Racism in America, Real and Imagined

There is no denying that racism still exists in America at some levels. And there is no denying that it is found in all race groups. What is irritating to the average individual is when they are branded as “Racist” for having a legitimate opinion regarding a social issue. It is not racist to say that we need to stem the flow of illegal aliens from the south. It is only confronting a reality. The numbers are staggering, and are becoming a burden to communities across the nation. It can be argued back and forth whether they are a net benefit to the national economy or a net cost, but the point should be moot. They are here illegally, and that should be the end of the discussion. Reform immigration laws to allow a guest worker program, but don’t just accept that illegals are a required part of the economy.

In an example that boggles the mind, the state of California allows illegals to attend State colleges and Universities at the in-state tuition level. They say that the students qualify because they attended high school in California. There are so many things wrong with this argument that it is hard to decide where to start. The first question has to be, why allow them to attend college at all, if they are illegal? Or high school, for that matter? if a person applies to a college when they are not legally in the country, it should be incumbent on that school administration to notify authorities. Second, what are they going to do with the degree anyway? If they are not legal to be employed, what can they do with the degree, except return to their home country? With an education courtesy of the state of California, of course. A group of students have filed suit, arguing that if illegals should be allowed to attend paying only in-state tuition, than students from other U.S. states should be allowed to also. A good argument, except that the illegals should not be allowed to attend any school in the state at all.

I have a very personal feeling regarding immigrants and immigration, as my wife in not from the the United States. We were married overseas. And we have done everything legally required so that we can be together in the country. We jumped through all the hoops, dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s. And now we live happily together here. We want her family to be able to visit us here, which requires another gauntlet of paperwork to be passed through. Yet someone from the south can enter almost unchallenged. It is not “Racist” to decry this as patently wrong.

To face the problem of immigration across the border with Mexico we must first stop looking at it through the prism of race. We need to look at it in light of factors that matter to all of us. Economic concerns, security fears, and social stresses on local services are all reasons to discuss the problem, and to address it. Race is not.