Illegal Immigration is no laughing matter. In fact, there is a lot more to the issue than one may be aware of. An article, published in the Boston Globe, explains Governor Deval Patrick's actions to crack down on illegal immigration. The article reports that in the last two years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent 268 felons back to their countries and that everyday, at least 60 non US citizens are arrested, half of which are illegal citizens. This past December, Patrick announced a new federal program to implement “Secure Communities” and enforce ICE efforts to eliminate the problem of illegal immigration.
The article presents a valid and controversial question, “What rational argument can there be for allowing illegal immigrants who commit crimes to stay here in defiance of immigration laws?” Reasons to support this program seem obvious, however, to my surprise, there exist valid points against the Secure Communities program as well. After reading this article, it is fair to say that this is a serious issue and leaves much room for debate. For instance, consider the issue of reporting crimes. Representatives of various ethnic and civil liberties group, argue that this program could damage the safety of others because illegal immigrants will not report crime in fear of being deported. The argument continues and could go on forever. Different cases and situations appear to have various benefits or consequences.
Many media commentators consider young adults disengaged from the political process. Honestly, thinking of a political issue to discuss did not come easy to me. Perhaps if the phrase “political issue” was removed and substituted with with something as simple as “problem” I would not have been so flabbergasted. The second I read over the syllabus and assignment, I found that I was overwhelmed and under pressure to speak “politics.” I do not believe that young adults are disengaged from the political process. I do believe that many do not know how to accurately define politics. I know that I could be more involved and engaged in the subject, however, I find that I cannot always find the time for it by staying updated and reading about all of the issues I care about. I agree that some young adults are not as informed and/or engaged as they should be but the majority of them do vote. So we can all go out and vote but then the issue becomes do we know what we are voting for? have we done our research? are we conforming with society and potentially damaging society?
Although I find that there are many issues I care about but know that they are much larger than just me and I could not fix them on my own, I have never written to an elected official or thought about doing so. There are many situations in which I would enjoy giving an official a piece of my mind and questioning their credentials and position but at the end of the day, I have no time. Unlike Aaron Friedman’s case I feel that I have more important priorities to go out and complain about something I do not particularly care for or agree with. Realistically, what are the chances that an elected official actually has time for your complaint either? Chances are, my complaint is one in a million and will end up in the circular filing cabinet--the trash.
Check out the Boston Globe article on Secure Communities here
Jenna,
ReplyDeleteI agree that illegal immigration is a serious issue. Although, I am an immigrant as well I came here legally as a young child and have learned that I can fulfill my goals and make use of the opportunities that are available to me. However, there is a concern with illegal immigrants who come to the States to make a living by selling drugs which most definitely causes more problems for society. I feel that there are a lot of immigrants that want to come here for the better and the ones that create more crime and make a living by using narcotics, weapons, and violence definitely questions the privilege of allowing other immigrants into the country. There are many of my family members who have been denied this opportunity and I can't help but to think of all the illegal immigrants who come here for the wrong reasons while people who want to come here to better themselves and make a honest living are denied.
I also agree that when I am presented with the word "politics" I feel pressured to speak on the matter. I know that there are issues that I am concerned with as well, but I feel that if I were to speak out it would be considered another complaint and as you said it would end up in the trash.
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