Modify 14th to exclude illegal immigrants

To the editor:

In their feeble efforts to change immigration laws, it’s a travesty that Congress refuses to address one of the major reasons aliens come here. A significant percentage of female illegals migrate here not to work, but to take advantage of our antiquated birthright law.

The 14th Amendment was enacted in the 1860s to address slaves, not illegal aliens. They can now give birth in our hospital emergency rooms, at our expense, due to our liberal welfare system. They know it’s illegal for this country to force a U.S.-born citizen to leave the country, forcing us to allow the mother of the “anchor baby” residency as well.

This is obviously a major issue, more costly to Americans than politicians or the media are willing to admit. The figure is more than $338 billion per year.

The need to make this travesty known is imperative. Our representatives must amend our outdated birthright law (as most countries do) so that children born in the United States are citizens of the mother’s country unless one or both parents are legal residents, or citizens. We must also mandate that a DNA sample be provided at the time of birth in questionable cases to prevent fraudulent claims by the father.

Further, all charges for emergency room care should be billed to the country of the recipient’s citizenship when they’re not legally in the U.S. This change will eliminate the huge cost and sheer numbers of illegal entries, as well as reducing the need for more Border Patrol agents. If Congress’ stated intention is really to provide a “comprehensive” immigration law, instead of conjuring up votes at our expense, this must be part of it.

FRANK MUSARACA

HENDERSON

‘The 10 Cannots’

To the editor:

Too bad the Review-Journal’s “Best of Las Vegas” supplement didn’t have a category for “Best Letter to the Editor,” as Salvatore Lamagra’s March 17 letter, “The ‘10 Cannots,’ ” would have been the hands-down winner.

Too bad the politicians — local, state and federal — don’t understand the principles embodied in the list.

Thank you, Mr. Lamagra. Your letter is pinned up at my desk. I will read it every day.

NICK AQUILINA

LAS VEGAS

Cut and paste

To the editor:

The adage “Elect clowns, expect a circus” was certainly front and center March 14 at the Senate Health and Human Services hearing on Senate Bill 221. The author of the bill, Sen. Justin Jones, D-Las Vegas, should immediately audition with Cirque du Soleil. I’m not certain that they have anyone who can twist and contort a piece of legislation like he did.

Sen. Jones combined some mental health issues with what amounts to universal background checks on gun purchases and transfers. If he could also have included a provision that the serfs must use their turn signals, he could consider it a triple play.

As I understood Sen. Jones, it all began in a hallway at his church. A lady and her child approached him and fearfully asked him, “How are you going to protect us?” Emotions apparently took hold, and an effort was launched not only to please this one woman and her child, but to save the planet. The protection of this woman and her child needed to be done quickly. The urgency was so great that the entire piece of legislation, as crafted, doesn’t really make sense.

As inconsistencies and other problems were pointed out, Sen. Jones’ response was that he had “cut and pasted” much of the bill and he would certainly go back and re-examine it. One person pointed out legislation shouldn’t be crafted this way. Sen. Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, from her elevated position above the common folks, was quick to come to Sen. Jones’ aide and let the serfs know that this was a very mean thing to say to a lord because that’s how bills are written (actually, cut and pasted). I believe Sen. Jones said that some of the cut-and-paste job came from Colorado bills. Colorado!

The laughter was somewhat loud at one point, but I believe Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, seemed to think the bill was necessary to prevent the sale of firearms to an insane person. As Thomas Jefferson said, “I prefer dangerous freedom over powerful slavery.” This thing, SB221, just needs to be voted down.

Why is it, as William S. Burroughs said, “After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn’t do it”?

For heaven’s sake, leave me alone.

CHARLES MITCHENER

LAS VEGAS

End celibacy

To the editor:

Pope Francis has come into my religion at the right time. Boy, do we need a religious leader who even Jesus Christ would embrace with open arms. He’s not afraid to get down into the trenches with the rest of us common folk. He’s a pope of the people, for the people and by the people. The critics who question his actions under the military junta in Argentina should have walked in his shoes during those trying days. It’s what he does now and in the days to come that really matters.

There’s one very important issue that he and the leadership have to come to grips with, as far as I’m concerned, and that’s celibacy. This one issue has all but destroyed the Catholic religion. Millions and millions of parishioners’ hard-earned dollars have been thrown away on lawsuits brought on by priests molesting young children. If Pope Francis can’t resolve this policy of not allowing priests to marry within a reasonable time, I will have to think seriously about being part of another religion.

Celibacy is a man-made rule. It will take real men to overturn that stupidity.

JOHN TOMINSKY

LAS VEGAS

Deadbeat employers

To the editor:

Where do you think the employees are getting health care now? Mostly at the emergency room on the backs of me and other taxpayers. Hence I’m subsidizing every business that doesn’t pay these benefits. I’m tired of the deadbeat businesses that shift their costs over to the taxpayer.

One group of folks on food stamps happens to be Wal-Mart employees, because they simply are not paid enough to live. Hence, we also subsidize Wal-Mart, so it can “pretend” to have huge profits and shareholders can get richer.

This taxpayer fleecing to pay for company costs must stop. People must pay something into health care so there are fewer deadbeats. Look at RomneyCare (now re-labeled ObamaCare, but it’s exactly the same). It has worked very well. No more businesses hiring at minimum wage and forcing us taxpayers fund the health care of their employees.

MICHAEL FEDER

LAS VEGAS