Editorial- Illegal Immigration in NC

The following is a previously published editorial concerning the sherrif of Johnston County NC and his manner of handling illegal immigrants....

Too bad if the truth isn't PC
To the Editor:

In the past few weeks, I have observed quietly and taken in the various reactions surrounding Sherrif Steve Bizzell’s remarks in an article published in The News & Observer.

All over the media, different outlooks have been expressed, but more so from counties other than Johnston. I was born and raised in Johnston County, and, although I do feel that my roots are strongly secured here, I also feel that I have a good grip on modern changes and I do not buy into stereotyping any race or origin. Johnston County has become a diverse melting pot over the years in terms of race, culture, sexuality and religion.

I am a very strong supporter in the belief that illegal immigration is wearing thin on taxpayers’ pockets, the education system and the workforce. I do not feel this way blindly; these feelings spawn from seeing the effects in daily life. Many people outside of this county see these feelings as racist and reflecting discomfort with change when nothing could be more untrue. You have to ask yourself, “Why are we conforming to this certain culture when we have never done so as a nation before?”

We have a large amount of many different cultures in America, yet we are not pushing our citizens to learn Chinese, Italian, French or any other language of our verbally colorful citizens that have migrated from other locations. Maybe the keyword in that statement is the word “citizen.” People from most other cultures go through our system legally, learn our native language and become self-supporting citizens of this “land of the free.”

We do not offer applications for government assistance in all languages, nor do the papers sent home from our local schools offer anything more than one side for English, the other for Spanish. This is not fair to the English-speaking natives of this nation, nor is it fair to the law-abiding migrants who have taken the time to become real, productive members of the United States.

Are we saying as a nation that this massive movement of illegal immigration from only one major culture is because the people are too simple to go through the motions like every other immigrant from other parts of the world? That they are too simple to learn the English language? That they are too simple to survive here without our government-funded help, even though they are not paying into the system that is supporting them?

Or could it be that they are not simple at all but in fact pretty darn smart and illegally flocking to this nation and doing what can only be seen as a hostile takeover, draining our funds, hindering our education and damaging our workforce?

How many taxpaying, hard-working Americans have no health care or, if they do, fear the cost of having children or supporting children on the income they have? Illegal immigrants are handed Medicaid on a silver platter to have children at our cost, then handed food stamps to feed them, once again at our cost, when in this economy the average Joe can work himself in the ground all week and still feel a simple steak dinner for the family is a luxury.

In other areas, illegal immigration has not hit home as hard as it has in Johnston County, but, left alone, it will.

When people visit Johnston County, they become enlightened about the fight against illegal immigration. They see that English is becoming a second language. They see the downfall of the education system by sitting in any random classroom for a day or visiting a PTA meeting that has translator devices (Spanish only) that are so disturbing you can hardly hear the person speaking English on the stage. When applying for jobs, they see a lack of opportunities for those who are not proficient in Spanish, especially when searching state jobs.

The fact of the matter is that Bizzell’s comments are the least of our worries. Was it politically correct? Of course not, but the truth very seldom is. Does holding a public office mean you lose your right to freedom of speech?

This man and his department have done so much to secure the safety of the citizens in this area. He is a man of action, dedication and justice. The actions taken by various minority groups since the N&O article seem nothing short of a witch trial. If you want to feel like a minority, try speaking English at Wal-Mart in Smithfield.

Michelle Picarella

Four Oaks