Compassion with consequences

Daily I preach to my teenagers that all our actions have consequences. Our choices define who we are. Whether it’s forgetting to do homework or not being punctual. I explain to them that they can’t blame others when their future boss asks them why they are late or didn’t complete a project. The boss won’t care if you got caught by the train, so to speak.

So with great ire, I respond to “Midstate immigrants ‘fearful’ of Trump policies.”

The reporter didn’t ask the “immigrant” an important question, “Why did you break the law and not come here using the legal system?” Miripily Buenostro complains that her children are afraid and won’t speak. Buenostro’s actions have put her children in this situation. She had to know breaking the law could potentially have adverse consequences.

Also, why is the illegal alien (the legal term defined in our laws) referred to as an undocumented immigrant? The term “undocumented immigrant” is an oxymoron (the parts conflict). An immigrant is synonymous with “permanent legal resident.” The old term for the document authorizing a permanent legal resident is “green card.” The term “undocumented” is derived from the accurate term “undocumented aliens” who are often called “border crossers.” Proper terms are “illegal alien” or “undocumented alien” but not “undocumented immigrant.” Although not commonly used, the term “documented alien” accurately refers to foreign nationals who have an unexpired non-immigrant visa such as H-1B. We can have compassion for Buenostro, but she must face her consequences.

Five points

The issue of immigration and President’s Trump’s efforts to follow current U.S. law has dominated the news of late. I offer my thought on thoughts on the subject.

(1) Anti illegal immigration is not the same as anti immigrant. The United States opens its border to many thousands of legal immigrants every year. Any citizen of a foreign country does not have the right to immigrate to the U.S. just because he/she feels like it regardless of their current situation. Legal immigrants are granted permission to immigrate.

(2) Mexico now takes umbrage at the U.S. government’s efforts to deport Mexicans who are in this country illegally. Mexico wants to bring this issue up to the U.N. They have no leverage. The U.N. is a toothless organization and has no legal or moral basis for intervening and telling the U.S. it cannot enforce it’s own laws. Mexico should be more concerned about keeping its citizens from leaving. They should also be asked if they would provide the same level of service and protection to people who illegally immigrate to Mexico that the U.S. provides to illegal immigrants?

(3) Recent news reports have highlighted the increase of illegal immigration into Canada through the U.S. mainly of people from Syria and other mid-eastern countries. Canada seems to be welcoming the people. Perhaps the prime minister of Australia should call the Canadian Prime minister and ask him to take the 2,500 Muslim refugees he tried to foist off on the the U.S. This was the result of President Obama agreeing to take them and President Trump said no.

(4) A simple definition of a criminal is someone who has committed a crime. Several synonyms are unlawful, illegal, lawbreaker and offender. Therefore, any person who entered this country illegally, or overstayed a visa and is in the country illegally is by definition a criminal. The recent efforts to arrest and deport illegal aliens has focused on those who have committed additional, more serious crimes.

(5) Much press coverage on this issue stresses how much the illegal aliens contribute to the local and national economy, but fail to address how much they cost local governments. Additionally these folks send many millions of U.S. dollars back to their home country.

Deliver Mr. President

I am an AARP member. I recently viewed AARP’s video about President Trump vowing to save and protect Social Security and Medicare. Contrary to his promise, he has appointed, and the Senate confirmed on a party line vote, Atlanta’s Rep. Tom Price as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Price, as well as his friend Speaker Paul Ryan, wants to do away with traditional Medicare and change the age of eligibility for Social Security. Now is the time for Trump to deliver on his promise and not by weaseling out of it.

I do not want to hear that the only way to save Social Security is to cut benefits. A better alternative is to raise the maximum taxable amount under Social Security from the current $127,000 cap. As for Medicare, I do not want to hear that the only way to “save” it is to do away with it by making it a voucher program, dumping costs on seniors.

Instead, how about doing away with the expensive “Medicare Advantage” program? It was originally touted as a way to save money via privatization, but has cost more every year. And, how about letting Medicare negotiate drug prices? And, enforcing fraud and abuse provisions.

Pay it forward

I was in the drive-thru lane of Burger King. When I got to the window to pay, I was informed that the man ahead of me had already paid for my breakfast. He was driving a white pick-up with last three letters of tag “JPR.” I wasn’t feeling really well that morning but he made my day! I will definitely pay it forward very soon. There are still kind people in this world. Thank you, whoever you are.

Trump understands

Fred R. van Hartesveldt’s Feb. 22 Viewpoints letter says there are accusations Trump and his surrogates have been illicitly involved during and after the 2016 election with Putin and his surrogates. I don’t recall Fred writing a similar letter regarding Obama and his surrogates trying to influence Israel’s elections. Putin does not like Obama and vice versa. I saw a cartoon showing Putin smiling with the caption, “If I could hack your elections, you wouldn’t have had eight years of Obama.”