Free speech, yes. Defamation, no.
To the editor:
A letter in the Dec 3, paper that starts with, “Emperor Obama…” made me suspicious. Kathy Jones of Saint James City, in her Letter to the Editor, spoke out about how evil and wrong Illegal Immigration is and used ‘Emperor’ two more times.
My suspicions were correct. She’s been fed some serious myths that many of her undocumented declarations have so little truth to them.
I correct just two of her myths. She cites (without footnote): “It is estimated that illegal aliens make up approximately 30 percent of the population in Federal, state and local prisons….”
Here is a rebuttal: According to the conservative Americas Majority Foundation, “Crime rates during the period 19992006 were lowest in states with the highest immigration growth rates. During that period the total crime rate fell 14 percent in the 19 top immigration states, compared to only 7 percent in the other 31. Truth is, foreign-born people in America-whether they are naturalized citizens, permanent residents or undocumented-are incarcerated at a much lower rate than native-born Americans.”
Ms. Jones comes down heavily on “Anchor babies,” kids born to illegal immigrants. The Constitution says anyone born on U.S. soil is automatically a US citizen.
That makes her mad, but, does she know this? Immigration judges will not keep immigrant parents in the United States just because their children are U.S. citizens. Between 1998 and 2007, the federal government deported about 108,000 foreign-born parents whose children had been born here.
These children must wait until they are 21 before they can petition to allow their parents to join them in the United States. That process is long and difficult. In reality, there is no such thing as an “Anchor Baby.” I cite my source. Tolerance.org.
Other readers of “The Reporter” are invited to take on some of her other wrong and even dangerous accusations and assumptions.
But, please Ms. Jones, no more inflammatory labels dumped on our President Obama. And please do check out your facts and tell us where you found them.
Sidney B. Simon
Sanibe