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The Common Sense of DREAMing

One of my earliest childhood friends is a Mexican immigrant who was brought into this country at the age of two. We attended kindergarten together and shared various classes together throughout our entire educational career. I did not know that she was considered “illegal” until I was in high school.

I hate to use the word “illegal” because it implies that my friend is a criminal and she is not a criminal. It is easy to argue that her parents are criminal as they crossed into this country illegally, carrying with them my friend and her older sister, yet the idea that these two young children were responsible for their illegal entry into this country is absolutely ridiculous.

Had the family been detained and subject to deportation immediately following their illegal entry into this country, I would not find any reason not to deport them all. But that was not the case. I grew up with her right here in America, which for all intents and purposes is the only home that she has ever known.

Although she is fluent in spoken Spanish, she is barely able to read it and not able to write it well at all. This was something that I learned after I pestered her frequently to help me with my Spanish homework. Finally one day she said,

“I don’t know how to help you with your homework. I was never taught how to read or write Spanish. I don’t know where to put accents and it is hard for me to read in Spanish. I don’t really know how to write in Spanish.”

I suddenly understood that my Spanish I class had already taught me more about reading and writing in Spanish than she knew growing up in a family were Spanish was always spoken, but never taught formally. She knew how to read and write in English, which made complete sense as we had shared so many English classes together over all the years that I had known her.

To add insult to injury, the school system would not allow her to take Spanish classes because she was a native speaker of the language.

How can anyone justify sending her “back” to a country that she knows so little about? She would be disadvantaged professionally and would have to assimilate to a culture that she is unfamiliar with. Yes, she knows much about her background as a Mexican, yet she knows nothing about living in Mexico.

Even her Spanish is a product of Spanish speaking Americans, meaning that many words she uses, although not recognized by English speakers would also not be recognized by Spanish speakers in Mexico who have not lived in this country where the languages have merged into what is popularly known as Spanglish.

This is why the DREAM Act is so important, which Barack Obama has supported all along; Mitt Romney would choose to through my friend into unfamiliar territory where her everyday life would immediately become more difficult for her, stunting her ability to become a productive member of society – where her years of American education would render her little benefit.

The policy changes that President Barack Obama announced yesterday from the Department of Homeland Security do not grant citizenship to my friend, they simply prevent her from being criminally prosecuted for the circumstances that she obviously had no control over. They allow her to further her education and to work hard for a future while getting her on track to obtain legal citizenship in the future. It buys her time to earn her rights as the American she has always identified herself as.

The DREAM Act is common sense and is the only fair why to handle the current immigration issues that are prevalent in this country. Score one for “common sense” and “equality” in a country that has forgotten the meaning of both of those terms.

Caiden Cowger Gay Belief Rant

NOTE: This is partly written with the idea that Caiden Cowger himself will stumble across this post and read it, which admittedly is just a fantasy of mine. I know full well that that will most likely not happen. (Email me if you do, though - I would love to be interviewed on that little talk radio show of yours.)


This kid has some convictions, doesn’t he? I wish that I was this sure about anything in my life…

I hate that this child feels that there is “a big problem with not being allowed to convert other people to my religion.” It is exactly this sentiment, this lack of compassion for diversity that fuels hatred in all levels of day to day life, from minor racial discriminations (not that racism is not a huge deal to anyone effected, I just mean incidents of racism without violence involved), to major hate crimes and acts of violence, and even to wars between our countries.

I believe that everyone should have the right to believe whatever they choose to believe, whether I approve of it or not, provided that no harm is caused to myself or others in the name of those beliefs.

I encourage conversation between members of various viewpoints, as conversation is often the first step to enlightenment or understanding. Acknowledgment is not necessarily acceptance; acknowledgment without acceptance is but tolerance.

However, it is no one’s right to convert me into anything, just like I do not have the right to convert anyone else to anything. If civil conversation leads me to the conviction that you hope for, great! If not, take a deep breath and wish for the best of all parties involved.

This moron thinks his rights are compromised by my philosophy, which I feel is perfectly fair – and I invite your thoughts and viewpoints on my beliefs!

This child is also talking about people his age suddenly “becoming gay” whereas they were not gay before - when they were younger, and hello, prepubescent. When I was a child, like most, I was not sexually attracted to anybody so I obviously did not understand, relate to, or identify with being gay myself.

In middle school, at about his age, I had a girlfriend and we made out once playing Spin-The-Bottle. Right now, I could not drink the bottle and want to make out with a girl – I am gay, which is something I now know, but did not know when I was his age, because nobody at that age really knows anything.

This is precisely why I almost do not even want to touch the main point of this child: President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden promote homosexuality in young people. Really, Sir Know Everything?

Cowger, when you are old enough to have a sexual urge, be it for a female or another male, you can tell me how natural it is. FYI, if homosexuality is something that you have to “turn away from,” you might have a hard day facing yourself in front of the mirror one day. But don’t worry, somebody somewhere will be around to remind you that it is okay to be who you know you are, and that yes, you were born that way, even if it is just the radio playing a Lady Gaga song.