Too Good To Be True (Continued ...)

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I also found two online articles which favor the DREAM Act (looking and comparing at both sides of the issue now).

The first Article titled “Conservative Quotes on the Politics of the DREAM Act” was published on October 6^th of 2011 by the America’s Voice Education Fund, gathers the quotes of many conservative public figures in the government who surprisingly are in agreement that the DREAM Act should be and needs to be passed. These well known figures include: Former Arkansas Governor and Republican President Candidate; Mike Huckabee, Former Bush Administration Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General Colin Powell, Florida Republican; Senator George Le Mieux, Utah Republican Senator; Bob Bennett, former Republican Government Office; Jeb Bush, Former Republican Speaker of the U.S House of Representatives; Newt Gingrich and the Bush Administration Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel of Readiness amongst many others. What do all these public figures have in common you ask? Well, they are mostly all Republican, yet agree that; “This needs to be positioned as a first step in a comprehensive solution and not a substitute for a comprehensive solution”- Former Republican Commerce Secretary, Carlos Gutierrez.

“…many of these young people may wish to join the military and have the attributes needed – education, aptitude, fitness and moral qualifications”- Bush Administration Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

“We believe that if politics are put aside, the DREAM Act could be a first step towards a comprehensive immigration bill, and one that will only benefit our nation… These young immigrant students were raised in America, educated in America and think of themselves as Americans. They did not make the decision to come here without documents. Our nation has already invested taxpayer dollars in their education and training and the DREAM Act will ensure that America will reap the benefits of those investments. America needs and every American should want their talent and skills.”-Juan Hernandez, Founder of Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Looking at this article I can’t help but think about a previous article that I analyzed which also stated that the DREAM Act is the right thing to do by exploring the misconceptions many conservatives have. If that was true and in this article government figures are agreeing with this viewpoint, then again I ask “Why are Americans still opposing this when there are facts and evidence that it will not only benefit undocumented immigrant youth but the country as well?

The second article titled “The Tired Arguments Against the DREAM Act” by Maurice Belanger published on December 21^st 2010, Belanger exposes the arguments many other conservatives against the DREAM Act repetitively argue against every time the bill comes up at the senate table. Many conservatives like Lindsay Graham, and Jon Kyl, insist that the country must first and foremost secure the borders before any legalization program can happen. Belanger, states that these senators have neglected to mention that border patrol enforcement has been greatly escalated by the government in the last few years. An additional $600 million was specifically allocated for border security. Now the border patrol budget stands at $3 billion- nine times that of what it was back in 1992. What they also fail to demonstrate to the public is that as of now, El Paso, Texas ranks as having the lowest crime rate of all cities in the U.S. With a population of 500,000 plus, a recent survey of border residents along the border felt safe in their neighborhoods. They feel the border is secure and also feel it is time to move beyond an argument that had more relevance a decade ago.

In a recent story the Washington Post published, a public opinion poll was conducted by The Post and ABC News. This was what they concluded: 

“The poll suggests that the election, while perhaps a vote against the status quo was not a broad mandate for Republicans and their plans. The survey also underscores the degree to which Americans are conflicted about who they think is setting the agenda in Washington.”

Reading this makes me wonder if Lindsay Graham and Jon Kyl are aware of these statistics or if they are overlooking them and using them as arguments to block the DREAM Act. If this is true as well, that El Paso is the safer now than before, then why does this argument keep popping up everywhere research. This is one of the main reasons why so many oppose the issue. I now am starting to believe that people are not being informed about this. Is the media helping at all? Or are they influencing the American population in a negative way? By now my thinking has evolved. I have learned and possibly come to an assumption that these people are just not getting properly informed and educated. I have also seen that there is more information based on the DREAM Act that supports why it’s a good thing, why it would be beneficial and why it would be the right thing. In many cases I found the opposition sides were not able to back up their counter arguments with data and facts. I believe I have answered my initial question.  My new question arising are how can we educate the public more about this issue in a way that they could have a better viewpoint of it? I would like to argue that this is indeed the right thing to do in my next assignment. As I stated in the beginning, I am an affected person by this issue and I will stand behind supporting this issue no matter of all the negative things I read that would help me in my research. It has also made me become more aware of areas where I need to be more prepared when debating, arguing or trying to persuade someone from the opposite side.