Some of you said you don't think Alabama's immigration bill is racist. What happens if they pull you over in Alabama for giving a ride to a child with darker skin, i.e., an adopted child perhaps? I have friends who are Hispanic, Latino, Black--and this bill is no bloody different than what was enforced under Jim Crow for years! The children will be targeted in school and since we are supposed to preach the gospel to everyone, what about those who pick up a child to take to Sunday School? Under this barbaric law, they can be cited for breaking the law. What about kids in school who have friends who are Hispanic or Latino? Will they be picked up for giving a ride to their friends? These children have no control over their parentage.

I just don't get it. I can remember when we celebrated someone's becoming a U.S. citizen and I have friends whose parents were here from other countries who did not get their citizenship papers for 35-40 years and established restaurants and other businesses in the city and brought in business, and they were welcomed and featured on local TV and in newspapers. Why should it take that long for anyone to become a citizen? Does it take that long for those who come here from the “fairer skin” countries? I seriously doubt it.

I understand the need for controlling our borders but I think that those who work hard and want to become citizens should be allowed a "path to citizenship." And many of the ones who are here do pay taxes and do pay into Social Security. With this bill, farmers will have a difficult time getting their crops harvested and the prices will go up.

I can understand how the Border States have mixed feelings about the issue but we took the land from the Native Americans and put them on reservations, made slaves of the Blacks and treated our Black citizens as anything but American citizens, and we made life miserable for the Cubans and Haitians. Now, it is the Mexicans and Latinos. People admire them when they win a pennant for us, when they are on screen and making records but, like the Blacks, we just don't want "those people" to break bread with us or sit next to us in church.

I would certainly hope that if I were ever in another country I would not be treated this way. I just hate that the South—especially the Cradle of Civil Rights--is going this route again.

June 26, 2011