Sympathy for illegal immigrants
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Judy Steele
Published: July 6, 2008
I had dinner with my 19-year-old son who just finished his first year at Liberty University. We are legal citizens and residents of Virginia.
He told me he is $30,000 in debt. I wonder why I should feel so sorry for little miss Jamilla for having her American dream so crushed after just one year and being only $20,000 in debt. She just wants
everybody to feel sorry for her for just packing it in and giving up.
I said to my son after we were done eating “come on I’m going to BJ’s I’ll fill your gas tank up for you.” He said, “Mom stop trying to do everything for me, I just put $40 worth of gas in my car I have 1/2 a
tank.” Then he offered to pay for his share of dinner. Why is it some think we owe them when we can’t even do for our own?
JUDY STEELE
Woodbridge
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Posted by ( AntiBVBL.net ) on July 08, 2008 at 3:07 pm
A US Citizen who has resided in Virginia her whole life is denied In-State Tuition. There’s an obvious injustice in this case.
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Posted by ( jmolina ) on July 07, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Miss Jamilla has every right of an American Citizen wether we like it or not. her issue could be resolved in a very easy way: contact ACLU, they know how to make sure that every student in the state of Virginia get in-state tuition regardless of their parents legal status. ACLU has done it before.
willow, you couldn’t have said better.
I agree with both of your comments.
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Posted by ( RonCharest ) on July 07, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Ejben,
You also miss the big issue; Ms. Penarete is an American citizen by brth, and an adult resident of the state of Virginia. What does your comment:
“but we spend thousands on all those other countries. Let’s start doing something for US Citizens.“
mean in the context of this discussion? Shouldn’t we BE doing something for young people such as Ms. Penarete?
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Posted by ( MPMom ) on July 07, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Car registration, filing state taxes, personal property tax - all are acceptable proof to GMU of residency for in-state tuition. Paying taxes is the most American thing there is, isn’t it?
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Posted by ( ejben ) on July 07, 2008 at 11:34 am
Good going Judy. There are many young people out here that have to think twice about going into debt for AN EDUCATION,BUT SOME HOW THEY MANAGE.
All of those who want the freebies is the cause of everything being expensive.
Every Legal Citizen should be able to get a scholarship,especially if it’s a hardship for a family. We want our kids educated,but we spend thousands on all those other countries. Let’s start doing something for US Citizens.
And I mean those who are Citizens and have raised their children as Citizens.
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Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 07, 2008 at 11:31 am
So residency is determined by the payment of taxes. What a novel idea. One can be born in Virginia, live in Virginia for 18 years, go through the Virginia public school system, graduate from a Virginia high school and still not be a resident of Virginia. And if one never pays taxes, one can live in Virginia for 100 years and never be a resident.
Ones’ legal status is dependent upon the payment of taxes? Somehow, that doesn’t sound very American to me.
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Posted by ( MPMom ) on July 07, 2008 at 9:38 am
I don’t disagree with GMU’s determination of residency in this case - I waited a year to go to school while my family and I established residency for in-state tuition. Residency is determined by taxes coming in, thus the year waiting period and the need of proof. I also think Jamilla has the right to tell to whomever will listen, as does Judy Steele to write the letter. I also reserve the right to be completely put off by the “little miss Jamilla” snideness and rudeness of her comments. The tone of Ms. Steele’s letter diminishes her argument greatly.
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Posted by ( RonCharest ) on July 07, 2008 at 9:16 am
There is a hugh difference that Ms. Steele seems to miss. Liberty University is a Private School, and private rates apply regardless of state residency.
Ms. Penarete’s complaint was that as a native-born American citizen and lifelong resident of Virginia, she was being forced to pay out-of-state tuition at a State-run college due to choices her parents made before she was born.
Big difference.
Liberty University professes to teach the Christian faith and practices. Sure wish I saw some of that Christian faith and practices with the “illegal is Illegal” crowd.
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Posted by ( MikeG ) on July 07, 2008 at 8:42 am
Well said, Judy!
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Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 07, 2008 at 8:38 am
Judy starts with a sleazy, false implication; that Jamilla is not a citizen or a resident of Virginia.
Jamilla was born here, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution says she is a citizen.
She is an adult, the Constitution makes no provision for treating adult citizens differently based on the citizenship of their parents. Virginia law can not contradict the Constitution.
It is not the debt that matters; it is the unconstitutional denial of equal treatment under the law that matters.
Mrs. Steele asks, “Why is it some think we owe them when we can’t even do for our own?“ Asinine, Mrs. Steele. You could have paid for your son’s gas, you could have paid for his meal, you might even have been able to pay his tuition.
But he is an adult, he’s not your baby anymore. So what, exactly can’t you “even do for our own”?
Does Mrs. Steele believe that we don’t owe equal treatment to all citizens?
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