Thoughts on immigration
Slim Smith made a few interesting points in his column on immigration, past and present (Slimantics, Feb. 19), but he missed a few other, equally valid points.
… If any immigrant comes here wanting to become an American, live by our laws and be part of our country, welcome! If their intent is to cause disruption in our way of life, no thanks. Before any immigrant should be allowed to vote, they need to become assimilated into our society. I think most do not. They only wish to get jobs and send money home.
May I offer a solution? Let immigrants come here and stay as long as they wish, but they must get an ID card similar to a driver’s license. It would allow them to pay taxes, but NOT to get any entitlements, and NOT to vote. Break the laws, OUR laws, and you pay the price.
No more deportations, except for felons, who will just sneak back across the border anyway. SS and income tax receipts go up, but those who can draw benefits do not.
We cannot continue to be the world’s nanny. Something has to be done now, before it’s too late. There are many other small but effective steps that could and should be taken to improve the situation, but political bickering and misinformation keep getting in the way. We need to put common sense to good use and solve this problem once and for all.
A good next step will be to repeal or amend the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to “All persons born … in the United States, … are citizens of the United States … ” It is no longer necessary, and indeed never was.
Cameron Triplett
Brooksville
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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