us born and raised here. I do not want to press 1 for English. This irritates me. The English language as been the primary language of the United States for hundreds of years, but in some areas it is a second language and not the primary language. If like me you only speak English, you are in a severe disadvantage and unable to complete business transactions. I have even witnesses people’s shock, dismay and even anger that I cannot speak a language out than English in the United States.

I also find it infuriating that laws are being passed to protect those immigrants who choose to come here illegally and do nothing in an effort to become legal residents of the United States. Do not get me wrong, for the millions who come to this country every year legally, and strive to learn the American ways etc, I have no issue with. It is those who cross borders and enter the United States, work illegally, often stealing social security numbers of deceased Americans to work, or turn to our welfare system for support, and then get upset and claim to be victims when laws are enacted to ensure the people in this county are here lawfully and that consequences exist for those who are here illegally.

If you are in the United States or any country for that matter illegally, you are committing a crime, you know you are committing a crime and most are doing nothing to change their legal status. These people are not victims, they are criminals. Just as if I am going 90 mph in a 30 zone to get to work on time, I have no right to be mad or upset when I am written a speeding ticket, even if my reasons for speeding was to ensure I made it to work on time to be able to continue to support my family. If I rob a bank in order to seek a better life for myself and my family I am committing a crime and there are consequences for doing so. In my view, if you enter the United States illegally, work illegally and continue to do so, then be prepared for consequences for the criminal activity you are engaging in and stop claiming to be victims.

I am further upset that many here illegally make no effort to acclimate to the United States, and make no effort to learn the language, Instead it is expected that we all learn their language. If my great great grandparents who came here from Ireland had refused to learn the English language there is a good change they would not have succeeded in the America. They learned English and the American ways but they held on to their traditions and heritage at the same time. Many customs were brought with them and are still upheld in our family today. They did not give up their Church, or any ideal sacred to their hearts, but they worked damn hard to "become Americans" and I have been told my great great grandfather wept when he took the oath to become an American citizen. It was an honor to him and a reward to hard work. Many immigrants today do not view becoming an American as an honor, but simply come here illegally for financial gain only.

After all a person can illegally enter the United States, seek welfare benefits, has their children educated many times at no cost, and even free, can use Emergency rooms as their primary medical to avoid having to be insured, and live off the taxpayers of Americans, and their names on welfare scrolls cannot be used to track illegal immigrants.

Then we have the "anchor baby" problem Couples will come to the United States illegally and the woman will have a child. The man of the family may be working albeit illegally, to support his family, and they are not using welfare to do so. For whatever reason the man and woman are not taking steps to become legal residents and one day the family is caught, The mother is permitted to stay in the U.S. because the baby is an American citizen, but the father is deported. The woman and child are then forced onto welfare because the main breadwinner is no longer able to provide. Am I the only one who sees this is as broken logic? If you are going to let mom stay, then let dad stay if they are working and not living off of welfare. Assist the entire family in acclimating to America.

Many people do not agree with Arizona laws. And some states are even creating what is called "Anti-Arizona" laws which authorize their state law enforcement agencies to not have to cooperate with ICE and detain illegal immigrants unless the person is arrested for a serious crime. I understand that cooperating with ICE can be expenses to local law enforcement, and creates more work etc, however passing laws which protects people who are breaking the law from the consequences of their illegal activity makes no sense to me. Why not then pass laws for the drug dealer because after all he is only selling drugs to support his family, or how about the gang members who initially joined the gang to belong to something, and to have a family, not to mention most illegal activity committed by known gang members is against rival gang members and is known to be a risk factor for people who join gangs. I can go on an on with laws that should be created to protect criminals.

I know some are going to say the illegal immigrant problem is not really a crime because it is a victimless crime. I beg to differ, I mean really folks the laws in Utah which at one time could have been used to charge the Brown family with a crime was also for a victimless crime, yet many people supported the anti-polygamy laws. Yet these same people do not support illegal immigrant laws because it is a victimless crime. Again I’m sorry it is not victimless.

The taxpayers who shoulder the extra expense and drain on the welfare system, the cost that is passed on to us for illegal immigrants unpaid medical bills, and the millions of dollars that goes to educating illegal immigrant’s children. This all is a drain on the working Americans, like it or not. I have even been told that illegal immigrants are not harming the fiber of America because they will do the jobs here the American’s wont do. Again I disagree.

Granted most American’s do not want to manually harvest crops, or work in landscaping (JUST EXAMPLES FOLKS), but in today’s economy many would do so and do so for minimum wage because minimum wage is better than no wage. Yet, enter the illegal immigrant who will work for far less, and therefore it effects the ability of out of work American’s to become gainfully employed and therefore it harms America as a whole.

Ok all, rant is over, seriously I DON"T want to press 1 for ENGLISH, I want those coming to our country to view it as an honor just as my great great grandparents did. I want saying I am an American to stand for something again. I don’t want to have to qualify what type of American I am (i.e. Mexican-American, Japanese American etc), I want to once again be ONE NATION under God, where we are all just Americans!

L