Freedom, Science, Immigration, Discrimination,

Retaliation, Racism, Equality, Opportunity, Morality, and Hate:

Part of growing up is the process of “un-learning.” In order to manifest functional, happy human beings, it is necessary to evolve past what we were taught to believe. Taking with us the best of who we were to become someone better. We experience this at every “first” through our first day at pre-school, our first bully, our first apartment, our first loss, our first car, our first day at college, our first job, our first wedding, our first divorce, our first love, our first Democratic President, our first Republican President, etc… Everywhere I look I see people robbed of one or many of their “firsts.” Discrimination, racism, hate and lack of opportunity and equality are evidence that there is much un-learning to be had in America. As a nation, for too long, we have treated these acts of aggression with vague interest—as if each case is a fluke and rarely happens. We have allowed fear sickness, retaliation, inequality and death to rule the outcomes for the minorities of America. As a nation we must step forward, and together, to shed what is to be un-learned—to become a better more mature society.

By implementing and enforcing laws that reflect tolerance for homosexuals, women and minorities we create equal opportunity for all. Opportunity is a direct derivative of equality. Let’s get it out of the way. We have spent too much time forming opposition against that which, history dictates, is inevitable. The ERA should be finalized. Women should hold emphatic ownership over their bodies. Gay couples deserve the good and bad of marriage. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is a schoolyard solution to an adult reality, and minorities should not have inferior government protections. In 2002 The American government fired 6 Arabic translators because they were gay. Perhaps we could spend our time more wisely. In a world that is increasingly more hostile, it would be a shame to shut out any mind that could offer solutions.

• Systematically restore civil liberties and the US Constitution: Our government has absconded with our liberties and the protections provided by the constitution. They must be restored so that Democracy survives.

• Ratify the ERA amendment: The United States of America boasts about our “Land of Opportunity.” It is our tag line. We utilize the clout that we have derived from this perception of who we are. We allow the honor of this perception to open doors and seal deals across the globe. We take it upon ourselves to spread Democracy throughout the world. Though, here at home, women are still members of the thwarted club. Women are paid less than men for equal work. Women are trusted with less authority than their male counterparts in equivalent positions. Women ARE still the “lesser” beings in this society. They have taken on jobs, joined the military, achieved executive positions, and gained scholarly recognition. Yet a quiet divide still exists between women and men. That divide is fostered by the conduct you, our legislators, which have not yet ratified the ERA proposal as the 28th amendment to the United States Constitution. This proposal is intended to guarantee equal rights under the law for Americans regardless of sex. This amendment seems logical for a country that has earned its clout through the perception of equal distribution of opportunity. I propose taking that sentiment further by adding the phrase “race or sexual orientation” to the amendment. “Equal rights under the law for Americans regardless of sex, race, or sexual orientation.” THAT is a country that has shed it’s “un-learning” and is ready to move forward. According to Wikipedia.org, “35 ratifications from state legislatures during the 1970s remain valid” The remaining state legislatures and Congress must defend the reputation of America by ratifying and celebrating the ERA amendment. The ERA amendment will not change the landscape of women’s issues overnight but, in the face of inequality, it will afford them the constitutional foundation to mount their defense upon—a luxury that is priceless.

