Here's an example of what drives some people stark, raving nuts about the immigration situation in our country. Even in a state as conservative as Indiana, there is a movement to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. If you talk to local law-enforcement officials, they'll tell you the federal government won't even come for a single illegal -- if there isn't a busload, forget it. At a time when there is a legitimate fear of terrorists sneaking into the country, our borders are more porous than ever. It's just out of control, and the people who should be doing something about it can't or won't.
Yet here's this one, unsuspecting teenager, brought into this country when he was 8, always thought he was an American but now learns he's an illegal alien. And gets tossed into jail while it's all sorted out by a bunch of dim-witted bureaucrats who say they're just following the law. "What did I do wrong?" the kid asks. Well, for one thing, kid, you probably aren't considered a representative of a big voting bloc.
Comments
I agree, this is a sad story. But is this any different from the millions of hispanic teenagers who are in identical situations? The ones that most conservatives (indeed most Hoosiers) favor sending home, regardless of how they arrived or how long they've been here? Even the existence of the news article smacks of implicit racism (i.e., where are all the articles about similar incidents inbvolving hispanic teens?!)
Yes, many Hoosiers (and Americans) want people like this child (or any person) here illegally returned to their home countries. This is not racism. This is justice. No, children can't be blamed for being here illegally. But why do you consider it a punishment for us to send them home to their home countries? Aren't all cultures "equal"? So--all things being equal--wouldn't these children be better off returned to their home countries, which are, we all know, as good as (or better than) the USA? Really, I hear so often from people like Scott that America is a racist nightmare that the best thing we can do for anyone here illegally is to immediately take him or her into custody and return him or her to the heaven from which they apparently fell, as from a turnip truck.