It's a simple idea behind the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. It allows children "of good moral character," brought into this country illegally by their parents (i.e. no criminal act of their own) to obtain legal residency status within the United States by serving in the U.S. military or successfully attending college.
These are the cream of the crop, young people who have a great deal to offer America, youngsters willing to serve our country. How could this be anything other than a slam-dunk? And yet, it's been nine years struggling through Congress against Republican opposition. And it's still struggling to overcome a Republican filibuster (of course) in the Senate.
Opposition to this bill is about nothing but bigotry. Republicans have whipped up hysteria about Hispanic immigration as part of their general hysteria about anyone who isn't both white and Christian (actually, most of these immigrants are both, but they're still not accepted by the GOP).
This nation was built by immigrants. We're all descendants of immigrants, if you go back far enough. And while maybe it's understandable that a general agreement on illegal immigration is hard to get - I must admit, I don't know the solution myself, though I'm not in hysterics about it - this bill only affects young people who've grown up in this country and who've overcome huge odds to attend college and/or are willing and able to fight our nation's battles in a time of war.
Are these the kinds of people we're going to abandon? How can we Americans be this stupid?
Are we Americans this bigoted. Are we this frightened of competition? (Then we are really, really doomed in today's global marketplace.) Are we this foolish? What has happened to us?
By any standards of decency and common sense, the DREAM Act should be a slam-dunk. The fact that it's not tells us much about America these days - and none of it good. I'm deeply embarrassed for my country.
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