I don't know if you've seen this story in the FB-verse or not, but something inside me snapped when I read the headline.
It was sent to me by Eye On Freedom, with the tag of: It's official! $6.3 TRILLION! For Amnesty!
I admit, I can empathize with people living here illegally, simply because it has to take a lot for you to uproot yourself from everything you're ever known - your family, friends, country - and gamble that you will find an "honest" coyote or have enough luck to safely get into the US while avoiding border patrols. And you are never safe, even after crossing the border.
But honestly - I feel like we are *rewarding* them for breaking the law. And whether or not you are sympathetic with their plight, in the end these are illegal immigrants, working and living here illegally and not paying income taxes. We jail citizens for income tax evasion and fraud. Why are we offering special perks to illegals? They have already broken the law and continue doing so every day. Why are we offering to treat them better than our own citizens?
Maybe some of this is just too personal for me. My paternal grandmother was first generation American - her family came here from Sicily. My paternal grandfather was second generation. My maternal grands have been in the country since the early 1700s. They all came here legally and I feel they are disrespected by this proposed law. You used to have to work hard and test to become part of this country. On July 4th of every year, the news channels report on the latest group of people being offered citizenship in this country - and rightfully so. These new citizens worked hard to learn the language, to study the history, to understand what it is to be a part of America. They deserve to be acknowledged for their hard work in becoming a new part of America. This amnesty seems like a slap in the face for all of their hard work. America is supposed to be where you work to make something of yourself. It is what you hear in history class. It is what you see in every Mom and Pop shop out there. It is part of the American dream. And while that dream has been tarnished lately, it was still attainable.
You may not realize the impact that illegal aliens have on the American economy. The Heritage Foundation states In 2010, the average unlawful immigrant household received around $24,721 in government benefits and services while paying some $10,334 in taxes. This generated an average annual fiscal deficit (benefits received minus taxes paid) of around $14,387 per household. This cost had to be borne by U.S. taxpayers. Amnesty would provide unlawful households with access to over 80 means-tested welfare programs, Obamacare, Social Security, and Medicare. The fiscal deficit for each household would soar. We are already printing money faster than we earn it. The purchasing power of the US dollar is weak. We are borrowing from foreign nations. We are in a sequestration to cut costs. Monetarily speaking, given the state of our economy is this *really* the best use of our tax dollars?
We already aren't taking care of the legal citizens we have. Between the homeless and families living on less than working wages, our crumbling infrastructure and economy, America is rupturing from the inside. Can't we - FOR ONCE - look to ourselves first? Bring our military home, put them to work with the Army Engineers and build up our roads, streets, bridges. Let them rehab the vacant buildings - and they are in every city - and make them into welfare to work shelters, or homeless shelters, homes for military veterans, or something. These are our tax dollars, shouldn't they support us first? Is our best - and most judicious - use of these taxpayer dollars in allowing amnesty to illegal aliens?
America seems to have lost its pride. Our legal documents are written in multiple languages. Our telephone systems require us to punch a number to select a language. We go to extreme lengths to be politically correct. We still have no nationally recognized language. We allow money to speak in our politics. We went from breaking up (potential) monopolies - remember the breakup of phone service into Mama and the Baby Bells? - to having corporations too large to fail. How much are we expected to do for others before we start looking out for ourselves? When is America supposed to take care of itself first? President Obama hasn't lived up to most of his other campaign promises, so why is the priority set for this one? I believe it is time for our tax dollars to support America and Americans first. It is time that the government of the United States of America prioritizes its support for legal citizens.
No comments:
Post a Comment