Trump Will Improve the Lives of Illegal Immigrants...

I know this may sound crazy, but hear me out. I think we can all agree that the current policy of the selective enforcement of illegal immigrants is very flawed. The process to become an American citizen is drawn out and expensive. Persons from other countries risk their lives and many times die trying to get into the United States in order to have a little piece of the American dream. Once illegal immigrants are here it is always in the back of their mind waiting for the other shoe to drop, unable to obtain driver’s licenses and other legal documents in order to truly become a part of the country. Any tangle with local law enforcement could result in a one-way ticket back to their country of origin which has its own risks. This policy has separated families. Thousands of children have been separated from their parents and sent to an unknown and sometimes dangerous future.

This issue of revamping our policies on illegal immigrants has not changed in either Republican or Democrat administrations. Had Donald Trump not made this issue a key part of his Presidential campaign we mostly likely would not be talking about it and this current “do nothing” policy would continue for years to come. It has been almost eight years since President Obama has taken office with zero change regarding immigration.

A serious overhaul of our immigration policy would not only secure our borders, but could simplify the process to become a citizen. Deporting of serious felons would be necessary for the safety of our current citizens.  But, there is a good argument that the hard working illegal immigrants (the majority) that have established themselves in our communities and have become contributing members of our society be able to stay in-country. By registering with the Federal government, paying a small fine, receiving a work visa can lead to becoming a full-fledged citizen of the U.S. This is a very logical and realistic solution to dealing with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants currently in this country. Those still on the other side of the borders will be able to re-unite with their families in the U.S. with less red tape and do it legally without risking life and limb by not being subjected to smugglers and human traffickers.

Sometimes as a good leader you have to make the tough decisions that feel harsh at the time but are necessary in order to make major change to a system that is broken. A complete overhaul of this system, if done right, will not only benefit the citizens of this great country but will benefit the future citizens of this country.

- Sean

The President Creates Toxic Atmosphere for Police...

When President Obama was elected for the first time, I watched his inauguration and listened to his speech. Although, I was not a supporter of his, I did get a sense of hope.  The first thing that came to mind and to most people’s minds was that this was a big step towards total equality for the black population. The fact that a black President was elected this would be a great blow to racism in our country and race relations. Or so we thought.

As his Presidency progressed, certain incidents would come up in the media where race would be injected.  In many, if not most cases, race was not the key factor, but may have been present down on the list.

Prior Presidents would comment on issues in general and normally would not comment on specific cases and if they did, it would be to show faith in whichever authority was handling the matter.

The first incident I remember where the President commented was the black professor that was away on a trip to China (2009). When he returned to his home in Cambridge MA, he had trouble getting into his house because the door was jammed shut. A neighbor, still thinking the professor was away, called the Police and reported a possible burglary in progress. The Police responded and the professor was initially thought to be a burglar. The professor was subsequently arrested for disorderly conduct in which the charges were later dropped.  Obviously, a mistake on the part of the Officer, but the Media ran with it and it was suggested that the Officer was “profiling” the professor.  I’m assuming that because it was turned into a race issue the President felt compelled to comment on the incident. Amongst other things, the President said, “…that the Cambridge police acted stupidly…”.  I found it odd that the President of the United States would be commenting on a minor incident such as this.

There was the Tryvon Martin incident in 2013 where the President commented that “Tryvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.” Although this incident did not directly involve Police, the comments made by the President following Zimmerman being found not guilty showed that he questioned the decision. Zimmerman later commented about the President that he was  ”…making racially charged comments and pitting American against American.”

It starts off slowly, but there is a theme here.  His comments regarding the Cambridge Police show a distrust for Police and now the Zimmerman verdict shows a distrust for the justice system. Both incidents involving race where the President perpetuates the belief that the system is slanted against black Americans. Don’t get me wrong, there is no question that racism exists and people’s perceptions and biases towards black people can determine how someone might react in a situation. The issue is that this is the President of the United States. What he says matters! Especially in regards to the black community.  If the President is validating this belief and he can’t do anything about it, then what kind of message does that send to the black community? For me, I might feel powerless and angry.

The President’s job is to reassure people that justice will be served and show confidence in the system, even if he personally does not believe it. Why you ask? Because when the President talks, people listen. If you give some group of radicals the littlest reason to act out, they will.

Now more recently this issue has progressed.  Michael Brown , Eric Garner, Freddy Gray , each of these incidents involving Police and the death of a black male. The President’s comments on each of these incidents had an undertone of distrust for the Police involved and the court system handling the cases. 

After the Eric Garner case on December  8, 2014 in an interview of the President on BET he completely validated that Police are targeting blacks. Even saying that he himself as a young black man has experienced this. Less than two weeks later, two NYPD Police Officers were eating their lunches in a patrol car when they were executed at point blank, four days before Christmas.

To date, the killing of Police Officers has continued as a direct result of the anti-Police atmosphere that the President of the United States has created along with the Media and their complete disregard for public safety.

-Sean