It wasn’t long ago when you’d walk into a place called Smitty’s and the guy behind the counter was 6′-3″, weighed 240, had a ruddy complexion from the sun, wore an old gray tee-shirt and a red bandanna. Now Smitty is about 5 foot nothing, weighs 100 pounds if he gets caught in the rain, has a ruddy complexion from genetics, wears an old gray tee-shirt and a white turban.
One of the more irritating techniques used to lobby for the recently-defeated amnesty bill was the constant reference to those against it as being against immigration. The media, and most of the liberal politicians, intentionally left out the key word…“illegal”. They even went so far as to accuse those who vigorously opposed the bill of being “bigots”. One look at my three mocha-shaded grandchildren and my son’s beautiful fiancee from China makes me wonder how that’s possible. For the vast majority of us, of course, it’s an insult.
The real answer is that the old race card was put on the table, where it didn’t belong, and most people are very much in favor of immigration. Immigrants built this country and provide the diversity that makes it great. It just seems the phrase “huddled masses” etched on our Statue Of Liberty is, conveniently, confused by some with the phrase “dregs of society”. My grandkids are honor-roll students and my future daughter-in-law works 14 to 18 hours per day, six days per week. The new Smitty owns the store and, in fact, makes a better sandwich than the old Smitty used to. We need more doctors, lawyers and engineers immigrating to America and fewer lettuce pickers. We need to encourage immigration of people who come through the front door, wanting to be proud citizens and contribute to society not those who sneak through the back, in the dark of night with upturned palms, complaining they are not being given enough.
I’m tired of “pressing one” to hear my own language on the telephone and take great pleasure in listening to Smitty speak “well English”. Indeed, let’s encourage immigration and share the American experience with others but let’s do it right. Let’s do it prudently. Let’s do it legally. You know, more and more every day Smitty’s white turban is beginning to look like a red bandanna!
R.S.F.
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