“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith
becomes an American and assimilates himself to us,
he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else,
for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed,
or birthplace, or origin.
But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American,
and nothing but an American…
There can be no divided allegiance here.
Any man who says he is an American, but something else also,
isn’t an American at all.
We have room for but one flag, the American flag…
We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language…
and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”
Theodore Roosevelt
( part of the health screening for those passing through Ellis Island)
Immigration, the coming and going of peoples from one country to another…
freely…
as in, it’s ok because there is a working process of passage in place…
It is a process for those possessing the desire of becoming something other…
hopefully better, thankfully freer, happier, safer, more prosperous…
and in the end,
American.
It worked in ages past when it was done openly and legally,
as in going through the proper steps and stages.
Remember Ellis Island–
However today, that is no longer the case–as in it is now a harry carry mess…
often a covert process at best…
clandestine, and even sinister, at worst…
A process that has existed unchecked and unabashedly out of control for decades…
And maybe that’s because none of that had really mattered during those previous decades.
Maybe it was believed that the Nation could keep up and absorb the flow.
Provide for, house, educate, keep healthy and well, defend and protect and afford…
the flow….
Yet, in time, as the world shifted,
we began to not only witness, but rather experience that very shift.
No longer could the flow be absorbed…
Financial affordability and responsibility was maxed…
The original intent was no longer the same…
English was not wanting to be learned.
Assimilation became a bad word.
It was a flow wanting perks without dues…
New words crept into our vocabulary….
Undocumented
Alien
Drug lords
Border control
Terrorism
Islamic extremists
Al Qaeda,
Taliban
ISIS
Tunnels were dug…
As planes flew into buildings…
all with a grave purpose….
And we were learning that things had to change…
there had to be new safety steps put in place….
Yet no one cared to recognize the folly or the negligence in allowing things to continue…
They preferred to rally….
vehemently angry while trying to counter any means possible to corral
and bring some semblance of order to a broken process.
They march while holding signs.
They quit work to protest.
Yet they refuse to do those necessary things that should be done, must be done…
properly…
legally…
correct….
inorder to make it all work…
And so those who say such words as…
proper
broken
assimilate
learn
legal…
are taunted, jeered, cursed and ignored…
Time and resources are passing away…
making it all too late to make things right….
confusion
apathy
ignorance
greed
loss
now replace what once was…
loyalty,
patriotism,
and National honor…
rendering a once strong nation….neutered.
“A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.”
Ronald Reagan
cookiecrumbstoliveby 
Well said.
thank IB
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
thank you Vincent 🙂
You’re very welcome Julie 😍
Amen!!!
The quote is perfect for this. Thanks, Ronnie.
oh those were the days…..
There were problems then too.
oh I remember—but I was a champion of Reagan / Thatcher / JPII—a dynamic trio of holding the world tougher while bringing down a wall and heralding Christian responsibility!
Agreed ❤️
Nobody says it better than you! 🙂 ❤
Reblogged this on Citizen Tom and commented:
Since this has been the topic on my blog here of late, and Julie (aka Cookie) puts the case so well…..
again, thank you Tom as I am both humbled and gratified by your wishing to share my thoughts
Thank you, Cookie, for this courageous post. My husband is an immigrant who paid the price in money and time to be a US citizen – the way it used to be. He was first turned down because he didn’t have enough money, so he worked longer to make more money. His goal was America and to be an American.
Thank you Oneta—it’s folks like your husband who has been the key to making us the Nation that we are…a great Nation—by his sheer determination and perseverance…what is taking place now, only lessens his hard work…
My great great grandparents, my mother’s grandparents came through Ellis Island..so I have seen what hard work and determination each have wrought …thank you for sharing
Yes, he has even less tolerance for the slackness in our immigration policies, as you can imagine.
I am sure as he knows how hard he’s worked to be where he is and what he had to do for his family– the right way–
It is to men like your husband and countless others who did things not the easy way but the hard , arduous and right way to whom we can say who has made us who we are as a nation– hugs to you both!
I’m a minority and a son of both parents who are immigrants. I worry that some people think illegal immigrants is the same things as…immigrants in of itself. I’m also surprised that there’s a political spectrum that thinks that if one side is concern for security that means beyond a shadow of a doubt that means those people are racists.
All that is to say: Good post.
thank you for sharing Jim—what was once a treasure worked for, sacrificed for and for some, the paying of the ultimate price—is now being cheapened and diminished—thank you so much for sharing..