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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1995)
EDITORIAL Make immigration laws preventative Illegal immigration has become a hot-button issue recently In the western pari of the country. Californians, expressing their frustration about illegal immigration, passed Proposition 187. a measure that limits social and economic benefits, including education and medical care, that illegal immigrants and their families can receive. That same idea has come to Oregon. Rep. Bill Markham. R Riddle, has proposed a similar bill to the one in California, arguing that illegal immi gration can become a large problem in Oregon just as it has in California. He argues that tough stops need to Ire taken. Illegal immigration is a problem. However, the way to stop it is not to punish the families of the illegal immi grant. Proposition 187 and the equivalent measure pro posed here in Oregon aro not answers to the problem. They punish those who need the services most, such as children and the elderly, while doing little to ensure that illegal immigrants stay out of the United States. Rather than cut off benefits such as education and medical care to the families of illegal immigrants, more emphasis should be placed on enforcing existing laws, sue li as ones preventing the hiring of illegal immigrants Current federal law mandates that the eligibility of a person to work in America be checked at the time that the person is hired. This would help to cut down on the number of people who live In the country illegally, as it is quite difficult to live without a job. Illegal immigrants should be stopped from entering the country, instead of punished once they gut here. Steps are already being taken by the Border Patrol to increase security along the southern border with Mexi co. Physical security, such as fences, has been improved along the border and additional staff have been placed in certain areas. The impression that nothing is being done to stop or slow the flow of illegal immigrants into the country is ludicrous. Bills like Proposition 187 are cathartic for some because it gives the impression that they help to fight the problem of illegal immigration. People who are des perate enough to come to America Illegally will proba bly find ways to stay bore. To reduce the problem, illegal immigrants must bo stopped from making the trip to the country. The way the United States can do this is by enforcing current laws and stopping people as they try to come into the country illegally. Proposition 187 was wrong for California and is just as wrong in Oregon. Markham's bill to limit services to illegal immigrants must be defeated by the Oregon Leg islature There are better ways to combat illegal immi f[ration. Oregon should have the courage to show it isn't ooking for easy answers to solve difficult problems, but the right ones. 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Dayton V#® Miwwoom W6-SS11 0**ptay Advarti*mg J4A-J712 Bunfttte OtWea J46 Mi2 Clatsiftad Advertising J46-4343 LOOKS LIKE THEWS REACHED THE 807o /AA&K ON THE CONTRACT WITH ANVER'CA. ■ LETTERS Share cake While more famous Republi cans (ire exposing their greed and making fools of themselves in the American government, Brian Womac k does his l«*st for all of us in the ODE (Feb 21) He claims affirmative action programs are the real cause for rac ism For no good reason, since whites and non whites, as we know, are and have always been treated, hired and generally con sidered equal in the United Stati-s, these programs make sum that minorities get their share of everybody's American cake Yes, Brian's big cake too. Now Brian, have you ever been in grade school and some bigger kid stole your sandwich or decid ed to heat you up because he didn't like the way you looked7 Do you remember now satisfying and comforting it was to have a parent or teacher make sure you got your share of food or person al Space? Mow- guild It was to have your own affirmative action, making sure that however pow erless you were, you were treat ed equally? Now imagine that you are grown up and your skin isn't white You find yourself having a harder time than your white schoolmates finding a job. a house, or even polite and effi cient service from some people and businesses Your parents c an’t do much for you now No teac her to go to You know you are treated unfairly (and illegal ly). hut without a |oti and a salary, you won’t Ite able to hire a lawyer to prove it What would you do and how would you feel7 While this situation and the feelings it generates do not justi fy violent and other illegal acts, it can c ertainly explain some of them. And if affirmative action makes the lug kid a little resent ful because he has to share and he hasn't teamed to, it also puts the other kid somewhat more at peace with the society he lives in. Wake up. Brian Share your cake There is enough for every body. Now what really gets to me and what prompted mo to write this letter is the quote at the end of your paper You are otherwise entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine But I cannot believe you had the guts to appropriate MI.K's words, an appeal to tol erance and generosity, to top off your racist and selfish opinions, in a country where governmen tal politic s have now little to do with ideology and where Repub licans don't even have the scru ples, or the simple prudenc e, to hide what their agenda is really about (motto "We have most of it and we want more of it until it’s all gone"), this grotesque boldness fits, alas, perfectly. Gftraldlne Poirat-Newcomb French Instructor Study abroad Viele grude bus Stuttgart! I know that usually (luring the colder. wetter months in Eugene, my thoughts used to drift off to sunny, far away places...and although the sun doesn't always shine in Germany,! sure feel far away from Eugene! There are things 1 sometimes miss, like 24 hour convenient n stores, Allan Brothers Menu an Mochas and Oregon's beautiful landscape and crazy people, but the experience of being an exchange student in another culture makes it easy to live without those things for a year. 1 am study ing architecture at the Univonstat Stuttgart, w hich is right in the center of the city The education system is very dif ferent here in Germany than what 1 was used to in Eugene — moti vated students have a lot of free dom to attend lei lures, go on excursions or do research on whatever interests them, hut less motivated students don't find anyone on their I lacks demand ing assignments every few days. (The real test comes at the end of the term...!) Some students attend the university for up to to years, of course partially because thev don't have to pay for their edu cation. At any rate, their degree gives them more than career training, it gives them a good education and an incredible abil ity to see many sides of most issues. Germans love discussion! As an exchange student. I've taken advantage of the ‘free’ aca demic atmosphere to educate myself about German life There is more to German culture than beer and bratwurst! It is a coun try with a very rich history, some very strong traditions, a lot of diversity and a very carefully planned social structure I've really enjoyed looking at Euro pean city planning, which man ages to give a very high quality lifestyle to an incredibly dense population. People walk and ride fakes much more in Europe than in the States, giving the streets a more pleasant atmosphere and a stronger sense of community In general, it is harder to meet people, but once you get to know them, the friendships are usual ly very strong. It's l*»en good for me to get out of Eugene for a year, to realize there are other ways of getting an education, other ways to live and to appreciate what we have in Oregon! It has lieen an excellent experience and I'm looking for ward to the next months. Regardless of where you go. a year overseas will bring you and the people you meet so much happiness and understanding It'll help you realize there are very different ways of living than what we are surrounded by in the States — but it'll also make you appreciate what we do have Do it! Good luck! Britta Weller Exchange student a ■ LETTERS POLICY 1 he Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing comments on topics of interest to the University community, 1 he Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style
