I read with great interest Jake Romero’s opinion piece regarding Mexican drug cartels and Joe Arpaio.
Mr. Romero tries to draw a comparison with South Florida of the 1980s and 90s, and he seems to imply that the immigration bill of 1986 might have had a hand in solving the Colombian drug problem that plagued south Florida. Is he saying that if we issue a general amnesty to illegals, the Mexican drug problem can more readily be solved?
As you will note by my name, I am of Latin heritage, and I have a dog in this fight. While I’m a natural born citizen, many of my friends and relatives are immigrants, albeit legal. However, I have just as much perspective as Mr. Romero, especially since I witnessed the 80s and 90s in South Florida. Mr. Romero oversimplifies the problem, and this is problem that is not well served by over simplication. No, I’m not a proponent of Arpaio’s tactics, but I’m also not blind to the fact that “taking the eye off the target” is not the problem.
No, illicit drug trafficking is not going to be solved or even reduced by stopping enforcing anti-illegal immigration laws.
However, on second reading, it seems to me that Mr. Romero’s underlying intent is to cast aspersions on the soon to be enacted SB1070. And this leads me that what really distresses me about opinion pieces such as this and about the many protests that are given air time: full on criticism, but running on empty with solutions. He and all the other “anti-illegal immigration enforcement” protestors and commentators appear to imply that the only solution to which they will agree and support, for lack of other proposals, is total amnesty and open borders.
While my bleeding heart aches for the plight of people desperate enough to endanger themselves and their families crossing a hostile border, I also know that living a lie, living under cloak of deceit does not engender progress. Hispanics should ban together to make legislative changes that make sense; they should ban together to protect the way of life for which they and all other immigrants have worked so hard. Rather than protest, point fingers and shout out charges of racism, Mr. Romero (and perhaps he does) should use their energy, first to remove the cloak of emotion from their eyes, and, second, to lobby vigorously for lawful, ethical and humane enforcement of our laws, and legislation that will provide avenues for those who want to embrace the American way of life, with all its challenges, benefits and responsibilities.
And to go back to the dictionary and get a good understanding of “illegal.” The definition is not subjective…it is pretty definitive. The man who robs a bank, no matter that the act resulted from hunger, fear, desperation, whatever, is still committing a crime. A court of law might show leniency, but will not absolve him.
Mr. Romero, rather than write a divisive article, join the fight to make things right. How about volunteering to tutor children in our school system who do not speak English beyond a rudimentary level. How about volunteering to establish a literacy program to help émigrés to learn the English language? How about volunteering to teach cultural diversity programs to the general population? How about vigorously lobbying our legislators, making your vote count? Perhaps you are already doing this and if so, I applaud you and all others like you.
We as Hispanic should be at the forefront in support of tougher legislation that supports our laws, not in support of illegal actions. While we can sympathize with the plight of Mexican, Hondurans, Guatemalans, et al, we cannot allow our laws to be flaunted, thereby undermining the very way of life that so many immigrants have fought for and created. While SB1070 may be misguided, it is a result of frustration over governmental inaction and runaway despair…visit our jails, visit our schools, visit our emergency rooms.
A very concerned citizen,
Mara Diaz de Tuesta
Submitted photo
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