Pressing ON!

As I was typing my title there, some music also came into my mind that involves those words - part of an old Gospel type hymn that was a favorite of my Grandma's - titled "Higher Ground." If I remember the word progression somewhat correctly, I believe it goes like this:
"I'm pressing on, the upward way" then some stuff I don't remember off the top of my head but it leads into the writer and thus, the singer, is moving on to "Higher Ground." Song had a really good "beat" to it, in the religious sense of that term. (I'm thinking back too about the old American Bandstand now - lol -talking about dating one's self, huh?)

Anyway, where was I? Ok, I'm pressing on today tackling all kinds of topics, or so it seems, and most of them seem to have struck a major nerve in me too and have me on at least 2-3, maybe it is 4 or more rants now in my mind.

I already vented - somewhat, a bit moderately for me when I vent - about Wal-mart and the American Family Association's letter requesting Wal-mart be boycotted this weekend because, in their opinion, they are promoting homosexuality. Oh Bah humbug there! Suck my big toe!

This vent is about another hot button national issue too though - Immigration! Or, the illegal variety that seems to have our country in a bit of a stranglehold right now.

Frankly, since like damned near everyone else in this great and beautiful county of ours, I stem from folks who immigrated here - some from Sweden, some from Scotland - back in the 1870-1880 era, I am all for immigration. Where would I be if it weren't for those early immigrants anyway? Definitely not here in the form I am now anyway! Right?

But those immigrants in my ancestry struggled to find money for passage to this country on a ship -obviously (Pretty hard to climb a fence and get in here that way if your homeland is in northern Europe or part of the island in the Atlantic that comprises England, Wales and Scotland ya know.) They applied for admission to this country; went through all the batteries of tests done at the place that existed prior to Ellis Island and which name escapes me now. (New Castle or some variation like that.) But my point being, they were immigrants same as those wanting to come here now too but they went about it in the LEGAL fashion.

Once here, they worked - damned hard too as both my great-grandfathers, both my grandfathers and my Dad as well - in the coal mines of central Pennsylvania and my great-grandfather on my Dad's side eventually moved the bulk of his family out to Montana where he worked as, you guessed it, a coal miner there too! I'm not saying work the illegals here todayperform is all easy, peaches and cream, etc., but just stating that life wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination back in 1870 and 1880 any more than it is for people today. But they did this all in the LEGAL fashion of that day and to my knowledge, the laws - for the most part- about legally coming into this country now haven't changed all that drastically from then to now!

What sent me off on this tangent today, you ask. Well, I will post it below here for anyone who reads my blogs to see. This came to me from a member of the Writer's Life group I belong to and she said an aunt of hers had sent it to her - supposedly it was written by some lady in California some place and published as a letter to the editor of some paper in that state. I don't have any documentation about that so I can't tell you what paper, or who authored this piece but by gosh, by golly, in my very humble opinion, I do believe the writer has made numerous good points about the illegal immigration issues of today!

One thing that really does get my commies is how we, well our government anyway, seem to bend over backwards especially with the language thing. If any of us - you, me - whoever - were to leave here, move to Russia, or Germany, France, Italy, some country in Asia or Africa - where English is not the language of the land, would we expect that country to make English the common language because we couldn't speak/understand Russian, German, French, Italian or whatever language or would we be expected to LEARN their language, their customs and assimilate from our end, not theirs? You tell me! I think I already know the answer there if folks answer that honestly but I just want to get people to at least THINK about that aspect with respect to immigration to America!

Ok - I've said as much as I think I dare about this topic. I have no solutions to offer to the government, other than to just inforce the immigration laws as they have been written over time but definitely DO SOMETHING to stop the illegal immigration process that does seem to be flooding in here of late!

Now, here's the piece I read that got me all fired up in the first place! Enjoy.

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the countryprotesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue ofillegal immigration. Certain people are angry that the US might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and, once here, to stay indefinitely.

Let me see if I correctly understandthe thinking behind these protests.Let's say I break into your house. Let's say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave. But I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors; I'vedone all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest(except for when I broke into your house).

According to the protesters, not only must you let me stay, you must add me to your family's insurance plan, educate my kids, and provide other benefits to me and to my family (my husband will do your yard work because he too is hard-working and honest, except for that breaking in part). If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my right to be there.It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm hard-working and honest, um, except for well, you know.

And what a deal it is for me!! I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of selfishness, prejudice and being an anti-housebreaker.

Oh yeah, and I want you to learn my language so you can communicate with me.Why can't people see how ridiculous this is?!

Only in America ....ifyou agree, pass it on (in English). Share it if you see the value of it as a good simile. If not blow it off along with your future Social Security funds.