My father John Chalos arrived from Greece at Ellis Island in 1910 for the purpose of working in Seattle. He ended up losing his ticket while the train was stopped in Terre Haute.
Remaining in Terre Haute, he worked hard and raised a family. He also went to night school, learned English and successfully became a U.S. citizen. He was very proud upon earning his citizenship. My mother, Katherine, my wife, Ulla, and my niece, Thanasoula, also studied hard to earn their citizenship papers. They learned the language, they studied the history and the government, they passed their exams, and they became productive, taxpaying citizens.
There are 12 million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States, half of them from Mexico. All of these immigrants are afforded the same opportunity my relatives had to study hard, work hard and earn U.S. citizenship. If they are willing and able to do so, they can become legal and legitimate citizens of this great nation. Instead, these 12 million illegal immigrants want to take a shortcut around the law of the land. They want to circumvent the process and sneak in without paying their dues.
Now they are here among us, 12 million people who can barely speak English (if they can at all) and have no clue how our government functions are living in America, working for peanuts and becoming a burden on our social services programs. Some estimates put the number as high as 20 million illegal aliens.
These aliens are no longer jailed to await deportation. They are simply handed a notice to appear in court and released. The great majority never show up for the court date. The laws that govern these crimes are not properly being enforced. They are becoming devalued and will someday be rendered ineffective.
The companies that offer illegal aliens the incentive to break our laws, by hiring them to work in the United States, are also escaping penalty. In 1999, President Clinton’s administration collected more than $3.6 million in fines from 890 companies employing illegal workers. In 2004, under President Bush, the government collected $188,500 from 64 companies. In 2005, the Bush administration collected no fines.
Now, illegal immigrants are forming movements to protect their civil rights in America. They aren’t legal citizens of America and they are not protected by our Constitution, yet they feel they have a right to petition our government for the protection of their civil rights. Recent protests in Las Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C., have been mounted in opposition to House Bill 4437. The bill would make it a felony, rather than a misdemeanor, to be in America without authorization. It will also require all employers to verify the legal status of their employees. It will also deputize police along the border to act as immigration enforcers and deport suspected illegal aliens.
This bill was introduced in December by Republican House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin and has been debated since that time.
American citizenship allows a person to become a member of the greatest society on the planet. Only the hardest working, most dedicated and most well-educated individuals receive the privilege. It takes effort and it takes character. To allow such a great number of illegal aliens to circumvent the process and invade our country without earning the right to be here is creating a disaster. Instead of encouraging the best of the best to add their strength to America’s citizenship, by failing to enforce the laws of citizenship we are allowing those who can’t compete to come in anyway. It would be like giving a driver’s license to every 16-year-old whether or not he or she could pass a driving test.
Also, it neglects to filter out the undesirable or criminal elements of any society. These people have not earned citizenship. They should be required to meet the educational standards that all American citizens must meet or they should be deported.
Some will scream that we are being prejudiced against Mexicans, but that isn’t the case. We are simply asking them to earn their way here. If there is any prejudice, it is against those who want something for free that they do not value enough to work for and earn.
Some will say that illegal immigrants do all the dirty work that Americans don’t want to do anymore. They will argue that the jobs illegal workers are taking are undesirable. Meanwhile, unemployment rates are through the roof and crime is at an all-time high. When our citizens can’t find jobs, they resort to violence or end up on welfare. There are plenty of American workers who would be thrilled to have those jobs.
I’d like to encourage the Mexican government to welcome back the 6 million hard-working citizens of Mexico living in America illegally. They would also be welcoming back 6 million consumers, creating an increase in demand for local business. They would also be welcoming back 6 million taxpayers. It would be a boon to their economy.
Lowering your standards is a mistake. If America is going to successfully compete in the next generation, it will be because we have raised our standards instead of lowering them. To become an American citizen, one should be required to pass the standards of education for citizenship and be verified as a productive member of society.
Pete Chalos, a longtime teacher, coach and public servant in Vigo County, was mayor of Terre Haute for 16 years. Send e-mail to pchalos@netscape.com.
Pete Chalos
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April 5, 2006
Pete Chalos: America must maintain high standards of immigration
- Pete Chalos
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- Pete Chalos: Fluoridation removal should be on local agenda Last year, 11 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employee unions, representing over 7,000 environmental and public health professionals, called for a moratorium on drinking water fluoridation programs across the country. I wrote a two-part commentary exploring the evidence that inspired the letter these professionals sent to the U.S. Congress.
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Pete Chalos: Traditional family unit has served America well
Much has been said concerning the institution of marriage this past few years. Elements of our society have been trying their best to redefine marriage. Every American tradition associated with raising a family has been questioned by some group or another. Some feel the rules concerning marriage and family have changed because our society has taken progressive leaps beyond any society the world has ever known. Others feel we are losing touch with the time-tested wisdom of our fathers and the tradition this great nation was founded upon.
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Pete Chalos: Never too soon to pay attention to 2008 election
The next presidential election is already a hot topic of discussion in the press and we aren’t even close to the election year yet. Everyone is interested in finding out which candidate will have an edge come 2008.
