a small rant

i decided that i would take this opportunity to actually post my view on a public issue. yes, i know, i normally don't do this even in my private life so why here? why now? because of my new life. my husband shows me every day that i'm beautiful. i'm cute. even though i tell him i'm not, deep down, i know i am. with that being said and knowing that he is going to read this, i don't like myself. i don't like my body at all. i am getting fat and i'm scared about it. why am i just sitting here right now instead of doing some kind of exercise? cuz i'm putting it off. i'm thinking 'oh i'll start next week.' or 'i'll start once we move into our new apartment because that complex has a fitness center.' so why should i start now when i don't have any equipment? oh, but i do.

ok where did that come from? so back to the initial rant. here is what i wrote this morning while watching the news. I started typing after hearing someone say that they thought the law enforcing personnel were treating these people like 'criminals'. Excuse me but what exactly is the definition of a criminal? According to Webster’s, a criminal is “one who has committed a crime". Well, that’s rather obvious as long as you know what a crime is. Let’s define crime. Webster says a crime is “an act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or the omission of a duty that is commanded by a public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law” So, someone who has broken the United States law, is a criminal.

The reason behind this little rant is a local news story that has gotten some serious publicity. Michael Bianco Inc., which produces military survival vests and backpacks, was raided by federal agents earlier this week. Why you say? Because of illegal aliens. According to news reports (Fox25) this company employed 361 illegal aliens most from Central America. OK, I'm all for letting immigrants into America to have their equal chance at a better life. There are rules put in place to allow those people to do just that. Those rules need to be followed to protect everyone involved. I am the first to admit I don't know enough about how a person enters America but I do know some things. My friend Amiee is from England and she came over here during the summer of 2004 to work for Disney in Florida. She had to apply for a work visa. No, I don't know what all was involved but I know it was somewhat difficult. Another person I know was from Canada and she had problems. My previous roommate and her were planning on getting married. She wanted to live with him for obvious reasons however they were having issues with the legalities. So in that case, I can understand the wish to perhaps bypass the law and just move. But then, how would she get a job. Oh, just like the people from Central America where they think they don't have any other choice but to work in a sweatshop. I don't know any specific details about their situation but I truly believe that there is always a way to do something you want to do. LEGALLY!

So the question next is what to do with these people? Should they have been arrested? Yes. They are here illegally. Do we as tax payers send them back to where they came from and let them try again to enter America? Or, since they are already here, do we as tax payers pay for them to try to stay legally? The person that made the comment about law enforcement treating them like criminals was a family member of one of the illegal aliens. I understand she was upset about the situation. It's a hard situation to be in and even harder to say what I would do in the same position. I wouldn't want my Aunt Maria to be sent back to her hovel in Central America. I would definitely try everything possible to get her here legally in the first place.

A new situation has risen from this issue. There are children involved that are now left alone without a parent. These kids go to school while mom works. Now that mom is in jail, what to do with the kids? Foster care has been a temporary solution. Perhaps some of these kids are legal citizens of America. Perhaps some are not. I never said I had all the answers, just an opinion. And that opinion is that if you aren't here legally, you shouldn't be here.