A View From the Deck: A Crossroads on the 'Path to Citizenship'

NOTE: The following is OPINION. As such, it is the
author’s point of view and his alone.

A proposed ‘Path to Citizenship’ for many of the
(estimated) 11.5 million illegal immigrants living in this country is a topic
that almost everyone has an opinion on.

Some argue that our borders need heightened
security, and that those here illegally should be deported back to their
country of origin.

Others argue that those that have lived and worked
here for years deserve a chance to become citizens.

Both sides present valid arguments, but the ‘truth’
of this issue lies somewhere in the middle.

Our nation is a country of immigrants. Many of our
forefathers left their country of origin for whatever reason, seeing America as
‘A Land of Opportunity.’ They worked hard. Some required ‘Sponsors.’ All had to
learn English, in order to interact with other Americans, wherever they
originally came from. Eventually, through hard work and dedication, they became
American citizens. My grandmother left Russia just before the October (Bolshevik)
Revolution, leaving behind family and friends, to escape persecution and to
have a chance at achieving the ‘American Dream.’

She succeeded. But many others did not.

Immigration Reform is an issue that should have been
addressed many years ago, but ‘Political Correctness’ and the fear of ‘insulting
any one group’ in the name of garnering influence (votes) on the part of
politicians has seen the issue escalate into a true problem that now demands an
answer. A fair answer.

Immigration Reform should have taken the forefront
after the infamous ‘Mariel Boatlift,’ in which over 125,000 Cubans arrived on
our shores, many becoming unaccounted for, disappearing into the masses, during April through October of 1980. Of these 125,000, more than
half were discovered to have been inmates of Cuban jails and mental health
facilities, people that Fidel Castro considered to be the ‘escoria,’ or ‘scum,’ of (revolutionary) Cuban society. Many of those had been interred
since Castro’s initial rise to power (with the enthusiastic assistance of the ‘Darling
of the Socialist Set,’ Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara). This incident, and the
Administration’s inept mishandling of it, proved to be the final nail in the
coffin of Jimmy Carter’s political career.

But Immigration Reform, and any means of an
effective and fair ‘Path to Citizenship’ lay dormant, and the problem continued
to grow and fester.

Accurate figures don’t exist, due to the very nature
of the issue, but the Obama Administration estimates that approximately 20
percent of the illegal immigrants currently living in the United States have extensive
criminal records.  That these people
should undergo a vigorous background check, or those that continue to commit
crimes on our shores be deported or incarcerated, is a ‘no-brainer.’

But what about that 80 percent of illegal immigrants
that either have no criminal background, or are just trying to achieve the ‘American
Dream?’ Do they not deserve the chance, like our forefathers, like my own
grandmother, to become American Citizens?

Mexico accounts for an estimated 62 percent of the
illegal immigrants in this country. Not hard to understand, given the living
conditions of most of that nation’s people, and a corrupt government that does
little to improve the standard of living. Mexico’s proximity to our southern border,
and the cultural similarities to states such as California, New Mexico,
Arizona, and Texas that have large Hispanic communities that act as an informal
type of ‘Welcome Wagon’ to those that choose to come here, gives a measure of
peace.

But let’s not forget that other 38 percent. When one
talks about illegal immigrants, keep in mind that you’re not just referring to
people from Mexico, Latin, and South America, and the Caribbean, but people
from Eastern Europe, from Asia, from the Middle East, from the entire continent
of Africa, and even a sizable portion from Canada.

But Mexico, and Hispanics in general, seem to bear
the brunt of any discussion regarding illegal immigrants, and the crimes
committed by them in our country. Criminal activity is not exclusive to people
of Hispanic descent, or have you never heard of the ‘Bratva Organizatsiya,’ the
‘Brotherhood Organization,’ better known as the ‘Russian Mafia?’

Illegal Immigration is a problem, and steps must be
taken to come to a fair answer for those that are here. Here is one suggestion,
as always, open for debate:

The communities that harbor these people have a
responsibility to help achieve this. They should act as ‘Sponsors’ for them,
teaching them American culture and its laws, educating them in English, and
helping them to find private industry, non-government-backed jobs within that
community that does not place a strain on our already overburdened (dismal) job
market.

Crime should not be tolerated in ANY community, and
those that commit crimes should be reported to the authorities. After a period
of time, after having demonstrated a true work ethic, a command of the English
language, and a true desire to work for the betterment of all, these people,
not unlike our forefathers, should be allowed to attain full citizenship and be
granted the rights, freedoms, benefits, and opportunities afforded to ALL
American citizens.

No one should be allowed to ‘cut in line’ ahead of
those immigrants who are here legally and have demonstrated any of the above.
Nor should those here illegally be reaping government aid (Taxpayer Dollars) that
should be going to AMERICAN citizens.

As it stands right now, there are two schools of
thought on the issue of Illegal Immigration.

One, we put a ‘No Vacancy’ sign on the Statue of
Liberty and all of our borders, signifying that we are closed to further
immigration, and enforce this.

The other is we tear down that poorly-maintained,
dilapidated ‘border’ that separates us from Mexico, have them join the Union as
the 51^st State, ending that country’s corrupt government influence,
and possibly putting an end to Mexico’s Drug Cartels once and for all.

The answer to Immigration Reform, much like the ‘truth’
of the issue, truly lies somewhere in the middle.