Coming to America

My grandfather came to America from England on a boat when he was 5 ...in his little English shorts and cap.
He started his own dry cleaning business, worked hard, and realized the abundant American Dream. He didn't take advantage of our system of freedom in any way... he became an asset to our great nation. He was involved in the community, and gave back every chance he had. He hired other hard-working individuals coming to America to do the same. They were grateful to do jobs like housecleaning and tailoring. He treated them like family and paid them according to their work and skill improvement. I remember as a child I loved visiting him at the dry cleaners and runnin up to "Flo", his tailor,  giving her a HUGE hug and asking if she would show me all her buttons and thread colors and teach me to sew.  She still spoke broken English...but willingly learned our language. 

They gave back to America...

My great-grandmother was from Switzerland... grandmother & grandfather were from Germany... my dad has Irish and Native Am blood in his veins...  I love America. 

Living in a border area of AZ, I see lots of immigration. Yet I fear for the lives of my friends who are border patrol agents and law enforcement officers. I worked in our schools and saw firsthand the irresponsible abuse of our already burdened system. Busloads of children are sent across the border to be given a free education at our expense, a large percentage of those children need extra help and accommodations...their parents having no intention of coming here to work or give back in most of THESE cases. We take them in... heads seem to turn the other way. Same with the hospital system and other forms of government that cares for those in need.  Many drive uninsured.

Yet I've lost my job due to lack of funding in the schools.  I'll have to pay almost $500 a month to keep my insurance ...that they receive for free.

I live and work with law-abiding citizens who come across the border legally. They are much like the heritage I know and love of this great country. Their children join our military... they've learned our language and use their native speech to help others.

I'm not prejudice, I'm angry.  I'm not "for" racial profiling, I'm for doing what's right to protect our borders from drug lords and people who feel we owe them and want to weaken us. 

I love this desert I call home.  I'm sitting outside this morning.  It's actually cold!  The breeze is blowing and the smell of desert sweet grasses fills my senses.  It's tranquil...and beautiful.  The mountains seem majestically purple this morning... yet to go up into the National Forest means fearing drug traffickers and illegal foot traffic.   We have signs posted to warn us that our borders and national forests are in fact NOT safe...  I always carry a gun.

It just shouldn't be this way in my America.  

You won't hear me say much on politics... but this one is close to home. 

OK...  My rant is over.

There's so much good here... I don't mean to dwell on the bad.  I just want to see it get fixed.  I see a gaping wound in my America... It hurts to watch that.

I plan on celebrating Her birthday today... with a BBQ and friends.  Some of those people are border patrol agents and ranchers and teachers.  I don't take one day for granted.  I've learned life can be short and that every day matters.

We have much to be thankful for...

Happy Birthday America!