Trump and immigrants: Letters to the editor, Oct. 16, 2020

DREAMer writes on Trump, Congress

As a DACA recipient, I have been appalled by the actions of this president and his direct attacks to the immigrant community.

I migrated to the United States at the age of 10 and have watched my parents work for a better life for me and my siblings. I graduated from college and have been working all of my adult life.

I am tired of Congress’ inability to provide a permanent resolution for people like myself and the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. with deep ties to their communities. We need congressional representatives who are willing to fight for our rights and our communities.

How can David Valadao say he supports our communities when he voted 21 times against the DREAM Act while he was in office? I dream of one day becoming a U.S. citizen, but every day I live with the uncertainty of not knowing if I’ll be here tomorrow. That is why this summer I joined the I Am America 2020 campaign, a civic engagement campaign that works in coalition with SEIU, iAmerica and Mi Familia Vota, to educate voters on the issues that matter most to our communities, including the DREAM Act, so come November they can elect leaders that represent our values.

Inmate firefighters and their records

Inmate firefighters are courageous. They risk their lives and work hard while making little money due to the fact that they are in prison. However, this does not mean that they deserve to have their records expunged in order to become real firefighters when they get out of prison. It is unfair and unsafe.

Many inmates have trouble finding good jobs when they get out of prison because of their records. However, they do not all get to have their records expunged just because they want a good job. Why should inmate firefighters be any different? What makes them better than other inmates who worked other jobs while in prison? They should not get better treatment than other prisoners who also worked while in prison.

Additionally, it is unsafe for the public if they are allowed to be real firefighters. If an inmate gets their record expunged and becomes a firefighter, people won’t know if they can trust the firefighters , which could get in the way of the firefighters doing their jobs.

Why don’t all people vote?

An article/editorial written by Haley Fiske, president of The Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. of New York was published in the National Geographic Magazine in November 1928. In it, Fiske laments in detail how only 52% of voters cast their ballots in 1924 and that, “When about one-half of the voters neglect their duty, the country is governed not by a majority of the people — but merely by a majority of the minority.” I feel we face the same concerns today.

Perhaps sharing this article will urge more people to register and vote. What candidate and/or party a person votes for is his or her business and choice, but I have found it hard to understand why people choose not to vote, thinking it does not matter. I was dismayed in 2016 by the number of people of both major parties who told me they did not vote for president as their candidate of choice was not representing their party. I feel one must make a choice.

Perhaps what Fiske advised almost 100 years ago can make a difference today if his words are shared.

This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Trump and immigrants: Letters to the editor, Oct. 16, 2020."