Letters page
Welcome to the OFIR Letters and Op-Eds section. Here you can read Letters to the Editor and Op-Eds that have been published in various newspapers and news sources.
In response to the July 19 front page article and editorial, Statesman Journal, why make a mountain out of a molehill?
When Donald Trump said he liked heroes that didn’t get captured, he expressed a fairly universal sentiment.
The tales of heroes who succeed in their battles and are triumphant are more appealing and inspiring than the tales of those who were captured and endured harsh treatment.
This doesn’t demean service people who were prisoners of war. It’s an impolitic statement but true.
The GOP and Sen. McCain’s campaign supporters capitalize on his war service.
Democrats and GOP rivals of Trump seize upon any of his words that can be twisted to hurt him because he has had the courage and the love of country to speak out strongly against illegal immigration, a kind of sacred cow among many, but a detriment to citizens and our country’s survival.
I say, right on, Donald Trump!
Donald Trump of New York, billionaire real estate developer and current Republican candidate for president, made campaign kickoff remarks about illegal immigrants from Mexico deserves some serious examination: “The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with them. ... They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” he said, adding, “And some, I assume, are good people.”
Why would Mr. Trump, a man who was born in Queens, New York, who surely visited in his 69 years Liberty Island, home of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, make such remarks about illegal immigrants from Mexico?
I can’t claim to know the heart of the Donald Trump, but I will speculate on Trump’s views on illegal immigrants.
Trump most likely has taken the ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and while touring the Statue site he must have read the bronze plaque cast with 1883 sonnet written by Emma Lazarus titled “The New Colossus.”
Trump after reading Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” would know as a student of circumstantial current and past immigration history that immigrants entering Upper New York Bay metaphorically by boat is the legitimate gateway to America while 5.9 million illegal Mexican immigrants sneaking across the country’s southern border with Mexico violate federal law and invade the nation’s sovereignty.
Donald Trump in preparation for his candidacy for President of the United States very likely knows that the U.S Federal Bureau of Prisons holds 33,108 Mexican nationals, they are 15.9 percent of the federal government’s prison inmates.
Furthermore, Trump is also likely aware that there are 18,307 federal prisoners incarcerated for immigration crimes, 9.3 percent of the federal prison population.
Recently, Trump met with families of victims of illegal immigrant crime in California; Trump knows the life-changing impact on families who have lost their loved ones killed by illegal immigrants primarily from Mexico.
American’s should thank Donald Trump for speaking so frankly on the topic of illegal immigration and for making it one of the top campaign issues in the 2016 presidential election.
They can build fences to keep out people at the White House, and to keep the prisoners in prison. Why can’t they build fences at our border to keep out illegal immigrants.
I am glad Donald Trump has entered the race to at least bring up some of our problems.
Sanctuary cities: Regarding "San Francisco pier slaying victim shot with federal agent's gun, AP source says," (OregonLive, July 7): I have always been against sanctuary cities — more so now after the killing of a young American citizen by a five-time-deported illegal immigrant in California. How heartbreaking for this family. American citizens are being killed daily by illegal immigrants...
I was upset when I saw a chart of states with sanctuary cities and realized that Oregon was listed. Why are Oregon cities protecting illegal immigrants from our laws instead of protecting us as American citizens? I called the governor's office...Hmm. I have also sent emails to my state senator and representative...
Today I received an email from "Oregonians for Immigration Reform" telling me that Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton has introduced a bill that would deny federal grants for sanctuary cities...
Now let's see how Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley vote on this. I have already contacted their offices to ask they support this bill.
As a born-and-raised Oregonian, I'm ready to have something put on the ballot that would ban sanctuary cities here in Oregon. "We the people" sent a message last November by defeating a measure that would have provided driver's cards to illegal immigrants. Time for another message to be sent.
The liberal media are having a field day with Donald Trump’s incendiary comments regarding illegal immigrants. Trump claims that illegal immigrants (most of whom are Latino) commit a disproportionate amount of crime, including murder, rape and drug dealing. But how much of what Trump said is actually false?
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, about 24 percent of federal prison inmates are noncitizens — nearly double their demographic percentage. In the Oregon state prison system, approximately 8 percent of the inmates have U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds placed on them — again, nearly double their demographic percentage as estimated by Pew Research. The inmates include 144 serving time for murder, 171 for rape, 98 for sodomy and 201 for sexual abuse. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area team estimates that almost all the cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine brought into Oregon comes courtesy of Mexican drug gangs.
The recent murder of Kathryn Steinle, allegedly by Francisco Sanchez, brings the issue clearly into focus. Sanchez has seven prior felonies. He was allowed to remain in the country by the government of a sanctuary city (San Francisco) and by a president and Congress who refuse to enforce immigration law. Steinle’s blood is on their hands. The president claims that our borders are secure. Nonsense. Sanchez illegally entered the U.S. and was deported at least five times.
Trump’s comments were inflammatory, to be sure, but were they factually inaccurate? Look at the statistics and judge for yourselves.
State Rep. Joe Gallegos and 34 other House Democrats were wrong to publish the letter in the Statesman Journal without giving some supporting information.
The letter read more like a gossip column about Joe Arpaio and illegal immigration than fact. It was just sympathy for the illegal immigrants and an effort to belittle Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
After contacting the office of the governor of Arizona, reading the laws about immigration and visiting the Southwest states, I know that Arizona has severe problems with illegal immigrants, crime and the associated costs. I have to wonder if any of that was considered in Joe Gallegos’ letter.
