Letters

Tackle a root cause of illegal immigration - available jobs

Your April 19 editorial, "Hiring illegals is just as illegal," shows that the Monitor grasps a fundamental that it seems too many elected officials do not: Much of our border problem would be solved if the magnet that draws illegal immigrants - jobs - were turned off.

But this is not just a matter of workplace enforcement. As we watch a great, and often costly, show of border enforcement in New Mexico, and as border patrol does an often thankless job, some communities openly sanction illegal immigration: These towns turn a blind eye to the gathering of illegal immigrants at "the plaza" - or another part of town - coupled with the well-known arrival every morning of employers looking for day workers.

Some communities have even gone so far as to construct special places for illegal immigrants to gather to await the arrival of potential employers.

This raises the question about what, in their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States, the various public officials in these communities did not grasp?

So, again, your editorial is correct. Immigration laws and their effectiveness will hinge on enforcement. From my view, municipalities, county governments, and even state governments need to ensure that they do not aid those who break any law, including immigration laws.
Kathleene Parker
Rio Rancho, N.M.

I absolutely agree with the opinion expressed in your April 19 editorial. The entire issue of illegal immigration can easily be fixed by cracking down hard and fast on employers and executives who knowingly and "unknowingly" hire illegal workers.

Take away the economic incentive to come to the US, and the other points about illegal immigration are moot. We would not need a huge fence, we would not see protests in the streets, we would not need to further criminalize the poor people hoping for something better.

A few CEOs in jail would probably do the trick and really encourage the others to behave.
Kevin Fitzpatrick
Florissant, Mo.

Oil makes more than just gasoline

Regarding the April 19 article, "Why so high? Oil markets riding new currents": The price of gasoline has everyone's attention. But gasoline is just one product that is made from crude oil.

All plastics are made from oil, and so is rubber, fertilizer, fabric for the clothes we wear, and the list goes on and on. The electricity we use so freely is also part of the story. We need to look at the whole picture of crude oil use; gasoline is not the only problem.
Curtis S. Dixon
Newport, N.C.

Perfect penmanship says a lot

The April 24 article, "Practice makes perfect penmanship," was lovely. To the author I would add that good penmanship is not only an indication about how people feel about themselves, but also how they feel about others.

When people write illegibly, including their signatures, which too often have become rhythmic scribbles, I ask myself, aren't these forms of communication? And if so, shouldn't others be able to read them?

The same reality applies to the habit of mumbling when we're asked to speak. Why have we become so reluctant to communicate our ideas and identities to others? Each of us has so much good to impart and share.
Susan Deal
Salt Lake City

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 our website, www.csmonitor.com.

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