I have drastically changed my view on this issue since the Reagan's 1986 amnesty bill. At that time, I was all for amnesty for illegals. I lived in a rural midwest farming community that had no illegal immigrant population. With no first hand knowledge regarding illegals, I believed they were hard working people looking for a better life. I was so sure that the border states to Mexico were bigots that resented the poor down trodden illegals. And then I moved to Florida.....
There is a large population of illegals living in my area of FL. The street behind my home is an area of duplex rentals and the occupants are mostly illegal Latinos. I can't begin to tell you what horrible neighbors they are. They have loud parties in their front yards with music blaring from their truck stereos until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, men can be seen at any time day or night urinating in their front yards, and they love shooting their guns! Last summer, we had a bullet come through our roof at 9:30 in the morning. When asked to turn their music down, their response is to laugh, scream at us in spanish and turn it up. Actually I don't know if they understand English because all I have ever heard spoken on that street is Spanish.
Reading the crime reports in the paper, it appears that a large portion of the daily crimes in our county are committed by Latinos. And then there are the gangs... there was even a shoot out between Latino gangs on one of our beautiful beaches this past Easter Sunday.
Yes, I know that not all illegal aliens and Latinos are un-toilet trained gun toting criminals. I am sure there are many who are hard working and live quiet law-abiding lives (well, if you overlook the fact they broke the law by coming here). But after living around so many illegal aliens, my opinion on this issue has completely changed. I strongly oppose any bills that would allow them to stay.
Bush argues that it is impossible to round them up and deport them. Why? Because it would cost too much? What is it going to cost to let them stay? Add up the expenses of having them here- providing social services and medical care, the amount of law enforcement resources spent on dealing with the crimes they commit daily, etc.
I hear the argument that we are a country built by immigrants. Yes, that is true. People settled here from all over the world and our country grew. We were a new nation that needed people to develop and and populate the country. But it is no longer the 1800's and many of our areas are now over populated.
Latinos are now the fastest growing minority in our country. Rather than the illegals assimilating into our society, abiding by our laws and enriching our society, we are changing to accommodate them. Now when calling a business or government office, we have to choose if we want to hear English or Spanish. Our neighborhoods are disrupted and changed. Just last week an innocent child was gunned down while playing in his yard- a Latino with poor aim drive-by shooting. Will America eventually become just another Mexico? Another corrupt, crime ridden, and poverty striken third world country? Perhaps these poor hard working illegal aliens could return to their own country, organize and bring about change in their own nation.
As much as I hate to agree with the Republicans about anything, I have to agree with them on this issue. Living in close proximity to a large population of illegal Latinos has been a real education for me. Instead of retiring and living my remaining years in paradise, I find myself living in a place that more resembles a third world war zone, rather than paradise.
Peace-
Ameican Woman