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Pete Chalos: Community needs leadership from best and brightest
What does it take to win an election? Last week, we saw the climax of months of hard work and well-organized campaigning. Some candidates had been preparing to run for several months or even a few years. Spouses, children, family, friends and colleagues had been organizing, recruiting and promoting before most voters were even aware an election was coming up. It takes a lot of time and effort and a great deal of commitment to win an election.
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Pete Chalos: A community must invest in itself to improve itself
This month, the Terre Haute City Council voted in favor of the proposed tax increment finance (TIF) district on Indiana 46, passing it 6-3. Council members Jim Chalos, Rich Dunkin, Chuck Miles, Todd Nation, Shelva Warner and Cliff Lambert voted for the resolution.
This evening, the Vigo County Redevelopment Commission is going to conduct a public hearing concerning the details of the resolution, outlining the specifics. Upon their confirmation, the resolution will go back to the Terre Haute City Council for adoption on May 11. -
Pete Chalos: In Iraq, we must get job done, then get out
You can call it what you want to call it but what is happening right now in the country of Iraq is a civil war. Fancy words like “insurgency” aren’t fooling anyone. You’ve got two sides fighting over the fate of a country. That is a civil war.
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Pete Chalos: America must maintain high standards of immigration
My father John Chalos arrived from Greece at Ellis Island in 1910 for the purpose of working in Seattle. He ended up losing his ticket while the train was stopped in Terre Haute.
- Pete Chalos: Your vote counts in numerous and hidden ways
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Pete Chalos: State has moved too quickly on Major Moves initiative
The reason the government builds fire stations, roads, sidewalks and parks is to accommodate the general public. No single private citizen can afford to build all of these facilities on his own so we all chip in and pay taxes. As a result, we all end up benefiting from the use of the facilities. Government facilities are built for the public and they belong to the public. That’s the basic premise of a tax-supported Democratic society. Government by the people and for the people.
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Pete Chalos: City’s leaders, citizens must be willing to support progress
We live in an extremely competitive society. From early childhood, we are taught the difference between winning and losing. In some families, more time is spent learning the difference between winning and losing than the difference between right and wrong.
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Pete Chalos: The future of elderly care in America
This past month, my family and I have been reviewing all available options for the future care of me and my wife Ulla. At 78 years old, I am finding that I can no longer take care of myself and my wife the way I once could. In truth, it’s been quite a while since I’ve been able to do so on my own, but learning to accept and admit it has been a difficult process.
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Pete Chalos: China poised to become next big economic, military power
“If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition onto the target zone on China’s territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons. … If the Americans are determined to interfere, we will be determined to respond. … We Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course, the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.”
This statement was made a few months ago to members of the press by General Zhu Chenghu of the People’s Liberation Army, also a professor at China’s National Defense University, concerning U.S. opposition to China’s threats to invade Taiwan. -
Pete Chalos: Women’s basketball flourishing in the Valley
This month, the ISU women’s basketball team recorded its 18th straight win. The victory also marked the milestone 100th career win for ISU women’s head coach Jim Wiedie. He and Edith Godleski are the only two women’s basketball coaches to achieve that mark in ISU history. Local golf enthusiasts may remember Edith from her impressive record in local golf tournaments.
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Pete Chalos: Lack of opportunity raises concerns for future
Over the years, I have been invited to speak to numerous service groups, church groups and political organizations within the community of Terre Haute. After sharing a few of my own thoughts and ideas, I always take the opportunity to answer questions from the crowd. I look forward to these question and answer sessions. In fact, it’s my favorite part of the meeting.
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Pete Chalos: Diligent oversight of utilities an important mission
At the end of January, ExxonMobil Corp. revealed record-breaking profits, the highest quarterly profits ever reported by a public company in the history of America. Exxon’s annual profit was $36.13 billion. That’s a 42 percent rise since last year.
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Pete Chalos: Major Moves plan could be major disaster for Indiana
The governor is at it again. First, he closed down license branches in rural areas, forcing many Indiana citizens to take a day off from work and drive long distances in order to get anything done concerning their license or picture identification (which he made a requirement for voter registration). Then he established an Inspector General to act as his own personal prosecutor (along with a staff of lawyers in every Indiana county). Then he crammed his plan for daylight-saving time down our throats.
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Pete Chalos: Use baseball classic to unite us, not further divide us
No sound is more exciting than the crack of a baseball bat hitting the ball. It’s quite an experience to watch your favorite team score that winning run in the bottom of the ninth or pull off a double-play to ensure their victory. The crowd roars and stands to its feet.
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Pete Chalos: This nation needs purpose, trusted leaders to show the way
Just like individuals, nations need goals. In the 29th chapter of the book of Proverbs it is written, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” In the absence of a unified sense of purpose, progress is replaced with unrest. Like any nation, America needs a national vision, a national direction and national goals.
- Don’t get duped, be skeptical and ask smart questions
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