Don’t issue driver cards

In response to the Viewpoints cover on “Should Oregon offer driver cards to undocumented immigrants?” (News-Register, Nov. 15), I believe the United States is becoming the “land of opportunity” for criminals.

When are we going to wake up? Breaking our immigration laws is one of the worst crimes in this country. The people who are here illegally are therefore criminals, and we should not be feeding them, educating them, medicating them or giving them driving privileges.

If our economy needs seasonal workers from Mexico, we should establish our immigration offices in Mexico, staffed with honest Americans who issue entrance and work permits for the season. These workers should be screened to make sure we know who they are, whether they are qualified and whether they are pregnant. They should be fingerprinted, like everyone else who comes into our country, and carry proper documentation.

After their term ends, they should return to where they came from. Their efforts would be appreciated, they would be respected, and everybody would be happy.

I am a legal immigrant myself, having gone through the required steps to come to this country in 1980. I never complained or asked for special privileges or exceptions.

I was always a productive citizen and proud of it. I learned English as fast as I could and became a U.S. citizen as soon as I could. Some of my very best friends are from Mexico — all here legally. I feel my proposal would be a better alternative to having millions of criminals running around, hiding, lying, demanding, protesting and demonstrating.

In answer to the posed question of driver cards, we should not issue them. For those “undocumented individuals” who are here illegally and on the job, they should be riding with someone who has a valid Oregon driver’s license.

George Stastny

McMinnville