A collection of letters from across the country reveals the growing frustration of Americans with the current administration's lack of regard for the impact of their actions.
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The Jamestown Sun
Letter to the editor: OPT expansion damaging to American worker
By Mark Schuttenhelm Today [January 5, 2016] at 7:38 a.m.
Barack Obama’s reign of terror over the American middle class continues. His most recent slap in the face of the American worker is part of his executive order, which attempted to legalize and provide work permits to about 5 million illegal aliens. He doesn’t have the power, legally, to pull any of this off, but why should that stop him?
Part of that executive order is an expansion of OPT, or Optional Practical Training program. This program is so damaging to the American worker even the pro-Democrat AFL-CIO came out against it. OPT is a jobs program that benefits foreign students at the expense of homegrown American students and jobseekers. Currently under this program, about 130,000 foreign students per year are given temporary work permits for one or two years. Obama’s new proposal increases the number to about 700,000 per year and extends the time period to three years.
Why is this so damaging to unemployed Americans seeking to enter the job market? Potential employers pay no payroll taxes for these foreign graduates. That saves the employer about $12,000 per year for each foreign student hired over an American. If that isn’t bad enough, the foreign student gets a pass on his or her portion of the Social Security payroll tax also, which shortchanges the Social Security fund by about a $1 billion a year, a number that will only increase under Obama’s new proposal. That’s a billion-plus dollars not available to pay American retirees.
And these are good STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) jobs, averaging about $50,000 per year. So if your son or daughter has just graduated college with a pile of student debt, or perhaps you yourself are seeking employment, remember, thanks to the current occupant of the White House, a prospective employer has about 12,000 reasons to give that job to a graduating foreign student. Your federal government strikes again.
http://www.jamestownsun.com/letters/3917204-letter-editor-opt-expansion-damaging-american-worker
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WyomingTribuneEagle
WYOMING NEWS.com
Muslims not committed to principles of America
From Mark Roberts, Cheyenne [January 5, 2016] 3 hrs ago
I know that the liberal leftists who we have entrusted our country to have to rely on emotions to advance a forever left-moving agenda in America.
To that end we hear statements like “That’s not who we are” by House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., when asked about halting Syrian refugees until they could be vetted. Even former President George W. Bush had the audacity to refer to Islam as a religion of peace!
Well, let’s forget the propaganda and look at some facts.
Fact No. 1 – On Sept. 11, 2001, 2,752 people were killed in New York City, 184 in Washington, D.C., and 40 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. And since 9/11, 89 people have been killed on U.S soil by Muslims!
The number of Muslims killed on American soil in retaliation? One! A Muslim convenience store owner was killed in Texas by a white supremacist who claimed to be angry after he saw the towers fall on 9/11.
Even the worst president in our history (before Barack Obama) had the good sense to limit immigration from Iran after “students” took more than 60 hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
Fact No. 2: Yes, Jimmy Carter not only stopped Iranians from coming here, he also required Iranian “students” who were already here to report for possible deportation.
Religion of peace? Islamic people are governed by the sharia. These peaceful people who want to live in the land of the free have a list of laws that have to be enforced to be a good Muslim.
And let us not forget that Muslims under sharia are required to practice taqiyya, which is to lie to non-Muslims to the advancement of Islam.
In other words, these “peaceful” people are required to lie when asked if they support killing non-Muslims while their leaders make no bones about wanting death to America!
Fact No. 3: In a recent poll of Muslims in America, when asked if they believe that sharia law supersedes the Constitution, 51 percent said yes. I wonder if the other 49 percent were practicing taqiyya?
http://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_6fb207ae-b36a-11e5-a949-174d0e7f96e7.html
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The Press-Enterprise
LETTERS: Free speech trumps hate speech
PRESS-ENTERPRISE
Published: Jan. 4, 2016 Updated: 6:29 p.m.
“Google’s dangerous bid to block ‘hate speech’” [Opinion, Jan. 2]: The column rightly says that it is difficult to brand hate speech.