• Defend life in America. Roe VS. Wade is subject to constant debate. Often when justifying pro-life stances, the example of “Partial-Birth Abortion” is a worst case scenario cited to horrify any person that might consider a woman’s body to be her own property. The truth is that Partial-Birth Abortions rarely take place and when they do, that decision is painstakingly deliberated by both doctor and parent or parents. In the end the decision is made to ensure the safety of the mother from obvious complications brought about by the birth of her child. The day that this country demands that a woman carry a child to term at the cost of her own life is indeed a sad day. Then there are those who believe that ending a pregnancy is not an option even in the face of rape or incest. Rape and incest are so prevalent in American society that confessions of pain and shame are a simply part of getting to know women. The women who haven’t been touched by sexual greed are a minority. According to the Rape, Abuse &Incest national Network “1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in her life time. College age women are 4 times more likely t be sexually assaulted. In 2006, there were 272,350 victims of sexual assault. 60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police. Approximately 73% of rape victims know their assailants. Only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail” In fact, Rep. Jane Harman told CNN in August of 2008 that she was horrified to learn “41 percent of the female veterans seen there say they were victims of sexual assault while serving in the military.” For any person who has known a rape or incest victim, it is apparent that the wounds left behind are deeply internal and eternal. If a woman chooses to end a pregnancy because she cannot live with a constant reminder of her pain then allow her the freedom to heal in whatever way she sees fit to do so. Women by the nature of their own bodies, carry most of the burden for birthing and raising children in America. Yet, the more conservative factions of American society impede the avenues of knowledge that inform women of their physical bodies, contraception methods, and of their unique abilities as mothers when enlightened age and timing coincide to offer the opportunity of a lifetime. As these avenues disappear to be replaced by abstinence programs and the contraception hush we begin to see an increase in the number of abortions taking place. These methods have proven themselves ineffective and detrimental to the goals of the more conservative movements. Like the more conservative movements, though for different reasons, I too would like to see the number of abortions decrease drastically. Accessible information, age appropriate sex education, and contraception have proven themselves to be most effective in reducing the number of abortions. If we continue to employ ineffective solutions for the reality that we live in then we, in effect, say to the world and to our children that we DO NOT CARE by encouraging the abortion rates in our country. Women never choose abortion because its fun. It isn’t fun and it is never forgotten. Terminating a pregnancy is a highly personal decision made for very personal reasons. Decisions made with such weight will not be deterred by bans or restrictive legislation. This is a reality we cannot escape. To try and address this reality with anything other than education would be to condemn scores of women to brutal deaths. I want fewer abortions. What do you want?

• Fund a national campaign that Educates against Racism & Sexism: The primary race for the 2008 Presidential election shined light into the darkest corners of America. I was not a Hillary supporter. I consider myself a woman of specific principals. My hope is that when I use my vote to elect the first woman, to the highest office in this nation, I will choose a woman that represents my view of feminism. She is not that woman. She is a good woman but she is not that woman. With that said, I was not surprised by the news coverage of her campaign, the demeaning novelty items sold in the name of commerce, the hateful radio commentary, news commentators, vacuous and disrespectful statements made by strangers, and the in-artful statements made by some members of Congress. In a society that publicly demeans women, it is no surprise that OUR magazines demean OUR women. It is no surprise that violence against women is common and rape hides in our alleyways, military barracks, and family homes. The quiet hush that sweeps through our communities is the lingering residue of generation upon generation of repressed womanhood. Despite women having taken on new responsibilities in the household, workforce, and military, many in our society still expect that these responsibilities will take place in addition to the traditional roles that women have held in the past. It is high time that “we the people” fund a national campaign that educates families in ways of supporting one another through equality and respect. Sexism is an institution in this free nation of ours. We have learned it from our mothers and our fathers, generation after generation. It is engrained in the way that we live our lives. Racism is no different. As Barack Obama inches forward as the first “Black” Presidential nominee in American history, there are many indications that our country is at war with it’s self. People are afraid of change and they are willing to vote against their best interests to insure that we do not change as a country. Instead of reveling at how far we have come as a country—in this most historic moment, we bicker back and forth using subversive language. Words riddled with harsh implications. We hear people on TV, in places like Virginia, saying that they “just want to vote for someone more like them—“they” are white. Those words quickly followed by similar statements that confirm: “color” IS still a factor that impedes the decisions made by these voters. Again, I’m NOT surprised. I am from the south and while I am aware that both sexism and racism exist through out the country—I am also keenly aware that, in the South, these attributes are showcased in their raw forms. In the article ”The Hidden Casualties of America’s War on Crime” Marlene martin explains that “Among African American men over 18, one in 15 are in prison–between the ages of 20 and 34, fully one in nine Black men are behind bars. When those on parole, probation or otherwise involved in the criminal justice system are included, that statistic rises to one in three.” People of color ARE the primary population in our prisons. Again that is no surprise. “They” are passed over for promotions, opportunities are withheld, and “they” live amongst constant reminders that America is not the home of their inherited soul. The difficulty with resolving racism and sexism is that most people are unaware that their beliefs, language, and or behavior foster sexism or racism. In the south, a man taunts a woman on the street because he wants to make her feel good about herself. Similarly in the south, many believe “blacks” and “whites” should have equal rights, but those SAME people just aren’t convinced that equal rights will matter because “they” aren’t that smart. The reality is deafening and the results are ugly. I have often correlated the persistence of racism to the prevalence of landmass in a community: In places where fewer people live on larger divisions of land, racism is more apparent. I have no statistics to explain what my experience has taught me. I can only say that it seems logical to me that when people have more space belonging to them: they interact less with people they do not identify with. The result being that they are challenged less to see the world differently. Time moves slower in those places. Direction is beneficial. I say this to you because we elect you to lead us toward a better future. How can we thrive as a nation divided? Our legislators must step forward NOW. The inability of our “law-makers” to, thus far, light the way to equality is more than disappointing—it is devastating.

