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Smears directed at wrong people

Dear Editor:I am writing back in response to all the criticism I’ve gotten over trying to defend the civil rights of Latinos here in the valley. I guess I have been watching the cartoon network too much lately, and hadn’t realized the full scope of hatred a large majority of Americans have towards immigration. It truly saddens me how powerful hatred is as a motivating tool and nothing about my granola tree-hugging democratic viewpoints will change things. Instead of moving past the 1965 attitude toward equality, we’re heading right back there full throttle, out go the African Americans and in come the Latinos.Let me make this clear, I never in my original post said I supported illegals here not paying taxes, and again I will express that 100 percent: I do NOT support the illegals not paying taxes for working here, I just don’t think they should take the sole blame for the problem. Tell the valley homeowners not to rent their $1,500-a-month houses to them, and tell the gas stations to refuse to sell them gas, and tell the grocery stores to not let them feed their families… tell the retail shop to monitor their sales and tell the business owners they will be boycotted for hiring illegals… it’s your constitutional right to do so … maybe then the situation will change.Everyone reading this debate had relatives come to this country as immigrants at some point or another. What I don’t understand is this belief by, obviously the large majority of Americans, that enough is enough and any more influx of people will destroy the culture and economy? What if this sort of moratorium system was put into effect in say, 1900? How many of us would actually be here reading this newspaper?Where my viewpoints that these anti-immigration beliefs are hatred-based come from how many anti-immigration groups are fighting with all their ability to not allow illegals that are here to become legal taxpaying citizens? Isn’t that exactly what my opponents opinions expressed here are looking for, a solution for tax evasion? Are taxes the problem, or is it a nonwhite, non-English-speaking issue?I understand that I am in the minority as far as my opinion toward limiting or stopping the influx of immigrants, but here are some other things about the majority of Americans: The majority of Americans thought going to war in Iraq was a good idea; The majority of Americans thought George Bush was the best candidate for president;The majority of Americans believed Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11;The majority of Americans believed we’d find weapons of mass destruction; The majority of Americans have guns in their home.You draw your own conclusions about the majority of Americans? In a nutshell, I’m just tired of seeing the hardworking, family-oriented legals here getting their names smeared because a few outspoken people assume all of the Latinos here are illegal. Try and look at people on a case-by-case basis please and not just through blanket statements out about the Latino community as a whole.In many parts of the country diversity is actually celebrated. I remember hearing as a kid that America was known as the “melting pot” embracing all cultures and heritages, but obviously the heat was turned all the way up and all that is left in this pot is some burnt residue that stinks!Matthew StarbuckCarbondale