a view from the top......

One of the remarks from the astronauts who traveled in space said that if you looked down upon the earth, you would not see any visible borders of countries... it is all one big land mass seperated by the oceans. It almost seems sad to think we cannot see our world in those very same terms.

We want so much to believe that all social ills, sufferings and unfairness to humankind can be
solved if we let down our resolve enough to work things out and find empathy in our hearts. And although that may seem like a nice plan, we somehow fail to obtain it due to our predjudices through lifes experiences. It hardly seems fair that we don't allow ourselves the unobtainable, because we are all told it is the golden door to a happier life.... but somehow, we feel tricked and cheated at every turn, and we carry on with a fierce caution against our fellow man. This has happened through the ages, and will probably not end in our lifetime either.

If you step back for a minute, as the astronauts did, the picture seems clear, the solution easy. All we have to do is remember that the earth is not as big as we percieve it to be, and it's all we have as our means of existance. To fight over land or God seems small and petty from this view. This is all within good reason, because once again, you see no borders anywhere. The simple question comes up, why can't everybody just get along? But being in the midst of it, the solution is not solvable because we are all smug in our own perceptions... which never quite measure up to everybody elses equations for the same solutions.

In the past few days, I've read over some of my links to blogs I like to read on a steady basis, and I have found that I was able to open my mind a little more by some of the well written and well stated arguements for and against the American border issue. It all boils down to pros and cons in the long run, but the details are what make it so controversial and hard to solve without being labeled racist or bleeding heart.... and the details are what makes us take stands against one another. I came to realize once again, not everything is in black and white, and there were a few grey areas I became aware of.

Living in the land of opportunity (as we are told everyday), we have a statue at our front door that welcomes all the huddled masses yearning to be free. It's been part of our heritage of being who we are as a nation for many years, and it was the symbol that greeted the immigrants who came here in the early 1900's. This country was built on the backs and sweat of these people looking for opportunities and religious freedom.... and, in most cases, a bigger piece of the pie than they were offered from their own homelands. Through this process, we have become multi-cultural with our celebrated holidays, food creations and fashions. That is the beauty of a nation that is a melting pot: we have become a land that has something for everybody, because everybody is represented here. That, all by itself, is a very good thing. No one should have to sacrifice their in-born heritage, as it widens our countrie's scope of culture and helps to bridge the differences we have as seperate nationalities. That, too, is in our favor as a nation.

We want people to come here, assimulate into the laws of the land, and do good deeds. Where it gets messy is in the methods used for the entry in. This was never the issue it is now, pre-9/11. We allowed everybody in because that was the kind of nation we are. Sadly 9/11 taught us to be fearful of this open door policy, as we lost over 3,000 people to senseless attacks.... all over the fact that we live a different lifestyle the factioned Muslums hate. It was an attempt that rocked our world, saddened our hearts, and scared the living daylights out of us. We stopped in our tracks while trying to take stock of what type of future lay ahead. We feared for our children in the miltary, because we knew war was imminent. Oh, so many things went through our heads that awful day the planes came down. We needed to sort out the facts, while grieving for everyone who was personally affected by the events. One of the most immediate actions taken was that the borders were sealed, as we had no idea what to expect next. It made perfect sense to do this then. It still makes perfect sense to do this today... as we live in a different world now.

It's gotten messy again because the issue has taken on medusa-like qualities. So lets get one thing straight about it once and for all, and maybe we can tackle some of the stinging qualities that turn our minds into sheeple-type predjudices. America is still the melting pot it always was, and probably will be for as long as we continue to be a nation. What most (to all) people who are citizens here ask for is, that people who migrate into this land, do so legally. That's such a small request, really. Come through the front door, salute the lady in the harbor, and make a concerted effort to assimulate into a new society. If you find this wasn't your cup of tea, feel free to return back to your own land.... nobody said you had to stay if you didn't want to. In most cases, our Government will help you with that process.

Yes, learn the language, because it is to your advantage to do so. If you want the better life you were seeking, then that's part of the process you need to adapt to. When my Grandparents immigrated here almost 100 years ago, there were no signs in Italian that helped them along. They made a concerted effort to learn enough to converse, ask questions, and go about their daily life, while contributing to a society that had much harsher laws then it does today. Yes, it was hard, and no it wasn't fun, but it was a necessary element in their goal for making a better life for their families. Times were different then, but times are always different.

With a population of over 250 million people, an additional 12 million means we cut the pie a little bit smaller here and there to middle class folks (you know, the citizens who are too poor to be rich, and too rich to be poor). The rich are never affected by this, and the poor will see benefits I'll never be privy to unless I become disabled. I can still live with this equation, and I'm even bleeding heart enough to extend some benefits to people who need time to assimulate to this new country.... but I need to see a concerted effort that non-citizens want to become citizens, or at least be registered to reside here and pay taxes as we do. Again, that is not an unusual request, and it's actually considered fair play. It's what any other country would require of me if I were to immigrate.

I want to see people not afraid of INS invading their workplace, because the immigrants working there decided to take the same steps as others before them, for the correct paperwork that legally states they have the right to work in this country. I've worked with many people from other countries who have a better work ethic than our own people do, and we could actually learn a few lessons from that ourselves... but unless they do so legally, it gets too far out of hand to reel back in the squabbles that we see today.

We should have the right to do background checks on people coming into the country. This assures us as a nation that we are letting in people truly seeking a better life, and not the element hell bent on destroying it. This was a lesson from 9/11 we've let slip to the back burner in our efforts to be politically correct to the world. (If we wanted to be so politically correct, we would back out of the Middle East, but that's an issue for another day.) In the meantime, it is important that we keep the borders sealed, and only allow in the quotas that were set for immigration. Those 12+ million folks who are already here illegally, should not be made to be afraid of our deportation system if their efforts in becoming legal are genuine. Let them come forward and register themselves, be subject to checks of their background status, and show a concerted effort of their goals. This again, is fair play. For those not willing to go through this process, we probably can get by without you.

To view our immigration issues from the top, the answers seem easy. To be in the midst, the complications multiply. One issue that needs to be taken off the table immediately is the race card. It has no right from either side to be thrown in the middle of the debate, and is only the poor thinkers way of dealing with an issue they have no grounds to argue. The issue, and the only one at that, is in legalization. If a person is trying to sneak in through the back door, what ever makes us think they will abide by any other rules and laws we have set up to protect ourselves? Yes, there have been many who snuck in who have made a better life for their families while learning to abide by the laws of the land, but many snuck in with the intentions adding to our problems of gangs, and drug trafficking. A screening process is a necessity, and we must make an effort to start learning to work with one another enough to have faith our laws will work if abided by BY ALL. In addition, we must get after our government to sort this out, because even though they are at the top, they are not looking down enough to find a fast and immediate solution.

Just my $1.00's worth.... inflation, you know.....