But liberals are desperate. They brand everything Donald Trump says as hate speech. The constitution guarantees the right to free speech. But that applies to everyone, not just the liberals.
Free speech is a valuable thing and should be used wisely. I do not believe that free speech gives one individual the right to say hurtful or disrespectful things about another human being. But it does give you the right to disagree with someone’s actions or positions. That is not hate or racist, which is what liberals constantly accuse Republicans of doing. They are desperate and dead wrong.
This country is waking up to the lies they have been fed for so many years. It is in danger from our enemies, and those enemies are now Islamic. The president and the peaceful Islamic community needs to wake up and condemn the radical Islamists before they destroy the faith.
Donald is right, we cannot allow anyone into our country when they are suspected of terrorism. This applies to everyone, not just the Syrian refugees. This is not hate speech, this is a matter of our safety.
So let’s shut up with the hate and racism rhetoric and protect our country. We do not need anymore refugees, so let them stay home and fight for their country of origin. And while we’re at it, let’s demand proof of citizenship for all employees and jail employers that hire illegal aliens. That would soon solve the illegal alien problem as they would go back home voluntarily if they cannot find work.
The only hate involved in any of these ideas is the hate of government which constantly makes excuses for law breakers and possible terrorists.
Clean up government and enact these ideas and the problem goes away.
Glen Chaffin - Corona
http://www.pe.com/articles/hate-790863-speech-country.html
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BOZEMAN DAILY
CHRONICLE
Immigration analysis missed many points
By Craig Bryant Dec 4, 2015
The Nov. 12 article “GOP divide grows on immigration, threatening election prospects” contains analysis that its author, David Lightman of McClatchy’s Washington Bureau, presumably thinks is knowledgeable and shrewd. It “ain’t.”
Lightman divides Republican candidates into “hard-core conservatives who have had enough of compromises” (Trump and Cruz) and “pragmatists” (Rubio, Kasich, and Bush ). The division is between those who agree that illegal aliens must leave our country, including by deportation -- a strategy that journalist Lightman clearly thinks is “nuts” -- and those who favor amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, the pragmatic approach according to Lightman.
This reveals Lightman’s ignorance, for consider the history: The original 1986 mass amnesty, promised to us citizens as a one-time evasion of the rule-of-law, to fix a long-festering problem, was expected to legalize about one million illegal aliens. The number turned out to be around 2.7 million, and the incidence of fraud was enormous (estimated at 800 thousand concentrated in the Special Agricultural Worker component of the amnesty.) Despite that “one time” promise, there have been six subsequent mass amnesties, aggregating to about another three million illegal aliens gaining legal status.
Yet after all that, there are now well over 11 million illegal aliens in the U.S., far more than when we started down this road to nowhere. So what would be “pragmatic” about yet another mass amnesty?
The only strategy that will actually end illegal immigration is to rigorously enforce the laws so that illegal aliens can’t get jobs, can’t collect public benefits, and will be deported (individually) if they have encounters with police. Then most illegal aliens will leave (“self deport”) on their own, the “attrition by enforcement” approach that’s worked whenever it’s been tried. Trump and Cruz understand this, while Kasich, Rubio, Bush and journalist Lightman choose not to. Militarized mass deportations aren’t needed.
Craig Bryant - Bozeman
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinions/letters_to_editor/immigration-analysis-missed-many-points/article_95852e7f-09d8-5b48-851f-79e638792f14.html
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UTICAOD.COM
OBSERVER-DISPATCH The Mohawk Valleys Information Source
YOUR VIEW: Letters to the editor
Posted Jan. 3, 2016 at 3:15 AM
Let’s make English official language of United States
Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th President (1901-1909) once said “Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.”
Then why in Utica, New York, are over 42 languages spoken in our public high school? People come to America to assimilate into the American Society to become part of a new culture. The naturalization oath completely renounces all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign state and to support and defend the constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Instead they come to America and demand that we adjust to their languages, cultures, values and heritage.
