Unlikely but Necessary Reform for Immigration

A severely broken immigration system calls for needed remedy, but prospects show that this remedy is unlikely to come anytime soon. Many complain that illegal immigration is actually hurting the economy more than helping it; reasons behind this include: drainage of resources, as immigrants use the money earned to send off to relatives in their home countries, and avoidance of paying taxes, yet are still able to use free health care, food stamps, and other services meant for citizens. Most importantly, the low-income jobs that illegal immigrants do for the state still dissatisfy the unemployed, as some argue that they are just as willing to take on these jobs.

House leaders call for more border security, enforcement on immigration laws, and a fixed system to strengthen the economy. The key component towards helping our economy, however, is the legalized workforce that will come from citizenship.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that by 2023, the immigration reform would lead to an increase of 10 million people, which in turn, would significantly increase the number of people in the labor force and boost economic output and productivity. Average wages for all U.S. workers are expected to increase, and the amount of capital investment will also grow, helping the country’s GDP and economic prospects improve. The housing market would be enhanced with more demand and higher prices, and the growth in jobs would allow for more entrepreneurs to rise up to the demand of a broken economy.

On a moral side of the issue, families of illegal immigrants will not have to be broken apart, but instead, will have the opportunity to support each other and be protected from abusive employees. Immigrants can receive fair wages that contribute to the economy.

The United States is inevitably becoming a nation of immigrants, as immigrants continue to be a crucial component to building our state up and contributing to businesses. Interests of the legislature should be gradually directed towards matching the interests of the immigrants, as they are the focus of much of today and compose a large percentage of the United States' population. Especially for the state of Texas, the rising population of Hispanic Americans calls for needed legislation concerning their futures.
The main roadblock that prevents reform from taking place is the lack of agreement between Democrats and Republicans on legalization and citizenship, rather than on these economic and moral considerations. Passing this reform not only necessary, but is also a win-win situation for both the business sector and for illegal immigrants.

Racial Tension Beneath the Human Race

An article constructed by Dennis Prager, a blogger on the Texas Insider, caught my attention because it raised up a question of race and how the President has impacted it. In fact, Prager claims that Obama has had no effect on the racial tensions that do still exist beneath the curtains of the Zimmerman case and other daily happenings. Prager goes deeper into the subject of race, however, by pointing out that "racial tensions" are lies and are not portrayed in the fashion they are meant for. If the term "racial tension" were used properly, then this would mean both sides of the case should be morally equal at fault. Prager defends his view by bringing up the history of the 1991 anti-Semitic riots in Crown Heights, where journalists tied the incident of blacks attacking innocent Jews as acts of "racial tensions." Especially in today's society, Prager notes that "racial tensions" have steered towards blacks' relationship with whites.

In Prager's words,

"Once one understands that 'racial tensions' is a euphemism for a black animosity toward whites and a left-wing construct, one begins to understand why the election of a black president has had no impact on most blacks or on the left."

I personally do not believe that racial tensions have become as narrow as blacks against whites. Racial tensions will never disappear from the human race, but even more, will continue to exist between several different races, only hidden from news coverage; because of the United States' history of segregation of blacks and whites, it's only likely that these tensions will still be uncovered and unnecessarily emphasized. As history denotes, unfair treatment did not only concern African Americans, but Japanese Americans were internalized in camps during WWII, and even today, people are mistreated or faced with prejudice because of whatever ethnicity they may be.

When Prager states that the term "racial tensions" is used falsely, however, I agree in that it has been brought out of proportion in regards to the situation it is placed in. Racial tensions have become more publicized between how whites and blacks conflict with each other, yet the issue might not involve race in the first place, or the hatred towards the other side is only brought up because of the history behind race relations. This kind of publicity has ignited the assumption that much of this hatred still underlines the motives of many Americans; focusing on race blurs the lines of the incident when it comes to verifying and seeking the truth behind what actually happened. Even if the incident involves race, the tension usually leans towards the minority, emphasizing even more of the hatred that exists because of the history of white supremacy.

As for what has changed since President Barack Obama's election, I did not expect any racial tensions to improve on the basis that our president is African American. Prager's point that racial tensions don't improve because people hold onto the assumption that whites are racist speaks some truth -- when a case such as Zimmerman comes up, so much attention is placed on the color of skin rather than the center of the situation. These strained relations persist because Americans are not able to let go of the prideful, protective attitude they store towards their own race.

Immigration Reform: Compromise From Both Sides

The issue of immigration has frequently caught my interest, and I strongly favor granting full citizenship to illegal immigrants in our country, but this particular editorial written in Dallas News brings up a different side of the issue I had not considered: granting legalization, which is only permanent residency status, without the benefits of citizenship. I agree with the author of this article, who states that compromise is needed, although very tough to reach. With more than an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in our country -- contributing to our work force, relying on the prosperity and economic opportunity the U.S. offers to raise their families, but not being effectively monitored, protected, or taxed -- this issue is becoming increasingly crucial to resolve. Passing of the legislation will take both sides of the issue to be willing to cooperate, however. As Republicans demand a revamped border security and Democrats desire a better immigration program, an agreement on both sides does not seem near.

The author’s idea of legalization is one I do not believe will be any easier to agree on, though. I imagine many families being unsatisfied with only being granted residency; in fact, legalization seems to disparage the immigrants’ purpose and capacity to contribute to their country, as if to assume that they only are needed for workforce and miniscule activities. To truly be named a U.S. citizen is a proud label I would expect many immigrants to want to claim, and certain benefits, such as working for the federal government and voting, are not granted without citizenship. Also, a strong group of people who disagree with legalization argue that it would take away too many jobs and deplete the government services.

I noticed that the author also left out evidence and facts concerning what legalization could do for our country and why it is necessary. Legalizing 11 million people could mean adding to our GDP an estimated $2 billion each year. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) states that undocumented immigrants have already contributed $10.6 billion through sales, property, and income taxes, which could rise to $12.6 billion after legalization if immigrants paid more in federal, state, and local taxes. The Center for American Progress reports that 200,000 new jobs could be added through immigration reform. Non-economic benefits include an increased reporting of crimes and reuniting of families.

The author seems to be voicing his opinion for the general public to be aware of how essential this legislation is, but I expected more detail concerning the extent of its necessity – from bettering our economy to creating a viable society for hard-working people to improve their lives.

A Fight for Life

     Texas Republicans are inching forward in their success towards House Bill 2, the anti-abortion legislation that has caused many to riot and is deemed as one of the most restrictive anti-abortion bills in the U.S. The Texas Observer published an article concerning the Texas Senate passing the legislation, which is now required to gain Gov. Rick Perry’s approval, but the journey of this legislation has been a rough debate between Republican and Democratic senators who zealously fight for their case. This bill has not only stirred up a heated battle between legislators and political parties, but commoners are also actively involved, aggressively speaking out their pro-choice or anti-abortion sentiments.

      This article particularly caught my attention because it portrays much of the inside action in the photos – in light of the protests, both sides of the debate, and social media even. Although this bill is focused around a particular subject, it is interesting to see from this article how legislation can affect numerous people and have them riled up for a cause that would typically only challenge women and their rights. However, this article clearly shows how the issue of abortion is bringing together people of various backgrounds because of the commonality that ultimately resides in every person – the value of life. I suggest this as a read for others to gain interest in how strong of an impact this issue could potentially have on our future, as Democrats in a Red state continue to charge forward to make change while Republicans as well stand ground.