Today, not yesterday

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.
Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, No. 1, December 19, 1776

It is my opinion that this is what can explain the abhorrence of American law and way of life is the complete lack of understanding of the suffrages and sacrifices of our fathers and forefathers.

What does an illegal immigrant understand or know about our history if they did not grow up here? Do not get me wrong, I do realize our schools have found it political correct to teach about our nations founding.

I see Columbus always thrown into the fray, but he did not found our nation. Discovery does not equate foundation. Our nation was not founded by the Conquistadors either. To be completely honest, neither did the British nor the French.

Our nation was created by those who signed the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and all of the other signers of those documents founded this nation.

Did these men singly, or as a whole, journey to South America and Central America in hopes of conquest? In the answer being no, this in fact destroys most of the arguments thrown at us of why these militant illegal immigrants have for being in our nation. American citizens did not colonize South and Central America. Even the land of Aztlan does not belong to those who say they claim it. The Apache, Ute, Hopi, Navajo, Pueblo, and Zuni tribes which claimed these lands were not dragged to the lands of South and Central America and ejected. I do not deny that there should be pause and reflection of the actions of our country’s past in how these people were treated. If we as American citizens want to make up for the sins of those prior to us, many of which we today are not able to trace bloodlines back to, those actions do not involve the illegal immigrants of today.

Now back to our uninvited guests of today. Why do they not have respect of our laws or culture? They claim it is a racial issue, but how can that be true when America calls all people of all races citizens even before their arrival. If there is a race of people not in the United States today which can claim legal residence, I want to know who they are. If our nation was so against Hispanic way of life, why is our nation, especially the southwest, bearing names that are the same as our invaders of today? No, even that is untrue.

So if history is not against us and race is not, what claim do these people of today that are illegal immigrants have against us? Truly I want to know.

If we revisit their claims that over a hundred years ago someone took something from a family member of theirs, what stops all other people in the world from staking that claim? And how far back should we go? Should we restore the Roman Empire? The Pharaohs? The Czars? Which exact year should we roll all things back to? Perhaps the days of Moses. None of these are possible, nor are any of them fair or equal to the people of today.

Some blame the businesses for luring them here with promise of work, and they should be punished, but when we attempt to do that, they complain that they will lose the jobs they have. So which way is it there? If it is true that a business did lure them, why should that business remain untouched allowing the owners to make profit on their backs? Even when we attempt to punish those they blame for their ills, they scream at us.

I have addressed the issue of personal freedom and liberty in their homelands. If this is the fact of becoming an illegal immigrant here, they are cowards for not standing up to those who made life so bad they left. If it is arms they need, we American have plenty to lend or sell. I was challenged on this point before by someone saying that if my homeland became a place where I as a citizen faced imprisonment, torture, or death that I would run away. This for me and many I know is not true. I know many who would stand up with arms and tear down those who threaten our families. This too is cheap on its face to tell all of us that over 12 million people could not overthrow a government. Fidel Castro did it with less than 10,000.

So, none of these aforementioned arguments are valid.

Again, why do these people not respect our laws? It is honest to say they have not paid a price dear enough to earn their own freedoms to understand ours.

Any people who as a whole would come en masse and disrespect those who give them the coverage of their freedoms and liberties do not deserve the protections they receive.

It is here in the aspect of respect, honor, and understanding of our laws and culture which these people lack which forfeits their place here.