A DREAM for illegal immigrants

Thank you for publishing the article “La Vida Bajo el Radar” article (cover, 4/23), to show the human struggle of what has become a highly politicized debate on immigration. It is clear that Rosalyn is amongst our “best and brightest,” overcoming greater obstacles than most to graduate from college and continue to be helpful to her family and community. Many people don’t realize how backlogged and irrational our immigration system is, but both the former and current president on down have acknowledged that our system is broken. No one benefits when mother is taken from her baby, or a well-prepared college graduates cannot pursue their dreams to work to support themselves, their families and communities. Our faith traditions mandate that we welcome the immigrant in our midst as it is an issue of justice.

There are also solutions. We can call on Congress to enact a humane, comprehensive immigration reform law, long overdue. In the meantime, the House and Senate have re-introduced the DREAM Act (S.729), which would provide a path to citizenship for students, like Rosalyn, who entered the United States before they were 16 years old and demonstrate good moral character, and would offer conditional resident status. The speaker of the house recently called for another measure — a moratorium on the raids — and also said that separating parents from their children is “un-American.”

This is a critical time to call on your representatives, friends and neighbors to welcome immigrant students, workers and families, as the Hebrew and Old Testament scripture says, “When an immigrant resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the immigrant. The immigrant who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the immigrant as yourself, for you were immigrants in the land of Egypt.”

Alice Linsmeier, Oxnard

Healthy animals = no exotic flu/viruses
The World Health Organization has just ratcheted up the threat alert for the swine flu epidemic to Phase 4 (out of 6). Along with the avian flu of a decade ago, the Hong Kong flu of 1968 and the Asian flu of 1957, swine flu has been traced to animal waste in a factory farm. Its H1N1-type virus is [allegedly] nearly identical to that of the Spanish flu, which killed more than 50 million people in 1918-19.

Today’s factory farms constantly expose sick, crowded, highly stressed animals to contaminated feces, urine and other secretions. They provide ideal breeding grounds for the replication and mutation of viruses and bacteria into more lethal forms.

In fact, Wikipedia lists more than 70 human diseases that are developed and transmitted by animals, frequently through confinement and crowding. Among these are such infamous killers as AIDS, bubonic plague, cholera, diphtheria, Ebola, and dengue fever, measles, SARS, smallpox, West Nile virus and yellow fever (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoonotic_diseases www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoonotic_diseases).

Every one of us can help prevent the development and spread of these killer diseases by replacing animal products in our diets with healthful vegetables, fresh fruits and whole grains. These foods don’t carry deadly microbes (unless contaminated by animal waste), are touted by every major health advocacy organization, and were the recommended fare in the Garden of Eden.

Charles McGregor, Ventura

Smoking, not smokers, suffers from discrimination
You erroneously reported that “smokers today are our modern pariahs. Banned by the law from restaurants and most public places ….” (Cover story, 4/30) Persons who smoke elsewhere are welcome in these places, provided that they do not smoke while in these places. Prohibiting smoking inside of restaurants does not ban smokers from restaurants, any more than prohibiting driving cars inside of restaurants [for essentially the same reason] bans drivers from restaurants. Similarly, although sex is prohibited in public places, public places are not restricted to nonsmokers or to the celibate, provide that they put away their cigarettes and genitalia when not separated by walls from those who would rather not smell or see another’s “personal choice.”

Comparing a ban on public smoking (but not on smokers) to racial discrimination belittles the suffering of anyone who has experienced real discrimination. No one can leave his or her melanin (skin pigmentation) at home when going to a restaurant. Smokers can (and should) leave their tobacco at home. If anyone today suffers a plight analogous to the racial discrimination that once occurred, it is those for whom exposure to even trace amounts of cigarette smoke can trigger a fatal asthma attack, for they cannot go anywhere that smoking is still allowed because, unlike cigarettes, asthma and other medical conditions cannot be left at home.

Stephen Weinstein, Camarillo

A no-brainer to quit smoking
I just read the article on smoking in Ventura County (Cover story, 4/30). I think Messrs. Mundy and Best should do some research and look into the origins of tobacco and its use before declaring it a “right.” A quick trip to Wikipedia reminds us that tobacco was commonly used by Native Americans for ritual and ceremonial purposes, mostly by tribal elders and shamans. It was not used for recreational purposes until Europeans colonized the continent, subjugating the Native American races and turning their sacred plant into an exportable commodity, making it one of the economic planks of prosperity in the New World, along with rum, molasses and slaves. By this logic, if tobacco is a sacrament, then smokers must be some rather pious people: imagine a Catholic who took communion 20 times a day. They must truly be closer to God through this practice, as he is so keen to bring them into his kingdom early through emphysema and lung cancer. 

Your article also could have delved deeper into the tremendous burden of the cost of end-of-life care that is funded by nonsmokers as well as smokers through our taxes. Until the government allows us to the “right” to dictate how our individual tax contributions are spent, we will all be footing the bill for Mundy and Best to enjoy their “rights” to chemo treatments and iron lung maintenance.

I realize that as a newspaper you must be objective and present both sides of an argument. I am also aware that as I point the finger I have several pointing back at myself as I am a former Marlboro enthusiast. Quitting for me seemed a “no-brainer” when the taxes made a pack of smokes more expensive than buying lunch. I made myself a list of good reasons to smoke and good reasons to quit. The best I could come up with for the former was that I wanted to look cool like Robert Mitchum playing Philip Marlowe. Then I realized he died of cancer. I think Mundy and Best should put some thought into what tobacco has done for and to the people of America before they declare it a “right” worth protecting.

Lee Sherman, Ventura

Closing tax loopholes not enough
Re: Obama announces plan to close tax loopholes (AP, May 2) — President Obama announced his plan to close tax loopholes for corporations hiring offshore labor and banking profits offshore to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Obama said closing such loopholes would result in revenue to the U.S. Treasury of more than $21 billion per year.

Seeing how corporations avoid paying between $220-$240 billion per year in taxes by operating offshore (including Dick Cheney’s Halliburton and it’s various subsidiaries), the figure of $21 billion estimated to be saved by Obama’s plan is only one-tenth (1/10) of the estimated amount stolen from the Treasury (i.e., from you and me, as we have to make up the difference) by these treasonous corporations each year.

While you’ll hear that many of these practices are legal, please remember that they are only legal because the last 30 years of Republican fascist control by the corporations has resulted in these treasonous tax laws allowing such enormous financial tax crimes by corporations. Just because a law was passed protecting the profits of giant corporations (who own the lawmakers who passed it) does not mean those laws aren’t protectionist crimes in themselves!

While I applaud Obama’s bold plan to close the offshore tax haven loopholes for corporations, I’m afraid it’s only about one-tenth as bold as it needs to be!

Robert Barrett, Ventura