If they want to keep their heritage they have to go back to their own countries. Otherwise they are welcome to stay in United States and keep their heritage at their own expense, but not at the expense of the taxpayer.
When will Congress draft an amendment to the Constitution and make English the official language of this country? English is the glue that keeps America together. We need courageous representatives in Washington to assemble 226 years after George Washington to agree unanimously and make English the official language.
JOSEPH JACOB - Utica
http://www.uticaod.com/opinion/20160103/your-view-letters-to-editor
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Star Beacon
Posted: Sunday, January 3, 2016 12:30 am
Joyce siding with Obama
Once again, Republican Congressman Dave Joyce (Ohio’s 14th District) has failed his constituents. This time, he voted for the $1.1 trillion Omnibus spending bill that gives President Obama essentially a blank check to fund his disastrous agenda to transform America.
But that is not the whole story. Mr. Joyce knew that 86 percent of his constituents were not in favor of allowing a flood of Syrian refugees into our country. However, he disregarded the overwhelming majority’s wishes and chose to fully fund Obama’s Syrian refugee program by supporting this bill. In the same vote, Mr. Joyce also agreed to the funding of illegal alien resettlement, sanctuary cities and Middle Eastern immigration programs.
In doing so, Mr. Joyce has demonstrated his acceptance of Obama’s radical vision of “Hope and Change” while violating his oath of office to serve and protect the citizens of his congressional district. Now, he is clearly in lockstep with the ruling class elites who are determined to change America by literally changing the makeup of our population.
The 2016 elections are crucial to the future of our country and to all of us as individual citizens. We must turn fears of our current transformation into real hope for a brighter, safer future. One way of doing that is to replace those incumbents such as Dave Joyce who no longer believe in the sovereignty of our nation, those who continue to choose the interests of foreign nationals over Americans.
Please check out the website MattLynch.com. You will find an honorable man who will represent your interests and believes in our constitutional rights and our nation’s sovereignty. Mr. Lynch will be part of the conservative coalition in Congress that is needed to eliminate the profound and pervasive government spending and corruption. Mr. Lynch will fight to reverse our current march toward a country we would otherwise soon not recognize.
Brian Massie - Concord Township
http://www.starbeacon.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter-to-the-editor/article_df52f033-ecbc-5d9a-981e-83a7e911709e.html
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The Buffalo News
Letter: Trump’s critics need to stick to the facts
on January 3, 2016 - 12:01 AM
Trump’s critics need to stick to the facts
It’s disgusting to see people like the Rev. Richard Malone, Dr. Khalid Qazi and many other so-called community leaders twist and distort statements made by Donald Trump to fit their agenda.
They continually leave out the word “temporarily” from his statement on stopping Muslim immigration. Just as the media and community leaders leave out the word “illegal” when he talks about Mexican immigrants.
They have their right to their opinion, but that should be based on accurate information and not a distorted version of what people actually say to fit a certain narrative or agenda.
Their statement that Trump’s proposals will “bring comfort to the Islamic State and its allies” is similar to Hillary Clinton’s statement that Trump “is becoming ISIS’ best recruiter.” This has been fact-checked and proven to be wrong.
And I would like to ask these people: At what point will the United States be unable to accept immigrants? Because that time will come, and what will they say then?
David Nowak - Amherst
http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/letter-trumps-critics-need-to-stick-to-the-facts-20160103
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TCPALM
Letter: It’s not ‘anti-immigrant’ to oppose illegal immigration
[January 3, 2015] 4:00 a.m.
Diane Greto, Vero Beach
Letter: It's not 'anti-immigrant' to oppose illegal immigration
Nathaniel Osborn (Dec. 23 letter) takes letter writer John Grychak to task for siding with Donald Trump and his plans to "build the biggest, highest wall ever built" to keep out Muslims and Latinos.
Osborn goes on to lecture about "anti-immigrant rhetoric," and mentions the German, Irish, Chinese and Eastern European immigrants who came to this country in the 18th and 19th centuries and who were accused of undermining America at the time.
