High-tech types come here from other countries to work for computer companies in Silicon Valley. Physicians come here from foreign countries to practice medicine, oh and, because the opportunities to make money is better over here. The military employs citizens of other nations to fight our wars. A citizen of Mexico serving in the Marine for example. A Philippines’ citizen who serves in the Navy. We’ve observed professional ball players who’ve traveled here from foreign shores to ply their trade in America and make big bucks. Do they become U.S. citizens? Maybe. Some do, some don’t. American currency is the world’s universal currency. Like travelers’ checks, it’s readily accepted wherever you go. Dollars spend very nicely in other countries just as they do here. Life is good indeed for the lucky few.

Meanwhile, we are busy tracking down those who are here illegally and processing them for deportation back to their home country. A righteous anger has reached a boil over this issue, after simmering, a long time.

It’s clear that for some – the brainy, the athletic, the well-trained – the welcome mat is extended. The message is, come here and get rich.

For the rest, the door is shut, or at best barely cracked. You can forget all this stuff about political freedom. Nobody comes here because they are fleeing persecution for their political views. They come here because this is the land of opportunity. Think things are bad here? Try living in another country. The chances are great that it’d be far worse there, wherever “there” is.

It’s a high-brow argument to suggest that some should be welcomed, be given more consideration than others. It’s high-brow because they’re all coming over here for the same reason – to better their circumstances in life. That ballplayer from Europe or from South America is taking a job that a U.S. citizen could well be doing, too. He’s here because he loves the competition? No. He’s here because in his native country he’d be a “thousand-aire.” Here he stands to become a millionaire. Yet, not a peep of protest is heard about it. Why is that? Could not our own U.S. system of primary education be reworked to prepare more U.S. students for good-paying high-tech jobs? You could do it by applying greater emphasis towards math and science education. That’s how “they” do it over there. Could not our system of medical schools be expanded to train and prepare more doctors if the need truly exists? But of course it could. The scramble is on. It’s a scramble for teams fielding major league and NBA rosters (although not the NFL. Foreign-born athletes play soccer, not American football).

It’s on for our military too. The scramble is for talent. The talent is needed to fill shortfalls, whether those shortfalls are real or merely perceived. Talent can be developed. We don’t need to import talent. We can develop our talent already here better than we do.

The land of opportunity exists for Americans, too.

Robert Peele

Rocky Mount