Today's Letters: Lose anger, gain understanding

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published June 17, 2007

Cut flow of immigrants June 10 letter

As the daughter of an immigrant (legal) and the descendant of North America's ancient race (who migrated here from another continent), I find anger over the immigration issue to be excessive.

How many immigrants are willing lawbreakers? If they are as ignorant as the letter writer suggests, do they even know the law they are breaking? How many Americans know the laws they are required to obey?

The purpose of the law is to protect people. If it is used too much to punish, then definitely the law, written by people to protect people, needs to be changed.

As far as the cost to the American taxpayer goes, while it may appear that immigrants are favored over citizens for social services, they are often in more desperate situations. Most Americans have more material goods and opportunities than they will ever use or need.

Besides, our government funds were built up over generations, taxes paid by other immigrants whose labor and brainpower developed a great country which welcomes all people, who, like the originals, are undereducated, unskilled and in some cases, unhealthy. To deport such people, who risked their lives to come here, and to break up their families and put them in prisons is close to criminal.

If the immigrants are given legal status and have an opportunity at better jobs, they become a part of the tax-paying masses. They will provide better homes for their families and better, healthier lifestyles, become well-acquainted with the laws of the land, and help our economy by becoming greater consumers. Their children will have access to our excellent schools, career training, health and social services, and churches. In the future, we will have a new generation of dedicated workers, teachers, doctors, scientists, artists and even lawyers.

It is snobbish and mean to suggest that no good can come of poor, undereducated, unskilled people. Ambition, intelligence and creative energy is in the genes and in the hand of God, not in the law, which would seem to oppress.

Doris Lee, New Port Richey

Parents, your kids are trashing yards

Hey, parents in Golden Acres, do you know where your kids are and what they are doing late at night?

I'll tell you what some of them are doing: bashing mailboxes, stealing garbage cans and lids and scattering garbage into yards, destroying yard lights and jumping chain-link fences to steal yard ornaments. What's next?

This has happened to us and our neighbors over and over. We are senior citizens and should not have to chase our garbage cans down and clean up the mess. We should not have to repeatedly replace our mailboxes, garbage cans, yard lights and bulbs.

We wonder what they did with our three yard ornament geese, which we've had for many years. If you have them, we'd like them back.

We've never done anything to your kids, so why must we put up with this?

C.J. Wilhite, New Port Richey

Join plan to link vets with votes

There is a new initiative at the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Office. Vote in Honor of a Vet, which emphasizes the theme that freedom requires responsibility and provides an educational program to encourage our young citizens to vote.

Students will be asked to vote in honor of a veteran and the experience will be personalized by each student receiving a military biography of the veteran he or she will be honoring. To signify their commitment, students will receive dog tags to wear as a daily reminder of their veteran's personal sacrifice. Also, to motivate students to give back to those who gave so much for our democratic society, arrangements will be made for veterans to come to the classroom to share their personal stories.

Veterans wishing to help in this endeavor should complete an online biography at www.pascovotes.com or call toll-free 1-800-851-8754. Survivors of veterans are welcome to complete biographies on their behalf.

Because fewer than half of adults vote, my staff and I are committed to this invaluable educational program.

Brian Corley, Pasco Supervisor of Elections

Black bags work as well as blue

We're at war with waste around us June 14 letter

Blue bags cost only $20 for a two-year supply. So what? The letter writer must not have much to recycle if those bags last two years.

Did they tell you the blue bags can't be recycled? Why can't I use a black bag I already have? My neighbors walk around to see who has bags out.

Let me use the bags I already buy and I'll recycle.

Larene Rolfes, Hudson

Purebreds should be neutered, too

Let's subsidize neutering, spaying May 15 letter

I understand what the writer is saying, but everyone should decrease their prices on spaying/neutering. Our vet is usually the important person in our animals' lives. But we have to open our eyes to the bigger picture.

There are dozens of breeders in Pasco and surrounding counties adding to the overpopulation of felines. To them it is a moneymaking business to sell a purebred. Counties should see to it that before the owner sells his or her purebred cat, it should have papers, a clean bill of health and be spayed or neutered. This will cut down the problem.

Cecilia LaGrutta, New Port Richey

[Last modified June 16, 2007, 19:49:39]