The subject of illegal immigration is hotly contested these days. Let’s face facts: America has thousands of illegal immigrants from many poorer nations, particularly Mexico, and our Customs Department seems patently unable to cope with the situation. Of course, we must remember that Customs officials are hounded at each step by emotional Americans who are blind to the common good of our society and to the right of our country to limit and regulate immigration. These people are also blind to the fact that illegal immigrants are a slap in the face to every legal immigrant who has taken the time and trouble to enter the country legally.
There is much that could be said on this subject, but this essay proposes to take a look at an angle seldom examined by Americans who debate illegal immigration. It is known that most illegal immigrants are poorly educated people who are content to take whatever job is offered them, usually at a pittance. These are the dirty and difficult jobs that most Americans tend to look down on. It was not always this way. This country was founded and made great by people who were not afraid of hard work or getting their hands dirty. Americans took pride in the fact that they were hard workers, and looked down on those who were lazy or fastidious. It is a crying shame that this has changed. Now, people who do manual labor are looked down upon and the so-called “blue-collar” workers are considered second-rate in spite of the fact that it is they who keep our nation running smoothly. This country would be in a world of hurt without our truck drivers, carpenters, mechanics, industrial workers, farmers and the like. This snobbishness, which looks down on blue-collar workers, reaches its zenith in our opinion of those who do the real “grunt” work – primarily illegal aliens.
What has this to do with illegal immigration, you are undoubtedly wondering. What I am wondering is, who will do the “dirty” work if we expel the illegal immigrants from this country? Please do not misunderstand: I oppose illegal immigration, and would favor a move to expel illegal immigrants humanely. But the question remains: who will take over the jobs that illegal aliens do for a pittance now? Are we, as citizens, prepared to conquer our pride and fastidiousness in order to take up the hard work illegal aliens do now? Is there still enough of a work ethic alive in America that our citizens will do “grunt” work, even if it means getting their hands dirty? I think that these are valid questions which should raise concern in every one of us.
As a nation we have become addicted to ease and to gadgets that entertain us by the hour. No longer do people use leisure time to improve their minds with good literature, to study or to improve themselves in other ways. But leisure time filled with primarily mindless occupation is a curse to a nation. Certainly there is a time and a place for recreation, but we have made recreation a top priority. We work in order to buy more gadgets, to pay for our trips to the ball game…in other words, to have fun. We have lost our sense of proportion and the seriousness that should govern our lives and actions. We no longer think with our intelligence, but with our emotions. As long as we continue this way, illegal immigration will continue unchecked because we will not be able to deal with the problem logically and unemotionally. As long as ease remains our top priority we will not be willing to work hard or get our hands dirty, and we will have a use for the illegal aliens who will. This is unfair to our country and to the illegal aliens.
Our country’s border problems are not solely due to the aliens who cross them illegally. The mindset and lack of a work ethic among Americans plays its role in the problem as well. There is little that we, as citizens, can do about border security. But we can examine ourselves and our own work ethic and use of leisure time. Restoring the work ethic that made our country great must be a “grassroots” effort that begins with individuals and families. In time, it will spread to shore up our nation and make it once again a land of opportunity for those willing to work hard, even if it means getting dirty hands. In time, it may enable us to think clearly and solve our nation’s problems, including that of illegal immigration.
There is much that could be said on this subject, but this essay proposes to take a look at an angle seldom examined by Americans who debate illegal immigration. It is known that most illegal immigrants are poorly educated people who are content to take whatever job is offered them, usually at a pittance. These are the dirty and difficult jobs that most Americans tend to look down on. It was not always this way. This country was founded and made great by people who were not afraid of hard work or getting their hands dirty. Americans took pride in the fact that they were hard workers, and looked down on those who were lazy or fastidious. It is a crying shame that this has changed. Now, people who do manual labor are looked down upon and the so-called “blue-collar” workers are considered second-rate in spite of the fact that it is they who keep our nation running smoothly. This country would be in a world of hurt without our truck drivers, carpenters, mechanics, industrial workers, farmers and the like. This snobbishness, which looks down on blue-collar workers, reaches its zenith in our opinion of those who do the real “grunt” work – primarily illegal aliens.
What has this to do with illegal immigration, you are undoubtedly wondering. What I am wondering is, who will do the “dirty” work if we expel the illegal immigrants from this country? Please do not misunderstand: I oppose illegal immigration, and would favor a move to expel illegal immigrants humanely. But the question remains: who will take over the jobs that illegal aliens do for a pittance now? Are we, as citizens, prepared to conquer our pride and fastidiousness in order to take up the hard work illegal aliens do now? Is there still enough of a work ethic alive in America that our citizens will do “grunt” work, even if it means getting their hands dirty? I think that these are valid questions which should raise concern in every one of us.
As a nation we have become addicted to ease and to gadgets that entertain us by the hour. No longer do people use leisure time to improve their minds with good literature, to study or to improve themselves in other ways. But leisure time filled with primarily mindless occupation is a curse to a nation. Certainly there is a time and a place for recreation, but we have made recreation a top priority. We work in order to buy more gadgets, to pay for our trips to the ball game…in other words, to have fun. We have lost our sense of proportion and the seriousness that should govern our lives and actions. We no longer think with our intelligence, but with our emotions. As long as we continue this way, illegal immigration will continue unchecked because we will not be able to deal with the problem logically and unemotionally. As long as ease remains our top priority we will not be willing to work hard or get our hands dirty, and we will have a use for the illegal aliens who will. This is unfair to our country and to the illegal aliens.
Our country’s border problems are not solely due to the aliens who cross them illegally. The mindset and lack of a work ethic among Americans plays its role in the problem as well. There is little that we, as citizens, can do about border security. But we can examine ourselves and our own work ethic and use of leisure time. Restoring the work ethic that made our country great must be a “grassroots” effort that begins with individuals and families. In time, it will spread to shore up our nation and make it once again a land of opportunity for those willing to work hard, even if it means getting dirty hands. In time, it may enable us to think clearly and solve our nation’s problems, including that of illegal immigration.
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