Letter: Shedding light on immigration controversy

Monday, April 3, 2006 | 7:59 a.m.

The Sun's March 30 editorial on immigration took a sane position on this divisive subject. We must find a way to secure our borders and, as the editorial states, also "find ways to embrace those who are already here performing valuable tasks and provide avenues for them to stay - legally."

The Sun also points out that many undocumented workers are families overstaying visas and not young men who have climbed a fence. Careful legislation is needed here because there are 3 million children in this country who are American citizens because they were born here. Splitting up families would not be productive.

Contrast the Sun's views with those printed in the Review-Journal. The attitude is antithetical. Stereotyping and xenophobia gushes out from letter writers and columnists. Fearful letter writers complain those people don't pay taxes but use our services, they take jobs from Americans; they vote illegally; they force our schools to teach in Spanish, and so on.

Undocumented workers are partly the victims here, but columnist Thomas Sowell compares them to bank robbers and murderers because both break laws. That's like saying breaking speed laws is the same as rape.

In fact, these people come here to work. Trouble with the law means deportation. It is good to know that inside a paper that promotes misinformation and xenophobia there is another paper called the Sun that can shed some rational light on any subject.

Jerry Bitts, Las Vegas