“Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.” President Theodore Roosevelt
Before I do a column on immigration I want to speak of my ancestry plus the fact that this is my last column. I will also speak of a portion of my military career that affected me as a young soldier in service to this great nation.
I am a first generation American. My parents came here from Finland, a country torn apart by the horrors of World War I and a revolution within Finland itself. I don’t know the dates but my parents met in New York City, moved to Vermont and eventually settled in New Hampshire where I was born. A few of my classmates made fun of my parents’ “funny” accent, but luckily I passed it off as ignorance rather than bigotry.
Yes, we did celebrate some Finnish traditions although I wish more of the Finnish language and traditions would have been instilled in me. It is something I still feel a longing for. The braided sweet bread at Christmas is something I shall never forget because as a youngster that was when I could have a cup of coffee. I thought the coffee was great then but as I left the nest I realized it was made by adding coffee grounds and water all day long!
As a young soldier my first tour of duty was Vietnam. After that I served one year in Colorado and then it was on to Germany. I was assigned to the Headquarters, United States Army, Europe and worked in the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel from October, 1970 to July, 1972. The office that I worked in was the Equal Opportunity Branch, Modern Professional Army Division. Although that seems like a long title, our duties included morale and discipline, instituting a professional army not based on the draft, drugs and alcohol, suggestions and yes, equal opportunity and race relations. I met many leaders of the NAACP and the National Urban League, and it was a life changing experience for me.
Now for my thoughts on immigrants, especially illegal ones. I believe I was most fortunate for my parents to bring me up as an American. Although some saw my parents as foreigners, I believe I was never perceived as such. I didn’t live in a Finnish ghetto like I believe my parents did in New York City and I thank God that I didn’t. Although I have stated I would have loved to have learned the Finnish language, I feel that learning English as my first language was more important. It opened a world that was full of opportunities of education and experience that I still feel today.
If someone comes to this country, it should be with the expectation that they will integrate into our society to become an American who speaks and understands English. Forget English as a second language. Forget about taking a test for a driver’s license in whatever language. Forget about applying for welfare in any language except English.
I also feel that absolutely not one person should be able to come to Maine and immediately apply for welfare benefits. I certainly don’t mind citizens applying for what they are entitled to, but our state must immediately halt giving our tax dollars out so freely. I have no doubt that our present government in Maine thrives on the fact that our state is known as a welfare state and that is nothing less than a total shame and sham.
If someone is an illegal alien, undocumented worker or total scam artist from another country it is time we start shipping them home. Our governor has stated that we cannot ask anyone if they are illegal aliens or workers. Why? Is he afraid to lose his voting base?
Let me summarize my feelings by making this statement. Dear governor, if you want me to pay for someone to live here who has done nothing to pay his or her way, then it is time for you to pack up your bags and head to another place where you can live for nothing, if you can find one.
Now I must thank the readers of my column for their generous support. I am happy that support even comes from outside the Lake Region Suburban Weekly distribution area.
What makes me even happier is that Windham resident and my friend Tommy Gleason and I will begin a new joint column that we shall call “From the right track.” Let me inform you that I am a Republican with a slight lean toward the right and Tommy is a Democrat who still carries a union card. We have only one problem with each other – we always seem to agree.
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