Seeing the dedication of the Hall of Honor at Green County's Veterans Memorial Park was wonderful.
I visit the park often and find it a reflective place that helps put things into perspective.
Recognizing those who have chosen to serve our country, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, is good and right. We should never forget what freedom has cost and we should continue to honor that through recognition and following through on civilian duties, such as being active voters and participating in government.
The names on the memorial represent our ethnic heritage. In Monroe, we are a hearty Swiss community. Our ancestors as a whole in this area include many people from central Europe whose families have been here for well over a century.
For many years there has been an ongoing debate over how we should handle immigration. President Donald Trump has asked Congress to come up with policy that fits our nation's needs.
I believe in traditional immigration. I believe in having all the details documented so they can be traced and a person becomes a citizen through a process.
Among the most positive paths to citizenship I've ever witnessed was during my son's recent graduation from U.S. Army basic training. At the Family Day event for his unit, which was the day before his graduation, a total of 31 members of his unit were sworn in as citizens of the United States of America.
Think about that - these young people joined the Army, completed basic training, and, in some cases, their citizenship was not established until they were graduating from basic training.
I'm continually perplexed we, as a nation, have a failing path to citizenship for many people who have uncertain citizenship status.
Every veteran honored at the Green County Veterans Memorial Park served our nation to ensure it provided its citizens with the basic freedoms we are guaranteed in our Constitution.
Local citizens support and recognize their sacrifices to such a degree that we have a beautiful park and maintain and add to it simply out of respect.
More than ever, people who would have been considered ethnically separate, now identify themselves as Americans. While listening to "To the Best of Our Knowledge" on Wisconsin Public Radio on Sunday, the topic of how people identify themselves came up in a bigger discussion about social justice and social media.
I can see how a person, who may not even speak English, could identify themselves as an American rather than the place of origin from which they or their family originated. We hear all sorts of information about the "Dreamers" or young, college-aged ethnic youth who have known no other home but the United States, but do not have United States citizenship.
Citizenship is either properly established or earned. We have a considerable problem when it comes to undocumented aliens living among us, using our nation's goods and services, but not contributing to taxes, possibly health care and in so many other areas. We know illegal aliens buy vehicles and drive. Do they have a driver's license? Do they carry insurance? Do they have health care insurance?
I would assume being an illegal alien, or having uncertain citizenship status, is a situation filled with anxiety and fear.
There are millions and millions of such people, who have lived in the United States for decades.
Like many conservatives, I believe illegal aliens who commit crimes and are in the custody of law enforcement, should be held for the Immigration and Nationalization Service (INS) to be deported. We can't reward bad behavior with continued illegal citizenship status.
That said, we should create a path to citizenship for alien workers of uncertain, or even current illegal status, if they have good work histories and are productive members of society.
Many Republican lawmakers know we need these workers. More than that, we need these people to have citizenship status, so they can become a part of the whole and live as Americans.
A quick process to finalize citizenship for those who are here now in an uncertain manner should happen. Some people refer to this as amnesty, but I believe even amnesty should include a period where proper documentation and background checks take place. Once a period in which amnesty is granted ends, we should return to traditional immigration policies including visas, green cards and eventual citizenship tests and formal citizenship adoption. We have to go basically from amnesty to zero tolerance for those who immigrate illegally.
I have been blessed to have been born in the United States and I take pride in my citizenship. Congress should honor the work of statesmanship to cross the aisle, develop bipartisan immigration legislation, and put in place a standard by which, in the short term, we can address all illegal immigrants and have a blueprint for the future.
The protection and opportunity afforded by our nation to its citizens was paid for by extreme sacrifices. Our immigration woes must be addressed in a manner, so that there is no more uncertainty.
We will be a better country with a strong immigration policy. We will better honor those who sacrificed to make American what it is by creating immigration standards that honor hard work and rewarding those who follow procedures showing they want legal citizenship status.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
I visit the park often and find it a reflective place that helps put things into perspective.
Recognizing those who have chosen to serve our country, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, is good and right. We should never forget what freedom has cost and we should continue to honor that through recognition and following through on civilian duties, such as being active voters and participating in government.
The names on the memorial represent our ethnic heritage. In Monroe, we are a hearty Swiss community. Our ancestors as a whole in this area include many people from central Europe whose families have been here for well over a century.
For many years there has been an ongoing debate over how we should handle immigration. President Donald Trump has asked Congress to come up with policy that fits our nation's needs.
I believe in traditional immigration. I believe in having all the details documented so they can be traced and a person becomes a citizen through a process.
Among the most positive paths to citizenship I've ever witnessed was during my son's recent graduation from U.S. Army basic training. At the Family Day event for his unit, which was the day before his graduation, a total of 31 members of his unit were sworn in as citizens of the United States of America.
Think about that - these young people joined the Army, completed basic training, and, in some cases, their citizenship was not established until they were graduating from basic training.
I'm continually perplexed we, as a nation, have a failing path to citizenship for many people who have uncertain citizenship status.
Every veteran honored at the Green County Veterans Memorial Park served our nation to ensure it provided its citizens with the basic freedoms we are guaranteed in our Constitution.
Local citizens support and recognize their sacrifices to such a degree that we have a beautiful park and maintain and add to it simply out of respect.
More than ever, people who would have been considered ethnically separate, now identify themselves as Americans. While listening to "To the Best of Our Knowledge" on Wisconsin Public Radio on Sunday, the topic of how people identify themselves came up in a bigger discussion about social justice and social media.
I can see how a person, who may not even speak English, could identify themselves as an American rather than the place of origin from which they or their family originated. We hear all sorts of information about the "Dreamers" or young, college-aged ethnic youth who have known no other home but the United States, but do not have United States citizenship.
Citizenship is either properly established or earned. We have a considerable problem when it comes to undocumented aliens living among us, using our nation's goods and services, but not contributing to taxes, possibly health care and in so many other areas. We know illegal aliens buy vehicles and drive. Do they have a driver's license? Do they carry insurance? Do they have health care insurance?
I would assume being an illegal alien, or having uncertain citizenship status, is a situation filled with anxiety and fear.
There are millions and millions of such people, who have lived in the United States for decades.
Like many conservatives, I believe illegal aliens who commit crimes and are in the custody of law enforcement, should be held for the Immigration and Nationalization Service (INS) to be deported. We can't reward bad behavior with continued illegal citizenship status.
That said, we should create a path to citizenship for alien workers of uncertain, or even current illegal status, if they have good work histories and are productive members of society.
Many Republican lawmakers know we need these workers. More than that, we need these people to have citizenship status, so they can become a part of the whole and live as Americans.
A quick process to finalize citizenship for those who are here now in an uncertain manner should happen. Some people refer to this as amnesty, but I believe even amnesty should include a period where proper documentation and background checks take place. Once a period in which amnesty is granted ends, we should return to traditional immigration policies including visas, green cards and eventual citizenship tests and formal citizenship adoption. We have to go basically from amnesty to zero tolerance for those who immigrate illegally.
I have been blessed to have been born in the United States and I take pride in my citizenship. Congress should honor the work of statesmanship to cross the aisle, develop bipartisan immigration legislation, and put in place a standard by which, in the short term, we can address all illegal immigrants and have a blueprint for the future.
The protection and opportunity afforded by our nation to its citizens was paid for by extreme sacrifices. Our immigration woes must be addressed in a manner, so that there is no more uncertainty.
We will be a better country with a strong immigration policy. We will better honor those who sacrificed to make American what it is by creating immigration standards that honor hard work and rewarding those who follow procedures showing they want legal citizenship status.
- Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.
