BartBlog

http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2007/10/25/News/343744.html

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/205841/

As anyone who lives in Arkansas can tell you, illegal immigrants have inundated our state to an extent seen by very few other members of the Union. In a recent speech at the University of Central Arkansas, Governor Mike Beebe said that offering scholarships to potential students in the country illegally “would open the state up to paying moneys that we could never afford” (Link 1).  While many would see that the governor made a valid point, an officer of UCA’s Latinos United instead shut down the potential for discussion by opining that the governor “doesn’t (care) about Latinos in this state” (Link 1).

The number of residents in the country illegally is an issue that is conveniently ignored by many in the state. While most of the police in surrounding states send requests to check immigration status to the Law Enforcement Support Center at a rate of greater than 1 per 200 Hispanic residents, Arkansas averages a request on 1 of every 634 Hispanic residents (Link 2).

While many Arkansas residents are aware that many of the immigrants who live in their state are here illegally, this will never be an issue that can be discussed in a public forum as long as representatives of Hispanics point their fingers and shout, “Racists!” It astounds me that the people who are here legally do not take offense to the fact that the people whom they are stridently defending have thumbed their noses at the very process that made their supporters citizens. Perhaps if legal immigrants used the energy that goes towards calling fellow citizens bigots to discourage illegal immigration, Arkansas would see a change in this trend. Until then, citizens of every race and ethnic background watch as our hard-earned tax dollars are given to those who have exhibited blatant disregard for our laws and borders.