This article was first published as Senator Harry Reid Promises Dream Act Vote During Lame Duck
Senator Harry Reid says he will bring the Dream Act up for vote during the Lame Duck session. The Dream Act allows children of undocumented workers to get an education since they were brought here due to no fault of their own.
Law enforcement officers during Phoenix march talk to immigrant youth
The majority of people in prison in the US are poor. The school-yard to jail-yard path to a life of crime is well documented. Those who have a chance to work their way out of poverty usually become productive members of society. It is far more expensive to institutionalize a criminal than fund education for students who not only repay the cost of education, but contribute to the tax base.
Young people, especially immigrants, make lasting contributions,cure diseases, find new processes, that would never have been possible without a college education. Nearly all stand in line each April 15 with a check to Uncle Sam. All people suffering poverty need a hand-up rather than a hand-out from time to time. Those who get the hand-up usually return the favor when others in need make the appeal.
Student Band Marches For the Dream Act
In addition to poverty, students of undocumented workers face an additional barrier. Hope. Even if they can find a college to admit them, increasingly difficult since most schools require a social security number, the student cannot use his degree. A social security number is needed for most jobs for which a degree is required. That is especially true where the degree also calls for a license, as in doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, teachers, police officers, veterinarians and engineers, to name a few. When a college is found, out-of-state tuition puts the school out of reach for the poorest of the poor.
While most feel immigrants should not cross the border without inspection, it is hard to apply the standard to the youths whom the immigrant families brought with them. A 3 year old, for example, knows nothing about laws and borders and passports. What she likely knows is the feeling of hunger in her stomach. She will learn English and American values as she grows up, yet be precluded from participating in society in anything but the lowest paying jobs. She will become a second class citizen in a land where equality is supposed to rule.
Carlos Roa and Felipe Matos are two the students who walked the Trail of Dreams from Florida to Washington, D.C. in support of the Dream Act. They pose with a fan who supports their efforts to help students.
To qualify for the Dream Act, a child:
- Must have entered the United States before the age of 16;
- Must have been present in the United States for at least five (5) years prior to enactment of the bill;
- Must have graduated from a United States high school;
- Must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of application;
- Must have good moral character;
- Instead of a college education, a student may serve in the armed forces;
If the student graduates from college or completes his military service then he could apply for citizenship, but only then. It is a long haul taking several years. There is a healthy fine to be paid to help balance the budget, as well. 
Students from across the country ask for the support of college age youth, their teachers and all fair minded peole for the Dream Act. They ask you to call your senators and ask them to support reform in the Lame Duck session. No one knows better than today's youths the difficult challenges all young people face in the US today. The matter is quite urgent, they say.
The Dream Act and a bill to allow gays in the military was attached to a recent senate finance bill which failed. Students seek the support of the LGBT community in passage of the Dream Act as a stand alone bill.
Senator Reid said he hoped Republicans would join with him in working on passing the Dream Act. Most feel the recent election was a mandate of neither Republican nor Democratic party values. Rather, people are seeking change. A Unified nation in which all people can share in prosperity, while contributing to the cost of running the nation, would be wildly received, say many.
Read more: http://technorati.com/politics/article/senator-harry-reid-promises-dream-act/page-2/#ixzz14eeJ51gK
Read more: http://technorati.com/politics/article/senator-harry-reid-promises-dream-act/#ixzz14ee7OJyc
No comments:
Post a Comment