• Morality in America must be put in check. I am done. I’m tired. For years I have listened to everyday people and politicians brand morality so that it could be their final selling point to the mass public for whatever philosophy, religion, legislation, or product they happened to be peddling at the time. All the while, behind closed doors, these same people contradict their own definitions of morality. I say this to you now, with great sincerity. STOP. If you are a politician and you are gay, simply tell us. If you hold the public eye and have had an affair, admit it and move on. If you have a drug problem, get help. If you know of people who are engaged in acts of sexual misconduct with minors, tell someone. Don’t keep it to yourself or cover it up because it might hurt your affiliations. When given the opportunity to shave or impede the livelihood of others, choose not to or pay the consequences. When your friends abuse the law and are sentenced by judge and jury, don’t pardon their abuses. Don’t pass laws condemning the very same lifestyle that you lead secretly. If you make a mistake, apologize and promise to know better next time, if you don’t know the answers, don’t guess—ask someone. Be adults. Come to terms with who you are and do your best to create a positive role for yourself in this society. Every time you put aside your values to make a buck, we pay the price for your lack of forethought. Collectively, an entire system of elected officials putting their values aside this time or that time is the public equivalent of supporting a crack addict. You chose to represent the public in this Democracy. With that choice comes immense responsibility. Understand that SOONER rather than LATER and stop saying you’re sorry. Our world is festering with ominous narratives. The last thing we need are pseudo-adults peddling their false sense of morality to divide the people causing us to be less strong at a time when strength is so vital to our future. STOP NOW.

• Pharmacists and hospitals must provide medications and healthcare to all people and cannot be allowed to dictate their services along moral judgments. Birth control is a symbol of responsible sexual interaction. The “ morning after” pill offers help to those who were failed by their methods of contraception or who were brutally attacked by sexual greed. If health care providers and pharmacists wish to only provide services to those they can agree with then they are in the wrong profession and Congress should make this clear.

• Allow the terminally ill the honor of passing as they choose. Families huddle together across the country struggling with life and death decisions for their loved ones. The opinions of Congress have no business in these painfully personal decisions. Teri Schivo was a perfect example of Congress “acting on behalf of the public” when they should have stayed home. If a dying family member makes a psychologically sound decision to end their pain then they should be allowed to pass as they please. If doctors have done all that they can do for an unresponsive patient and enough time has passed for a miracle to have happened then it is understandable and humane that a family might choose to shut down the machines that push breath through lungs that no longer live. Know your place as members of Congress; we know our place as citizens.

