Solis does not have to be a victim
I read Jessica Chou’s “Struggling with noncitizen status” (Feb. 20), having sympathized for years with other people like me who struggled to pay for school. I also have sympathy for those who are children of immigrants who either came to this country illegally or have overstayed their visas. Those parents have essentially handicapped their children ““ as with the situation that Stephanie Solis is currently in.
That being said, Solis has a choice to make: become a legal resident or continue to live a life of deferring the task her parents should have taken care of years before.
However, Solis is not a victim. If she were one, she would not be the person she already is ““ bright, determined, autonomous and educated. Solis, as much as I have empathy for her situation, needs to understand that she is already blessed with thousands of lifestyle and education benefits. “Forced to pick up odd jobs” is not a reason ““ as you would insinuate ““ why she is all that different from low-income students who in fact are citizens or legal residents. That notion is insulting to the thousands upon thousands of children born of legal immigrants who have worked extraordinarily hard to achieve the levels of education and success they have built. Solis is blessed by her ambition and self-reliance. It is time for her to use those traits to become a citizen legally and move on with life.
My mother recently became a citizen of this great country, and I proudly attended her citizenship ceremony in downtown Los Angeles with the thousands of other people who went through the grueling process of interviews and immigration attorneys. Solis’ first and immediate task should be to fully invest in that process and meet the requirements that so many others have followed, fully embracing the rights and obligations of full citizenship gladly and without complaint.
Damon Aldrich
Los Angeles
McCain understands threats to U.S.
Mesmerized by Obama’s surging, almost cult-like celebrity, the honeymooned U.S. press has yet to challenge him on the specifics of his platform. Although Obama’s self-coined message of change is still lacking enough details and substance for my liking, there is no ignoring the impressive string of consecutive primary wins and his momentum.
Among his growing list of interested constituencies, Obama is still representing the ridiculously left-driven, dangerously naive, “blame America first” crowd, and that worries me very much.
Too many anti-war folks are not considering the consequences of accepting defeat.
No doubt Clinton is the most informed on the major issues, the hardest worker, but also the most divisive among the three front-runners.
In fact, none of the White House candidates are persuasively reassuring or statesman-like, although McCain does approach the latter.
All three represent different kinds of uncertainty: One has major negatives, one has little experience, one has right-driven nuts to appease.
Do any of these contenders truly understand and appreciate the persistent threat of America’s increasingly emboldened global enemies?
I hope all three do, but I am only sure that Senator McCain understands.
Solomon M. Matsas
Former staff, registrar’s office