Editor:
In his speech at Ellis Island on July 10, 2001, President Bush said: "Immigration is not a problem to be solved. It is the sign of a confident and successful nation." That is like saying: "Drinking while driving is not a problem to be solved. It is the sign of a confident and successful individual."
Or: "Incessantly eating more food than you can digest is not a problem to be solved. It is a sign of happiness and enjoyment of life."
Or: "Destroying every familiar and historical aspect of your society is not a problem to be solved. It is a sign of confidence and faith in the future."
Or: "Submitting yourself to an operation in which your face, your body, your blood, your brain and your soul are all replaced by a different face, body, blood, brain and soul is not a problem to be solved. It is a sign of adventurousness and the love of freedom."
Lawrence Auster
New York, New York
Editor:
As a veteran and cop I am very concerned with what is occurring in our country and especially in the southwestern states and cities.
There are vehicle theft rings, drug rings, burglary rings, and more, operating here causing the death of American citizens as well as murdering police officers at an increased rate. Can you imagine what else has come across this border - reference possible terrorist activity? And if it has not happened yet it is only a matter of time. Over one million a year are crossing over undetected. Are they all helpless women and children? I don't think so. With ever increasing frequency cops are being murdered by individuals that don't even belong here. Just recently one morning, a Phoenix officer was ambushed by three Mexican males who flagged him down on the side of the road then opened fire on him. They drove away in a vehicle with Mexico plates. There was absolutely no provocation for this attack. I have been a cop here for over ten years and have had to release almost every illegal I have come across because the INS has told me to. This has even happened with illegals that possessed assault rifles.
John Frieling
Phoenix, Arizona
Editor:
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, for the time period 1981-1999 there were 16,380,275 immigrants admitted into the United States. That is enough new people to build more than 163 new cities of 100,000 population. These numbers do not include the estimated 375,000 to 425,000 illegal immigrants who sneak in every year.
The INS reports that from 1925 to 1965 we accepted an average of 178,000 legal immigrants per year. During the decade of the 1990s we let in an average of 914,155 per year.
Our population in 1990 was 248,709,873. The 2000 census shows 281,275,000 - an increase of 33 million. Nearly two-thirds of our yearly population growth comes from new immigrants and their offspring.
Population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau call for our population to jump from today's 281 million to 300 million in 2081, and to reach 571 million in 2100. This high rate of growth is causing problems for our cities, schools, highways, national parks as well as the loss of prime farmland and fresh water.
This scenario doesn't have to happen. Congress has the power to change our immigration laws and slow our population growth. Every poll I have seen in newspapers and magazines shows that between 65 percent and 83 percent of those surveyed favor cutbacks in immigration to about 200,000 per year.
Let's restore some of the limits and guidelines that once insured that immigration could help rather than overwhelm America. There are several bills before Congress at this time to deal with immigration policy. If you are concerned, contact your congress-member today.
We don't need mass immigration. Get involved before it's too late.
Paul Westrum
Albert Lea, Minnesota