• Stem cell research has the potential to save countless lives and to provide profound advancements in the knowledge and understanding of the human body. If you are of the camp that is uncomfortable with the applications of this knowledge then let me suggest that you focus your attentions on oversight but do not impede the hopes of millions of Americans by refusing to let this science advance—that would be a great disservice to this country and to the people who have to survive here.

• Address the realistic needs of homosexuals and non-homosexuals in the military: Don’t ask, don’t tell is ineffective and prevents a portion of our military from thriving in their development as soldiers. A minute amount of research will show you that “gayness” is inherent to genetics NOT will OR choice. These men and women risk their lives for our freedom and yet we still think that it’s okay when we ask them to accept shame for a reality that is beyond their control. Our military is filled with intelligent individuals; if there are issues that complicate the fruition of equality in the military then I feel confident that our best and brightest will be able to resolve these issues with great success. “Be all you can be.” —that slogan summoned the best of our country and now I challenge our military to “Be all you can be.”

• Gay Marriage: Let them be gay. Let them fulfill their hopes and their dreams. Be who you are and demand that no one bar you from doing so. We live in the land of equality or that is what we are told. While the founding fathers may not have imagined the prevalence of the modern day gay society, they most certainly believed that all Americans deserve the protections of the constitution. Marriage is a commitment to love, cherish and respect. How does anyone have the right to tell any citizen that they are not worthy of such a commitment?

• Gay adoption: As it stands, according to wikipedia.org: Florida still refuses to allow gay adoption. In addition, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Ohio, have not clarified their positions on the rights of homosexuals to adopt. In Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, and Utah gay couples are specifically forbidden to adopt. 26 states offer “no explicit prohibition” against gay couples adopting and 7 states remain “unclear” while in New Hampshire it is legal “in some jurisdictions.” In 39 states, it is unclear, illegal, or legal only in some jurisdictions. For same sex partners who petition to adopt a partner’s child the answer is unclear, not clarified, or no in 34 states. Keep in mind that within these numbers are children living in orphanages and foster homes. People are born gay. It isn’t a disease. You can’t catch it. It isn’t contagious. People are people despite whether or not they were born gay. We owe our children the opportunity to be loved by all benevolent souls. Adoption is no walk in the park. People don’t wake up one day and adopt a child the way you pick out a puppy—they deliberate, calculate, wish, and plan for the occasion. If you question the character of those who are gay, let me remind you that being gay in this free society is not easy either. For most homosexuals, they live a life ostracized from mainstream society, family members, and friends. Solely, for being the person they were born to be. They find themselves forced to form new families made up of like-minded souls and new friends. They experience long chapters of self-hate, and extreme loneliness and they rise above it to become members of society that not only function but are also happy. Like the phoenix from its ashes, they emerge able to STILL love others. I can’t think of many things that test the soul more. Can you? As equal members of society, gay singles and couples deserve the right to offer stability to a child cared for by the government. Love is not hindered by sexual orientation. Yet our children, labeled wards of state, have needs that are hindered by mandates of intolerance. In the end, children deprived of love and stability often grow up to be mal-adjusted adults. It is entirely possible that the hardships of being born gay and rising above the intolerance with love intact, has made these Americans uniquely suited to adopt unwanted children who have been abandoned by love. If we truly want the best for all of our children, we will rectify this intolerance to offer every option available to them.

