In his final speech, President Ronald Reagan explained that he was actually passionately pro-immigrant, saying, “America represents something universal in the human spirit. I received a letter not long ago from a man who said, “You can go to Japan to live, but you cannot become Japanese. You can go to France to live and not become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey, and you won’t become a German or a Turk.’ But then he added, ‘Anybody from any corner of the world can come to America to live and become an American” …
“This I believe is one of the most important sources of America’s greatness. We lead the world because unique among nations, we draw our people, our strength, from every country and every corner of the world … Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge; always leading the world.”
The current president, on the other hand, describes those who look to come here seeking freedom and a better life as “invaders” and stokes his base to fear and resist them, as if the asylum seekers threaten our way of life.
People should remember that practically all of us are descendants of immigrants.
Bob Mennealy, Auburn
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