As a "local high school teacher," Mr. Osborn surely you know the difference between illegal and legal. The bodies coming over our border are illegal and a threat to our national security, plain and simple.
Meanwhile, there are thousands of immigrants-to-be who are waiting patiently and going through the right channels legally to come to this great country. They want to learn the English language and Pledge of Allegiance to our flag and become American citizens in every way, just like those early immigrants. Those are the immigrants I welcome.
Meanwhile, we must protect our borders in every way possible.
http://www.tcpalm.com/letters-to-the-editor/letter-its-not-anti-immigrant-to-oppose-illegal-immigration-2808e9c9-5313-284b-e053-0100007f0f75-363843081.html
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Courier Life’s
BROOKLYN DAILY
January 3, 2016 / News / Letters
Sound Off to the Editor
‘Bravo,’ Sue
To the editor,
Inevitably some will call her racist but I say “bravo” to Sue Smith of Bensonhurst for her letter describing how our borough is being taken over by illegal immigrants, who use our social services and contribute nothing to our society (“Sounding off,” Sound of to the Editor, Dec. 25). Thank you, Sue, for being brave enough to write what you did.
Maureen Abato - Sheepshead Bay
http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2016/1/all-letters-2016-01-01-bd.html
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Tri-City Herald
January 2, 2016 5:28 PM
Letter: Why can’t government use social media posts to screen immigrants?
If I understand correctly, it is OK for employers to use social media posts when making decisions on whether to hire or not to hire an applicant, or to dismiss an employee.
However, under the wise leadership of the current administration, government organizations responsible for approving applications for admittance into the United States are not allowed to use social media as part of the decision-making process. Did I miss something somewhere?
According to a former Department of Homeland Security official, the administration ordered them to terminate their efforts to monitor individuals with potential ties to terrorists who wanted to come into the United States, because it might be considered profiling. Seems to me that all of these terrorists fit one profile. It is not guns that are killing Americans, it is political correctness.
Gerald Sorensen, Richland
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article52558875.html
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TIMES-CALL
Letters to the Editor
William Manion: Government attempting to mold people's attitudes
Posted: 01/02/2016 11:17:45 PM MST | Updated: about 10 hours ago
My 1,700 page dictionary does not list "inclusivity" as being a real word. Same for "sustainability."
It seems to be that the Boulder County commissioners like to come up with some cause they want to promote, then they invent a name for it to try to make it sound important. If it is something truly important, doesn't it deserve a title that makes use of real words?
Here is a heads-up for the county commissioners: It is not your job to try to mold people's opinions or attitudes.
Millions of U.S. citizens are appalled that our federal government has not secured our borders. Our country is inundated with immigrants, many of them here illegally. Those of us who do not want to welcome other immigrants at this time certainly have good reasons for feeling that way.
I believe that we citizens need to be wary of any attempts by government officials to influence citizens' opinions or attitudes to conform to their extremes of "political correctness."
William Manion - Longmont
http://www.timescall.com/opinion/letterstotheeditor/ci_29336525/william-manion-government-attempting-mold-peoples-attitudes
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Your News, Your Way.
Tyler Morning Telegraph
Published on Saturday, 2 January 2016 20:21 - Written by
TRUMP
If Republican leaders keep up their stupid agenda of little or no opposition to President Obama, then Donald Trump will soon be the nominee of the vast hoard of outraged Republicans. Some may not agree with all he says, but much of it is what people want to hear.
Current Republican leadership stinks and is completely lacking in tough opposition to President Obama and his irresponsible policies on virtually everything, including open borders for illegal immigrants, criminals, refugees and terrorists.
History says under today’s conditions and chaos, Trump will emerge as our new president, like it or not.
Citizens are fed up with all career politicians and their false promises and lies. The good will be voted out with the bad when citizens feel betrayed and put upon by abusive government policies, regulations and legislation gushing out of Washington in the trillions of dollars - money we don’t have.