• Enact strong “Hate Crimes” legislation: Matthew Shepard was beaten with a handgun, burned, and left to die while strapped to fence in the middle of nowhere. His legacy is the spotlight on the need for stronger hate crimes legislation. Do not let him die in vain. Wikipedia.org summarizes hate crime and its legislation in the United States as such: “Forty-five states and the District of Columbia have statutes criminalizing various types of hate crimes. Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have statutes creating a civil cause of action in addition to the criminal penalty for similar acts. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have statutes requiring the state to collect hate crime statistics. According to the FBI Hate Crime Statistics report for 2006, hate crimes increased nearly 8 percent nationwide, with a total of 7,722 incidents and 9,080 offenses reported by participating law enforcement agencies. Of the 5,449 crimes against persons, 46 percent were classified as intimidation and 31.9 percent as simple assaults. 81 percent of the 3,593 crimes against property were acts of vandalism or destruction. 58.6 percent of the 7,330 known offenders were white and 20.6 black. More than half, 52 percent, of the 9,652 victims identified were targeted because of racial group.” That is the reality of hate crime. According to the American Psychological Association, in a 1998 press release, research has concluded:” that “hate crimes are not necessarily random, uncontrollable, or inevitable occurrences. There is overwhelming evidence that society can intervene to reduce or prevent many forms of violence, especially among young people, including the hate-induced violence that threatens and intimidates entire categories of people.” When prosecuting the loss, or disablement, of life at the hands of hate, the life affected or ceased is of equal value to all other human lives. Though, I believe, it is appropriate to measure the calculation with which that assault on life came to fruition. Similarly, in the history of sentencing, the charges of conspiracy and pre-meditation are common charges because those charges indicate degrees of threat to our society. Passing hate crimes legislation would indicate that the person prosecuted poses not only a general threat to society but also a more specific threat to targeted members of society. Making society safer should be the goal of any sentencing process. Begin the task of strengthening “HateCrimes” legislation by passing the Matthew Shepard Act. Allow this law to embolden existing federal hate crime laws in three ways:

Expand the law to authorize the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute certain bias-motivated crimes based on the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Current law only includes race, color, religion or national origin.

Eliminate a serious limitation on federal involvement under existing law which requires that a victim of a bias-motivated crime was attacked because he/she was engaged in a specified federally-protected activity such as voting, serving on a jury or attending school.

Add “gender” and “gender identity” to the Hate Crimes Statistics Act

• Enact legislation that protects “whistle blowers”: Across the nation secrets are being guarded by everyday citizens. People employed to monitor our drinking water, research our environment, mediate our commerce, gather foreign intelligence, guard our ports, review our taxes, instruct our children, welcome our veterans, invent our cures…so on and so forth. They are the closest monitors we have to regulate genuine safety in society. When they speak out, we should listen. When their claims are proven to be true, we should thank them by ensuring protection from the many forms of retaliation that inevitably manifest when defending Americans from negative motivations. These “whistleblowers” speak out because they see harm being done, not because they look forward to risking the future of their families. Unfortunately, for these brave people, retaliation outweighs thanks received. For those who speak out in defense of our nation, citizens and employees must have the freedom to protect society.

• Grant reparations for slavery. The long-term results of slavery are that African-Americans do not live equal lives in our American society. We refer to this dynamic as the “achievement gap” In some areas of the country, I would say, community members merely tolerate Black America—like you tolerated that kid your mother made you play with. You agreed to do so because you thought you would get in trouble, but you never liked it. We, as a nation, have impeded the evolution of Black America. By doing so, we have impeded the evolution of America. I don’t think that individual handouts are the solution but reparations should be made. I propose that we support our own evolution by promoting the evolution of Black America— as a functional, satisfied, happy faction of the American community. Maybe the answer lies in designating Government funds to be specifically invested in pre-schools, high schools, and middle schools that reside in areas with high numbers of African American students, or programs that target these same children with more focused success training. I’m not sure what the answer should be but I know we are not doing enough now. I would be willing to bet that ensuring opportunity and accessibility to education and job training are a very good step in the right direction.

• Protect the internet. I am aware that the world wide web offers such drastically new forms of communication that it lends itself easily to fear and phobia. There are obvious drawbacks to the freedoms that are inherent to this new communication. The internet HAS the power to connect the world in ways we could not have imagined in years past. It is possibly the most blatant example of Democracy in action. If we must limit the freedoms of the internet to protect our children, then we must find a way to do so that preserves the true spirit of unedited communication, self expression, and accessibility to all.

