From Whence Do Ye Hail??

It is a given that save for the indigenous peoples that were already here when the Europeans first set foot on these shores, we are all decendants of an immigrant population.

They came in boatloads from every corner of the world to inhabit this New World! For the vast majority of them, their only posessions upon stepping off the ship were their culture, their music, and their acquired skills. They hit the ground running with a vision to create a home and a country that was more ideal, more free, and in most aspects better than the land of their birth.

Through a combination of individual endeavors and collective accomplishments over multiple generations, they realized their dream. The majority eventually united for they came to understand that standing alone on principle was a recipe for loosing to the highest bidder! It was also discovered that unity of purpose did not have to mean loosing one's individual heritage in the process.

As time went on a system of law was developed to protect us from both ourselves, and intruders from elsewhere. Borders were declared and requirements for citizenship were formed.
Again, the majority agreed and adhered to these guidelines. It must be stated at this point that the majority of which I speak was not of one creed or ethnic orgin but rather of an ideal that was seen to be far better than had been previously experienced.

From that point to this, wars have been fought and fortunes have been spent ( and made) to repel any perceived threat to that ideal from within as well as without.

Fast forward to the present and we find ourselves embroiled in controversy regarding the very issue from which we all sprang. That being immigration or more to the point, uncontrolled immigration.

Are we still a nation who welcomes the oppressed? In essence I think we are. However, post 911, I believe that stricter adherance to that rule of law is in order! The procedures for becoming a legal, naturalized citizen of these United States has long been established. To glibly bypass those procedures is folly.

There is a school of thought which expouses the point that immigrant workers are quite content to do the lowly tasks that we Americans refuse to do. That is in fact true in some cases. It is also fact that by circumventing regulations, they end up in highly skilled jobs for which they are not qualified. In doing so, they in effect lower the payscale for those qualified workers in that field.

Case in point. In the trucking industry, of which I am a member, one is required by Federal Law to be able to speak and read the English Language at least to the proficency level of being able to understand the road signs and fill out the required paperwork in order to hold a Commercial Drivers License. However, one can enroll in any one of thousands of truck driving schools in this country, and have a CDL in his/her pocket in 14 to 21 days. Personally I know of no one who has yet failed the CDL test regardless of their ability to communicate in English!

If I recall there was a similar scenario a few years back concerning flight schools. That one didn't turn out so well as I remember. Just another example of requirements no longer being required.

But I digress. My point here is that these folks are guiding 80,000 pound missles up and down our highways with no understanding of the language, the signage, nor the vehicle they are operating. They are doing so for less money than those of us who have the training and experience to do so safely and efficiently.

Granted by their standards, they are in most cases, far better off financially than from whence they came. However, by ours they are barely keeping up with poverty levels and dragging us down with them. By the way, this situation is not limited to just the trucking industry. Similar events are taking place in other industries across our land.

So do I care what language they sing our National Anthem in? No! But I do care that they feel they have the right to do so without having gone thru the process to earn it. I also care that those who are profiting the most and spending the least are not those doing the work.

Want to come to America and make it your home? Welcome, come on in and join us. But do so the old fashioned way. EARN IT like your ancestors did!