Okay, okay, I know that I am probably asking for it with this post, but it has got to be said.
Rep. Donnelson (gdonnelson@utah.gov) is sponsoring a bill this session (HB 241) to repeal instate tuition for undocumented students who attended three years of public high school in Utah. I agree that the states are being forced to act on the issue of illegal immigration. It is something that is in dire need of addressing and the federal government has demonstrated their ability to become paralized at even the mention of the issue. But that being said - this bill is far from addressing the root problems.
HB 241 penalizes kids. If a student attended school for three or more years here in Utah, it was far from their decision to come to the United States illegally. They were minors at the time. If the bill passes, the cost of tuition at a Utah university will more than double for them. What do we really want these 18 - 20 year olds doing? Do we want to raise a consciousness in them? Do we want them to become educated in our language, our government, our history, and learn life skills that will make them upstanding and self-sufficient members of our community? They already find themselves in difficult circumstances. They are dealing daily with the consequences of the choice their parents/guardians made to bring them here illegally. Let's not close one more door for these students. (TribuneOpEd)
Alright....I'm ready....let's hear it....
Monday, February 4, 2008
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Picture this… you are a child and your parents take you to a foreign country in order to find work. You don’t speak the language, you live in the shadows, and you are Latino.
You like climbing trees and blowing bubbles. You don’t know the word illegal or alien or immigrant. But somehow you have managed to learn the word HOPE.
You try hard, learn English and do well in high school, despite the fact almost 50% of your Latino peers dropped out. You hang in there and even excel because you have a dream of a decent education and life for yourself.
You want to go to college, but if HB 241 has its way, your tuition rates will increase significantly. YOU ALREADY LIVE IN POVERTY and now your hopes of a semi-affordable education are shattered.
THIS BILL IS TARGETING a very small population. THIS IS HATE LEGISLATION. Since when do we punish people for a crime that someone else has committed? These children’s lives have been hard enough- LEAVE THEM and HOPE alive.
Immigration needs to be dealt with YES, but this bill does not do this. Write Donnelson and say HB241 does not represent the will of the people. Here is a link where you can view the bill
http://le.utah.gov/~2008/bills/hbillint/hb0241.htm
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