Simply being an American citizen comes with a grab bag of freedoms and benefits. Social Security, education, welfare and President Obama’s soon-to-be-implemented comprehensive health care system are only some of the fruits of our nation’s wealth - a wealth built on the social and ethnic diversity that defines America. While this diversity is our nation’s greatest strength, we cannot allow unrestrained access to America’s limited bounty. I am writing in regards to SB1070, the Arizona law causing so much uproar – the one that allows police officers to detain suspected illegal immigrants unless they are carrying immigration documents. I’ve heard the words “un-American,” “fascist,” “xenophobic” and “racist” all used to describe this legislation and its supporters, and I have never been more worried for the future of America.
In an age when many students’ only news comes from tweets and hearsay, our opinions are quickly growing more uninformed and thus more asinine. Our refusal to seek objective journalism has left us with less and less exposure to the unbiased facts that allow us to form our own opinions. Instead, we passionately regurgitate the twisted opinions of partisan bloggers and talking heads. SB1070 was created in response to chronic failures by the federal government to secure our borders against the overwhelming influx of illegal immigrants. The residents of Arizona have a right to protect their own interests in light of our national government’s inability to do so. In fact, the failure to control illegal immigration has fueled a dangerous and despicable human-trafficking trade that preys on the desperation of people who come here seeking a better life.
As an American citizen and tax payer, I pay a hefty portion of my income into Social Security, and I pay for my health insurance. In return, I expect to receive the associated benefits I have earned from hard work. Illegal immigrants sneak into the country undocumented and then drain American social systems – Social Security, health care, food stamps, education. They receive the same benefits as American citizens, only they pay nothing for it, adding a monetary strain that keeps many legal Americans from enjoying the same benefits. The industry surrounding illegal human trafficking is even more detrimental: Police raids on these operations have turned up illegal automatic weapons, forged documents, hard drugs and even prostitution rings. The illegal immigrants are often abused or even sold into what is essentially slavery, an outcome that benefits no one except the traffickers themselves.
While I agree the Arizona law does open the door to potential overuse by authorities, I do not concede that its terms are unreasonable. The average American’s wallet contains a driver’s license, multiple credit cards, a debit card, insurance certificates and numerous other documents. What’s one more piece of paper? Upon questioning by an officer, an American citizen accused of being an illegal immigrant would simply present proof of citizenship and be on her way. No person will be deported because he “fits the profile.” He will be deported because he cannot prove he is in America legally, an extraordinarily easy thing for a person to do if he is lawfully in the United States. In an age when American citizens are recruited as terrorists, and immigrants seeking their own American dream are enslaved by human traffickers, perhaps it is time for all U.S. citizens to carry documentation stating they are here legally and have undergone extensive background screening – a sort of “fast pass” for legal justice.
As a student paying for college with scholarships and a part-time job, I have no sympathy for any person of any nationality (including American) trying to steal from the social systems that enable me to go to school and receive medical care when I need it. To generalize those who share my opinion as being racist or xenophobic is startlingly offensive. Being un-American means not taking a stand and defending America when it is being abused. People with the dream of being Americans should have a legitimate, legal way to become tax-paying, productive citizens who enjoy all the fruits of our nation. Ignoring America’s illegal immigration problem benefits neither those who wish to become Americans nor those who are already here and pay dearly to support our way of life.
Josh McLawhorn is a biochemistry junior.
