RIGHTS AND WRONGS
Anyone who flies a foreign flag while demanding "American" rights doesn't belong here
BY HEIDI HARRIS

Heidi Harris is co-host of KXNT 840 AM's morning show with Alan Stock. Listen to her Monday through Friday from 5 to 9 a.m. Other stories by Heidi Harris

The protests currently being held in response to impending immigration legislation have proven to be a wake up call for many. The sight of thousands of people loudly demanding their "rights" to be American citizens while carrying Mexican flags was disheartening to say the least. Not because people don't have a right to protest - this is America, after all - but because of what these protests represent. 

As I mentioned in a previous column on illegal immigration, we have ourselves largely to blame for allowing illegal aliens to take advantage of all the freebies America has to offer. Although we often hear the mantra, "we're a nation of immigrants" in past generations, our welfare system and educational systems were not open to anyone. You had to work very hard and improve your skills if you were going to succeed here. There were no government handouts to fall back on. If we're ever going to make a dent in the illegal immigration problem, handouts of any kind should be disallowed. 

We've all had guests stay for a visit from time to time. But imagine if that "guest" decided to bring in his wife or girlfriend, then get her pregnant and expect to stay in your house. That's exactly what a "guest worker" program would look like if there were no stipulations against having a family while you're here. 

I can hear the libertarians now: "You can't tell people whether or not they can start a family." You're right, but as long as that guest worker who's working the jobs we Americans won't do for less than minimum wage is here, I'm supporting his family; he's not. 

I don't even eat lettuce, so I couldn't care less what that head of lettuce would cost if we didn't have illegals. What I can tell you is that even a five-fold increase in our produce prices would be cheaper than our current system of providing free healthcare and education for the entire family. Corporations realize this and by hiring illegals, they put the burden on the rest of us. 

Americans are overwhelmingly against amnesty, and most consider border control a top priority. You'd think our politicians who are usually so quick to capitalize on hot button issues would realize this, but on this item they're deaf to their constituents.

The most overwhelming sense I got from the protesters was a sense of selfishness. "I want," "I'm entitled," and "Give me." As everyone knows, the Vicente Fox regime would crumble if it weren't for the constant influx of American cash. If the Mexican nationals who fly Mexican flags really cared about Mexico, they would stay and rebuild their homeland. But that would take guts and fortitude, attributes the you-owe-me crowd never possesses. Throughout human history, there have been courageous people who have turned nations around and changed history. Unfortunately, I didn't see any courage in the faces of those protestors, only arrogance. 

We have millions of fabulous legal immigrants who love America and appreciate being here. We're glad to have them. They make our nation a better place. On the other hand, anyone who dares to fly a foreign flag while demanding "American" rights has no capacity to appreciate the sacrifices made to ensure those "American rights." 

Until and unless they do, they don't belong here. LW