Harry Bergman - Tyler
http://www.tylerpaper.com/TP-Letters+to+Editor/229254/george-will-wrongly-dismissed-creationists-believers
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The
Californian A Gannett Company
Syrian refugees and terrorism
Virgil M. Piper 12 a.m. PST January 2, 2016
When it comes to U.S. Immigration, it appears we are very good at ignoring the law. To begin with, it is offensive, apparently, to use the term “illegal alien.” Instead, it is considered good manners to refer to the millions of persons in this country in violation of our immigration laws as “undocumented immigrants.”
California, desperate for cheap labor, has abrogated or otherwise ignored immigration requirements by issuing driver’s licenses. The state has encouraged local authorities to ignore an agreement with the Obama administration allowing federal immigration agents to review fingerprints under the “Secure Communities Program” in order to track down and pick up every deportable immigrant arrested by local police. Incredibly, San Francisco has opted to be a “Sanctuary City.”
Currently, we have a controversy involving the refugee status for 10,000 Syrians. President Obama claims this process takes two years to complete but he proposes that we do our part by resettling 10,000 refugees by October 2016.
On the other hand, several states have given notice they will not accept Syrian refugees. President Obama claims these states cannot deny entry – but what are the guidelines provided by U.S. Law?
The Refugee Act of 1980 was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on March 17, 1980. A refugee is defined as “any person outside his or her country unable or unwilling to return to his or her country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” One wonders how many of these 10,000 Syrian refugees actually fall within this defined requirement.
Section (2)(A) of the 1980 Refugee Act: “The Director and the Federal agency administering subsection (b)(1), shall consult regularly (not less often than quarterly) with State and local governments and private nonprofit voluntary agencies concerning the sponsorship process and the intended distribution of refugees among the States and localities before their placement in those States and localities.”
Accordingly, by law the various States do have the right to refuse refugees. Relocation concerns include the availability of employment opportunities, affordable housing, and public and private resources (including educational, health care and mental health services) for refugees in the area. The most important consideration is the likelihood of refugees placed in the area becoming self-sufficient and free from long-term dependence on public assistance.
The obvious question is whether we are granting entry of terrorists among these refugees. On the other hand, how many of the more than 11 million illegals already present in the United States are sleeper terrorists?
According to one senior official, approximately half of the estimated 11-plus million undocumented immigrants crossed the Mexican border illegally; the other half simply stayed beyond the expiration date of their visa or pursued refugee status much like the children lined up on the Mexican border. Additionally, the Cuban Adjustment Act allows Cuban citizens the right to stay in the United States if he or she is able to set foot on American soil.
One wonders why a terrorist would bother with this two-year Syrian refugee process when all they have to do is become a Cuban citizen or simply slip across the Mexican border.
Clearly, this country must make some attempt to enforce existing immigration laws if the threat of terrorism is to be taken seriously.
Virgil M. Piper, a frequent Soap Box contributor, is a Marina resident.
http://www.thecalifornian.com/story/opinion/2016/01/02/syrian-refugees-terrorism/78187808/
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app.com ASBURY PARK PRESS
A GANNETT COMPANY
LETTER: Fixing illegal immigration requires honesty
2:56 p.m. EST January 1, 2016
People who walk across our border illegally have performed a criminal act. Politicians want to give them amnesty. Why?
We have laws, but no one will enforce them. When you give them welfare, food stamps, even a driver’s license, you only encourage more of the same bad behavior: lawbreaking criminal acts.
How about everyone who came here legally? What about the hard work and money they spent to assimilate to the American way of life? Why doesn’t anyone bring up the fact that it’s an insult to these people who came here legally and went through the process to become an American?
Most of us are tired of lawbreakers — that includes politicians. The last seven years have been brutal. The destruction of America led by President Barack Obama, the Democrats and willing Republicans is despicable!
We can fix the illegal problem easily, but we need honest, law-abiding politicians who actually love America and everything it stands for.
Matilda Schafhauser - Westmont
http://www.app.com/story/opinion/readers/2016/01/01/letter-fixing-illegal-immigration-requires-honesty/78181102/
Read more about Letters of frustration continue to flood newspapers across the country
