On The Border

The subject of immigration reform has become almost taboo these days. There are people on both sides of the subject that take immigration ideas to extreme. There are some that say we should lock down the border and lock the gates to the U.S., while others think that we should have little or no control on people entering this country.

The United States of America was the vision of immigrants that landed on her shores and decided to make it the greatest nation on earth. The forefathers of this nation came from many different countries and many different stations in life. Our nation has continued to be shaped by an even more diverse people throughout our history. You can find people that helped shape our country from every race creed and religion. The vast difference in the many cultures in our great melting pot has become a unique culture in itself. That is what makes this nation great.

Tolerance is necessary to overcome the barriers we encounter but bowing down to an incoming culture is an insult to those that laid the foundation of our nation. One of the first things that most of the immigrants of yesteryear did when arriving was to learn English, the language that this nation was founded on. Throughout the country there are neighborhoods that are mainly occupied by one group or another that have common ancestry or cultures. Communities like Little China Town, Little Italy, and Little Mexico for example.

The problem that has arisen as of late is that many of the people immigrating to the United States want our nation to change to the nation they left. Some disrespect the nation that has welcomed them to the chance at better lives. Some disrespect the symbols of this great nation and expect us to sit idly by when they deface our flag. Some come illegally and expect the American citizen to support them with all of the government programs offered.  These same actions in many countries could have you jailed or even put to death.

There are a very few things that most Americans want any immigrant to do when they arrive.

• Enter our country legally
• Respect our laws
• Respect our flag
• Learn our common language
• Pay taxes like the rest of us
• Do not try to make us like the country you left
• If you expect to stay then become a legal citizen

We welcome most anyone no matter what race, religion, creed or even political views. You are welcome to practice your religion and celebrate your family traditions as long they do not violate our laws. We will treat you with respect if you treat us with respect. If you do happen to fall on hard times we don’t mind helping you out long as you don’t expect us to support you all of the time. You might encounter a few individuals that dislike you because of your differences but they do not speak for all of us.

Americans are aware that all of us except for Native American Indians are in fact immigrants or descendants of immigrants. This is the reason you will see people of African descent at a St. Patrick’s day festival or maybe a one of Hispanic descent at one of the Greek festivals. Americans love to come together and celebrate with each other; it is why this nation has succeeded so well. We are willing to embrace each other’s differences, but we also expect others to embrace or at the very least respect our great nation and her traditions.

For those of you that own firearms, train hard and well and teach those that do not know how.
Be good stewards of the right to bear arms, for we are the last line of defense against tyranny.

-Benjamin Wallace