Respect immigrants

This is a response to DeAnna Lainhart (Our Readers Write, May 9) in regards to her statement, “I would never go to another country expecting to be received as an equal or expect to be eligible for financial assistance from that country’s government.”

I am proud to say that my family and two generations back came to the U.S.; my grandfather, father, siblings, and myself risked our lives to pursue what I call the Mexican dream.

The only goal when preparing to leave our country to come to the U.S. was to work and to work hard. Nothing would stop us from working toward our goals. Never expected to receive financial assistance.

We have earned what we possess and have contributed to the U.S.’s economy as much as any other citizen for numerous years. We have always expected to be treated with respect; “equal” — well deserved.

I am proud to have dual citizenship and freely speaking English and Spanish, at the same time I travel around both countries.

To my compatriots who struggle day-to-day to provide the basic needs to their families and who silently work and contribute to the U.S. economy, all my respect and admiration.

Growing problem

The traffic in Hood River is terrible. We have traffic problems in areas that most did not even know existed.

Fortunately, because of the foresight of some, we will not have to be concerned with traffic to businesses.

I understand that Costco will soon locate a store in The Dalles. We, because of voter approval, will not have to be concerned. After all, with our decision to not allow a business that needs a large outlet, we have decided that these businesses will have to go elsewhere. They are doing this. Next, location of a Super Wal-Mart in The Dalles.

Our vote has effectively decided that Hood River should be a bedroom community, not only to Portland, but also to The Dalles. I hope that we continue to be happy with our decision.

I only wish that we had followed this same insight with decisions about where and how units or houses could be built in Hood River.

I think that decisions have been made that can only result in Hood River becoming a vacation resort, i.e. part-time residents.

‘Anne Frank’ honors

We were in the audience last week, viewing “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

We were reminded again of the many ways in which the City of Hood River makes a visitor feel aware of the nature of the city. The emphasis we see there of the many ways in which its citizens can participate in opportunities provided to enhance their lives was evident again that evening. The play offered that night gave citizens an opportunity to use their acting skills under excellent direction.

We have experienced this several times, watching local actors provide entertainment for others.

Congratulations to everyone who brought the memory of Anne Frank to us, its impact obvious in the silence of a saddened audience at the end. We look forward to the next production.

Patriotism’s sides

Wednesday’s “Round Table” column by Raelynn Ricarte urges us to bring our children to the memorial service for the fallen soldier, Jason Shaffer, so that they may learn about patriotism.

She writes with anguish of her son’s sacrifice as a marine serving in Iraq, saying that he believes he is protecting our freedom. Ms. Ricarte’s anxiety over her son’s safety must be excruciating and my heart goes out to her.

The death of a soldier is a terrible tragedy. It is important to grieve the loss of Jason Shaffer, along with the other 3,400 soldiers we have lost so far in Iraq, and the approximately 65,000 Iraqi civilians who have lost their lives as a result of this war. Our family grieves this terrible loss of life every day.

However, to claim that our occupation of Iraq is protecting our freedom is a dangerous and misguided notion based on the belief that patriotism requires us to blindly support and obey our president because he knows best. If the founding fathers of our country thought this way, we would still be flying the British flag!

Because of Bush and his “war on terror,” we have LOST many of our freedoms. Illegal wiretapping, warrantless searches, the outing of a CIA agent, condoning torture; all of these corrupt and immoral actions are in the guise of protecting our freedoms, while in reality, they take our freedom away.

We are teaching our children the brand of patriotism on which our country was founded, which means learning the facts, listening to your own moral compass and standing up for what you believe is right.

It means questioning our government when we believe things are going wrong and holding our politicians responsible for their decisions. It means demanding truth and justice from our leaders.

The occupation of Iraq is a disaster that the United States will pay for in blood and tears for years. I urge all of you who attend the memorial service this weekend to re-evaluate this disaster in Iraq and then channel your grief into positive action to end this occupation.