Letters

Prop. 200 a sign of Arizona's ire at illegal 'invasion'

The Nov. 4 editorial "Arizona's Immigration Signal" predicts the beginning of the end for illegal immigration as we know it. Proposition 200 passed overwhelmingly in Arizona in spite of many elected officials who attempted to convince the voters otherwise.

The editorial correctly points out that the people of Arizona are dissatisfied with the performance of many politicians in their state. Prop. 200 will not completely stem the flow of illegals, but it will begin to eliminate some of the magnets which attract them to Arizona. Other states have also begun to eliminate some of these magnets. Colorado, for example, will stop some healthcare benefits to illegal aliens.

Finally politicians are beginning to realize that US citizens are close to revolution concerning the illegal invasion of our country.
Bob Allan
Rochester Hills, Mich.

Arizona's volunteers for Prop. 200, myself included, were spoken of in patronizing terms as "frustrated" people, with our efforts dismissed after the vote. Wrong. "Frustrated" people do nothing more than sit on their duffs and complain. People who gather petition signatures, post signs, and carry leaflets to grocery stores, sports events, and neighborhoods aren't "frustrated." People who volunteer to patrol the border and intercept illegal alien crossers left "frustrated" behind long ago. Activity like that takes angry people, and angry people won't be dismissed.

Treating our objections to illegal immigration as the political issue du jour will only make things worse. We don't want "immigration reform," but current laws enforced.
Sandra Miller
Phoenix

The Monitor states that Proposition 200 will not reduce illegal immigration. It is not meant to. It is meant to stop Americans paying for the Mexican invasion and to make sure they don't vote illegally here.

Enforcing our laws by actually penalizing the lawbreakers, both the illegals and the employers who hire them, plus interior enforcement to discourage illegals, will reduce the illegal immigration problem to manageable proportions.
Gregory Coates
Rolling Hills, Calif.

As a year-long supporter of Prop. 200, I am constantly amazed at those who oppose it. The Monitor believes that asking state officials to report illegal aliens who apply for state welfare benefits is an unfair burden? It is the law! Moreover, state officials have the same obligation to report citizens who fraudulently apply for benefits. Does the Monitor oppose that, too?
Mike Taylor
Tucson

So if you think Arizona's Prop. 200 is impractical, what would you do if your state suffered hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens running roughshod over your schools, medical care system, and prisons? How would you deal with Spanish-speaking kids swamping your classrooms so your kids couldn't learn? How would you like the cars stolen by illegal aliens making your state the car-theft capital (per capita) of the US? How would you like citizen militias carrying guns patrolling your state border because the federal government won't?

When you look at the national scene - with 15 million illegals, and 4,000 of them breaking over the Arizona border nightly, according to Time magazine - you would promote your own Prop. 200!
Frosty Wooldridge
Louisville, Colo.

The Monitor welcomes your letters and opinion articles. Because of the volume of mail we receive, we can neither acknowledge nor return unpublished submissions. All submissions are subject to editing. Letters must be signed and include your mailing address and telephone number.

Any letter accepted will appear in print and on www.csmonitor.com .

Mail letters to 'Readers Write,' and opinion articles to Opinion Page, One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115, or fax to 617-450-2317, or e-mail to Letters.