With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Those words are part of a sonnet titled, The New Colossus...written in 1883 by American poet, Emma Lazarus. Twenty years later in 1903...the entire poem was engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the lower level of the pedestal of
The Statue of Liberty.
The poem refers to the millions of immigrants who came to the United States - many of them through Ellis Island at the Port of New York and New Jersey. And over the years...The Statue of Liberty became a symbol of immigration...as ships carrying people from other lands...were greeted by one of this nation's most treasured and cherished monuments. And as the seafarers passed by Lady Liberty herself...she unofficially invited...acknowledged...embraced...and with the most friendly of hospitality...raised her torch in their honor - and coupled with Emma Lazarus' poem - accepted these strangers from foreign nations...to this...the United States of America...a place where ALL who loved - or desired to love - this wonderful nation...were welcomed. Today...the United States of America is a place...where ALL who love - or want to love - this great country...should be welcome.
Immigration reform is necessary...and the Senate bill has broad support of Democrats and Republicans alike. Poll after poll...of the American people... prove that a majority of U.S. citizens strongly back the Senate's bill...including a tremendous amount of support from conservatives. The Senate bill will do almost everything...if not everything...that the Republicans want. All the major objectives that House Republicans represent are part of the Senate bill.
Obviously people aren't arriving to our shores by the same means of transportation as they did in the early 20th century...but Republicans want to reduce illegal immigration...and the U.S.-Mexico border - which is where immigration concerns are focused - is much more secure than it has been in the past. That being said...Republicans from the House of Representatives are demanding a bill that cannot be delivered. There will never be an impregnable fortress wall between our country and our southern neighbor. After all...the boundary runs about 2,000 miles. But the Senate bill will provide 20,000 new border patrol agents and, therefore, makes significant progress in securing the border between the United States and Mexico.
Republicans want the immigration bill to provide economic growth. Top economists - including first-rate conservative economists - admit that the Senate bill will generate and succeed in accomplishing an increase in the capacity of our economy to produce goods and services. The Senate bill clearly creates employment opportunities - more than 700-thousand jobs.
Republicans want the immigration bill to help reduce our country's debt. The Congressional Budget Office says that the Senate bill will cut America's deficit by 800 billion dollars.
Immigration reform must also concentrate on the legalization of immigrants. The Senate bill provides a pathway to citizenship. My only request for those wanting to live in the United States...and to truly be recognized as Americans...is that each immigrant - as part of their process to citizenship - must learn how to communicate with other Americans...by speaking the English language. Just imagine...if all the immigrants of centuries past...who sailed the high seas...and made their adventurous trek from Europe and elsewhere...to find better lives and better ways of living for themselves...didn't learn how to speak English....what would have become of our country...and where would their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren - all of us - be today?
Let us remember that most of our families immigrated to America many years ago. My great-grandparents made their voyages from Russia and Romania...and their ocean crafts dropped anchor in New York Harbor. If your ancestors were allowed the privilege to become American citizens...why should we not give that same opportunity to others today? The goodness of immigration outweighs the bad. Immigration brings new cultures to the United States. Immigration brings new people with new ideas and new talents. Immigration has been an instrumental building block for the bedrock and foundation of America and the continuous growth of our nation. Why, therefore, do so many Americans believe that immigration is not beneficial for the U.S.A.?
Immigration is not only good...but excellent for America. If it wasn't for immigration...most of us would not be living on what we now know and love as American soil...with the freedoms we enjoy...as Americans. We need to salute and pay tribute to our ancestors...who began the process of immigration centuries ago. Therefore, I find it puzzling that so many individuals will debate...and downright argue...that immigration is not advantageous and valuable for our nation.
There are millions of hardworking people...living in the shadows...who want ever so much...to take the oath of citizenship...and to be able to proudly pledge allegiance to our flag...and warmly speak the words... "I am an American." Hopefully, the House of Representatives...the Senate...and President Obama...can together...make that happen.And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
And now a post-script to today's commentary.
I would like to borrow a phrase today from the world's longest running television program - NBC's Meet The Press. For as far back as I can remember...but most recently with David Gregory - and before him, the late, great Tim Russert - this Sunday morning institution would come to a close with the words..."If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press." For at least the time being...with great respect to a broadcasting and journalistic giant...please permit to say..."If it's Sunday, it's The Controversy."I've been writing my commentaries the last several months on Wednesdays and Sundays. However, I must reduce publication of my column to one day a week. That being said...from time to time, I may surprise my readers with an additional essay during the week...but for the most part, Sunday will be the day for you - to hopefully look forward - to reading The Controversy. So for the near future - or perhaps longer - "We'll talk again" every Sunday...and I hope you'll "tune in"...or in this case..."log in"...to The Controversy. Thank you.
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There is a difference between legal immigration and illegal immigration. Nobody is against legal immigration. These people broke our laws coming here that is the difference! As for the Senate Bill it does not do everything the Republican want, there are two major problems, first it give the Homeland Security Secretary the power to unilaterally declare the boarder secure and end or reduce all the other boarder security measures in the bill. It has to have benchmarks and be approved by congress and or the boarder state governors. Second the path to citizenship should be removed for anyone who came here over the age of 18. These people should be made legal permanent resident status but not citizens. The right to come out of the shadows, to work, to pay taxes, to not live in fear. They still need to pay fines and all back taxes to become legal. They broke the law coming here and for that gave up the chance to ever become citizen. Congress needs to do it step by step to get it right not in one massive bill. I am for reform but lets do it right and also say to the world you can't get citizenship by breaking the law.
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