Recovery of one of the flood ravaged cities in northeastern Massachusetts, Lawrence, is being greatly hindered by language: the majority of the folks affected speak Spanish and many of the rescue workers [including those from FEMA] do not. The concept that English be declared the official language of this Country has been ridiculed by many as unnecessary. Of course, they say, everyone does or will speak English. Not in Lawrence- or dozens of other cities around the Nation.
We continue to hear and read that many of us are against immigrants. We are all immigrants or children of immigrants, it is said. Welcoming immigrants is one of the factors that has made America great. We are indebted to immigrants. Yes, yes, all true- but besides the point. The debate is not about immigrants. No one is against immigrants as such. The debate is about illegal immigrants, particularly those crossing our border with Mexico.
Our new neighbors here are having a dispute about a fence with the folks whose property adjoins theirs, so they are having it surveyed. We backed out of a deal to purchase a house here when we learned that the neighbor's driveway and fence was 3 feet on what would have been our land. Even if we agreed to that, the bank would not, because it was illegal. Another neighbor had large limbs of one of our trees cut off, because they extended over his property. That was his legal right to do. These are common occurances and no one objects to the principles involved.
We are a Nation. We have legal boundries. We have laws. Is it really too much to expect people, who want to reside here, to obey them? [That, of course, applies to everyone, including our political leaders] I am sure it works the other way fro any of us who would want to move to another Nation. I object when people, such as one of the local College Commencement speakers, insist that requiring immigrants be legal means being against immigration. Being against illegal immigration is just common sense. Do such speakers have another, hidden, agenda?
