Give me your illegals, those who willingly violate American immigration laws,
Your whiny masses demanding amnesty,
Those who don't even care to learn English.
Send these, who refuse to assimilate into American culture, to me:
I give in to their bullying and make them American citizens because they say so.
I am an American by choice. That choice became official when I took the Oath of Citizenship on Wednesday, November 17, 2004. I often wonder what took me so long to get to that point. Over the years, I had always felt American. My wife often tells me I am the most American person she knows. That's high praise from someone who was born and raised in the Midwest - the heart of America.
But, over the years, my permanent residency status ("green card") alone was not enough. I had become politically aware and drawn to conservatism initially through President Ronald Wilson Reagan's contagious, unapologetic and inspiring love for America. I will write more about Reagan's influence in my life in a later blog.
The Islamic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed everything. I am still shocked, saddened and outraged over the events of that fateful day. All of a sudden, it was not enough to simply live here legally. The country that embraced and adopted me had been attacked in a bloodthirsty and cowardly manner. And, as if to confirm the wisdom of my ideological choice, it didn't take long for liberals to ask themselves and a recently wounded country what Americans had done to deserve being on the receiving end of mass murder.September 11 made me realize that I needed to go all the way citizenshipwise. It was no longer enough to appreciate the history and embrace the values of this great country. I did battle feelings of unworthiness, however. Foolishly, I thought I could live, work and raise a family in America, but surely I wasn't worthy of citizenship. I did overcome those thoughts and determined to become an American. Still, it took me another two years to take the plunge.
What put me over the edge, as it were, was the looming 2004 presidential election. The president who had brought the country together and took the war to the enemy, was suddenly under attack by those who wondered what evils America had been punished for on 9/11. I began applying for citizenship even as I started campaigning for the reelection of President George W. Bush. I shook his hand the first time he came to Rochester - an unforgettable moment in my civic experience. Unfortunately, I was not able to vote for him since the citizenship ceremony was scheduled for two weeks after the election.
The day I became an American citizen was one of the proudest and happiest of my life - right alongside my wedding day and the birth of my six children. The words of the Oath of Citizenship still ring in my ears and resound in my heart:
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."
It saddened me to realize that others who were about to take the same oath were not serious about the oath's meaning and implications. As I was seated at the Bethel College auditorium, I engaged in at least two conversations where my fellow citizenship candidates confided that they either planned to retain the citizenship of their country of origin or were becoming citizens primarily as a means of obtaining some personal benefit.
I have renounced all allegiance to Brazil, my country of origin. My loyalty is to America. And that's the reason why the recent pro-illegal immigration protests are so disturbing to me. What makes people who deliberately and persistently break America's immigration laws think that they must be rewarded with American citizenship? They are not the "huddled masses yearning to be free." They are people who believe themselves entitled to that which they neither value nor are willing to sacrifice for. Their economic blackmail failed but their threats remain. They are not "yearning to breathe free" or they would take their protests across the border. Imagine what sea change would come about in Mexico if the hundreds of thousands who have marched here were to make the same demands of their own government and on their own soil.
A word on temporary work permits: they are ok with me. Just make sure the application process starts at the applicant's country of origin.
America is a nation of immigrants who came to her shores to find the one thing that made them thrive: FREEDOM. Freedom was the yearning of their hearts, not entitlement and dependence. They didn't feel they were owed anything. Empowered with that freedom, they built this country. They came to give and in time, if not they themselves, their descendants reaped the benefits of their hard work. America is truly the land of opportunity. If it can happen anywhere, it can happen here. And often, it can't happen anywhere but here.
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
