Comments about ‘Readers' forum: Seek for peace’

this is such a fantastic letter. This lady has more wisdom and makes more sense than I heard in a long time. She sounds as if she has a spiritual soul. I do not believe in God myself, but if this lady does, she is christianity at its best with a lot of common sense poured in.

Hooray for Betty. She ought to run for a place in the Utah legislature.

The Deseret News outlined five points in the Utah Immigration Compact, one of which defined the role of the State vs the Federal Government. The Compact abdicates all responsibility for immigration to the Federal Government.

Who allowed the State to abdicate its responsibility? The Constitution gives the Federal Government the responsibility "To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization". The Constitution also give the Federal Government the responsibility "To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions".

If illegal immigration is an invasion, then the Federal Government has the duty to suppress that invasion. If, on the other hand, illegal immigration is seen as a crime against the citizens of this country (false identification, illegal use of public funds, etc.), then all levels of government are responsible to enforce those laws, just as all levels of government enforce laws against counterfeiting, embezzlement, stolen identities, etc.

Each State is required to enforce all laws EXCEPT for those few areas where the citizens have authorized the Federal Government to act. Enforcement of our borders is left to the States and to the people except for invasion.

Utah must be responsible.

Betty,

did your ancestors come here legally or illegally?

I welcome with open arms and an open heart all those who come here legally.

You ask for peace the same way Neville Chamberlain asked for peace, and look where that led.

I think EVERYBODY want's World_Peace. They just have different ideas about how to achieve it.

Requesting people not discuss their ideas, or be passionate/argue about some points... is not the solution.

Your parents came to America so you could have a better life. I suspect being free to discuss your ideas without being silenced was one of the reasons they came here, and one of the reasons why we have a better life in America.

Trying to silence debate because it makes you "uncomfortable"... does NOT make America a better place. It makes America more like Communist East_Germany, or North_Korea, or the old USSR. They silenced debate and dissent. Did it make them a "Better" place?

Debate and discussion may be uncomfortable for some... but silencing it does NOT automatically make us a better nation. Being more civil, showing more class, and less bitterness, would help. But just calling for no more arguing... no more disagreement... and only universal unity of thought (prefreably agreeing with YOUR position on the Utah Compact, etc)... doesn't work.

Of course we need to listen, but we should NOT silence discussion.

I like MOST of the Utah Compact too BTW.

The plaintive pleas of the commercial conservatives are simply a smokescreen to hide the real agenda of stripping the strength of American workers. Their goal is to redistribute the wealth of people into the pockets of the rich and powerful.

As an American born grandfather I have seen my grandchildren horribly punished by society as the result of the poor labor market and the despair brought by unscrupulous businessmen.

Every day I am subjected to business ploys that work to get me to buy something I dont really need or want. Psychological advertising hits us from every corner and effects our minds, even though we dont realize it. From the smells and music in stores to the commercials on TV. If the corporations are willing to spend billions in this way, how much do you think they would spend to get cheap labor.

I read the Utah Compact several times trying to find any value in the words. I failed. The only thing I found was the continuing propaganda campaign to justify the immigration of cheap labor.

I dont object to new Americans, only to the criminal use of their labor to harm other Americans.

I'm glad some people feel peace about it. I for one cannot. The first point of the letter is to leave immigration polices up to the Federal Government. In theory, it's good, but look where the practice has led!!! The federal government isn't doing ANYTHING, which is why there is action being called for on a state level to begin with!!!! The mayors who signed this are completely ignoring the needs of it's citizens.

Compassion really is sending them all back, and making it easier for them to come back - LEGALLY!!!

People here legally have a right to seek work and sustenance for themselves and families without having to compete with people who sneaked in and undercut wages. It would be nice if it were as simple as this particular grandmother seems to think. Does she have any children that have lost work or an interview to an illegal who undercut them in accepting a lower wage? Maybe not but all of us are experiencing the ravages of inflation and waiting for much worse to come, and to pay higher bills with lower wages or no wages.

Then of course there are the governing bodies who seem to increase the rates of property tax in order to offset the lower value of our property. If my home is worth less this year shouldn't I be paying less property tax? Most of this property tax is to pay for education including the education of apparently tens of thousands of new students without authorisation to be here in the first place.

I would like to think that their parents are paying as much property tax per head as the rest of us but have no assurance this is the case.

By refusing to enforce existing federal immigration laws, Obama violates the Constitution and his oath of office. Article II Section 3 says:

"[The president] shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed...."

The presidential oath says, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

These may not be impeachable offenses, but they do show him to be unworthy of the trust we placed in him.

It won't happen again.

My neighbor has a son who had his identity hijacked years ago it has created a real mess.(was it by and illegal quite likely) And recently at a interview her daughter went to things went find until the person doing the interview said I really need someone who is bilingual, and they weren't talking about German either. So who's kids are at a disadvantage for many entry level jobs. Let alone what it's done to the construction worker wages.

@T. Party

Please acknowledge that the lack of enforcement did not start with Pres. Obama. It is a long-standing issue that goes back at least to Reagan (we didnt get 10 million here overnight).

Pres. Obama bears no less responsibility here than other presidents, but none greater either.

Fair is fair.

Twin Lights 3:03 p.m.

Let me be the first to acknowledge that this problem didn't start with President Obama. I've never heard ANYBODY say that it did. have you?

OBVIOUSLY we all know that it didn't start with President Obama. So can we step over that temptation to make this into a partisan bickering match?

Obviously the problem has existed and persisted through ALL adaminstrations of my lifetime. Reagan (a conservative) tried to solve it with blanket Amnesty... Obviously it didn't work or we wouldn't still have the_problem_today.

So why would we try amnesty yet again?

Bush also pushed a policy that was very similar to Reagan AND Obama's policy. I don't know why he thought it would be more successful for him than it was for Reagan.

Bush's_Conservative_foes fought for a more comprehensive plan that included insurances that enforcement would be improved... when he refused... it died a deserving death.

Just like Reagan's immigration_bill... it wouldn't have solved the real_problem!

Bush's plan was just another attempt to kick the rock a little further down the road so some FUTURE administration would have_to address_the REAL problem.

@Twin Lights

Um...the lack of enforcement did not start with President Obama.

And, by the way, I'm on the record ripping into Bush for the same thing.

Now, since Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, and Dubya no longer can do anything about it, let's talk about the president who can.

@T. Party

You say Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, and Dubya no longer can do anything about it, let's talk about the president who can.

But you also said By refusing to enforce existing federal immigration laws, Obama violates the Constitution and his oath of office. . . . These may not be impeachable offenses, but they do show him to be unworthy of the trust we placed in him.

By that logic, then Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, and Dubya also violated the constitution and showed themselves unworthy of trust. Correct?

My point is simply this. Please dont hold the current president to a standard that you would not hold every other president (including your favorites, whichever those might be).

@Question

I am specifically trying to avoid making this a partisan bickering match by making sure that folks spread the blame to all appropriate parties.

I didnt suggest amnesty so I dont follow your argument.

Thank you Betty.
There are people making comments that have not read the Compact. Your prejudice is apparant. Compassion does not mean sudden amnesty. We want you to stop assuming that those that may speak another language are illegal. That these same legal immigrants may have family members stuck in the system. Everyone has a story. We ask for compassion to listen to their story and not deal with cold-hearted absolutes.