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Dear Editor:=20
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.=20
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.=20
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.=20
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.=20
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 had 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.=20
And here we are in 2007 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.=20
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.=20
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<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">Dear Editor: <BR><BR><BR><BR>So many =
letter=20
writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of =
immigrants.=20
Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty =
because=20
the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who =
passed=20
through Ellis Island and other ports of entry. <BR><BR><BR><BR>Maybe we =
should=20
turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why =
today's=20
American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. =
Back in=20
1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the =
United States=20
, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and =
be=20
documented . Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss =
the=20
ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new =
country in=20
good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their =
new=20
American households and some even changed their names to blend in with =
their new=20
home. <BR><BR><BR><BR>They had waved good bye to their birth place to =
give their=20
children a new life and did everything in their power to help their =
children=20
assimilate into one culture Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, =
no=20
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.=20
<BR><BR><BR><BR>Most of their children came of age when World War II =
broke out.=20
My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over =
from=20
Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None of these 1st generation =
Americans ever=20
gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They =
were=20
Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were =
defending the United States of America as one people. =
<BR><BR><BR><BR>When we=20
liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the =
French-American=20
or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw =
only=20
Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one =
of=20
those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another =
country's flag=20
and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace =
to their=20
parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly =
knew what=20
it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, =
white and=20
blue bowl. <BR><BR><BR><BR>And here we are in 2007 with a new kind of =
immigrant=20
who wants the same rights and privileges.. Only they want to achieve it =
by=20
playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement =
card=20
and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, =
that's not=20
what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who =
landed on=20
Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the =
toil, hard=20
work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that =
has=20
become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life I think =
they would=20
be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving =
foreign=20
country flags. <BR><BR><BR><BR>And for that suggestion about taking down =
the=20
Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are =
voting on=20
the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the =
United=20
States just yet. =
</FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML></FONT></FONT>
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