Immigrants made America great
I have trouble understanding many of my fellow Americans’ positions on immigration. Like a lot of Americans, both sides of my family can only trace our American roots to around 1900, when they came from Ireland, Germany, Wales and Scotland.
Yes, I am a true American, a mutt who remembers his roots. I am also only two generations removed from the mines of northeast Pennsylvania. I fear that we have lost our hard worker edge and knowledge of what it takes to keep our country running at the level of comfort we enjoy.
The jobs most immigrants take are the jobs most Americans do not want to do — seasonal work, landscaping and day labor, for example. Many Americans see these people coming in, working hard and succeeding. It scares them because they see a challenge they are not willing to face: to get up and work hard too.
Immigrants also bring new experiences and knowledge to our county, which leads to new innovations and ideas. That is what used to made America great; we rose to every challenge and would outwork others, integrating their ideas with ours. We incorporated the new with the old and created our own American traditions and way of life.
Our obsession with leisure, comfort and self has led to our current feelings of fear and confusion. We need to look in the mirror and reflect on how to truly make America great again.
We need sound immigration policy, but to bring people in, not keep them out. We need a world-class education system, so current and future generations can make better decisions and develop new technologies and ideas.
We need health care for the whole country because a healthy America is a stronger America. Our older Americans are our great reservoir of knowledge and, more importantly, experience.
Instead of going to the American Muslim community and asking who is doing this and why, we condemned all Muslims for the actions of a few. I was never so ashamed of my country. If anyone talked to the Muslim community, like I did, they would find them just as outraged and eager to help bring the perpetrators to justice.
I love my country dearly, but am saddened by our current direction. I pray for the America we can be — a country that is truly great and an example for all.