Immigration:

Interestingly enough, living in New York, daily I see symbols of immigration policy failures on every corner. I meet legal and illegal immigrants in my home, at my work, on my street, in my neighborhood, across the city, in the cabs, on the train, and in the parks. I am not afraid. I listen to immigration stories that are astounding in their gravity and in their absurdity. Though lately, the stories have changed. I hear them saying: they might go home. I hear them saying: they work too hard, they miss their families, they don’t feel welcome, they don’t feel free, they never have vacations, they work three jobs, they live family upon family in tiny dirty dwellings, they are disappointed, America isn’t what they thought it would be, the dollar is weak, it isn’t worth it anymore. I think to myself their stories don’t really sound that different than the stories I hear from American citizens. The difference is that, as the dollar loses value, they have fewer reasons to be here. They can be poor at home. On the streets of NYC I see an immigration “problem” disappearing. Soon there will be no need for the wall.

On the news I see American children separated from their immigrant parents without notice or preparation. I see illegal immigrants, who work hard while idolizing this country, living in constant fear of speaking to the wrong person. The possibility that someone might ask them for their identification is too big a risk. I see those same immigrants work long hard hours for pay, that isn’t American, for employers that threaten their security while issuing impossible demands on their time and abilities. I see women staying with men who hurt them because in this country they don’t have choices until their green card is granted. Doctors and engineers drive taxicabs until they obtain American credentials or while they live in dingy apartments because they keep only what they need and send the rest home to support their family. Immigrants in America cry when their parents pass away beyond the borders of this country because they cannot leave this country without risking permanent separation from the family they have here. In my experience, Homeland Security treats average foreign tourists and legal immigrants with a disheartening amount of disrespect. The green card process is long, confusing, and expensive. Questioning the process raises suspicion. Mistakes in this process are expensive. If the government takes too long to process an application due to enormous backlogs then the immigrant must pay fees to continue to work during this prolonged process. Most people who cross our borders do so because they want a better life for themselves and for their families. Most people, who choose America, mean us no harm—they just want a better life then they can have back home. They are just people like each of us compelled by their desires and by their needs and sometimes by their dreams. There has to be a compromise that enforces our borders while taking into account the people who are already here and the children of those families born here as Americans. Above all, we must be humane.

• Enact Senator Dick Durbin’s DREAM Act of 2007. (Development, relief, and education for Alien minors) Do NOT make children pay the price for crimes they could not prevent.

• FAIRUS.org offers these suggestions for deterring illegal immigration:

“Increase interior enforcement. Finding, apprehending and removing illegal aliens who are already in the interior of the country is a critical component to reducing the illegal population. Congress has authorized 7,000 agents to be dedicated to interior immigration enforcement. Like any other type of lawbreaker, immigration law violators must be aware that there is a chance the law will be enforced.” Suggestions like these, in my view, can only be applied after a clean slate has been achieved. Once we have dealt with the existing illegal immigrants then we can begin to enforce immigration with greater accuracy and clarity but not until then. Perhaps a grandfather clause should be an integral part of any new immigration legislation that is passed and implemented

“Increase cooperation with local law enforcement. In 1996, Congress passed and President Clinton signed a law authorizing training for local police in the area of immigration law enforcement. Wide implementation of this program would exponentially increase the ability of federal immigration authorities to find and remove illegal aliens.” This suggestion seems harmless enough, though I am suspicious of how this suggestion—when brought to fruition, would play out. Police have long argued that they do not want to intimidate illegal immigrants who live in their communities by making them fear the justice process. Illegal immigrants in low-income areas have proven to be valuable resources for police officers, when solving crimes. If immigrants are afraid to speak out, for fear of deportation, then we loose some the few voices willing to speak on behalf of the victimized in our communities. That doesn’t sound good for America

“Implement an electronic employment verification system. A secure, verifiable work authorization system was called for in the 1986 immigration law and reinforced by legislation in 1996. While Congress did not specify a precise verification system, they have already twice authorized that one be developed. If credit card companies, banks and countless other private enterprises can run millions of verifications every single day from anywhere on the planet, there is no technological reason why we cannot have a system in place that verifies the eligibility of a much small number of people who get hired on any given day.” Re-focus the immigration enforcement efforts so that the companies that hire illegal immigrants are prosecuted

