In the news recently was the illegal immigration laws of Georgia being challenged in the courts.
Having lived in Texas for the past 20 years and in downtown Houston for the past 10 (and now in Fayette County), let me tell you about the affects of illegal immigration and why Georgians should all be following the law’s progress through the courts.
Pockets of immigrants in a city has always been a factor of immigration, acting as a transitional zone for the newcomers into American society.
In the past, this was not a problem. The immigrants had no choice but to learn English to function in American society. But these pockets in Houston have grown so numerous that entire areas are now strictly Spanish-speaking.
There is no longer an eagerness or willingness to learn English and transition into American society. And why should they, when all the radio and TV stations, newspapers, government services are in Spanish? In many areas, one cannot obtain a job without knowing Spanish.
Bilingualism is great for an individual but creates a Tower of Babel for neighbors, a neighborhood, city, county, state and a nation.
In the public schools in Houston that our son attended, the PTA meetings were held in Spanish first, then English. The parents could not talk to each other in order to form a community because more than half did not speak English. But yet the parents made no attempt to enroll in English classes.
I can see this happening to the Fayette County School system.
An entire shopping mall area, once called Sharps Town Mall, is now called PlazAmericas and all the outside signs and advertisements and stores are in Spanish. I can see this happening to the Pavilion in 20 years, being renamed La Pavilion.
And how did all this take off? A little known Executive Order past in August 2000 by Bill Clinton made it mandatory that any entity receiving government funds, including public schools, must offer bilingualism if a certain number of people speak a different language.
So goes the government, and so goes the businesses.
So what can the citizens of Fayette County do?
On a macro level, support the new immigration laws that Georgia passed. Since Obama has made it a point to sue states like Arizona, and go after Alabama and Georgia, and he has said make sure your children speak Spanish, vote this administration out.
Also, we must make sure the cities within Fayette County pass laws which make it mandatory that any company doing city business must use EVerify, make sure their workers are legal and do all business in English.
On a micro level, do not hire illegal immigrants to do your yard work, and refuse businesses who hire illegal immigrants.
If you hire a roofing company, make sure the company understands you do not want illegal immigrants doing the work.
Are you really saving that much money when you consider that your money is supporting illegal immigrants staying in Georgia and receiving tax-dollar, free schooling, medical and housing?
And all those menial jobs? Offer descent wages and Americans will do those jobs.
Right now, the Fayette County School system has a low number of illegal immigrants’ children. Granted, this is no fault of the children; that’s the parents choice and responsibility. But if continued, it will be all of the citizens of Fayette County’s responsibility.
Michael Coley
Fayetteville, Ga.
