With the exception of Native Americans perhaps, many if not most Americans are descendents of immigrants, slaves, or naturalized citizens. When one considers the Trail of Tears, the concept of Manifest Destiny, and early efforts toward westward expansion, we have to admit that European colonization (immigration?) was not always implemented in a favorable manner, and the earliest inhabitants of this country were not consistently treated honorably. Ironically, this country has been built on the backs of slaves, the disenfranchised, and immigrants. Despite the stains on our history, America's evolution as a country has been successful, in part, because the goal of our forefathers was to build a nation based on principles like freedom, equality, democracy, and the pursuit of happiness, etc. The blessings that we enjoy today AND our continued success requires that we, as the posterity of our forefathers, extend the same opportunities to the "tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Those of us who were lucky enough to be born here might want to remember that had we not been so lucky, we might have been born into circumstances that would force us to seek what America has to offer. Obviously, reform is needed, yet reform has to yield a process that is efficient, fair, equitable, and responsible. Currently, the road to citizenship-for those who seek citizenship-is often difficult. Economic problems, poverty, dealing with the bureaucracy's red tape and sheer desperation make immigration a complex issue. On top of that, America's recognition of her own misdeeds and her responsibility to model mercy to the rest of the world has justifiably created a reluctance to limit immigration.
I still believe that the phrase "In God we trust" blazoned across the penny should serve as a reminder that those fleeing persecution, oppression, and hope for a better life, often leave their countries hoping to arrive in a land whose people share that trust. Handling immigration is a complex issue, but the solution has to involve treating our fellow human beings in the same manner we would want extended to us if we were in dire straights.
