Online editorial letter to the Columbus Dispatch |
Illegal immigrants perform vital work Wednesday, July 22, 2009 2:53 AM http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1665192-Accused-Deserve-Their-Day-... There are a few major flaws in the July 11 letter "Illegal immigrants using resources citizens need," from Carol Callif. First, how does she know that the women she sees with "bulging bellies, trailing after toddlers" are actually immigrants? You see pregnant women, aka soccer moms, many times chasing after two or more small children in suburban areas. Does that make them immigrants? Second, I grew up in the city and attended Columbus Public Schools, and I can tell you that illegal immigrants did not cause my failures, just as an absence of illegal immigrants would not contribute to my successes. If Callif really thinks that illegal immigrants are the cause for all the woes of society, then she is sadly mistaken. These people often do vital jobs that other people don't want, often at low pay and in poor working conditions. Is illegal immigration wrong? Yes. But so are many other things in society that people refuse to address. Too often, illegal immigration is used by people as a scapegoat for the ills of society. RAY McFARLAND Westerville |