Today's Letters: Immigration bill

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published June 15, 2007

We all share some guilt on illegal immigration 

It is time for leadership on immigration reform from both of the political parties. Conservatives keep harping on their opposition to amnesty because of the illegal activity of the people who have gotten here.

Let's not forget that these people have hidden in plain sight, all 12-million of them. Aren't all of us as citizens guilty of complicity? We have watched them pick our produce in the light of the day and later we go to the store knowing that migrant workers helped harvest this food. We have all slept in clean hotel rooms that many illegal aliens helped clean, and we have tipped them too! Many of us have rented or bought buildings in this country that have been produced by this same hardworking work force.

I do think we should now enforce the law to make our borders safe, but you can't blame people who are here and working when all of us looked away when they got here. We have all benefited from their hard work.

It is time to stop harping on the amnesty issue. We will all show each other amnesty, them for being here illegally and us citizens for allowing it to happen in the first place. We need a sensible solution, one that will not harm our economy, one that will not harm 12-million hardworking people and most importantly one that will safeguard our borders. It is time for our elected officials to earn their paychecks and stop posturing for TV cameras.

Ronda Baer, Seffner

Resist a horrible bill

George Bush doesn't get it! The American people are sick of being lied to and they aren't going to stand by and let him shove this horrible bill through Congress.

I can't believe he doesn't understand, so it has to be a matter of pushing an agenda that is not going to benefit the American public. It would benefit business people. They get richer while the rest of us watch our standard of living steadily decline, while we try desperately to keep up with rising prices, taxes and insurance costs.

Those Republicans who won't vote for it are smart enough to know that we are sick to death of these insane giveaways. The only thing that scares me is the Republican Party's penchant for threatening their own senators and representatives when they don't fall in line. We are going to have to stay vigilant to keep this type of legislation from being foisted off on us.

For heaven's sake, seal the borders! Then there will be time to address the problem of the millions of illegals who are already here.

Shirley M. Day, St. Petersburg

Follow the law

There are several million illegals in our country who do not pay taxes and reap the benefits of our social programs. I understand the concept of taking in "your tired, your poor, your huddled masses." What I do not understand is the amnesty issue. Rules are not made to be broken, and our rules/laws are in place for specific reasons.

Taking these people in is okay as long as they abide by one key word: legal. If they can't start their life here legally, there is no incentive for them to abide by any of our other laws.

Why have any laws at all if you know somewhere down the line some bleeding heart will forgive the transgression? This sets a great example for our young: Go ahead and break any law you want and sooner, rather than later, you will receive your "get out of jail free" card.

If these people want to come here, do it legally or not at all.

Dennis Condon, Palm Harbor

Tap the wealth 

Defusing our fiscal time bomb June 14, editorial

Since average executive pay now approximates 400 times the pay of average workers - up from a mere 42 times in 1982 - wouldn't lifting the ceiling on pay subject to Social Security tax be a fair way to begin any reform efforts?

If all gross earned income was taxed, perhaps the tax rate could be significantly reduced. Even better, perhaps Social Security taxes paid by employers could be eliminated.

Dave Jonsson, Seminole

Leave religion out 

Religion claims a spot at debates June 8, commentary

I'm completely mystified over CNN's sponsorship of the forum on faith June 4 with the supposed purpose of highlighting the religious beliefs of the leading Democratic candidates for president. I'm just not sure I understand why we should care whether Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John Edwards prays more and/or is more religious than the others. I thought we were electing a president, not a pope!

And the Republicans, who hold pole position in the race to garner the support of the "religious right, " are also trying their best to convince us that they will appeal to the Lord for guidance should they be elected. President Bush has always acknowledged that he depends on his "Holy Father" for help in his decisionmaking, and we can see how much good that's done!

Furthermore, at least three of the Republican candidates admitted (during the recent debates) that they did not believe in evolution! Why should we even consider voting for anyone with such an unbelievable ignorance of science!

Bob Lindskog, Palm Harbor

Political diversion 

Outing the Republican out of touch June 12, Maureen Dowd column

Maureen Dowd sees right through political hypocrisy whenever it surfaces. The constant attacking of gays by Republicans is their way of diverting the attention of the ignorant from the fact that they are the party of hypocrisy, hate and greed.

I doubt if I am the only voter who is tired of hearing nonstop chatter by a bunch of rich divorced men about abortion and gays. Will they ever get to the real issues that face this country, such as funding Social Security, health care, etc.?

Richard O'Toole, St. Petersburg

Hot it's not

In the middle of the news announcing the termination of Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, TV programming broke in to announce "info" on Paris Hilton and her criminal status.

Thousands of our finest young men and women are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, tens of thousands maimed or wounded, billions of dollars spent, and the media zoom in on the misdemeanor charge of violating parole on a plea-bargained DUI conviction.

The media, print and television, decided that "Paris" is the more important news. "That's hot." What a joke!

S.J. Thomas Jr., U.S. Marine Corps (retired), St. Petersburg

Ludicrous news

Has this nation gone mad? I am still hearing about Anna Nicole's baby and her father. I don't care!

I was watching MSNBC, where they were discussing possible changes to the Iraqi strategy, and the program was interrupted with "breaking news." Paris Hilton was either getting in or out of jail. I'm not sure which. I was so angry I turned off the TV.

On the day that President Bush "lost" his watch, I saw the video that showed him taking the watch off and putting it in his pocket. Done. The next day, the "incident" was on the front page of the St. Petersburg Times. It was being discussed and debated on MSNBC, CNN, Fox.

For the first time in seven years, I agree with President Bush: "I have never seen such a ludicrous story."

Are there any media outlets besides The Daily Show that will give me factual information that I need to know?

David Schmidt, St. Petersburg

Susan Stanton

Tell us more

Some people are averse to hearing about Susan Stanton. I want to hear more. I think it is a wonderful opportunity to hear from someone who spent half his life as a man and will now spend the rest of his/her life as a woman.

There are so many social issues facing him/her. I'd like to know if he/she still has the same employment opportunities as a woman as he did as a man. I want to know how Susan responds to the employment application question of gender. After all, a name change does not a female make. I want to know which restroom Susan uses. I want to know all of the problems a gender change causes in today's world.

Will his child now say he has two moms? Susan's honesty is refreshing, but will it help him in today's society, or will he have to move away and change his last name, also? I definitely want to know more. Please keep us informed.

Gloria R. Julius, St. Petersburg

[Last modified June 14, 2007, 21:45:40]