Use your words
Letters from the four corners of the country reflect the utter frustration with our current administration and the hope for new leadership.
A letter to the editor, an op-ed or commentary are very effective ways to communicate your opinions to others in your local area, perhaps even sparking their interest. Your elected officials do read them, as well.
OFIR encourages everyone to send a letter to your local paper, newsletter or post it on a blog.
Below are letters from across the country. To see more and to help get you started visit the OFIR letters section of our website.
Remember - be brief, be specific, don't rant - to optimize your chances of publication. If your letter is published, let OFIR know and we will post it on our website.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Immigration has limits
There has always been some immigration to the United States, but it has varied greatly based on the country's needs. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an immigration boom paralleled rapid industrial growth. Afterward, immigration was restricted for about 40 years. In 1965, Congress instituted a system that wasn't as favorable to Europeans, which brought another immigration boom.
There have always been pauses to allow immigrants to assimilate, but with the ever-accelerating rate of new immigrants, the country is becoming balkanized. Although Donald Trump could have been more artful in his statements, a pause in immigration from countries spawning terrorism should be seriously debated without ad hominem attacks driven by political correctness.
|Fran Steffler, Philadelphia
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20151213_Letters__Islamic_State__Trump__and_extremism.html
----------------------------
Statesman Journal
A GANNETT COMPANY
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Law allows president to restrict anyone’s entrance to U.S.
December 12, 2015
I read with interest and concern the comments of our legislators and some law academics concerning the possible illegalities of Donald Trump’s suggestion of halting Islamic immigrants.
That they all think that the president cannot make such a sweeping proclamation shows that they don’t know existing law.
The thing that Trump suggests is not only already law; it already has been used. By a Democrat!
The law is 8 United States Code (USC) 1182, suspension of entry or imposition of restrictions by president.
It was enacted in 1952, passed by a Democrat-controlled Congress and signed into law by a Democratic -president (Truman).
In 1952 there was no immigration happening. All immigration (except asylum/refugees) was shut down from 1924 to 1965.
Why was 8 USC 1182 needed? Rampant illegal immigration (as we see happening today).
Michael Wilson
Salem
-------------------------------------------------------
Statesman Journal
A GANNETT COMPANY
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Immigration and Nationality Act protects legal citizens
9:43 p.m. PST December 12, 2015
As outrageous as you may consider Donald Trump’s comments regarding restrictions on Muslim immigration, there are historic precedents.
From 1924 into 1965, all legal immigration was greatly reduced or totally suspended based upon national-origin criteria. This was done to allow for full assimilation of the large influx of immigrants following World War I.
In 1952, the Immigration and Nationality Act (the McCarran-Walter Act) basically gave the president the authority, by presidential proclamation, to suspend entry of any class of alien for any period.
In November 1979, President Carter used this I.N.A. to deport some 15,000 Iranians.
All of the above, and much more, was based on the idea of providing protection and security for the legal citizens of this country — the No. 1 role of our government.
Dan Heibel
Salem
-----------------------------------------
The Fresno Bee
December 12, 2015
Why I love Donald Trump
Many people do not understand the massive attraction of Donald Trump.
This includes the liberal Fresno Bee editors. I really enjoy watching the media turn themselves inside out protesting every word out of Trump’s mouth.
The “silent majority” is angry! We love that he says what we think and he does not care about other politicians or the media. We are tired of working 30-40 years, obeying laws, paying taxes, always doing the right thing only to be told we are stupid, vulgar and uneducated.
We are forced to financially support illegal aliens (welfare) and accept their crimes. Now the public is told not to profile terrorists.
My father joined the Marines when he was 16 and fought at Guadalcanal. Too bad so many of our World War II vets are gone. They would be the first ones sitting on their porches with rifles doing their own type of profiling.
Linda Keys, Tulare
http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article49137825.html
------------------------------------------------
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Union Leader
December 12. 2015 4:44PM
Tom Gibney: Shaheen defends Sanctuary Cities
By TOM GIBNEY
Greenland
Once again Jeanne Shaheen voted as she was instructed to do by the Democrat leadership. She voted to block legislation that would have withheld federal funding for sanctuary cities. Remember Kate Steinle was murdered by an illegal alien in one of these sanctuary cities – San Francisco.
The legislation she voted to block was the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act.
She voted against protecting Americans. She voted against protecting New Hampshire citizens. She voted against enforcing the law. Enough said.
http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20151212/opinion04/151219734
-----------------------------------------
THE TAMPA TRIBUNE
Letters to the editor:
Published: December 12, 2015
Bad for U.S. workers
Rather than help the economy, President Obama’s immigration policy will end up hurting American workers. His executive action provides “work authorizations” to help millions of undocumented immigrants find jobs here. Employers don’t have to offer Obamacare to these immigrants since only “lawful residents” are eligible. When businesses have the choice of hiring these immigrants versus U.S. workers, to whom they must offer health insurance, which option will they take? The cheaper one, of course. The costs work out that the employer saves about $3,300 for every immigrant they hire over a U.S. worker. I hope one of these days Congress will decide to scrap Obamacare and develop a new plan in which we can see our old doctor, costs won’t skyrocket and the U.S. worker won’t be hurt.
