Title 42 ended on May 11, 2023. Dire consequences were anticipated with the unrestricted influx of humans looking for a better life for their families. I know why people are paying exorbitant prices to be either dumped at the border or to be smuggled all the way into this country. The United States has already spent millions of dollars trying unsuccessfully to keep “illegal aliens” from entering this country. Don’t we think it’s time to rethink our philosophy? Why are millions of people suffering, with some of them dying to come to this country? For those who don’t mind working, it is for jobs and a living wage. Why don’t we help the countries they come from get those jobs at home. China is doing just fine! Why don’t we take some of those manufacturing jobs from China and build factories in Central America? I understand that Tesla is going to build a huge factory in China, undoubtedly because the majority of car batteries come from China. I may be naïve in my old age, but it makes perfectly good sense to me to start, not only planning but doing. It won’t happen overnight, but we could start the proverbial ball rolling for a better future for the next generation.

There will always be naysayers that will find dozens of reasons for it not happening, but stop and think! I remember the May 25, 1961 speech of President John Kennedy who set the goal of sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade. I was fortunate enough to have some of the skills needed to contribute to the Saturn V program that sent the Apollo 11 to the Moon with Neil Armstrong stepping on the surface of the Moon on July 21, 1969, within the parameters set by President Kennedy. Now we are planning on a trip to Mars. That won’t be done overnight either, but some have the foresight to go ahead with that plan. Why not plan on including Central American countries to the newest century?

Self-designated sanctuary cities in this country were proud to either obstruct immigration enforcement by prohibiting agencies from complying with ICE, (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) or to simply be able to look down on other cities who elected to not join the few dozen who were designated as such. It was fine to give themselves that designation as long as migrants were sent somewhere other than “in my back yard.” Mayors such as the mayor of New York are complaining that their resources are being overrun, and they don’t want any more. It seems to me that was the cry of the border states that have been living under those conditions for a few years.

I realize that China reputedly uses child labor to be more competitive, which is completely against my principles. We, with high morals, don’t seem to mind that we are saving money by using products that may have been manufactured utilizing that child labor.

Let’s go back to why the United States can be likened to the promise land to many unfortunates who were born in so called third world countries. My mother and I were among those people in 1946 after World War II, and we came from France! She, like thousands of women received a document stating that my father had perished in a concentration camp and was considered dead. Then to pretty much start out with a new life. She sold all our worldly goods to pay for passage to New York aboard the SS Washington. However, there was a significant difference. We were American Citizens, plus we had to have guaranteed place to live and had to be either self-sufficient or have someone who would agree to sponsor us and provide for our wellbeing. It took almost one year to get all the requirements in order.

This political football of right versus left on immigration will go on endlessly until a solution is devised. There used to be a policy in California that farm workers could come from Mexico during lettuce season work for a period of time then go home to their country until the next crop matured. They took jobs that Americans didn’t want to do, so it couldn’t be said they were taking jobs away from local workers. I understand that this may not be a solution, but politicians who believe that once elected are anointed with brilliance, should be able to stop fighting each other long enough to come up with a workable solution.

Meanwhile the cry of, “not in my backyard” will reign supreme!