DREAM Act's amnesty is Justifiable

h3wlett · 01-18-2011, 12:49 PM

DREAM Act's amnesty is justifiable

By Jeffrey Pagan-Laureano • Published: January 18. 2011 2:00AM

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When the U.S. Senate failed to pass the DREAM Act recently, the very least it did was shatter the aspirations of young Americans. Yes, let’s say it again — Americans; an exemplary group of young men and women fighting against the odds to achieve goals that many others in this country deny themselves even when a myriad of opportunities have been afforded to them.

This outstanding group of people, mostly comprised of smart, hard-working, English-speaking kids whose hearts and undivided loyalty belong to the United States of America, don’t even remember their native countries because they were too young when an adult brought them to the United States. We can’t begin to imagine how the only country that one has ever known and learned to love is capable of slamming the door on our hopes.

As Congress debated how not to raise taxes, it kept on mortgaging America’s future by refusing to bestow legal status upon undocumented college students and people willing to serve in the Armed Forces. The law would have added a large number of tax-paying legal residents to increase government revenue. In a growing number of states, Latino communities are on average younger than other ethnic groups. They are more likely to remain in the workforce for a longer period of time delaying or even preventing the imminent bankruptcy of social security and contributing to reduce our enormous deficit. Unfortunately sometimes fear is stronger than our sense of practicality and fairness. Congress just did the unthinkable for gays and lesbians willing to serve in the armed forces. For that, for finding the perfect balance between fairness and pragmatism, we are a better country today.

A thousand and one things could have been negotiated by well-meaning legislators to secure a deal that would have made this kind of illegal alien pay dearly for their parents’ transgressions without deporting or ostracizing them. Amnesty would have lost its true meaning if they had to pay severe penalties. Instead, we witnessed heartless politicians punishing good behavior (i.e. studious and culturally competent young people).

Government has no moral authority to punish the innocent for the bad behavior of others. Injustice never goes without consequences. For instance, it shouldn’t surprise nor disturb anyone that hopeless young Latinos are beginning to join radical Islam and the forces of home-grown terrorism.

Almost every day undocumented people raised in America are deported to their countries of origin where they feel like total strangers. Sadly some of them possess gifted minds forever condemned to benefit no one. Politicians wielding the word “amnesty” to oppose legalizing this magnificent group of people might sound popular in some parts of the country, but their lack of vision puts them on the wrong side of history and makes America less and less competitive in a new world economy. Source