Access and protection: our children deserve no less

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E-MAIL SHOWS PULSE OF COUNTRY
Arizona Republic, The (Phoenix,  AZ)
June 9, 2007
Author: DAVID HOWELL, Special for The  Republic
Estimated printed pages: 2

I've learned over the years that  some topics generate more of a response 
than others. Immigration is  definitely one of those. And the several dozen 
missives I received in the  wake of my most recent column in support of 
comprehensive immigration reform  leaves me hopeful.

When I first wrote on this topic several years ago,  the majority of the 
e-mails were of the "send them all home and build a  wall" variety. Those 
folks are still there, and they still write. But this  time, they were more 
than offset by individuals supporting the position I  took.

The sample of my e-mail response is supported by the most recent  nationwide 
polls I've seen. A sizable majority of Americans recognize that  we need a 
workable guest worker program.

I know part of that majority  opinion is simply a matter of being realistic, 
and another part is economic  common sense. Rounding up and deporting 10-plus 
million individuals is  simply undoable and would wreak havoc on many U.S. 
businesses.

But  I'd also like to believe there is an element of that sentiment that  
recognizes that doing so would also be unfair and unjust ... Dare I say  
..."un-American."

I'll use one subset of our undocumented residents  to make my point.

They came here as children; many of them are now young  adults. They came 
because their parents brought them. They are undocumented,  but they have 
never known another home.

And, contrary to what some  would have us believe, they are largely 
assimilated. The majority have  worked hard in school and stayed out of 
trouble.

Utah Sen. Orrin  Hatch, hardly a liberal, and several others in Congress 
(including our own  U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor) recognized the plight of these young 
people several  years ago and introduced legislation designed to address it.

It's called  the "Dream Act." When it passes, it will reward these deserving 
young  Americans with a path to a college education and U.S. citizenship.

The  irony is that not only does justice demand that we open this door to 
these  young people, we need them. In today's world being bilingual is a 
valuable  asset.

We'd be fools not to invite them in.



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