Andrew W. Schultz
Tampa
http://www.tbo.com/list/news-opinion-letters/letters-to-the-editor-not-anxious-but-mad-20151212/
------------------------------------------------
SANTA MARIA TIMES
Immigration
[December 11, 2015] Updated 16 hrs ago
Immigration and fairness
ISIS can ask if you are a Muslim or Christian, and if the answer is Christian, off with your head.
By the same token, if we ask the incoming illegal immigrant what their belief is, we practically would have our head chopped off.
What is wrong with wanting to protect America and keep a certain element out? You cannot continue to turn a blind eye to what is so evident.
If you want to become a U.S. citizen, do it the legal way — wait your turn, get vetted then become a true American and adapt to the American way. Isn't that the reason you wanted to come here?
Ellis Island was the gateway for my parents to come to this great country in the early 1900s. Because of their great love of their adopted country, I carry on their love of our country.
Protect what is great. God bless America.
Anita Dwyer
Lompoc
-----------------------------------------------------
The Florida Times Union
jacksonville.com
Fri, Dec 11, 2015 @ 2:37 pm | updated Fri, Dec 11, 2015 @ 3:45 pm
TRUMP’S COMMENTS
Giving people hope
Donald Trump may say things that are over the top sometimes, but it’s because he’s desperate to save our country.
I have always thought that illegal immigration and professional politicians would be the ruination of this country.
And it looks like it’s happening.
We have been on a downward trend for a lot of years, and not one of our leaders has tried to stop it.
Our standards get lower and lower.
There’s a difference between immigrants coming into our country on a quota, following the immigration process and wanting to be Americans, and hordes of people randomly coming in without us knowing anything about them — and some of them wanting to kill us.
Is it right to give them welfare, homes, education and medical care all at our expense when we have veterans here who are homeless and needing care and children who are homeless and hungry?
Isn’t charity supposed to begin at home?
Our politicians only do what’s good for themselves, not for the country or the people. Trump is giving us hope.
He is trying hard to save us.
Bravo, Donald!
Patricia White, Jacksonville Beach
---------------------------------
Quad-City Times
Immigrants, refugees 'exploit’ host
December 11, 2015
As we debate allowing refugees from the Middle East into our country, don’t forget the self-inflicted humanitarian crisis at our porous southern border. With the Obama administration distributing flyers telling illegal immigrants that their status will not be checked when they apply for food stamps, we can expect this program, already fraud-riddled and out of control, to put an even bigger dent in our wallets.
As to the Middle East, we invested many lives and billions of dollars trying to bring democracy and free enterprise to that area. They rejected it, only to invade the democracies demanding the lifestyle benefits for which the host countries have worked so hard.
One is struck also by the number of military-age men among the migrants who are unwilling to stay and fight for their country. Apparently, they expect us to do that for them, too.
But the ultimate threat to us is our burgeoning population, fueled by both legal (more than 1 million annually) and illegal (who knows?) immigration. To provide jobs and housing for all, we exploit limited natural resources as if they were endless, mindlessly paving over acre after acre of the world’s best farm land. For the implications of all this, see www.npg.org, Negative Population Growth Inc.
John Dixell
Rock Island
----------------------------------------
OregonLive.com
What about Jimmy Carter and Iranians? (Letters to the Editor)
Letters to the editor By Letters to the editor The Oregonian
on December 10, 2015 at 5:47 PM, updated December 10, 2015 at 7:50 PM
Trump and Muslims: Judging from the reaction of the uber-tolerant, Donald Trump may be on to something here.
It is amazing how imbedded political correctness has become in our culture. What was once the religion of the elites has now become widespread. Mr Trump's candor is like a breath of fresh air.
To those "enlightened" souls who can't stand him, perhaps a history lesson is due. Why did Abraham Lincoln suspend the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War? Because, in words that are often attributed to Lincoln, the Constitution is not a suicide pact. Saving the union was a higher priority. During World War II, Japanese citizens were sent to internment camps by liberal hero Franklin Roosevelt. More recently, 15,000 Iranian students were deported President Jimmy Carter.
I will hazard a broader interpretation of Donald Trump's remarks: We need to get control of our borders now. We need to deal with homegrown terrorism now. This way we can avoid taking the extreme actions of past presidents.
Scott Holland
Tigard
-------------------------------------------
OregonLive.com
Donald Trump and Muslims? (Letters to the Editor)
Letters to the editor By Letters to the editor The Oregonian
on December 10, 2015 at 5:47 PM, updated December 10, 2015 at 7:50 PM
Trump and Muslims: I fail to understand how all the political factions, including the media, can call Donald Trump all kinds of names for his stand on allowing aliens into the United States when it is already the law of the land and was used by Jimmy Carter to keep Iranians out of the country. (Carter did even more. He made all Iranian students already here check in, and he deported a lot of them.)
Title 8 of the U.S. Code (subsection 1182 — Inadmissible Aliens), written in 1952, passed by a Democratic-controlled Congress and signed by a Democratic president, reads as follows:
"Suspension of entry or imposition of restrictions by President: Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate."
I wonder if Obama knows he has this power, especially when he seems so eager to create powers for himself. What is he waiting for? We have a terrorist crisis that is far worse than the hostage crisis was in 1979.
Keith Miller
Beaverton
