This is Viewpoints for ednesday, Feb. 1, 2017

The right

I agree with John Sours III. Do people who support abortion wish their own mothers had exercised that “right”?

Are you prepared?

My fellow seniors must finally wake up to what the radical uncaring leaders of this Congress have been proposing. Do you want Medicare changed from an inclusive, affordable, public program to a private one? Are you prepared to find a private policy that will cover you when you have a multitude of illnesses, as many seniors do? Will you be able to afford the premiums which even Speaker Ryan, a proponent, admits should be capped at five times what a policy for less ill people costs?

Myths versus facts

With all the discussion lately about the role of immigration in our culture, I want to offer some data — verifiable information, not alternative facts. My source is the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, lirg.org/mythbuster.

Myth: What is commonly taken as fact: Most immigrants are here illegally.

Fact: There are 40.2 million immigrants in the U.S., 72 percent are here legally.

Myth: Immigrants take jobs away from U.S. citizens.

Fact: Immigrants at all skill levels actually create job opportunities. Immigrants are 30 percent more likely than U.S. born citizens to form new businesses.

Remember a few years ago when Georgia cracked down on Mexican farm labor and Mexicans fled the state, there was an acute shortage of workers to harvest Georgia crops? There was an attempt to use parolees to do the job, but they walked off the job, preferring to go back to jail than to work that hard. I do not remember the cost of loss crops, but as I remember, it was in the millions of dollars.

Myth: Immigrants drain resources without contributing economically or paying taxes.

Fact: Immigrants have played a central role on the cycle of economic rebirth of U.S. cities.

Phoenix is the fastest growing metro area in the U.S., with a 12.3 percent change in the immigrant share of labor force. Percentage of economic growth: 140.4 percent. Other cities, including Atlanta, Denver, Houston and Portland, Oregon, range from 13.1 percent to 8.8 percent change in the immigrant share of labor. Percentage of growth in these cities ranges from 98.9 percent to 88.9 percent. The slowest growing cites, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and St Louis, show immigrant increases of 4.2 percent to 2.4 percent, with economic growth from 12.6 percent per 37.4 percent. Taxes paid by both legal and undocumented immigrants exceed the costs of the services these migrants utilize.

Myth: immigrants increase crime.

Fact: In California, of men ages 18-49, the incarceration rate for native born men is 6.4 times the rate for immigrants. From 1994 to 2005 the undocumented population doubled while the rate of violent crime decreased 34.2 percent.

Another thought of my own: calling undocumented immigrants “illegal aliens” sounds to me like calling these people — many of them refugees, “little green men” or “untermench,” less than human, a term used for Jews in Hitler’s Germany. I know “aliens” is a legal term, but it still sounds degrading to me.

We do need to overhaul our immigration system, but let’s have some facts to work with before we start writing new laws.

End times?

I’ve never written to the paper before, but after reading and hearing and seeing things on television that are going on in our country, I thought I would voice my opinion one time. Like someone said, our flag represents more than a piece of cloth. President Trump made a good point when he said anyone burning our flag should lose their citizenship and also, why not give them a free one way ticket to the country of their choice. This should also apply to those who don’t want to stand up for our National Anthem. Like Merle Haggard said, “When you’re running down our country Hoss, you’re walking on the fighting side of me. If you don’t love it, leave it.” And for the protesters, when are we going to get a president, or governor, or sheriff with enough guts to stand up to them. Tell them sure it’s alright to protest as long as it’s peaceful. But anyone seen turning over cars and jumping up and down on them like monkeys, and bursting out windows of businesses, looting and setting things on fire will be shot on sight. After shooting one, two, three etc., you will start seeing the most peaceful protests you’ve ever seen.

Of course this is probably not politically correct. Where is John Wayne when you need him. And how about these young people. Talking about college students. These kids going to college must have some intelligence. But they’re so upset because Trump got elected. We’re talking about kids who will be running our country one day. Scares the hell out of me. And for the thugs hijacking cars, holding up stores and sometimes shooting the clerks working there, most seem to be getting caught. Why not bring back public hanging in the square. Show it on CNN and Fox. Bet you would see an 80 percent drop in crime pretty quick. This is probably not politically correct either and we don’t want some judge, DA or lawyer losing some business.

And for the turmoil all over the world, it seems like end of time is closer than ever. But when Jesus comes again don’t expect to see him coming on a cloud. It will probably be the most gigantic and fancy spaceship that anyone can imagine. The saddest part of me writing this letter is probably the ones needing to read it probably can’t read or don’t care.

Another rumor

This may just be a rumor, but some people are saying that a political action group is taking bids on billboards with President Obama saying, “ Do you miss me yet?” These billboards are to be placed all over the country in time for summer vacations.

Is this true or is it “fake” news? You be the judge, and remember, facts no longer matter.

“Mad Dog”

When asked what he thinks about Gen. James Mattis being confirmed as Secretary of Defense, Rob O’Neill (the man who killed Osama bin Laden) said; “Gen. Mattis has a Grizzly Bear rug in his home; but it’s not dead.... it’s just afraid to move.”

This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for ednesday, Feb. 1, 2017."