Anti-Illegal Alien

I am not anti-immigration. However, I am very anti-illegal alien. There is a tremendous difference between the two. The media and many politicians seem to be totally confused on the two terms, using them interchangeably on a daily basis. Evidently, the public is also largely ignorant of the difference as well, thinking (because of media and said politicians) that there are just a bunch of bigoted upper and middle class whites who are trying to keep out all who are not like us. In layman’s terms, I’d just like to say, “hogwash”.
Each year the United States government issues tens of thousands of Green Cards to individuals chosen randomly by a computer generated lottery. In 2005 alone, over 1,000,000 immigrants were granted LPR (Legal Permanent Resident) status in the United States. This is the first step toward becoming a Naturalized Citizen of our country.
How does one become a legal permanent resident? According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website, you may be eligible through kinship, employment, asylum, or any other of a number of ways. After 3-5 years of having LPR status, you may apply for US Citizenship if you have lived in the US for at least 50% of the 3-5 years, if you have lived for more than 3 months in the state where you applied for citizenship, if you are 18 years or older, and if you have good moral character. You must also be able to speak and write in English and have a basic knowledge of US history and government. If you really want to live and work in the US, the doors are open to you if you go by the rules.
Recently, a friend of my husband and I told us with tears in his eyes that he had just received his papers and was now a full citizen of the United States. We emotionally congratulated him, feeling like an “official” welcoming committee. The anarchists and illegals don’t deserve the same treatment. They are criminals and should be treated as such. Good moral character? Doesn’t fit with the word, “illegal”.