Monday, December 3, 2007
www.whiteville.com
By JEFFERSON WEAVER
Staff writer
My father had a favorite saying for times when it seemed things couldn’t be any more ridiculous.
A poorly-worded sentence, a silly government program, a ball team who let the weakest batter on the opposing team knock a home run in the ninth with the score tied, two out and nobody on, or any other really silly blunder would earn a frustrated “Oh, for screaming down the drain.”
I gave Papa a nod the other day when I heard about the community college system’s plan to admit illegal aliens. In fact, I was so surprised that a half-dozen folks at the traffic light undoubtedly heard me snarl my father’s catchphrase.
In case you missed, it, the N.C. Community College system sent out a memo recently instructing colleges to accept illegal aliens if they meet admission guidelines. Apparently being in violation of a federal law is not a hindrance to college admission nowadays.
Until the memo, community colleges could reject illegals solely because they were, well, illegal. They do have to pay out-of-state tuition, so at least the state can make a little money off the investment in supporting people who violate federal law.
Please note: I am not being racist when I use the term illegal alien. I simply prefer to call a spade a spade, not a hand-operated soil-relocation device. People who enter this country are aliens, and people who do so in violation of the law are illegal aliens. They are not undocumented immigrants, they are not nationality-unclear, they are illegal aliens.
Ironically, the community college system’s decision is based on a 1997 opinion written by current Gov. Mike Easley, who was attorney general – the state’s top law officer – at the time. Easley has come under fire lately for playing lame duck politics with the community college system, but not enough folks have howled over allowing illegals to attend state-subsidized college classes.
It’s bad enough we have to educate the children of illegals; whilst I would not deny any child, anywhere, under any circumstances the opportunity to learn in a safe and healthy environment, the children of illegals have no place in our public schools.
And illegals have no place in our community college system.
I attended a community college for two years before moving on to UNC-Wilmington; frankly, I know I benefited from it.
Community colleges help families who can’t afford four years at a university the chance to further their child’s education.
They give the student a taste of academic life, and allow a transition which all we “transfer students” came to appreciate.
To be honest – and I’m sure I’ll get jumped for this one – I had better teachers (overall) in community college than I had at university. There was no room for the elitist attitude or politics of any leaning when you have three months to do a semester’s work. Tom Clere was a friend as well as an English professor, and I will never forget his lessons and support through some troubling times.
At the university, the “New Academia” was just getting underway while I was a student. With many (but not all) of my professors, classwork wasn’t as important as politics and opinions. From what I understand, things have gotten worse in recent years.
In the community college classes, we had to work. Period.
Community colleges are the fallback for folks who are starting over, as well as the foundation for kids who are starting out.
How many moms, displaced factory workers, discharged soldiers, new nurses, teachers-to-be, and technological professionals could afford to play the catch-as-catch-can game of university classes and hope the ones they need will be available – and pray that there’s time for classes between family, home, and the job that you’re trying to rise above.
In my opinion, the state of North Carolina owes its taxpayers and their children a community college system.
The state doesn’t owe a higher education to illegal aliens. Even if the system does stand to make a $2,000 profit (on average) per illegal enrolled.
If illegals want to follow the rules and become real citizens, that’s fine by me. I’ll welcome them and encourage them to better themselves. As a matter of fact, I have done so and still do so.
But the longer we coddle the illegal aliens in the name of political correctness, tolerance, and anti-bigotry, the closer we come to a time when the border criminals will outnumber the folks who respect the law.
But yet governments and increasingly, individuals, are so terrified of the Americans for Civil Liberties Union saying the word “lawsuit” that nobody has the guts to stand up and say something’s wrong when we encourage illegal aliens to fill up class space that should be reserved for the children and grownups who need and deserve the chance to get a leg up on an education, a career, or a new and better job.
Until someone grows a backbone and says enough is enough, I’m afraid much of our society – including the community college system – will just go screaming down the drain.
– Weaver is a staff writer with The News Reporter. He may be reached via email at jeffweaver@newsreporter.biz, or via telephone at 642-4104, ext. 227.
