Opinions on Letter to the Editor. They refused to print this woman's letter. Why would they do that?
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.
Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.
They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture.
Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.
And here we are in 2007 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.
And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.
(signed) Rosemary LaBonte
Answer:
First I want to say how much I like and appreciate this letter. Rosemary has found a very dignified and elegant way to express her feelings (and those of many others, including myself) about a very sensitive subject.
As far as why it hasn't been printed...there is a possibility that the letter was too long to fit into the allotted space for that section. Newspaper space is layed out before the articles are turned in - it is common to give writers a word count with their assignments. It is also possible that this paper was already printing a letter with a similar point of view on this subject and didn't want to be redundant. I'm thinking that's less of a possibility though because any letter that could top Rosemary's would have to be Pulitzer material. Unfortunately, I suspect the most probable reason is money. All media outlets are scared to have any association with controversial views because then they will lose readers/viewers/listeners, and then they will lose advertisers. Sometimes they will lose the advertiser first - such as the holier-than-thou Proctor and Gamble who will pull their ads at the drop of a politically incorrect Don Imus' hat.
If you can read Rosemary's letter and imagine the lives of the early immigrants beyond Ellis Island you will remember that they also embraced capitalism. Free enterprise and lack of taxation were two (very significant) founding principles of our country. (When the taxees realized they could become the taxers that idea was thrown out, but it is a great example of how money driven our country has been.) Really, it always has been and always will be about money.
Thank you for posting the letter so we all could enjoy it :-)
I don't know how big the paper is that she submitted it to, but I'm hoping it will get better circulation here.
Maybe because it's so long?
WOW, Great article & so true. I think it should be in every paper & magazine in the U.S.
According to the U.S. this is all that is required to become an American!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13442226/...
Statue Of Liberty..
Her eyes tell the story so well
She tries hard to hide
So little expected
Too often neglected,
A woman stripped of her pride
Always so careful not to cry
Not till we fall asleep
And there in the silence
She stands with a tear on her cheek
The thought comes to mind
That we've failed somehow
For things we cant quite recall
A man without love is only half a man
But a woman is nothing at all
More disguised racism and bigotry. Nothing new from the anti-immigrant crowd. Move along folks, nothing to see here.
well writen. maybe they didn't want to print it because it's the truth and don't want americans to wake up. it's so true.
Well, they're editors, so they choose what they want to print. I liked the letter, and agree with her points. I find it insulting and actually enraging that so many want to come here, for a BETTER life, and then only want to steal from society by defrauding the welfare system, not paying taxes, etc. I don't mind someone speaking another language if they can speak English, but they must learn English. There should be respect for our laws, our way of life, our traditions, etc. If they love their mother country so much, why would they abandon it?
The Statue of Liberty is my favorite national monument, and, I think, the greatest symbol of who we are.
I think many illegal immigrants think that they can just threaten us, saying they deserve to be here, that we will have a war on our hands if we try and deport them, etc. I think they had better keep their mouths shut because, as peace loving as MOST Americans are, they are about to reawaken a sleeping giant majority that refuse to be intimidated and will then be emboldened to do anything and everything to rid the US of illegals. In short, they are playing with fire.
Let's hear it for Rosemary, Hooray!
Man was she eloquent ! You have to realize most newspapers have their own agenda, obviously they didn't agree with her take on the Immigration issue.
I would LOVE to know which paper refused to print this letter, and how did you find it? I thought it was great BTW. My father also fought side by side with Immigrant's children, he himself came from the rez in Canada to fight in the USN.
Back then it was a true melting pot, those people who came here and gave their all to become AMERICANS must be rolling over in their graves now to see what has happened in 2 generations!
**** Addition: 'nuff said on the Newspaper...LOL! Think their "slant" comes shing thru on that point!
They wouldn't print it because it makes too much sense and valid points. I think it's great.
That's a lovely letter. I think she said it very well. Some don't have any respect for the immigrants of the past who sacrificed their all to be here and be a part of our great nation. These illegals have passed the point of rudeness and have become such a blight on our nation. You don't thumb your nose at us while you rob us blind! I'm not surprised that it was in California, they seem to have forgotten that they are a part of our nation. I guess they were afraid to upset all the illegals or the mayor of LA. I firmly believe that the rest of this nation has had it up to here with the illegals and we'll be rid of them by state and local rulings.
well how many of those immigrants are in O.C. anyway?
i guess the paper is pandering to the people that they think are buying their paper and not letting all be heard.
Hello, Buzzy! A nice question from you. Would be even nicer to know how you got interested in such issues? :)
I would say those first Americans whom the author praises so highly for their civil courage and patriotism were looking just for a better place to live, like those immigrants fighting for their piece of the cake are. Inflow of (illegal) immigrants is a problem worldwide. But then overpopulation is a problem everywhere, you just have to deal with it. And if immigrants fulfill their obligations towards the society - they work and pay taxes and thus also contribute to the country's welfare, why exclude them from this 'elite club' of 'true' Americans and not give them enough rights and privileges for them to be able to join in? As I understand it, America is first and foremost about freedom. The author obviously expresses some snobbish ideas about Americans being a privileged caste and immigrants being not good enough to participate equally in the life of the state, and this is the reason the publisher wouldn't print the letter. And when Ms. Rosemary LaBonte says: 'I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet' - with all respect for American democracy, I'm afraid she would be the last person to be asked about the fate of the Stautue not to speak about the fate of the state itself. Because (I'm spoling a nice quotation, I admit) all people are right, but still some are righter then the others. Even if they start dismantling the U.S.
'So why would they do it?'
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