Unfortunately, We All Choose…
Most of my best friends here in Minnesota are immigrants. They are from India and have been in this country for many years, 10, 15, some close to 20 years. They all have good jobs that are vital to the economy of the U.S. Most of them have bought houses, cars, appliances, clothes, food, and everything else required to raise a family here in America. They all pay taxes. None of them have committed any crimes, and I believe that if they get even one DUI, they would be sent back to India within two weeks time. Every single one of my Indian friends have contributed greatly to this country and all of us who live here.
And yet, they receive NO “SERVICES.” They are not citizens so they are not entitled to the many benefits America offers its citizens. They can be deported with very little notice. They don’t get to vote. My friend’s daughter is not eligible for ANY school loans nor scholarships and she is not legally allowed to work. My friend is paying THE ENTIRE COST of his daughter’s college education. Meanwhile, when she turns 21, she either becomes an international student (which raises tuition significantly) or leaves the country. To state things bluntly, their existence in this country is less than it should be…
My friends from India are some of the most amazing and beneficial “citizens” I know in this country, and they are offered nothing from “immigration services.” I admit. I don’t want my tax dollars to help more people come into this country illegally. I don’t want to pay for ”free services” for those about whom I know nothing and have not yet contributed. I don’t want my tax dollars to be spent on those who cause problems or do harm within these borders. I DO want my tax dollars to be used to help my friend pay for his daughter’s college education. I DO want my tax dollars to be used to help reform the immigration system so that my friends and their families can actually be citizens of the country to which they have contributed so greatly. I DO want my tax dollars to help those who have been here for years, working tirelessly, behaving admirably, and contributing greatly to live less fearfully, more peacefully and prosperously, and NOT as immigrants (if they so choose).
So yea, if I am honest, I don’t think about or care about ALL immigrants in the same way. If YOU are honest, I don’t think you do either. At SOME POINT, EACH OF US has to prioritize who we want to take care of… it is simply an inevitability. This is true for the U.S. Government also.
Hylan, I think it takes a lot of gumption to post what you shared today. I do agree with you and I admire your willingness to share and call attention to this conundrum.
Our government, ultimately, has to make black & white policies so that they can be enforced. It would be so difficult to enforce if we only dealt with subjectiveness.
I DO WISH we could all individually decide where our tax dollars should be spent—who should or should not receive benefits based on their personal contributions to society.
Those who contribute to our county in a way that promotes civic disposition SHOULD receive benefits, deserve benefits…immigrants or not. Those who are CITIZENS of our country SHOULD be held accountable for their contribution to our country—if they are not contributing or willing to TRY and contribute in a positive way—I don’t think they deserve governmental support, just because they are an AMERICAN.
If anyone is willing to contribute to our society in a meaningful, positive, and responsible way, they deserve benefits offered. Those who are taking advantage of the system and are not contributing should NOT benefit from the American dream.
I DO WISH the decisions about our country’s distributions could be decided by individual citizens and their inclinations, instead of decided by simplified black and white initiatives.
I thank you for bringing this to the forefront of our conversations and minds so that we can reflect. Of course we are all affected by our relationships with others and our perceptions of what they deserve or do not deserve. I just wish we could somehow divvy out our personal perceptions of distributions to those who we believe DESERVE.
Wow! Thank you, Betsy. I appreciate this response but I appreciate the effort even more. For me personally, I think one of the problems we are currently facing in America, and possibly the World as a whole, is that we are either unable or unwilling to simply think and ponder and wrestle with our own thoughts and feelings and emotions and how these REALISTICALLY fit into the World in which we live. I DO NOT LIKE to admit that I care about some people more than others… that hurts my heart… but in the past week thinking all this through I realized THAT is MY REALITY. As individuals, as schools, as communities, as nations, governments, society as a whole, WE ALL HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES (no matter who or what you are) and we MUST decide how to distribute fixed assets! That is just the reality.
Yes, it is great to state “I care about everyone. We should take care of everyone. Everyone deserves assistance and help.” I agree… but it is simply not possible. Even in my own personal life, I am struggling at the moment because there is SO MUCH NEED in the school district where I work and I am finding myself making promises and saying I will do things for students and then either forgetting I made the promise (because just overwhelmed with requests) or not being able to get to it because there are other situations or crises I need/have to respond to throughout the day. I, personally, feel like I am wearing myself out trying to HELP EVERYONE, and at the same time, the “help” I am offering is “less than” I would like because I am just stretched too thin…
I get it that people have big hearts and want everyone to thrive in this World. I hope people would consider me to be one such individual. However, the reality of this life is brutal. Decisions HAVE to be made. Some things are just not possible. It is an absolutely horrible process and not a fun reality to recognize… but essential. And ABSOLUTELY WORTH PONDERING… because even if the process of thinking about this breaks out heart, if we don’t think about these things, the reality of the World will break our hearts even more. Thank you again for your response. Much, much appreciated.