“Fully implement the entry/exit system. A sizeable percentage of illegal aliens in the U.S. did not illegally sneak across the border. They arrived on valid visas and overstayed. In order to know who has overstayed a visa, we must have some record of who has left the country. Congress has already established a requirement that data be collected on people who enter the country and then matched with data as people leave the country. Congress can and must exercise oversight to ensure this program is fully and rapidly implemented.” Much of the immigration debate seems to focus on Latin America, when in fact, a great deal of illegal immigrants flood this country from all over the world. People around the globe flock to this country with a better life for themselves and their families in mind. I would not imply that we should just open the borders of our country and let anyone live here. Although, I am mindful that this country is a nation of immigrants who came here looking for the very same comforts that immigrants seek today. We must strike a balance that allows us to benefit from our immigration policies while upholding the true spirit of this country. When we focus our attentions, in this debate, on immigrants from Latin America while ignoring the flood of immigrants from every other country in the world, we merely portray ourselves as racists. As a whole, we are not racists. Individually, we don’t have to be racists. There are always better ways to deal with our fears and with our problems. At least, that IS what we teach our children.

• Abolish Immigrant Detention. The New York Times summarizes immigration detention when they write: “On any given day, about 31,000 people who are not American citizens are held in detention in a patchwork of county jails, privately run prisons and federal facilities while the government decides whether to deport them. Getting details about those who die in custody is a difficult undertaking left to family members, advocacy groups and lawyers.” In fact, Jane Guskin writes in her article “Immigration Detention: The Case for Abolition” “In 1994, there were an average of 6,785 people in immigration detention…in 2008, that number is around 32,000 and growing. That’s an increase of more than 470% in less than 15 years.” She further asks: “Do you feel safer, knowing that 32,000 people are behind bars today for the sole reason that they were not born in this country and have been deemed “removable”? Are you satisfied to spend over $1.2 billion a year of your tax dollars keeping immigrants locked up while the prison industry’s profits soar? On July 26, 2007 U.S. District Court Judge Margaret M. Morrow ruled that substantial evidence showed “a significant number of violations of critical provisions of the injunction dealing with detainees’ access to legal materials, telephone use and attorney visits.” People come here to because they cannot achieve a better life in their homeland. Let us NOT add to their misery by detaining them indefinitely with inadequate medical attention, and unreliable access to rights taken for granted by Americans. Let us be the country we say we are—live up to our own ideals. Treat these people fairly and humanely while enforcing our own safety and security. In the words of Ranjana Natarajan, ACLU/SC staff attorney: “What’s happening to immigrants in detention should disturb all of us…People seeking America’s protection from torture and persecution deserve a fair hearing and respect for their basic rights.”

• Encourage English but do not mandate English. Providing access to services that teach English would be far more effective than setting English mandates. We are proud of our language, but we should not fear the disappearance of English. The world has recognized the importance of English in the global community. Mandating English in America seems more like insecurity than strength.

• Pass immigration reform that will allow immigrants that are already here to earn a green card without having to return to their native country. In part, it was our neglect that allowed them to build lives here in the US. We allowed them to work while we looked the other way. We benefitted from their desperate needs, imposed by their illegal status. We chose not to enforce the laws that govern our immigration policies. We must share the responsibility for finding humane solutions to our immigration issues while recognizing the positive roles that immigrants, legal and illegal, have played in our economy and our communities.

• The wall between the US and Mexico is an inefficient use of American capital and resources. Peter Elstrom summarizes this when he states in Business Week that “The wall with Mexico can cost between $1 million and $10 million a mile, and it would cost billions to cover a reasonable chunk of the border. And yet immigrants from Mexico and other parts of Latin America continue to slip through.” There are better solutions among the many great minds in this great nation. We must be willing to explore those ideas to provide a better future for ourselves as well as the immigrants who love our country as much as we do.