THE EDITOR, Sir:
STEVE WILSON wrote to the editor on Wednesday, October 1, saying that Cliff Hughes should be wary of Fox News because he perceives the network as being "anti-immigrant".
Mr. Wilson is no doubt so emotionally involved in the situation that he equates the reporting of the ill effects of illegal immigrants on the American society as an anti-immigrant
outlook.
Furthermore, he gives the impression that the network targets Jamaicans in airing stories. Mr. Wilson seems to have a problem with the person of Bill O'Reilly as a conservative thinker. It seems that Steve might be one of those who wants the United S to have an open-border polictatesy and wants to hear only positive news about accomplished immigrants like Colin Powell.
The new visa requirement for Jamaicans by Britain, for example, ought to point out to all of us that illegal immigrants do become an economic and social problem in the long run to host countries. America can no longer afford (literally) to ignore the problem of illegal immigration.
One of the reasons California is broke and in the midst of a recall (election) of Governor Gray Davis is the state's inability to provide basic entitlements to legal residents because its resources have been depleted by the overwhelming number of illegal immigrants receiving free basic health care among other things.
The forerunners in the race for Governor includes Arnold Shwarzenegger, a naturalised citizen/legal immigrant. Bill O'Reilly recently interviewed Arnold on the "Factor" and paid him nothing but respect. Is that anti-immigrant?
The fact is, illegal immigrants for the most part don't pay taxes and therefore don't contribute in a meaningful way towards the services they receive. The poorest states and towns in the US or the majority carrying large economic deficits are those closest to the Mexican border or those with the highest illegal immigrant population.
If Fox News highlights these facts and some presenters on the network call for more regulation in order to protect the economic and social welfare of all legal citizens, regardless of origin, does that reflect an anti-immigrant stance?
If this was happening in Jamaica, wouldn't we want this issue to be in the news and addressed by our Government?
Mr. Wilson to me reflects our typical Jamaican mentality. We somehow believe we always deserve preferential treatment and any opinion which differs from ours is deemed an attack on our person. Steve as well as the rest of us need to "leg guh the jump fence mentality".
I am, etc.,
RICK STERO
St. Catherine
Via Go-Jamaica