Do the representatives remember the march where the Mexican flags were predominant? After much criticism, they switched to the American flags. Remember the students at California’s Montebello High School took down the American flag and put up the Mexican flag. Is there a greater display of disrespect for this country?
Which is it going to be state Rep. Joe Gallegos, “Mexican or American”?
If I had known of the rally at the state Capitol, I would have been there in support of Joe Arpaio and all legal immigrants.
The Register-Guard has a duty to be impartial. In his June 24 letter, Sen. Floyd Prozanski stated he wouldn’t let anyone treat Oregonians as second-class citizens.
That statement was so contrary to Prozanski’s actions that a member of my family submitted a letter in response, which hasn’t been published.
Why was it contrary? On June 25 Prozanski voted in favor of providing Oregon Opportunity Grants to illegal immigrants. Last year, only 20 percent of those who applied for the grants received them. Now they’ll have to compete with illegal immigrants for the scarce grants.
In 2013 Prozanski voted in favor of giving illegal immigrants drivers’ cards, which require less identification than that required of drivers who are legal residents. Oregon voters rejected a drivers’ card ballot measure by 2-1 in last November’s general election. Also in 2013, the senator voted in favor of reducing college costs for illegal immigrants but not for legal residents.
Those actions strongly support the view that Prozanski’s treating legal Oregon residents as second-class citizens, and that’s shameful.
The Register-Guard has failed to report that view. It also maligned me in a June 11 editorial and said I should accept the will of the majority. Why?
I’m pursuing an effort to recall Prozanski because he’s violated his oath of office, is out of touch with his constituents and has shown an utter disregard and lack of respect for the legal residents of this state.
I won’t back down. Shame on The Register-Guard for its actions.
As many of you, I first took Donald Trump’s bid for president as just another chance to show his overgrown ego. I don’t see it entirely that way any more, and his poll ratings have climbed despite his rhetoric.
His comments on Mexico brought a strong backlash from corporate sponsors and the Latino population. His honest talk, however, also woke up the segment of the U.S. population that has been quiet, but now is fed up. The concept of continued thousands of impoverished people, from mostly poor Latin countries, coming here so they can have a better life has to end somehow.
Yes, we are all immigrants to some degree, but the poor old USA simply can not absorb this huge influx forever. Part of the reason our country is great is that there are still some places to breathe, get away and enjoy the serenity and beauty of our open spaces. I don’t want apartments covering every square acre to house this continually increasing population. Besides, the USA already has critical issues with enough water, power, and food.
The trouble is that Trump is about right. Way too many immigrants are illegal and do bring in drugs and crime.
Take illegal Franciso Sanchez, for example. He has at least a dozen aliases, seven prior felony convictions in the U.S., and has been deported five times. He was recently released again, on probation. Kathryn Steinie, 32, was just walking on Pier 14 in San Francisco with her dad and a friend. She had no connection to Sanchez at all. He walked up behind her and shot her in the back. The bullet pierced her aorta and she died. It was a totally random shooting — just for fun, I guess. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Remember too, San Francisco is a “sanctuary city” that affords protection to illegal immigrants.
Every president since in recent times has promised to fix the immigration problem. Not one of them has done anything that works. So, good for you Donald Trump. Finally someone who doesn’t have to be “politically correct” all the time and has so much money he can afford to be outspoken and independent. He is saying what a lot of Americans think.
I hope all Oregonians read the June 27 letter from Rep. Joe Gallegos and his 34 House Democratic colleagues about the recent state Capitol rally which, they alleged, "celebrat[ed] the inhumane treatment of immigrants who've come to America merely looking for the opportunity to work hard for a better life."
Here's the letter's "best" line: "Keeping our state a great place to live – a place where all working families have a chance to get ahead and where everyone is treated equally – will require us to reject the poisonous idea that some families matter more than others."
So Oregon's House Democrats consider as "poisonous" the "idea" that they have more responsibility to American families than they do to non-citizens' families. They don't believe those citizens, the people who elect them, "matter more than others." Instead, they believe "everyone" in Oregon (including, as their letter makes clear, illegal immigrants) should be "treated" as "equally" as Americans.
What a great place that kind of thinking will make Oregon!
Joe Gallegos, send that letter to all the state's newspapers. If you do, we'll see a new majority party elected to the House in 2016.
Criminal illegal aliens must be deported before they attack hardworking citizens like 21-year-old Grant.
I don't know anyone who wasn't horrified and heart-broken when news broke that 21-year-old Grant Ronnebeck, a good kid working hard, was shot dead while clerking at a QuikTrip store in Mesa in January.
I don't know anyone who wasn't angry and outraged to learn that the man eventually charged with the murder, Apolinar Altamirano, was in the country illegally and already had been convicted of felony burglary.
Good people disagree about a lot when it comes to immigration issues.
But I don't know anyone who wants to allow immigrants convicted of serious crimes to stay here...
Since Grant's death we've learned that 121 undocumented immigrants who were released while awaiting deportation after committing crimes were later charged with homicides between 2010 and 2014....
Allowing convicted criminals or those who are caught up in cases involving serious crimes to remain in the country not only puts people at risk,...
EJ Montini is a columnist at the Arizona Republic, where this column was first published.
