Letters To The Editor

To the L.A. Daily News
Published 12/21/01

Friday, December 21, 2001

Earn it first

Re "Council calls for immigrant rights" (Dec. 19):

What part of the words "illegal immigrants" does the City Council not understand? When my parents, my brother and I moved from Canada to the United States in 1948, we were on a waiting list for over two years, we had to submit financial statements, have TB/chest X-rays, letters of recommendation, etc., and my aunt living in Los Angeles had to sign a statement verifying that if my dad could not find a job, she would support us financially for the first two years.

So we followed the rules, my dad found a job and we rented until my parents bought their first home in 1954. We all became naturalized citizens. I resent the fact that the council members want to grant "legalization of illegal immigrants to ensure they have driver's licenses, safe housing, worker protections and adequate health care ..." Who will end up paying for all of these "privileges," which, by the way, should be earned?

Marilyn N. Hankins
Westlake Village

Obeying the law

Makes me want to holler. The L.A. City Council's desire to harbor and abet the continued presence of illegal immigrants is a slap in the face of everything American. People can only live with dignity if they obey the laws of this nation and those include immigration laws. All of the things that this measure says should be provided, are provided the moment an immigrant enters this country legally.

If I choose to break the law, become an outlaw and have to "live in sort of a shadowy area of our society," who is to blame for that? Illegal immigrants would not have to live that way if they obeyed the immigration laws and entered this country legally.

Marvin Harris
Toluca Lake