Jeremy Fugleberg

Immigration is a bold, beautiful thing. The strength and courage it takes to uproot yourself from your homeland and seek something new, something different, is amazing and precious to me. Our country was built on immigration, and it will only grow stronger with the vast influx of brains, brawn and sheer guts that naturally comes with those brave enough to seek our shores.

It’s foolish to ignore the reality of those living among us. Those who often do the jobs disdained by “real Americans.” Elizabeth is right; some of that money goes back to the family in the native land. But illegal immigrants’ on-the-cheap, back-breaking, clock-bending labor stays right here.

She’s flat-out wrong about the ease of entry to this country. It’s easy if you’re European, or Canadian. But I’ve personally met Africans and Middle Easterners with tales of hours spent outside – sometimes overnight – waiting in line at an American embassy for a single chance at a single U.S. visa. We lucky Americans would do well to remember that what we have is a grand experiment in making good. Some people succeed. Others do not. But let it not be said that we held anyone back from the dream that binds us all.

The answer isn’t more border guards. And it’s certainly not a wall. A guest worker program is only the first step to our immigration dilemma. We as Americans need to get our arms around the fact that the people already here deserve to stay. We need to create a clear, easy path to citizenship, and we need it now.

Congress should stop the bickering and posturing and seek real, bipartisan solutions. Stop the protectionist, no-foreigners drivel and the weak-kneed half-solutions and show me how we can fairly treat those who seek a better life.

You got your chance. Give it to someone else. A real American would do nothing less.

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