Probably thousands of us have received a mailing from Congressman Charlie Dent, on the subject of illegal immigration. It contained the regulation rigged questionaire--these days, all politicians send their constituents questionaires designed to draw forth the answers they themselves want to hear.
I agree with the Congressman that illegal immigration is a very grave problem that must be solved. If we are overwhelmed by undocumented newcomers we will be of no further help, either to ourselves or to others.
But one element of the Republican Congressional ideas the Congressman seems to be pushing seems to me to be vindictive and short-sighted.
That is to bar anyone who is already here illegally from any possible consideration for U.S. citizenship. People who want to be considered are expected to go back and "wait their turn." For the politically and religiously persecuted, this day may never come. Those who are here without papers have indeed broken the law, and in that sense are "illegal." However, there ARE often extentuating circumstances for breaking laws, and in mercy--and even true justice--these circumstances need to be taken into account where they exist.
Bethlehem is a city made up of immigrants and their descendants. Most of these people, from the Moravians on, were not welcome to those who were here before. (Check with the Leni Lenape leader Teedyuscung on the subject of Moravian missionaries.)
In the philosophical sense, we are all alien to somebody else. We could all be rejected by somebody else, to our own destruction.
Let us remember this, before we agree to automatically cast others into outer darkness.
I believe only illegal immigrants who commit felonies while they are in the country should be barred from citizenship.