Immigrants have been coming to this country for a very long time. Many of them came through Ellis Island and a lot of them were sent back to their country of origin and why was this? At Ellis Island there were doctors and nurses to check them for any signs of diseases or infections. Why was this done so? The main reason is because that there were vaccinations and medications that eradicated many diseases in the United States that were still prevalent in countries where these immigrants were coming from. Unfortunately, with the droves of illegal immigrants (not the pc term of “undocumented aliens” which is a description that should be completely eliminated – let’s just call it what it is.).

What’s happening now when you are having a large number of illegal immigrants crossing the border and you don’t have sufficient health officials to check for any diseases. Now you’re having an outbreak of diseases that have been eliminated in the United States. What boggles my mind is how some of these young illegals are able to travel from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador through Mexico to go over the border. How it is possible for a child make that long treacherous journey without major funding? It’s impossible to do it otherwise.

Another problem – what about the legal immigrants that have been here a long time, doing everything by the books, and still waiting to become citizens? Will they be given preference? There are some states that want to give illegal immigrants driver licenses and special cards for medical and other privileges to keep track of their whereabouts. I listen to a lot of talk radio programs. One particular host said, “Why aren’t we going into some of the African nations or China where the people are treated just as badly or in some cases worse than the illegals coming over now? That makes me wonder.

It’s the leaders of these countries that are the biggest problem. They are corrupt and view their citizens as expendable. Some people say that the Republicans like illegal immigrants because they are a source of cheap labor. To the Democrats, they are potential voters. Neither political party wants to admit this.

So who suffers? EVERYBODY! There’s an expression about being an armchair quarterback. When you are not actually in a city where all of sudden your resources are being drained by an influx of illegal immigrants, it’s easy to say that people are being persecuted. Residents who are paying taxes have every right to protest as long as they do it respectfully. After all, they are footing the bill.

We know there are many illegal immigrants who are not from Latin America Countries, but how many organizations are there geared just to their needs? None that I can think of offhand.

Is there a solution to this problem? I say that the leaders of the countries where the illegals are fleeing from are the biggest problem. Until that is changed, there will be no solution. But there is one thing that I will say. If I was an immigrant that fled to the United States from a country that treated me so badly, I would kiss the ground of America. And if I were fortunate enough to be granted amnesty, I would learn the language, follow the laws and embrace the fact that I was fortunate enough to come to a country where I could have a better future.

This is not to say to forget where you came from or your culture, just to recognize and show your appreciation of what you are now afforded.

– Carolyn M.