Tuesday, July 18, 2006

letter to the editor

Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 9:38 PM

 
          From: "David LaBonte"
 
          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.
Dave LaBonte (signed)
 
 
          Written in response to a series of letters 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 Statute 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 hadcome 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 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.
 
          And here we are in 2006 with a new kind o f 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 Statute 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
 

9 comments:

  1. Rosemary La Bronte said it well and thank you for posting it. Paula

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  2. Thank you for posting this.  I think Rosemary (& David) have accurately and nicely passed on the message.  

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  3. You would not believe how much money from our taxes in the form of welfare payments goes out to non-citizens. The laws state that new immigrants must be sponsored by someone who will agree to support the immigrants if they are not self-supporting. Yet, the minute they are on our soil, they head for the nearest welfare office and sign up for everything. I am not saying all of them, but the fact that any do (and it is a lot) shows that our laws are being scoffed from the very beginning. No respect for our system.

    Unhealthy people were also sent back from Ellis back then.  

    xoxo

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  4. I appreciate you posting this entry.....very thought provoking, and I wish it would be posted in every newspaper in our country!

    Take Care,
    ~Bilinda~

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  5. Dear Celeste...I am a bit behind in journal reading...so today I took on yours....and I must tell you...I am worn out....then I think of the great meals you are gonna cook with those veggies etec....and my tongue hangs out...and glad you are into your walking program...keep it up...and no...I don't need a motorcycle just now....but will think on it....LOL...there I thought...nope don't need one LOL...Hugs toya....Ora of KY

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  6. I couldn't have said it better myself! Thank you David, Rosemary, and Celeste for writting, posting and providing it so others could see it! The editor of Orange County probably didn't want to print it for 'political' reasons... like the reason that election year might be coming up and wouldn't want to lose any votes. Pffft. Lol.

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  7. THANK YOU CELESTE....IT IS A CRYING SHAME THAT AN ILLEGAL ALIEN CAN GET ON WELFARE AND PEOPLE WHO WHOSE ANCESTORS WERE BORN AND RAISED RIGHT HERE IN AMERICA CANNOT GET ANY HELP BECAUSE THEY WORK AND REPORT THEIR ERNINGS TO IRS AND SOCIAL SECURITY.

    . 90% OF THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT IMMIGRANTS, THEY ARE ILLEGALS...THEY NEITHER WENT THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS TO BE HERE, NOR DO THEY APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP...ONLY WELFARE...AND THEY HAVE THE AUDASITY TO RAISE ANOTHER FLAG AS THEY MARCH ON OUR STREETS...STREETS  THAT OUR TAXES PAID FOR.
    AGAIN... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU... FOR PRINTING THIS.

    LOVE YA,
    CARLENE

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  8. I am writing from across the Atlantic Ocean in the UK. I am an Irish person who has made my home in Scotland, as I can freely move with my family throughout the European Union member states and set up home where I like. I could receive welfare if I needed it, but fortunately me and my family don't. Times change and people here in Europe do complain about illegal immigration too. While it does seem that the system is stacked against those of us rightfully here, I always spare a thought for the person brave enough to try to make a life for themselves somewhere else when their home country seems unsafe or unable to provide them with the employment to better themselves. I don't believe that most illegal immigrants want to be idle or stuck doing the jobs that we no longer want to do for a pittance. It is their illegality that stigmatises them, sets them apart from everyone else. Let them work legally and pay taxes like everyone else. Show them why America is the land of freedom and opportunity by making more of them welcome. The world is too small now to shut people who are different out. This is the attitude that leads to fear, suspicion and ultimately hatred. I think immigration can work for all of us.
    Incidentally, I have met many people visiting the UK and Ireland, from the USA and Australia, who are proud to declare themselves Irish Americans, Anglo-Americans etc, and who have come here to find relatives and ancestors. The letter you quote is very interesting, and has a lot to say, but it is one-sided and I have tried to put across a different viewpoint to balance it. I hope that my opinion does not offend anyone, but freedom of expression is one of the benefits of living in the Western World.
    Keep posting the thought provoking entries,
    Best Wishes,
    Kate.
    http://journals.aol.co.uk/bobandkate/AnAnalysisofLife/

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  9. Send 'em all back!

    Actually, I agree on many points that this entry brings up but, I think there are too many reasons for why people want to come here and you can't really compare the immigrants of yesteryear to those now.

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